The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

A month later, they finally arrived in the capital.

Xu Jingting used his remaining money to rent a simple room and focused on preparing for the exam.

Ning Jingze leaves early and returns late every day, seemingly busy with something, but he always manages to bring back fresh ingredients and herbs.

In October, Xu Jingting participated in the imperial examination for the highest degree.

On the day the results were released, he squeezed through the crowd and saw his name prominently listed at the top of the list—the new champion!
"Sir, you've won!"

Ning Jing appeared behind him without him noticing, her face glistening with joyful tears.

Xu Jingting was personally summoned by the old king of Chen and promoted to compiler of the Hanlin Academy.

His talent was appreciated by important officials in the court, and his career progressed rapidly.

Two years later, at the age of only twenty-three, he was promoted to the position of Tongpan in the capital, becoming the youngest fifth-rank official in the history of the Chen Kingdom.

"Sir, it's time for your meal."

Ning Jing's voice woke Xu Jingting from his thoughts of official documents.

He looked up and saw Ning Jing standing at the door of the study with a food box in her hand.

Five years have passed, and his official position has been promoted again and again, and his mansion has become larger and larger, but Ning Jing still looks the same as when they first met.

She was elegant and refined, and time seemed to have left no trace on her face.

"Ning Jing, you..."

Xu Jingting hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Over the years, he had vaguely sensed Ning Jing's unusual behavior.

She doesn't eat cooked food, only raw fruits and vegetables; she never gets sick and isn't afraid of the cold; most strangely, her appearance has never changed.

"What are your orders, sir?"

Ning Jing asked with a smile, her eyes filled with an emotion that Xu Jingting couldn't decipher.

"nothing."

Xu Jingting shook his head.

"I just feel sorry for you all these years of hard work."

Ning Jing put down the food box and said softly.

"It is my blessing to be able to accompany my husband."

Two years later, Xu Jingting requested to be transferred away from Beijing.

The old king granted his request and appointed him as the local prefect, a position of the fourth rank.

Before he left, Ning Jing packed his luggage, moving much more slowly than usual.

"Ning Jing, you should stay in the capital this time."

Xu Jingting suddenly said.

"Conditions are harsh in the area."

"Are you trying to get rid of me, sir?"

Ning Jing looked up abruptly, somewhat startled.

"No, I just..."

“I will follow you wherever you go.”

Ning Jing said seriously.

After completing his three-year term in local government, Xu Jingting was recalled to the capital and appointed as a Hanlin Academy scholar, holding the rank of third grade.

By this time, he was already famous throughout the country and regarded as the leader of the upright officials in the court.

In the same year, he submitted a memorial entitled "Ten Essays on the Beauty of Celery," directly pointing out the long-standing problems in the country and proposing reform methods.

After reading the memorial, the old king sighed deeply.

"My dear minister, you are truly a wise and capable minister! It is a pity that I am too old to implement your policies."

Not long after, the old king passed away, and a new king ascended the throne.

Powerful families were eyeing the new policies with covetous intent, and Xu Jingting became a thorn in their side.

To gain the support of powerful families, the new king falsely accused Xu Jingting of being a spy for Qi, claiming that his ancestors had been from the state of Qi for three generations.

It was a cold, gloomy morning.

Xu Jingting was reviewing official documents in his study when he suddenly heard a commotion outside. A squad of imperial guards broke down the door and entered.

"By imperial decree, the Xu residence is to be raided! Xu Jingting has colluded with foreign enemies and engaged in embezzlement and bribery; he is to be imprisoned immediately!"

Xu Jingting was roughly dragged out of the study and put into a prison van.

Before leaving, he anxiously looked around, but did not see Ning Jing.

Three days in prison felt like an eternity.

Xu Jingting knew that he was doomed this time.

To establish his authority, the new king would surely make an example of him. Sure enough, on the morning of the third day, the jailer brought the verdict—immediate execution.

