Chapter 18: Tracking in the Snow Valley (Part Two)

The two of them immediately settled on their method of communication and all other related matters. Zisheng, looking slightly excited, reached out and rested his hand on Shi Jun’s shoulder. "It truly is fate that you just happened to fall asleep at my door. Otherwise..."

With the serious matters concluded, Shi Jun felt an indescribable sense of relief. Thinking that he would soon see Chiyang, he couldn't help but laugh out loud. "That goes without saying! By the way, what exactly did that little water beast do earlier? Tell me about it."

Zisheng was left between laughter and tears. "It’s disgusting just thinking about it. Better not to speak of it."

Shi Jun shrugged, imagining the look on Huangsha's face at the time, and chuckled to himself.

After Zisheng left, Shi Jun did not rush to depart. He finished the remaining wine, leaving not a drop, while pondering in his mind.

According to what the Yaksha had said, it seemed that without the token, it would be impossible to safely bring Chiyang out. Chiyang’s injury and escape vaguely confirmed this—the Demon Realm was fraught with danger, and he had expected rescuing someone from here to be incredibly difficult. Yet, things now seemed almost too simple. Where did the real danger lie?

While Zisheng was speaking earlier, Shi Jun had used his "Mind’s Eye" several times to observe the changes in his inner emotions, confirming that Zisheng had not lied to him. Though it might seem like a small-minded thing to do, after all, a life was at stake, and Shi Jun did not think he was wrong for it.

According to Zisheng, even if the Yakshas transformed, they remained in great danger. If they were "sniffed out" by some demon, a safe escape would be difficult. Moreover, he could not only focus on Chiyang; after all, the Yakshas had come to save her, and that intent alone was highly commendable.

The spiritual energy of the Underworld on the token was too heavy, so it would be better to hide it in his treasure pouch. With this thought, he quickly unclasped the token from his neck, opened the treasure pouch, and with a "clatter," the blue souls swarmed out, instantly filling the small wooden hut to the brim.

"No, no, go back! Don’t cause me trouble!" Shi Jun hurriedly signaled for the little things to return to the pouch. He tilted his head, lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled triumphantly. He formed a seal with his hands, cast a protective barrier to shield his physical body, and then, wrapping his primordial spirit around the treasure pouch, he whistled and flew out of the hut.

* * * * * * * *

The sky had long since cleared. Shi Jun soon reached the heights, observing the vibrant land beneath his feet from above.

The dark, dense Crying Tree Forest lay directly below. Looking toward the east, a range of towering, majestic mountains stretched on, almost endless. He curiously peered toward the southeast, the direction Zisheng had specifically warned him not to go, but found nothing unusual, save for what looked like countless strange, tall buildings in the distance. "I never imagined the Demon Realm would have such massive structures," Shi Jun mused to himself.

The golden light that had pierced the sky during the public trial had vanished. The sky was high and clear, and as Shi Jun scanned the horizon, he could not find anything amiss in this land described as being filled with hidden perils.

He could no longer find the spot where he had first entered the Demon Realm, but he vaguely remembered it being to the southwest. Looking in that direction now, there appeared to be endless grasslands, forests, and marshes.

"Right, Zisheng told me to go west. Wouldn't that be close to the exit?" he thought silently. Suddenly, a gust of wind whistled past, and a loud commotion erupted above his head. Shi Jun looked up to see a feather shimmering with eerie blue light. He quickly glided away, only then realizing it was a massive creature—neither dragon nor bird—as tall as a building. Its immense, incomparable form featured two black, round eyes embedded in its head like sparkling gemstones, looking quite fierce. It had a long, snow-white neck with a dragon-like head complete with whiskers, but the body was that of a giant bird, its blue-hued wings spread wide as it glided through the sky.

The giant bird did not seem to notice Shi Jun, letting out a long cry as it flapped its wings and gracefully drifted away.

It really hadn't noticed him! Shi Jun smiled with satisfaction. Not wanting to linger, he dove downward, flying toward the west against the warm, humid breeze.

Following the terrain map, Shi Jun soon found the Snow Valley. Upon closer inspection, he couldn't help but marvel.

It was a world composed of deep and light ice-blue hues, magical and beautiful.

The solid ice on the snowy ridges, having accumulated over countless years, had formed high peaks that still radiated a chilling cold despite the sunlight.

