Chapter 9: The Snowfall and the Bloody Lesson

“Oh, Mother, why is it snowing today?”

As Hua Xiangrong stepped out of the small building, she saw specks of snow fluttering down from the sky, already blanketing the courtyard in a thin layer of silver.

“Did you do this, Mother?”

The girl curiously extended her hand, catching a snowflake and watching it melt instantly in her palm.

‘Mmm, it feels cool.’

“I don’t have such leisure.”

Hua Yan was already seated on a stone bench in the courtyard, with no snow accumulated within half a meter of her.

With a casual wave of her hand, two cups of warm water appeared on the stone table, accompanied by two toothbrushes and two packets of tooth powder.

“Come here and brush your teeth.”

“Okay.”

Hua Xiangrong nodded obediently, walking through the snow to sit beside her, and they began their morning routine together.

In truth, with Hua Yan’s cultivation, she had long transcended the need for such mundane activities as washing; she was impervious to worldly grime.

However, she accompanied Hua Xiangrong in brushing her teeth solely because of the girl’s obvious astonishment on their first morning together.

Hua Xiangrong’s wide-eyed surprise, upon learning Hua Yan didn’t need to brush her teeth or wash her face, made Hua Yan suspect that Yun Xueshang might have accustomed the child to these routines since infancy.

Adhering to the principle of never being outdone by Yun Xueshang, Hua Yan immediately fashioned two toothbrushes from the bristles of a high-tier demonic beast.

As for the tooth powder, she naturally refined it herself using spirit herbs, imbuing it with the added benefit of strengthening tooth enamel.

“So, Mother, where exactly did this snow come from?”

After they finished washing, Hua Xiangrong continued to press, munching on an orange-flavored辟谷丹 (Bìgǔ Dān) – a type of grain-abstinence pill – as she spoke.

“Actually, the principle is quite simple.”

Hua Yan put away the towels and cups, casting a glance at the pink-haired girl beside her.

“Have you never wondered where the sunlight within this ship comes from? Or why it can synchronize day and night with the outside world?”

“Didn’t you create it, Mother?”

Hua Xiangrong tilted her small head, a look of confusion on her face.

“Heh, I’m too lazy to waste my spiritual energy,” Hua Yan scoffed, a smile playing on her lips. “It’s merely a formation inherent to the ship—if it’s clear outside, it’s clear here; if it rains outside, it rains here.”

“That’s why I said it’s only barely a decent magical artifact. Besides being beautiful and fast, and able to block some of the strong winds during flight, it only has the most basic functions. Those fellows from the Heavenly Arcana Pavilion just love to cut corners.”

Speaking of which, she pursed her lips, clearly dissatisfied with the so-called Heavenly Arcana Pavilion.

“So… it’s really snowing outside right now?”

Hua Xiangrong looked up in astonishment, her eyes sparkling.

“Indeed,” Hua Yan nodded.

“If my calculations are correct, we should now be in the Frost Ridge Mountains.

This range is the boundary separating the righteous and demonic paths, stretching fifty thousand li north to south and approximately two to three thousand li east to west.

Once we pass these snow-capped mountains, we will enter the territory of the righteous path.”

“What, didn’t your mother let you see it when she brought you here?”

Hua Xiangrong honestly shook her head.

“Heh, it seems Yun Xueshang’s ship was inferior to mine. It must have been one of those enclosed models without spatial features, blocking any view of the scenery.”

Hua Yan shook her head, then broke into a triumphant smile.

“Since that’s the case, would you like to come with me to the deck to see it for yourself?”

“Oh, yes, yes!”

Hua Xiangrong immediately nodded repeatedly, her voice brimming with delight. These past few days, she had been cooped up in the courtyard, meditating and training, and she was thoroughly bored.

Thus, the two followed the snow-covered path, walking outwards. Hua Xiangrong skipped ahead, while Hua Yan followed at a leisurely pace.

Passing through the shimmering light wall, they arrived on the deck of the floral boat.

“Wow!—”

As soon as the pink-haired girl emerged, she rushed to the ship’s rail, leaning half her body over to peer down.

Indeed, just as Hua Yan had said, below them stretched a boundless expanse of majestic, snow-capped mountains, and their floral boat sailed serenely above this silvery sea.

‘Children are always so easily excitable.’

Hua Yan leaned against the doorway, watching the excited small figure, and shook her head.

‘Such a vast expanse of white, yet she can gaze at it for so long.’

Hua Yan stayed with Hua Xiangrong on the deck for quite a while, until a yawn escaped her lips, and she finally spoke languidly:

“Alright, seen enough? It’s time to go back and continue your training.”

With that, she turned and led the way back. This time, she walked ahead with her hands clasped behind her back, and Hua Xiangrong obediently followed.

***

“Mother, when can I learn some spells?”

At noon, Hua Xiangrong, having just finished her medicinal bath, darted over to Hua Yan in the courtyard, gazing at her expectantly.

These past few days, Hua Yan had only instructed her to meditate and train, teaching her not even the simplest of spells.

This made Hua Xiangrong suspect that her nominal mother might intend for her to follow the path of body cultivation.

