When any new thing appears, it is tender and crude. Only by constantly tumbling and tempering in the long river of reality can it shed the outer stone layer and reveal the uncarved jade within.

Yun Ye and Xiao Wu saw these tiny sprouts and decided not to disturb them. They would just stand to one side and watch. Whether it could grow into a towering tree or be ruthlessly destroyed by violent storms, they didn’t plan to interfere. The fruit nurtured by Great Tang’s social reality would truly belong to itself. Pulling up seedlings to help them grow would only harm them.

With the long journey imminent, Yun Ye stayed home and went nowhere. He didn’t even inquire too much about the Academy. These days he left all his time to his family.

A light snow fell. Outside was extremely cold. Yun Ye sat in a chair wearing a long robe reading a book, with a blanket draped over his legs. Xinyue wore a dress with scattered flowers, her hair styled in a high bun, nestled in a soft couch embroidering flowers. The dress was very beautiful. The high chest binding lifted her full breasts even higher. Her collar was open. Yun Ye stole glances from time to time. The scenery inside the collar was very beautiful.

Xinyue knew her husband was sneaking peeks at her. She deliberately lifted her breasts. This was her most proud asset. A woman nearing thirty who could still captivate her husband—this was her pride.

In other families, madams past twenty were already considered old and faded. They no longer used their appearance to attract their husbands, changing to other methods. Some women even endlessly stuffed their own sisters into their husbands’ rooms just to secure favor.

Today there was an invitation from a meritorious noble—one who didn’t know how many concubine servants he wanted to marry. Husband was unwilling to go and had the steward wrap up a generous gift to send over. He couldn’t stand these things.

Xinyue’s greatest hope was to bear two more children. Many children meant much fortune. But her uncooperative belly—after giving birth to two sons, there had been no more movement.

Na Rimu rushed in giggling and laughing. Not only did she bring in cold air, but her hands even held a large handful of snow. The ambiguous atmosphere in the room immediately vanished completely. Xinyue let out a sigh. This was her fate—stuck with a concubine servant even more headstrong than herself, the principal wife. There really was no solution. Broom sticks and feather dusters had beaten her countless times. How did she not know to restrain herself even a little? When beaten, she’d cry out a few times, but after being beaten, she still wouldn’t change.

“Throw out the snow, close the door tight. If you like staying by the master’s side, then bring over your embroidery work to do. While you’re at it, also call Lingdang over. She’s already looked several times. Master will set out on campaign when spring begins. This trip probably won’t be one that can return in just a year or two.”

Na Rimu, who had been laughing heartlessly, immediately lost her good mood. She answered once and obediently threw the snow outside, closed the door properly, and went to find Lingdang—and also her Five Poisons vest that she’d been embroidering for a year without finishing. This was what she had prepared for her son. She firmly believed she could still have another son.

“She’s just happy. Why bring her up? A whole room of people with bitter faces—what’s that about? You like staying in such a room. I’m not willing. You all stay. I’m going for a walk. This year’s snow absolutely mustn’t fall like last year’s did.”

Xinyue didn’t even have time to instruct him to put on his cloak when she saw her husband push open the door and walk out. However, he quickly drilled back in, rubbing his hands and saying to Xinyue: “I want to eat dog meat. Last time I ate it once at Xi Tong’s place. I can’t forget that taste no matter what. Let’s eat dog meat too. It perfectly suits the occasion.”

Dog meat was very common in Great Tang, belonging to one of the livestock that could be slaughtered. The dog meat shop right outside the main gate had this thing. Yun Ye generally didn’t think to eat it. Just now going out, he suddenly remembered Xi Tong and consequently remembered the dog meat he made. He immediately became interested and very much wanted to relive old times.

Five children plus three wives all surrounded the stove, holding chopsticks waiting for the dog meat to cook. The Yun Family people didn’t pick and choose their food. As long as the family head said something was good to eat, it absolutely wouldn’t be bad. Looking across all of Great Tang, in the path of eating, no one could be more proficient than their own family head.

The only meritorious noble family hiding in their bedroom eating dog meat was the Yun Ye household. The small bowls were all full of mashed garlic. Eating dog meat only required mashed garlic and green salt. Burning liquor—naturally only Yun Ye drinking alone didn’t need counting.

While waiting for the dog meat to cook, at Yun Huan’s urging, Yun Ye began telling stories. The youngest, Yun Xiang, sat in her father’s lap hugging him, listening to the story of that great snake fighting magic with the old monk.

“Humans and demons follow different paths. If the old monk hadn’t intervened, that scholar would definitely have died.” Hearing his son Yun Shou’s resounding statement, Yun Ye never expected that his son not only didn’t sympathize with White Snake Lady but instead thought Fahai doing this counted as enforcing Heaven’s way. As for the other children, they only thought the great white snake stirring up huge waves wanting to flood Jinshan Temple was really too formidable.

Could it be that different classes meant people had different views? Yun Ye didn’t want to tell his son about differences in consciousness. He only chuckled and pointed at the dog meat in the iron pot, saying: “It’s cooked. Can eat now.”

The light snow began falling in flurries again. The climate these past two years was very wrong. Last year was heavy snow. This year was strange cold. Since coming to Great Tang, Yun Ye was discovering for the first time that winter could be cold to such a degree. The pond in the garden was frozen rock hard. Several large roosters that jumped out from the chicken coop stood on one foot, tucking the other foot into the down under their bellies for warmth, constantly switching back and forth but unwilling to return to the chicken coop.

