Snow and Wine

Boom! Amidst the churning waves of the open sea, the dark currents and bloody hues gathering from all directions suddenly froze. Like a spiderweb locked in amber. A mirror-smooth silver brilliance unfurled from the void. The framework Ji Jue had anchored across all Seven Cities, rooted in the lighthouse, was mobilized, awakened, and rising from the darkness. It was like an invisible titan’s hand suddenly spreading thousands of fingers, contracting, closing, and clenching around all Seven Cities! And immediately following that... A thunderous roar swept over the entirety of Luo Island. The weight of Tianyuan descended from the heavens. Heaven and earth trembled. In the banquet hall, the rapidly swelling shrine and the skeletal fox were slammed flat against the floor, driven into the stone and steel, unable to budge an inch. It shrieked at the top of its lungs, struggling with all its might, yet it was utterly futile. Before it could even complete its gestation and descent into the world, the entire process was violently cut short. Dead in the womb. Right before everyone’s eyes, the bone fox fairy—overbearing and invincible just moments ago—fractured inch by inch, collapsing and contorting, bound ruthlessly in place alongside its shrine. Then, the crushing suppression of the invisible weight came to an abrupt halt. Clearly, just a tiny bit more force could have easily ground this eyesore into dust, yet it had reined in at the brink of the precipice. Regrettably, staying the hand was not born of mercy, but rather for a far crueler purpose—refinement! One needle of quicksilver after another materialized out of thin air, crisscrossing and piercing through the calamity beast’s body, pinning it down completely. Amidst the shifting silver radiance, an invisible hand gripped its head, pulling, dragging it back. Forcing it, inch by inch, to expose its vital point. Right toward the hunter standing only inches away. The fox fairy offered up its neck. *What are you waiting for?* *Here’s a fine gift for you!* In a flash of realization, An Ran gave a soft chuckle. "...Thank you, Brother Ji Jue." The youth raised his hand and drew his sword once more. Amidst the ringing cry of the blade, the Form of Lihen manifested once again. Yet beneath the cascading hum of the sword, the ferocious beast grew indistinct, as if dissolving into a howling gale. Within a few breaths, the clanging resonance grew fiercer, turning shrill and piercing—a discordant, harsh screech that sent chills down the spine, like the biting chill of a grim winter striking full in the face. Transforming the formless into form; shifting form back into the formless. The movement of the Joy of Gods and Men ascended steadily to a higher realm, transcending the boundaries of mortal arts and stepping effortlessly into a transformation that countless souls could never attain in a lifetime... In the dead silence, everyone was frozen where they stood, as if plunged into an icy abyss. They looked up, only to behold an endless, oncoming pallor dancing in flakes, blotting out the firmament, blanketing the earth, and burying all things in everlasting darkness. "What heavy wind and snow..." Aogao forgot to breathe. Spring gives birth, summer nurtures; autumn harvests, winter stores. In the evolution of the sword-song’s movements, a corner of the four seasons revealed its vague embryonic form, entrusted to the blade that had turned pure white. Even though it was worlds apart from the original archetype, in the hands of the youth at this moment, it took on its primordial form and revealed its true essence. The so-called 【Xuan Ying】! In a mere snap of the fingers, the blurred blade swept past, and the sword was sheathed. It was as if nothing had happened. Only the soaring, shrill sword-song turned desolate and bleak, drifting far away, leaving only a lingering echo that was faint and indistinguishable. Immediately after, a single line of ghastly white surfaced on the calamity beast’s neck. There was no further struggle, no scream, no screech—only the frozen world crumbling apart in total silence. Along a perfectly straight cut, the head slid down noiselessly, crashing to the ground. *Clack.* "De..." Among the shambles of the banquet tables, someone who had tumbled to the floor stared downward blankly, unable to believe it. "It's dead?" Dead? In the crowd, Himawan’s eyelid twitched violently, and he could barely resist spitting on the floor. *Dream on!