Bai Yulin was born from humble beginnings, his ancestors all commoners who toiled the land. Yet, he was a renowned child prodigy in the village from a young age.
The villagers all said he would become a scholar, but Bai Yulin disdained such notions. What he desired was far more than merely being a scholar.
He achieved fame in his youth, his path smooth and unobstructed. It wasn't until he entered officialdom that he realized how laughable his past ambitions were!
The world was never short of geniuses. He watched as scholars from his cohort were noticed and, with the help of others' influence, ascended to higher positions, yet he remained disdainful.
He loathed those who sought shortcuts. Confident in himself, he refused all overtures.
However, despite ranking first in the imperial examinations, he was assigned to a remote region as a county magistrate. He was proud, but not foolish! He knew someone must have sabotaged him from behind the scenes, but he was powerless and had no influence. A man from a small place had no right to protest.
Exhausted and disheartened, he fell ill on his way to his post.
In his daze, he suddenly saw a celestial being—Huangfu Su.
Prolonged illness breeds a good physician. Huangfu Su had been frail since childhood, thus she diligently studied medicine, hoping one day to cure herself.
That day, she heard of a renowned physician in Yuecheng. She didn't believe it, but she had an elder brother who doted on her excessively.
Huangfu Song had begun practicing martial arts from a young age, possessing exceptional talent. He practiced martial arts with only one purpose: to secure a path for his sister.
Their parents had passed away early, and Huangfu Song had raised his sister single-handedly. He watched his sister's body weaken day by day, yet she would smile and tell him she felt no pain, which wrung Huangfu Song's heart.
His sister was his only family in the world. Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he would not give up. Thus, he forcibly brought his sister to Yuecheng to seek medical treatment.
However, Huangfu Song would later recall this event and wish he could beat himself to death. If he hadn't brought his sister to Yuecheng for treatment back then, he wouldn't have met Bai Yulin, that ungrateful scoundrel.
Because of her own poor health, Huangfu Su had a greater reverence for life and more compassion for the sick. She couldn't bear to see innocent lives lost, and possessing suitable medicine, she stepped in to save Bai Yulin.
Upon waking, Bai Yulin was filled with gratitude. Coupled with the fleeting glimpse he had of her, he developed feelings for Huangfu Su. Furthermore, Bai Yulin's post was within Yuecheng's jurisdiction, so he traveled with the siblings.
Along the way, Bai Yulin was exceptionally attentive, successfully winning Huangfu Su's affection. Huangfu Song, a man of simple directness, saw their closeness and suspected nothing, believing it to be mere sibling affection. It wasn't until rumors were confirmed false that the two suddenly revealed their intentions.
"Elder Brother Huangfu, I, Ah Su and I have developed feelings for each other. I hope you will grant us your blessing." Bai Yulin was not yet a powerful prime minister at that time, but a pure-hearted youth striving for love.
No matter how eloquently Bai Yulin spoke, Huangfu Song was unwilling to marry his precious sister, whom he had watched grow up, to him. Instead, he harbored a deep hatred for this ill-intentioned fellow, wishing he could beat him up.
However, Huangfu Song could refuse anyone but his beloved sister.
"Brother!" Huangfu Su, still a maiden then, pouted and mustered the courage to fight for herself for the first time.
"Ah Lin and I are deeply in love! Why don't you grant us your blessing, Brother!"
Seeing his sister's determined gaze, Huangfu Song's heart began to soften. But to make Bai Yulin cherish his sister even more, he sternly sent Bai Yulin away with a cold face.
After a thorough discussion with his sister in his room, he finally relented and agreed to the marriage.
Huangfu Song warned Bai Yulin, "You know me. If you ever betray her, I swear I will personally take your head as atonement for my sister."
Bai Yulin solemnly replied, "Elder Brother Huangfu, please rest assured. I have chosen Ah Su, and I will never betray her in this life!"
Huangfu Song looked at their tender affection and nodded in agreement.
Soon after, Bai Yulin took up his post and, after thoroughly winning over his subordinates, married in Mixian. Although life was somewhat arduous, the two truly experienced a period of tender affection.
Bai Yulin knew Huangfu Su was not in good health and was exceptionally careful, rarely letting her do any strenuous work. Shortly after their marriage, Huangfu Song set off to find medicine that could cure his sister's ailment.
After two to three years in Mixian, the Emperor summoned Bai Yulin back. An essay he had written on the livelihood of the people caught the Emperor's eye, and he was promoted.
On the day the imperial decree arrived, Bai Yulin was ecstatic, but Huangfu Su reacted with indifference.
This was the first time they had a disagreement.
"Ah Lin, we are here, just the two of us. Isn't this good?"
Bai Yulin held Huangfu Su's hand and said excitedly, "Ah Su, this is a poor and remote place. You'll know when you come with me to the capital. That is where we truly belong. Only there can I fully realize my ambitions."
Ultimately, Huangfu Su compromised. She was already pregnant at the time, but Bai Yulin, having just been transferred back, was eager to impress and neglected her.
Later, their child was born. Bai Yulin's official rank also rose steadily, and people began to offer him women.
At first, he vehemently opposed it, citing his wife at home and his inability to wrong her. But his stance eventually softened, and he accepted the daughter of a colleague into his household, the Yue clan.
Although Huangfu Su had an inherent illness, she was meticulous in her thoughts and possessed pride. After Bai Yulin took a concubine, she refused to step into his chambers unless it was to see her daughter.
Bai Yulin, having gained some status and angered by Huangfu Su's attitude, shifted his focus entirely to his career.
One day, Huangfu Song visited his sister and learned of the situation. He then severely beat Bai Yulin. Later, it wasn't until Huangfu Su's death that Bai Yulin stepped into the room of the woman he once loved again.
His grief at that time was genuine. From then on, he felt like a walking corpse. Later, due to guilt or other reasons, Bai Yulin couldn't face his daughter, who increasingly resembled Ah Su, and allowed her to be manipulated by others.
He could only shift the blame to others to make himself feel better. It was because Qingyue didn't find a doctor in time, nor did she find him, that he couldn't see Ah Su one last time.
It wasn't until that day, when he saw Qingyue lying quietly on a plank, just like her mother, that he realized how utterly wrong he had been all these years. Alas, it was too late!
Huangfu Song died while being pursued. He heard that there was a medicinal herb in the world that could cure all ailments. Although the rumors were absurd, his sister's time was running out. For her, he was willing to take a gamble.
Unfortunately, in the end, he not only failed to obtain the rumored divine medicine but also had his heart shattered by other martial artists.
On the verge of death, he met a young girl. He wanted to do one last good deed for his sister, so he gave her everything he possessed.
He didn't know that his most beloved sister had already been buried in the snow, leaving him one step ahead.
But many years later, that young girl, as he had wished, brought life to those he cared about.
May every effort in the world not be in vain!