Chapter 56 Northern Yong - Demon-Subduing Sword (Part 3) We're breaking off our friendship...
Seeing that Wu Xiutang was trapped in the magic array, Shi Xianxue believed in his abilities, but considering that his injuries had not yet healed and that he might suffer at the hands of the Nine-Tailed Fox, she was prepared to risk her life to jump into the array with Song Qingshu as she activated the array-breaking talisman.
Unexpectedly, the formation was attacked and emitted a blindingly strong light, which stunned everyone and prevented them from getting close.
But soon, the intense light weakened and disappeared completely.
Snowflakes flew, and a figure stood in the hazy mist.
Shi Xianxue stepped forward and tentatively called out to him, "Wu Xiutang?"
The person in the mist did not reply, but staggered. Shi Xianxue took a few quick steps forward to help him.
However, when the thick fog dissipated, Wu Xiutang seemed to be in a very bad state.
Shi Xianxue froze in place.
There were no signs of a fight around them. Nine-Tailed Fox was nowhere to be seen. Wu Xiutang's clothes were still in order. His eyes were slightly closed, and his breathing was shallow. It was as if his limbs were restrained by something strange. When he heard Shi Xianxue call him, he suddenly looked up.
Shi Xianxue saw a fleeting crimson glint in his eyes.
He was already exceptionally handsome, and usually had a sharp-tongued, youthful air about him. But now, his eyes were dreamy, with a peach-colored blush at the corners, and a few strands of hair brushed against his lips, giving him an astonishing allure.
She took a step back, unable to even utter a sound.
Suddenly, a slender hand emerged from the white mist behind her and rested affectionately on Wu Xiutang's forearm. Zhou Xianghan's voice trembled, and her face was pale and delicate. "Husband, I'm so scared."
Wu Xiutang hates it when others touch him.
He must have some degree of mysophobia and an extreme aversion to the scent of women's cosmetics. She used to deliberately get close to him to disgust him, and if it weren't for the love potion, he probably wouldn't have survived the next second.
Zhou Xianghan's body was covered in a perfumed fragrance that even the smell of medicinal herbs couldn't mask. Not only did she touch him, but she also called him "husband." Shi Xianxue felt that Wu Xiutang was about to go crazy and chop her up to feed the dogs.
But this was on someone else's turf, and it was best to settle things peacefully. Now that they had dealt with the Nine-Tails, there was no need for them to have any further conflicts with the Zhou family. Shi Xianxue was about to step forward to mediate when she suddenly froze, realizing something.
If it were based on Wu Xiutang's previous reaction, he would have angrily shaken off Zhou Xianghan's hand long ago. But now, he simply opened his eyes slowly, his gaze first looking down at Zhou Xianghan, as if trying to identify something, his expression somewhat dazed.
Shi Xianxue had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, the boy's expression softened like snowflakes, and he looked at her as if he were looking at someone he deeply loved.
Shi Xianxue's fingernails dug into her palm.
"Don't be afraid."
--
Shi Xianxue strongly suspected that Wu Xiutang had taken the wrong medicine.
She had no way of knowing what happened within the formation, only that the Nine-Tailed Divine Soul could no longer do evil after its gathering and dispersal. Although Zhou Xianghan was no longer under his control, the various events in the dream were so real that she could not forget them for a while.
After sleeping for a day, his condition improved significantly.
Zhou Xianghan stopped threatening suicide, stopped obsessively calling Wu Xiutang "husband," and was able to eat again, her complexion improving considerably.
But Wu Xiutang's attitude was very suspicious.
He wasn't a nine-tailed fox, nor had he spent every day with Zhou Xianghan or been her husband. There was absolutely no affection between them. Yet, he didn't find Zhou Xianghan troublesome at all. When Zhou Xianghan frequently came to the courtyard to find him, he would even smile and chat with her.
The boy's lips curved slightly, and his eyes were filled with a smile like a pool of spring water, often making Zhou Xianghan blush.
Zhou Xun was very pleased to see this: "The two sisters lost their mother at a young age, and Han'er is in poor health. It is my daughter's good fortune to have received Young Master Wu's favor today. If Young Master Wu is willing to marry Han'er, after I pass away, this Beiyong City will be handed over to you."
Shi Xianxue's lips twitched.
What Wu Xiutang wants is not just Bei Yong, he wants the entire continent.
Shi Xianxue waited for a long time but didn't get a rebuttal from Wu Xiutang. Seeing the undisguised burning love in Zhou Xianghan's eyes, Shi Xianxue almost crushed the fire ibis's head.
The flamingo pecked at her hand in pain.
Shi Xianxue released her grip in pain.
Wu Xiutang glanced in her direction.