* Katunaha was formless and immaterial, devoid of life and death. Among all calamity beasts, this anomalous breed was by far the most difficult and troublesome to deal with. Even if it suffered a temporary setback and vanished for a time, it would simply revert to its original state; it was impossible to kill even if one wished to. Moreover, the fox fairy held grudges above all else. Once provoked, it would never rest until one of them died. It was only through sheer coincidence that the Iron Hook District had discovered the remains of its pre-incarnation form, using it as a hidden trump card. Rarely used, it had never once failed. Yet today, it had hit a wall in the Seven Cities... No, it was more than just that. —What was the deal with this corpse?! Himawan’s breath hitched as he finally noticed something amiss. Wait, why was there a corpse left behind? That was the most chilling part of all. Katunaha arrived without a shadow and departed without a trace. Usually, after rampaging or being destroyed, it would disperse into nothingness. Yet under the shroud of that frost, it was actually unable to dissolve into the formless! Leaving only a shriveled husk behind, forever denied transcendence. *Spring gives birth, summer nurtures; autumn harvests, winter stores...* In a flash of realization, a spark ignited in his mind, and he felt as though he had plunged into ice water. The Four Seasons Sword! *With a single sword, transformations disperse; when Xuan Ying descends, all things are locked away!* This was the end of the four seasons: Xuan Ying! The foundation of the Four Seasons Sword lay in the sword-song’s shifts between form and formlessness. What had form could be slashed; what was formless could likewise be severed! Material things were slain by the sword; immaterial things were obliterated by the movement! At this moment, the unrelenting chill, carried upon the lingering reverberations, began spreading into the void, using this very corpse as its origin... For an instant, everyone’s vision went dark. It was like hearing a shrill, ear-splitting shriek, as though something coiled around their bodies had abruptly torn away and fled in terror. Yet before this, no one had sensed a thing. The fox fairy’s ferocious greed left nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. Even if one managed to flee for a time, one would be marked by its lingering resentment and watched in secret, waiting for the creature to descend once again on future festival days and moments of joy throughout the rest of one’s life! And now, even if it wanted to flee, it was already too late. There was nowhere to run. Even though it wanted to abandon this manifested physical vessel, it was already too late to sever the connections between its spiritus, resentment, and vital breath. A silent frost-wind swept past, spreading in all directions. In an instant, a wisp of faint, ghastly white broke through the confines of the banquet hall, rising into the sky and diffusing across half the darkened night. Like a dye interacting under the interference of the sword of Xuan Ying, the formless Katunaha finally revealed a faint outline—resembling a scarlet cloud of mist gradually tainted with frost. It writhed relentlessly, thrashing left and right, yet every attempt slammed headfirst into an iron wall. In the night sky, only a faint silver glow flickered, sketching out an impenetrable boundary that sealed it completely within the territory of the Seven Cities. With the lighthouse as its anchor, the Veil had risen once more. The super-scale workshop framework spanning the entirety of the Seven Cities had completed its warm-up. Under Isis’s meticulous operation, it did not even need to exhibit its true scale and volume; allocating a mere two or three percent of its power was more than enough to handle the task at hand. Beam after beam of silver radiance fell from the heavens, piercing through sea and sky like long needles, pinning the cloud of bloody mist firmly in place. Formless and immaterial? You must be joking! Compared to cosmic transformations like the Worm, what did this even amount to? Since you’ve already come, why leave? If you love the Seven Cities so much, stay here forever! Thus, with heaven as the lid and the sea as the crucible, creation manifested from the silver light. Securing specimens, stripping spiritus, dissecting resentment, separating innards and souls... Racing against time, cataloging and preserving without the slightest hitch. It did not even spare the lingering spark of "life." Under the suppression of the Veil, the dismembered Katunaha still retained its final breath. Waiting to die. Bereft of any ability to resist, it could only allow that faint wisp of frost-wind to gradually corrode and spread. Over what felt like an eternity, like death by a thousand cuts, it felt its "limbs" lose responsiveness bit by bit, utterly