The legitimate gods skilled in exorcizing demons and vanquishing evil stationed themselves here through temple statues, sealing off the Snowy Plains. This not only prevented the Snowy Plains demon king from further expanding its territory but also kept vigilant against demonic forces venturing outward.

The great demon of He Plains, using the divine power of an inherent god, transformed an area of two hundred li east to west and two hundred and fifty li north to south into a perpetual Snowy Plains—eternal winter, snow falling year-round. This weakened the power of the Thunder Division’s legitimate gods in the region.

Although the Thunder Division’s deities wielded divine power, they still relied on the authority of the heavens. The rotation of the seasons and the changes in time and weather had a significant impact on even the gods.

The legitimate gods of the Thunder Division were strongest in summer and weakest in winter.

In addition, there was another limitation on deities:

Inherent gods, born from the earth, were confined to the earthly realm. Nurtured gods, born from faith, were restricted by that faith.

Local deities like Virtuous Duke Wang, regional Land Gods, and Willow Immortal find it difficult to leave their own territories. Once they left, they quickly weakened, and their divine power might even disappear entirely.

On the other hand, Heavenly Palace legitimate gods like the Thunder God seemed capable of traversing the vast world in an instant. However, in reality, they could only move freely to places where their temples and statues existed, relying on these sacred objects to manifest.

In areas without such temples or statues, they must first appear at the nearest temple, then travel from there. The speed of their travel depends on their own abilities.

Similarly, the farther a deity moved away from its center of worship and the fewer its followers, the weaker its divine power became.

Thus, when a deity wanted to travel from one place to another, or from one country to another, it often needed to spread its teachings and establish a foundation of faith first.

This was also why the Heavenly Dao forbade human immortality but permitted divine immortality. Cultivators who wished for immortality typically avoided the Divine Dao unless, like the Swallow Immortal, they were left with no other choice.

First, divine immortality was not unlike becoming a ghost after death and lingering for a few hundred more years. It was vastly different from attaining true human immortality—neither free nor unburdened.

Second, divine immortality relied on incense offerings and worshipers. It was built on widespread belief in the deity among mortals. Whether it counted as true immortality was debatable, and its duration depended on how long the deity remained in the hearts of the people. Ultimately, it was a path less prone to chaos.

For this reason, the Snowy Plains demon frequently dispatched its minions to sow chaos in Hezhou, diminishing the number of believers. Its most recent move was somehow spreading a plague in secret, nearly turning Hansu County and the entire Gui Commandery into a desolate wasteland.

As Song You pondered this, the altar resounded once more with a voice like rolling thunder, “Does the Hidden Dragon Temple have any solutions?”

“Is this spirit of the marshlands easy to locate?”

“Not easy, but not impossible either. Most of the time, he resides within the spiritual spring of the marsh, his birthplace. However, once battle begins, he tends to move around frequently.”

“Then I shall go and give it a try,” Song You replied.

“If you truly intend to head out and exorcize the demon, engaging it in battle, I am willing to rally the Thunder Gods and descend together to aid you!”

“It seems the next Chief Officer of the Thunder Division can be none other than you, Duke of Thunder Zhou.”

“Hmph...”

Duke of Thunder Zhou let out a laugh but said nothing more.

Though this Daoist had once slain his former superior right before his eyes, that very superior was looked down upon by him and the other legitimate gods of the Thunder Division. If it weren’t for the constraints of the Heavenly Palace, they might have taken it upon themselves to remove him first. 𝖗αꞐO͍𝖇Èš

Even among mortal officials, there were those with integrity. How could someone revered as a Thunder God by the common folk lack backbone? To a true Thunder God, the death of Duke of Thunder Fu neither sparked resentment toward the Daoist nor made them fear his abilities.

Nonetheless, Duke of Thunder Zhou had clearly benefited from the incident, and he bore a certain goodwill toward Song You.

“When will you enter the Snowy Plains?”

“Today is New Year's Eve; I’ll wait until tomorrow.”

“Regardless of when you enter, the Thunder Division will keep a constant watch. Should you engage in battle with it, we will certainly descend to aid you!”

“When the need arises, I will call for you, Thunder God.”

“Sure.”

Duke of Thunder Zhou finished speaking, straightening his back and sitting upright on the altar, ready to return. However, as his gaze casually swept downward, he inadvertently frowned.

“Why is there no incense today as well?” His voice echoed like thunder, rolling endlessly through the temple.

