It was past one in the morning.
In the camp, Lin Zhao built a bonfire and took out a leg of venison from the camp's stores, diligently roasting it. Soon after, Niu Zhi emerged from Baiyu Stream, having cleaved two large white fish from the water with his sword and presented them to Lin Zhao. He then prepared a pot of delicious fish soup, along with some baked flatbreads. These flatbreads were as large as washbasins, serving as the staple food for the Snow Domain Army, but after being toasted until crispy, they were quite palatable.
Before long, the venison leg began to drip oil and emit an enticing aroma.
Lin Zhao reached into his怀 and produced a wine flask. These were all bought from Old Fan, costing ten copper coins a pot. They weren't considered good wine, but the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake's coffers were meager, and Lin Zhao, as its steward, was notoriously stingy. He himself rarely drank, unwilling to spend the money. Only when guests arrived did he deign to bring out this ten-copper-coin-a-pot wine, treating it as a superior offering for visitors.
"Aunt."
He handed a flask of wine to Lin Xing Chu, then sliced a large piece of venison and placed it on a plate for her, smiling, "This is your breakfast compensation."
Lin Xing Chu accepted with a smile, "Mm-hmm."
She took a sip. The venison roasted by Little Zhao was indeed extraordinary. As for the flatbread and wine, they were average, but what Little Zhao gave her felt different. A reunion meal tasted more delicious than anything else.
Lin Zhao sliced another large piece of venison and placed it on a plate, along with a flask of wine and a flatbread, presenting them to Lin Wan Hua, "Miss Lin..."
"Mm."
Lin Wan Hua accepted it. She looked at Lin Zhao, but Lin Zhao dared not meet her gaze, instead glancing at Niu Zhi, Mu Gua, and Chu Yu, saying, "Since we're all friends, don't be polite. Help yourselves, you must be tired after fighting. Eat more."
"Yes, my lord!"
The three nodded readily and began to cut meat with their own knives.
After eating and drinking, the fish soup was ready. Lin Zhao's white fish soup was truly a masterpiece, brimming with fresh flavor. Even Lin Xing Chu and Lin Wan Hua's eyes lit up after tasting the soup. This was truly excellent.
...
After they had eaten their fill, Lin Xing Chu stood and said, "The Washing Sword River cannot be without an owner for too long. I shall return now. Little Zhao, if anything happens, just shout for your aunt, I can hear you."
"Alright, thank you, Aunt!"
Lin Zhao stood and bowed with clasped fists.
Lin Xing Chu smiled and transformed into a stream of water, departing from the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake.
Lin Zhao looked at Lin Wan Hua, remaining silent, but his gaze clearly conveyed: "You are the Lord of Fusang Great Wall, and Fusang Great Wall cannot be without an owner for too long. Why aren't you returning?"
Lin Wan Hua also looked at Lin Zhao, silent, her gaze filled with: "Fusang Great Wall is right there. I'll return whenever I please. You don't need to worry about it."
"Ahem..."
Mu Gua seemed to sense a hint of something and stood up, "Lord, Xiang Ji and the brothers of the Snow Domain Army should not have gone far. Shall I call them back?"
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded. Mu Gua, as if granted a pardon, sped down the mountain.
Niu Zhi furrowed her delicate brows, suspecting something was amiss between Lin Zhao and Lin Wan Hua. However, she dared not say much, being a subordinate and not wanting to overstep. She stood up and said, "My lord, I'm going to patrol the mountain."
"Alright."
Niu Zhi mounted her sword and departed.
The entire camp fell silent, leaving only Lin Zhao and Lin Wan Hua.
"Why have you been avoiding me?"
Lin Wan Hua finally spoke. Her temperament was straightforward, disliking indirections. She went straight to the point.
"No, I haven't..."
Lin Zhao stammered, looking around evasively, "It must be your imagination. Miss Lin has rarely visited Snow Domain Heavenly Lake, perhaps you'd like to stroll around? There's an apricot grove behind the mountain, and the apricot blossoms are in full bloom right now..."
"Let's go."
Lin Wan Hua stood up, "Take me to see the apricot grove."
"Oh, alright..."