Zhou Xun's voice gradually faded into the distance.
Seeing that the two were about to leave, Shi Xianxue stepped forward and said, "Wu Xiutang, I have something to tell you. Wait a moment."
Zhou Xianghan glanced at her, then smiled understandingly at Wu Xiutang and said, "Young Master Wu, I'll wait for you in the carriage."
“It won’t be long,” he said softly.
Shi Xianxue angrily turned her head away.
Seeing Zhou Xianghan leave, Wu Xiutang dropped her tenderness, pressed her tongue against her right cheek, which was numb from smiling, and looked somewhat impatient.
"Shi Xianxue, stay with Song Qingshu these next few days and don't always go out."
When he talks to Zhou Xianghan, he is incredibly affectionate and gentle, but when he talks to her, he is always lecturing her and using such an impatient tone.
Despite her anger, Shi Xianxue asked with concern, "Are you really alright? You've been like this these past few days..."
“What could possibly happen to me?” Wu Xiutang interrupted her, turned and walked out of the mansion. “Go back to your own courtyard.”
He seemed unwilling to spend even a second longer with her, regardless of how hurtful his expression was, his mind only on Zhou Xianghan in the carriage.
Shi Xianxue silently watched his retreating figure, vigorously wiped her face, and turned away in the opposite direction without looking back.
The matter of going into the mountains will have to wait until Zhou Zheyue returns, but it will only be a day or two. Sister Qing Shu will either stay in her room and not go out, or she will discuss the matter of going into the mountains in the city lord's study.
She did nothing all morning, staying in her room until she woke up in the afternoon with aches and pains all over her body, at which point she finally agreed to go out for a walk with the flamingo.
A servant sweeping snow by the lake was crickets chirping softly. When he saw Shi Xianxue approaching, he immediately fell silent, lowered his head, and ran away.
She and the flamingo toad sat side by side on the shore.
What are they saying?
The flamingo has very keen ears: "It tells strange tales about Beiyong City and also mentions the Snow Woman."
"Snow Woman?"
"Yes, they say that since the divine beast guarded the road into the mountains, the Snow Maiden hasn't caused trouble in Beiyong City for more than ten years."
"oh."
Shi Xianxue was not interested in the Snow Maiden or the Fire Maiden.
A thin layer of ice had formed on the lake surface. Shi Xianxue threw a pebble into the lake and watched it break through the ice and sink to the bottom. She immediately felt bored.
He turned his head and saw the two people in the pavilion in the middle of the lake.
Zhou Xianghan was opening the food box and talking excitedly, while Wu Xiutang showed a very patient expression, occasionally smiling.
That smile was like a gentle spring breeze, enough to melt the thin layer of ice on the lake.
Shi Xianxue glanced at it from afar a few times, then decisively turned back.
"It's really chilling. I've never seen him smile at me like that before. Men really are visual creatures. When they see someone good-looking, they forget all principles and bottom lines."
The flamingo was pecking at sunflower seeds when it heard this. It looked up at her and felt that the smell in the air was unbearably sour.
"You're jealous."
Little Golden Toad: "Croak, croak." (Agreed)
Shi Xianxue pointed at herself in disbelief: "Me? Me, jealous?"
She jumped up and shouted, "Jealous? My Shi Xianxue wouldn't eat that stuff even if she had to eat shit!"
The flamingo calmly spat out the sunflower seed shell, tilting its head back: "You're in a hurry."
Little Golden Toad: "Croak, croak!"
Shi Xianxue: "...Forget it, what's the point of talking to you two single-celled organisms?"
She sat down again, no longer looking at the two people under the pavilion with their ambiguous atmosphere. "Seriously, don't you think Wu Xiutang is strange?"
The flamingo glanced at her: "You seem to be the stranger one, don't you?"
Shi Xianxue said sourly, "I'm serious. Look at this, is this something Wu Xiutang would do? He wasn't interested at first glance, but after exorcising a demon, he's suddenly all lovey-dovey? I suspect..."
Flamingo: "What do you mean?"
Shi Xianxue said seriously, "I suspect he has been possessed."
The nine-tailed fox didn't die at all; it parasitized Wu Xiutang's body. Or, Shi Xianxue thought of a certain fox surnamed Su. Foxes are so alluring, they're the best at bewitching people. Wu Xiutang, a pure-hearted boy who would be ashamed to death even for a kiss, might accidentally fall for it!
Flamingo: "...You're overthinking it. Who would dare snatch food from a tiger's mouth?"
"Then how do you explain his current unusual behavior?"
The fire ibis spat out a melon seed shell: "What's so unusual about it? Not unusual at all. If our master had really been possessed by the nine-tailed fox, we would definitely smell that stinking demonic aura."
