Chapter 1: The Divorce Letter

Winter of the thirty-first year of Datong’s Cheneping era.

Taiwei Immortal Sect, Cold Sword Peak.

Xu Ning knelt beside the cold jade bed, his left hand clasped by an icy grip.

The woman on the bed lay with closed eyes, her soft black hair spread across the pillow, making her face even paler.

She wore a white sleeping robe, the fabric stained with dried blood at her chest.

He glanced at it, then looked away.

A strand of blue-white life force slowly seeped from the wound on his wrist into her palm.

The sensation wasn’t painful—more like countless needles piercing into his bones, drawing out the warmth bit by bit.

Xu Ning’s lips turned white from the cold, but his other hand remained pressed against his chest.

Hidden there was a divorce letter.

Written last winter.

After finishing it, he had kept the document under his pillow, then later carried it on his person.

Like a man trapped in a snow mountain, clutching an already extinguished ember.

If the Immortal Master on the bed would sign it, he believed he could leave this place.

The Immortal Master’s name was Lu Hanyi.

She was the true disciple of Cold Sword Peak, the most outstanding sword cultivator among the younger generation of Taiwei Immortal Sect.

Since childhood, she had been brought to the sect by the Golden Core True Lord of Zhaoyue Cliff, taken as a disciple but raised as a half-daughter.

Now she was also his wife in name.

Three years ago, Lu Hanyi had killed a water demon outside Green Pond Town and saved his life.

Later, she was ambushed, her spiritual meridians shattered, and her life hanging by a thread.

The people of Cold Sword Peak brought him up the mountain and told him he was born with a Warm Jade Body, abundant with life force.

Though unsuitable for cultivation, he could nurture Lu Hanyi’s broken meridians.

A righteous sect would never simply drain a mortal’s life force.

That was the way of demons.

So, under the names of “saving grace” and “marriage to repay kindness,” they bound the two with a marriage certificate.

They said that if he cared for the comatose Lu Hanyi for three years, they would grant him a chance at immortality.

It was then that pale green characters appeared before his eyes for the first time.

[Karma Repayment System Activated.]

[Karma detected: Lu Hanyi saved your life three years ago; later, due to shattered meridians, a marriage bond was established between you.]

[Current repayment progress: 927 days.]

[Achievable reward: Azure Blossom Spirit Root.]

So Xu Ning agreed.

At that time, he thought he should repay the life-saving grace.

Just three years.

That the lofty immortals were willing to give him a promise was already rare enough.

Besides, Lu Hanyi had indeed saved his life.

So Xu Ning accepted it.

When they first began drawing his life force, he had no resentment.

Even when Lu Hanyi never truly acknowledged their marriage, he simply chalked it up to the divide between immortals and mortals.

It was only later that he slowly understood.

Three years was not the limit.

Lu Hanyi’s injury was the limit.

As long as she wasn’t healed, he couldn’t leave, and he remained that laughable mortal husband.

The so-called saving grace felt like a debt with no end.

The woman on the bed suddenly opened her eyes.

Her pale pupils were like snowflakes falling onto a lake.

There was no emotion, only the sharpness of a sword cultivator.

She looked down at their clasped hands.

“Does it hurt?”

Xu Ning was silent for a moment.

“Yes.”

Lu Hanyi was a little surprised.

He had never answered like that before.

In the past, when his life force was drawn, he would always lower his head and say it didn’t hurt, or that it was fine.

Over time, Lu Hanyi had grown accustomed to his silence.

She thought it was his gentle nature.

And that it was the obedience he owed for accepting the saving grace.

Lu Hanyi didn’t let go. She only said flatly, “Bear it.”

Xu Ning said nothing more.

He really could still bear it.

After another quarter hour, Lu Hanyi finally released his hand.

Xu Ning’s hand fell limp.

The wound on his wrist had stopped bleeding, but his fingers still trembled violently.

He struggled to stand, his vision darkening.

Lu Hanyi lay back on the jade pillow, her voice tired and cold.

“How long has it been?”

“Two and a half years.”

The room fell silent.

Two and a half years.

To Lu Hanyi, it was probably just an ordinary seclusion.

To Xu Ning, it was the time from youth to the brink of reaching adulthood.

