She stood quietly amidst the fluttering snowflakes, gazing up at the falling beautiful ice crystals, lost in a trance as she thought of the person who had once accompanied her to watch the snow.
——Prologue
Shengyin Lake, also known as the Blue Mirror Lake, presented a breathtaking, dreamlike sight from the spiritual mountain standing by its shore: a vast expanse of blue water, calm and ripple-free, as smooth and glossy as a bright mirror.
Having weathered a trial by fire, Shengyin Lake had recovered its former beauty and sanctity alongside the restoration of Xi's spiritual power. Though Xi was the mistress of the lake, legends aside, Shengyin Lake was not created by Xi's spiritual power, but was instead a natural spiritual lake. It had become the source of Xi's spiritual power solely because it enjoyed the protection of the Sound Spirit.
Alin had not returned for a long time, but before setting out to accompany Muyin in search of the Nine-Eyed Heavenly Stone, she returned to her long-absent place of practice to bid farewell to her senior sister and, at the same time, to seek guidance on how to identify the spiritual stone.
In the early winter season, the red maple leaves by the lake had not yet fully fallen; frost-tinted and crimson, they exuded a desolate atmosphere. Xi sat beneath a tree playing the zither, her azure robes appearing all the more elegant and serene against the backdrop of the red leaves—what a woman of icy skin and jade bone.
Alin trotted all the way, her robes fluttering, yet she carefully avoided disturbing Xi. Silently looking at her senior sister, who had already recovered and possessed a tangible physical form, she felt a complex mixture of emotions within. She tightly suppressed her inner excitement, stopping herself from lunging forward and opening her arms for an embrace, fearing she might disrupt her senior sister's zither playing. She had not heard her senior sister's zither music for a very long time.
As a melody came to an end, Xi raised her head and met her junior sister's magnified, beaming face. "You're here, why didn't you make a sound? That's not your style. It's rare for you to be able to hold your temper so well now!" As she spoke, she stood up and straightened Alin's wind-tousled hair and robes. "What leisure brings you back? Ever since you finished your apprenticeship, you've turned into a wild girl. Free from Master's discipline, you've completely let your nature run wild. At first, you still knew to come back and pay respects to Master, and by the way, find your senior sister to horse around. After Master went wandering, you came back even less. Leaving aside those few years when accidents happened, you've practically never come to see me. You never visit without a reason—you're surely not just here to listen to me play the zither today, are you? Did you get into trouble again?"
Alin managed with great difficulty not to interrupt. Only after Xi finished speaking did she pout and mutter, "It's only been how long since we last met, and you're getting more naggy by the day, Senior Sister. You're becoming more and more like Master; did you even change your personality after being reborn?" She ducked as she spoke, guarding against any sudden attack from Xi. "Didn't I just stay with Muyin a bit longer? I'm here to see you now, aren't I?"
Seeing Xi's suspicious gaze, Alin hastily waved her hands and said, "Senior Sister is the best! Actually, I came because I want to ask if you know anything about the Nine-Eyed Heavenly Stone. I need to help Muyin suppress her spiritual power, so I must find the Heavenly Stone, but neither of us knows the whereabouts of this damn stone, so I can only come to find Senior Sister, and by the way, come bid you farewell."
"I knew it. When would a little girl like you ever make a special trip just to see me?" Xi snorted, then mused again, "The Nine-Eyed Heavenly Stone—is that the legendary ancient divine stone said to be produced in the land of extreme cold?"
Without waiting for Alin to nod, Xi began pacing back and forth, lost in thought. "Years ago, I heard Master mention that the Nine-Eyed Heavenly Stone is no ordinary divine stone. It is produced in the frigid lands of the far north and is extremely difficult to find. It gets its name from the nine eye-shaped patterns growing on its body. It is exceptionally rare, and getting it depends not only on skill, but most of the time on luck as well."
"Senior Sister, you're the best!" Alin wrapped her arms around Xi's neck—her usual way of acting spoiled, a trick that both Xi and certain others fell for every time. Xi sighed, put away her zither, and led Alin to the pavilion of books. "I remember Her Elder Master had an ancient book called *The Record of Strange Stones*. There should be records about the Nine-Eyed Spirit Stone inside. You should go find it and study it carefully."
