Chapter 90 The Spear of Courage Still Moves Forward (Thirteen) Our Mission...

"Teacher! Which move are we going to learn now?" Lilia asked Ji Yinxiu excitedly, waving the wooden stick in her hand.

The latter shook his head.

"Don't hold the sword yet. On the first day, test your balance and reaction speed."

Hearing this, Lilia withdrew her leg, put down her sword, and stood obediently to the side, believing that her teacher had her reasons.

"Over there, on the obstacle course, run a few laps around and see how it goes," Ji Yinxiu pointed to the obstacle course under the tree in the courtyard, where stones had already been laid out.

"Yes, ma'am!" Lilia carefully placed the wooden stick that Ji Yinxiu had given her aside, then strode around the rocks, swinging her arms. She was agile, but she always seemed to stop when turning.

After several laps, Lilia only broke out in a light sweat, feeling neither tired nor subtly excited.

She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, walked up to Ji Yinxiu, and looked forward to his praise. These sports were nothing. She could do all the chores at home and move firewood on the farm all by herself. In terms of physical strength, Lilia felt that she was no less than a man.

But Ji Yinxiu's face, so beautiful it was hard to tell if he was male or female, remained expressionless. He stared at Lilia's feet and said, "It would be best if you changed into something more comfortable for class tomorrow."

Lilia suddenly realized that it was the skirt that was holding her back. However, there was almost no precedent for women wearing pants in this country. But Lilia did not intend to talk about this with Ji Yinxiu. She grinned and nodded heavily.

The afternoon sun was pleasant, and the hotel was like paradise compared to the desert.

Xia Zhu, Feng Feng, and Ji Wuchou moved out a table and chairs and sat around the veranda eating the lunch brought by the waiter. The green trees overhead provided shade, filtering out the scorching heat and letting in only golden sunlight and dappled shadows.

"Xiuxiu has quite the air of a teacher, don't you think?" Feng Feng chewed as he glanced at the two people practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.

"Xiuxiu?" Ji Wuchou took a sip of the refreshing milk wine, a specialty of the Yan Yan Kingdom.

"Yes! It sounds more affectionate, and I think this name suits him perfectly!"

On the other side, Xia Zhu, who was busy stuffing her mouth with all kinds of delicious food and had no time to say anything, suddenly stopped chewing, thought seriously for two seconds, and then nodded in agreement.

She recalled hearing the Ji family call him by his childhood name at Xuanyuan Hill; compared to the incomprehensible numbers, this way of addressing him was indeed much more affectionate.

"Hey, do you guys think we can be sure that Sirius is Ryougi?"

"I think it's about 80%. It's all about the character's backstory, the protagonist's halo. Putting everything else aside, just one point is that he's the only character to join the team," Ji Wuchou stated his opinion.

"Hmm~" Feng Feng drawled out the last syllable, giving a thumbs-up in agreement. He propped himself up, scooped a piece of bread from the plate, spread jam on it, took a crunchy bite, and then continued, "So what is his obsession? He had such a dream."

"But he's about my age! It's understandable that young people like him are easily addicted to online games and fantasize about becoming saviors."

"Maybe we can sound us out while we're at it," Xia Zhu mumbled, still chewing on his plate.

"Great idea! I'll call everyone out on the street later! We'll try to pry something out of him!" Feng Feng stuffed the last bit of bread crust into his mouth and then sucked his fingers.

Ji Wuchou chuckled and handed her a tissue. "Your main purpose is to go out and have some fun, right?"

Feng Feng took the tissue with a grin, quickly transformed it into a paper crane in her hands, and presented it to Ji Wuchou with both hands in a fawning manner.

"Beautiful lady, may I have the honor of inviting you out for a stroll?"

Ji Wuchou stared at the paper crane for a moment, then looked up briefly before regaining her composure, smiling as she took the paper crane and said softly, "Of course."

Although Xia Zhu was too busy to respond, she kept a close eye on the two of them. Something unreadable flashed quickly in Ji Wuchou's eyes, which Xia Zhu could assume was a surging sadness.

