Chapter 37

Gu Tingshuang had already recognised his footsteps. 

A lonely mountain stood under the cold moon as a pack of wolves darted about.

Spirit Mountain, absorbing the spiritual energy of all things, surged northward, stretching over a thousand li. The only stillness came from the side sealed by the Qing Wang’s residence.

Overnight, vines climbed the iron seals of the forbidden area, and the lush vegetation seemed to be fleeing from something, desperately trying to reach the Qing Wang’s residence, only to be blocked at by gate.

The Qing Prince’s residence had been busy all day yesterday with Ting Shu leaving the residence and hosting Baili Hongzhou.

Last night, after Gu Tingshuang returned home from the banquet, he checked the wounds of the little wolf and then went to bed.

The next day, as he got up and dressed, he looked out the window to see a blindingly white scene. It was then that he noticed that charcoal braziers had been brought in at some point, five of them burning brightly. The window was half-open, ice melting and dripping down along the eaves.

Outside, the snow had already covered the entire landscape.

Gu Tingshuang grasped the curtain hook, gently pulling it to bring the wheelchair closer.

The small golden bell hanging from the bottom of the hook jingled, quickly catching the attention of the servants outside. Hulu and Lingjiao asked, “Is the Shizi awake?”

Gu Tingshuang replied, “Ng.”

The brothers came in carrying the washing utensils, serving him as he washed and dressed. They were both wrapped up warmly, their hands red from the cold. Hulu knelt down to help him put on his shoes, while Lingjiao held a mirror and comb on the side.

Gu Tingshuang suddenly said, “Go outside and see if anyone has arrived in the courtyard.”

He released his spiritual sense, and besides the sound of the wind and snow from the night, he also heard footsteps crushing the snow.

Hulu and Lingjiao were momentarily stunned, but following his orders, they put down what they were holding and went outside to check.

The courtyard was already knee-deep in snow. It was still early, and the brothers had only managed to clear a few feet in front of the door. There was still a thick pile of snow at the main entrance, and the visitor was pushing the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

The vermilion gate was half open, revealing a slender figure.

Ning Shiting was holding a red umbrella with one hand and pushing the gate with the other. The ring on the door was also frozen, his breath visible in the cold air, rising in a white mist.

“Greetings, Gongzi! You’ve come so early today, it’s not even dawn yet. Was it too cold last night? Did Gongzi not sleep well?” Hulu quickly rushed over to help open the door, while Lingjiao used a small spell to clear the snow from his feet.

Ning Shiting appeared a bit weary, his hair hastily tied, not as meticulously groomed as it would usually be for going out.

Despite the cold, he had only draped a silver-white cloak over himself. Normally, Ting Shu would accompany him, but this time he came alone, his figure appearing somewhat frail.

Ning Shiting said, “I couldn’t sleep after waking up. At the Mao hour, Fenlü complained about leg pain from the cold, and a corner of the medicinal house was crushed. After dealing with that, I hurried over to see how Yinbing is doing. Is he awake yet?”

Hulu replied, “The Shizi just woke up, he’s still washing up.” A servant took his umbrella and led him inside.

Ning Shiting didn’t treat himself as an outsider. As soon as he entered, he approached Gu Tingshuang’s bedroom and softly asked, “Yinbing, may I come in?”

Gu Tingshuang had already recognised his footsteps. From the moment Ning Shiting appeared at the courtyard gate, he had hastened his actions, quickly dressing and fastening his belt, trying to appear less dishevelled.

He straightened his back, sitting upright in the wheelchair, and said calmly, “Come in.”

But as soon as Ning Shiting entered and saw him, a smile appeared on his lips. “I seem to have arrived at an inopportune time, scaring away Hulu and Lingjiao and delaying your washing up. If the Shizi doesn’t mind, perhaps I should help.”

Following his gaze, Gu Tingshuang looked down and realised that in his haste, he had misbuttoned a collar, which was now awkwardly fastened in the wrong hole, creating a noticeable bulge.

Before he could say anything, Ning Shiting had already approached, knelt down before him, and began undoing the buttons one by one, carefully straightening them out.

