The Warmth and Coldness of Human Relationships

Yunzhou wasn’t far from Chang’an.

It was a top-tier prefecture, quite prosperous.

Despite the heavy snowstorm, the street vendors’ shouts never ceased: “Candied hawthorn! Candied hawthorn for sale!”

“Sugar figurines, lifelike sugar figurines!”

“Coal for sale! Get your coal here!”

“!!!”

Not only the common folk were bustling about eagerly.

Even in the swirling snow, many pedestrians were still coming and going.

The young noblemen didn’t bother with umbrellas.

Riding horses and wielding whips, they let the white snow settle on their hair and embroidered jackets, embodying the spirit of youthful brotherhood.

The delicate young ladies, on the other hand, were attended by their maids, gathering in groups of three or five.

Sitting in Yunzhou’s largest teahouse.

On the elegant upper floor of Yunxiang Pavilion, they rested their fragrant cheeks against the window.

Watching the snow, and also the people within it.

A young lady dressed in a pale yellow short jacket suddenly brightened, “Sisters, come quick! That gentleman is so handsome!”

“Handsome? Where? Let me see! Wow! He really is striking! Sword-like brows, starry eyes, his gaze like a bright star! Truly handsome!”

“Alas, it’s a pity—he’s dressed like a hunter.”

“So what if he’s a hunter? He just lives outside the city! Those scoundrels can keep mistresses, so why can’t we women have our own?”

“Oh dear! How can you say such shameless things!”

The wealthy young ladies stood on tiptoe,

Peering at Yang An walking alone through the snow, chattering excitedly.

In the next elegant room, Little Cui, a maidservant, overheard their teasing and curiously poked her head out to look.

The moment she saw Yang An,

she covered her mouth in shock: “Miss, isn’t that Yang An?”

Zhao Guizhen, who had been bored with the snowy view outside, leaned forward slightly upon hearing this.

Yang An’s tall and upright figure stood out like a crane among chickens on the street.

She recognized him at once.

“Indeed, just a few days gone, and he’s already shed his scholar’s robe for a hunter’s fur jacket?”

Zhao Guizhen asked with surprise.

Little Cui curled her lips: “What else could it be? Yang An failed the exams repeatedly. He flunked the academy test just a few days ago. With no hope left in studying, he’s forced to follow his burly brother-in-law to learn martial arts and make a living.”

Zhao Guizhen thought it over and nodded.

Listening to the wealthy girls still praising Yang An nearby, Little Cui sneered, “This Yang fellow is indeed handsome. There probably aren’t many in all of Yunzhou who can outshine him in looks.”

“But can good looks fill your stomach?”

“Well, Miss has sharp eyes. She saw right through him—a total loser who can’t compare to Young Master Cui in the slightest. It’s best to keep a clear distance!”

Mentioning Young Master Cui,

Zhao Guizhen’s cheeks flushed as she scolded, “Little Cui! How dare you compare him to Young Master Cui?”

“Yes, yes, yes, I know, my bad mouth! How could I compare a firefly to the bright moon, a nag to a qilin! I deserve a beating, I deserve a beating!”

Little Cui quickly patted her mouth, laughing as she begged for mercy.

Zhao Guizhen couldn’t help but smile, sipping her tea and withdrawing her gaze from Yang An. “Actually, it’s better that Yang An realized his limits early. It’s far better to be a hunter with a clear path than to achieve nothing at all.”

“But…”

Her fingers toyed with the half-full cup of warm tea.

Zhao Guizhen’s eyes drooped slightly. “If the engagement between him and me isn’t called off, it’s bound to be a headache.”

……

The wind grew fiercer.

The snow fell heavier and heavier.

Blades of icy wind sliced across Yang An’s face, biting cold enough that he tightened his cotton jacket around him.

A few street vendors, tired of shouting their wares, squatted by a small stove to warm themselves. From a distance, they spotted Yang An hunched over, carrying a knife on his back, walking toward them. They couldn’t help but sigh.

“Li Buliang offended a powerful noble and now he’s down for the count. The days ahead won’t be easy for the Yang siblings.”

“Not just hard—more like they won’t even have enough to eat! I heard the Yang family even pawned their land deeds to that bastard Wang Gouye! Their debts are piling up so bad, we’re better off than them, haha!”

“Mark my words, in a few days, Li Buliang’s wife will have to go out and earn money herself!”

“Heh, what money could a woman like her possibly make?”

“From the bed, of course!”

The vendors burst into raucous laughter.

At that moment, a wheezy voice spoke up from among them, “In all of Yunzhou, Li Buliang is the only official who pays cash right after eating, never running a tab. He’s helped us out more than once. You lot talking like that—aren’t you being heartless?”

The faces of the vendors flushed red on the spot.

Their necks reddened as well, and they snapped back angrily, “What saint act are you putting on, Wang Shitou? You think you’re better than us?!”

