Chapter 1

Chapter Summary: Assassination Attack.

On the third day of the eleventh month of the fourth year of Jinghe, it snowed.

The snow fell heavily, blanketing everything in white. This wasn't Yu Jing's first time descending to the mortal realm, but it was the first time she had ever seen snow there. The Heavenly Court had no seasons; Yu Jing had only ever encountered stories of wind, frost, rain, and snow in the books stored in the Zhelan Palace library.

Yu Jing looked at the snow, finding it quite novel, and was momentarily stunned. She reached out to catch it, but the snow passed straight through her hand and fell down. Only then did Yu Jing realize that she and the Old Man of the Moon had used an invisibility spell.

"My good disciple."

The Old Man of the Moon suddenly called her, and she turned to look at him.

"Master!"

"Have you memorized the portrait I gave you yesterday?"

Yu Jing nodded and replied, "I've memorized it."

"That's good then." As the Old Man of the Moon responded, he made a hand seal, and Yu Jing felt her body sway. When she opened her eyes again, she was in a different place.

The palace was tall and majestic, with pavilions and towers, carved beams and painted rafters, all magnificent and resplendent. Covered in snow, it exuded an even more solemn tranquility. As night fell, rows of palace lanterns hung along the corridors, their shimmering lights casting a dim, yellowish glow that contrasted sharply with the chill of the snow outside, creating an indescribable beauty.

Yu Jing followed the Old Man of the Moon along the corridor. As they walked, the Old Man of the Moon instructed her, "This is the Cining Palace where Sheng Hua lives. From now on, this will be the palace where you will live."

Hearing what the Old Man of the Moon said, Yu Jing looked around and thought that it would be nice to live in such a beautiful palace in the future.

"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is always sensitive to the cold. Remember to add some charcoal to the fire when night falls. Also, be quiet and don't disturb Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."

"yes."

Two women emerged from the end of the corridor; one was taller and wore a light blue dress, while the other wore a pink dress.

The Matchmaker looked at them and asked, "Since you've memorized it, then I'll test you. And who are those two?"

Yu Jing carefully observed their faces and confidently said, "The one in light blue should be A Yu, and the one in pink is Xiao Ting."

"Not bad," the Matchmaker replied with satisfaction. "This Ayu is Shenghua's confidante."

After hearing what the Matchmaker said, Yu Jing glanced at A Yu again. A Yu had an oval face, fair and delicate features, and perhaps because she was thin, she also seemed shrewd. Judging from the Matchmaker's words, A Yu must be very important to her.

A thought suddenly flashed through her mind, and after hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke to the Old Man of the Moon: "Master, if I enter Sheng Hua's body, then what about Sheng Hua?"

When the Old Man of the Moon heard this question, his expression hardened, and he said somewhat vaguely, "Don't worry, the old man Yama will not agree to forcibly changing fate. Tonight at midnight, Sheng Hua's fate will come to an end."

"Her fate is over? Isn't Sheng Hua only twenty-seven? Why would she..." Yu Jing asked.

The Old Man of the Moon hesitated for a moment before stammering, "This... I'll tell you about this later."

"It's still early, let me take you to see the Emperor. We'll come back at midnight," the Old Man of the Moon cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"Okay." Yu Jing agreed, but she was still a little unsure.

After all, her target this time was Heavenly Emperor Xie Xuan, the highest-ranking person in the Heavenly Court. And her mission was to sabotage the marriage between Heavenly Emperor Xie Xuan and the Third Princess of the Western Sea.

Back in the Heavenly Palace, Yu Jing had heard that Xie Xuan was deeply in love with Yue Qing, the Third Princess of the Western Sea, and that the position of Heavenly Empress was irreplaceable. However, the Supreme Lord Laozi, along with the Twenty-Eight Star Lords, calculated Xie Xuan and Yue Qing's celestial potential and determined that their relationship was destined to be a tragic one. Coincidentally, Xie Xuan was only one tribulation away from ascending to the rank of High God, so after some discussion, they decided to send Xie Xuan down to the mortal realm to undergo this tribulation. And this arduous task of breaking up a marriage fell to Yu Jing of the Marriage Palace.

