The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

Chapter 128 The Player

pain.

An indescribable pain.

Accompanied by a huge, empty panic and sense of loss, as if the very foundation of the world were collapsing beneath one's feet.

She opened her eyes wide in bewilderment; those eyes, which were always smiling and clear and bright, were now filled with helplessness, horror, and disbelief.

Breathing suddenly became difficult, as if an invisible hand was choking her throat, and each breath was accompanied by a sharp, icy pain.

The warmth around me, the light from the fireplace, the soft touch of the sweater—everything was fading and receding rapidly, as if the world was shrinking dramatically, turning into a cold, suffocating cage.

"Husband—" she murmured unconsciously, her voice trembling and out of tune, the word etched into her very bones.

Is it a premonition?

Is it just my imagination?

Su Hongxiu suddenly stood up, ignoring the bamboo needles and sweater that had fallen to the ground, and stumbled to the door, forcefully pushing open the heavy wooden door.

A biting wind, carrying snowflakes, rushed in instantly, scattering the pink hair on her cheeks and making her dress cling tightly to her delicate body, the chill penetrating to the bone.

But she was completely unaware, simply standing barefoot on the icy, frigid snow outside the door, looking around blankly.

The mountains were silent, and the snow fell without a sound.

The ink-wash sky hung low, and the clouds continued to drift slowly.

The world appears unchanged.

But her heart felt empty, and she was shivering with cold.

The panic and despair of losing what was most important to her overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, making her almost unable to stand.

Its large pink tail drooped limply on the snow, unnoticed as it got wet.

The fox ears were pressed tightly against the hair, showing extreme unease.

She looked up at the gray sky, opened her mouth as if to shout, but no sound came out.

Only scalding tears, without warning, welled up and slid down my cold cheeks, instantly turning icy cold in the winter chill.

A few breaths later.

As Su Hongxiu was consumed by heartbreaking pain and confusion, collapsing limply in the snow—

The entire Hanmo Mountain Range suddenly trembled.

It was as if an invisible giant hand had grasped the very foundation of this ink-wash landscape and was shaking it violently.

The bamboo house creaked under the weight, and icicles fell from the eaves, shattering on the snow.

A muffled rumbling sound came from the distant mountains, as if snow was collapsing.

The sudden tremor made Su Hongxiu stagger and almost fall to the ground.

Through her teary eyes, she looked up at the sky again, filled with doubt and surprise. Then, she saw a sight she would never forget.

Without warning, the sky high above the Hanmo Mountains, which resembled an ink painting, suddenly darkened.

A vast, indescribable, and expansive upside-down continent, obscuring the entire field of vision, was pressing down relentlessly downwards.

On that continent, mountains, rivers, cities, and plains—everything is clearly visible, yet it presents a strange, inverted perspective.

It fell silently from the heavens with the power to destroy everything, as if the sky itself had materialized and was about to grind everything below into dust.

The shadows, at a speed visible to the naked eye, devoured the mountains, the flowing clouds, the light, and the world before her eyes.

Su Hongxiu stared blankly at the terrifying scene that was pressing down on her, her heart feeling as if it had been completely crushed by that invisible hand, and stopped beating.

A chill instantly spread from the soles of my feet to my entire body, freezing my blood and my thoughts.

She sat on the cold snow, her pink fox tail covered in mud and snow, curled up beside her, lifeless.

Bailiu Peak is one of the main peaks of the Hanmo Mountains.

This peak has a unique and rugged shape, and is home to many different species of white willows that do not lose their leaves even in winter. Their branches are as white as jade, with thousands of silk ribbons hanging down, dancing lightly in the wind. From a distance, it looks like an immortal using white jade as a brush to freely paint on the dark mountain, which is pure, aloof and untouched by the dust of the world.

A three-story pavilion was built on the summit.

The building is constructed using "sinking black jade" and "snow-spotted bamboo" unique to the mountains. The entire structure is a light bluish-gray color, with upturned eaves and several strings of wind chimes made of spirit shells hanging from them. When the mountain wind blows, the sound of the chimes is ethereal and far-reaching, as if it can cleanse the mind and soul.

This is the daily retreat of Lu Zixu, the chief disciple of True Monarch Fu Shui.

The top floor of the attic has windows on all four sides, with semi-transparent silk curtains hanging down, which can block the wind and snow without obstructing the view.

The interior furnishings are minimalist: a couch, a small table, a chessboard, an incense burner, and a huge, floor-to-ceiling bookshelf against the wall, filled with jade slips, silk books, and paper scrolls. The scent of ink, bamboo, and herbs blend together, creating a calming and soothing atmosphere.

Lu Zixu was sitting on a futon beside the chessboard.

He looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a handsome and refined appearance, sword-like eyebrows that slanted upwards into his temples, starry eyes as deep as the night, a high nose bridge, and pale lips with a natural, gentle, and elegant curve at the corners of his mouth, making him unforgettable to behold.

Her long, black hair was not tied up, but loosely tied at the back of her head with a simple jade hairpin, with a few strands falling in front of her forehead, adding a touch of untamed elegance.

His posture was as upright as a lone pine tree on a cliff, and his temperament was as gentle as fine ancient jade. Even when he was just sitting quietly, he had a captivating charm.

He wore a moon-white, wide-sleeved robe made of ordinary material, with only faint flowing cloud and water patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem with the same color silk thread.

At this moment, he was leaning slightly forward, holding a warm, smooth black jade chess piece between his right index and middle fingers, his gaze fixed on the chessboard with its nineteen lines, as if deep in thought.

There is no real opponent on the other side of the chessboard.

Opposite him on the scale was a "person".

The "person's" figure was no different from that of an ordinary person, but its entire body was composed of an intense, unyielding ink color, as if it were formed by splashing and condensing the finest pine soot ink. Only its face was blank, without any facial features.

It sat there quietly, its posture subtly facing Lu Zixu. Though it had no face, it possessed a calm and focused "expression".

In front of it was also a box of white jade chess pieces.

This is precisely the "ink puppet" that Lu Zixu created by combining his own pure ink magic with the supernatural powers passed down by the True Lord of Fu Shui.

.

This puppet has no intelligence, but it can communicate with its master's mind and simulate chess moves. It is a special "fellow Daoist" that the master usually studies chess scores, deduces formations, and meditates on the Dao.

The pavilion was quiet, with only a wisp of smoke rising straight up from the incense burner, occasionally bending slightly as it was stirred by the breeze through the window.

Outside the window, white willow branches sway gently, and distant ink-wash mountains stand silently, creating a scene of utmost tranquility.

Lu Zixu hesitated to place the black piece between his fingers.

He wasn't thinking about the moves.

He had been playing this game against himself for three days, and every move was in his mind.

He was simply enjoying this absolute tranquility, savoring the wondrous feeling of his thoughts wandering freely across the vast expanse of space.

The mind at the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion is already perfectly harmonious and unobstructed, and external things cannot disturb it.

However, just as the chess piece was about to fall from his fingertips and touch the chessboard, his movement abruptly paused.

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