Lin Zhao rose and walked out of the camp side-by-side with Lin Wan Hua. Everything was as usual. The back mountain and surroundings of Snow Domain Heavenly Lake seemed like a different world. Jiuzhang Plain was clearly covered in heavy snow, yet here, on the back mountain, the scene was of spring returning to the earth, all things reviving. As they walked on the grass, apricot blossoms lined both sides, forming a continuous expanse.
Lin Wan Hua, holding her long sword, walked with graceful steps. She gazed down at the grass. In her dreams, she had often walked through such picturesque scenery with the person beside her. Now, it had actually come true, yet why did she suddenly feel a maiden's reserve, unable to voice many things? The thought made her a little annoyed.
Lin Wan Hua, Lin Wan Hua, what else can you do besides draw your sword and fight?!
"Miss Lin."
Lin Zhao suddenly stopped, turned, and looked at Lin Wan Hua, finally gathering his courage. "Back then, I did deliberately knock down your cousin Qin Yu with three punches. It really wasn't my fault. It's just that the people of Fusang Great Wall are too aggressive, always bullying me, an outsider. Even with my good temper, even a clay Buddha has three parts fire. So, I deliberately showed weakness then, and after knocking down Qin Yu with three punches, it was indeed an insult to Fusang Great Wall. But... it wasn't a deep-seated feud, was it? And that night you chased me, and I shattered your Natal Flying Sword with Mingyue, I was truly very angry then. You had no enmity with me, yet you attacked so fiercely, trying to kill me at every step. I thought you were too willful, overbearing, and unreasonable, so I didn't hold back and shattered your Natal Flying Sword! I apologize..."
"What?!"
Lin Wan Hua's beautiful eyes widened. She caught the key point in Lin Zhao's words: "You say I'm willful and unreasonable?"
"..."
Lin Zhao froze instantly. Damn it... he'd said the wrong thing again. With old and new grudges, would he be chopped by this twelfth-realm Sword Immortal? He looked south, wanting to call his aunt. Lin Xing Chu shouldn't have gone far.
Lin Wan Hua's eyes widened as she looked at him. She could clearly see Lin Zhao wanting to call Lin Xing Chu back for help. Lin Wan Hua let out a laugh of anger, "In your heart, Lin Zhao, am I, Lin Wan Hua, that unreasonable and overbearing?"
"Not exactly..."
Lin Zhao rubbed his hands and smiled. "Actually, I am truly grateful that you, Miss Lin, traveled thousands of miles from Fusang Great Wall to come to the aid of Snow Domain Heavenly Lake. Perhaps I... did go a bit too far back then. Here, I apologize to you, Miss Lin."
Saying this, he solemnly clasped his fists and bowed his head.
Lin Wan Hua didn't bother looking at him and continued to walk forward, saying, "Your apology lacks sincerity..."
"Then may I offer you some wine?"
Lin Zhao again reached into his怀 and pulled out a flask of wine, tossing a ten-copper-coin pot to Lin Wan Hua. In reality, this pot of wine would only cost one Qingfu coin in the mountain martial world. And who was Lin Wan Hua? The esteemed Lord of Fusang Great Wall. Even the poorest in Fusang Great Wall wouldn't lack this. Lin Wan Hua spent enough money on sword forging each year to amount to three-digit Gold Zizhi coins. She rarely drank and had plenty of wine from friends in the mountains, including priceless jars worth ten Gold Zizhi coins. Naturally, she wouldn't care for this cheap rice wine worth a single Qingfu coin.
However, this flask of wine was from Lin Zhao.
She accepted it and took a sip from the flask.
Lin Wan Hua was stunning when drinking. Her long, slender neck, snow-white robes, and beautiful hair, her left hand gripping her sword – everything was breathtaking. Lin Zhao was mesmerized. The true Sword Immortal of the world, she must be the one they spoke of. In that moment, Lin Zhao felt like a boor drinking, twisting the lid open and drinking directly from the flask, spilling wine all over himself.
The apricot blossoms on either side swayed gently in the breeze.
After two flasks of wine, Lin Wan Hua was already slightly tipsy, her pretty face flushed, even more beautiful than the apricot blossoms. She leaned on her sword with her left hand and chuckled, "This wine... it's quite potent..."
"Is it?"
