From the fake emperor to the concubine

“They’re short-staffed over there right now,” Zheng Yi said calmly. “There are many new people, many shops, and the market is expanding. People who can do accounting, know their stuff, and are quick and efficient will have no trouble finding jobs. If she can find a bookkeeping job, you two won’t have to travel so far back and forth anymore.”

Xu Ahe's eyes suddenly lit up.

She was clearly really tempted.

It wasn't because Zheng Yi's words sounded particularly appealing, but because she knew that this might truly be a path forward.

Over the years, she ran away with her father and saw a lot of people and things. She knew better than most girls that stability doesn't fall from the sky; it has to be earned.

She had heard of Hongyun City before.

Lately, that place has been the most frequently mentioned topic among merchants from the south. They say that the city is hiring, has businesses, and offers opportunities, but the rules are strict. Some say it's good, some say it's dangerous, but regardless, it at least shows that there are uncertainties there.

For families like theirs, unpredictability can sometimes be an opportunity.

Old Xu was still a little hesitant: "Will the father and daughter really go too?"

“It’s worth trying our luck,” Zheng Yi said. “Even if we don’t stay in the end, it’s still better than risking our lives running north time and time again.”

He paused for a moment, then added, "If you go, you can first inquire about the newly opened shops in the south ward of Hongyun City, or the newly established accounting offices outside the city that are recruiting. Don't rush into the busiest places; find somewhere to stay first."

Xu Ahe listened attentively and took all the words to heart.

She didn't say anything discouraging like "people like us don't deserve it" or "it's not that easy." After a moment, she said softly, "Okay. When we get back this time, I'll discuss it with Dad, and we'll go see him after spring."

Xu Laoshuan looked at his daughter, then at the silver in his hand, and finally nodded slowly.

“I’ll listen to Master Zheng too. We have to find a safer path for Ahe.”

Having said that, they all understood that their journey together was nearing its end.

The Xu family father and daughter came to Baihe City to sell their goods. Now that they've sold the goods and got the money, their original plan was to turn back before venturing deeper into the northern lands. The further they went, the more dangerous the trade routes became, and the more dangerous their lives were.

Zheng Yi, on the other hand, had to continue moving forward.

Baihe City was just a stopover for him.

The wind and snow swept across the street corner, making the hems of people's clothes rustle softly.

Xu Laoshuan was silent for a while, then suddenly pulled out a small cloth bag from his pocket and insisted on stuffing it into Zheng Yi's hand.

“Master Zheng, I don’t have any other skills. Please accept this ten taels of silver. It’s not to do you a favor, but I feel bad about it. If you don’t accept it, I won’t be able to sleep well at night.”

Zheng Yi glanced at the cloth bag but didn't take it.

"Keep the money for yourself. You'll need some money to settle down in Hongyun City."

Old Xu said urgently, "But—"

“If you really want to thank me,” Zheng Yi said calmly, “then walk this path well. Don’t risk your life halfway through just to save a few bucks.”

Xu Laoshuan was speechless for a moment.

Xu Ahe didn't try to persuade him anymore, but just stared at Zheng Yi and suddenly bowed respectfully.

It wasn't the casual curtsy of an ordinary daughter from a humble family, but a very formal and straightforward greeting.

"Mr. Zheng, we've got it."

Zheng Yi nodded.

……

Half an hour later, outside the north gate of Baihe City.

The Xu family's gray mule cart had already turned around.

The truck was facing south, with its rear facing north. Most of the wooden crates on the sideboard were empty, with only some personal belongings remaining. With less cargo, the truck felt much lighter.

Xu Laoshuan sat on the carriage shaft, holding the reins, and looked back at Zheng Yi several times, as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end he could only manage to say, "Master Zheng, please be careful as you head north."

"it is good."

Xu Ahe sat in the car, no longer wearing her guarded expression as she had at the beginning.

She looked at Zheng Yi and said softly, "If we find a way to survive in Hongyun City, my father and I will remember to send you a message if we have the chance in the future."

Zheng Yi smiled faintly: "Let's get our own lives in order first."

Xu Ahe smiled too.

The smile was faint, but it was more relaxed than at any other time during her journey.

Then, Xu Laoshuan raised his whip and flicked it lightly.

Gray Ears snorted and slowly pulled the old cart south.

The wheels rolled across the snow, leaving two shallow tracks. The figures of the father and daughter gradually disappeared into the wind, snow, and pale sunlight, until only a small outline remained before they turned the corner and vanished.

Zheng Yi stood there for a moment before slowly turning his gaze away.

Zhou Xiaoliu led the horse over from behind and whispered, "Master, we should go now. The main road won't be so easy to recognize any further ahead."

"Ah."

Xu Chuan handed over the prepared cloak and asked, "Should we proceed as before?"

