Di Ying on the Snow (Part 5)

There was one more thing Jiang Xuehe hadn't told Di Ying. Before accepting this mission, he had met the Valley Master of the Duansheng Sect.

This Valley Master was incredibly mysterious, always appearing in Daoist robes and a mask that concealed his face. The Valley Master was the one who brought those children into the Duansheng Sect. People in the sect always thought the Valley Master favored the youths of the "Twin Nights," especially Ye Sha. This was because, in everyone's eyes, the Valley Master frequently summoned Ye Sha to personally guide his cultivation. It was considered the highest honor, one no one else received.

But Ye Sha himself knew best—he had never seen the Valley Master's true face. Every time he was summoned, he simply knelt alone in the vast Great Hall to reflect and practice. During those long, endless nights, the young Ye Sha had to contemplate where he had fallen short, which kill hadn't been clean enough, and whether he should go receive punishment after leaving the hall.

Due to the survival rules of the Duansheng Sect, Ye Sha never shared these private matters with anyone. But before this mission, Jiang Xuehe had indeed met that mysterious Valley Master. Separated by a screen and hidden behind a mask, the Valley Master sat in the back to ensure the divine sense of the youth below was blocked, preventing him from seeing clearly.

The Valley Master's voice was hoarse and aged: "...Thus, once you resolve your family matters and sever your ties to the red dust, you will be considered fully initiated into my Duansheng Sect... You don't need to think too much. There is no good or evil in this world. As long as you cut off your mortal ties, I will grant you the authority of a Deacon in the Duansheng Sect. In the future, you may choose your missions as you please."

Jiang Xuehe lowered his eyes. His long lashes easily hid all emotions in his gaze. Moreover, he was naturally a person of few emotions—at that moment, he just stared absentmindedly at a corner of the screen, his mind seemingly far away, showing no interest in the proceedings.

Jiang Xuehe calmly replied, "Yes."

The Valley Master added, "If you succeed, I might even take you as my direct disciple. In the future, I will pass the legacy of the Duansheng Sect to you." The Valley Master sighed, "Ye Sha, you are the child I like most."

Jiang Xuehe slightly raised his eyes, his lids flickering. His gaze indifferently brushed past the screen, sweeping over the blurry figure behind it. At the corner of the screen, there was a crack, and a small spider hung from a silk thread. Jiang Xuehe realized that because this matter was significant, the Valley Master wanted to meet him personally, giving all these instructions out of fear that he might do something rebellious.

Jiang Xuehe replied again, "Yes."

The Valley Master was silent for a moment. Wisps of tobacco smoke drifted from behind the screen. The Valley Master said, "You may leave."

Jiang Xuehe withdrew. Before leaving, he activated his divine sense, condensing all his spiritual power into an extremely thin thread. Following the gap in the corner of the screen he had noticed, he pierced through the spider web and caught a glimpse of the Valley Master hiding behind.

In that instant of "peeking"—the Valley Master was not a puppet, but a real person sitting there, with form and soul, but the soul-light was blurry, appearing somewhat strange. The Valley Master wore a black long robe. At first glance, it looked like a Daoist robe, but upon closer inspection, it was a common scholar's robe, without any Eight Trigrams or celestial patterns embroidered on it. Near the hem, there were a few bits of dried white grass.

Jiang Xuehe feared the Valley Master would notice, so he immediately withdrew his divine sense. But he silently engraved all these doubts in his heart.

***

At this moment, Jiang Xuehe only told Di Ying about the Valley Master ordering him to kill his entire family, which made Di Ying’s eyes widen in shock. Di Ying refused to go to sleep. Back at the inn, she sat on the wooden bed, and no matter how he tried to coax her, she had no intention of closing her eyes. Her feet didn't even touch the ground as she swung them back and forth in agitation.

Seeing she wouldn't sleep, Jiang Xuehe lit a lamp. He sat diagonally across from her, catching sight of the little girl on the bed staring with determination: "You can't kill them! Big Brother, you absolutely must not listen to the Valley Master and kill your parents and siblings. Losing you back then and letting you be taken by the Duansheng Sect was already tragic enough. For their child to return years later to kill them... that's too cruel. Besides, how could you lay a hand on your own parents? Absolutely not!"

