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Chao You gritted his teeth in resentment, saying nothing more, and with a wave of his hand, countless water arrows condensed. The continuous rain helped him greatly, allowing him to control such complex witchcraft. The water arrows solidified behind Chao You, hovering in mid-air.

“Chaoyou…you’re truly stubborn…impatientness is your biggest flaw…” Nianyu’s face was as cold as ice. He spread his fingers, and countless sticky streams of earth flowed outwards. Seeing this, Chaoyou’s face turned pale, and fear flickered in his eyes. To gain the upper hand, before the earth at Nianyu’s fingertips could solidify, he chanted incantations and shot out a water arrow.

Nianyu snorted coldly, put his hands together, and an earthen wall immediately appeared in front of him.

Instead of heading towards Nianyu, Chaoyou's water arrows veered in mid-air and shot towards Feng Qi, who was standing to the side. In terms of witchcraft, Feng Qi was practically a kindergartener. Caught off guard by the sudden barrage of water arrows, he didn't know how to react and could only retreat in a panic, collapsing onto the cold cement floor.

Nianyu frowned slightly, his anger intensifying. In his haste, he freed his hand and quickly flung dust in front of Feng Qi. The water jets, enveloped in dust, disintegrated, turning into clumps of mud that rolled to the ground.

When he looked up again at Chaoyou, she was nowhere to be seen. He climbed to the railing and saw Chaoyou slowly falling into the rain, then disappearing into the night.

"This is the 7th floor." Feng Qi, who had stood up from the floor, also saw this scene and was quite impressed.

“He’s a water-based sorcerer, and with the heavy rain helping him, this height is nothing.” Nian Yu put his sunglasses back on, hiding his bloodshot eyes; his thin face no longer revealed any emotion. His gaze lingered on Feng Qi for a moment, then shifted away: “What is your relationship with Ya Hua?”

Feng Qi shrugged: "A friend of her brother."

“You do possess the blood of a sorcerer, but whose child is it? I don’t recall any wood-type sorcerers losing children,” Nianyu said earnestly. “Do you want to find your parents? Perhaps I can help.” Feng Qi hesitated upon hearing this, but ultimately shook his head and refused. “I only said that to lower your guard. As for finding your biological parents, let fate decide.” Seeing Nianyu turn to leave, Feng Qi called out to him, “Nianyu! Yu Ye has been making those deals for a long time; why are you only now pursuing her?”

“In the past, she exploited loopholes in the rules. The transactions were all voluntary, and not many people were involved. The elders were all aware of this, but they turned a blind eye out of respect for Elder Chen. But this time is different. She has harmed more than a hundred people, all of whom are now unconscious due to water-based witchcraft.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Qi instinctively felt a sense of familiarity and tentatively asked, "Over a hundred people are unconscious? Is it the case committed by Hao Jie?" Nian Yu was somewhat surprised: "You actually know about that?"

“Yu Ye and I…have had some interactions…” Feng Qi hesitated for a moment before saying, “Yu Ye is fair in her dealings; she demands an equal return for every amount she gives. According to you, with so many people involved this time, her reward must have been substantial. But in this matter, Yu Ye didn't gain anything.” He looked at the wooden door to the corridor, blown open by the wind. The bright white lights in the corridor contrasted sharply with their darkness. The cries still echoed in the hospital corridor late at night. Feng Qi said calmly, “Someone once told me not to subjectively characterize a case before thoroughly investigating it. I'll pass that advice on to you verbatim.”

"You mean this accident might not have been caused by Yu Ye? It might have been framed by Chao You? But Chao You doesn't have that much power..." Nian Yu felt something was about to emerge, but she couldn't quite grasp it.

"It's possible, but you'll have to judge for yourself." Feng Qi smiled gently, rubbing his head. "I used to be a staunch atheist, but things are really chaotic now. You've been chatting with me for so long, why aren't you going after Chao You?"

Nianyu smiled confidently, spreading his hands to reveal a handful of sand: "I did some tricks..." Feng Qi stared at Nianyu speechlessly, shaking his head slightly. One moment they were lovers locked in a passionate embrace, the next they could turn on each other and act as if it were business. This Nianyu, it was hard to say whether to call him cold-blooded or simply too rigid. However, the last thing he cherished about Zhicheng had vanished. Feng Qi looked back at Zhicheng in the night and smiled with relief: "There's nothing more for me here."