"But we still have a love potion between us, how could he possibly fall in love with someone else?"
The little golden toad croaked in confusion.
The flamingo paused in its sunflower seed-eating motion, then looked at her with a sneer: "You talk as if you've been given a love potion and your master has fallen in love with you."
Shi Xianxue: "Then...that might be me..."
"You're just not charming enough. So what if you have a love potion? True love is still invincible. Master used to only argue with you, and we always suffered when you made us so angry. But I think Miss Zhou is gentle and considerate, and she will definitely not make Master angry. Our good days are coming."
Before it could finish speaking, Shi Xianxue punched it into the lake with a left hook.
With a few splashes, the flamingo thrashed about in the water, its wings getting wet and splashing Shi Xianxue's face with icy water. "Gurgle, you're just jealous that your master is nice to others, gurgle."
"You vulgar woman, even if all the women in the world died, my master still wouldn't like you."
Shi Xianxue laughed loudly twice, wiped the water droplets off her face, and jumped into the lake without saying a word to fight with the flamingo.
She was furious: "I want him to like me? I am the princess of Xiliang, what kind of man can't I have? My ex-fiancé is Crown Prince Chaoyun, a gentleman of refined taste and noble character. I'm not blind, why would I want him to like me?"
Under the pavilion, Zhou Xianghan opened all the food boxes, and the exquisite pastries were a feast for the eyes.
Zhou Xianghan held up a piece of pastry with a handkerchief and handed it over: "Young Master Wu, this is from my own hand..."
The two were interrupted by a loud splash. Zhou Xianghan looked in the direction of the sound and was so shocked that she dropped the pastries in her hand. "Oh, is that Miss Shi? Be careful not to catch a cold jumping into the water in the dead of winter."
The boy beside her suddenly stood up, his force so great that he knocked all the pastries on the stone table to the ground. Zhou Xianghan was so frightened that she clutched her heart and looked at him in confusion.
Wu Xiutang's jaw tightened; he was about to jump into the water to rescue the person.
"Young Master Wu!" Zhou Xianghan called out anxiously, her eyes glowing with a seductive red light.
The fox-shaped mark on Wu Xiutang's chin emitted a scorching heat, causing him to furrow his brow in pain and successfully halting his steps into the water.
Shi Xianxue's words reached their ears clearly at that moment.
Wu Xiutang straightened his back, his expression suddenly turning gloomy.
Shi Xianxue dragged the flamingo by the neck and climbed ashore, cursing under her breath.
Wu Xiutang turned around and returned to Zhou Xianghan's side.
Zhou Xianghan bit her lip: "I'm sorry, Young Master Wu, I just didn't want you to..."
Wu Xiutang had no patience to listen any longer and interrupted her coldly: "You did very well."
Because of the presence of the divination diagram, Shi Xianxue's entire body, except for her hair, was dry and warm. She took off her heavy, water-soaked fur cloak and threw it on the ground.
Clearly provoked by the fire ibis's words, he stormed toward the two people under the pavilion.
Before she even got close to the two, she sensed a peculiar chill. Even the divination diagram seemed to have lost its effect, and the cold made her teeth chatter.
The water droplets on her eyelashes froze into frost as she walked. Her hands and feet were freezing from the temperature, and she had no time to think about the unusual situation.
Seeing that Shi Xianxue's arrival was ill-intentioned, Zhou Xianghan stepped in front of Wu Xiutang: "Miss Shi, let's talk this out, don't resort to violence."
Zhou Xianghan's action of blocking Wu Xiutang's way was like a blazing fire, making her feel incredibly hot from the inside out.
She was breathing heavily as she looked at the boy behind Zhou Xianghan.
The three remained silent in the tense atmosphere.
Wu Xiutang waited for her to speak, but she just sniffed hard to stop the snot from running down her nose, and then threw the fire ibis over.
"Keep an eye on your pathetic bird! If I see it again, I'll pluck all its feathers and make it into braised sparrow!"
The flamingo was preparing to evaporate the water droplets on its wings with flames when it heard this and jumped up angrily, ready to fight her: "You're the sparrow! Your whole family are sparrows!"
After being glanced at by Wu Xiutang, it reluctantly folded its wings and stood on the railing to preen its feathers.
Wu Xiutang, suppressing his anger, said, "Shi Xianxue, what's wrong with you now?"
Shi Xianxue didn't know what she was doing; she was just unhappy and annoyed whenever she saw the two of them.
Seeing how well they got along in just a few days, and how handsome and beautiful they were when they stood together, a bitter feeling welled up in her heart.
But she didn't want to lose her composure at this moment.