Jiang Xuehe glanced at her, seeing she was even more agitated than he was. He couldn't help but smile: "The people who need to be killed are *my* parents."

Di Ying stared at him, her pupils dilating: "You are my brother. Killing your relatives is like killing mine. I won't let anyone harm my parents, and I certainly won't kill them myself. You must be the same!"

Killing one's own parents... Jiang Xuehe had finished lighting the lamp and sat with his chin in his hand, watching her under the candlelight. He vaguely felt that this way of speaking was very familiar. Recently, this sense of familiarity had been appearing more and more... Jiang Xuehe’s eyes flickered: *Is my memory about to awaken? Are the old scenes reappearing, the blurry images and past events helping me recover? Then what is my true self, really...*

Di Ying cried out, "Big Brother! I'm talking to you!"

Jiang Xuehe snapped back to reality, looked at her, and replied, "Yes, I'm listening."

His gentle tone and focused gaze made Di Ying daze for a moment, and the irritation in her heart vanished. She muttered, "Anyway, you mustn't do it."

Jiang Xuehe said slowly, "They might not even be my biological parents."

Di Ying: "Even if they're fake, you can't kill them!"

He chuckled, "Alright."

Di Ying looked up at him. Sitting in the candlelight, clutching the blankets, she gazed at this gentle and quiet elder brother—she felt that he didn't actually care. He walked through the world, and the bonds he formed were thin and simple, easily severed at any time. He didn't care for the Valley Master's nurturing, nor did he linger on the blood ties with his parents. The world was vast, and he walked it alone in silence. He saw through the red dust but felt no attachment to it. Was there truly nothing in this world that could hold him back, make him turn his head?

He always followed her lead and answered her. But how did he treat her—a sister with no blood relation? Was it possible he didn't truly care about her either, and had only stayed by her side all these years because she needed him, because she relied on him?

At this moment, the ten-year-old Di Ying looked at Jiang Xuehe, and a thought vaguely formed in her mind: She wanted him to remember her. She wanted to stay by his side forever.

***

Although Jiang Xuehe had promised Di Ying not to kill his parents, she still wasn't at ease. Missions from the Duansheng Sect were not easily shirked. However... perhaps this was an opportunity for him to escape the Duansheng Sect, and for her to escape Ghost Aunt.

She currently carried Ghost Aunt with her and had accumulated a lot of cultivation and abilities that Ghost Aunt didn't know about. Perhaps with these methods, she could successfully escape. Furthermore, every time she returned through Yueku Village, she saw the villagers and nearby towns preparing to offer a new Priestess and Boy. They had forgotten Di Ying; they thought she was dead. The agreement between Ghost Aunt and humans needed a new contract.

Di Ying also felt Ghost Aunt's gaze on her becoming increasingly hungry and impatient. She had to act cute and speak sweet words to coax Ghost Aunt into not acting against her. But she understood clearly that this tactic wouldn't last long... Perhaps, it really was time to leave.

Before leaving, Di Ying was curious about Jiang Xuehe’s parents and wanted to see them once. Jiang Xuehe remained calm as usual. Di Ying pleaded, "You don't want to act against them, but if the Duansheng Sect finds out you haven't done it, they'll surely send someone else. Let's go see... Aren't you curious what your parents look like?"

She said this while eating. Jiang Xuehe sat beside her, using a cloth to wipe a smudge of soup from the corner of her mouth. He said, "I'm not curious."

Di Ying pouted. He used his finger to gently poke her soft cheek and said warmly, "My only family is you."

He spoke sincerely from the bottom of his heart. Di Ying was stunned, silently blinking at him, her face flushing red. She was both shy and happy, and couldn't help but lunged forward to hug him, acting spoiled: "I... although I still have parents... I like you best." She felt a bit guilty because she had more choices, so she peeked at him.

Jiang Xuehe was made to laugh by her cuteness. Di Ying said seriously, "Little He, you're not right. You lack human sentiment."

Jiang Xuehe was dazed. Di Ying, unaware of his internal struggle, continued to ramble: "Even if you don't care in your heart, you should at least show some concern on the surface. Later, when we seek a master together, if the master asks about your family and you say it doesn't matter, the master will think you're ungrateful and cold-blooded. People will be wary of you; how could they teach and love you?