After the rest of the group got up and had breakfast, Feng Feng urged everyone to go out, saying that he wanted to leave the quiet courtyard for Ji Yinxiu.

The customs and traditions vary from place to place along the Xiaoyutan mainland, with different styles every hundred miles and different customs every thousand miles.

Compared to the southern swamps, the Yan Yan Kingdom is just as hot, but much drier. Its customs and traditions are similar to those of the real-world Northwest region, with oases connecting to the desert, lone plumes of smoke rising straight, and the setting sun round and bright.

Because everyone here possesses fire magic, the weapon forging industry is particularly outstanding. However, Xia Zhu found it strange that with such a thriving and widespread industry, Lilia, despite being a human who had wandered from Ophir, should not be without a suitable weapon. Faced with the oppressive rulers, all she could offer were farming tools.

It seems that this country is only shrouded in a mysterious aura that inspires imagination and longing because of legends, and in reality it is no different from any other politically organized group.

Iron City is the gateway to the territory of the Flaming Kingdom. It is home to various races from different countries and regions, so the stalls on the streets sell all sorts of strange and unusual items. The short journey from one end of the street to the other made everyone's steps linger. In the blink of an eye, the entire landscape of the continent flashed before their eyes as if they had traveled through time and space, leaving Xia Zhu and Feng Feng dazzled.

Of course, most of the alien races come here to do the Feather Robe quest, just like them, so you can see groups of three or five brave warriors carrying containers filled with the feathers of the Heavenly Bird.

Feng Feng hadn't forgotten the task Ji Wuchou and Xia Zhu had assigned her. She discreetly squeezed next to Sirius, looking for an opportunity to strike up a conversation.

Sirius was squatting in front of a stall selling all kinds of animal bones, seriously pondering which kind Meow Meow would like.

The puppy was quite large and could easily cause panic if taken out on the street, so it stayed at the hotel to sleep.

"Sirius~ What are your hobbies?" Feng Feng picked up a thick hand bone and asked casually. Xia Zhu and Ji Wuchou also pretended to look at the goods in front of them, but their ears perked up.

"Hobbies? Does liking cats count?"

"Oh dear, except for the puppy!"

Sirius looked away from the pile of bones, thought carefully for a moment, and then said, "Music?"

"Music!?" Feng Feng felt this was a breakthrough. According to the game world's setting, the timeline here overlaps with medieval Europe, and perhaps some clues could be found in the music genres.

"What kind of music? Piccolo? Harp?"

Sirius was deep in thought.

“It doesn’t seem to be either.” He pointed to his head. “It’s the music hidden in my head.”

Xia Zhu put down what she was holding and leaned closer to the two of them. She heard Sirius pause for a few seconds and then hum a short, melodious tune. Although she didn't understand music, Xia Zhu could tell that the tune didn't fit the context. She turned to look at Ji Wuchou, who nodded. "It sounds familiar, but I don't know much about music."

Sirius was still humming the music hidden in his head, but no one noticed that his features had subtly furrowed, and a look of bewilderment appeared on his face.

The weather in Yan Yan Kingdom is hot and windy, making it difficult for many bright and beautiful plants to grow. So, merchants from the Elf Kingdom travel thousands of miles using the Elf race's preservation techniques to transport all kinds of exotic flowers and herbs from the forests to Yan Yan Kingdom to sell.

Xia Zhu's attention was drawn to a little elf's stall.

This corner was as if space had been cleaved open, revealing a glimpse of an elven world. Spring was in full bloom, brimming with life; closer, the air was filled with the fragrance of osmanthus and orchids, and you could hear the cheerful chirping of birds. Stepping into the open space of the stall, even the air you breathed felt refreshingly clean.

A string of glassy bellflowers hung on the flower stand, looking like an artificial ornamental plant, yet they truly grew from the soil. The glistening, plump buds were swayed by the moisture-laden breeze, making a clear, melodious sound as they bumped against each other, and flashing with a beautiful, subtle light.

Xia Zhu stared, mesmerized. The shimmering light and melodious sounds seemed to lull one into a dream, and with the slightest distraction, one would be drawn into it.