He was meticulous and skilful, his gloves already on before he arrived. The mist clinging to his skin made them nearly transparent, almost invisible. His fingertips were pale, with a hint of red from the cold at the joints.

As Ning Shiting leaned in, his fragrant breath brushed past Gu Tingshuang’s cheek, warm and close.

All Gu Tingshuang could hear was the pounding of his own heart.

The sensation of the Jiaoren’s fingers brushing over his hair the other day returned, and his heartbeat had never been more intense, making him feel flustered.

He even wondered if, being this close, Ning Shiting could hear it.

The more he thought about it, the more chaotic his mind became, his heartbeat spiralling out of control, his breathing following suit.

Gu Tingshuang unconsciously held his breath, lowering his eyes. His ears turned slightly red with embarrassment.

Annoyed, he said, “These things should be done by the servants—”

Ning Shiting gently interrupted him, “It’s alright. I’m part of Qing Wang’s residence too, I am one of Shizi’s people. Dianxia doesn’t need to be so formal.”

He then stood up, looked down, and smiled at Gu Tingshuang. “Come with me, and I’ll comb your hair.”

He moved behind him, pushing the wheelchair to the table, and leaned over to pick up a comb.

The Jiaoren’s gentle voice echoed in his mind again, whispering near his ear, “Shall I comb it the usual way?”

Ning Shiting handled his hair with great care, while Gu Tingshuang sat stiffly, unsure of what to say. After a long pause, he managed to mutter, “Do as you please.”

The room fell silent.

Ning Shiting wasn’t one to talk much, and Gu Tingshuang was used to silence.

In such a situation, Gu Tingshuang felt that he should say something.

He maintained his still posture, letting Ning Shiting do as he pleased, while he looked out the window. “You came so early today. Is the snow heavy outside?”

“It’s the heaviest snowfall this year, Dianxia.” Ning Shiting replied, “The Celestial Ginseng Tree behind your residence is about to be crushed by the snow. I came to check on it, as well as the roof’s edges. If it collapses and someone gets hurt, it wouldn’t be good. I’ve already asked Hulu and Lingjiao to inspect and repair it. Dianxia, you shouldn’t cultivate today. It’s safer to stay in the study with me. This place isn’t safe.”

Gu Tingshuang was surprised by this and instinctively extended his spiritual sense to investigate.

Indeed, there was an ancient Celestial Ginseng Tree behind his residence, which had grown there for years without disturbing anyone.

Because of its height, its branches were lush but did not obstruct the view. Instead, during the summer heat, it provided a cool, shady spot.

His spiritual sense reached the dry, cold trunk, entered the tree’s consciousness, and detected a faint sense of pain and fear: the wind and snow were shaking its branches, the cold penetrating the trunk, causing immense suffering. The snow-laden crown was about to fall, bringing down the heavy branches with it.

Following that direction, his spiritual sense moved downward into the house, discovering a weak spot at the eaves—where years of rainwater had eroded the wall, making that section of the wall more fragile than the others.

In the blink of an eye, his spiritual sense extended and retracted, and just as Ning Shiting gently combed his hair, Gu Tingshuang had already confirmed everything he said was true.

“How did you know?” Gu Tingshuang asked.

Ning Shiting continued to carefully comb Gu Tingshuang’s hair but paused at the sudden question, detecting a hint of suspicion in his tone.

Last night brought the largest snowfall of the year to Xizhou, with the northern coastal areas experiencing a severe snowstorm, leading to the death of numerous spiritual beasts and a significant loss of spiritual energy.

Some said it was a sign that the Snow Yao was growing stronger.

In his previous life, Ning Shiting clearly remembered that on this very day, the Baicao Garden was completely destroyed by the wind and snow overnight. Several guards and maids, who had desperately protected the spiritual herbs and materials, suffered from cold entering their bodies, leading to incurable illnesses.

On that day, near noon, the old Ginseng Tree behind the Shizi’s main courtyard was also broken by the snow, collapsing part of the house, with the fallen area being right over Gu Tingshuang’s bedroom.