These chickens were raised in the garden by Tianmoji. She seemed to have a peculiar habit—she only liked raising roosters, didn’t like raising hens, and didn’t raise many—just six chickens. These chickens had already been raised for four years. Each had grown larger than geese. The chicken coop was in her small courtyard. The not-tall courtyard wall simply couldn’t contain these winged fellows. With a flap of their two wings, they could run out from the courtyard.

The Yun Family didn’t produce anything else—just produced strange people. Tianmoji was very protective of these chickens of hers. If anyone dared touch them, she’d immediately turn hostile. Yun Ye always wanted to know why she raised these chickens. When he brought it up with Tianmoji, she only smiled slightly without answering, only the gaze she looked at the roosters with appeared even more tender.

Until Yuan Tiangang visited the Yun Family, he pointed at the roosters running all over the garden in surprise and said in amazement “Six Yao chickens”—only then did they learn these six chickens were specially used to suppress evil and calm fright. It was said they also had the effect of devouring nightmares. It looked like Tianmoji must frequently have nightmares.

Normal women’s small courtyards were all clean and tidy. Only her courtyard was planted full of creeping ivy, appearing ghostly and sinister. Changing eighty maids for her in a year wasn’t enough for those she scared away. Finally, Xinyue simply found her an illiterate deaf old woman to care for her daily needs according to her requirements. Only then did things become quiet.

“Marquis, when you go to Beiting this time, take this old woman along.” Yun Ye turned his head and saw Tianmoji in black clothing and covered face veil appearing behind him.

“Not appropriate. Beiting’s climate isn’t something your body can adapt to. You suffered severe physical trauma in your early years. You’re unsuitable for traveling ten thousand li. Properly live out your remaining years peacefully at home. When happy, dance with Xiao Ya and the others. When unhappy, raise chickens. Isn’t this quite good? What would you go to Beiting for?” Yun Ye was very puzzled. What would she go to Beiting for?

“Pilgrimage! I want to go to Kunlun Mountain to pay respects to the Queen Mother. I heard that Marquis, you went there. I also heard you say a person from the Nine Zhaowu Surnames also went. So this concubine also wants to make a pilgrimage to fulfill an unfulfilled wish in my heart.”

“Don’t listen to them talk nonsense. Once you see Kunlun Mountain’s Heavenly Lake, you’ll know what a huge joke it is. Just a big puddle. Now it must be frozen over. There’s no Queen Mother of the West, no immortals either. There’s only ice, snow, and scattered rocks. According to what Yetuo said, there are even monsters in that mountain. When I went that year, I didn’t encounter any. If you go, it’ll also be a wasted trip. Listen to me—recuperate properly. Your face these years has already been treated almost completely by Master Sun. As long as you remove the veil, you can live a good life.”

“Wish unfulfilled—this concubine will die unwilling. I beg the Marquis to grant this.” Tianmoji spoke and then knelt in the snowy ground pleading. Her attitude was very resolute. Yun Ye felt that if he didn’t take her, she might very well secretly go by herself.

“If you insist, then let’s go together. I truly don’t understand—a perfectly good home to stay in, but you insist on going to suffer to look at a puddle. When you regret it then, don’t blame me.” Yun Ye helplessly agreed.

Tianmoji said with laughter in her voice: “The Marquis is a kindhearted person. This concubine knew you definitely wouldn’t refuse Moji’s this small request. Living at home these years has been the most peaceful days of Moji’s life. If not for unfulfilled wishes, Moji could spend her final years at home. This would be good fortune. What a pity! This journey to Kunlun—Moji very likely cannot return. This home can only become the most beautiful memory in my heart.”

When Tianmoji said these words, two more chickens flew fluttering out from her courtyard. All six chickens paced around her, as if guarding her.

Wang Cai suddenly came clip-clopping through the moon gate, seeming very frightened. Seeing Yun Ye, he immediately ran over, using his big head to vigorously rub Yun Ye’s chest, as if he’d suffered great grievance.

Tianmoji walked over wanting to touch Wang Cai. Wang Cai dodged past, hiding his head behind Yun Ye and not showing his face. Tianmoji let out a sigh and said: “Truly a spirit beast. This concubine’s death aura let it sense it.”

“What nonsense are you saying?” Yun Ye scolded once, grabbed Tianmoji’s wrist and felt her pulse. Yun Ye was touching her body for the first time. Her skin was very smooth and also very cold. This was related to her wearing too little. Her pulse also beat very slowly. This was a sign before losing body temperature. What was this woman trying to do? Could she want to freeze herself to death?

“What our home least lacks is experts in medical arts. You’ve been frozen silly and are starting to talk nonsense. Go back right now. Wrap yourself in a quilt and sleep—you’ll be fine.”

After Tianmoji bowed in courtesy, she drilled into her small courtyard. Those several chickens—perfectly good gate they didn’t walk through—instead flew in.

Yun Ye was just pondering what Tianmoji had just said when Wushe coughed once and turned out from behind the pavilion. Pointing at Tianmoji’s small courtyard, he said to Yun Ye: “She didn’t lie. Her life force has already been severed.”