Feng Zhi was a powerful member of the Celestial Race.
Maybe it was due to her arrival, the sky turned dark with swirling inky clouds, and the sounds of rustling leaves echoed constantly.
However, the very person who triggered this dramatic change in the weather was now frozen in place.
Staring at Ying Bing, who looked slightly different and was dressed in rough clothes, her thoughts took a detour, reminiscing about that day when rainbows pierced the heavens, and all sorts of supernatural phenomena bloomed like flowers, as if the very universe was rejoicing at someone’s arrival—an extraordinary and magnificent moment.
It couldn’t be wrong; she was the one.
There wouldn’t be a second existence that could leave such a breathtaking impression at first glance, making time stretch forever.
“Step back.”
“……Yes.”
The trio from the Underground City couldn’t help but be shocked.
They had never seen a member of the Celestial Race show such an attitude. They all lowered their heads, practically silent as mice.
“Someone outside just mentioned my name.”
Li Mo, clear about who she was, didn’t think too much and shook out his damp clothes: “Everything was fine just a moment ago; why did the wind suddenly pick up?”
Ying Bing gazed outside and coldly remarked, “Today is the last sunny day before winter sets in; I need to hang out some clothes.”
Strangely enough, right after her words, the fierce wind abruptly stopped, and the sunlight returned as if the gloomy atmosphere just now was a figment of the imagination.
“Fairy Sister really has a way with words; even the heavens have to listen.”
“Guests are coming over.”
“Then let’s light the stove; we just made dumplings yesterday, and there’s marinated pig ears…”
“No drinking.” Ying Bing caught on to his little scheme and pinched his waist.
Li Mo pouted and got a fire going in the stove, dragging a bright red floral blanket onto the table. Then, in walked a wild-looking woman with a fit and robust physique, exuding an air of untamed beauty.
When facing Ying Bing, she seemed a bit shy and cautious.
“Have a seat.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Still need to ask?”
Li Mo knew exactly who she was and had his remarks ready, but every conversation needs a beginning.
“I…”
Everything before her felt absurd to Feng Zhi.
In this ordinary little village house, with firewood stoves, brick beds, tables covered in bright red blankets, and piles of junk in the corner, a heavenly goddess calmly resided amidst the human bustle, as if she were a dream made manifest—so beautiful it felt magical.
But she had been born from the eternal fabric of the universe…
In the history of the Celestial Race, there had been none like her.
Perhaps, the chasm between the Celestial Race and the people of the Underground City was akin to the void separating her from the Celestial Race.
She could sense the pulsating energy emanating from Ying Bing, a kind of power that was profound and limitless, making even her knees weak.
Yet, Ying Bing just quietly sat beside the man, gently peeling a sunflower seed and popping it into his mouth.
“I’m her cousin.” Feng Zhi said shyly.
The Celestial Race didn’t really observe generational kinship but focused on strength. So even if Feng Zhi was older, calling her “sister” felt advantageous.
And Ying Bing, seeming nonchalant, actually kept her attention fixed on her.
“Well, well, what a rare guest! Finished your summer homework?” Li Mo casually asked.
“……Huh?”
“Ah, my bad! It’s not easy coming so far; you should stay for dumplings later and take some local specialties with you.”
“Thanks, um… brother-in-law?”
Feng Zhi, this noble Celestial Race member, picked up on social norms quite quickly.
“Eat peanuts.”
Warm reminder: If you think this book is good, to avoid losing it next time, remember to add it to your bookshelf!
Ying Bing’s chilling gaze unexpectedly flickered with joy.
Feng Zhi sighed in relief, the tension in the air dissipating. If she had moved even slightly, she would’ve faced a thunderstorm.
All this was because…
She watched the back of the man cooking dumplings and asked, “Sister, you… don’t plan on going back, do you?”
Ying Bing shook her head. “I never belonged there; why would I talk about going back?”
Feng Zhi’s expression turned anxious, but she lowered her voice: “But I heard from a few elders that the world is changing; there will be disasters worse than ever before, leading us to a dire situation.”
“Didn’t my sister find a way to protect this world?”
That’s why support for Jiang Yu’s radical reforms was growing among those in the Celestial City.
Because this time, they couldn’t just slide by as they usually did.
“I do.”
Ying Bing scooped a spoonful of chili into a small bowl, her gaze never straying from that figure at the stove.
“I want to protect the world, and it’s right here.”
“…..”
Feng Zhi found it almost impossible to understand, but she opened her mouth, ultimately holding back her words.
The mortals of the Human City?
Their lives were fleeting, like grass in autumn, withering away in the blink of an eye.
No one could change the passage of time; Ying Bing could only change her thoughts; there would still be time to act.
Next, the small house seemed like a family reunion full of idle chatter.
After a while, Feng Zhi, dressed in a bright red cotton coat and carrying cured meat and rice wine, stepped out of the yard.
The trio from the Underground City, puzzled by the quiet inside, stood frozen in place at the sight before them:
“What’s this…”
“Don’t ever stir up trouble in Great King Village again.”
“What about Jiang Di’s reforms then?”
“If he comes, he’ll have to wear a floral cotton coat too.”
“????”
The glimpses on the Jiangshan Yizhi Map began to rapidly fade.
Celestial beings didn’t need resources, but those from the Underground City did.
Large swathes of territory from the Human City were absorbed into the sphere of the Underground City, increasing its power, as towns sprang up like mushrooms after rain.
At the same time, the frequency at which demons crossed the city walls also intensified, growing in scale.
This made the population of the Human City swiftly converge into the cities controlled by the Underground people.
Because Jiang Yu had issued a decree stating that the Celestial Race would only protect the citizens of Da Yu.
Suddenly, most of the Celestial City was under the dominion of Da Yu.
Except for a few places, like Great King Village.
Great King Village had now become Great King Town, merging with neighboring villages and containing refugees that had found their way here.
The Celestial Race’s protection was unnecessary for them; they didn’t need to learn the martial arts of the Underground City. In this day and age, with Li Mo’s perspective, having sufficient grain was the priority.
While ensuring self-sufficiency, Li Mo continued to manage a space that could accommodate more and more people.
“The scale of Great King Town is now comparable to the cities extending from the Underground City.”
“But it’s isolated on the fringes of the Human City, all alone; can it really work?”
“As long as the Celestial Race guards the city gates of the Human City, it should be fine.”
“Time is slowing down!”
On the Jiangshan Yizhi Map, time was no longer racing by.
This meant the first fifty years had arrived.
