Chapter 47

“Let’s hope Yinbing doesn’t find out, or he’ll scold me again.” 

In the violent roar of the wind and snow, the death of a man passed in utter silence. The fragrance lingered in the air, and strangely enough, despite the fierce storm, Ning Shiting's scent remained undisturbed.

With each step, Ning Shiting brought death. The wild wind had already revealed its direction to him before it arrived, caught by his Jiaoren senses. His backward steps were not only to dodge but to take advantage of the wind. With a subtle pinch of his scented fingers, one shadow after another hidden in the storm fell.

They were killed by the wind—or rather by the soul-vanishing poison in the bone fragments riding within it.

Bu Cangqiong had taught him the art of fragrance, as well as self-defence. His Shifu once said, "Those who kill with fragrance should seek a place where the wind flows. Only then can they win every battle."

The first time Ning Shiting was surrounded by the Immortal City's Palace’s forces, it was a dark, windless night. The weather was against him, and despite fleeing with Ting Shu for li, they never encountered even a single gust. In the end, cornered, he collapsed in the marketplace and was picked up by a butcher-like physician.

But now, for him, beneath the gates of Xizhou City, any gap in the wind could become his eye of the storm.

One, two, three…

The wind maximised the effect of the fragrance and his hidden weapons. Not far from him, two white wolves with crescent-shaped silver markings howled deeply, as if in response to him, worried that he might lose his way in the snowstorm. They were smart and knew Ning Shiting needed to borrow the wind’s strength and was protected by the Fire Lotus Umbrella, so they stayed nearby without approaching.

Ning Shiting closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on his ears. Jiaoren were born sensitive, with exceptional perception of sound, scent, and light. In his mind, he visualised the feedback the wind provided, allowing him to know precisely where the assassins were, breathing and moving slowly. As the wind passed him, it would meet resistance and warm slightly as it touched their bodies.

Only one person was left.

Ning Shiting's chest rose and fell—slow, almost imperceptible breaths. His warmth scattered in the wind and was gone in an instant.

At the moment killing intent emerged, he had already marked the positions of all his enemies in his mind. Amid the hidden danger, only one remained—motionless, like a discarded nail driven deep into the snowfield. Perhaps they had been waiting there for so long they had frozen to death in their hibernation.

Assassins would wait for their prey until the very last moment, so Ning Shiting remained on full alert.

Amid the snowstorm’s howling, a strange silence prevailed.

Unbeknownst to Ning Shiting, as he focused, the howls of the distant white wolves began to carry new emotions: reverence, admiration, and obedience. They believed what Ning Shiting was doing now was similar to Gu Tingshuang’s ability, and they felt proud.

This was a standoff that might not even exist, or perhaps Ning Shiting was merely wary of an inanimate boulder.

As his breath threatened to freeze, Ning Shiting suddenly let go of the Fire Lotus Parasol.

The cold rapidly seeped into his body. With some Soul Returning incense on his tongue, Ning Shiting opened his eyes in the vast expanse of white.

At that moment, he abandoned the parasol, giving up the warmth and interference of its flames on the wind and air currents, as well as the noise of fire melting snow.

All the distractions vanished, and he finally caught the faintest sign of life from his invisible enemy.

Breathing.

Suddenly, from twenty or thirty feet away, it rushed directly toward him, now almost upon him!

A surge of killing intent swept over him, yet Ning Shiting still saw nothing before him. No one could move with such speed in this storm, leaving him momentarily at a loss. In the brief time it took for his brow to tingle, the opponent had already reached him!

In that instant, Ning Shiting thrust out his hand, barely shielding his heart.

His slender, pale hand was immediately slashed by an invisible blade, cutting through the protective armour at the base of his thumb, tearing through a large section of flesh, then piercing through his chest.

The intense pain threatened to rob him of his senses, but after a brief moment of daze, Ning Shiting’s eyes quickly regained clarity. He stepped back to avoid the remaining force of the blade and then tightly grasped the weapon.

