47 - The Cannon Fodder is Prepared to Divorce

Roughly at the point when all necessary preparations were mostly done, Ji Wu Nian left Wu Yang and hurriedly headed north without any rest. Upon learning of this, Yue Bai remarked with a four-character phrase, “Driven by desperation,” which applied to both her and himself. “Ye Shi Mei,” Zhan Feng approached her, “if we encounter any fierce spirit beasts later, just stand in the middle and leave it to us.” “Understood, Senior Brother Zhan.” Ye Shi Mei respectfully greeted the senior brothers and sisters around them, “Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brothers and Sisters.” This time, Zhan Feng led a group of newly admitted disciples from each peak to the western territories in search of spirit pets. Although Ye Shi Mei, being Ji Wu Nian’s direct disciple, was originally not included, Liu Li added her to the group, probably wanting her to interact more with the outstanding disciples from other peaks. Apart from Zhan Feng, Guan Sheng, who ranked third in a previous competition, was also present, while Luo Chang He had some matters, hence he didn't come along. The Deer Yi Mountain Range stretches for a thousand miles, and the western line is even longer. Yue Bai had scouted the area earlier, and now while walking with them, he was cautious on the surface, but his mind was still tracking Ji Wu Nian's movements elsewhere. Seeing Ji Wu Nian already entering the northern territories, Yue Bai guessed she might be stealing the Suqin Sword from Cang Xue Peak. “Are you still going to follow?” Jiu Yi asked her, “Maybe like with the Cold Sword last time, she will solve it on her own?” Ji Wu Nian often completed the mission tasks suddenly, making Jiu Yi start to wonder whether Yue Bai still needed to fulfill the mission. “Let’s see.” Yue Bai replied, “It’s a bit troublesome to get away now.” With a group of people surrounding her, sneaking away was not easy. *** Cang Xue Peak, in the far north, was previously visited by Yuan Jiu of Wuji Palace. Despite its name containing "snow," Cang Xue Peak lies in a basin with snow-capped mountains surrounding it, while it enjoys spring all year round. In this vast whiteness, it's hard to find the fairyland. Ji Wu Nian, who was familiar with the terrain, bypassed all the mechanisms and traps, dispelled the illusions, and even prepared wild beasts to distract the guardian spirit beasts. With the Suqin Sword in hand, Ling Zhou played a tune called “Proud Snow and Cold Plum” at the mountain gate of Cang Xue Peak while the elders were in a meeting. Bone-chilling cold, invigorating snow. “Good instrument.” Ling Zhou ignored the overwhelming spiritual power pressing down from the sky. The weather changed dramatically, but nothing more than that. Ling Zhou plucked the strings, and the Suqin Sword soared with the sound, piercing through the black clouds in the sky as if the overwhelming spiritual power was nonexistent. The Cang Xue members were taken aback, as the spiritual power dissipated just like that. The black clouds turned into mist, and warm sunlight streamed in. Ling Zhou smiled and was about to leave when suddenly, the long sword froze in mid-air. An old man with long white beard and hair walked out slowly, his divine pressure covering the heavens and earth, “Not bad, young friend. To have seen through the formation eye.” He certainly came out quickly. Ling Zhou plucked the strings again, and a chilling melody forcefully pushed back the pressure, standing upright at the mountain gate, “This girl is merely taught by someone.” “You clearly state that there’s a traitor in my sect,” the head looked kind, “Should I believe you?” The demonic energy around surged, Ling Zhou mimicked the head’s smile, “I know that Left Head has great wisdom. Whether you believe or not is up to you, but…,” pointing the Suqin Sword skyward, Ling Zhou lived up to his name, “I will borrow this Suqin Sword for now!” “Ha,” Left Ren stepped forward, “Do you think you can leave?” Ling Zhou, under the oppressive force, sneered, “Left Head can certainly try to detain me.” Spiritual energy transformed into a palm, descending from the sky. *** “‘Ding’. ‘Steal the Suqin Sword from Cang Xue Peak’. Mission complete.” At that moment, Yue Bai was still searching for spirit beasts with Zhan Feng and others in the