The starlight was dim, and the drizzle finally stopped around midnight. Rain dripped from the eaves, and puddles swayed on the steps. To the east of the courtyard was the study, devoid of any electrical appliances, only the flickering candlelight casting large shadows on the walls. Chen Yiting leaned against the soft couch, eyes closed, resting, his long, slender fingers forming an odd shape. Suddenly, he chuckled softly, "Xiao You, why haven't you gotten rid of this habit of peeping yet?"

A figure, soaked to the bone, appeared outside the half-open window. Chao You raised his pointed chin, stood hesitantly outside the window, his hand on the windowsill trembling slightly, unable to speak for a long time. Seeing his silence, Chen Yiting raised an eyebrow, lifted the thin blanket casually draped over himself, walked to the window, and stretched out his hand: "Look at you, all wet, why don't you come in?"

Chao You shook his head sadly: "Brother Yi Ting... I..."

"Failed?" Chen Yiting leaned forward, grabbed Chao You's arm, and gently pulled him into the house.

The warm room temperature made Chao You shiver involuntarily. He slumped to the floor, leaning against the slightly warm floorboards, and said regretfully, "I'm so useless. Even with the potion you helped me prepare, and the plan to get Nianyu to drink it, I still failed..."

“Nianyu… is one of the most capable among the younger generation, so it’s not surprising that you couldn’t control him.” Chen Yiting pondered, “He was actually able to break through the balance on his own… was there something wrong with the potion I prepared, or has his ability improved in recent years…” He was lost in his thoughts and did not notice that Chaoyou, who had been lying on the floor, had raised his head and was staring at him intently.

Chao You gazed at Chen Yiting, his eyes filled with a mixture of admiration, guilt, fervor, and despair. He bit his lower lip for a long time before finally saying, "Brother Yiting, Yu Ye escaped. I never imagined she could escape from the Xilong Rope..." Chen Yiting, interrupted, looked at Chao You and smiled, "You value that rope too much, just like you rely too much on the potion I concocted. A rope, at most, is just a rope."

Chao You hesitated several times before finally asking the question that had been lingering in her mind: "Brother Yi Ting, was it... was it you who helped Yu Ye escape?"

As if he had heard something interesting, Chen Yiting frowned, then relaxed, and bent down slightly, his fingers slowly tracing Chao You's face: "Do you know the biggest difference between you and Yu Ye?" Chao You pursed his lips dismissively. Talent—he knew it all too well. Yu Ye was a wizard born with the strongest magical power, while he couldn't even qualify as a wizard.

"Your suspicion, lack of confidence, and poor judgment... these flaws, in my opinion, are far more serious than your talent." Chen Yiting withdrew his finger, looking at Chao You with disdain: "So, what are you up to now that you've come to me after your failure? Let me guess... Do you hope I'll help you as usual? Prepare new potions for you, fend off Nian Yu's pursuit, or perhaps, simply capture Yu Ye myself so you can abuse her at will?"

Chao You bit his lip hard, his gaze towards Chen Yiting filled with despair and pleading. His heart, which he thought was as unshakeable as an iron fortress, began to crack at the sound of these words. A desperate cry echoed endlessly in the emptiness of his heart.

"Are you upset?" Chen Yiting suddenly turned around and gently helped Chao You up, saying softly, "When this plan first came to mind, did I tell you my stance? When you begged me for help, did I tell you about the possible consequences? But you wouldn't listen to anything, blinded by inexplicable jealousy and hatred."

"That woman was unfaithful to you!" Chao You roared angrily, "She was clearly dating you, yet she was bewitched by a beast. How dare that bastard child she had possess such powerful abilities! You are magnanimous and selfless, able to ignore the feeling of betrayal and personally teach that bastard child. But I cannot tolerate it!" Chao You threw herself at Chen Yiting, clinging tightly to his legs: "Sister abandoned me and you for a fox demon... Don't you resent her?"

Being hugged by the soaking wet Chao You felt like being coiled by a cold snake. Displeased by this sensation, Chen Yiting frowned and impatiently raised his hand. Chao You, who had been tightly embracing Chen Yiting just moments before, was forcefully pushed away and slammed against the study wall with a loud bang.

