In the heavenly realm, the Hall of Yue Lao, the room of fate

  Ding Xiaocuo stood among countless cy figurines, searching. In the realm of mortal men and women, any couple recorded in the Book of Fate had a cy figurine with their names and birthdates carved into it. The male figurines stood on the left, and the female figurines stood on the right, tied together with a red string, neatly arranged without a single disturbance.

  (T/N: 月老; Yuè Lǎo is the Chinese god of marriage and love. Often referred to as the "Old Man Under the Moon," he is a deity who is believed to be responsible for matching couples and determining their fate in retionships. According to Chinese folklore, Yue Lao ties a red string of fate around the ankles of people destined to be together, ensuring that they meet and fall in love. He is commonly associated with helping individuals find their romantic partners, and his legend is popur in Chinese culture and various other East Asian traditions.)

  Yuè Lǎo is responsible for matchmaking, and the little matchmakers under him are in charge of tying the red threads of fate for the couples, ensuring the connection between them. These matchmakers include the Blue Bird and Líng Xī. The Blue Bird (青鸟; Qīng Niǎo means the Blue Bird) excels in flying and delivering messages, often delivering letters between lovers. Líng Xī is good at listening and can hear the thoughts of people's hearts, helping them solve emotional problems with the right advice. Strictly speaking, Dīng Xiǎo Cuò is not yet a full matchmaker. She is still a novice, only able to hear names, birthdates, and clear preferences, and is currently in the apprentice phase.

  However, what she had to do today didn't require much experience or magic. In her left hand, she held a male cy figurine, with the name "Běitáng Kěn" clearly carved on its back. In her right hand, she held a female cy figurine with the name "Yè Nícháng" on the back. She pced the two figurines on the ground and pulled out a red string she had stolen from Yuè Lǎo. She tied one end to Běitáng Kěn's hand and the other to Yè Nícháng's, making sure to tie a tight knot.

  Afterward, Dīng Xiǎocuò took out a small golden pair of scissors borrowed from another matchmaker, pinched the red string tied to Běitáng Kěn's hand, and said, "Miss, marrying someone like Běitáng Kěn, such an annoying man, would never lead to a good life. I'll help you escape his clutches and find you a better husband." With a fsh of golden light, the original red string split into two! Just as she was feeling smug, she suddenly heard Yuè Lǎo's cough from outside the matchmaking room, startling her.

  She hurriedly tossed the figurines aside and fled. Afterward, the boy she had met when sneaking down to the mortal world and the tricks she pyed in the matchmaking room were completely forgotten by the mischievous Dīng Xiǎocuò.

  At that time, to her, it was just a childish, insignificant prank. It wasn't until much ter that Dīng Xiǎocuò realized that pranks pyed on others would eventually turn into a nightmare for herself.

  "Dīng Xiǎocuò!” Someone called her name, and the voice was painfully familiar.

  "Master!” She shouted, trying to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt glued together. She could only manage to open them halfway. Amid the swaying, blurry light and shadows, a figure walked toward her. “Master, is that you?! Is it?!”

  "Such a soul-stirring bass voice, who else could it be but me?" Jiǔ Jué's face gradually became clearer.

  "Master, help! I've fallen into the Northern Song Dynasty, and the “Spiritual Rhino” Sword has been stolen! I want to go home!" She tried to stand up, but she couldn't move an inch.

  "Find the “Spiritual Rhino” Sword, then open it. Otherwise, you'll spend your whole life in the Northern Song serving ptes!"

  "Open it? What does that mean?"

  "With the eyes in the heart, There is heart in the eyes.’ Remember these two phrases. The “Spiritual Rhino” Sword can only be opened by two people. Take care of it!"

  "Master! Don't go!" Ding Xiaocuo opened her eyes, suddenly sitting up, drenched in cold sweat. Once fully awake, she found herself in a dim cave, with moss covering the walls. Beitang Ken stood on a protruding stone ptform at the cave entrance, looking up—lucky for them, there was just the right rock ledge for support. To return to the mountaintop now, they'd need at least an hour's rest.

  Stumbling toward the cave entrance, Ding Xiaocuo's first question to Beitang Ken was, "Are we dead?" Her second question was, "Who did you give the “Spiritual Rhino” sword to?" Beitang Ken sat down, closed his eyes to rest, continuing to act as if she didn't exist.