extinguished. In the end, even the lingering specks of scarlet were dyed a bleak white. At that moment, the frozen cloud of blood shuddered with all its might, erupting in a shrill, agonized wail. Like the dying cry of a beast. Pity was, even the mournful cry was swallowed by the lingering notes of the sword-song, gone without a trace. In less than five minutes, Katunaha—the fox fairy that had ravaged the Thousand Islands for over a century—had its body and soul utterly extinguished right before all the guests! Silence. In the prolonged silence, not even the sound of breathing could be heard in the wrecked banquet hall. There was only awe and reverence as they looked up. From beginning to end, the silver radiance in the sky merely operated in quiet, fading into concealment and dispersing, without ever turning back to acknowledge that reverence and piety. In the end, what broke the dead silence was the lofty, ethereal glow rising from the youth. Like a wind blowing from the distant wilderness, every White Stag Celestial Chosen felt an inexplicable stir in their hearts, sensing the tremor and longing of that lineage, and unconsciously looked back. And they saw the youth standing before the remains. The youth held his head high, gazing blankly at the vigorous, giant stag that had appeared before him at some unknown moment, his pupils reflecting the flawless light of Supreme Goodness. With this hunt as proof, this was a contest for rank and dominance. The White Stag descends! Yet, as if in an illusion, that magnificent, solemn stag of Supreme Goodness seemed to glance around, as though searching for something. Finally, its antlers swept gently, and its raised hoof of white jade descended. Ripples stirred, and Supreme Goodness vanished once more without a trace. The youth’s aura underwent a violent fluctuation. One moment, a biting, sharp edge surged toward the heavens, reaching the cosmos; the next, it grew faint and elusive, impossible to track. Immensely vast yet infinitesimally small, grand yet concealed. *Rising, it commands the clouds and rain; descending, it hides within the smallest speck.* This was the transformation of the Northern Abyss... The White Stag’s blessing: 【Carefree Wandering】! "Honor to Supreme Goodness!" Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out—a wine bottle brutally snapped in two. Before the remains, Ling Shuo held his head high, glaring down at the stunned crowd, and abruptly roared, "Why do you all look so terrified and lost in soul? The calamity beast has been slain, and the White Stag has descended—does this not prove that Heaven's Mandate smiles upon the Seven Cities?! "Come, let us drink to Supreme Goodness, and to the Seven Cities!" He raised the broken bottle: "Everyone, drink to victory!" In an instant, shouts and cheers erupted like thunder. Paying no heed to the overturned tables and spilled dishes, everyone instinctively grabbed whatever glass was nearest at that rallying cry, cheering feverishly to vent the excitement and restlessness in their hearts. Their eyes burned crimson before a spectacle unseen in so many years. Following Ling Shuo's words, they yelled at the top of their lungs: "To Supreme Goodness!" "To the Seven Cities!!" And most importantly... "To Mr. Ji!!!" After three glasses of liquor went down, every trace of gloom had vanished. Ling Shuo raised his foot and kicked over the broken bone clock on the gift rack, stomping it to pieces right in front of everyone. Looking back, he glanced at the shifting expressions behind him and gave a cold laugh. "Fine clock. The gift, I accept!" He threw his head back, looked straight ahead, and shouted, "Today I host my birthday banquet, and such a meager gift isn't enough to look at. Is there any more?" "Yes!" In a fleeting instant, someone in the crowd caught the cue. Shoving aside those in his way, he stepped out, fell to his knees, and raised a string of jade beads freshly stripped from his wrist high with both hands, shouting in a resounding voice: "President Ling is blessed by fortune, turning disaster into auspicious tidings! I humbly present this heirloom string of precious pearls, wishing the president long life, boundless fortune, towering achievements, and continued ascent to ever greater heights!" Ling Shuo lowered his gaze, the faint trace of a smile appearing on his face as he gave an imperceptible nod. Immediately after, just as everyone's envy flared, a second person lunged forward, shouting, "The president possesses supreme vision and earth-shattering talent! I present a jade Buddha and a hundred baskets of fragrant flowers, wishing the president's grand enterprise in the Seven Cities blooms like brocade