"Besides, they are your biological parents... They gave birth to you, so you should have some curiosity or longing, right? If you truly feel nothing, it's quite scary. No one would dare stay by your side... Everyone would think you could betray or turn on them at any moment. I know this isn't your fault, it's all because of those bad people at the Duansheng Sect who bullied you for so many years and turned you into this... But we want to escape that place, we want to be normal people!"

Di Ying hugged him, painting a vision of the future: "You must know how to be angry, how to be happy, you must revere life and death, and pity others. You must be a good person, practice the Great Dao, raise your little sister, and take care of me. You must become a truly good big brother."

Jiang Xuehe looked at her, thinking: *Is that so? Then does Di Ying fear him?* He knew he didn't have many emotions; everything was an act. During their long time relying on each other, had Di Ying realized his true nature? Did she love him, or was she afraid of him?

***

Jiang Xuehe didn't ask these questions out loud. He simply listened to Di Ying and went to see his biological parents. Di Ying went with him. She said it was to prepare for their escape—if the family was good, they would find a way to protect them from the Duansheng Sect. But Jiang Xuehe knew she was actually just very curious about his relatives.

He wasn't curious himself, but because of her, he began to be. They took on the identities of a pair of siblings passing through to ask for lodging. This family consisted of a couple and a son and daughter. They weren't wealthy but weren't poor either, living simple mortal lives in a corner of a small town.

When Jiang Xuehe led Di Ying there, the middle-aged couple looked at them a bit blankly, then immediately welcomed them warmly. Their two children didn't leave the house, staying close to their parents, who pampered them excessively. If they were out of sight for even fifteen minutes, the parents would be restless and anxious. They doted on their children too much. The two children were around Di Ying’s age, but while Di Ying sat quietly listening to the adults, they frequently acted out and acted spoiled to draw their parents' attention.

Di Ying recognized immediately that this family was definitely related to Jiang Xuehe because they looked very similar. She didn't know if they realized Jiang Xuehe looked like them. She just sat beside him, seeing those two spoiled children being asked after so tenderly by their parents that the guests were forgotten. Their parents loved them so much, yet Little He just sat silently to the side.

Di Ying felt a pang of pity and lowered her head. A moment later, a youth's hand appeared in her vision, holding a peeled chestnut. She looked up in a daze, meeting Jiang Xuehe’s gaze. His voice was very soft: "Don't be sad. Here, eat this chestnut."

Di Ying gripped his hand: *He thought she was jealous of the parents' attention... Little He is really...* She smiled at him, her heart a mix of bitterness and sadness, and lowered her head to eat the chestnut.

***

They stayed there for three days. They heard that many years ago, this couple had indeed lost a child. They doted on their current two children because of the pain of losing that child years ago.

Di Ying tested the waters: "If that missing child returned..."

The couple was stunned. Before they could answer, the son, who was drawing water by the well, suddenly kicked over the bucket with a "thud," and water spilled everywhere. Di Ying was startled, her heart pounding, while Jiang Xuehe’s indifferent gaze landed on the child.

Jiang Xuehe’s eyelids flickered. Immediately after, a large fruit fell from the tree, hitting the child on the head. He let out a cry and sat on the ground wailing, while his parents rushed over in a panic to comfort him. Di Ying looked at Jiang Xuehe suspiciously, doubting he had just used a technique.

They heard the spoiled child crying and shouting: "I don't want an older brother to come back! This house is mine, the family property will be mine, I don't want to share with anyone else..."

His parents kept comforting him: "Don't talk nonsense, people will laugh. Everything is naturally yours..."

Di Ying couldn't listen anymore. She stood up in a rage, gripped Jiang Xuehe’s hand, and pulled him away.

***

Back in their room, Di Ying slammed the door and fumed: "That child is so unreasonable!"

Jiang Xuehe leaned against the door, smiling at her. He coaxed: "It's nothing, they don't even know me."

Di Ying blurted out: "But I feel bad for you! You stood there watching, it must have been so uncomfortable. I wanted to cry just hearing it."

