Chapter 365: “Don’t tell me—” “Alright.”
In the following days, Young Master Sang and Shi Qingyan got back into the travel groove.
But this time, they weren’t wandering aimlessly; they were heading straight into the depths of the icy plains.
After days of trekking, Young Master Sang vaguely sensed they were approaching the heart of the icy expanse.
Not only was the snowstorm intensifying, but it had reached the point where he had to use spiritual energy to shield Shi Qingyan. The scenery around them had changed too.
The once pure white ice plains were now darkening, as if the ground beneath the snow had turned into a pitch-black abyss.
Before, they could occasionally find small hills or giant rocks to carve out a resting spot.
But as they ventured deeper, such places became fewer, and instead, they frequently encountered bottomless pits.
Some of those pits even emitted an uncomfortable aura, one that even Young Master Sang found unsettling. Maybe a slightly weaker person would fall in and meet their end.
But on a brighter note, the Little Blood Demon seemed to still be keeping tabs on them.
Whenever they paused to rest and prepare a steaming hot pot, the Little Blood Demon would sneak in to steal food, only leaving after a satisfying meal.
And it was happening more and more often, leading Young Master Sang to feel they were getting closer to its lair.
——
Night fell. The wind and snow grew even harsher.
“…I can’t take it anymore.”
After searching around and failing to find a temporary shelter, Young Master Sang sighed, “Looks like no hot pot tonight.”
Shi Qingyan didn’t speak but quietly followed by his side, sheltered under his spiritual energy.
The terrifying cold made it tough for her to hold up alone. Even with Young Master Sang’s protection, she could still feel the bone-chilling cold.
Her complexion was much paler than when they first entered the icy plains, and her lips occasionally turned white, making her look quite pitiful.
“Senior Sister Shi, are you okay?”
“…Mm.” Shi Qingyan nodded silently.
“Maybe we should just turn back.” Young Master Sang pondered, “I didn’t expect the Little Blood Demon’s nest to be this deep in the icy plains. Continuing feels unsafe; I should take you back.”
However, Shi Qingyan grasped his arm and shook her head.
“…We’ve come this far.” Her gaze held a slight gloom as she softly said, “Don’t give up just because of me.”
“Don’t forget, I’m just your servant. You don’t have to care about me so much.”
Young Master Sang fell silent.
Since they played house together back then, Young Master Sang had always treated her like family.
But perhaps Shi Qingyan still harbored some reservations deep down.
“Just withdraw the spiritual energy. I can still endure this level of cold,” Shi Qingyan pursed her lips and said softly, “There’s no need to waste energy for me.”
Not that it was really a waste.
After all, after recovering the Bodhi Spirits, Young Master Sang was practically a walking perpetual motion machine, with spiritual energy naturally flowing towards him.
Young Master Sang thought for a moment and suddenly said, “Ah right.”
“Didn’t you say before?”
Shi Qingyan: “?”
Before she could respond, Young Master Sang rushed in front of her, and with a princess carry, swept her off her feet.
“W-what are you doing?” Shi Qingyan briefly panicked and stammered.
“Didn’t you say that if you got tired, I should carry you?”
“I… I was just joking…”
Shi Qingyan’s voice grew fainter.
In the end, she gave up resisting and snuggled into Young Master Sang’s embrace.
Because, honestly, it was really warm.
For some reason, as Shi Qingyan was held by Young Master Sang, her mind started to wander.
Even trivial thoughts came flooding back, like…
…He shouldn’t get tired holding me, right?
I mean, I shouldn’t be that heavy. I’m always managing my figure, probably skinnier than Yan Rouwan.
But what if he gets tired? Should I suggest getting down? But this chance to snuggle is too good to waste.
Should I pretend to be asleep? He probably wouldn’t have the heart to wake me up and would keep holding me…
…Just these kinds of thoughts.
Shi Qingyan didn’t know how long she’d been thinking like this. She only felt that her body wasn’t as cold anymore, even experiencing a hint of warmth.
Especially on her face. She could almost picture her rosy cheeks.
Just when Shi Qingyan was daydreaming about how long this delightful moment could last…
Young Master Sang suddenly stopped and slowly looked up.
In front of him appeared a genuine “Heavenly Rift.”
A massive crack extending to the horizon split the icy plain in two.
On one side stood Young Master Sang.
The other side was chaotic with violent storms, nothing could be seen in the swirling snow.
Below the crack lay an inky darkness.
“…I vaguely remember seeing this before when searching for information on the Ice Wasteland.”
Young Master Sang muttered: “This place must be the deepest part of the Ice Wasteland that the Human Clan has ever reached—The Heavenly Gorge.”
“From here on, even the highest-ranking cultivators of the Human Clan wouldn’t dare to venture.”
Shi Qingyan turned her head and mumbled, “Could the Little Blood Demon really be living even deeper?”
“No. Beyond this point, it’s no longer an environment where any living creatures could survive.”
Young Master Sang shook his head: “That Little Blood Demon’s nest should be around here somewhere.”
“Here? But there’s nothing here at all! It can’t be beneath the gorge, right?”
Young Master Sang thought for a moment and suddenly looked down at Shi Qingyan:
“Senior Sister Shi, hold on tight!”
Shi Qingyan: “…Please don’t tell me you’re going to jump.”
“Alright.”
So Young Master Sang didn’t tell her about jumping; he just zipped his mouth and leapt.
“I didn’t mean that!!!”
Shi Qingyan’s voice echoed throughout the crack.
Both of them fell swiftly, but they didn’t hit the bottom even after what felt like forever.
Soon, darkness and silence enveloped them completely, and Shi Qingyan couldn’t even hear the sound of falling.
She didn’t even know how far they had fallen; the only thing she could hear was the steady heartbeat from Young Master Sang’s chest.
Calm and strong, it was reassuring.
After what felt like an eternity, a soft whisper floated to her ears: “We’re here.”
Shi Qingyan slightly opened her eyes.
However, in the next moment, she froze.
At the bottom of the gorge, crystals of spiritual stones littered the ground, emitting a soft glow illuminating the surrounding area.
And amidst that faint glow…
…stood a decrepit little wooden house.
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