Chu Weiling had yet to return. Gritting his teeth, Jiang Xu hurriedly hid behind a massive boulder. Moments later, the surface of the water was broken by something gargantuan. He crouched low to observe and saw a black snake, its body covered in armored scales, lunge out of the water. It extended a massive tongue, and its two sharp fangs, glistening with spring water, caught the sunlight with a terrifying brilliance. Its dark green vertical pupils shone with startling intensity, and a bright red flickering tongue slid from its mouth, signaling imminent danger.
Jiang Xu pressed his body even lower. If he tried to run for the thickets further back, he would surely be spotted, so he had no choice but to hold his breath and stay pinned behind the rock, waiting for an opportunity.
He had never seen a snake this large. Even the thinnest part of its tail was much thicker than his waist; a single swipe would likely knock him unconscious.
The black snake supported its upper body with its lower half, its massive head swaying as if searching for something. Jiang Xu clamped his hand over his mouth to keep from making a sound. The snake’s long tail lightly slapped the water, sending up large splashes in a continuous rhythm. Suddenly, all sound behind him ceased.
Jiang Xu’s body went rigid. He listened intently, but even the characteristic hissing of a snake’s tongue was gone. He turned cautiously and peeked out, only to find himself staring directly into those dark green serpentine eyes. The vivid red tongue flickered in and out.
Unbeknownst to him, the black snake had emerged from the water silently. Without even the sound of a slither, it had appeared right behind him!
A cold sweat broke out over Jiang Xu instantly. However, the snake merely stared at him with its slit pupils, its body motionless except for the constant flicking of its tongue, as if it were sensing something.
He remembered that snakes used their highly sensitive tongues to gather information about their surroundings. He took a slow step back, trying not to meet its eyes, but the moment he moved, the snake’s tail tapped the ground lightly. Jiang Xu froze, not daring to move another inch.
The black snake slowly lowered its head until its tongue was almost touching Jiang Xu’s face. Its dark green eyes were cold and haunting. The head pressed downward, suddenly probing toward his waist. The tongue flickered faster, and those reptilian eyes seemed to gleam with excitement.
At his waist, there was only a sachet.
Jiang Xu swallowed hard. His hands were hidden behind his back, where he found a stone and gripped it tightly.
At this close range, he could clearly smell a faint scent of blood on the creature, as if it had recently hunted. But beneath the blood, there was another scent—one that was harder to ignore. It was a strange, heavy fragrance that felt incredibly familiar. It was just like…
Jiang Xu’s eyes widened. It was the exact scent from the sachet Chu Weiling had given him!
Had Chu Weiling realized a monster like this was waiting here and given him the sachet on purpose?
But why was the snake only confronting him instead of attacking?
Jiang Xu’s chest heaved slightly as he watched the black snake press its tongue against the sachet at his waist, sensing it as if to confirm something. Then, its swaying head suddenly went still, and its pupils narrowed into thin vertical lines. He gritted his teeth, clutched the stone, and used his hands to support his weight as he slowly shuffled backward.
The black snake backed off slightly, tilting its head to watch him. Jiang Xu quickly scrambled back a few more paces, but the snake suddenly opened its bloody maw and lunged. Jiang Xu hurled the stone with all his might, hitting the snake in the eye. He scrambled to his feet, turned, and bolted.
The snake’s body contorted with a cry, and then it surged forward in pursuit.
Jiang Xu ripped the sachet from his waist and threw it behind him. The black snake stopped to sniff at the sachet, and he took the chance to duck around a corner, but the snake was quick to catch up.
Damn it, he thought. He hadn’t run a thousand meters in ages, and now he was caught in a high-speed race for his life.
The snake was incredibly fast and massive. It gained on him quickly. Panting heavily, Jiang Xu rounded a giant tree and spotted a mud pit. An idea struck him—he ran toward the mud. He was likely covered in the scent of the sachet, and using mud to mask it might work.
He had just reached out to scoop some mud when a loach-like creature leaped out of the pit. It was much larger than a typical loach and full of fangs. Despite being in the mud, its body was snow-white and remained untainted by a single speck of dirt, looking like a lotus flower as it lunged at him with an open mouth.
Startled, Jiang Xu dodged backward. Trapped between two threats, the little creature that had almost driven him into the snake’s jaws only attacked once before fleeing at high speed. The icy breath of the snake’s tongue was almost on his neck. He grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at the snake’s head. The snake dodged nimbly, and its long, powerful tail whipped around, slamming into Jiang Xu. Before he could be sent flying, the tail coiled tightly around his waist, pinning him.
I’m finished, I’m finished! Why hasn’t that bastard Chu Weiling shown up!
The black snake opened its mouth wide, its sharp fangs lunging straight for him. Jiang Xu threw his hands up to block. At the critical moment, a blue light erupted from his palm. A surge of spiritual energy burst forth, striking the snake’s head violently. The black snake hissed in agony, its tail suddenly loosening as its massive body was blasted back by the energy, slamming into a tree trunk where it slumped, motionless.
Jiang Xu kept his arms up, waiting for the fangs that never came. When he moved his hands, he saw the black snake lying still in the distance. He scrambled up and looked at his palm. The snowflake mark Wen Hexue had given him was glowing with a faint blue light, though one of its six petals had vanished.
