Chapter 144: He Is the Plum Blossom in the Snow

Jiang Niannian walked toward them, just about to speak, when suddenly, a large group of people emerged from the forest ahead.

Each one had a twisted expression, their mouths letting out eerie, cackling laughter.

Their clothes varied in style but were all dyed in a striking red—some flamboyant, some eerie.

A single glance was enough to send a chilling, murderous aura rushing forward.

“Zhongyuan Festival, the Ghost Gate opens, extreme yin, extreme evil—hundreds of ghosts walk the night.”

(T/N: The Zhongyuan Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival or Hungry Ghost Festival, is a traditional East Asian festival, particularly in areas with Chinese cultural influence, celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar to honor and appease the spirits of the deceased.)

A voice, origin unknown, suddenly slipped into Jiang Niannian’s ears.

Her mind went blank.

Instinctively, she grabbed the sleeve of the person beside her and hid behind him.

She had heard some legends about the Zhongyuan Festival.

It was said that during this time, the spirits of the dead would return from the underworld to visit their families.

So… were these all ghosts of the deceased?!

“These are just low-level spirits. As long as you don’t attack first, they won’t harm you.”

A woman dressed in black brocade patted Jiang Niannian’s shoulder reassuringly.

Lifting the curtain of a flower sedan, she said indifferently, “Miss Jiang, though your cultivation is weak, once we enter the Nether Abyss, we will protect you. Do not worry—get into the sedan first.”

“Alright.”

Outside the sedan, a few figures concealed their presence and altered their appearances with disguise techniques before lifting the flower sedan and heading into the Nether Abyss.

Jiang Niannian sat inside for a while, growing bored.

With a small hand seal, a floating water mirror appeared before her.

It was strange.

Even though she had no memory of her original body, she felt as though her body had its own awareness, instinctively wielding spells with surprising proficiency.

The reflection showed a girl with raven-black hair and almond-shaped eyes, her delicate face tinged with a rosy blush.

Lips like cinnabar, skin like snow—she was a breathtaking beauty!

Just as she was poking her own soft, pale skin, someone lifted the sedan curtain and sat beside her.

Jiang Niannian was startled.

“Why are you here too?”

“I saw you were scared, so I came to keep you company. Once we reach Fengdu City, I’ll leave.”

The woman in black, though appearing about the same age as her, was already in the Nascent Soul stage.

Her every movement carried an air of confidence that made people feel at ease.

Jiang Niannian asked curiously, “Which sect are you from?”

“My name is Yun Xing. I’m a disciple of the Rimuli Sect.”

Like an inquisitive child, Jiang Niannian continued, “Fengdu City… is that where Emperor Jiuyin resides?”

“Mm. Normally, the living cannot enter the underworld. But Emperor Jiuyin, in order to marry you, forcibly opened the Nether Abyss at the boundary between the mortal and ghost realms. After entering, we still need to pass through the Ghost Gate, the Yellow Springs Road, and the Naihe Bridge before reaching our destination.”

Jiang Niannian frowned.

“Why do you all hate Emperor Jiuyin so much?”

The question was so sudden that Yun Xing hesitated, unable to answer immediately.

After a moment of thought, she replied, “I’m not entirely sure. It seems to be an old grudge from the previous generation. I heard that five hundred years ago, that demon was once a young master of our Rimuli Sect. But for some reason, he ended up in the underworld. If he were still in our sect, by seniority, we’d have to call him ancestor… But after death, all souls fall under his control. According to our sect leader, he disregards the rules, seizing lives at will, untouched by the Six Realms’ laws, causing great unrest in the world.”

Jiang Niannian muttered, “But isn’t it normal for souls to enter the underworld after death…?”

Suddenly, the sedan was stopped.

Curious, Jiang Niannian peeked outside.

Endless black mountains loomed, their jagged peaks like demonic claws reaching skyward.

The sky was a deep, blood-red hue.

A chilling atmosphere filled the air.

Not a single blade of grass grew in this land, shrouded in an eerie, ominous stillness.

Above the entrance, three blood-red characters glowed ominously—Ghost Gate Pass.

Fu*k…This is way too terrifying!

Can we get some normal, mortal-world aesthetics here?!

Jiang Niannian shut the curtain and took several deep breaths.

Outside, a cultivator seemed to be negotiating with the ghostly guards at the gate.

After a while, they were granted passage.

As the sedan swayed and rocked, Jiang Niannian grew drowsy and eventually dozed off.

Yun Xing watched her sleeping face, amused.

Just moments ago, she was trembling with fear, and now she was sleeping soundly.

Really, she didn’t know whether Jiang Niannian was simply easygoing or completely heartless.

—

She didn’t know how long had passed before the urge to pee woke her up.

Groggily, Jiang Niannian opened her eyes.

There was no one beside her.

The sedan… had stopped.

Had they arrived?

A sense of unease crept into her heart.

Carefully, she lifted a corner of the curtain and peeked outside.

Outside the sedan, someone stood with their back to her, their clothing similar to Yun Xing’s.

Jiang Niannian relaxed.

She jumped out of the sedan.

“Why are you—”

Before she could finish, the person remained still, but their head twisted backward with a sickening crack, revealing a grotesque grin.

Their lips were smeared with blood.

That wasn’t Yun Xing!

A frigid wind howled.

“F*ck.. I’m not coming back! If I don’t leave now, then when?!”

Terror struck her as she bolted up the mountain.

Right now, there was only one path to take.

The woman behind her followed leisurely, as if toying with her.

Jiang Niannian’s ornate wedding robes were cumbersome, and the phoenix crown on her head was heavy.

Running was already difficult—this only made it worse.

“Why are you running? Come keep me company, little sister—heeheehee…”

Jiang Niannian ran for her life.

The thick snow made her legs go numb.

After what felt like an eternity, she stopped by a tree, her chest burning as she gasped for breath.

Even her worst school fitness tests weren’t this exhausting.

Glancing back, the woman was gone.

Just as she started to feel relieved, an icy breath tickled her ear.

“Why did you stop, my dear sister? Keep running.”

Before she could react, the woman materialized in front of her, mouth gaping wide to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth.

Jiang Niannian instinctively shut her eyes, tears streaming down.

In moments of life and death, the human brain works at lightning speed.

Her life flashed before her eyes—then stalled on one final regret.

That uneaten piece of cake she had left on the table before she transmigrated.

She would never get to eat cake again!

But the expected pain never came.

Instead—

“AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”

A shrill, agonizing scream ripped through the air.

Jiang Niannian snapped her eyes open.

A gaping hole had appeared in the woman’s chest.

Blood splattered outward, yet not a single drop landed on Jiang Niannian.

Instead, the crimson droplets blossomed on the ground like delicate red plum blossoms—tragic yet breathtakingly beautiful.

Through the bloodied cavity, she saw him.

The first thing that caught her eye was a blood-red umbrella—simple, unadorned, yet its jade handle bore intricate carvings of plum blossoms.

Beneath the umbrella stood a figure.

The moonlight cast a cold glow on his refined features.

His waist-length white hair gleamed like frost, his pale skin exuding a sickly beauty.

Dressed in flowing white robes with a jade belt, he radiated an ethereal, untouchable purity.

A white cloth covered his eyes, concealing his gaze.

From head to toe, he was clad in nothing but white—spotless, pristine.

Yet in his hand, he held a striking red umbrella.

Like a single red plum blossoming in a vast snowy landscape—stark, jarring, yet devastatingly beautiful.

Jiang Niannian was stunned.

Only one thought echoed in her mind—

Damn, this pretty boy is f*cking handsome!