Lu Hanyi closed her eyes again.

“You may go.”

Xu Ning whispered, “Yes.”

As he reached the door, her voice came from behind him.

“Xu Ning.”

He stopped.

“If my meridians recover, I will send you away. The immortal fate I promised you will not be reduced.”

She said this very calmly.

As if fulfilling a long-established contract.

Xu Ning lowered his eyes.

He knew Lu Hanyi wasn’t a bad person. She valued rules and promises.

She would have the stewarding disciples send him elixirs and spiritual rice every month, and she had ordered that his provisions not be cut short.

But those elixirs were meant to nourish cultivators’ qi. For a mortal, they were too strong and caused weakness.

The spiritual rice was extremely cold. Eating it often gave him stomachaches all night.

Lu Hanyi probably didn’t know these things.

She only knew she had given.

As for how he felt about it.

She wouldn’t ask.

Probably wouldn’t think to ask.

“Okay.”

Lu Hanyi opened her eyes and frowned slightly.

She felt that Xu Ning was strange today.

Before, when he heard such promises, he would always lower his head and thank her.

But this time, he only said “okay.”

As if he truly no longer cared whether she would let him go.

Xu Ning returned to the outer room.

The outer room was very small, without even a charcoal brazier.

Cold Sword Peak was covered in snow year-round, and the room was freezing—cold enough to freeze the bones.

He sat on the narrow bed for a long time, recovering enough strength to unbutton his clothes and re-bandage his wrist.

Suddenly, a muffled thud came from the inner chamber.

Xu Ning looked up.

He didn’t go in immediately.

Lu Hanyi didn’t like others entering her inner chamber, especially her mortal husband seeing her in a sorry state.

After a while, another suppressed cough came.

Xu Ning closed his eyes, then stood up and pushed the door open.

Half the lamps had gone out.

Lu Hanyi had fallen beside the cold jade bed, one hand on the edge, the other pressed against her chest.

The white cloth at her chest was soaked with a small patch of blood, and blood had also trickled from the corner of her mouth.

She looked up and stared coldly at him.

“Who allowed you in?”

Xu Ning stood by the door.

“I heard a sound.”

“Get out.”

Xu Ning looked at her trembling fingertips.

He had seen people on the verge of death.

No matter how hard they talked, their bodies always gave out first.

Lu Hanyi was that kind of person.

But she was too beautiful and too cold, so cold that it was easy to forget.

Even immortals could die.

He said quietly, “Your injury has gotten worse.”

Lu Hanyi gave a cold laugh.

“A mortal’s medical skills?”

“Mm.”

“Then shut up.”

Xu Ning turned to leave.

At that instant, pale green characters appeared before his eyes.

[New karma detected.]

[Lu Hanyi’s sword heart is dark, her heart meridians rupturing. She will fall within five days.]

[If Lu Hanyi dies, the host will be framed for murder and refined into a Warm Jade Pill by the Taiwei Immortal Sect’s Alchemy Hall.]

[Solution: Dissolve the marriage bond and repair Lu Hanyi’s heart meridians.]

[Reward may be obtained in advance: Azure Blossom Spirit Root.]

Xu Ning’s steps halted.

Advanced reward.

This meant using Lu Hanyi’s life to trade for his own chance to survive.

Lu Hanyi supported herself on the edge of the bed and slowly stood up, her gaze growing colder.

“Still not gone?”

Xu Ning didn’t answer. He didn’t know how to explain.

A mortal husband couldn’t possibly know she would die in five days.

He wanted to use some euphemism.

But when the words reached his lips, he felt it was no longer necessary.

“You’re going to die soon.”

Lu Hanyi’s eyes turned icy.

“Get out of my sight!”

Xu Ning still didn’t move.

She sneered, blood spilling from her lips again.

“What, do you intend to do something to me?”

Xu Ning looked at her.

“Yes.”

The room suddenly fell silent.

A mortal husband she had never acknowledged dared to humiliate her like this.

She stared at Xu Ning, unabashed anger in her eyes.

“Shut up! Get out of my sight!”

Xu Ning took the folded document from his chest and placed it on her table.

“Master Lu.”

“I can save you.”

“Just sign this divorce letter and let me go.”