‘This simply won’t do.’ Not wanting to become a muscle-bound amazon, Hua Xiangrong seized this opportunity today to bring up the matter with Hua Yan.

“What’s wrong? You’ve only been training for a few days, and you’re already impatient?”

Hua Yan casually waved her hand, using spiritual power to dry the girl’s damp pink hair, then lazily lifted her gaze to eye her.

“However, given your good performance during this period, teaching you some spells isn’t entirely out of the question.”

She then shifted her tone, a half-smile playing on her lips:

“It’s just that all I know are the killing arts of the Demonic Sect, utterly different from your righteous mother’s methods. My techniques are born to take lives.”

“…Do you still wish to learn?”

“I—”

“Wait, something’s happening. We’ll discuss this later.”

Just as Hua Xiangrong was about to answer, Hua Yan suddenly raised her hand to interrupt her, her brows slightly furrowed, as her divine sense swiftly swept over several auras rapidly approaching the flying boat.

‘Mmm, they’re all cultivators in the Foundation Establishment and Core Formation stages. The highest cultivation among them is merely mid-Core Formation.’

‘Just a bunch of small fries.’

“Come on, follow me back to the deck. It’s a good opportunity to broaden your horizons.”

Having secretly discerned the identities of the approaching figures, Hua Yan shrugged slightly and led Hua Xiangrong outside.

“This road is mine!” “This tree is mine!” “If you wish to pass!” “Leave your toll behind!”

As soon as the two stepped out of the cabin door, they heard these clichéd lines, wondering where the road and trees were in this vast expanse of snow-capped mountains.

Hua Yan unenthusiastically picked at her ear.

The several burly cultivators who had surrounded the floral boat stared wide-eyed upon seeing that the person who emerged was a red-robed fairy, accompanied by a child, whose beauty and figure were both unparalleled.

“Haha! Esteemed fairy, are you heading to the righteous lands?”

The leader of the burly men cupped his fist and smiled, but cunning lurked in his eyes.

“Perfect! My brothers and I are very familiar with this route! If the fairy is willing to offer some wealth, we can escort you—”

His gaze lingered on Hua Yan’s face, greed gradually appearing:

“Or… if the fairy is willing to pay some ‘other price,’ we might just let you and your sister pass!”

“Hahahahahahaha!”

His words provoked a chorus of crude laughter from the men around him.

“Though I feel it’s pointless to ask,”

Hua Yan frowned, her eyes openly displaying disgust, as if she were looking at something utterly repulsive.

“But I shall ask you: have you ever committed heinous acts like murder, robbery, or bullying helpless women?”

“?”

The burly man was somewhat confused. The Frost Ridge Mountains were teeming with people trying to cross between the righteous and demonic paths.

He and his companions were rogue cultivators, wanted by the righteous path, who had fled to these snowy mountains after failing to thrive elsewhere.

They engaged in daily acts of banditry, and the lives they had taken were naturally numerous.

‘Could it be that this beautiful fairy intends to repay them with her body, and fears they might be too heavy-handed?’

The burly man licked his chapped lips, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

“Hahaha, of course we have! But fairy, rest assured, we—”

“In that case, you may all die.”

‘Die? What does that mean?’

The burly man only saw the red-haired fairy’s crimson lips part, uttering such a light, airy sentence.

Then, the world before his eyes suddenly tilted and fractured.

A cold fissure silently spread between his eyes, splitting his head cleanly in two, along with his lecherous eyes, which were also divided into halves.

He was not alone.

The group of bandits behind him, before they could even register expressions of horror, instantly transformed into dozens of neat chunks of flesh, mixed with a sky full of blood mist, and plummeted down towards the snow-covered mountains below.

“How was that? Do you still wish to continue learning spells from me?”

Hua Yan slowly turned to face Hua Xiangrong.

Behind her, a rain of blood and scattered limbs softly fell. A smile of unknown meaning played on her lips.

Her pale golden eyes, reflecting the snowlight, shone with startling brilliance, swirling with dangerous and magnificent hues.

‘Given this girl’s precocious nature, she’s either terrified speechless right now, or she’s about to jump out and chastise me for killing so casually, like those foolish righteous cultivators, right?’

Hua Yan stared at the pink-haired girl before her, calculating inwardly.

‘Perfect. Today, I must properly correct her notions and absolutely prevent her from becoming so pedantic—’

“Wow! Mother, you’re so cool! You wiped out all the bad guys in an instant!”

The pink-haired girl clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes sparkling, and cheered loudly with excitement.

“I want to learn your spells too! I want to become as powerful as you!”

Hua Yan stared at her for a long moment, then—

“Hahahahahahahahaha!”

The red-haired, red-robed maiden suddenly covered her face, throwing her head back and laughing uproariously, her laughter filled with unrestrained arrogance and triumph.

“Good! Good! Truly my daughter, Hua Yan’s daughter! Even after being raised for so many years by that woman Yun Xueshang in the righteous path, she hasn’t become like those righteous fools! Good! Excellent!”

“Hahahahahahahahah! Hahahahahahaha!”

Above the floral boat, the maiden’s joyful laughter echoed freely, piercing the clouds.