In the pre-dawn hours, before the east had brightened.
...
A middle-aged man, clad in a gray robe, slowly ascended the northern mountain. A long spear was strapped to his back, segmented into three sections and joined by a resilient spiritual cord. When worn, it resembled a sword case. He was powerfully built, with prominent cheeks and slightly bulging eyes, giving him a rather intimidating appearance. An aura of gloom emanated from him as he traversed the former battlefield, moving in silence through the wind, unnoticed even by Xiang Ji, who presided over Snow Domain Heavenly Pond.
Upon reaching Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, he descended along the upper reaches of White Fish Stream. He trod through the snow with steady, unhurried steps, a smile playing on his lips as he hummed a tune. However, it was not a song of the human race.
He advanced slowly along White Fish Stream, stopping before a cluster of shattered giant rocks. Once, a stone bridge stood here. In years past, a young man would fish here daily, set traps, and practice martial arts. He had even devised a V-shaped fishing trap that sometimes proved effective, catching truly large fish. Alas, a hundred years ago, a great demon of the Fifth Realm had reduced the stone bridge to dust with a single palm strike.
"Swish~~~"
He leaped, leaving the snow behind, his feet landing on the water's surface. Ripples spread outwards, yet he did not sink. He walked upon the water, his gaze fixed on what lay beneath, and a cold laugh escaped him. "What, do I need to invite you out? Old thing, did I go too easy on you with that kick back then?"
"Esteemed Demon Immortal, please do not be angry..."
From beneath the water, an old woman, her body glowing with a faint golden luster, emerged. Without hesitation, she knelt on the snow, murmuring, "I have come out, have I not..."
"Oh?"
The gray-robed middle-aged man sneered. "I hear a sword cultivator of the Lower Fifth Realm has recently arrived at Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, and they say he is remarkably powerful. He has killed several scout parties of my demon race, and even Yun Lang, a sword cultivator of the Tenth Realm, fell here, his demonic core extracted, meeting a most gruesome end. I also heard you had some acquaintance with this Lower Fifth Realm sword cultivator, even helping him divert a stream to create a moat for his camp?"
"I didn't! I really didn't..."
Madam Xu began to weep. "Esteemed Demon Immortal, you do me a grave injustice! I truly did not..."
"Really not?"
"No!"
"Then you'll still get beaten!"
The gray-robed middle-aged man flicked his sleeve, and Madam Xu was sent flying backward. She stumbled to the riverbank. Just as she was about to rise, she saw the Demon Immortal leap into the air and descend like lightning, stomping a powerful foot onto her cheek. Her golden form wavered, and her head was forced into the mud.
Decades ago, Madam Xu had faced the great demon Nián Kuí, and her head had been similarly forced into the mud. At this moment, Madam Xu trembled, daring not to move. She didn't even dare to beg for mercy, fearing that Nián Kuí would stomp her head into oblivion with a single displeased kick. Then, not only her golden form but perhaps even her soul would be lost.
Her body quivered slightly.
"Listen well."
Nián Kuí looked at her indifferently, sneering. "That brat from the Lower Fifth Realm is my prey, Nián Kuí. I know you didn't help him. If you had, you would be dead ten times over by now. From this moment on, remember this: you are forbidden from any contact with human cultivators. Otherwise... my demon race will flatten White Fish Stream and butcher you, you wicked woman!"
"I understand, I understand..."
Madam Xu replied tremblingly.
"Hmph!"
Nián Kuí was long gone, yet Madam Xu remained silent, daring not to utter a sound.
...
"Squeak squeak~~~"
His boots crunching in the snow, the Eleventh Realm great demon named "Nián Kuí" continued south along White Fish Stream, a sinister gleam in his eyes. An hour ago, Bai Ye, the commander of the Ninth Army Tent, had found him and specifically requested Nián Kuí to come to Snow Domain Heavenly Pond himself to clear out the bothersome elements. Bai Ye was the cousin of Lord Yu Zhi and the commander of an army tent. Bai Ye's personal invitation was an honor that would set Nián Kuí apart from his peers in the demon race.