“I ask for your understanding, Thunder God,” Song You replied calmly with a smile. “I didn’t know there was a temple dedicated to you at the edge of the Snowy Plains when I left the city. Moreover, with the plague ravaging Hansu right now, only three in ten of the populace remain. Every household has its doors shut tight. Even if I had intended to buy incense for you, there wasn’t a single shop to be found.”

“Remember next time!”

Duke of Thunder Zhou didn’t press the matter further. He tilted his head back, resuming the dignified, majestic posture of the statue, looking down upon the world with a commanding gaze. His body quickly stiffened, returning to the rigid form of the sculpture.

The divine light in the temple dimmed.

Song You withdrew his gaze from the statue.

Looking outside, he saw the land shrouded in darkness, the sky murky and overcast. Under the relentless wind and snow, it seemed like dusk regardless of the time, making it impossible to tell the hour.

Was it about mid-afternoon?

“…”

Song You casually sat down in a corner of the temple, crossing his legs and leaning against the wall. He said to the others, “Tonight is New Year’s Eve. I’ll have to trouble you both to spend the night here.”

Outside, the northern wind howled, like a wailing cry.

Strangely, the temple remained peaceful, as if no matter how fierce the storm raged outside, it couldn’t penetrate the sanctuary.

As time passed, the dim light of the sky gradually faded into darkness.

Out on the plains, small temples of different designs were scattered at intervals, almost forming a line. In the night, there was an occasional glimmer of light—a sign that some demon had ventured out, only to be immediately vanquished by the temple’s deity.

Tonight, however, one temple was aglow with firelight. The bright yellow flames lit up the surroundings.

The small temple withstood the wind and snow blanketing the sky.

Song You had removed the densely packed bamboo sticks from the altar—there were so many that even two large baskets couldn’t hold them all. Using these sticks as kindling, he lit a fire that would burn for quite a while.

By the light of the fire, they ate their dinner.

Song You remained seated cross-legged, his expression tranquil and serene.

Lady Calico sat close to the fire, staring into the flames as she warmed herself, showing him only her small back. Her tail swayed, tapping the ground rhythmically. Then, as if a thought struck her, she suddenly turned to look at the Daoist.

“Is New Year’s Eve the celebration of the New Year?”

Song You lifted his gaze, meeting the cat’s eyes. He immediately smiled, “Lady Calico, you’re very clever.”

“Is today the New Year celebration?”

“We celebrate it over a few days. After midnight tonight, it will be a new year.”

“…” Lady Calico pondered for a moment, lifting her paw to lick it a few times before saying, “This New Year’s feels a bit different.”

“Different is good.”

Song You, still leaning against the wall, didn’t move. He smiled at her, “If every New Year were the same, it would get boring. When one is a little different, it becomes a memory that you will remember for the rest of your life.”

“I remember the ones that are the same too.”

“That’s because you have a perfect memory.”

“Perfect memory…”

“Yes.” Song You glanced over at the swordsman sitting nearby.

The swordsman, too, was seated cross-legged, unmoving and silent, often showing a thoughtful expression.

Song You knew that he was contemplating his Sword Dao.

Martial training was, for the most part, a matter of years of consistent training. Talent and comprehension were largely predetermined. The only choice a person could make was whether to train or not.

Swordsmanship followed the same principle: train, and you progress; neglect it, and you regress.

As for the Sword Dao, the early stages relied on practice—swinging the sword tens of thousands of times until one’s unique path naturally emerged. At higher levels, it required profound insight. When one reached the verge of attaining enlightenment through martial arts, breaking through that barrier depended on one’s ability to comprehend the great Dao and connect with the heavens.

This step was undoubtedly difficult.

A long, quiet night was ideal for such contemplation.

The Daoist’s eyes were fixed ahead, observing both the fire and Lady Calico, a pensive look on his face as well.

An inherent god tied to a specific region was naturally hard to eliminate, relying on the power of the land itself. This Snowy Plains demon, with its life-preserving divine power, was practically immortal by nature.

If even the combined might of the Thunder Division’s legitimate gods and the War Division’s divine officials couldn’t eradicate it, then despite Song You’s rapid progress over his five years since descending from the mountain, brute force alone would never suffice to destroy it.

Duke of Thunder Zhou already possessed the strength of a chief officer, and was one of the only ones who could match the Gold Spirit Official of the War Division in strength.

“...” The cat alone remained carefree.

Lady Calico, oblivious to their deep thoughts, shifted between forms—at times a little girl, picking up bamboo sticks to practice writing poems on the ground; then transforming back into a cat, running to the doorway to watch the divine light flickering in the wind and snow.