Jiang Xuehe was stunned. He looked at her, seeing her eyes were indeed brimming with tears, sincerely worried for him. His heart throbbed because of her gaze. He silently felt that vibration spread through his body, filling the emotional voids in his heart... He quietly observed every change.

Until Di Ying approached, determined to discuss with him: "Let's help them draw a formation to hide them from others' pursuit and then leave. Don't be sad. If they don't love you, I do. If they don't want this brother, I do."

Jiang Xuehe lowered his eyes. He thought of her hair ribbon wrapped around his finger bone. He said, "Alright."

***

During the days they were drawing the formation, the two prepared for their escape. They said nothing more, only tensely waiting for the best moment. On the final morning of their stay, Jiang Xuehe woke up very early, standing in the courtyard waiting for Di Ying to wake so they could bid farewell to the family.

In the early morning mist, he saw the son of the house talking to someone. He suppressed his breath and approached, seeing the child by the well talking to a Daoist in a black robe that completely covered him. The Daoist's voice was low and strange: "...So, when it's time to act, you must act. Opportunities don't come often."

The child's face was deathly pale. His hand gripped the talisman the Daoist had given him, tears in his eyes as he nodded repeatedly. The Daoist's figure gradually vanished into a room. Jiang Xuehe followed without hesitation. Before leaving, he left a message for Di Ying, telling her to leave first, either to wait for him or return to Ghost Aunt; he needed to handle some private business.

***

The morning mist was thick, and the path was treacherous. Two figures, one following the other, gradually closed the distance. Finally entering a forest, the person in front knew there was no way out and stopped. The black-robed Daoist stood with his back turned. Jiang Xuehe landed. The youth looked refined, but his eyes were as cold as ice and snow.

The Daoist rasped, "Why does the little Daoist fellow keep following me?"

Jiang Xuehe said softly, "What did you say to that child?"

The Daoist sneered, his voice even hoarser: "I said nothing."

Jiang Xuehe: "Let me guess—you told him that I am the child abandoned years ago. I returned for revenge because of my resentment. I hid my identity to test their family... I am prepared to act, and if he wants to protect his family, he must strike at me first. You gave him a talisman, and perhaps other magical treasures to deal with me. I'm curious, how do you know how to deal with me?"

The Daoist sighed, "You truly are suspicious. I only said one sentence to that child, and you only heard a vague part of it, yet you followed me for ten miles. I saw you deceiving others and just passed by to give a pointer; it seems I was meddling. Since you're so suspicious, why not go back and explain it to them? I won't interfere anymore, how about that?"

The light in Jiang Xuehe’s eyes flowed. He slowly looked up. At this moment, sunlight pierced through the mist, and the fog in the forest thinned. The rays fell into the youth's eyes, making him look both beautiful and dark.

Jiang Xuehe chuckled and said leisurely, "Even if I explain this time, there will be a next misunderstanding. The venomous snake has been raised, the poison has been planted; who dares to gamble with human hearts? That family and I are destined for a life-and-death struggle; this is the mission I must do. Am I right—Valley Master?"

The black-robed Daoist, who was turning away, suddenly had his robes blown by the wind. He didn't turn his head. Jiang Xuehe stepped closer and said warmly, "I often hear that disciples of 'Xantian Mountain' use secret cultivation techniques to split their bodies and travel the world to experience the red dust. When the incarnation ends a life, it returns to 'Xantian Mountain' to help the main body reach completion. The Valley Master never shows his face; I think it's perhaps for fear of enemies finding him? But the Duansheng Sect was never a place of kindness... The Valley Master hiding his head and tail must be because of his noble status, fearing recognition. So, which disciple of 'Xantian Mountain' is the Valley Master?"

The black-robed Daoist's breath suddenly turned cold. He launched a fierce attack. The earth shook, and vines grew from the ground to surround the Daoist. During the counterattack, the Daoist heard the youth's whisper like a demon's murmur: "I'm very curious, 'Xantian Mountain' is a place for Confucian cultivators, so why does the Valley Master wear Daoist robes and use Daoist arts? The contradiction between these two identities makes me even more curious..."