He was called Nián Kuí because his true form was a giant catfish from the northern rivers. His cultivation had been arduous over the years, and he had finally ascended to the Upper Fifth Realm, becoming one of the names recorded in the demon ancestor's registry, bestowed by the demon ancestor himself. Nián Kuí, the leader among catfish – what greater honor could there be in this world?
Nián Kuí followed White Fish Stream, passing the old town site and arriving before the ruins of a bookstore. Observing the leveled ground, he spat. "Damn it, that detestable young man! During the battle a hundred years ago, Nián Kuí was merely an Eighth Realm catfish spirit who had just formed his Golden Core, drifting with the currents in a river hundreds of miles away. At that very moment, Qin Suihan's Dharma Body erupted from the earth, confronting the sword strikes of immortals from the Sea of Worlds. Back then, Nián Kuí was so terrified by the Dharma Body's pressure that he fled in utter disarray, pants soiled. It was a moment of extreme humiliation. Now, this debt could finally be settled.
He passed through the old town and headed south, past the abandoned entrance of the town, and then descended the mountain in a straight line, arriving before a Mountain Lord Shrine halfway up the slope.
"Mountain Lord Su, I trust you are well!"
Nián Kuí sneered. "Does that Lower Fifth Realm sword cultivator on Snow Domain Heavenly Pond perhaps have some connection with you, Mountain Lord Su?"
The Mountain Lord Shrine remained silent.
"Hmph!"
Nián Kuí sneered again. "Can silence allow you to escape everything? This brat's life belongs to me, Nián Kuí. When I take his life, I hope Mountain Lord Su will not interfere. Otherwise... I will show no regard for anyone's face and will directly stomp this Mountain Lord Shrine flat. At that time, Mountain Lord Su will likely not have even a tiny place to hide."
"Oh, really?"
From within the Mountain Lord Shrine, a figure in white robes appeared. Mountain Lord Su plopped down on the shrine's roof, adopting a resigned attitude. "I am merely an Eighth Realm mountain god now. It matters not... a mere life, my fate has not awakened. Esteemed Nián Kuí can kill me as he pleases. Come at me, what can I do? I am inferior in strength, and I must stand firm when beaten."
Nián Kuí frowned. "So, does this mean Mountain Lord Su has decided to intervene and save that brat?"
"Did I say that?"
Mountain Lord Su smiled faintly. "But it would be best if Esteemed Nián Kuí thought carefully. The Snow Domain Heavenly Pond of today is not the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond of a month ago. Otherwise, you may find yourself suffering."
"What do you mean?"
Nián Kuí raised an eyebrow and sneered, "The wind has stopped, the rain has ceased, and Mountain Lord Su feels he is capable again?"
"Hee hee~~~"
Mountain Lord Su rubbed his hands and chuckled. "Esteemed Nián Kuí is truly talented, with such a knack for catchy phrases. It's a shame you didn't go to study and take the imperial examinations to become a top scholar."
Nián Kuí rolled his eyes and chuckled. "It matters not. When I make my move, Mountain Lord Su is welcome to intervene. But if Nián Kuí does not hold back, for instance, if I shatter Mountain Lord Su's dilapidated golden form, or if I destroy one of Mountain Lord Su's destinies, you cannot blame me. After all, it will be Mountain Lord Su's own doing."
"I won't blame you, I won't blame you."
Mountain Lord Su waved his hand and said with a smile, "Esteemed Nián Kuí, hurry along now. I want to go back to sleep."
Nián Kuí turned and left.