  Just now, the words that Jiu Jue had passed to her still echoed in her mind—spending a lifetime serving food in Northern Song, such an ending was too terrifying. Ding Xiaocuo realized the gravity of the situation and stopped being pyful. "Can you help me? I just... want to go home," she said.

  Beitang Ken opened his eyes.

  "This is not my world," she furrowed her brows, biting her lip, and looked up, staring directly into his eyes. "Smart people can tell the truth from lies just by looking into someone's eyes. No matter how much I expin, it may not help. I just hope you can believe me, even though we just met."

  Had they really just met? He suddenly asked himself a question that even he found foolish. "I will retrieve the “Spiritual Rhino” Sword." After saying this, he closed his eyes again.

  He was practicing Qigong and adjusted his breath with his internal energy while she quietly sat beside him. The longer she looked at this man's face, the more unwilling she was to look away. It wasn't because he was handsome... Something strange stirred within her heart, as though a long-buried seed was eager to break through the soil.

  The pce Beitang Ken was heading to was beyond the pass, winding and far, about thirty days’ journey from Bianjing. His fiancée was still waiting for him in the desote wastend called "Endless Pin," waiting for him to bring her back.

  Outside Bianjing, he told Ding Xiaocuo to stay in the city while he was away, promising that he would return the “Spiritual Rhino” Sword once he came back. Ding Xiaocuo refused, insisting on going with him.

  That night, he carried her on his back, leaping from the cliffs, yer by yer. His broad back felt every beat of Ding Xiaocuo's heart, without a barrier between them. The sheer drop, once terrifying, seemed no longer so when warmed by his body heat. There had been a time, not long ago, when she quietly leaned on his shoulder, letting him take her anywhere. But weren't they strangers who had only just met? Was something wrong with her?

  “I won’t be a burden!” she promised, thumping her chest. “Besides, the journey's long and rugged. It′ll be nice to have someone to talk to along the way!”

  "I don't like talking. I don't need anyone to chat with me." He mounted his horse. "The journey to the Endless Pin is long and treacherous. Someone like you, a frail child, won't be able to handle it. Wait for me at an inn." With that, without giving her a chance to argue, he spurred his horse and disappeared.

  For many years, he had grown accustomed to traveling alone. The "Jade-faced Ghost King" was a nickname given to him by the people of the martial world. No one could make North Hall Ken do something for them, no matter how much they offered. But there was one exception. If it was something she wanted, Beitang Ken would go to any lengths to get it for her, even if it meant stealing the pearl from the emperor's crown. That person was Ye Nishang. She was the daughter of an ordinary jeweler and Beitang Ken's childhood sweetheart. When Beitang Ken's parents died, it was Ye Nishang's father who took him in and entrusted her to him. Later, the Ye family moved away from the capital to near Yanmen Pass, distancing themselves from the martial world and worldly affairs.

  It was said that Ye Nishang's beauty was unparalleled, a dazzling sight beyond the realm of mortals. The swarm of admirers eager to bask in her charm never ceased. However, because of Beitang Ken's reputation, these men could only admire her from afar and dared not offend her. Yet, someone eventually took a great risk. In one night, they broke through the heavily guarded Ye residence and abducted Ye Nishang. In the letter sent to Beitang Ken, there was only one demand—trade his “Spiritual Rhino” Sword for Ye Nishang's name and her purity. The letter was signed: Zhao Zhi.

  Who Zhao Zhi was, Beitang Ken had no interest in. He only cared for Ye Nishang's safety. Sometimes, when he thought about it, treating Ye Nishang well felt more like a habit and a duty than something tied to feelings. But in the end, he would still marry her. Before Ye's father passed away, he had personally promised to take care of Ye Nishang for the rest of her life. This year, on the Lantern Festival, would be the day they wed, but now it seemed the wedding would have to be postponed. The moment he handed over the “Spiritual Rhino” Sword, he had a fleeting moment of regret. This sword was a relic left by his parents. The st words his father had spoken to him before he passed were, "This sword must be used to protect the Beitang family's lives!" Yet, for her, he ultimately gave up the “Spiritual Rhino” Sword. As he set off for the Endless Pin, Beitang Ken had a dangerous premonition.