After a long while, he said softly: “This item was obtained by one of my subordinates through chance encounter years ago. That year he was traveling in the far northern lands of Chihe during the coldest season of the year, when breath turned to ice and trees hung with icicles several feet long, frozen so hard they could be broken off to kill someone… That night the bright moon hung in the sky over vast snowy wilderness, not a speck of other color visible anywhere, while the sky was pale blue like a curtain. Outside the ice circle, he saw a girl in gorgeous attire, wearing light silk gauze, dancing barefoot on the ice. The ice layer outside the ice circle wasn’t too thick – he could see the flowing water gurgling beneath. Yet she was light as cotton, rising and falling with graceful movements, carrying a thread of melting moonlight, fluttering like a water spirit, walking lightly on the waves without touching even a speck of dust. That thin, brittle, clear ice didn’t make even a sound of cracking. In the complete silence, one could only see that woman’s supreme beauty, radiant enough to illuminate heaven and earth, as if to steal one’s breath away. At that time he was utterly entranced, almost suspecting he was in a dream.”

Su Xuan’s tone was ethereal and his voice distant, as if he too had once witnessed that wondrous moment, personally seeing the dreamlike dance of the peerless Goddess of the Luo River, forever remembering it, never to be forgotten.

Qin Chang Ge listened quietly, but in her heart was contemplating what this scene – which sounded beautiful yet somehow felt eerie – truly meant.

Su Xuan let out a soft sigh and continued: “Just as his soul was stirred and spirit moved, he suddenly heard tiny sounds. Looking carefully, he discovered the woman had various ornaments hanging from colored threads at her waist. As she danced with cloud-like steps and wind-like movements, they continuously tinkled and chimed. Her waist was extremely slender, her skin extremely white, making those colored threads appear even more darkly green and brilliantly variegated. On the ice under the moon, their ghostly light flashed and flew like a five-colored silk banner.”

“He watched in fascination, carelessly stepping on broken ice beneath his feet. With just a crunch, the woman immediately stopped dancing. He regretted it so much he wanted to cut off his own foot, but saw the woman turn around gracefully and smile at him – jade-like skin like ice and snow, with deep, fragrant dimples.”

“This subordinate of mine was usually a heroic and spirited man. With his pair of long sabers, few in the martial arts world could match him. Yet that day, seeing the woman’s smiling face, he stood there stunned, momentarily not knowing how to act so as not to profane this woman’s beauty. Wherever he looked seemed inappropriate, so he could only look at her waist chain. The woman misunderstood his intent, thinking he liked this waist chain, and actually untied it with one hand. The ornaments fell to the ground, but she threw the colored silk toward him.”

“In his panic he hurriedly reached out to catch it, but the woman suddenly flicked her sleeve, and the silk banner stopped in mid-air, refusing to fall. Such divine skill of suspending objects at a distance required supreme internal power, yet that woman appeared to be only in her budding years. Just as my subordinate was marveling, the woman suddenly spoke, saying: ‘This – don’t catch with hands, it’s poisonous.'”

“Her speech was strange – clearly not from the Central Plains – but her voice was melodious and crisp, extremely pleasant to hear. However, her pronunciation was quite inaccurate. Perhaps knowing her speech wasn’t good, she smiled shyly and spoke very briefly, adding: ‘Wrap with three-month grass.'”

“My subordinate didn’t know what three-month grass was. The woman pointed to the ground, so he looked down and saw that beneath the ice layer, three-leafed small grass was actually growing, each leaf shaped like a crescent moon. He hurriedly gathered some, but when he raised his head again, the woman had vanished.”

Qin Chang Ge frowned: “Vanished?”

“Yes,” Su Xuan smiled. “In just the instant of lowering his head, the area around the ice circle was empty of people, and the surrounding wilderness was open with nothing to provide concealment. That woman had simply disappeared into thin air. Looking in all directions, he could only see the cold wind wailing, swirling scattered snowflakes. That previous fragrant, gorgeous dress, lotus steps and wind-blown hair, willow-like waist, and world-shocking dance were like a dream of Nanke – in a flash the dream ended while the millet wasn’t yet cooked.”

“My subordinate stood there in shocked amazement, unable to move for a long time. After a while he came to his senses, thinking he must have encountered traces of a goddess or immortal. Having such a fortunate encounter in one lifetime was already worthwhile. He then bowed deeply toward the ice circle three times, and after returning only mentioned this matter to me, presenting me with this colored thread. I knew he must treasure this item greatly and repeatedly refused, but he said these remnants of immortal traces weren’t something a common mortal like him could possess – obsessing over them would instead bring disaster. So I accepted it.”

He fell silent, smiling without speaking, his expression somehow tinged with melancholy.

Qin Chang Ge had been listening silently throughout. Only now did she smile and say: “Gang Leader, there’s something I don’t understand. May I ask?”

“Hmm?”

“You actually knew who she was the moment you heard his story, didn’t you?” Qin Chang Ge said gently. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

As if lightly shaken, Su Xuan didn’t turn around. After a long while he said: “Why destroy someone’s beautiful thoughts for a lifetime?”

But it’s probably more than just that, isn’t it? Qin Chang Ge silently criticized in her heart. This carefree and elegant Gang Leader, the number one figure in the martial arts world who didn’t covet worldly fame and profit, deep in his heart was actually not as openly cheerful as his surface appeared. Rather, he seemed to harbor deep hidden pain, only concealing it with his manner of indulging in landscapes and laughing at the changing winds and clouds.

“You may not have necessarily offended the Snow Drinking Clan,” Su Xuan turned around with a slight smile. “Though their clan doesn’t involve itself in worldly affairs, some among them will profit from such things. Those flying needles contain not only Chihe heavy iron, but also a strange bright iron from within the ice circle – also specially made by the Snow Drinking Clan. If you truly want to investigate the Snow Drinking Clan, it would be very troublesome. The people of this clan have extremely many strange customs – if outsiders carelessly violate them, it’s a dead end.”

“I only need to know what this thing is, and that’s sufficient,” Qin Chang Ge smiled, putting away the box. “I didn’t expect to have the fortune of hearing such a wonderful story – truly an unexpected delight. Since that’s the case, thank you for the Gang Leader’s instruction. Farewell.”

With a slight bow, Qin Chang Ge turned and walked away. When she reached the garden gate, she heard Su Xuan say: “Please… wait.”