A hand reached out from behind and grabbed her arm, jolting her awake from her reverie. Xia Zhu's mind was blank, unable to make sense of the situation before her.

"You're a clergyman too?"

The newcomer spoke in an unfriendly tone and held her arm tightly.

also?

Xia Zhu noticed that the woman was wearing a robe similar in style to his own and guessed that she must have come from the Great River of the Central Plains.

The clergy are at the top of the food chain in this world, in charge of all laws and regulations. The sudden appearance of this woman in a long robe with a black veil covering her face was as shocking to Xia Zhu as being happily walking down the street when suddenly a policeman points a gun at her head.

"Perfect timing, come with me!"

What Xia Zhu heard was, "Raise your hands, don't try to resist, and come with us."

She nearly raised her hands above her head.

"I am a law-abiding citizen," Xia Zhu said sincerely.

"What good citizen or bad citizen? We're still missing a priest to recite the incantation for those who betray their bloodline. I came here to find one, and I just happened to run into you as I stepped out. Come with me!"

After she finished speaking, she pulled Xia Zhu and turned to leave, but Xia Zhu was very stable and did not move like a mountain. The priest stumbled and stopped in place.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked Xia Zhu incredulously. Reciting the death sentence for the traitor was of paramount importance, so why did this person seem so indifferent?

Xia Zhu raised her hand, which hadn't been caught, in a daze.

"Excuse me, what is a bloodline traitor?"

"You don't even know this?" The woman looked at Xia Zhu in astonishment. "That's right, you look like a newly hatched snake, perhaps you haven't yet fulfilled your duties as a priest."

She temporarily released Xia Zhu's hand and patiently explained, "Clerics can only marry within their own race. If a child is born from a union with another race, it is a betrayal of the bloodline of the gods, and such a person should be executed! We came here in pursuit of a fugitive traitor, but one of the clerics in our group encountered some unexpected circumstances and could not participate in the execution. That's why we went out to try our luck. As you know, a grand ceremony requires more than five clerics."

"Did you understand?"

Xia Zhu nodded blankly. She understood what she was hearing, but she didn't really want to go.

"Stop dawdling and hurry up!" After saying that, the woman reached out to grab Xia Zhu again, but was stopped in mid-air by another outstretched hand.

"Hey, where are you taking her? In broad daylight, are you trying to kidnap her?"

Xia Zhu squinted at Ying Huo, who had suddenly appeared. It was a bright afternoon, and the sunlight overhead was so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes. Ying Huo used a lot of force, squeezing her until her bones and muscles ached.

The clergyman was startled by the sudden voice, but upon seeing who it was, he immediately adopted a contemptuous expression.

"Humans?" Her teasing gaze swept back and forth between Xia Zhu and Ying Huo. "No wonder you were unwilling to come with me to recite the incantation."

She suddenly opened her eyes wide and her face contorted in a ferocious expression.

"Do you know that this is against the law!"

Just as Xia Zhu was about to reply to her, the crowd not far away suddenly erupted in commotion.

"Stop! Don't let him get away!"

Hearing the shout, the woman in front of her changed her expression and ran towards the noisy area. Xia Zhu also wanted to see what had happened, but found that Ying Huo was still holding her hand. She looked down at the spot where their skin met, and Ying Huo suddenly noticed and immediately let go of her hand.

He sneered, "Aren't you usually so tough? Why aren't you putting up any resistance this time?"

Xia Zhu found it strange.

"Before I even had a chance to resist, you were like you were on stimulants."

The smile froze on Ying Huo's face, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

The onlookers surrounded the clergy, while Feng Feng and his companions, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, curiously squeezed into the crowd to peer inside.

Xia Zhu saw a disheveled, thin boy slumped on the ground. He looked terrified, his eyes wide with fear.

“You dare to run away? Perfect. In front of all the races, I’ll let you experience what happens when you betray your bloodline.” One of the women, dressed in a dark red robe and holding a staff, spoke up. Judging from the color of her clothing and her weapon, she was likely the leader of the group. The priest who had been harassing Xia Zhu earlier walked to the leader’s side and whispered something in her ear. The red-robed envoy raised her eyelids and looked through the crowd at Xia Zhu.

