While Wu Qianyu started on her new task of tracking down the mysterious evil demon, Chen Wentian's other disciples were busy with their own tasks.
On this bright a sunny day, Su Xue and Su Yue were visiting Blue Cloud Town, which was the closest mortal town to Glacier Palace. It was situated at the foothills of the Glacial Mountain Range and a short distance from the teleportation array. Its fortunes changed with the province and the immortal sect. It was now busy and prospering, unlike before.
Glacier Province, as a whole, changed greatly after Glacier Palace lost their previous sect master, Murong Aiyin. It was livelier. Trade was flourishing. It was more integrated with the subcontinent. Outsiders were no longer treated with suspicion, especially men. In particular, Glacier Province and Divine Blazing Province, home of Divine Blazing Mountain, had the closest relations and were fast becoming sister provinces.
Su Xue and Su Yue walked hand in hand, one wearing ocean blue and the other wearing a brilliant violet. Their beauty and vivacious aura attracted many pairs of eyes as they strolled through the busy street. They took in scenes that wouldn't have been impossible under the icy rule of their previous master.
"Get your snow geese! Freshly caught!"
"Roasted lava eels!"
"New batch of ice berry wine!"
"We sell the best pepper beer here! But three, get one free!"
The shops that lined the street sold all kinds of food and drink, specifically catered to cultivators of ice and fire. The diet of Glacier Palace disciples used to be very bland, totally vegetarian without a hint of alcohol. The true Winter's Snow Dance had no such restrictions. As it was a dual cultivation art, it emphasized the duality of yin and yang, hot and cold, ice and flames. Disciples were now allowed both meat and alcohol and both were hot commodities.
There were many Glacier Palace disciples shopping in the streets. They were accompanied by their Dao partners, mostly men from Divine Blazing Mountain. It was a great way to relax and have a little fun before they returned to training.
Chen Wentian was still the administrator of both immortal sects. He had to be, otherwise, they would lose their immortal status and suffer hardship. His policy of inter-marriage between the two former enemies continued steadily. More and more matches were being made every day for the sake of dual cultivation.
Those already matched up were seeing great improvements. Those stuck at the peak of the Body Refinement Realm quickly broke through to the Mind Focusing Realm after they found a Dao partner. Those stuck at the peak of the Mind Focusing Realm found it much easier to reach the Spirit Initiate Realm if they got married.
These countless couples traveled to and from both provinces regularly as they had to cultivate ice energy from the glaciers of Glacier Palace and utilize flame energy from the volcano of Divine Blazing Mountain. They also had to travel to see their family. Even the teleportation array between the two was improved for better efficiency.
Su Xue suddenly paused and pulled her sister in.
"Look, over there!" She whispered into her ear as she pointed discretely at a short woman and a tall man perusing some crafted jewelry.
Su Yue glanced over and recognized them. It was a disciple of Glacier Palace named Du Weixiang and her husband, Tang Sun of Divine Blazing Mountain. They were the first pair willingly matched together from sects. By all measures, it was a great match and they were as happy as they could be. Tang Sun had already broken through to the 1st Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm. Du Weixiang was not far behind and she seemed more beautiful somehow to the point she was almost glowing.
"So what?" Su Yue asked her sister, not sure what was interesting about a couple doing their shopping.
"You dummy! Look at her stomach!"
"Huh… Oh!"
Su Yue finally noticed the sizeable bump on Du Weixiang's lower stomach. For someone so petite, it indicated only one thing.
The pair giggled quietly. It was quite natural for a woman to get pregnant when she practiced a dual cultivation art that required her to have sex all day every day. Still, it was a joyous gift for the couple as well as for both sects as it would further deepen the bond between them.
"Should we go talk to them?" Su Yue asked.
Su Xue snorted, "No, that would be so awkward!"
"I'll tell master to give them a little reward for their hard work." Su Yue said and giggled again.
"Shh, let's go."
They left discretely and continued along the street. They bought anything that caught their eye, filling their spatial bags with goodies for the other three still at home. They eventually made their way to the town square where there was a lively scene in front of the theater.
"Get your tickets! Get your tickets!" A vendor shouted ahead of them, "Don't miss an epic performance tonight by the one and only, the beauty of Glacier Province, Lady Half Moon! Get your tickets!"
The twins paused and glanced at the poster nearby. The so-called performance was an ice dance utilizing Winter's Snow Dance's manipulation of ice and snow. Lady Half Moon was Ru Hanyue, one of the ten top disciples of Glacier Palace that were formerly under Long Yifei. It seemed to be rather popular, given the long line of people, overwhelmingly men, waiting to buy a ticket.
Ru Hanyue still had not found a Dao partner after many months. It was a problem of her own doing. She was too proud. Her standards were too high. She wanted to be like Long Yifei. She had similar ambitions of reaching the immortal realm and achieving great things. There was no one left in Divine Blazing Mountain that fit her needs so she could only try to find an outsider, perhaps a talented visitor.
The ice dance was her way of attracting and meeting more potential partners. However, this was difficult as men who could visit Glacier Province and Blue Cloud Town were usually already affiliated with other powerful sects or highly independent mercenaries and loose cultivators. These types of people were unwilling to follow Chen Wentian's rules and be subservient to their wives.
It was a tough situation for Ru Hanyue. Not everyone could be as talented or fortunate as Long Yifei.
The twins didn't know whether to laugh or cry. They were about to leave when a horrible scream came from the theater.
"Ahhhhhhh! Somebody help!"
They were among the first to charge in, following the source of the commotion.
"Make way, make way!"
They flew up a set of stairs, racing past stunned theater workers inside. They burst into a large dressing room filled with costumes and outfits. An elderly matron was collapsed against the wall, screaming her head off while pointing at the bloody scene in the middle of the room.
It was Ru Hanyue, at least what was left of her. Her face had been completely ripped off, revealing a bloody mess of muscle and bone. There was also a hole in her chest where her heart should have been.
She was dead and the culprit was nowhere in sight.
---
Thank you to all my patrons!
Support me and read ahead by 15 or even 30 chapters!
p atreon.com/kigreenwriting
Join my discord for updates, delays, and my ramblings :)
d iscord.gg/dY5UApw