Chapter 208 Crimson Flame's Sudden Visit to Mount Chengma
The heavy snow that had been falling for days finally stopped, and the bright sunlight once again shone through the azure sky onto the bright white Chengma Peak.
Standing atop Chengma Peak, Shubu glanced at the sun's position, calculated with his fingers, then his brow relaxed, and he shouted, "The mountain closure period is over! People, heed my command—open the mountain!"
"Awooooo—!"
"Awooooo—!"
The howls of wolves once again awakened the slumbering Chengma Peak! Everyone poked their heads out of their respective caves, sniffing the air, and then harnessed their sleds, running joyfully down the snow slopes. The tranquil Chengma Peak suddenly burst open with countless white veils of mist, several snow tracks gradually became clear, and once again, stunning ice flowers bloomed on the snow-capped mountain!
Su Yuyao, wrapped in her cloak and supporting Bai Er's forearm, stood tall in the snow, a pitying smile playing on her lips, squinting at the long-unseen sunlight. Though the chill lingered and the cold remained, the dark clouds had dispersed, and the sun was about to shine upon the world!
"Moo—yawn!" An unfamiliar sneeze rang out at an inopportune moment.
Su Yuyao raised an eyebrow, pursed her lips, and slowly tilted her head to suppress a smile. She glanced at Chi Yan, who was wearing crimson-gold armor and had a flushed face, and then at the bull-headed executioner who had once stolen her nose ring and was standing behind Chi Yan, sniffling.
“Lord Chiyan, your timing is truly unfortunate!” Su Yuyao said slowly, suppressing the corners of her mouth. “Today is the opening ceremony of our snow mountain, a major event concerning the entire year’s scenery, and it cannot be neglected! So… we can only neglect you two, please forgive us.”
Crimson Flame Lord glanced at the bull-headed figure behind him, snorted, and said, "Heh, a snow mountain actually has an opening ceremony? This is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing!"
Su Yuyao smiled and said, "Before the wolf clan arrived at the snow mountain, it was a desolate place, rarely visited by anyone, so there was no need to open the mountain. But now, the wolf clan needs to reproduce and survive here, so the opening ceremony is indispensable!"
Chi Yan subtly adjusted his Qi field, and a red Qi light gradually emanated from his body, slowly enveloping the bull's head behind him. He hummed and said, "In that case, this mountain-opening ceremony should be reported to the Mother Goddess Yi, recorded, and included in the annals of history!"
Su Yuyao slowly turned around, and a bone-chilling cold suddenly approached Chi Yan and Niu Tou, startling Niu Tou into shivering again.
Su Yuyao lowered her eyelids slightly, bent her knees, and smiled, saying, "What Lord Chiyan says is true. Then I'll trouble Lord Chiyan with this matter!"
Although Su Yuyao's movements were slight, the biting cold emanating from her fierce aura pierced through Chi Yan's aura like countless needles!
Chi Yan's expression remained unchanged, but his dantian was silently exerting its strength, churning his qi sea and filling the qi shield, but it could not keep up with the speed at which Su Yuyao invaded!
This demeanor! This aura! Is this still the same reckless Su Yuyao from before? Chi Yan's heart began to feel a trace of fear at Su Yuyao's drastic change, yet this fear was mixed with a bit of joy. It seemed that Yi Guo was right; perhaps this Su Yuyao really could save her!
With a gentle smile and soft eyes, Su Yuyao slowly probed Chi Yan's Qi field. Although the burning sensation was extremely strong, it was completely different from the Qi field she had entered when she was unconscious. Whose Qi field was that?
"Commander!" Shubu leaped from the summit to Su Yuyao in a few steps, bowing and reporting, "The yaks are ready! Please give your instructions, Commander!"
Su Yuyao withdrew her Qi field, raised her eyelids to look at the expressionless Chi Yan, then glanced at the ox head that was trembling slightly from the cold Qi, and slowly turned around to look at the cleared snow slope. She leisurely swept her gaze over the tribesmen gathered on both sides to watch the excitement, and finally fixed her gaze on the robust yak on the snow slope.
