Chapter 53 Kneeling and weeping in the snow, I humbly pray that my master may enjoy longevity and good health...

The sun came out at noon.

The snow on the eaves melted and dripped down, making a crisp "plop" sound when it hit the ground.

The first snow of this winter has gradually melted away.

Heng Qichun spent nearly a morning in Tianyin Hall. Just as he was about to take his leave, he bumped into a clumsy little disciple.

Nan Yushan gave a light rebuke, "What's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

The young disciple, his face filled with urgency, first bowed to apologize to Heng Qichun, and then stammered, "Sect Leader..."

"If you're going to say it, then say it quickly!"

“Senior Brother Wei is here again.” The junior disciple gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, then blurted out everything in one breath, “He also said… if you don’t return this white snake to him, he will kneel outside until he dies.”

Heng Qichun was stunned for a moment before connecting the "Senior Brother Wei" he mentioned with Wei Xiuzhu. "Xiuzhu, this is..."

Nan Yushan snorted coldly, his eyes filled with anger but showing no surprise whatsoever. Clearly, this wasn't the first time Wei Xiuzhu had caused such a scene.

He lowered his eyes, looking at the white snake coiled around his wrist, but couldn't help narrowing his eyes. "I wonder what kind of bewitching potion this white snake gave that kid, that makes him think about it day and night, and come to kneel here every day."

Having witnessed the incident, Heng Qichun finally took the time to examine the white snake closely. When his gaze met the pair of green vertical eyes, he was momentarily stunned.

This feeling...

It was as if he were facing a wolf cub that had transformed into wolf form, a feeling of inexplicable familiarity washing over him.

Before he could figure it out, Wei Xiuzhu's kneeling, weeping voice came from outside the Tianyin Hall: "Please, Master, allow me to take the white snake back to the Luduan Sect. I will take good care of it and will not slack off in the slightest..."

"My senior brother has been missing for over a month, and I am deeply worried about him. I can hardly eat or sleep. Only when the White Snake is by my side can I find a moment of peace. I beg you, Master, to grant my request!"

In the end, the plea was even mixed with sobs as someone knelt and kowtowed.

Heng Qichun looked reluctant and finally looked away from the white snake. "Since it's not a very important spirit pet, Senior Brother, you might as well return it to him."

Looking at the kneeling figure in the snow, he couldn't help but advise, "It's not a good look to keep making a scene like this every day."

Nan Yushan ignored him, his face still dark, and snorted coldly, "Let him be."

He raised his hand to stop the restless white snake, implying, "I always feel this snake is strange, like I've seen it somewhere before."

Heng Qichun was delayed for a moment because of this. When he came out wearing a cloak, Wei Xiuzhu was still kneeling in the same spot.

It was cold, but the child was dressed very thinly and knelt in the snow, shivering slightly.

When he saw that the person who came out was Heng Qichun, he immediately knelt down sincerely. Before he could utter a word to plead for mercy, Heng Qichun grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up.

Wei Xiuzhu was stunned for a moment, and it took him a while to remember to call out, "God?"

Heng Qichun gestured for him to stand still, raised his hand to brush the snowflakes off the child's shoulder, and said gently, "Senior Brother always keeps his word. Once he has made a decision, there is no use in pleading any further."

A cold wind howled, making Wei Xiuzhu shiver. Heng Qichun also turned his head and coughed, instructing him, "It's cold, go back first."

Hearing the deity say the same thing, Wei Xiuzhu's eyes immediately welled up with tears. "But...but..."

“I know that white snake is very important to you,” Heng Qichun continued, “The trip to Mount Sixiang may resolve your doubts.”

Wei Xiuzhu was stunned for a moment before he understood the meaning of those words, and was immediately shocked, "The Divine Lord is going to the Four Symbols Mountain?"

“Yes. If you really miss that white snake…” Heng Qichun suddenly leaned down and whispered something in his ear. The words were quickly carried away by the cold wind and became unnoticed.

——

While the Eighteen Realms are covered in ice and snow, the Divine Firmament Palace is filled with smoke and fire.

