The Yama Army, tens of thousands of soldiers, retreated in silence like a receding tide. They had been ferocious in their arrival, yet hushed in their departure. Had it not been for the deep circular trench carved into the ground, the onlookers might have doubted the army had ever been there at all.

As soon as the Yama Army vanished, another battalion of armored soldiers materialised. Seeing them, the chief official and the nobles collapsed to the ground, faces contorted in terror.

The Dongsheng Army had arrived!

According to their intelligence, there were no signs of troop movements from the major regional garrisons. How had such a massive force arrived right under their noses without a single word leaking out?

"Fantastic! It's the Dongsheng Army!"

"The Heavenly Maiden had everything planned all along! The Hejian King's rebellion was nothing but a fool's dream!"

"The Heavenly Maiden is our Dongsheng's Ceasefire Realm master!"

"I believe that one day, we will witness Dongsheng trample all the rebel kings and restore light to the world!"

The scholars were ecstatic. The following matters were settled swiftly. The chief official and his cohorts were all dragged away in chains.

The leader of the Dongsheng Army, a Grandmaster in his own right, approached the Heavenly Maiden and bowed his head low. "Heavenly Maiden, what of the Xu Family in the county? Shall we strike against them?"

She replied indifferently, "Do not touch them."

"As you command."

Once he departed, the Heavenly Maiden turned her gaze towards the Sword Poetry Immortal, Wang Yi. "To be buried in this sea of peach blossoms will cement the fame of today's poetry festival. For you, it is not a bad resting place."

"Is there no chance for me to live? What if I defect to Dongsheng?" asked Wang Yi, his voice laced with desperation.

His disciple, the thirteen-year-old boy, was pale and trembling. His bravado was replaced by the vulnerability of youth. The other disciples hidden in the crowd had also been fished out by the Dongsheng Army, proving that every move of the Hejian King had been under the Heavenly Maiden's watchful eye from the start.

Wang Yi finally realised that even if she wasn't a Ceasefire Realm master, her strategic ability to command an army alone should have made the rebel kings tremble. If anyone had managed to capture her, Dongsheng's destiny would have been halved.

"You wished to take that little girl as your disciple, yet in your ignorance, you insulted her teacher," the Heavenly Maiden reminded. "You haven't forgotten, have you, Grandmaster Wang?"

Wang Yi's expression shifted rapidly. Feeling the chill of the falling snowflakes melting against his skin, he couldn't help but shiver. He gritted his teeth and stared intensely at her. "I will accept death, but I am unwilling.... How can you even manipulate the weather?"

She shook her head. "I cannot."

"If even a Ceasefire Realm master cannot do it, then he..." Wang Yi broke into a bitter smile. "Such a figure stands on Dongsheng's side, yet the Hejian King and the other rebels still dream of ascending the throne? It is a fool's fantasy."

***

Soon, a new tombstone stood amidst the peach blossoms.

"The Sword Poetry Immortal Wang Yi is buried here. In the future, this place will attract countless poets to recite verses and express their emotions," remarked the Heavenly Maiden as she looked at her companions.

They looked back at her with a mixture of shock, awe, and excitement.

Breathlessly, they said, "The Sword Poetry Immortal is secondary. Heavenly Maiden, have you truly inherited the power of Old Immortal Zhang and reached the Ceasefire Realm?"

The Heavenly Maiden nodded. "I have. However, compared to that gentleman... I realise that such power is not enough to be invincible. This world is far more mysterious than what we see or imagine."

***

Li Meiyan's house.

Xu Tianhuan sat silently in a corner with his head bowed. Xu Tianmu and Little Yu were bombarding Fang Chen with questions about the Heavenly Maiden and the current state of the empire.

"The situation? That Heavenly Maiden is in the Ceasefire Realm, which means she has the power to restore Dongsheng to its former glory within decades. The rebel kings will cease to exist," explained Fang Chen.

"Then the path for the Xu Family is clear. We must follow the Dongsheng Army and fight the rebels!" exclaimed Xu Tianmu with a look of resolve in his eyes.

He had made his choice.

"Mr. Fang, that snow was weird," doubted Little Yu.

"Perhaps your poem moved the heavens, and the heavens sent a snowstorm to fit the occasion," teased Fang Chen.

"Really?"

Little Yu wasn't entirely convinced. Was the heavens really that easily touched?

Xu Tianhuan, though his mind was a mess, had been listening. He looked up dazed, glancing from Fang Chen to Xu Tianmu. He hesitated to speak.

Xu Tianmu sighed. "Brother, if you have questions, just ask. If it weren't for Mr. Fang today, our entire family would have been purged."

"Is the Xu Family... going to be okay?" asked Xu Tianhuan, his eyes shimmering with hope.

Yes," answered Xu Tianmu, laughing. "The Heavenly Maiden knows Mr. Fang is no ordinary person, and since you didn't actually strike today, that connection should keep the family safe."

Xu Tianhuan felt at ease knowing his family was safe, but curiosity took over, and he asked, "I saw your aura earlier. It was incredibly vast. Are you... in the Heaven Profound Realm?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

He had never realized his younger brother had reached such a high level.

Xu Tianmu nodded and didn't hide anything. "Indeed. With Mr. Fang's help, I advanced to the Heaven Profound Realm overnight."

Xu Tianhuan was stunned. "Overnight?"

"Pushing someone into the Heaven Profound Realm in a single night... Mr. Fang, you have incredible methods. Even when Old Immortal Zhang was alive, he couldn't achieve such a feat," came a sudden voice.

At that moment, a graceful figure stepped into the room—it was the Heavenly Maiden. Xu Tianhuan stood up instinctively. To him, the fate of the Xu Family rested entirely on her word.

"How do you plan to settle the Xu Family?" asked Fang Chen.

The Heavenly Maiden paused, then replied, "Mr. Fang, you decide."

Fang Chen turned to Xu Tianmu. "What are your own intentions?"

"Heavenly Maiden, I, Xu Tianmu, am willing to join the Dongsheng Army to wipe out the rebels," said Xu Tianmu, cupping his fist.

"Good." she nodded. "The Xu Family is lucky. Though one Xu Tianhuan appeared, your existence has saved the family from execution."

Xu Tianmu felt a lingering fear. If Mr. Fang hadn't stepped in, the consequences today would have been unthinkable.

With that, the Heavenly Maiden extended a warm invitation to Fang Chen, saying, "Sir, would you be willing to travel to the capital? I believe the emperor would be most pleased to meet you."

"She prefers to roam the world as a sword-wielding heroine." Fang Chen glanced at Little Yu and declined politely. "As for these matters, we won't meddle further. I wish Dongsheng a swift end to the rebellion."

The Heavenly Maiden looked at Little Yu with a hint of envy. "Little Yu, in this world... perhaps only you get to enjoy a snowstorm all to yourself."

With that, she cupped her fist and left, making no further attempt to persuade him. She understood that when an extraordinary person like him made a decision, no one else had the power to change it.