"Mind your own business. Here, take this broken bird back. Keep it as a token of your love!"
"Give it back to me?" As if he had heard a joke, the barb he had tried so hard to suppress these past few days was now fully exposed. The gentlemanly demeanor he had managed to maintain in front of Zhou Xianghan vanished like sand. "Did I only give you this one thing? You call yourself the princess of Xiliang, what good things don't you have? Of course you wouldn't like what I gave you, so why not return it all?"
Shi Xianxue almost couldn't catch her breath.
Now she was certain that the core of this body belonged to Wu Xiutang. Only he could be so sharp-tongued. She poured out everything from her sleeve like beans: "Take it all, take it all."
There was a clay whistle, a cloth tiger, a sheep horn lantern, dozens of gold ingots, and a small golden toad that looked like a wooden chicken.
The flamingo reminded, "The clothes you're wearing also belong to your owner."
Zhou Xianghan couldn't help but glance at Wu Xiutang.
Shi Xianxue immediately started to unbutton her clothes, revealing her snow-white collarbone. She stopped, suddenly remembering that she was outside.
Wu Xiutang scoffed, "Why aren't you taking your clothes off? Is it because you can only undress in front of your fiancé, and I'm not worthy to see?"
Shi Xianxue was almost brought to tears by his harsh words. "You are not worthy to see this. I will show it to anyone else but you. Wu Xiutang, we are over. We're broken up. From now on, we'll go our separate ways. Don't ever talk to me again!"
After saying that, he ran away without looking back.
The fox-shaped mark on Wu Xiutang's chin looked like it was about to catch fire. He gasped in pain, but his eyes were filled with a chilling look.
Just as Zhou Xianghan was about to step forward and add more fuel to the fire, she heard the boy call her name in a cold voice.
"Zhou Xianghan".
She met those indifferent eyes.
"Could you be any more useless?"
Zhou Xianghan stood there stunned, and when she came to her senses, the boy had already disappeared.
Only the Flamingo and the Golden-Spitting Boy remained in a dilemma, as if chasing either one would be the wrong option.
Zhou Xianghan looked down at the broken pastries on the ground, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, but quickly smoothing out.
"Is Miss Shi always this rude and reckless? She angered Young Master Wu like this, yet he still keeps her by his side?" Zhou Xianghan took out a handkerchief to wipe the water droplets from the flamingo's wings. "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I won't let Miss Shi bully you again."
The flamingo warily dodged away, sizing up Zhou Xianghan with its small eyes, and said protectively, "She's rude, you're pretentious, you're both equally bad. My master has been bewitched by you, but I haven't. I may argue with Shi Xianxue, but that's not something you can interfere with!"
After saying that, he ignored Zhou Xianghan, who seemed to be frozen in place, and jumped away like an ostrich.
Zhou Xianghan's lips slowly drooped, crushing the pastries at her feet into powder.
It still doesn't work.
--
Shi Xianxue ran under the corridor. Her clothes, made of divination diagrams, dried her body and made her heart feel like it was on fire. She didn't look ahead for a moment and bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction.
Zhou Zheyue had just arrived at the manor today and first paid her respects to Zhou Xun before rushing over to see her. She happened to run into Song Qingshu, and the two of them headed towards Shi Xianxue's room.
Unexpectedly, he saw Shi Xianxue running towards him, her clothes disheveled and her face full of resentment.
Upon seeing the two familiar faces, Shi Xianxue's eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she hugged Song Qingshu tightly.
"Sister Qing Shu".
"Xiaoxue? What's wrong?" Song Qingshu asked worriedly, noticing her strange expression. "Did someone bully you?"
Zhou Zheyue quickly turned her back. Hearing her tearful voice, her fists hardened. She said excitedly, "Xiaoxue, just tell me. Which lecherous scoundrel assaulted you? I can make decisions about the City Lord's Mansion. I will definitely bring that person here to avenge you!"
Shi Xianxue sobbed in grievance, and upon hearing this, said, "It's Wu Xiutang."
Zhou Zheyue looked embarrassed: "Oh, let's not bring up marital intimacy in public."
Shi Xianxue buried her face in Song Qingshu's arms without looking up, sobbing.
Song Qingshu could also sense Wu Xiutang's subtle coldness towards Xiaoxue and his attention to that Miss Zhou these past few days, and she was shocked to think that their relationship might have changed.
But she could see the feelings that Young Master Wu had for Xiaoxue, and he really didn't seem like the kind of person who would be fickle or easily change his mind.
"Xiaoxue, don't cry. I'll go see Young Master Wu and see what's going on." Song Qingshu used magic to dry Shi Xianxue's hair and then helped her button it up.