mountains. Among the newly admitted disciples, some were still very young, Guan Sheng caught a few rabbits and even placed one in Ye Shi Mei's arms, in exchange for the opportunity to pet Wan Wan later. “I heard from Senior Brother Luo that Ye Er is also good at cooking,” a female disciple from Jingyu Peak approached, smiling, “Senior Sister Guan, how about we visit Qinglin Hall together next time?” Guan Sheng is the third senior sister of this generation in Jingyu Peak, with a senior brother and sister above her, both of whom already reached the Core Formation stage and were traveling at the moment. Pleasant and gentle, Guan Sheng was especially caring towards her junior brothers and sisters, making her quite popular. Standing beside Ye Shi Mei, Guan Sheng said, “Ye Er, what do you think?” Yue Bai was also aware of Guan Sheng's kind nature. She, thinking Ye Shi Mei might feel lonely, engaged her through such conversations. Although Yue Bai didn’t need it, he still appreciated the gesture, “My master is currently in seclusion, and I am temporarily staying with Liu Li Immortal. If Senior Sisters want to visit, just let me know…” “Warning! Warning! Mission target in life-threatening danger! Life signs dropping! Seventy percent, sixty-five percent!” Yue Bai’s eyebrow twitched. “Ye Er?” “…” Yue Bai steadied herself, smiling as she continued, “If Senior Sisters want to visit, let me know, and I will prepare at Qinglin Hall.” “Well then…” “Whoosh!” A sudden change in the forest, with Zhan Feng and several disciples retreating and shouting, facing toppled trees. “Get back!” A giant snake head rose from the fallen trees, its vertical pupils red, tongue flicking between fangs dripping deadly venom. The venom sizzled the forest floor upon contact. Ye Shi Mei was pushed, nearly stumbling. Guan Sheng shielded the younger disciples, playing a long flute to bolster Zhan Feng’s and others’ swords against the snake. “Go first!” Zhan Feng shoved a few lower-ranked disciples towards Ye Shi Mei, “Get back to the main formation!” “Hiss!” The sharp-fanged snake dove, almost breaching Zhan Feng's defenses. “Si Mian!” Guan Sheng called out a junior sister’s name, “Take them back! Quickly!” Perhaps it was rare to hear Guan Sheng call out so loudly, the others snapped out of it, unleashing their immortal swords and ascending. But as they cleared the treetops and caught sight of the sky, a shadow swept in swiftly, slamming into the group. With lightning speed and immense force, weaker disciples were scattered. Ye Shi Mei, swept by the forceful wind, fell into the forest below. “Well done.” In an unnoticed moment, an array light dimmed, transporting her a thousand miles away. The teleportation array didn’t stop Yue Bai’s falling momentum, causing her to crash heavily into the snow upon arrival. Around her, bone-chilling winds blew, and snow mist obscured her vision. Yue Bai, half-kneeling, clutched her chest, panting heavily. “Yue Bai... are you okay?” Jiu Yi once again admired Yue Bai’s remote blood control ability, naturally aware of the burden it placed on her. Yue Bai transformed her appearance with a talisman, ingesting a pill, and her long sword became Qingfeng. After steadying her breath, she stood up in the blizzard, scanning the indistinct surroundings, “Where is she?” Jiu Yi showed her the red dot’s position, now stationary, “Mission target’s life signs stable, sixty percent.” Not dead, but probably severely injured. Despite her labored breathing, Yue Bai sensed numerous presences in the blizzard from the Cang Xue members searching for Ling Zhou. One more formidable presence among them was likely a significant figure from Cang Xue Peak. A spirit form changer, capable of altering heaven and earth, not to be underestimated. However, in the icy realm of Cang Xue, natural changes often occur, beyond human capacity. This strength of Cang Xue Peak was now a disadvantage in their pursuit of Ling Zhou. Considering this, Yue Bai drew a circle in the mist. On the other side, a red-clad figure leaned against a stone wall, her hair disheveled. Her chest was stained dark red, her abdomen soaked with blood, her lips' blood yet to be wiped, making her face even paler. With brows furrowed, her breathing was labored. Crossing the circle, Yue Bai entered the cave, out of the fierce wind and snow.