Chapter 263: First Snow, Open the Door, It

Lingshe Peak.

Inside a spacious courtyard, everything was decorated with festive cheer.

Thick red carpets had been laid on the ground, muffling footsteps and leaving only faint imprints.

Large red “ Xi ” characters adorned every window, and red silk ribbons were tied to the branches of several ancient pines in the courtyard, swaying gently in the mountain wind.

In the elegant boudoir, a maid was carefully applying makeup to a woman dressed in a crimson bridal gown.

The woman was none other than Jiang Chuxue, a true disciple of the Upper Sect.

She wore a phoenix crown, its golden tassels swaying softly as she tilted her head slightly; draped in a cloud-patterned shawl, her crimson gown was embroidered with gold thread depicting a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, accentuating her already graceful figure.

Her chest rose high, her waist narrowed sharply, and the full, rounded curve of her hips remained unmistakable beneath the layered skirts.

Even her naturally sharp, piercing aura had been softened by the bridal attire, adding a rare touch of allure.

After carefully applying a light blush, the maid couldn’t help but whisper in awe: “Miss, you’re so beautiful...”

She meant it sincerely.

Across the entire Linzhou Upper Sect, there were perhaps only a handful of women who matched her in beauty, talent, and status.

Jiang Chuxue gazed at her reflection in the bronze mirror, and a slow smile curved her lips.

Whether it was her innate martial talent or her physique and appearance,

she was top-tier.

She reached out and lightly traced the delicate, radiant face in the mirror, whispering softly to herself:

“Someone like me was born to stand at the summit!”

With that, she rose to her feet.

As she moved, a sharp, piercing metal qi surged violently around her.

It was not deliberate—just the innate sharpness of her Metal Spirit Body.

Pfft...

The maid beside her could not withstand such piercing energy; an invisible metal qi sliced a thin, long gash across her delicate cheek, instantly drawing a bead of crimson blood.

“Ah...”

The maid instinctively cried out in pain, then snapped back to her senses, clamping her hand over her mouth and swallowing the scream before it escaped, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Having served Jiang Chuxue for so long, she knew full well her mistress’s nature.

On the eve of her wedding, any crying or screaming would be seen as an ill omen.

If she provoked Jiang Chuxue now, her fate would be far worse than the cut on her face.

Jiang Chuxue cast her a cold glance, lips curling into a faint, mocking smile: “Good girl.”

She extended a finger, lightly smearing the crimson blood from the maid’s wound onto her fingertip, then turned to the mirror and rubbed the drop onto her lips.

Instantly, her lips became vividly crimson, glinting faintly red in the candlelight.

The maid beside her was terrified, nearly collapsing to the floor, biting her lips so hard she dared not make a sound.

Jiang Chuxue, however, gazed at her reflection—now subtly more alluring—and was thoroughly satisfied.

Tomorrow was her wedding day; she would make sure everyone remembered that Jiang Chuxue was utterly unattainable.

At that moment,

light footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.

“Senior Sister Jiang...”

The voice was clear, hesitant, and full of flattery.

Jiang Chuxue glanced toward the door and said coolly: “Enter.”

Soon, a slender girl in a plain white martial suit hurried into the room.

Her name was Fang Qing, an inner disciple of Lingshe Peak and one of Jiang Chuxue’s most loyal attendants.

As a true disciple with an illustrious future, Jiang Chuxue naturally had no shortage of sycophants; Fang Qing was the most eager among them.

Every day, she rushed to serve tea, run errands, and deliver messages, all just to catch Jiang Chuxue’s attention.

Upon entering, Fang Qing saw Jiang Chuxue, crowned with phoenix and draped in cloud shawl.

Even as a woman, she couldn’t suppress a flash of awe.

The girl’s already refined, icy beauty was now elevated into something noble and untouchable under the crimson bridal gown.

She snapped back to herself and blurted out the compliment she had rehearsed countless times: “Senior Sister Jiang, you are truly unparalleled in beauty and talent...”

Jiang Chuxue didn’t even lift her eyelids, merely adjusting the golden tassel of her phoenix crown with a light touch, her voice cold: “Save the flattery. What news did you gather?”

Fang Qing’s face froze, then she quickly wiped away her smile and replied seriously: “Senior Sister Jiang, the Peak Master has been in seclusion... there’s no sign he’ll emerge.”

Hearing this, Jiang Chuxue frowned slightly, fell silent for a long moment, then sighed with regret: “Fine.”

The Peak Master of Lingshe Peak was a Martial Master, renowned across the entire Zhou Kingdom, his status exalted.

If he could be invited to her wedding banquet, the significance would be extraordinary.

It would not only be recognition of her personally, but a crucial leap in the Zheng family’s standing in Linzhou.

What a pity...

Such a figure was in seclusion; they dared not disturb him.

She suppressed her disappointment and waved her hand dismissively: “Enough. All of you, leave.”

The maid and Fang Qing hurriedly exited the room, not daring to breathe loudly.

Once the boudoir fell silent again, Jiang Chuxue stepped slowly out.

Gazing at the thick red carpet in the courtyard, she lifted her snow-white chin slightly.

Tomorrow, the Zheng family would arrive with a grand eight-bearer palanquin.

And she, before the eyes of the entire sect, would step into that palanquin and become the Zheng family’s Young Mistress.

It was her due.

From that remote mountain village, she had climbed step by step to this position—no one deserved this more than she did.

Then, suddenly, the image of Zheng Feng flashed through her mind, and a cold smile curled her lips.

That waste, he would never dare defy her.

He would come obediently to the banquet.

As long as that waste showed up in person and offered his blessings to her and Zheng Lin’s wedding,

the rumors spreading through Linzhou’s great city would finally die down.

“After the wedding, let that waste vanish forever.”

Jiang Chuxue murmured softly, her beautiful eyes glinting with cold malice.

A woman destined to climb to the summit could not tolerate even the faintest blemish on her path to glory.

Zheng Feng was her “dark past.”

“And that old thing...”

Jiang Chuxue’s mind flashed again with the image of the gray-robed elder.

She was different from Zheng Lin.

Zheng Lin looked down on everyone except the true disciples of the top three peaks.

But Jiang Chuxue always paid close attention to every move within the Upper Sect.

Not long ago, the news that Jiang Zhishi of Tianyun Peak had seized six strands of Primordial Qi from three Primordial Martial Experts had reached her ears.

“Such power, yet so low-key...”

Jiang Chuxue’s eyes grew colder.

She recalled the gray-robed elder’s calm expression when she had aggressively pressured him.

The dog that bites doesn’t bark.

She had climbed from a mountain village to where she stood now—she understood this better than anyone.

The more such people, the more dangerous they were.

Jiang Chuxue had sent people to investigate; the old man truly had influence—he was highly respected within Tianqing Sect, closely tied to Zheng Feng, and even had connections with Elder Lu Guizhou of the Enforcement Hall.

From any angle,

this old man could not be allowed to live.

At that moment,

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A clear knocking came from the courtyard gate, interrupting Jiang Chuxue’s thoughts.

Jiang Chuxue frowned and snapped coldly: “Who?!”

The night was deep, the maids had all left—who would dare come calling at this hour?

A deep, familiar voice came from outside:

“Chuxue, it’s me, Zheng Lin. Open the door!”