After crying, Shi Xianxue felt embarrassed. She lifted her head from Song Qingshu's embrace and said, "Actually, it's nothing serious. It's not worth it for you to make a special trip, Sister Qingshu. But if you insist on going, there's nothing to say. Just beat him up."
Song Qingshu chuckled and repeatedly assured her that she would take action if necessary and would not talk before letting her leave.
In the blink of an eye, only the two of them remained.
Shi Xianxue needed to stop snotting, and Zhou Zheyue tactfully handed her a handkerchief.
The two little figures squatted under the eaves, and Zhou Zheyue asked, "Xiaoxue, do you like Young Master Wu that much?"
Shi Xianxue bristled: "Bullshit, only a dog would like him!"
"All right."
Zhou Zheyue wasn't very good at coaxing girls, but he knew that no matter how much he said or how sweet his words were, it wouldn't be as good as giving her a few more gifts.
"Xiaoxue, let me take you somewhere."
Shi Xianxue's nose was sore from the cold, and her cheeks were flushed. She nodded upon hearing this.
Shi Xianxue never expected that the place Zhou Zheyue said she would take her to was actually the warehouse of the city lord's mansion. Looking at the treasure that was as big as a gold mountain, her depressed mood instantly vanished.
In the face of money, all troubles are insignificant.
She exclaimed in amazement, wishing she could pounce on it and take all the treasures for herself.
"Xiaoyue, you didn't bring me here just to tell me I can take whatever I want, did you?"
“It used to be possible.” Zhou Zheyue walked past her and went behind the screen. “But my father has already stepped down as city lord and gone to find my mother. Now my second uncle, Zhou Xun, is the city lord. These things are all recorded in the account books, and I have no right to dispose of them.”
Shi Xianxue was greatly disappointed, but still gave him face and said, "Your father was quite devoted, choosing beauty over power. There are few people in this world who can do that."
"But I can only look and not take. I'd be really upset if they killed me this time!"
Zhou Zheyue pressed down on the lion head in the corner and smiled gently: "However, I can make the decisions about what's down there."
The lion's head made a clanging, metallic sound when it was pressed down, and the floor in the center of the room sank down, revealing a downward passage in front of the two.
As air entered, the candlelight on the wall lit up without being lit, and the two went down the passage.
The lower level is a completely different world, much more spacious than the upper level, like a large wheat field. Unlike the previous level, it is not glittering with jewels, but instead has countless strangely shaped mechanical beasts.
The Bagua mirror on their heads recognized the two people's faces. A small beast wearing a red hat on its head wagged its tail and pounced on them. It seemed the most enthusiastic. It was the only one wearing a hat, but the hat didn't look like a headscarf or cap from this era. Instead, it looked a bit like a nurse's cap.
Shi Xianxue spent almost her entire childhood and adulthood living in a hospital, so she was naturally very familiar with this kind of hat.
Looking at the little beast that jumped into Shi Xianxue's arms, Zhou Zheyue looked surprised: "How do they know you? I didn't record your face beforehand."
Shi Xianxue stroked its back. "It's probably a male. Opposites attract."
There's no such thing as a male or female mechanical beast, but Zhou Zheyue couldn't explain it either, so he agreed with her and led her forward.
The little beasts followed closely at his feet. "These are all mechanical beasts that my father used to please my mother. Since they are not aggressive, my second uncle put them here. Since they like you so much, I'll give them to you."
After Shi Xianxue saw Zhou Zheyue finish speaking, the little beast's tail wagged even more happily.
It seems that it is quite satisfied with its master.
"Thank you." Shi Xianxue lowered her eyes and touched the uniquely shaped, special-material little hat. "Then I'll give you a name, how about... Little Red Riding Hood?"
Little Red Riding Hood nuzzled her head, as if trying to convey a message.
Shi Xianxue seemed to sense something and froze for a moment, not even hearing Zhou Zheyue calling her from the side.
"Xiaoxue?"
Shi Xianxue snapped out of her daze and saw Zhou Zheyue's worried eyes: "It's alright, let's go."
The two passed through the stone gate, where four lifelike mechanical beasts stood in the four cardinal directions.
Zhou Zheyue introduced them to her: "These are the Four Divine Beasts, namely the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise."
Shi Xianxue nodded knowingly.
It seems that no matter which dimension it is, the four divine beasts are the same.
"Shouldn't mythical beasts be guarding snow-capped mountains? How come they're here?"
"Of course, this is not a real divine beast. It is a replica made by my father for ornamental purposes only. The real four divine beasts guard the entrance to the snow mountain and do not allow people to enter at will unless they have the city lord's token. Otherwise, even if my second uncle went there, they would tear him to pieces."