She curled the corners of her lips, raised her head, gathered her qi in her dantian, and proclaimed loudly, "The Fu Guang has arrived, and all things enjoy its blessings! The earth is the mother that nurtures all things; now, with the blood of beasts, we offer it as a sacrifice to bless the Snow Mountain Wolf Clan for eternity!"
Su Yuyao's voice was deep and resonant, echoing throughout the valley!
"Awooo—wooo—!" The valley was filled with the howls of wolves!
Suddenly, Su Yuyao's eyes sharpened, and she abruptly lifted her cloak. A silver light spun out from Su Yuyao's waist, drawing an arc in the air before striking the yak!
"Whoosh—Pfft—Gulp!"
A silver light pierced through the yak's neck, bursting into a blood-red flower that hovered in the air before instantly condensing into vermilion jade beads that rolled down into the snow!
The yak head blinked twice, then suddenly slipped and rolled several times on the snow slope! Its body, spurting blood, fell straight down! Soon, the white snow slope was stained with dark red blood! Silver light swirled in the air, evenly mixing the pungent stench into the cold air!
Su Yuyao slightly raised her hand, and the silver light in the air immediately changed direction and flew towards Su Yuyao! The huge Qi wind forced Chi Yan to retreat slightly, and he had to release his own Qi field to resist!
With a crisp "snap," the crescent blade was obediently grasped in Su Yuyao's palm!
Su Yuyao raised her gleaming crescent-shaped blade high, channeled her inner energy, and chanted loudly, "Offer the bull's head as a sacrifice to the mountain god! May the snow mountain enjoy peace throughout the four seasons!"
After pondering for a moment, the rat stepped forward, plucked the mane from the ox's head, raised its arms, and shouted, "Offer sacrifices to the mountain god! Enjoy peace!"
"Offer sacrifices to the mountain god! May peace prevail!"
"Offer sacrifices to the mountain god! May peace prevail!"
Led by the Rat Diviner, the crowd shouted slogans.
Su Yuyao was secretly pleased with herself. She slowly sheathed her crescent blade, turned around and looked at Chi Yan, whose face was turning purple, and Niu Tou, whose nose was trembling. She said leisurely, "I've kept you two waiting. Please come with me into the hall!"
While shouting slogans, Shu Bu glanced at Su Yuyao. Seeing the group of people saunter into the main hall, he hurriedly waved his hand and called for people to come, "Quickly, light a fire!"
"Rat, what's wrong with the commander? Why are you suddenly holding this mountain-opening ceremony?"
"Exactly, why would you sacrifice a cow to the mountain god? Where is the mountain god anyway?"
"Rat, do you think the commander might be trying to intimidate Crimson Flame Lord and that ox, so he deliberately left them to freeze in the snow?!"
Faced with the clamor of questions, Rat Bu did not answer. Instead, he led his men to set up the campfire, then called his parents over and whispered, "Father, have someone unload the ox! Make a big commotion! Let's show the people from the Heavenly Palace what's what!"
"Oh! Okay! I understand! Don't worry, son!" Rat Father received the order and happily went to call someone.
"Mother, Lord Langzhi and Ling'er will be back soon. Please prepare the ox head and start roasting it quickly!"
"Hahahaha!" Mother Rat covered her mouth and laughed, "Mother knows! In the past, every bite of the bull's head was eaten by Ling'er! When the commander said that just now, Mother almost burst out laughing!"
Finally, Rat Bu couldn't hold back any longer. He lowered his head and smiled helplessly, saying, "The commander must have her reasons for doing this! We'll just do as she says! Make sure to take good care of Ox Head for Ling'er, otherwise, if Ling'er causes trouble, the Snow Mountain will be in turmoil!"
"Hahahaha! Don't worry!" Mouse Lady laughed as she got the women busy getting to work!
...
Crunch, crunch, crunch!
A huge black ghost-faced spider spread its eight thick legs and scurried quickly across the snow, its bright red eyes above a mysterious figure wrapped tightly in a black bearskin coat!
Xuanmiao wasn't wearing a hat; on her round head, a thin layer of sparse downy hair was twisted into two small, shiny black buns, radiating warmth in the sunlight.
She tucked her yellowish shinbone under her arm, clutched a bulging deerskin bag, tilted her rosy face upward, blinked her bright blue eyes that shone like the sun, revealed a set of pearly white teeth, and, fanning her nostrils, sniffed the sizzling aroma in the air, excitedly shouting, "Grandpa! Ox Head! Angry Ox Head!"