The mountain faces pierced the sky as straight as knife blades, their surfaces as bright as mirrors, reflecting human figures. The air was cold and dry, distinctly different from the humid, grassy, and earthy scent from before. Beneath the ridges lay deep, accumulated snow, sparkling with silver light under the sun.

Blue snow... Shi Jun was momentarily mesmerized.

* * * * * * * *

He carefully observed his surroundings, noting that almost no plants grew in this vast snow valley. Instead, he saw countless furry snow mice jumping about the snow, occasionally digging, as if searching for something.

Half out of curiosity and half as a safety test, Shi Jun silently crept closer. To his surprise, he found that these snow mice were digging for soybean-sized ice pellets buried in the snow! The lucky ones, upon finding one, treated it like a precious treasure, fearing the other mice would snatch it, and quickly tossed it into their mouths, crunching loudly. Those who didn't find any were not discouraged, continuing to hop about and patiently dig. Many even fought over the tiny ice pellets, but fortunately, these little creatures did not notice him spying from the side.

On the surface, this place was indeed not suitable for hiding; Brother Zisheng was quite clever. At the thought of seeing Chiyang soon, Shi Jun felt overwhelmed with excitement.

The Snow Valley was vast, appearing from high above like a gigantic, crystalline, deep-blue mountain range. Shi Jun fixed his bearings, found the location Zisheng had described in detail, and dove to the bottom of the valley. He found it surrounded by smooth, cold, solid ice. Looking left and right, he saw nothing unusual. Not wanting to bother with spells to open the sealed ice door, he simply charged headfirst into the mountain wall without a second thought.

* * * * * * * *

This was a bright little cave also made of solid ice. Strangely, the walls were transparent, allowing a clear view of the outside from within. As soon as Shi Jun entered, he saw Chiyang resting with her eyes closed, leaning against a furry Silver Flame Beast. Suddenly, a rush of emotions overwhelmed him; he felt as if he had been paralyzed, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

Chiyang’s face was pale and weary. Her slender body was curled up beside the Silver Flame, her golden longbow lying by her feet. One hand hung limply, and her raven-black braids were scattered across her shoulders, making her look so lonely and helpless. Her eyes were closed, her long lashes trembling slightly, and her brows were furrowed, as if she were troubled by something even in her sleep.

The transformed Silver Flame Beast lay obediently on the ground, its blood-red eyes scanning the outside with vigilance. A strip of blue cloth was wrapped around its neck—likely torn from the hem of Chiyang's garment—stained with a dark red bloodstain, suggesting it had been injured.

In another corner of the ice chamber, opposite Chiyang, a young woman sat leaning against the wall, with something slowly wriggling beside her.

The girl’s face was expressionless, her thoughts unreadable. Her thick, dark green hair fell like a waterfall to the floor, and her white robes flowed like water. Her skin was as white and translucent as jade, seemingly emitting a faint glow. Shi Jun had never seen such a dazzling woman and was momentarily stunned.

Was she Fu Yao? No wonder she was called the greatest beauty of the Demon Realm; the reputation was well-deserved, Shi Jun thought to herself.

But he only glanced for a moment before his attention was drawn to the demon beast beside Fu Yao.

It was a round, jellyfish-like monster. Its skin was milky white, covered in large and small powder-blue dots, and it had dozens of long tentacles with suction cups. It was likely a jellyfish-turned-demon; it wasn't particularly ugly, but seeing a jellyfish on land was rather strange.

The jellyfish demon kept a respectful watch beside Fu Yao, its two small eyes fixed unblinkingly on her from beneath its massive head.

He had finally found them! Shi Jun felt a surge of excitement.

Just then, Chiyang’s body stirred, and she mumbled a few words in her sleep: "Youxian... don't go..."

Youxian? Why did that name sound so familiar? Shi Jun felt a pang of sorrow in his heart and asked silently: Are you still thinking of that person in your dreams...

* * * * * * * *

At that moment, Chiyang suddenly opened her eyes, searching the area. Seeing the ice chamber she was in, she paused slightly, a flicker of irrepressible disappointment flashing through her eyes. She sighed silently and, leaning weakly on the Silver Flame, sat up.

"You're awake?" Fu Yao’s voice was mellow and soft, yet cold and devoid of emotion.

Chiyang did not answer, her gaze shifting to the jellyfish demon: "A-Li, how are you?" She seemed quite concerned for the creature.