Xu Jingting leaned against the cold stone wall, reminiscing about his twenty-seven years of life.

From a poor student to a high-ranking official, and then to a prisoner, what an ironic fate!

His biggest worry was that Ning Jing would be implicated.

"Ning Jing, I hope you've already escaped."

He muttered to himself.

"Is the gentleman calling me?"

The familiar voice made Xu Jingting look up abruptly. At the cell door, Ning Jing stood quietly, still dressed in plain clothes, her face unchanged.

Strangely, the jailers seemed not to see her, letting her push open the cell door and walk in.

"Ning Jing?"

Xu Jingting suddenly stood up, the iron chains rattling loudly.

"What are you doing here? Get out of here! This is a death row!"

Ning Jing tilted her head to look at him, her eyes seemingly sparkling with starlight.

"Xu Jingting, is Chen Guoke as you wish?"

This problem is like a knife stabbing into my heart.

Xu Jingting gave a wry smile.

"He rose to the rank of Hanlin Academician, yet he couldn't save anyone. Now he's imprisoned, and has implicated you as well."

"You don't even have your own home."

Ning Jing suddenly interrupted him, her voice as cold as ice.

How to bring peace to the world?

Xu Jingting was struck dumb.

Yes, he pursued fame and fortune all his life, yet he couldn't even provide Ning Jing with a decent home.

When she followed him to the capital, they lived in a small courtyard behind the Hanlin Academy. He buried himself in his books all day and didn't even give her a proper wedding.

"you're right."

Xu Jingting slumped back down onto the haystack.

"Let's go, don't worry about me. A new king has ascended the throne, and he's purging the old officials. Following me will only..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ning Jing suddenly reached out and grabbed the iron gate.

With a gentle twist of her slender fingers, the iron fence warped and deformed like noodles.

"I'll take you away."

She said that tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

"We will live in seclusion in the mountains and never concern ourselves with worldly affairs again."

Xu Jingting was stunned.

Ning Jing's tears burned his heart like lava. He couldn't remember her ever crying, not even when he was banished from the capital. She had simply packed her bags silently.

"it is good."

As if guided by some strange force, he nodded.

Ning Jing burst into laughter through her tears, a smile that reminded Xu Jingting of the spring day when they first met.

She kicked open the cell door, and the loud crash of the iron door breaking echoed through the death row.

The jailer's shouts came from afar, but Ning Jing ignored them, walked up to Xu Jingting, and tore off the shackles on his hands and feet with his bare hands.

"you"

Xu Jingting stared in shock at the iron chain that had been broken in two.

"When did you acquire such strength?"

Ning Jing smiled, pursing her lips.

"Want to learn? I'll teach you."

She turned around and squatted down.

"Get on, I'll carry you out."

Just as Xu Jingting leaned on her thin back, chaotic footsteps came from outside the cell.

The jailer rushed in with a knife, and his face changed drastically when he saw the twisted iron bars and broken shackles.

"Prison breakout!"

The lead jailer shouted, his steel knife pointing directly at Ning Jing.

"Death to the witch!"

Ning Jing sneered and, carrying Xu Jingting on his back, dashed off like an arrow.

Before the jailer's knife could fall, she had already moved closer and struck him in the chest with her palm.

The jailer was thrown out and crashed into the stone wall, vomiting blood uncontrollably.

"Don't kill anyone!"

Xu Jingting said urgently.

Ning Jing kept walking.

"Don't worry, he just fainted."

As she spoke, she knocked down two more prison guards and rushed out of the cell.

Inside the prison, alarm bells rang loudly, and more guards poured in from all directions.

Ning Jing carried Xu Jingting through the narrow passageway, and guards fell to the ground wherever they went.

Xu Jingting held her neck tightly, feeling the whistling wind in his ears, and for a moment he had the illusion of flying.

As Xu Jingting rushed out of the prison gates, the sight before him made him gasp in shock.

Hundreds of soldiers, holding torches, surrounded the exit. The glint of their blades reflected in the moonlight, creating a chilling atmosphere.