A small creature with a glowing tail, resembling a firefly, flew onto the wall.
A series of beautiful portraits came into view.
From left to right, the beauties' clothing and accessories are all different, as if with the passage of time, the clothing has also undergone obvious improvement and progress.
Shi Xianxue held Little Red Riding Hood and looked at the portraits one by one. She stopped in front of a portrait at the end and stared at the beauty's eyebrows and eyes, momentarily stunned.
Zhou Zheyue followed her gaze and explained, "This painting depicts my great-grandmother. Speaking of which, she and you are quite connected. She also came from Xiliang, but at that time, Xiliang did not allow intermarriage with outsiders. She eloped with my great-grandfather, the founder of Beiyong City, and settled here. She single-handedly created Beiyong City. Later, she gave birth to a daughter, but she died in infancy. My great-grandmother was heartbroken and passed away a few years later."
It was something that happened a long time ago and had nothing to do with Shi Xianxue, but she still felt a tightness in her chest and couldn't say anything for a moment.
The little red hat in her arms jumped down and started playing with the little animals below.
It's unclear which animal found something, but the little creatures became restless, scrambling to toss the object around.
The glass cup shattered against the wall, triggering some mechanism. With a soft click, the mechanism dented, and a blurry image was projected onto the snow-white wall.
It was like seeing a long-sealed horror storybook; first, there was a dark red text introduction, followed by images.
On a dark winter night, with snow falling heavily, it seemed as if a wedding was taking place. A red sedan chair, red wedding candles, a bride in a bright red wedding dress, the groom using a wedding scale to lift the bride's veil, the bride smiling shyly in the flickering lamplight—this should have been a joyous occasion. But Shi Xianxue saw a figure flash past the window in the scene, followed by the candlelight being extinguished, and screams of agony coming from the bridal chamber.
Before Shi Xianxue could figure out what was going on, the next moment the screen was suddenly plunged into white light, and as the screen became brighter, a woman's face covered in blood was suddenly pressed against the screen.
The image then freezes, and text appears next to the woman's face.
[The Snow Woman, betrayed by her lover, had her heart ripped out and her bones broken. Her soul was sealed with a talisman and buried atop a snowy mountain. Later, with the help of a benefactor, she cultivated a core of ice to serve as her heart, breaking the seal and becoming the Snow Woman, gaining immortality and hating all lovers in the world.]
Shi Xianxue turned her head stiffly: "She wouldn't kill innocent single people, would she?"
Zhou Zheyue quickly turned off the screen. Although he was also scared, he was a man after all, so he pretended to be calm and comforted her, "Xiaoxue, don't worry. The four divine beasts are guarding the way into the mountain. The Snow Maiden hasn't appeared for many years."
Shi Xianxue patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief, "Has anyone seen this Snow Woman?"
Zhou Zheyue paused for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "Yes, I have seen her. More than ten years ago, before the divine beast was created, she broke into the city lord's mansion and killed my second aunt."
Shi Xianxue frowned sharply: "She killed Zhou Xianghan's mother?"
Zhou Zheyue seemed to recall the tragic scene of that day, and her face turned pale. "That's right. Second Uncle and Second Aunt were a harmonious and loving couple. They were young lovers, which attracted the Snow Maiden. If Third Uncle hadn't foreseen that Second Uncle would face this calamity and left the mountain in advance, Second Uncle would probably have had his heart ripped out by the Snow Maiden."
Shi Xianxue asked, "Didn't your second uncle ever think about avenging his wife?"
"How could I not want to? But the Snow Maiden's heart is made of ice, and the snow mountain protects her. As long as she doesn't show herself, no one can find her. Moreover, as the city lord, my second uncle naturally has to consider the people of the city. If the Snow Maiden isn't killed in one blow, then the entire population of Beiyong City will suffer."
Shi Xianxue sighed, "From a broader perspective, there are indeed too many things that your second uncle cannot do in his position."
She looked at Zhou Zheyue beside her, "Have you not heard from your parents all these years?"
Zhou Zheyue shook her head, and the firefly flew towards the path ahead. "Perhaps, once my father finds my mother and begs for her forgiveness, they will come back together."
Shi Xianxue draped her arm over his shoulder, the fluorescent light emanating from the firefly's tail making her features appear incredibly gentle.
The heart skipped a beat after all the twists and turns.
"When they return, can I have some of the gold and silver jewelry in the upper storeroom?"
Twists and Turns in the Month: ...
Over the next two days, seeing that Miss Zhou's condition was becoming increasingly radiant, Zhou Xun finally felt relieved. He had planned to send them into the mountains on the second day and give them the token, but unexpectedly, it started snowing at night. The snow stopped on the third night, but the snow in the courtyard had already reached knee-deep.