The jellyfish, called A-Li, looked at Fu Yao uneasily and spoke in human tongue: "Thank you for your concern, I am fine." Its voice was slurred, as if it did not wish to speak much.

Seeing Chiyang ignore her, a flicker of anger flashed in Fu Yao’s eyes. She backhanded the jellyfish, which let out a low, muffled groan of pain, yet it remained obediently by her side, not daring to move.

"You..." Chiyang was furious. "Why did you hit him?"

A smile slowly spread across Fu Yao’s jade-like face, and she said coldly, "A-Li is my servant. Do I need to ask you what I can do with him? Why don't you ask him if I was wrong?"

"...How could the Mistress be wrong? It is all A-Li’s fault," A-Li replied respectfully, looking at Chiyang with pleading eyes.

"Of course." Fu Yao paused for a long while, a trace of remorse appearing in her water-blue eyes. She seemed like a different person as she gently stroked A-Li’s head and sighed: "I am so difficult to get along with; A-Li, why are you still so good to me?" She stood up, paced a few steps, and muttered to herself: "A-Li, my family is ruined now; you really didn't need to follow me."

"Mistress, A-Li will always be by your side," A-Li replied flatly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

A flicker of warmth surfaced in Fu Yao’s cold eyes. She felt a sudden pang of guilt for this demon beast she had always summoned and dismissed at will. But she was naturally proud and willful; even if she regretted her actions, she would not admit it, biting her cherry-red lips as she pondered.

Chiyang glared at Fu Yao angrily, then looked at A-Li with a mix of sorrow and indignation, shaking her head.

"I want to leave," Fu Yao said suddenly after a while.

"Mistress, you must not be impatient! It is very dangerous outside right now! It is safer for us to hide here for the time being," A-Li said slowly.

It seemed Fu Yao still trusted A-Li deeply, as she did not argue further, only pacing slowly back and forth. A moment later, she suddenly said to Chiyang: "When Brother Zisheng arrives, you and I shall go our separate ways. You return to your Underworld. From then on, we have nothing to do with each other."

Chiyang glared at Fu Yao, ignoring her. Something crossed her mind, and a flicker of tenderness appeared in her eyes. Shi Jun’s heart stirred, and he couldn't help but think: "What is she thinking? Is she missing that person, that man named Youxian? Is she thinking of me? Could she be?" Then he smiled bitterly at himself: "What is wrong with me? Why would she be thinking of me?"

* * * * * * * *

Shi Jun stood there foolishly for a long while before finally taking a deep breath, forcing those unanswerable questions from his mind. He began to chant, trying to teleport his physical body from Zisheng’s wooden hut, but whether due to the distance or the restrictions in the Demon Realm, the spell was completely ineffective. He had no choice but to lean close to Chiyang’s ear and whisper: "Can you hear me? It’s Shi Jun."

"Shi... Jun?" Chiyang trembled, whispering in disbelief. Her bright eyes widened as she looked around, unable to believe her ears.

The Silver Flame also heard Shi Jun’s voice and stood up. It let out a roar, and being a spiritual beast, it immediately locked onto Shi Jun’s location. A ball of silver flame appeared in its mouth, flickering and leaping as it prepared to strike.

Shi Jun felt a pang of sorrow and said gently: "Don't be afraid. It’s me. I’ve come to find you."

Chiyang did not know that Shi Jun had made such great progress in such a short time, to the point of using the high-level forbidden technique of the Underworld, the "Soul Projection." Seeing that there was no one in front of her, yet being able to hear Shi Jun’s voice, she assumed he had encountered some terrible danger that had forced his soul out of his body. She was shocked, stood up abruptly, and said tremblingly: "You... what happened to you? What went wrong? How did your soul get to the Demon Realm? Didn't I tell you to wait for me to come back? Could it be that Youming... was he really that heartless and finally..."

In her anxiety, Chiyang’s words came out fast and panicked. She reached out her hands in a daze, as if trying to grab something, but there was nothing there. Her hands waved in the air twice before falling limply; she hadn't realized her eyes were already blurred with tears...

Shi Jun had not expected such an intense reaction from Chiyang; he had never seen her so nervous about anything before. He was momentarily stunned, and only one voice screamed deep within his heart: "So she does care about me! She does have me in her heart after all!"