Sometimes she came back to chat softly with the Daoist, other times she dashed over to watch the swordsman casting different shadows on the temple wall with his hands. Her playful spirit was undiminished by the storm, and she seemed unaffected by the nearby presence of the great demon.

Gradually, Song You closed his eyes as well. The New Year arrived almost imperceptibly.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already the morning of the next day.

***

In the sixth year of Mingde, on the first day of the Lunar New Year…

The cold wind howled, and snow filled the sky. Song You stood at the temple entrance, gazing steadily toward the north.

“Sir.” A voice came from behind—it was the swordsman. He asked, “Shall we accompany you, sir?”

Song You turned to look at him, smiling slightly.

He understood his intention—

The swordsman had been hearing about the great demon of the Snowy Plains throughout their journey, and yesterday he heard about it directly from the mouth of a deity. Naturally, he knew the demon’s strength and feared that his presence might not only be of no help but could even become a hindrance.

But indeed, there was no need for them to follow.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“There’s no need.”

“Understood.”

“This place is already the border of Hezhou, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“When we were outside Changjing City, we agreed you’d only escort me to Hezhou. I didn’t expect we’d end up traversing the entire region, delaying for nearly a year. I remember you still need to go to Guangzhou to search for your family. Looking at it now, it seems you’ll have to retrace quite a long way.”

“Might as well. I can check for any lingering or newly arisen demons along the way,” the swordsman replied in a deep voice.

“Since we’re already at the border of Hezhou, there’s only the Snowy Plains left. Any further, and we’d be entering Yanzhou—there’s really no need to go that far,” Song You paused, then asked, “When do you plan to head for Guangzhou?”

“I will wait here for your return, sir!”

“That works out well.” Song You glanced down at the calico cat grooming her fur by his feet. “I’ll have to trouble you and Lady Calico to look after the horses here.”

“...?” Lady Calico paused mid-lick, raising her head to look at him.

“There will certainly be demons trying to flee,” Song You continued, gazing at the cat. “While I go in to deal with the demons, I’ll need you two to stay alert outside and make sure no demon harms the horses.”

“...?” Lady Calico tilted her head, staring at him. After a moment, she finally asked, “When will you come back?”

“Maybe soon, maybe not for a long time.”

“Maybe soon!”

“Or maybe a long time.”

“…” Lady Calico sat on the ground, looking up at him without moving. Then she glanced over at the horses before finally saying, “Don’t worry!”

“With you here, I can rest assured.”

“Indeed!”

“Sir, have no worries. I will make sure to look after Lady Calico and the horses!”

“...?”

Lady Calico turned her head to glance at the swordsman a few times, then looked back at the Daoist. Imitating the swordsman’s tone, she spoke softly and lightly: “Daoist priest, rest assured. I will look after Mr. Shu and the horses!”

“Well then, I shall take my leave…” Song You chuckled, raised his hand, and his bamboo staff flew into his grip. Leaning on it, he took a single step forward, crossing out of the small temple and into the swirling wind and snow.

He had barely taken a few steps before he seemed to recall something. He stopped, turned back, and looked at the swordsman standing at the doorway.

“This past year, especially since that day outside Jingyu City when the thunder roared—how much have you comprehended about the force of Divine Thunder?”

“In response, sir, I have made some progress.”

“I’m no warrior, and I don’t know much about the Sword Dao. But I happen to be well-versed in thunder magic, so I’ll share my understanding of Divine Thunder. I hope it may offer you some insight.”

The swordsman’s expression grew serious. He cupped his fists with both hands.

“I humbly await your teachings!”

“All things in this world have two sides, and thunder is no exception. Even Divine Thunder is not merely a tool of divine wrath and punishment. Behind its overwhelming force and majestic power lies an often overlooked, boundless vitality.”

“Oh? What do you mean by that?”

“Consider the spring thunder during the

Jingzhe

. It strikes down evil and shakes the earth, yet you must realize that the life force of spring only truly begins to flourish after this awakening thunder,” the Daoist spoke, standing amidst the wind and snow.

He continued, “Perhaps the brilliance and sound of thunder are too striking, causing people to overlook the fact that since ancient times, it is after a thunderstorm that life thrives. When Divine Thunder is at its peak, so too is the vitality of the earth.”

The Daoist paused, looking intently at him. “Thus, it is both death and life.”

“I shall remember this!” the swordsman responded.

“It is but one man’s opinion; consider it carefully.” With those words, the Daoist turned away and stepped into the swirling snowstorm.