The ghost-faced spider blinked its eyes in turn, waved its chelicerae, and charged with all its might into the snowdrift that was almost up to its feet.
Not far away, on the cleared snow path, Ruixue looked helplessly at Langzhi and Xuanmiao darting around in the snowdrifts, and called out, "Lord Langzhi..."
"Smack!" A snowball hit Ruixue squarely in the face.
"Hehehehehe!" A mysterious and clear laugh echoed in Ruixue's ears.
Ruixue brushed the snow off her face and turned to look at Renshen, who had a deadpan expression on his face. "Why don't you try... calling them back?"
Ren Shen's eyes remained lifeless as he stared at Xuanmiao, who was receding further and further into the snowdrift. Suddenly, he leaped into the snowdrift, transforming into a half-dead scavenger!
"Sigh..." Ruixue sighed helplessly, then turned to look at the frost-covered green buds and the slightly trembling Longjing tea bushes on the other side, and asked, "Can you do it?"
Longjing circulated the Qi field he had just cultivated. Although it was still thin and weak, it should be enough to resist the cold for a while!
"I can do it!" Longjing's eyes revealed determination, and a glint of light slowly appeared on the tip of his nose.
Ruixue patted Longjing on the shoulder with admiration, then leaped into the air, transforming into a snow wolf and plunging into the snowdrift.
Longjing gritted her teeth, and with a "poof," transformed into a short, stubby green plant, following the path that Ruixue had shown her...
...
Inside the Guangyu Hanyao, a rare, delicate tea fragrance wafted through the cold, gloomy atmosphere.
Su Yuyao sat gracefully on the throne, her little finger twirling as she picked up a teacup. She held it to her nose, sniffed it, and gently sipped the warm tea. The scalding peach aroma filled her nostrils, like a warm ray of sunshine instantly bathing her body. This feeling... was as if Xuanfeng were right beside her...
Su Yuyao closed her eyes slightly, savoring the lingering sweetness on her tongue, but a bitter feeling gradually rose in her heart. She sighed softly, put down the teacup, and raised her eyelids to look into the hall.
Chi Yan stood beside a simple animal skin mat, his face a bluish-purple, holding a cow bone bowl filled with steaming, fishy-smelling tea. Behind him, a bull's head glared with bloodshot eyes, its nostrils flaring in anger.
Su Yuyao smiled and said, “Lord Chiyan, the snow mountain is an extremely cold place where nothing grows and resources are scarce. Although we have recently received subsidies from Xuanfeng, it is still not as comfortable and luxurious as the Heavenly Palace. Therefore, we do not have any extra tables or stools. Only this yak skin cushion is a high-quality item. I hope you will not find it offensive.”
Chi Yan tossed the ox bone bowl in his hand, and with a crack, the bowl split open in several places. The clear yellow tea flowed down the cracks to Chi Yan's fingertips and dripped onto the bluestone bricks!
"Oh! What a pity!" Chi Yan flicked his wrist, tossing the broken ox bone bowl onto the animal skin mat at his feet, and said with a half-smile, "Scarcity of resources? If it's so scarce, how come there's tribute tea from the palace?"
Su Yuyao's eyelids tightened as she looked at Chi Yan and said with a sneer, "Chi Yan, you're really joking. You haven't even had a sip of tea, so how can you be so sure it's tribute tea from the palace?"
"This tea has a strong fruity aroma; you can tell just by the smell that it's delicious, you don't even need to taste it!"
Su Yuyao leaned back, her smile steady as she stared at Chi Yan. This was Peach Blossom Tea that Yue'er had specially reserved for her. Since he considered it tribute tea, he must have tasted it in the Heavenly Palace… Could it have been brought to the palace by Xuan Feng? Probably not! If Peach Blossom Tea specifically referred to her, even if Xuan Feng had brought it to the palace, how could he have shared it with others? If it wasn't Xuan Feng, then who else could have obtained Peach Blossom Tea and roamed freely within the Heavenly Palace?