Chen Yiting patted his robes and said nonchalantly, "You really don't learn your lesson?" After saying that, he ignored Chao You, who had been knocked unconscious, and sat back on the soft couch, resuming his previous posture.

After a long while, Chao You woke up from his coma. In his field of vision was Chen Yiting's outstanding figure. He smiled sadly: "So heartless... Brother Yiting, I have never seen a more cold-blooded person than you."

Chen Yiting slowly opened his eyes and said with a faint smile, "You're not young anymore... Although you still look like you're seventeen or eighteen, is your mind still stuck at that stage? If I told you that Yu Ye is actually my daughter, wouldn't you be even more shocked?" He glanced at the dumbfounded Chao You, then turned his gaze and smiled smugly.

Chapter Sixteen: Washing Away the Snow

Chapter Sixteen

The story is long, where should I begin?

When ancient legends still circulated in this world, and when machinery had yet to be seen in the mountains and rivers, Zhicheng, as the confluence of two rivers, was at the height of its dock culture. Accompanied by the long, simple calls of the boatmen, a baby girl was born in Zhicheng.

That night, Zhicheng was hit by a heavy snowfall, a sight rarely seen in a century.

Upon witnessing this extraordinary sight, the baby girl's father was inspired to write a seven-character quatrain and also gave his daughter a name related to snow—Xixue (meaning "washing away snow").

She always felt she still remembered that snow, the thin snowflakes falling one by one, landing on the plum trees planted in the courtyard, drifting onto the soaring eaves. Her father's embrace was warm, and a snowflake that accidentally landed on the corner of her mouth was a little cold. He laughed freely, happily reciting those not-so-sophisticated poems.

The mother leaned against the window, wrapped tightly in a thick silk quilt. Yet, she laughed happily, her watery eyes fixed on the father and her. Occasionally, she would scold playfully, "Look at you, you're really crazy. The girl is so young, and you let her go out in the cool breeze."

The father dismissed it: "Our daughters aren't that delicate."

That must have been the scene when she was just born. She remembered it clearly—everyone's expression, every word spoken—as if she had experienced it herself. Later, she told others this, but no one believed her.

So be it. This is a memory that belongs only to her. What does it matter whether others believe it or not?

She grew up in a remote mountain village inhabited by a special group of people. They had lived in seclusion for generations, speaking a cryptic language and believing in the power of nature. They called themselves shamans. Her maternal grandfather was the chieftain of the water-based shamans, an eccentric old man. He was extremely unkempt, with a long beard, tangled hair, and fingernails filled with black mud. He lacked any semblance of a chieftain's bearing, yet almost all the shamans feared him, for he possessed the greatest power. She inherited this power, both fortunately and unfortunately; after the age of six, apart from the elders, no one could rival her.

She has no parents.

As a child, I didn't understand these things. After being ridiculed by my friends, I foolishly ran to ask my grandfather why I was the only one without parents. My grandfather flew into a rage and locked me in a deep cave. My wet nurse cried outside the cave, and the sound could still reach my ears through the thick rocks. I was locked up for five days without food or water, and only my wet nurse's cries kept me company as a young child.

Her childhood consisted entirely of a deaf and mute wet nurse, a stubborn and domineering maternal grandfather, and an endless spiritual practice.

Her wet nurse loved to dress her up beautifully: a flowing white gauze dress, strings of jingling silver chains on her wrists, and a blue crystal like a teardrop glittering on her forehead. As she grew up, she became the proudest and most beautiful flower among the witches. But no one knew what kind of heart, bordering on madness, lay beneath her calm and aloof expression. Like now, when a young fire-elemental witch, enamored with her, tried to win her favor with a cage containing a snow-white fox, she felt nothing could be more ridiculous.

The fox was entirely white except for a single tuft of pure black fur on its forehead. Inside the bronze cage, it showed none of the restlessness one would expect from a trapped animal; it lay there lazily, its bewildered eyes casually glancing at the person outside. A faint, fiery red glow emanated from outside the cage—it was a cage shrouded in witchcraft. Xi Xue, expressionless, said calmly, "Take it away."

Jiang Hao, a fire-elemental sorcerer, was a rugged man. He caught foxes because he instinctively felt women loved such cute animals, but he hadn't expected Xi Xue's reaction to be so cold. He was usually poor with words, and in front of his goddess, he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time. To ease the awkwardness slightly, he stuck his index finger into the cage, intending to tease the fox.