"Put me down!"

Xu Jingting said urgently.

"You can escape alone."

Ning Jing interrupted him. "Do you trust me?"

Xu Jingting looked at her profile.

This woman who had been with him for seven years had too many secrets about her that he didn't know.

"letter."

He heard himself say.

Ning Jing smiled.

She made a grabbing motion with her right hand, and the saber of the front-row soldier flew into her palm out of thin air.

The soldiers were in an uproar, and some shouted in fear.

"A cultivator! She's a cultivator!"

The captain's expression changed drastically.

"Form ranks! Archers, prepare!"

Ning Jing rushed into the crowd before they could finish setting up their formation.

Xu Jingting only felt the flashing swords and the screams around him.

Ning Jing's blade was so fast that its trajectory was impossible to see. Every strike precisely avoided vital points, yet rendered the enemy unable to fight.

Blood blossoms bloomed under the moonlight, like a cruel dance.

"stop looking."

Ning Jing said softly, her voice so gentle it didn't sound like she was in the midst of a battle.

"Close your eyes."

Xu Jingting stubbornly kept his eyes wide open.

"I want to keep an eye on it."

He wanted to see clearly who this woman, who was willing to go through fire and water for him, really was.

The city's garrison quickly crumbled.

Just as they were about to break through, the sound of orderly footsteps came from afar.

Three hundred crossbowmen marched in formation, their arrowheads gleaming coldly in the firelight.

"Fire arrows!"

The commander gave the order.

A rain of arrows descended, obscuring the sky and the sun.

Xu Jingting instinctively hugged Ning Jing tightly, but then he saw her wave her left hand, and an invisible barrier deflected all the arrows.

The recoil caused the archers in the front row to fall over, throwing their formation into chaos.

Ning Jing seized the opportunity to charge into the enemy ranks, his sword slicing through the air and causing blood and flesh to fly wherever it passed.

Xu Jingting watched in horror—this was not something ordinary martial arts could do.

Ning Jing's speed and strength far surpass those of ordinary people; he can even retrieve objects from a distance and create barriers. This is clearly a legendary cultivation technique!

When the last resister fell, Ning Jing seized a warhorse, picked up Xu Jingting, and saddled him.

"hold me."

She whispered, flicked her whip, and her horse shot off like an arrow towards the south of the city.

Behind them, the alarm bells of the imperial prison rang out through the sky.

Xu Jingting knew that an even bigger storm was coming.

Sure enough, as soon as they arrived at the south gate, the ground shook.

Three thousand elite cavalrymen surged forth, led by none other than the General of the Capital Defense.

"Xu Jingting colluded with a demon to escape from prison!"

The general roared.

"Kill without mercy!"

Ning Jing reined in his horse and turned around, his eyes filled with a fierce light that Xu Jingting had never seen before.

"court death."

She left Xu Jingting behind and went to face the army alone.

What followed became Xu Jingting's lifelong nightmare—Ning Jing was like a tiger among sheep, leaving corpses strewn everywhere he went.

Her movements became faster and faster, until she almost became a blur.

If a sword breaks, seize it from the enemy; if all weapons are destroyed, use your bare hands.

Xu Jingting was horrified to discover that Ning Jing's fingernails had become as sharp as knives, easily tearing through the iron armor.

When the head of the general of the capital fell from his horse, the remaining soldiers finally collapsed and fled.

Ning Jing walked back to Xu Jingting's side covered in blood, but with a gentle smile on her face.

"scared?"

Xu Jingting was speechless. Was the ruthless woman before him really Ning Jing, the woman who had once been his devoted companion?

Ning Jing seemed to sense his doubt and sighed softly.

"Get out of here first."

She found a carriage, carefully helped Xu Jingting into it, and then whipped the horse to gallop out of the city gate.

The carriage sped through the night, with Kyoto ablaze in flames behind it.