As soon as Heng Qichun entered the palace, he was choked by the thick smoke and started coughing. He covered his mouth and nose and looked into the palace, where he saw the long-unseen Pixiu cub sitting in front of the stove, dutifully roasting a rabbit leg.

The rabbit legs were charred black, and thick smoke billowed as the fat dripped out.

Heng Qichun felt his forehead throb twice.

The next instant, a furry thing pounced.

Lou Yan grabbed a section of his robe and used brute force to pull him toward the stove.

These past few days, Shenxiao Palace has been in complete chaos. Heng Qichun's clothes have been almost completely destroyed. Feeling sorry for the robe he was wearing, he simply stopped struggling and staggered a few steps before Lou Yan dragged him to the stove.

"You had Pixiu roast it?" Heng Qichun's voice was slightly hoarse, and he was still coughing as he covered his mouth and nose as he asked Lou Yan.

Lou Yan let out a "howl," tilted his head back, and hummed twice, clearly admitting it.

He finally loosened Heng Qichun's robe hem, gesturing for his master to eat the roasted rabbit leg.

Heng Qichun remained silent for a moment, then bent down and took the charred rabbit leg from the Pixiu cub's hand. He gently pinched it with his fingertips—the outer skin already tasted bitter, while blood still seeped from the inside.

He closed his eyes and thought: This wolf cub probably wants to poison him.

Lou Yan still stared at him expectantly, her eyes filled with anticipation and even a hint of ingratiation.

That's all.

Heng Qichun sighed, condensed a wisp of spiritual energy at his fingertips, and re-roasted the rabbit leg until it was thoroughly cooked. Then he tore off a small piece and put it in his mouth.

Lou Yan's ears perked up instantly, and its tail stopped wagging. It stared nervously at his expression, and when it saw that he had been chewing for so long without swallowing, it even let out a "howl" in frustration.

How about it?

"...Not bad." Heng Qichun swallowed with difficulty and commented.

Lou Yan's eyes lit up noticeably. Although he held back his pride and didn't immediately approach, his tail started wagging unconsciously.

He sat sideways, but his eyes couldn't help but steal glances at Heng Qichun.

It really worked.

After eating just one roasted rabbit leg, Heng Qichun's complexion improved significantly, and his clear eyes even showed a gentler expression, no longer appearing so cold.

He said, "Who doesn't love roasted rabbit legs?"

Heng Qichun ignored his little apprentice's excited expression, tapped Louyan's front paw with his foot, pointed to a pile of coal ash under the stove, and said, "Go and clean it up."

Lou Yan, unsuspecting, obediently picked up a piece of charcoal ash and went out.

Only Heng Qichun and the pitiful-looking baby Pixiu remained in the hall.

Heng Qichun coughed twice more before withdrawing his hand and asked the Pixiu cub, "Who went to catch the rabbit?"

"Whoosh!"

Since Langlang can't leave Shenxiao Palace, of course I'll go!

"What did he tell you?"

The Pixiu cub blinked innocently, "Whoosh!"

Wolf said that the God was sick, so he should eat some food that would help him recover.

Therefore, Lou Yan believed that the most beneficial food for Heng Qichun's recovery was roasted rabbit leg.

It really is...

Heng Qichun was at a loss for words, feeling both amused and exasperated. After all, the wolf cub meant well.

Snow water dripped onto the jade bricks under the eaves, creating a crisscrossing sound when the wind blew.

Looking out, there was still only a day of white snow outside the palace, and in the biting cold wind, the melting of the snow seemed to be an endless process.

Heng Qichun gathered one hand into his sleeve, his fingertips concealed beneath the sleeve as he gently formed a magic seal. Then, he raised his hand and easily removed the barrier.

When Lou Yan returned, she was almost in tears. She rubbed her two front paws against the barrier for a long time before finally confirming that the barrier was really gone.

He felt a long-lost sense of freedom enveloping him completely.

"Huh?" He looked up at Heng Qichun.

Master?

Does this mean we can let him out?