"You, come here."

She picked up one end of her staff and pointed out Xia Zhu, who was hiding in the crowd.

She didn't really want to go; she had a feeling that what they were doing wasn't exactly a good thing. Xia Zhu stiffly avoided the clergyman's gaze, looking left and right, pretending that the person she was talking about wasn't her.

"Hey, you in the white robe, don't pretend you can't hear me!" The leader of the group, a woman with her face covered by a black veil, said as she walked over.

The attention of everyone present was briefly drawn to him. Taking advantage of this moment, the thin man who had been lying on the ground suddenly sprang up, pushed aside the onlookers, and rushed out of the barrier.

"Trying to run away—"

The red-robed priest slammed his half-person-high staff heavily into the ground, his imposing aura pressing down on everyone like an invisible bell. A bright red serpent of light stretched from the tip of the staff, chasing after the fleeing man and tripping him. Sirius, standing beside Feng Feng, subconsciously swallowed.

"I think you don't know what's good for you!" The leader raised his staff, closed his eyes, and chanted a spell. The man lying on the ground suddenly convulsed in pain, rolling from side to side, as if he was enduring inhuman torture.

Xia Zhu couldn't understand why, since the law forbids clergy from intermarrying with outsiders, they didn't punish the violators but instead focused on their children. Anyone could criticize someone born with impure blood, but no one listened to or understood their own wishes.

She felt it was necessary to stand up. Although she didn't know what kind of punishment the chanting was, the person being punished was neither extremely guilty nor capable of resisting. But just as she was about to move, an old man with white hair next to her grabbed her arm.

"No one can defy the clergy; they represent the will of God, and all that goes against them is called sin."

Xia Zhu remained silent. Just as the red-robed envoy was about to raise his staff to deliver a fatal blow to the traitor, a burly figure suddenly jumped out.

"Stop! What did he do wrong to deserve this treatment?!"

It's Sirius.

He took several large steps forward and blocked the path of the thin man.

The red-robed priest saw that Sirius was merely a human, yet he dared to try and shake a tree like an ant.

"Heroes? How interesting. You embark on a journey with no future and no chance of success, driven solely by a surge of courage. Or is it more of a display of stupidity? Fine, step forward then, step forward and see this cruel world, and see if courage can really put food on the table!"

She turned her staff around, pointing it directly at the hotheaded Sirius, who was nothing more than a body made of skin and bones.

Suddenly, as if attacked by something, the tip of the staff veered off course and fired a crimson beam of light into the grass not far from Sirius's side.

"Who?" The red-robed messenger withdrew his staff and looked around warily.

Everyone present held their breath.

"Superior... what is this?" The priest, whose face was covered by a black cloth, glanced at the sky somewhat nervously.

"Playing tricks!" The woman in red robes tried to attack again, but this time she was directly stopped by the hand holding the staff. The woman cried out in pain, released her weapon, and the staff fell to the ground. The red gem embedded in the snake's head, symbolizing the end of all divine power, shattered into dust instantly.

"What...what exactly is going on?" The woman clenched her hands. She hadn't seen any attack coming from any direction. If someone was really hiding in the shadows and opposing the Holy See, then that person's strength must be above hers, at least in terms of speed.

If there weren't such a person, then...

The red-robed envoy opened his eyes wide and glanced hastily at the clear sky above.

"Your God in heaven will be ashamed if he sees you treating life so lightly."

"Who's speaking!" Several clergymen frantically searched through the crowd.

Xia Zhu looked at Ying Huo in shock. She had suspected that Ying Huo was behind the golden thread that had flashed before her eyes, but she did not expect that he would actually help, whether it was to Sirius or that bloodline traitor.

It should be noted that the ancestors of the clergy were servants of the God of Life. His words hit the nail on the head. It is this group of hypocritical clergy who disregard human life and violate God's will.

"How dare you!" The clergy wanted to say something more, but were stopped by their superiors.

"Let's get out of here first!"

"What about this person...?"