Just then, they arrived at the market. Because of the heavy snow and the night, the market was nearly deserted, with only a few wonton vendors still banging on their bamboo tubes. The "tap-tap-tap" sound seemed even more tranquil in the empty street. Snowflakes fell thick and fast, passing through their bodies and landing on the ground.

"The Residence of the General Who Protects the Nation." Yu Jing stood in front of the gate, looking at the plaque, and asked, "Was His Majesty a general in the mortal realm?"

"Yes and no," the Old Man of the Moon replied cryptically, then added, "You'll know once you go in and take a look."

Yu Jing followed the Old Man of the Moon inside, and after passing through the vermilion gate and the welcoming wall, she saw a person.

A young man, dressed in a thin white undergarment, blended seamlessly into the vast expanse of white snow, with only his tall, black hair distinguishable. He held a sword in his hand, his movements clean, swift, and sharp.

The snow in the air was stirred up by the wind from his sword, falling in a flurry.

As he moved, Yu Jing finally saw his face clearly. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, handsome and elegant, with a clear, innocent gaze unique to youth. Snowflakes fell on his eyelashes, shimmering in the lantern light.

Yu Jing's original form was a butterfly tile on the eaves of the Ze Lan Palace. The appearance of the Ze Lan God was considered one of the best in the Heavenly Court. Yu Jing had also seen many other handsome male immortals, but none of them could compare to him.

"Is he the ruler?"

Yu Jing looked at Xie Xuan and asked the Old Man of the Moon.

The Old Man of the Moon turned his head slightly to look at Yu Jing. The lantern at the door wasn't very bright, and the dim light shone on her face. Her gaze fell on Xie Xuan in front of her. The Old Man of the Moon looked at her, smiled, and said with emotion, "A face that would make even Zhe Lan feel ashamed is not what the Heavenly Realm is talking about."

As soon as the Matchmaker finished speaking, a person lifted the curtain and came out from inside the hall. It was a middle-aged man, burly and dark-skinned, who looked somewhat fierce, but upon closer inspection, his features were quite regular.

"Thank you, Xuan!"

Before Yu Jing could react, the man had already drawn the sword from the guard by the door and held it in front of Xie Xuan. Xie Xuan raised his hand and used the sword to block it.

The man smiled, instantly drew his sword, and thrust it towards Xie Xuan's other side. Yu Jing watched, feeling her heart leap into her throat. Xie Xuan swiftly raised his sword, the sound of clashing blades particularly jarring in the quiet snowy night.

After a few exchanges, Xie Xuan began to struggle to keep up with the attacks. When the sword was pointed directly at Xie Xuan's neck, Yu Jing subconsciously glanced at Xie Xuan.

"You still need to practice more!" The middle-aged man smiled, sheathed his sword, and reached out to pat Xie Xuan on the shoulder.

Xie Xuan smiled, put his sword behind his back, and replied, "I will definitely beat you next time, Father."

His smile was warm and gentle, radiating confidence and spirit. There was not a trace of resentment at his defeat.

"That man is Xie Xuan's father, Xie Jin, the Grand General of Beihuai," the Matchmaker said, pointing to Xie Jin.

"Father, Xuan'er, the chicken soup is ready. Come and drink it while it's hot to warm yourself up!" Before the Old Man of the Moon finished speaking, a clear voice came from behind the corridor.

Yu Jing looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman in a light pink robe walking out of the corridor carrying a tray. She looked somewhat like the middle-aged man.

"That's Xie Xuan's older sister, Xie Ying." After saying that, the Old Man of the Moon looked up at the sky.

"Oh dear, it's getting late. We need to hurry back to Cining Palace. As for the others, I'll go to the Underworld to find you a Book of Fate. You can take your time to look at it." The Old Man of the Moon said, while making hand seals.

Yu Jing was watching Xie Xuan walk into the hall. The moment he left, she saw him turn back. A gust of wind rose, carrying snowflakes that whipped up his snow-white robes. His disheveled long hair covered half his face, but it couldn't hide his bright, star-like eyes.

That was the first time Yu Jing saw Xie Xuan. The coldness of the celestial beings and the spirited young man on the snowy night left a deep impression on her heart.