and roars like a blazing fire!" "I present a pair of ruyi scepters and a branch of a treasure tree..." A clamor of voices rose one after another as the feverish crowd surged forward. The power of the Seven Cities' dark underbelly boiled over, gathering beneath the stage as they scrambled to declare their loyalty! Fearing that being a step too slow would invite misunderstanding. With this, the grand momentum was secured! "Finally..." Beyond the crowd, a drop of cold sweat leaked from Aogao’s forehead. Only now did his taut body finally relax. After cautiously nodding in acknowledgment to the gaze Ling Shuo cast from the crowd, he bent down, hauled up Meng Sang—who was still vomiting—walked into a corner, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number. "William, it's me. Don't panic yet. I told you, don't fucking panic!" Aogao concisely relayed everything that had happened. Before he could even finish, William’s roar practically shattered the receiver: "Fuck those pieces of shit! Mistveil Reef and Iron Hook District acted like indecisive cowards, but behind our backs they were fucking hand in glove, trying to trick me into leading the charge again! I'll..." "Hold back, you have to hold back!" Aogao sighed, repeatedly warning him: "I'm coming back right away! Wait for me, got it?" How could he not know his dumbass brother? At a juncture like this, if he didn't rush back to hold him down, William would start hacking people to death on the spot! Dragging Meng Sang along, he headed straight for the exit. The moment he stepped through the door, he saw the hunched old man who had been waiting in the corner for a long time—Old Chu. A smile appeared on the weathered face as Old Chu nodded. "President Ling just gave the orders. I’ve already contacted the commissioners from the Star Core Association. Please wait a moment, they’ll be here shortly." Aogao breathed a sigh of relief and openly clasped that pair of "poisonous hands" infamous throughout the Thousand Islands. "There were many misunderstandings before. For President Ling to stay his hand and let bygones be bygones fills me with profound gratitude." "All Wild Gatherings under heaven are one family, simply helping one another out. What need is there for such talk?" Old Chu smiled warmly. "If there is an opportunity in the future, our two factions ought to grow even closer." "Naturally, naturally." Aogao nodded repeatedly with a broad smile, his enthusiastic handshake rubbing Old Chu’s hand raw, completely ignoring the gloomy glares from Himawan and Abadesa behind him. To hell with your schemes; I'm jumping ship, so what? You started it! First came the attack by the calamity beast, followed by the activation of the arrangements left behind by Mr. Ji, An Ran’s strike, and the manifestation of Supreme Goodness. Looking across the entire Thousand Islands, such an extraordinary spectacle was practically unheard of. After surviving disaster, fortune naturally followed. Now that the grand momentum had been established—as the saying went, to reject what heaven bestows invites calamity—if Ling Shuo hesitated even a fraction, he might as well flush his brains down the sewer. No more pretenses, cards on the table: I'm going to unify the Seven Cities, and I am going to be the Dragon Head! So now, I’m going to ask you all one by one: do you support me or not? Naturally, the responses flooded in like a tidal wave. In the Wild Gathering, the biggest fist held the absolute truth. Now Ling Shuo held truth in his hand, with Mr. Ji’s backing behind him, and right before them stood a monster sipping fruit juice while memorizing vocabulary words, eyeing them sideways. Even if resentment festered in their hearts, what could they do? Support him? Of course they supported him. Even if they had to pawn everything they owned, they would support him! Even though the banquet hall was a shambles, the fervor of the atmosphere was far more intense than its earlier golden splendor. Wherever Ling Shuo passed, the crowd bent low like stalks of grass before a gale. Surrounded by that invisible tempest, he walked straight past the crowd and stopped directly before Ling Liu. Holding his head high and glancing down at the old dog before him, Ling Shuo raised his glass and asked with utter conviction: "Elder Ling, I want to be the Dragon Head. Do you support me?" In the brief silence, under countless watching eyes, Ling Liu kept the corners of his eyes drooping and smiled faintly. "With so many people supporting you, and Mr. Ji backing you up, one more or one less from me makes no difference." Even though Ling Shuo raised his glass in a gesture, he made no move to touch the drink before