The red-robed envoy glanced at the thin man curled up on the ground and gritted his teeth.

"Let him go for now!"

After saying this, the group of people hurriedly left, their robes fluttering.

“You…” Xia Zhu looked at Ying Huo, hesitant to speak.

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean, ''!" He immediately cut off his words.

A figure crashed into them like a fleshy bullet. Sirius, with tears streaming down his face, tried to lean against Ying Huo, but Ying Huo was so frightened that he frantically shook off his hands and kept hiding behind Xia Zhu.

“Brother Ying Huo… I knew it… You’re not a bad person at all! You have a heart of gold!” Sirius’s face was flushed, and his sobbing was somewhat disgusting. Xia Zhu felt embarrassed and tried to turn her head to the side.

"Huh? I just think these guys talk in a really ugly way." Ying Huo explained for his "heart of gold," but Sirius wasn't listening to him at all, continuing his own flattering praise.

"Oh, right!" He pulled a round metal object from his pocket and insisted on stuffing it into Ying Huo's hand. "This is the Medal of Courage I received in Ophir! I think you should be awarded this honor!"

Ying Huo tossed the Courage Medal behind him with a look of disdain.

"What is this? I don't need it, it's ugly."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the hotel without looking back.

Xia Zhu gave Sirius a deep look.

"Don't mind it." Then she followed Ying Huo.

Sirius stared thoughtfully at the departing figures of the two, then suddenly asked about Feng Feng, who had returned to the main group after watching the commotion.

Has he always been like this?

"What? Sharp-tongued? Arrogant? That's right." Feng Feng picked up the badge of courage from the ground, looked it over, and then returned it to Sirius.

"No, no, I mean, has he always been this awkward?"

*

Lilia possesses exceptional balance and agility, which she attributes to her daily work on the farm. However, Ji Yinxiu believes it's a natural talent.

Lilia's arms and legs weren't just slender; their definition was especially pronounced when she swung her wooden sword with force. Ji Yinxiu acknowledged her muscle mass; to this extent, she already possessed a natural advantage.

The day's classes ended as the sun set. Lilia interrupted Ji Yinxiu apologetically, saying that she had some things to take care of at home and had to go back before dark.

So the two agreed to have class in the courtyard at the same time the next day.

The next day, Lilia arrived early. This time she was not late, and she still did not listen to Ji Yinxiu. She carried a leg of lamb into the courtyard, wearing a set of trousers that had been made from a dress.

"Fresh! Plump little lamb! Absolutely delicious no matter how you eat it!" Lilia chuckled as she stuffed a leg of lamb into Ji Yinxiu's arms with an air of undeniable authority, and even included a cookbook as a bonus.

She said she had written down all the best ways to cook lamb legs, and if needed, she could help instruct the hotel's head chef to prepare different variations for everyone.

Ji Yinxi didn't know what to say. Lilia had told him that everything she could bring to her teacher was her most precious possession, so he was afraid that if he handled things improperly, he might offend her.

So they could only silently accept it and give it to Xia Zhu and the others as an extra treat that evening.

At the lively dinner table, Feng Feng ate meat heartily, and from time to time praised Lilia, saying that this girl was smart, capable, and had such high talent, which was really good.

Everyone echoed each other to some extent, except for Ji Yinxiu and Xia Zhu, who remained silent.

The third day, the fourth day.

Bitter rose and sweet lily.

Every day, Lilia brought her "most precious" item to their courtyard without fail. This stubbornness made Feng Feng shake his head involuntarily.

Ji Yinxiu had never faced anything like this before. He could only do his best to sharpen the wooden sword and make the grass sprout within ten days.

In such days, time always flies by.

On the tenth day, the agreed deadline arrived.

Ji Yinxiu sat on the stone bench in the courtyard as usual, waiting for Lilia.

Today was different. Perhaps it was the day of parting. Ji Yinxiu felt a kind of emotion that he himself was unwilling to admit. Time passed by, and while waiting, he thought of many things from his time at Xuanyuan Hill. The leaves on the tree above his head were shaken by the wind, and a leaf broke off and swayed and fell to his feet.