Xu Jingting looked back through the car window and vaguely saw a golden light rising from the direction of the imperial city—that was the cultivators worshipped by the Chen Kingdom making their move.

"Don't worry."

Ning didn't even look back at the camera.

"They can't catch up."

Sure enough, the carriage quickly shook off its pursuers and drove into the deep mountains.

Amidst the jolts, Xu Jingting's gaze fell upon Ning Jing's hands.

Those delicate hands that once held the brush and ground ink are now covered in scars, yet they are healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At daybreak, the carriage stopped in a valley.

Ning Jing lifted the carriage curtain, her face pale.

"It's safe."

She had barely finished speaking when her body went limp and she collapsed into Xu Jingting's arms.

Xu Jingting hurriedly hugged her, only to discover that half of a broken arrow was stuck in her back.

When was she struck by the arrow? Yet she endured the excruciating pain and drove on the road!

"Ning Jing! Ning Jing!"

Xu Jingting gently patted her face, but she didn't react.

He carefully examined her injuries and was shocked to find that the wounds were healing on their own.

Even more terrifying, two small, pointed horns were slowly protruding from the sides of Ning Jing's forehead—like the legendary demon horns.

Xu Jingting's hand froze in mid-air. Countless fragments of memory suddenly connected.

Ning Jing's ageless appearance, her extraordinary strength, and her mysterious whereabouts, always venturing out alone on the night of the full moon.
"What exactly are you?"

He murmured to himself, but held the person in his arms even tighter.

Three days later, Ning Jing awoke.

The first thing she did was touch her forehead and, finding that the ghost horns had faded, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did you see everything?"

she asked softly.

Xu Jingting nodded.

"Are you a ghost cultivator?"

"Half-human, half-ghost".

Ning Jing gave a wry smile.

“I was supposed to die in that plague, but my master saved me and taught me the methods of ghost cultivation.”

Xu Jingting recalled Jing mourning her loved ones alone in the mass grave. At the time, he only knew she was an orphan, unaware that she was absorbing yin energy to cultivate.

"Why did you save me?"

he asks.

"With your abilities, you should have seen through the corruption of the Chen Kingdom long ago. Why risk your life for me?"

Ning Jing gazed at the distant mountains, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Because you said you wanted to restore a bright and clear world to this land."

She turned to look at him.

"Xu Jingting, your ideals are ridiculous, but dazzling."

At that moment, Xu Jingting suddenly realized that they had been entangled for a long time.

She was his calamity, and he was her obsession.

For the next ten years, the two devoted themselves to nature and traveled to various countries.

Ning Jing taught Xu Jingting cultivation methods, but he could never accept the cruelty of the Ghost Path.

He entered the Cangxuan Cave Heaven to cultivate Taoism, while Ning Jing embarked on a bloodier path of cultivation alone.

They met again on the far north ice plains.

Ning Jing has become a seventh-realm Ghost Emperor and is leading his Yin army to attack righteous sects.

Xu Jingting was ordered to intercept them, and the two confronted each other in the wind and snow.

"You came."

Ning Jing's voice was no longer gentle, but carried the majesty of the Ghost Emperor.

"A lackey of Cangxuan Cave Heaven".

Xu Jingting is pointing his finger at his former lover.

"Ning Jing, stop. Your sins are too great, you will be punished by heaven."

Ning Jing laughed loudly, but her laughter was tinged with sobs.

"Divine retribution? Xu Jingting, you are my divine retribution!"

She suddenly closed in, her ghostly claws piercing his chest.

"This claw has severed our karmic ties."

Xu Jingting didn't dodge. Blood stained the white snow, yet he smiled.

"It turns out, we were each other's inner demons."

Ning Jing withdrew her hand, turned around, and walked into the wind and snow.

Xu Jingting knelt on the icy plain, watching her figure gradually disappear into the blizzard.

He knew that this parting would be a separation between immortals and ghosts, never to be seen again for eternity. (End of Chapter)