Gu Tingshuang himself had his hand crushed by the collapse.

Ten years of memories were packed with too many things, and Ning Shiting, struggling to recall, hadn’t remembered this incident until he heard the howling wind at midnight.

He hadn’t slept all night, because he couldn’t remember the exact day in his previous life; he only remembered the unusual wind and snow from that time. When the weather suddenly changed and the heaviest snowfall began, he immediately took people to the Baicao Garden, evacuated everyone, and then rushed to the Shizi’s residence.

Ning Shiting hesitated for a moment and said, “There’s heavy snow today, and many places have collapsed. I was worried about Your Highness, so I came to check…”

“You’re lying,” Gu Tingshuang said.

With his spiritual sense, he could detect all the emotional fluctuations and thoughts of those around him. Their attitudes and whether they were lying were all evident to him.

Moreover, in this case, even without using his spiritual sense, he could sense something was off: inspections weren’t unusual, but for Ning Shiting to pinpoint exactly which tree would fall and where it would land was very strange.

As Gu Tingshuang thought about this, he noticed the person behind him was momentarily speechless. Instead of pressing further, he withdrew his gaze and casually changed the subject, “Is that all?”

He extended his fingers, lightly tapping the cold armrest of the wheelchair. “The Snow Yao’s power is growing. Since you combed my hair, I can tell you one thing: that creature has now gone to Spirit Mountain, absorbing the spiritual energy of all things there. If you want to compete with the Immortal Palace for credit, act early; otherwise, the longer you wait, the harder it will be to deal with.”

Ning Shiting was taken aback again.

Gu Tingshuang was incredibly sharp, often able to see through things from a broader perspective even in his previous life.

In his past life, the biggest conflict between Ning Shiting and the Immortal Palace arose from two things: first, killing Su Yue, and second, dealing with the Snow Yao under Gu Feiyin’s orders to make amends, which prevented him from facing severe punishment from the Immortal Emperor.

At that time, Gu Feiyin had said, “If Su Yue cannot be used, just kill him,” but when the situation escalated after the murder, Ning Shiting had to bear all the blame alone.

Gu Feiyin distanced himself completely, publicly stating that the toxic Jiaoren were inherently cruel and difficult to control. While he admitted that he was at fault for not managing his people properly, the mistake was Ning Shiting’s “reckless decision,” so he was tasked with dealing with the Snow Yao in Xizhou, even if it meant risking his life to atone for his sins.

However, by that time, the Snow Yao had been in Spirit Mountain for a long while, and it was no longer something Ning Shiting could easily handle on his own.

Gu Feiyin’s expression was vivid in his mind: “The Snow Yao isn’t easy to kill alone. I’ll give you three thousand elite soldiers; isn’t that enough?”

“The Snow Yao is drawn to those with similar auras, and it just so happens that you, being a Snow Jiaoren of the North Sea, have an aura of ice and rain.”

Ning Shiting had said, “But as the prince commands, I am willing to serve as bait to atone for killing the immortal commander.”

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

Ning Shiting pulled himself out of his memories and softly said, “Alright, I’ll remember that.”

Gu Tingshuang detected something unusual in his tone again. “What? You’re not planning to get involved in this?”

Ning Shiting smiled faintly. “That’s right. The Snow Yao is formidable, and our Qing Wang’s residence isn’t strong enough yet. If we act rashly, it will only harm us. In this matter, we should reassure the people and watch from the sidelines.”

In this life, he hadn’t taken action against the Su family, and Gu Feiyin wouldn’t be able to force him into this situation again.

He wouldn’t die for him.

He would survive, and live to see the day when Gu Feiyin died instead before his eyes.

“So you do know how to fear death, knowing that this is a dangerous matter and that using your life to play the hero in front of my father isn’t worth it,” Gu Tingshuang remarked. “You’re smarter than I thought.”

Ning Shiting couldn’t help but smile again, softly agreeing, “Yes, I’m afraid of death.”

The Author Has Something to Say

(Too busy to sort things out, I will post selected comments from yesterday and today tomorrow.)