“Yeah, you talk a big game, but we’ve never seen you send any silver to the Li family!”

“If you’ve got the gift of gab, speak up. If not, get lost!”

Wang Shitou lowered his head and fell silent.

He didn’t join the group squatting together anymore.

Clutching the half-eaten coarse wheat bun close to his chest, he returned to his stall and used long iron tongs to pull out three steaming hot white flour meat pies. With practiced hands, he wrapped them carefully in oiled paper.

“Brother An!”

Braving the wind and snow, Wang Shitou greeted Yang An on the street.

His words stumbled out awkwardly.

“These pies aren’t worth much. Take them, Brother An, go home and eat. As for Li Buliang and his wife…”

“Hey!”

Tongue-tied and unsure what else to say, Wang Shitou shoved the pies into Yang An’s arms, cutting him off, then turned and hurried back to his stall.

Yang An remembered Wang Shitou.

He had been selling baked goods on this street for nearly ten years.

When he was a child, Li Yan often bought pies from him before dawn on the way to school. They were always crispy and fragrant, bursting with garlic flavor, and the sesame seeds were thicker than any other vendor’s.

“Thanks, Brother Shitou!”

Yang An called out, holding the steaming pies.

Seeing that Yang An accepted his kindness, Wang Shitou relaxed and smiled, waving vigorously. “Brother An, the snow’s heavy—go home quickly.”

The vendors squatting by the stove watched coldly.

They sneered at the scene, still mocking.

“Wang Shitou’s a fool. He doesn’t even know how to curry favor. When Li Buliang was doing well, he couldn’t get a penny out of him.”

“Now that he’s fallen on hard times, suddenly he’s all sweet and attentive.”

“What good does it do? Who’s he trying to impress?”

“A laughingstock!”

Yang An was oblivious to the murmurs around him, his mind solely set on finding the Black Jade Lotus. Carrying some warm pancakes, he quickly left Yunzhou City and took to the official road. Though much smoother than the country paths, the road was still treacherous after the heavy snowfall.

Covering dozens of miles on foot would take more than a full day!

“His brother-in-law must be dead by now!”

Gritting his teeth, Yang An spent the last of his fragmented silver coins to rent an old horse.

He wished he could afford a fine steed, but that was beyond his means.

Still, an old horse with four legs was faster than his two feet.

So, swaying and stumbling all the way, he set off at dawn.

By around noon, Yang An finally reached the foot of Yunling Mountain.

As the old saying goes, “Rely on the mountain to live by the mountain, rely on the water to live by the water.”

Yunling Mountain was vast and abundant. When not sealed by heavy snow, it was bustling with travelers, so there were plenty of wooden stakes for tying horses at the base.

The old horse managed well enough on the official road, but the mountain paths would be tough on it.

Yang An dismounted, preparing to find a spot to tie the horse.

Suddenly—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A red glow suddenly flared up in the distance, accompanied by the crackling roar of flames!

The momentum was overwhelming!

Even the snow on the ground seemed to tremble!

Yang An turned his head and saw, far off in the snowy landscape, a flickering blaze charging swiftly toward him, moving at a terrifying speed!

A thick white mist steamed up in its wake!

He had no idea what it was.

As it neared, Yang An hurriedly pulled the old horse aside to avoid it.

But he was too late.

A wave of heat washed over him, accompanied by the sharp sound of melting snow.

He caught sight of a majestic lion, its entire body wreathed in flames, dashing past him. The creature was roughly the size of a water buffalo, and with every step it took, fiery waves exploded outward, vaporizing huge patches of snow.

It seemed to ride the clouds, incredibly divine and swift!

Riding atop the fiery lion was a young man, about the same age as Yang An. Behind him fluttered a cloak adorned with the pelts of various beasts, billowing like a flag. A dozen or so soldiers, mounted on tigers and leopards, followed closely behind.

They were imposing, like a young general commanding his troops!

Yang An recognized him.

And the young man saw Yang An too.

“Get lost!”

The boy riding the flaming lion cracked his whip at him.

Seeing the long whip slicing through the air, Yang An’s eyes narrowed sharply. He dove into the snow just in time, rolling forward to narrowly escape the strike.

Yang An managed to avoid the blow, but the old horse was not so lucky.

“Whip-whip!”

The horse let out a pained cry.

The boy’s whip had snapped the horse’s foreleg in two, splattering Yang An with warm blood!

The youth didn’t stop.

He howled past without a second glance and disappeared into the depths of Yunling Mountain.

Bloodied and filthy, Yang An staggered to his feet.

Glaring toward the direction the youth had vanished, his eyes burned with fury as he crushed the reins in his hand to dust!

Yang An knew him.

The boy riding the fiery lion was none other than Lin Hao—

The son of Lin Yeping, the military governor of Yunzhou.

Three days ago, it was this very Lin Hao who had unleashed his beasts on the streets of Yunzhou, injuring Li Yan grievously—the root cause of all the trouble!