“Teacher,” Lilia called to him, her voice filled with undisguised joy.

Ji Yinxiu looked up and saw a little boy standing next to Lilia. The little boy looked very similar to Lilia, his round eyes curiously taking in everything around him.

“This is my son, my most precious child. I brought him to meet you.” Lilia gently stroked the top of the boy’s head.

“Phos, don’t be shy, go up and say hello. He’s my mother’s savior and my swordsmanship teacher.”

Fas blushed slightly, and under his mother's encouraging gaze, he took a step forward and introduced himself softly, "Hello, my name is Fas."

Ji Yinxiu stood there for a long time without responding to them. Lilia noticed his strange behavior and pulled Fass back to her side, whispering to him, "Teacher may not be feeling well. You should go home first. Mom will be back later."

Watching that skipping figure leave the yard, Lilia then explained to him, feeling embarrassed.

"The day you saved me was because of Phos. This country is all show and no substance, but it's actually terrible. They actually thought of sending a ten-year-old child to the army. If a family can't find a man, they have to hand over their surplus grain. It's simply outrageous!"

Like a chattering bird, she found someone to confide in and poured out all the grievances she had suffered on this land over the years to the person in front of her.

They were originally poor people who had been expelled from Ophir. Upon hearing that there was a kind king in Yan Yan Kingdom and that he had an incredibly romantic love story, Lilia's family resolutely headed north and settled there.

"But did you know that the monarch of Yan Yan Kingdom still has a wife in his former hometown?"

She kept talking and talking, from the south to the north, from the embarrassing things that happened to Fass when he was a child to his recent progress in his studies, but Ji Yinxiu couldn't listen to a word. He stared intently at Lilia's face, as if he wanted to brand her with his mark.

Xia Zhu leaned against the window and saw everything that had just happened.

In fact, she had already noticed it. The moment she saw Lilia, she knew that she and Ji Buzhao looked five parts alike.

That's why Ji Yinxiu remained silent; he probably just wanted to remember what such a similar face would look like when she was a mother.

In fact, Lilia and Ji Buzhao are about 70-80% similar in terms of their eyebrows and eyes. The only difference is that she doesn't have the small mole at the corner of her mouth.

The mole, just like Ji Yinxiu's, was a stubbornness inherited from her mother.

The ten-day agreement was fulfilled, and the blacksmith sent seven jade-green feather robes to her door. Lilia finished her course and received a real sword as a gift from Ji Yinxiu.

Now, she is a qualified swordswoman, and the adventure team never stops.

The main quest takes them to the land without water, where they open the entrance to the frozen sea at the ends of the earth, defeat the demon king Ares, and reclaim the princess, bringing the story to a perfect close.

And separation is an essential part of any story. Lilia, holding Phos's hand, bids farewell to everyone once again under the gentle sunset. Just like Daphne, far away in the southern swamp, her eyes sparkle and she raises her arms in triumph.

Have a safe journey and return home soon.

The side quest involving Ji Yinxiu has also been successfully completed.

*

Following the mission instructions, they successfully set foot on the land of no water.

This is a completely icy world, with nothing but these snow-covered, ever-blooming magnolias piled up like towers, and nothing else in this waterless land.

Loneliness in every sense of the word.

The world was a cold, stark blue. There were no travelers or merchants, nor were there any hotels where one could stay overnight. In fact, the feeling of hunger vanished the moment one entered.

Between heaven and earth, there was only an endless ice field, and on the ice field, there were fortresses built of ice bricks. These fortresses had no owners in the strict sense. Only after being reminded by passers-by did they learn that there used to be a cold and indifferent native living in one of the ice fortresses. Adventurers who came here to do quests could just find an empty one to stay in.

Encountering such an ice castle means that its previous resident either left and will never return, or could not bear the long and boring life and took their own life.

In this land without water, the people, born with ice magic, are indeed devoid of emotion. Life on the icy plains is monotonous and repetitive. The mages, who are already uninterested in everything, can only create a temporary shelter for themselves and then face the unpredictable wind and snow day after day.