Lin Zhao burped, feeling nothing. Perhaps the wine wasn't potent, but Lin Wan Hua's tolerance was truly not great? However, Lin Wan Hua had traveled a great distance to aid Snow Domain Heavenly Lake this time, so Lin Zhao naturally had to say something pleasant. He smiled and said, "This wine is very strong. Most people would be drunk after one pot. Miss Lin being able to drink two is already quite remarkable. In the worldly martial arts community, this would be called legendary 'unyielding to a thousand cups'!"
Lin Wan Hua's pretty face flushed. "Really?"
"Mm!"
Lin Zhao nodded earnestly.
"Lin Zhao."
Lin Wan Hua looked at the distant apricot grove and smiled, "If you have time in the future, remember to visit Fusang Great Wall. Past events... forget it. We met through conflict, and it's been a hundred years. Don't hold onto it."
"Alright!"
Lin Zhao felt as if he had been granted a great pardon and smiled. "I will definitely come to Fusang Great Wall to find you. But Miss Lin, there's one thing I must also say."
"What is it?"
"From now on, even if Snow Domain Heavenly Lake is attacked by demons, without my message, do not take it upon yourself to come."
"Why?"
Lin Wan Hua's willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed lightly. She thought Lin Zhao was starting to dislike her and gripped the hilt of her sword, saying, "You must give me a reason!"
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded. "This time, you and Aunt worked together to force the thirteenth-realm Lu Hai down to the eleventh realm, and even severely wounded Fu Sheng's cultivation base. The demon race will definitely be extremely wary of you. If the demon commander Yu Zhi keeps a little notebook, your and Aunt's names would definitely be on the first page. So, given Yu Zhi's temperament, she will surely set a trap. Perhaps Snow Domain Heavenly Lake will become bait, designed to lure you out, mobilizing multiple thirteenth-realm experts to hunt you. That would be bad."
He looked at Lin Wan Hua and said, "I don't want you to meet any misfortune for Snow Domain Heavenly Lake. If I truly determine that everything is safe, I will send word to Fusang Great Wall and invite you to join the battle."
Lin Wan Hua pursed her red lips. This explanation passed muster, and even, her heart felt warm.
"Lin Zhao."
She gently raised her hand and took out a half-meter-long stalagmite from her sleeve storage. It was pitch black, and spiritual energy emanated from it. She smiled, "This is for you. It should be useful."
"Ah?"
Lin Zhao accepted it. "What's its origin?"
"A sword mountain."
Lin Wan Hua smiled. "I found it a few years ago while traveling in the Great Wilderness. A sword mountain can nurture countless famous swords. Once Snow Domain Heavenly Lake is stable, you can erect this sword mountain within Snow Domain Heavenly Lake. In the future, everyone in your Snow Domain Heavenly Lake can find suitable swords on the mountain, and even sword cultivators can resonate with and recognize a master on the mountain, obtaining flying swords of exceptional quality."
"This gift..."
Lin Zhao was stunned. "Isn't it too heavy?"
"It's fine. This sword mountain isn't very useful at Fusang Great Wall. Our sword cultivators aren't lacking in weapons."
Lin Wan Hua smiled. "If you feel guilty, how about you give me a few more pots of wine?"
"Alright."
Lin Zhao took out more than ten pots of wine and handed them to Lin Wan Hua, smiling. "If you finish them, come find me. I have plenty."
Lin Wan Hua smiled. Though it was cheap wine, the taste was extraordinary.
...
Just then, the sound of horse hooves came from the south of the mountain. The Lin character flag of the Snow Domain Army could be seen in the distance. Lin Zhao immediately said, "The cavalry of the Snow Domain Army is returning. I need to go back. You..."
"I'll watch the apricot blossoms for a while longer."
Lin Wan Hua smiled. "You go handle your business. I'll watch the apricot blossoms for a bit and then return directly to Fusang Great Wall. The Great Wall cannot be without its guardian for too long."
"Mm, alright!"
Lin Zhao turned, summoned his Snow Rock Warhorse, and galloped away.
As Lin Zhao disappeared from sight, Lin Wan Hua turned and looked at a certain apricot tree in the grove. She lightly stamped her delicate foot on the ground and chuckled, "You've been eavesdropping on my conversation with Lin Zhao for so long, come out?"