The seemingly fragile Jiaoren scholar suddenly exhibited an inexplicable burst of strength. Using his injured hand, he clamped down on the blade and then forcefully twisted and pushed.

On the snow-white ground, the outline of a human figure appeared like smoke, only to vanish in an instant.

"An Ice Mayfly?" Ning Shiting rasped.

Poisoned Jiaoren blood sprayed into the air, splattering the ground. The assassin dropped the knife and fled, but it was too late.

Sensing their master’s danger and the smell of blood, the ancient white wolves, Yueya and Yinbian, pounced. The brief moment of visibility Ning Shiting had won was enough for them.

A ferocious tearing sound echoed, followed by the chilling snap of bones. The last assassin, an Ice Mayfly spirit, had its throat bitten through by Yueya. In death, its form reappeared, and its blood-soaked the snow.

Ning Shiting picked up the Fire Lotus Parasol and inspected the body, finding no clue to its identity.

Yueya and Yinbian approached, seeking praise and affection. Ning Shiting knelt down to hug them. “Thanks. It’s safe now. Let’s find a place to rest for a while.”

Hulu and Lingjiao, following his instructions, had already retreated to a nearby empty warehouse, waiting for Ning Shiting to return.

They worried about him, but also trusted his abilities. Since Ning Shiting said everything was fine, they did not interfere unnecessarily.

When Ning Shiting returned, his complexion was pale, and the blood on his hand had frozen, with ice shards piercing his bones.

Lingjiao and Hulu had heard rumours about his identity as a poison Jiaoren after the Incense Conference. Yet, they showed no hesitation and hurried to apply medicine, only for Ning Shiting to dismiss them softly, “Prepare hot water and bandages. It’s not a serious wound, don’t worry. Tomorrow, the Qingniao messengers can send a letter. Help me send one to Ting Shu, and we’ll head home after dinner.”

Obeying his orders, Hulu and Lingjiao left to make preparations.

Ting Shu should have reached the Baili residence by now. Despite being separated by one Immortal Continent, it wasn’t too far. Ning Shiting, busy with Xizhou’s snow disaster, hadn’t been able to follow the Baili family’s movements closely.

The Ice Mayfly could only have come from the Baili clan of the Immortal Continent. Could Baili Hongzhou be involved in this?

In his past life, the Baili clan and the Qing Wang Mansion had severed ties, but they never openly allied with the Su family. If this was one of the changes of this life, Ning Shiting had to be extra vigilant. He needed to confirm this with Ting Shu.

Ning Shiting repeatedly emphasised using the Qingniao messengers from Qing Wang Mansion, but then thought better of it and turned to ask the two white wolves, “Can you send the letter? An ordinary Qingniao doesn’t feel reliable.”

Before he finished, Yueya had already snatched the letter and dashed away.

Ning Shiting watched as the divine white wolf soared into the air, racing toward the outskirts of the city.

“Let’s hope Yinbing doesn’t find out, or he’ll scold me again,” Ning Shiting muttered softly.

Yinbian remained beside him, keeping him company.

Ning Shiting lowered his head to apply medicine to himself. Ice had fused with his flesh and bones, clinging painfully to his skin and tendons. After soaking in hot water, the ice melted, but the blood started flowing uncontrollably. The water quickly turned dark red, and even after several changes, the bleeding didn’t stop. Only after using Soul Returning incense did it finally abate.

Ning Shiting felt dizzy, aware it was due to excessive blood loss, but he didn’t pay it much mind.

He tried to stand and feed a snack from his sleeve to Yinbian, but as soon as he stood, the entire world spun, crashing toward him. Ning Shiting staggered back, leaning against the wall before slowly sliding down and losing consciousness.

Yinbian’s fur bristled as it rushed over to sniff him, then let out a mournful, angry howl.

The wolf's howl, filled with resonance and confession, echoed to its distant companions. Carried by the wind, it swiftly reached the main forces—and Gu Tingshuang's ears.