The fox tilted its head slightly to the left, dodging his fingers, still maintaining its lazy demeanor. Jiang Hao was already displeased, and seeing even an animal act this way, he quickly formed a hand seal and struck the fox. The fox was also a sentient being; as soon as the scorching breath hit, it darted to the other end of the cage.

The cage was only a small space, but Jiang Hao showed no mercy. The flames of delusion ignited on the fox's tail, and the air immediately filled with a burnt smell.

Xi Xue stopped in her tracks and turned to look at everything coldly.

Jiang Hao was overjoyed to see Xi Xue stop: "Xi Xue!"

The fire was still burning, charring the fox's snow-white fur. Its beautiful eyes began to show panic, and its gaze fixed on Xixue was filled with pleading.

"Don't do anything stupid in front of me. You're stupid enough already." She said this and left without looking back.

Jiang Hao froze, stunned by her words, and it took him a long time to recover. He looked down at the fox he had used to please her; the fire had gone out sometime earlier, but almost all of its fur was burned away, its entire body was crimson, and most of the skin below its head was blistered and ulcerated, its beautiful face contorted in pain. Seeing it like this, his resentment intensified, and he kicked the cage more than ten feet away with a fierce kick.

The bronze cage rolled down and came to a stop under a banyan tree.

The fox couldn't help but let out a mournful wail.

A white hem appeared in its blurry vision, and it heard a voice as clear as a spring say, "What are you?"

It struggled to raise its head and saw that aloof figure, then narrowed its eyes slightly.

She waved her finger in its direction, and it immediately felt a cool sensation, which lessened the burning pain in its body. The coolness was very similar to her own feeling. As the pain subsided, it discovered that the spell on the bronze cage that had been imprisoning it had been lifted.

Freed from its confinement, it darted out of the cage like a wisp of smoke.

bump!

A thick, gray fog rose within a meter's diameter, and those within it inhaled a strong, foul stench. Xi Xue disgustedly covered her nose with her sleeve, quickly plucking a handful of leaves. Opening her palm, the leaves had turned to powder and dissolved into the fog. In the blink of an eye, the foul stench was replaced by the fresh scent of leaves, and the gray fog took on a pale blue hue.

As the thick fog dissipated, the bronze cage was empty; there was no trace of the fox. "It ran away..." Xi Xue glanced at the cage, then looked up at the forest not far away, muttering to herself thoughtfully.

The fox incident was merely an occasional diversion in the monotonous life of cultivation, and Xixue quickly forgot about it. Unexpectedly, the fox, whose cultivation was not very deep, actually came back, only this time, it had changed its form.

Dressed in a long white robe, cinched at the waist with a single black silk sash, his long, glossy black hair cascaded freely, his eyebrows arched sharply towards his temples, and his phoenix eyes were elegant and alluring. This dashing young gentleman appeared in the sparsely populated forest, his gaze fixed intently on her. Xi Xue, who was meditating by the stream, suddenly smiled. What a vain fox spirit.

Seeing that Xixue had spotted him, he paced closer and opened his palm. It contained only a few banyan leaves. Xixue watched the fox, now in human form, without flinching, wondering what it intended to do.

His languid expression softened slightly, his attention now focused entirely on the few leaves in his hand. Suddenly, he clenched his fist, and the leaves tore and snapped. When he opened his fist again, the leaves had turned to powder, drifting slowly into the air. Xi Xue immediately smelled a delicate fragrance. It was her magic, seemingly infused with his own cultivation techniques.

Finishing his pose, the fox stared expectantly at Xixue. Xixue suddenly chuckled, her voice soft: "You actually learned this? Is your burn healed?" He nodded, leaning closer to Xixue, then remained motionless in that position. Xixue paused, then, understanding his intention, her smile widened. Suppressing the urge to burst out laughing, she raised her hand and gently patted his forehead: "Well done."

If he were still in his fox form, it would be fine, but since he was so concerned with his image, he transformed into a handsome young man, making the scene all the more peculiar.

After laughing enough, Xixue rolled up her skirt, revealing her snow-white calves, and stepped into the cool stream. She scooped up a handful of water and gave him a mysterious smile. The flowing water in her hand gradually condensed into a transparent sphere, and through the shimmering surface, his face seemed to sway. He widened his eyes in surprise and carefully touched the water sphere with one index finger.