The snow at the entrance will only get thicker.
The trip into the mountains had to be postponed.
Shi Xianxue put on a white fur cloak and opened the door, where a gust of cold wind rushed in.
The candlelight casts flickering shadows, the wind has stopped and the trees are still. The courtyard, which had been swept by the servants, now has only a shallow layer on the ground, like a piece of uncarved white jade.
A few clumps of snow slid off the bent branches, and Shi Xianxue saw a figure holding an umbrella.
The umbrella lifted, revealing that exquisitely beautiful face.
Zhou Xianghan nodded politely to her: "Miss Shi, if you're not asleep yet, why don't we take a walk together?"
In fact, Shi Xianxue and Zhou Xianghan had only exchanged no more than three sentences, so they were quite unfamiliar with each other. Therefore, it was rather strange for Shi Xianxue to walk calmly in the snow on this lonely winter night.
Perhaps it was because night had fallen and it had snowed, but Zhou Xianghan kept coughing. Shi Xianxue kindly asked her if she wanted to borrow her cloak, but she shook her head, a blush appearing on her sickly pale face.
"Unlike Miss Shi, who has the divination chart given to her by Young Master Wu, my broken body would be useless even if I wore three more layers."
Shi Xianxue was not comfortable with what she heard. She frowned and asked, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Zhou Xianghan still had that gentle and kind demeanor, but her words were like sharp thorns. "Don't you understand what I'm trying to say, Miss Shi? You clearly have a fiancé, yet you shamelessly pester Young Master Wu. Young Master Wu and I are destined to be together. If you hadn't used the love potion to control him, he would have been with me long ago."
"He told you everything?" Shi Xianxue's face turned pale. "He sent you here?"
Zhou Xianghan's eyes were filled with disdain, her expression condescending. "There are no secrets between us. If you know what's good for you, you'd better leave Bei Yong as soon as possible, otherwise..."
Shi Xianxue looked hurt: "Did Wu Xiutang say he wanted to marry you and settle down here with you?"
Zhou Xianghan was taken aback, then immediately replied, "Of course. Young Master Wu said that after he helps you obtain the Demon-Subduing Sword, he will marry me and we will take over Beiyong in the future. We can be as happy as our father and mother were."
"Oh, then he must have told you about him and his master."
"After we get married, we'll bring his master here..."
Shi Xianxue laughed out loud before she even finished listening.
Zhou Xianghan was enraged by her laughter: "What are you laughing at!"
Shi Xianxue curled her lips, her previous expression completely gone, her eyes bright. She shook her head, "You still don't understand Wu Xiutang enough."
If Wu Xiutang were sentimental and acted on emotion, he wouldn't be alive today. And his master, every time he mentions him, he blows people to pieces. Yet Zhou Xianghan is still standing here unharmed, saying something ridiculous like he wants to bring his master over to live with him.
Zhou Xianghan was about to retort when, unexpectedly, the girl who had been smiling suddenly attacked, grabbing her by the neck: "Tell me, what did you use to control him!"
--
When Shi Xianxue woke up again, she was in an unfamiliar snow-covered valley.
Her head was throbbing with pain. She only remembered grabbing Zhou Xianghan's neck before she passed out, intending to interrogate her. Unexpectedly, a red light surged in Zhou Xianghan's eyes, and then her entire face began to distort, turning into a fox-like face with a pointed snout and monkey-like cheeks.
She was startled and before she could react, the world spun before her eyes, and she quickly lost consciousness.
Shi Xianxue stood up and began to look around at her surroundings.
Where is she?
The snow-covered valley, the howling wind, and the four divine beasts standing faintly in the snowstorm all heightened Shi Xianxue's ominous premonition.
Could Zhou Xianghan have somehow ended up on the summit of a snow-capped mountain?
Is she that capable? Could it be that she has the authority to issue the orders?
Given how much Lord Zhou dotes on this daughter, it's not impossible.
Shi Xianxue cried.
I should have known better than to expose her. Chasing the dog into a dead end, I didn't kill the vicious dog, but instead got bitten hard.
As she was feeling dejected and unsure of where to go, an unusual wind suddenly blew in the nearby ravine, and her once bright white vision suddenly became dim.
Immediately afterward, a heavy weight fell on her shoulder, like Mount Tai pressing down on her. At the same time, a scent like fresh snow entered Shi Xianxue's nostrils, accompanied by a chilling killing intent.
Shi Xianxue used her still-functioning left hand to quickly take out a fireball talisman and throw it over.
The talisman crackled and exploded, and the force retreated a few steps before roaring and rushing back to bite her left shoulder.