him. "Eh, how could that be the same?" Ling Shuo laughed heartily, wrapping an arm around his shoulder in an affectionate embrace. "You traveled thousands of li just to celebrate my birthday. It couldn't have been easy, and I hold that sentiment close to heart!" Ling Liu remained silent, his smile unchanged, but he finally raised his head to look squarely at this "adoptive son" who resembled him so closely. When a creature of the pond met the wind and clouds, setting aside whether it turned into a dragon or a worm, to think he had personally nurtured such a calamity! Even as lament stirred within him, he could barely suppress his murderous intent. Yet despite the torrent of malice in his heart, Ling Liu still smiled, patting his arm. "It's good to remember old ties. Over the long days ahead, we father and son shall see who holds the real truth." "No, real or fake doesn't matter." Ling Shuo shook his head at the words, baring his teeth in a grin. "What I mean is, since you're already here..." He paused for a beat, then suddenly raised his voice, declaring before everyone present: "Offer a toast before you leave!" For a moment, you could hear a pin drop in the entire banquet hall. No one had expected that Ling Shuo, having just seized the upper hand and not yet officially ascended the throne, would dare to turn on his titular adoptive father right here and now! In the silence, their eyes locked. Ling Shuo waved a hand, and someone behind him promptly carried forward a presentation tray, respectfully offering a freshly poured glass of baijiu to the old man, waiting for his choice. "What's wrong?" Ling Shuo smiled, asking curiously, "Are you unwilling, old man?" Ling Liu did not speak. The wine of a birthday banquet; the wine of the Wild Gathering. Even from the same cup, the meaning each carried was entirely different. Yet now, before Ling Liu, the two had become one and the same. Blood and wine would be drained together from the cup. If you refuse the banquet's toast, then we fight to the death. If you refuse the Wild Gathering's drink, then we fight until one of us is dead! If you don't drink, don't even think about walking out of here. If you don't offer the toast, then let there be war! Ling Shuo had swallowed the insult to his birthday, but the slight Mr. Ji had suffered because of it, the face he had lost—Ling Shuo would never let that pass lightly. From this day forth, whether he became the Dragon Head or not, as long as Ling Shuo drew breath in this world, he would act like a rabid dog, using every conceivable means to pay this old bastard back in kind until one of them vanished from the face of the earth. In the silence, the corner of Ling Liu's eye twitched uncontrollably. *What a rabid dog...* *He really found himself a good master!* At that moment, he finally sensed it—that lofty gaze looking down from the heavens like an illusion, cold and disdainful, regarding mere dust. And so, he slowly raised his hand. From the silk-lined tray, he picked up the small, brim-filled cup of liquor, raised it, and brought it before Ling Shuo with solemn deliberation. "The boy has made something of himself; indeed, a drink is in order." The old man smiled, swallowing down the humiliation and rage as if gulping down razor blades, his voice raspy: "Then I wish President Ling: may every year have days like this, and every age have moments like now!" Just like that, before everyone present, he threw his head back and drained it in a single gulp. *Clink.* The empty cup was tossed back onto the tray, and with it, half a lifetime of authority and ferocious renown was cast away like water flowing downstream. The old man had already turned to leave. He had arrived with overbearing majesty, swallowing mountains and seas; he departed solitary and alone, like a ruler stripped of his realm. Utterly pathetic. "Safe travels!" Ling Shuo took a light sip of the thin line of liquor in his cup. The taste of power and vengeance felt like fire swallowed into his belly, wiping away the pallor on his face while burning his pupils crimson. The corners of his mouth curved up in a savage, thrilled grin. He raised his glass once more. "Next!" He strode into the crowd, the shadow behind him writhing like a ravenous beast, its sharp angles grinning wide, opening its maw alongside its master to greedily swallow the Seven Cities whole! Tonight, the Seven Cities declared itself to the Thousand Islands, to the Endless Sea, and to the entire present world. Amidst the countless warring beasts, a new dragon head had arisen. Like a great beast spreading its wings to take flight from the mire, ascending into the heavens to unveil its terrifying majesty.