Su Yuyao harbored doubts but showed none, still smiling as she said, "Lord Chiyan is indeed very knowledgeable! However... this tea comes from Jiujiao Mountain, with extremely low yields. Apart from Jiujiao Mountain and Chengma Peak, it's impossible for it to be found anywhere else! Moreover, although this tea has a mellow taste, it's rather bland and sweet, which most people might not like. How could it possibly become tribute tea? Since it's not tribute tea, from whom did Lord Chiyan taste it?"
Upon hearing this, Chi Yan paused slightly, stroked his sparse beard, chuckled coldly, and said, "Where the tea comes from is not important! What's important is the purpose of my visit!"
Su Yuyao picked up the teacup again and brought it to her lips, sipping it while glancing at Chi Yan with raised eyelids.
Chi Yan brought up the subject, but received no response from Su Yuyao, leaving him slightly embarrassed and dissatisfied. "Su Yuyao! Don't you want to know why I came?"
Su Yuyao, a slight smile playing on her lips, put down her teacup, leaned back on the armrest of her throne, and said leisurely, “The Heavenly Palace is not peaceful. Although Mother Yi made a brief appearance, it was only a brief one! Sister Jinyu was taken back by Lord Ruixin, and it is said that she suffered considerable damage to her Qi and needs to recuperate! This will keep Lord Ruixin busy for a while! The crisis in the Wuji Dao has been resolved, the eight generals have been replaced, and Hongzhu, who has always been by the side of the First Palace, is pregnant and about to give birth. As for Lord Xianming… he has not shown his face since the day he was taken to the Palace of the Female Mother by Lord Ruixin.” At this point, Su Yuyao paused slightly, raised her eyelids to look at Chiyan, “Lord Chiyan, what brings you here…?”
Chi Yan narrowed his eyes and frowned slightly as he scrutinized Su Yuyao on the throne. This Su Yuyao, who did not know etiquette, was still able to know about the affairs within the Heavenly Palace, even though she lived deep in the snow mountain. She seemed to have revealed everything about the palace, but she also hid some things, showing a bit of Xuan Feng's cunning!
Chi Yan strolled leisurely with his hands behind his back, saying, "You're right, the Heavenly Palace is indeed not peaceful! Lord Ruixin is a businessman who never does a losing business. Jin Yu suffered such a huge loss, how could he be willing to accept it? The eight generals of Wuji Dao have been replaced by Lord Haichao's confidants. Although Lord Haichao has no ambition, it doesn't mean the others don't. Don't forget, Hongzhu is pregnant! As for Lord Xianming, he is indeed suspected of murdering Elder Zhang!"
As Chi Yan spoke, he walked to Su Yuyao's desk, tilting his head to look at her. "But... suspicion is one thing, but the evidence is insufficient! So..."
"So," Su Yuyao asked, her red eyes swirling and the corners of her mouth curling up, "Crimson Flame Lord came to the snow mountain to find evidence?"
Chi Yan chuckled to himself, sighed deeply, then suddenly rolled his eyes and glared at Su Yuyao. Though his face was expressionless, a barely perceptible killing intent surged in his eyes. He stepped up the stairs, placed his reddened palm on Su Yuyao's table, and leaned over, saying, "Longjing, here it is."
Su Yuyao's gaze followed Chi Yan's, and she coldly replied, "Immortal Tea Lord is in the Heavenly Palace. If you want to know something, why don't you go and ask him? Why go through all this trouble, hiding for months before finally showing up to ask me for Longjing tea?"
"Hmph!" Chi Yan sneered and said in a low voice, "Xian Mingjun is just a pawn. I need to find the person who orchestrated this!"
Su Yuyao paused to gather her breath, looking at Chi Yan, who had no presence in the Heavenly Palace, with a hint of surprise. How much did he, who seemed so ignorant, actually know?
She took a slight breath, looked into Chi Yan's orange-red eyes, and slowly asked, "What do you know?"
Chi Yan slowly curled the corners of his mouth, and his steady, fearless gaze gradually became unfathomable.
“Su Yuyao,” he said in a voice only Su Yuyao could hear, “only you can save Mother Yi!”
Su Yuyao's eyes widened in shock. Sure enough! Something had happened to Yi's mother!
"So, what I know isn't important, what's important is whether you know it or not!" Chi Yan pointed north and said softly, "Rui Xin Jun won't let this go, what do you plan to do?"