Heng Qichun casually ruffled the wolf cub's head and calmly instructed, "Pixiu, go back to Luduan Gate by yourself. You will come with me to Sixiang Mountain."

As he spoke, he opened his palm and silently recited an incantation, and Qin Jing, who struck fear into the hearts of all demons, appeared in his palm.

"Also, the baby shark has been handed over to Senior Brother," Heng Qichun said meaningfully. "You won't have to be jealous anymore."

——

Due to recent snowfall, the mountain roads are difficult to traverse, so the Eighteen Realms have suspended their daily lectures and ordered all disciples to cultivate on their own.

Nanyushan finally got a full night's sleep, something he rarely does.

He woke up before dawn, and the sound of snow falling from the eaves outside grew clearer and more piercing. He frowned, his thoughts interrupted by the young disciple who had delivered the message earlier.

"Sect Leader!"

Nan Yushan let out a soft breath, his temper worn down by the torment. "What now? Did Wei Xiuzhu faint from kneeling?"

The junior disciple was stunned, and all the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat. After stammering for a long time, he finally said, "No... it's that Senior Brother Wei went back!"

Nan Yushan instinctively looked at the sky outside and saw that the sun had not yet risen, and the shadows on the horizon were gradually moving and about to completely cover it, making it almost the darkest time of the day.

It's already this late.

Thinking of that ignorant little brat made him angry, and Nan Yushan unconsciously snorted, "So what? You're such a fuss over nothing..."

The young disciple didn't dare to argue, and silently handed a letter to Nanyushan, interrupting his subsequent rebuke.

The envelope itself looked quite ordinary, but someone had carefully written a line of small characters on it: "To be opened by the Sect Leader."

The handwriting is rounded and without corners, clearly the handwriting of Wei Xiuzhu.

Nan Yushan's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart. He didn't bother to waste any more words with his junior disciple and reached out to open the envelope.

Before the revered master:

The disciple kowtows and bows again.

In the depths of winter on the snowy mountain, this disciple kneels in deep reflection, recalling Master's teachings as if awakened by a clear bell, never daring to forget them. Now, this disciple resolves to descend the mountain for trials, to travel ten thousand miles alone, to prove the Dao of Gu.

Several months have passed since my senior brother went missing. This time, I have traveled south to investigate the cause and effect. If I find him, I will bring him back to the mountain even if it means going to the netherworld. Although I practice Gu magic, I will remember the sect's rule of "using the body as a vessel and the heart as a vessel." I will diligently practice and dare not be negligent or lax. Master, please do not worry.

May our revered Master enjoy longevity and good health.

Your unworthy disciple, Xiuzhu, respectfully submits this.

"Ha..." After reading the text message in a few glances, Nan Yushan read it again and was so angry that he laughed. He casually crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it far away.

"I never knew that one or two of my disciples were so capable."

The incompetent junior disciple nearly collapsed to his knees, barely managing to steady himself as he picked up the letter and carefully put it away. Just as he stood up, he heard his master's somber voice: "Did he leave alone?"

The young disciple nodded, "Yes...yes."

After he finished speaking, Nanyushan suddenly fell silent.

The young disciples dared not leave or utter a sound, and this celestial palace fell into an eerie silence.

After silently counting to five in his mind, the young disciple suddenly thought of something and was about to run out when he saw that Nan Yushan had already gotten up and left before him.

Beneath the statue of Guanyin, an empty spirit box lay there, radiating spiritual energy, yet containing nothing.

—The white snake has disappeared.

The young disciples could see from afar that their master was clenching his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, as if he were holding in great anger.

"division……"

"Search," Nan Yushan said. "Search the Tianyin Palace inside and out to see if it has run away somewhere."

The young disciple closed his eyes with a death-defying resolve, thinking to himself, "What's the point of looking for it now? It's obvious that Senior Brother Wei stole it while you were asleep."

Meeting the murderous gaze of Nan Yushan, the junior disciple trembled, resigned himself to his fate, and began searching for the non-existent snake.

-----------------------

Author's Note: [Kiss]