She was immediately unable to move.
Is this some kind of bad luck? Did she run into a snow woman as soon as she entered the mountains? But she came into the mountains alone, she's never been in a relationship!
"You're very perceptive." A soft, almost eerie voice whispered in her ear, while cool, bright red nails traced patterns on her face. "You're a cultivator, aren't you?"
The cold breath hit her skin, and sharp nails scratched her face. The Snow Maiden smelled the fragrance in the blood, and her eyes lit up instantly: "You are a member of the Wushan tribe?"
Shi Xianxue nodded and then shook her head, asking cautiously, "Sister, you don't discriminate against people, do you?"
Since the snow woman couldn't understand her, she simply let go of her and faced her face to face.
Shi Xianxue was suddenly attacked face-to-face, and almost lost her soul.
With white hair and eyelashes, and eyes filled with blood red, she looked exactly like the snow woman she had seen in the warehouse.
The Snow Woman scrutinized her for a long time: "Why did you come into the snow mountain and lie on the path I must take to go down the mountain?" Seeing her trembling, the Snow Woman became a little impatient. She showed her sharp teeth, "Fine, since you're here, then be my food before I go down the mountain."
"Wait, sister, I have something to say." Shi Xianxue raised her hands. "Actually, I was thrown in here."
The Snow Woman raised an eyebrow.
"The one who threw me was Zhou Xianghan, the daughter of the city lord of Beiyong City. My husband and I were originally very much in love, but she interfered and ruined our relationship. The most ridiculous thing is that my husband, in order to protect her, actually told me that the one who is not loved is the third party."
Shi Xianxue wiped away tears with feigned seriousness: "Not only was I kicked out of the house, but I was also framed by that woman and left to fend for myself in the snowy mountains. I am so miserable, so resentful, I will not rest in peace..."
"Enough!" Xue interrupted her angrily, her eyes filled with disappointment and frustration. "You cowardly, stupid, and incompetent woman!"
Shi Xianxue: "Eek."
The snow woman was more flammable than white phosphorus. She began to run back and forth frantically, her long white hair flying wildly around her waist. Grabbing her collar, she walked towards the snow mountain pass: "You bitch, you bitch! I'm going to kill them and eat their hearts."
"Sister, sister! Dear sister!" Shi Xianxue cried out in alarm, grabbing her leg. "Don't be impulsive! There are four divine beasts guarding that place. We'll be torn to pieces."
"Do you think I'm afraid of those stupid things made of iron blocks?"
"Huh? But they all say..."
"What did you say? That they stopped me, which is why Beiyong City has been safe for more than ten years?" Xue Nu smiled darkly. "Nonsense. I didn't go down the mountain because Beiyong City is full of hypocritical people. Those who get married are just following the orders of their parents and the words of matchmakers. Where is the true affection?"
Shi Xianxue: "..."
"However, in the past few days, I have smelled something exciting. I was going to take advantage of the heavy snow to go down the mountain, but I was delayed by meeting someone on the way."
The snow woman sniffed the air towards the foot of the mountain. "That scent is getting stronger. I'll deal with these two I like first, then I'll go and avenge you."
Shi Xianxue's face turned ashen: "I didn't expect you to be so enthusiastic."
The Snow Woman scoffed, "Enthusiastic? Haha, this is the first time someone has called me enthusiastic. Little sister, if they find out you're lying to me—"
Shi Xianxue swallowed hard.
“I will slaughter the entire city lord’s mansion, rip out your heart, and taste how the heart of a Wushan person differs from that of others.”
In a courtyard at the foot of the snow-capped mountain.
Outside, the world was covered in ice and snow, but inside, bamboo leaf wine was warming, and the pink smoke from the incense burner, like the fragrance of a young girl, created a beautiful atmosphere.
Zhou Xianghan held the wine glass, her eyes lingering yet laced with lewdness. "Young Master Wu, let's have a drink to liven things up. Although I've shared a bed with it many times in my dreams, this is the first time in the real world."
Wu Xiutang obediently drank the wine in the glass from her hand, and the nine-tailed mark on his chin moved to the center of his forehead, emitting a crimson glow.
He was like a puppet being controlled, obediently doing whatever Zhou Xianghan said.
Seeing him like this, Zhou Xianghan said regretfully, "I didn't want it to be like this, but Young Master Wu, you are too hard to control. There's even a love potion between you and that woman. It's really annoying."
"But once we consummate our marriage today, you will be devoted to loving only me, won't you?" She loosened the silk sash at her waist, revealing her peach-pink dress.
Zhou Xianghan smiled charmingly, hooked her arms around his neck, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.
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