Thus, Alin spent a rare night in the pavilion of books, and early the next morning, she bade farewell to her senior sister and began her return journey to find Muyin. Xi had prepared plenty of food for her, and even packed a vial of spiritual medicine for treating injuries, nagging her for a long while before finally letting her leave.
Alin's heart gave a fierce jolt, as if branded by a hot iron. Her senior sister's long-absent care abruptly reminded her of someone—Feng Ling had been gone for so long, and it was hard to say when he would return. She was unwilling to admit it, but deep in her heart, she had already begun to miss him.
What it felt like to miss someone, Alin had finally tasted it this time; even the snowflakes filling the sky could no longer hold her attention...
After leaving the tree house, Alin and Muyin parted ways, embarking on the long and arduous road to find the Nine-Eyed Spirit Stone.
Three days later, Alin arrived at the edge of a precipitous cliff. Below the cliff lay a dense forest; shrouded in clouds and mist, the trees were indistinct, and what met the eye was a sickly shade of green.
Alin recalled the torrential rain from the past two days, accompanied by thunder and lightning that had struck straight down into this forest. Could there be some evil specter in the woods, which was why it attracted thunder and lightning? As Alin was pondering whether to go down and take a look, she felt a warmth at her feet. Looking down, she saw a little fox rubbing its furry head against her leg.
The little fellow possessed an uncommonly large pair of ears and big, watery eyes like black grapes, gazing up at her ingratiatingly.
A warmth welled up in her heart, and Alin picked the little fellow up. The little fox's large tail wagged back and forth in a friendly manner as it happily curled up inside Alin's embrace.
Alin looked at the soft fur on the little fox. This was a fox cub, yet its mother was nowhere to be found. She couldn't be bothered to guess the reasons behind it, and decided to adopt this cute little creature.
The little spirit fox seemed to take a great liking to Alin. With the familiarity of an old friend, it hopped onto Alin's shoulder, poking its head out to survey its surroundings, effectively treating Alin as its backing. Alin decided to name it Rongrong.
She pulled up the little fox's paw and instructed it solemnly, "Rongrong, remember your name. From today on, you won't be lonely anymore. We are good friends now, and if you are willing to follow me, I will definitely protect you."
The little fox let out an "Awooo" as if it understood, and blinked its eyes. Since Alin was currently by herself, having Rongrong's company settled her fluttering heart. Gathering her spirits, Alin cradled the little fox and prepared to find a path down to the bottom of the cliff; she had to find clues to the divine stone as soon as possible.
After Alin left, Feng Ling would inexplicably lose his focus. Although it was not the first time they had parted ways, this time he still felt a lingering unease, worrying that something might happen to Alin again.
Why was it that the heavens always liked to go against him, refusing to let him and Liner live a peaceful and ordinary life? Could it really be that heaven's will is hard to defy?
He had once laughed and said that he never believed in things like fate and destiny. He was the wind; he only wished to come and go freely, following his heart and living as he pleased, unfettered by any attachments.
Just what was Liner's true identity? He had never cared, even though he had guessed from the very beginning that she was no ordinary minor sprite. Now, having received confirmation from Xueyue Suiling, he did not feel too much surprise; instead, he felt a faint sense of complacency—Flying Spirit, yes, the person he loved was a spirit who wielded the art of manipulation just like him.
Controlling flying insects—such power was originally no match for his, yet he still could not set his mind at ease. Liner had always been a girl who did not know how to protect herself; that was related to her personality, not a problem that could be solved simply by possessing great skill.
Muyin actually did not worry about encountering trouble; no matter how big the trouble was, she had the ability to handle it. Yet she still hoped that everything around her would be well, especially Alin; she did not want to see that sorrowful expression lingering in those deep blue eyes ever again.
She only wished that in her remaining years, she could enjoy all the worldly splendor to the full, with nothing left in the world to tie down her thoughts, and enter the Ultimate Palace with unconstrained ease.