Zheng Yi looked north.

North of Baihe City, the snow was noticeably deeper and the silence was also greater.

The distant sky and earth seemed frozen into one solid piece, pale, vast, and almost devoid of human habitation. Here, the official road was no longer as worn black by countless footsteps as it had been in the south; instead, it grew increasingly thin, like a pale gray thread barely sewn into the midst of the boundless snowfield.

Further away, one can vaguely see the continuous black mountain shadows, like the spines of beasts lying on the horizon.

The wind blowing from that direction was colder and drier than in Baihe City.

But something else began to light up in Zheng Yi's eyes.

It wasn't the kind of bright light that comes from excitement and heat, but rather the anticipation of finally reaching the door and about to lift the curtain.

He observed the cities, government offices, everyday life, small businesses, and petty thoughts of the southern regions with great care and without ever growing tired of them. For that was the essence of the world, the vibrant life of ordinary people.

But he knew in his heart that the path that truly belonged to him was not there.

He was a monk.

He had been waiting for this moment ever since he embarked on this journey north.

As the tracks of mortals gradually fade away, as the clamor of merchants slowly dissipates, as the outline of the city is left behind, as this snowy landscape truly reveals its true nature.

Zhou Xiaoliu rubbed his hands together, looked at the seemingly endless snowfield to the north, and couldn't help but grin: "Damn, this place doesn't look like it's for ordinary people."

Xu Chuan said in a deep voice, "From the front, I'm afraid there will be fewer and fewer proper post stations."

Zheng Yi put on his cloak, his gaze still fixed on the north.

"That would be more interesting."

Three days after leaving Baihe City, the official road was completely cut off.

To be precise, it's not that the road disappeared, but rather that the traces left by people gradually faded and were eventually erased by one heavy snowfall after another. Only Zhou Xiaoliu, relying on his experience, could barely discern which snow crust buried old cart tracks and which slope was suitable for leading horses slowly.

Further on, even he began to shake his head.

“Boss, we can’t follow the trade route anymore.” Zhou Xiaoliu stood on a low slope covered with hard ice, wiping the snow off his face. “Few people traveled these places last year. This year the snow is so heavy that the old roads are all buried. If we continue with the cart, it’s easy to get stuck.”

Xu Chuan also said in a deep voice, "Moreover, the further north you go, the more the wind smells wrong." Zheng Yi looked up and gazed ahead.

There were almost only two colors left in the world.

White is the boundless snowfield. Gray is the sky that hangs low.

Occasionally, a few black rocks peek out from the snow, like bones exposed after being frozen. The wind rolls in from a great distance, carrying a faint yet distinct fishy smell, unlike the bloodshed in human cities, but more like something that has long lingered in the wilderness, being gradually dispersed by the cold wind.

Zheng Yi knew that from this point onward, the area ahead was no longer a place for ordinary people.

He stopped and turned to look at Zhou Xiaoliu and Xu Chuan.

"You two, that's the end of it."

Zhou Xiaoliu was taken aback: "Boss?"

“You’re falling behind ahead,” Zheng Yi said calmly. “If you keep going, you’ll only slow me down. Turn southeast and wait for me at the nearest post station. If I don’t come back in half a month, you can go back to Hongyun City on your own.”

Xu Chuan frowned: "But—"

"No buts." Zheng Yi looked at the snowfield ahead and said calmly, "This road can no longer be traversed by swords and experience alone."

Zhou Xiaoliu opened his mouth, but in the end he obediently closed it.

He was a smart man; he knew Zheng Yi had been holding back all along. Now that he couldn't hold back anymore, it meant that what lay ahead was no longer something they could touch.

Xu Chuan remained silent for a moment, then clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Take care, Master."

Zheng Yi nodded.

The two men didn't argue further, and soon led their horses, along with the last of their supplies, retreating southeast. On the snow-covered plain, their footprints quickly split into two lines: one receding into the distance, the other heading straight north.

Zheng Yi continued on his way only after the two figures were completely swallowed up by the wind and snow.

……

Walking alone, the world suddenly became much quieter.

There was no sound of wheels, no snorting of horses, and no occasional chatter from Zhou Xiaoliu. Only the sound of the wind, the snow, and his own footsteps remained.

Zheng Yi no longer deliberately suppressed his cultivation level.

With a slight shift of his spiritual energy, the snow beneath his feet seemed to be gently lifted by an invisible force, making each step extremely steady and several times faster than before. The cold wind blew in front of him and naturally parted, even causing the hem of his clothes to sway slightly.

The further north you go, the more obvious the demonic aura becomes.

At first, it was just a faint remnant drifting in the wind, but by evening, it had become as thick as fire buried under snow.

Zheng Yi stopped at the edge of a half-collapsed ice cliff and looked down at the snow.