Su Yuyao's eyes trembled.
Chi Yan tapped the table again, "The crisis in the Wuji Path has been resolved. Chao Xi and Ze Yuan will soon depart from the Wuji Path to return to the Heavenly Palace to report back..."
"Mother—!" Xuanmiao's clear and innocent voice pierced through the heavy palace doors and joined Su Yuyao and Chiyan's private conversation.
Chi Yan paused for a moment, then continued, "You have Xuanmiao, which seems to give you leverage, but Hongzhu is about to give birth. Don't forget, Zeyuan is the true Heavenly Lord of the Dao!"
Su Yuyao's red eyes trembled again!
"Xianmingjun may seem to have no connection with the Heavenly Palace, but he is, after all, Xuanfeng's biological father! If Xianmingjun is accused of murdering the Tea God, how will Xuanfeng maintain his standing among the gods of the Heavenly Realm?"
Knock knock knock!
"Mama! Open the door! Miao'er is here!" Xuanmiao waved her little fists and pounded on the palace door.
Crimson Flame glanced sideways, its gaze fixed on the bull's head.
The bull opened its nostrils, mooed, and walked towards the palace gate.
Su Yuyao remained unmoved, secretly releasing her Qi field, which transformed into Qi needles that followed closely behind the bull's head, poised to strike.
“Su Yuyao,” Chi Yan’s eyes softened, “only by saving Mother Yi can we save Xuanfeng!”
Su Yuyao's red eyes surged!
...
Creak! The palace doors swung open!
"Ah...oh?" Xuanmiao stared blankly at the cow's hoof, which was almost as tall as herself. She looked up along the hoof and suddenly her eyes widened. She stared in disbelief at the enormous cow's head, which was much larger than her body. She unconsciously grinned and exclaimed, "Wow—!"
The bull-headed creature bent slightly, looking at the mysterious, cow-dung-like mound at its feet, and blinked in surprise. "Moo?"
"Little brat!" Langzhi's face darkened as soon as he saw that it was Niu Tou who opened the door. He took two steps forward, picked up Xuanmiao, and gave Niu Tou a disgruntled look.
"Lord Langzhi!" Mouse Mother stepped forward with a smile, blocking the way between Langzhi and Ox Head. "Mouse Father has finished unhide the cowhide and is about to air-dry it! The beef has been divided up! The cow bones have all been cleaned! Hey? Ling'er! Would you like to pick out another bone you like?"
“Bull Head…” Xuanmiao murmured, staring blankly at Bull Head from under Langzhi’s armpit, “I’m angry at Bull Head…”
"Yes! The bull's head is already roasting!" Mouse Lady said with a loud laugh. "Ling'er, shall we go check if the bull's head is done roasting?"
Xuanmiao struggled to her feet, pointed her little hand at the bull's head, and exclaimed excitedly, "This is amazing!"
"Moo?!"
"Huh?" The rat-raising girl was taken aback, then laughed awkwardly, "We have to eat the roasted ones! This one hasn't been killed yet, we can't eat it..."
Thump!
Before Rat Mother could finish speaking, Ox Head slammed the door shut. He steadied himself against the doorframe, trying to catch his breath. Back then, he was ordered by the Goddess Yi to administer punishments, and Su Yuyao had attacked without a word! Not only had she nearly injured a vital organ, but she'd also had her nose sliced off and her nose ring stolen! Now, this dung beetle who looked exactly like Su Yuyao was also attacking without a word, demanding a head…
The bull-headed creature flipped its nostrils, suddenly catching a strange, pungent sour smell...
Xuanmiao, tucked under Langzhi's arm, watched helplessly as the palace gate receded further and further away. She struggled a few times, yelling, "Angry! Bull! Head!"
"Good boy!" Langzhi rolled over and hugged Xuanmiao tightly, coaxing him softly, "What's so good about that stupid cow! Look at the cow head Auntie Rat Rat roasted for you, that's the real delicacy!"
Xuanmiao frowned, pouted, and looked unhappy, muttering, "It doesn't smell good!"
Langzhi felt a mix of affection and tenderness seeing Xuanmiao's angry expression; she was just like that girl Tuanyue! Sigh... I wonder how Tuanyue is doing...
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