If they wished to see the world beyond the waterless land, they could leave this place; if they truly believed their existence was meaningless, they would rise and depart, heading north, casting their feather-like bodies into the eternal frozen sea.

When Ji Wuchou was first teleported here, she remembered that she had a side quest that she hadn't completed. As she pondered over the parchment, a human lady carrying a floral umbrella kindly asked her if there was such a quest to complete.

"To bring water to this place where the ice and snow never thaw once they fall to the ground?" That's how the human lady described it.

"This task requires you to put water into a dry well in the far north called the Well of Destiny."

She also secretly told Ji Wuchou that tears were the key to passing the level.

"These heartless and loveless magicians are just waiting for a story that can move them, so that they can pour their tears into the well and the door at the end of the world will open."

“That door is the only entrance to the frozen sea, so your mission is crucial. It’s not easy to make these cold-hearted people shed tears.”

The human girl winked at them, then, holding her elaborately decorated umbrella adorned with falling flowers and leaves, disappeared into the northern snowstorm.

"I guess she meant that we could do it with our own tears," Xia Zhu thought. This task was really extreme, both complicated and simple. The scope given in the text was so broad that any loophole could be found to take a shortcut.

It seems that killing the Demon King and rescuing the princess means we're not far from successfully escaping the dream.

"But who will shed this tear?" Ji Wuchou lowered her head and looked at the ice beneath her feet.

"I'll do it! I'm the best at crying!"

So Ji Wuchou turned her wrist and conjured a small ice crystal tear bottle, which she handed to Feng Feng. Fearing that Feng Feng might be embarrassed, she told her to find a corner with her back to everyone.

"No need, no need! I'm right here!" Feng Feng was happy to let everyone appreciate her acting skills, how superb they were.

She took the bottle of tears and placed it under her eyes. Then her expression became blank, her eyes began to lose focus, and a misty haze spread across her honey-colored irises. Feng Feng frowned, his lips twitched, and tears fell.

Xia Zhu gave her a thumbs up in admiration.

Having collected a full bottle of tears, she couldn't help but ask Feng Feng what he had been thinking about.

"I was thinking, what if I can never eat Fengmian's braised pork knuckle again? And then tears inexplicably started falling!"

Xia Zhu was taken aback, then the two of them covered their mouths and looked at each other, secretly laughing.

Not being able to eat such delicious braised pork knuckle is indeed a heartbreaking thing that can bring tears to your eyes.

At this point, Xia Zhu couldn't help but smack her lips, reminiscing about Feng Mian's culinary skills, wondering what delicious dishes he would prepare upon their return. Lost in her reverie, she didn't notice Sirius suddenly jumping into the middle of the group.

"Hey! Look! What's that?" He excitedly raised his arm, pointing to the empty ice field, and then, quite naturally, accidentally knocked the tear bottle out of Ji Wuchou's hand.

The tear bottle was formed from her spiritual power and would not break easily, but the cork at the mouth of the bottle loosened during the collision, and all the tears that had just been collected spilled out.

Xia Zhu looked at the tears that had frozen on the ground, then at Sirius, who looked innocent and embarrassed.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you!" Feng Feng pointed angrily at the empty tear bottle. "I noticed you were acting suspiciously the whole way. You weren't...?"

She almost let something slip in her excitement, but realized her mistake and didn't continue.

Sirius scratched his head, looking somewhat bewildered, and said, "I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to..." His mood was visibly low, and even Meow Meow beside him noticed, whimpering pitifully and unpleasantly. The two of them were almost ready to hug each other and cry.

Ji Wuchou glanced at Xia Zhu, then bent down to pick up the tear bottle from the ground.

"Forget it, tears can be collected anytime. Let's find an empty ice castle to stay in first."

They withdrew their scrutinizing gazes from Sirius's face and searched along the way, finally coming across a lonely, uninhabited ice castle.

Just like the desolate world outside, where the cold wind howls, the ice fortress contains only a raised platform that can barely serve as a bed; there are no other facilities whatsoever.

It's hard to imagine what the mindset of the people living here would be.

