Amidst the bone-chilling sky.
Blue eyes peer down on a world of white, snow blanketed the once crimson soil.
White robes, embroidered with the visage of a dead willow tree, flutter in the howling gales of Winter's embrace.
Standing just below the pale clouds, a woman's figure can be made out through the snowy veil.
Her hands were held behind her back as she loosened her shoulders.
"They're gone... so it seems..."
Unrelenting in her observation, she repeatedly scanned the area for the next half-hour.
The Settlement. The Corpse Mountain. The forest below.
Beneath her was the previous battlefield between Warrior of Spring and the Demonic Cultivator.
The snowy storm embraces a large tree's carcass, whose roots peek through the snow.
Upturned earth and bony spikes are hidden under the white surface.
Gone are the practitioners of such a violent battle.
'Brother Spring should be returning soon...'
Narrowing her eyes, she looked far into the distance, beyond Winter's embrace, where the verdant forest was barely visible through the snowy veil.
'The battle has ended... However, we have only managed to drive off that Demonic Cultivator.'
'Such a force targeting a Mortal Settlement like this, what could be the reason?'
'I will enquire about this later. For now..."
Looking towards the Northeastern direction, the woman could feel a gentle, clear presence approaching.
As it pierced the snowy veil, its jade-green light was the only colour in Winter's embrace.
When the jade-green light stopped in front of the woman's face, she brought her hand below it.
'A Jade Slip? Corpse Mountain Settlement is one of Union Settlement's subsidiary Mortal Settlements... this must be from Immortal Union.'
'But why has it come here, to my hand?'
'...'
Feeling a subtle sensation in the South-Southeastern direction, the woman turned to face that horizon.
A manly figure is felt breaching the snowy veil.
'Oh, Brother Spring has returned.'
...
"Food needs to be preserved properly. Rend the beast corpses into sizeable portions, cook and cure them for distant travels!"
"We need ample transportation to relocate the injured and sick, elderly and children, and enough accommodation to safely house everyone!"
"The path through the Northern forest has a ravine marked two hundred meters north of the Wheat Fields. If we travel Northeast, we would run into a river..."
The entire Settlement was kicked into motion.
Families were preparing for departure.
Resources were being moved around in abundance, such as food and water.
Horses and tamed beasts were being gathered to pull large carriages.
Naturally, there was some strife.
Those who did not want to abandon the Settlement in such dire times had voiced their opposition.
At his desk, the Settlement Lord sorted through all the messages he was receiving and delivered orders appropriately.
'There are a few people still refusing to leave their homes behind... They wish to remain on the land which their families had built their history on...'
'...'
'If they wish to remain... then let them be. Focus our attention on preparing the families who wish to leave, prioritise them first, and then we will address those who refuse to move later.'
Should such history have mattered to the Settlement Lord in the first place, he would be defending this Settlement with his life on the line, as well as everyone else's.
Except...
'Gains and losses go hand in hand. We can not risk losing our own lives willingly; the lives of the people are more important than retaining the Settlement.'
'So be it if we lose the Corpse Mountain... It will be the 'loss' for keeping our lives. How could these people willingly add to the losses?'
'We will try to persuade them later, but we must prepare for departure, without hesitation, with the utmost efficiency!'
A soft knocking resounded through the room.
'Lord! Lords' Warrior of Spring and Call of Winter have arrived; they wish to seek an audience with you.'
Turning towards the door, the Settlement Lord approved their entrance.
As the man dressed in tattered robes and the woman dressed in pristine white robes had entered, the Settlement lord stood to pay his respects.
"Friend Spring, I am most relieved that you have returned to us alive. Friend Winter, I am most grateful for your aid in defending our Settlement, too."
"All is well."
"I hope you do not mind my dishevelled appearance, friend!"
Call of Winter lightly waved for the Settlement Lord to be at ease, while Warrior of Spring laughed heartedly with warmth.
Which was surprising for his dire appearance.
"Please, let us not stand on ceremony."
Saying so, Call of Winter raised her hand and presented a jade-green light.
"This is..."
"A Jade Slip. An Immortal's communication method over long distances."
The Settlement Lord looked at the Jade Slip with slight astonishment.
"This message must have been from an Immortal. Could Lord Immortal Union have sent a message?"
"You are half right."
"What do you mean?"
Call of Winter gestured for Warrior of Spring to explain, and he did so with a sigh.
"The usual method these Jade Slips use to deliver their information is to be bound to a target, whereas the binding method requires information about the target themselves."
"Were this from Immortal Union, he would have known about you and sent this Jade Slip to you directly."
Looking at the Jade Slip again, it was clearly in Call of Winter's hand.
"What does this mean? Has a different Immortal contacted us?"
"Yes... It seems the Jade Slip was targeted towards State Cultivators. Regarding the contents of the information, it seems the Immortal had intended for this Jade Slip to be received by me, but chose Sister Winter as the closest target. As for who contacted us, it was Immortal Adamant of Great River Bank Settlement."
"Great River Bank? What does Immortal Adamant want with us?"
"It is best if you take a look."
Call of Winter handed over the Jade Slip to the Settlement Lord, who instilled his Qi and received a small flood of information.
Gradually, his confusion turned into shock, which soon turned into horror.
The Settlement Lord processed all this information with a grim expression.
"Union Settlement... has fallen...?"
"Indeed. It seems that Corpse Mountain Settlement was not the only target for Demonic Cultivators."
"Lord... Immortal Union, he has fallen, too..."
"So it seems..."