Jiang Xuehe attacked the Daoist's face directly. The powerful offensive blew away the Daoist robes, shattering all disguises and revealing the hidden face—a refined young man's face, eyes full of compassion. If Jiang Xuehe had his memories, he would recognize this as the Head Disciple of Xantian Mountain, Hang Guchu.

***

At this moment, Jiang Xuehe saw Hang Guchu's face. Hang Guchu said indifferently, "You truly are more suspicious and intelligent than others. Since you've seen my true form, I cannot let you live..."

Jiang Xuehe narrowed his eyes, curious about how the other intended to kill him. He had long suspected and investigated this Valley Master. If the Valley Master had a grudge against him and wanted him dead but devised such a convoluted plan, using bloodlines to restrict him... bloodlines would naturally suppress him. This complexity could only be explained by the fact that for some reason, the Valley Master could not act directly and had to use someone else's hand.

Now Hang Guchu had revealed himself. Jiang Xuehe, who had been calm, suddenly felt extreme danger. He abruptly retreated but was still hit by an invisible attack, sent flying into an ancient tree. At the same time, dark clouds gathered to block the sun, and the entire forest seemed to grow wildly to suppress him. Pressure from heaven and earth surged toward him...

A golden light appeared on Hang Guchu's Nascent Soul. Jiang Xuehe observed calmly. He felt his divine sense being controlled, and he heard a sigh from the distant horizon... This was a power far beyond this illusion. Outside the illusion, a mighty figure sensed being "peeked at" by him. That expert opened his eyes, piercing through time, space, reality, and falsehood to glance at him...

Just that single glance through the void caused Jiang Xuehe’s soul to freeze, and his Sea of Consciousness throbbed as if it would shatter... Blood flowed from his eyes. The youth's face was deathly pale as he stared at Hang Guchu, understanding who the opponent was: "...You are a half-step Golden Immortal... You use incarnations to travel the world to hide your true strength, avoiding the senses of heaven and earth and the peeking of other cultivators..."

The Daoist before him looked at him and sighed, "As expected of you... Even though the Heavenly Dao helps me hide, as long as I face you, you still easily recognize me... The world is like a chessboard, and it's too difficult for ordinary people to enter as chess pieces... To deal with you, I've used every method, but for thousands of years, as long as you see me, I fail at the last step... Unfortunately, you are currently too small. As long as your main body hasn't returned, you are no match for me..."

The Daoist swung his brush, drawing a line toward Jiang Xuehe: "Little Ye Sha, try my Perish Word Art..."

***

Snow fell heavily. This snowstorm had lasted for three days. Di Ying was anxious because Jiang Xuehe hadn't returned. That family looked at her with strange eyes, gradually revealing malice. She felt something was wrong. At that moment, she heard Ghost Aunt's summons. Di Ying had no choice but to pack her feelings and return.

This time, entering the cave abode, the stone statue suddenly exploded. She thought her schemes had been discovered and was so terrified she turned cold. Just as she was about to act, something shattered in her divine sense, helping her calm down. What Ghost Aunt had crushed was the fragment of an incantation Jiang Xuehe had left in her Sea of Consciousness for her to summon him.

Ghost Aunt's voice rang out deviously in the darkness: "You've been going out frequently lately. I don't like that friend of yours always looking for you; don't contact him anymore." Di Ying suppressed her fear and lowered her head obediently: "Yes."

***

The snowstorm was still vast and white. Di Ying stayed in the cave with Ghost Aunt for three days. One night, she was drifting off when she was startled awake by a figure appearing. The person reached out to cover her mouth to prevent a scream. Di Ying turned cold: *He dared to sneak into Ghost Aunt's territory!* But when she smelled the clear scent of snow, she knew who it was.

Jiang Xuehe leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I was busy with some things, so I'm late. Am I too late?" Di Ying shook her head, gripping his hand. This was Ghost Aunt's residence, and she didn't dare make a sound, only staring fearfully at the youth in the dark: "How dare you sneak in here! If Ghost Aunt finds out, she'll kill us!"

She heard Jiang Xuehe’s voice, very soft: "Put on your clothes, take all your valuables, and follow me quietly. I'll take you away... Let's run." The darkness hid everything. His voice was still as gentle and lingering as ever. She had no idea that blood was flowing from his seven orifices.