So, Master’s mark was meant to protect him? He took a breath, clenched his fist, took one last look at the motionless snake, and turned to leave.
He couldn’t stay with Chu Weiling anymore; he had to find the First Senior Brother.
Behind the snake’s carcass, a figure slowly stepped out—it was Chu Weiling, who had left earlier. He stood with his arms crossed, kicking the dead snake with his foot. His dark eyes watched Jiang Xu’s retreating back coldly. “Useless fellow.”
Outside the secret realm, atop the Luran Terrace, the various sect leaders and elders each had a Spirit Mirror before them. These irregular, jade-encrusted mirrors displayed scenes from within the realm on their water-like surfaces.
Some were anxious while others were relaxed, drinking and eating without a care for the situation inside.
Wen Hexue’s cold, aloof eyes never left the mirror, and the wine in his cup remained untouched.
“You’re watching so intently, Ah Xue. Is it because your little disciple is in the realm?” Helian Mo leaned on his hand, his long fingers toyed with a wine cup. His flask was already half-empty. He narrowed his eyes with a smile. “But looking at your mirror, I don’t see anything at all.”
Wen Hexue’s lashes flickered. “The Pavilion Master need not concern himself.”
Helian Mo chuckled, the cinnabar mark between his brows looking vivid and alluring. “But I want to concern myself with you. It seems your hidden treasure is being targeted, and someone might have even tampered with your Spirit Mirror.”
Wen Hexue lowered his gaze and lightly brushed his hand over the mirror’s surface. A layer of mist immediately rose, and the image became clear. It showed only Jiang Xu. His clothes were soiled, and his face was streaked with dirt like a little cat’s. Wen Hexue stared intently at a tiny trace of blood on Jiang Xu’s earlobe, and his eyes darkened.
“Oh my,” Helian Mo exclaimed in surprise. “So it wasn’t that you couldn’t see, it just wasn’t time yet? But that look in your eyes just now was truly terrifying.” He licked his lips like a fox preparing for a hunt. “Now I’m actually getting interested in that little disciple…”
Bang!
With lightning speed, the wine cup in Helian Mo’s hand was covered in frost. In the next instant, it shattered. He was startled and waved his sleeve to block the shards, but his finger was still nicked by a fragment.
Blood slowly trickled down his long index finger. Helian Mo paused, his smile deepening. He licked the blood away, staining his lips a brilliant red. He looked up at Wen Hexue with eyes full of turbulent emotion, though his tone remained playful. “This is the first time I’ve seen you look so frightening.”
In the Spirit Mirror, Jiang Xu had emerged from the immortal forest and arrived before a grand palace with carved beams and painted rafters, surrounded by clouds like a celestial dwelling.
Wen Hexue withdrew his gaze, picked up his wine cup, took a light sip, and said calmly, “The Pavilion Master and I have only met once. We are not close.”
Helian Mo laughed, though his voice turned cold. “The more you hide something, the more I want it. Seeing how you treat that little disciple like a precious treasure makes me truly curious.” His injured finger tapped the table rhythmically. “If I remember correctly, the first time we met was ten years ago. You were the same then as you are now, with only one difference.”
He took a new cup and flicked his finger, causing the wine flask to float and pour a stream of sweet liquid into the cup, which he drained in one gulp.
Wen Hexue’s eyes, deep as icy ponds, showed a change in expression. Helian Mo leaned forward on the table. “Back then, you had a little fellow following you.” As if remembering something, he licked his lips. “If I recall correctly, it was a little beauty.”
Beneath his wide white sleeves, Wen Hexue’s slender hands tightened slightly. He looked up with a cold gaze. “The Pavilion Master must be mistaken.”
“I am never mistaken about these things,” Helian Mo shrugged. “I have few virtues, but I do love the wonders of the world and…” A smile spread through his narrow eyes. “…the world’s beauties.” He shook his head with regret. “It’s just a pity you were so fierce back then, Ah Xue. You wouldn’t let the little beauty play with me.”
In the secret realm, Jiang Xu had entered the palace. His ink-black eyes were full of curiosity as he looked around.
Wen Hexue watched him—watched him climb the steps and touch the intricate patterns on the pillars. It felt as if he had been transported back many years to that snowy day.
In that world of ice and snow, a boy dressed in rags had warmed his heart with his own body heat.
That day had been so cold, yet it was the one he remembered most clearly—and most fondly.
“Is that so?” Wen Hexue lowered his eyes, his long lashes casting shadows. “Has it really been ten years?”
Helian Mo was taken down by the reaction. Seeing a rare flash of vulnerability and loneliness in Wen Hexue’s expression, he wondered if he had seen it wrong. “You aren’t angry?”
Years ago, he had only slightly teased that little beauty and was chased and beaten for a day and a night. Had he truly changed?
“I am not the one who should be angry.”
Wen Hexue looked up at him, yet seemed to be looking through him. Helian Mo stared back for a long time, but saw nothing except a hollow silence.
He thought to himself: This man truly lives up to his name. Even his eyes look as though it has been snowing in them for years.