The water balloon turned into flowing water the moment it touched his fingers, flowing into the stream. He watched the water balloon's transformation intently, and when he looked up again, his eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation.

"You want to learn?"

He nodded emphatically and reached out to grab Xi Xue's sleeve. She glanced down at his hand; in his human form, his hands were long and smooth. She had never liked physical contact with others, but this time, surprisingly, she didn't find it offensive. So, she asked him again, "Do you have a name?"

He shook his head; in his world, he didn't need a name.

She quietly observed him. To be able to transform into human form, he must have cultivated for five hundred years. But was his simple nature a facade or his true nature? It seemed he had developed a strong interest in her witchcraft. Xi Xue's lips curled slightly. Witchcraft practitioners valued blood ties above all else, and her maternal grandfather was a staunch believer in bloodlines. What would his reaction be if he knew a fox spirit had mastered water-based witchcraft? Just thinking about it was intriguing.

She gently pressed his hand down, then lifted his long, loose hair: "Lan Ye. I want to call you Lan Ye. Lan as in 'waves,' Ye as in 'night,' it's a nice name, isn't it?"

He mimicked her, revealing a faint smile, and spoke with difficulty, "Lan... Lan Ye."

"I am Xixue, a water-based sorcerer."

"……wipe out……"

“Yes! Wash away the snow.” She withdrew her hand and gradually sank into the shallow stream. “Lan Ye, do you believe in fate?” Before receiving an answer, she added, “I do. I know what kind of person you are, but since it is you, I accept it.” With that, she sank completely into the stream and disappeared without a trace.

The man who had just received a name stood on the shore, still looking languid, silently gazing at the spot where the snow had disappeared.

Chapter Seventeen: Reincarnation

Chapter Seventeen

"Why are you telling me that beast's story? I'm not interested!" Chao You felt a tightness in his chest, as if he couldn't breathe. Chen Yiting had thrown him a bombshell, but then kept quiet about it and instead told him about events from hundreds of years ago.

Chen Yiting didn't look at him, and smiled, "Because this is the beginning of everything." He propped himself up from the soft couch and sighed softly, "A few years later, Xixue died at the hands of her half-brother, and Lanye was imprisoned in Fuxue Mountain by Xixue's witchcraft. When he woke up, he began to search for Xixue. Later, he met Jingling and believed that Jingling was the reincarnation of Xixue."

"She is not."

Chen Yiting said, "Of course she isn't, because Xixue's reincarnation is me. So, when Lanye insisted on leaving Jingling, your headstrong and reckless older sister used forbidden magic to erase Lanye's memories."

The room was completely silent.

Chao You's expression could only be described as shock. Chen Yiting's past life was Lan Ye's lover, and Lan Ye had married her own sister. Yu Ye, whom she had initially thought was an illegitimate child, was actually Chen Yiting's child with her sister. This…

"A terrifying cycle, isn't it?" Chen Yiting sneered. "I think so too. That's why, when I found out that Yu Ye was actually my child, she actually kept it from me and married Lan Ye while pregnant with my child. Anger is a terrible thing. I thought I wouldn't have this emotion... but in the end, I'm still a worldly person, and I can't escape it."

Chao You suddenly remembered the scene he saw when he came to find Chen Yiting years ago.

In the same courtyard, on a rainy night like tonight, he arrived at Chen Yiting's residence, having made some progress in his cultivation. His talent was lacking, but from childhood to adulthood, only Chen Yiting had treated him the best. He taught him witchcraft and concocted potions to enhance his abilities.

Chen Yiting was not at his residence.

His initial excitement gradually subsided; he knew where he would find Chen Yiting.

Turning out of the alley and walking along the river embankment, after a two-and-a-half-hour walk, you'll see an ordinary riverside residential area. The gray-white buildings stand close together like matchboxes. He walked in with practiced ease, and quietly pressed himself against the wall, holding his breath, by the window of a first-floor unit.

Inside the window was a children's room, its pink walls covered in watercolor paintings. A little girl, looking like a porcelain doll, lay on the princess bed. Chen Yiting leaned against the headboard, his fingers gently stroking the girl. Bathed in the warm glow of the soft light, his face glowed, and a faint, mocking smile played on his lips. He read the fairy tale book in his hands in a gentle, even tone. It wasn't particularly interesting, nor was it overly dry.