He desperately wanted to turn back and flatten this Mountain Lord Shrine, reducing the exceptionally handsome and elegant mountain lord to a mere wisp of soul. But he dared not. After all, a hundred years ago, the demon ancestor's direct decree stated that anyone on Snow Domain Heavenly Pond could be killed, except for this Mountain Lord Su. And why couldn't he be killed? Because one day, the demon ancestor was sleeping soundly when someone entered his dream. The person in the dream, dressed in a green robe, with an empty silver sword sheath on his back, cupped his fists and said with a smile, "Old demon ancestor, Ding Mu Chen pays his respects! I'll say just one thing and leave: on Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, Su Fu cannot be touched by anyone. If you, demon ancestor, happen to kill him, I, Ding Mu Chen, will forsake my Fourteenth Realm Heavenly Rank conferred title and descend to the mortal world to cleave you into oblivion."
With those words, the demon ancestor was so terrified that he dared not march his armies across Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, yet he did not dare to kill Mountain Lord Su. In those days, countless great demons of the Upper Fifth Realm passed by this dilapidated Mountain Lord Shrine, but who dared to act? Conversely, after Lin Zhao's death, for several months, this seemingly gentle and elegant Mountain Lord Su would bring a stool to the entrance of the shrine daily and curse at the passing great demons. He cursed the ancestors of the demon ancestor, Yu Zhi, Bai Lan, Lu Hai, and other great demons for eighteen generations, using extremely vulgar language, filled with profanity. Yet, no one from the demon race dared to lay a hand on him.
This one was not to be provoked, unless the God of War fell, he was truly invincible in this world.
...
Nián Kuí turned and ascended the mountain, his gray cloak fluttering in the wind. As he reached the old town site, he frowned, tilting his head to look at the sky. Clouds swirled and shrouded the night sky, lingering over Snow Domain Heavenly Pond. Was it about to snow again? Something felt off; this snowfall seemed to have a more man-made element.
"Hmph!"
He suddenly sensed something, leaped into the air, and transformed into a stream of golden light, shooting towards the upper layers of the clouds. He then lightly tapped his feet, landing on a floating cloud, and looked ahead, chuckling. "A mere Cloud Master, and you dare play tricks before me?"
"Dare not, dare not~~~"
Clouds swirled, coalescing into the figure of an old sword immortal, none other than Han Bu Yu. He smiled faintly. "Cloud Master Han Bu Yu pays his respects to the Upper Fifth Realm Nián Kuí. It is indeed good to have a high cultivation, this oppressive aura is almost crushing..."
Nián Kuí frowned. "Han Bu Yu, you met a terrible end back then. What are you trying to do now? Just be a Cloud Master, isn't it good to leisurely summon clouds and rain? Why must you still think of doing something for the human race? Aren't you afraid of truly perishing?"
"One who has died once is no longer so afraid."
Han Bu Yu said, "Esteemed Nián Kuí, you wouldn't truly want to kill me, would you?"
"Do you think I wouldn't dare?"
Nián Kuí suddenly lunged forward, striking Han Bu Yu forcefully in the chest. The entire sky boomed with a "peng!" sound, and Han Bu Yu's body instantly shattered. But the next second, clouds swirled, and Han Bu Yu's figure reformed. His complexion was a little pale. "Oh dear, one shouldn't use this Cloud Master divine ability too much. An old man's bones are weary. Esteemed Nián Kuí, must you really kill this Heaven and Earth conferred Cloud Master? Aren't you afraid of incurring the karmic consequences of the Great Dao?"
Nián Kuí frowned. He was indeed wary. He sneered, "I will return. Next time I come will be the death of that Lower Fifth Realm human brat. I hope you, Han Bu Yu, will know your place and not seek death yourself. Otherwise, I won't care about incurring karma."
"Farewell, Esteemed Nián Kuí!"
"Hmph!"
Nián Kuí turned and departed.
Han Bu Yu, however, stared at the retreating figure, his thoughts turning to how if the third shopkeeper's cultivation were still intact, he would have cleaved this fellow with a single sword and then made a pot of catfish soup. Catfish soup with wine, the more you drink, the richer it becomes. The thought made him quite pleased.
The old sword immortal had been a renowned gourmet in life, and naturally, he remained so in death.