Back at Cining Palace, Yu Jing's consciousness gradually blurred, and she felt her head and body were very heavy. When she opened her eyes again, everything was blurry, and her body felt warm and soft, as if she were lying on a cloud. The tip of her nose smelled faintly of burning incense, mixed with a slightly pungent smell of burning charcoal.

Her vision gradually cleared, and by the light, she saw the green curtains of the mountain-shaped bed, with white mountains embroidered on the soft green satin, creating a serene and distant scene. Yu Jing stared at them for a while before turning her head, and saw the Old Man of the Moon sitting by the couch, holding a luminous pearl.

"Master," Yu Jing called out, startled by her own voice. This wasn't her voice! She frowned slightly and looked at the Old Man of the Moon, asking, "What is this...?"

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the Old Man of the Moon.

“You are now in Shenghua. The Third Princess Yueqing will be in the mortal realm for some time before returning to the capital. I will go to the King of Hell tomorrow morning to get the Book of Fate and bring it to you.”

"You..." The Old Man of the Moon hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Having just entered the mortal realm, you must be feeling quite uncomfortable. Take a good rest."

"By the way, remember your mission for this trip: break up marriages, protect the emperor, and ascend to immortality as soon as possible."

"Okay," Yu Jing replied weakly, perhaps because she was still adjusting to Sheng Hua's body. Her eyelids drooped as soon as she finished speaking.

She didn't know what time it was when she heard the noise outside. Yu Jing opened her eyes, but it was still very dark. She could only vaguely see the flickering candlelight outside through the curtain. She lay there thinking for a while, and the words that the palace maid had said when the Old Man of the Moon brought her here earlier inexplicably came to mind. She thought that the maid was probably coming in to add charcoal to the fire, so she didn't pay any attention to it.

Just as she was about to close her eyes, she sensed something was wrong; the footsteps were clearly nearby. Somewhat bewildered, she watched as a cold, gleaming sword pointed towards her. Without thinking, she rolled into the bed, wrapped herself in the blanket, and scrambled to get back inside. The assassin, perhaps not expecting Sheng Hua to be awake, paused slightly in mid-air with his sword.

Before Yu Jing could even catch her breath, the tent flap was slashed open by a sharp blade, and the sword was pointed directly at Yu Jing.

Yu Jing tried to dodge, but her body was too heavy. She was still dazed when the sword pierced her body. Only when the sharp, piercing pain in her right shoulder spread throughout her body did she grit her teeth and shout with all her might, "Assassin!"

After a while, a hesitant voice from a palace maid was heard: "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager?"

Yu Jing had only recently entered the mortal realm, and was also injured, so his voice was naturally not loud.

"Creak!" The door was then pushed open. The young palace maid tentatively entered the inner hall and vaguely saw a person dressed in black standing by the couch. She immediately panicked and cried out, "Help! There's an assassin! Catch the assassin!"

"Protect the Emperor!" The sound of swords and armor clashing rang out from outside.

The assassin glanced back, frowned, and swiftly drew his sword. The pain was amplified, and Yu Jing's brows furrowed tightly. She could clearly feel warm blood flowing from the wound. The assassin was clearly preparing to strike a second time. Yu Jing watched the sword thrust towards her, steeled her resolve, and raised her hand to grasp the blade aimed at her.

The assassin was surprised by Yu Jing's actions and looked at her in disbelief. "Protect the Emperor!" The commotion outside grew louder, and the assassin panicked. He drew his sword, broke through the window, and fled.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!" the little palace maid cried out in a panic as she ran to Yu Jing's side.

Having likely heard the commotion, everyone in the palace was alerted and rushed towards the main hall of Cining Palace.

"Summon the imperial physician! Summon the imperial physician at once!" Amid the chaos, Yu Jing spotted A Yu, who was calling out sternly.

Yu Jing opened her hand and glanced at it; it was covered in blood, a glaringly red. In an instant, she understood why Sheng Hua's life would end at midnight tonight. And why the Old Man of the Moon had such a strange expression when he spoke of Sheng Hua's impending doom.

My consciousness began to blur, and I felt my eyelids were so heavy that I could barely open them. I uncontrollably fell to the side.