Although the ice castle was small, it was still quite warm for seven people plus a big dog to squeeze together, especially with the cat's fluffy, warm belly that smelled like wheat bread, which was quite a unique experience.

Feng Feng rubbed out some vines and had Ying Ya fan them, while Ji Yinxiu lit a fire, creating a bonfire inside the house.

But when she held the bottle of tears, all she could do was chuckle; she couldn't force out any more tears.

"What should we do! I can't cry at all right now, why don't you try?" Feng Feng handed the tear bottle to Xia Zhu, who held it for a long time before finally bursting into laughter. Then this hot potato was passed on to Ying Huo.

Ying Huo sneered, his face full of hostility, and handed the bag to Sirius, asking him if he believed he could beat him to tears.

Sirius, with a forced smile, quickly took the item, pretended to try it for a few seconds, and then handed it to the next person.

He could cry, but he couldn't.

Ying Ya took the bottle carefully, secretly thinking of Daphne and his mother whom he had never met, but he couldn't shed a single tear. Whenever he started to feel sad, an invisible force would pull his thoughts elsewhere. Helpless, he could only hand the bottle of tears to Ji Yinxiu under Xiao Feng's expectant gaze.

Ji Yinxiu held the container, pondered for a few seconds, and finally shook her head in an old-fashioned manner.

"I can't cry. After entering this place, I feel like my emotions have been shut down."

Ying Ya and Feng Feng nodded vigorously like little dogs; they felt the same way.

The attempt ended in failure, and everyone decided to spend the night preparing and try again tomorrow.

Xia Zhu, covered with the feathers of the Sky-Asking Bird, lay on Miao Miao's soft belly.

The ice castle didn't have a door that could be closed. From her angle, she could see the north wind carrying snowflakes blowing into the room, swirling quietly in the moonlight.

From the southern swamps to the waterless land, she seemed to understand why Ji Wuchou and the others had side quests. As for Feng Feng, it was easy to understand; she was an extremely insightful person. As for herself, she probably had nothing left to lose or anything she wanted to gain.

So Xia Zhu couldn't help but wonder if Ying Huo, who always stood outside the crowd and even slept in the corner, had any side quests of his own.

Her answer was, definitely.

Ying Huo looks like an incomplete puzzle piece; all his anger, infatuation, and resentment are attempts to complete the remaining part, but he seems so far from the finish line.

Xia Zhuzai carefully recalled everything that had happened to him and everything related to him over the past few days, trying to find some clues so that she could see clearly those gray eyes under the thick fog, and try to do something.

Winona and Noah, Sirius who suddenly appeared, the priest and the traitor—she searched for them inch by inch, and the more she tried to see through them, the deeper she sank into her consciousness.

Unbeknownst to her, she fell asleep. The ice castle was quiet, with only the embers of the fire crackling.

A figure quietly got up from the cat's body, and the puppy opened its eyes alertly.

"Shh—" The man put his thumb to his lips and gave the puppy a mischievous smile.

Meow Meow closed her eyes again as expected.

Good dog.

Sirius wrapped his clothes tighter around himself, packing his feather robe into his bundle. To avoid alerting anyone, he planned to go out like this. As soon as he stepped out of the Ice Fortress, snow and wind froze on his face. He tossed his hair and walked against the raging wind toward the end of the ice field, like a defeated gray wolf determined to return to its territory.

"Ha, so this is the Well of Destiny? Nothing special about it."

As he said, the Well of the End is just an ordinary dry well made of ice bricks, and behind the dry well is a towering ice wall that stretches for thousands of miles without end.

Behind the ice wall lies an endless frozen sea.

Sirius stamped his feet in the cold, his hands tucked into his sleeves, hunching over as he tried to hold onto the warmth that was slipping away from him.

"Oh well! Okay, okay!"

As if he had made up his mind, he rolled up his sleeves and began to gather the snow around the dry well with his bare hands, then piled it in his palms and filled the well.

The swirling snow, like a feeling of loneliness, spread, banishing people from head to toe.

"Hmph, hmph..."

Sirius hummed that little tune, again and again, trying to fill the well that brought tears to people's eyes.