There was a very deep drag mark, stretching from the northwest, about ten feet wide, with the ice around its edges completely crushed, as if some enormous creature had slowly swum across it. Looking further to the side, you could also see several pieces of frozen, blackened bone fragments, with huge skeletons, clearly not those of ordinary wolves or tigers.

Zheng Yi squatted down and picked up a few pieces of bone.

The bone still bore extremely fine frost patterns, exuding a chilling aura.

"Ice-type demon beast".

He said something in a low voice, but his gaze slowly turned cold.

This level of demonic energy is no small matter.

Placed on the outskirts of Dingzhou, it would be enough to rout an outer sect team from a small sect. But in this snowy plain, it seems like just an ordinary trace left by some overlord.

Zheng Yi stood up and followed the drag marks.

The sky grew darker and darker.

Night falls quickly on the snow-covered plains; just moments ago, distant mountain silhouettes were clearly visible, but in the blink of an eye, only blurry outlines remained. However, for cultivators, this dimness posed no obstacle. Zheng Yi's divine sense slowly spread out, like an invisible ripple, sweeping forward inch by inch.

Then, several miles away, he "saw" it.

A giant creature lying behind an ice ridge.

Its aura was deep and its demonic power was immense, like a cold tide curled up in the darkness. It had clearly sensed Zheng Yi as well, and a dangerous restlessness suddenly appeared in its originally calm aura.

The next instant, the snowfield exploded.

"boom--!"

A vast expanse of ice and snow was ripped up from below as if by a giant hammer, scattering everywhere. The monstrous beast suddenly pounced out from behind the ice ridge, the force of which nearly blew away the surrounding snow.

Zheng Yi finally saw what it looked like.

It was a monster shaped like a giant wolf, but with two backward-curving ice horns. Its entire body was covered in grayish-white scales, and its back was as high as a small hill. When it landed on its four limbs, the ice under its claws cracked inch by inch. Its eyes were an eerie, ghostly blue, like two will-o'-the-wisps in the night.

The most striking feature was that when it opened its mouth, fine icy mist constantly spewed out from between its fangs, making the air crackle softly from the cold.

"Ice Horn Snow Nightmare".

Zheng Yi narrowed his eyes.

In his memories of his previous life, this kind of demonic beast was notorious. It wasn't because of its noble bloodline, but because it was extremely skilled at ambushing and killing, and was naturally drawn to ice and snow, making it even more troublesome than cultivators of the same realm in such environments.

The snow nightmare had clearly identified Zheng Yi as its prey.

It didn't pounce immediately, but instead slowly circled Zheng Yi. Its massive body moved surprisingly lightly on the snow, leaving only a thin, deep trail as its tail dragged across the ground. Its deep blue eyes were fixed on Zheng Yi, as if searching for the perfect angle to strike.

Zheng Yi stood still, his expression indifferent.

"Using you as a practice subject is just right."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xueyan moved.

That wasn't an ordinary pounce; it was like a white afterimage that suddenly appeared. The distance of several dozen feet was almost non-existent under its claws, and in the blink of an eye, it was in front of Zheng Yi, spewing out a cloud of cold mist from its mouth.

Before the cold fog arrived, a layer of dark blue ice crystals had already formed on the ground.

Zheng Yi raised his hand and threw a punch.

There were no fancy spells, only pure spiritual energy wrapped around the fist, producing a muffled explosion.

"boom!"

The force of the fist collided head-on with the icy mist, as if the air in front of it had been crushed. The demonic mist, powerful enough to freeze iron and stone, was instantly blasted apart, turning into countless shards of ice that swirled back. Snow Nightmare clearly hadn't expected this seemingly frail human to dare to clash with it so directly, and its momentum faltered slightly.

But Zheng Yi had already arrived.

With a single step, he shattered the ice layer and instantly cut into the side of the Snow Nightmare. His short sword was drawn, and the blade drew an extremely thin, cold line in the dim snowy night, slashing straight at the beast's neck.

Snow Nightmare suddenly twisted its body and slapped horizontally with its front paws.

If that claw strikes, the entire boulder would probably be torn into pieces.

Zheng Yi's sword stance remained unchanged. With a flick of his left hand, spiritual energy, like needles, instantly pierced the joints of the giant claw. Xue Yan's movements faltered for a moment, and the short sword also cut into the scales below its neck at that instant.

"laugh--"

The blade pierced the flesh, but only cut in half an inch before being firmly stuck by extremely tough fascia.

Zheng Yi raised an eyebrow slightly.

The beast's body was tougher than he had expected.

The Snow Nightmare roared in pain, its roar seeming to tremble the entire snowfield. It violently swung its head, its icy horn almost grazing Zheng Yi's chest, the resulting surge of demonic energy instantly freezing the ground several feet around it. (End of Chapter)