Looking back to where the gaze ended, a towering mountain scraped the clouds, exuding an aura of profound majesty and power.
A faint, almost imperceptible curve touched Yuan Lixun’s lips—a subtle shift in expression that would be missed by the casual observer, yet it signaled a sudden, surprising lift in her spirits.
In that moment, she recalled He Yiming pulling her aside when they parted, earnestly instructing her: eat anything good you find, take whatever is valuable, be assertive in the Ice Palace, and don't let anyone bully you...
Had it not been for Zhuo Wanlian’s arduous journey to find them, they might never have managed to leave so smoothly today.
The sheer thought of He Yiming possessing such a fussy, talkative side filled her with a strangely complex feeling.
“Junior Sister, what’s wrong?” Zhuo Wanlian asked, a hint of surprise in his tone.
Yuan Lixun shook her head slightly. “Nothing, Senior Brother. Let’s go.”
She turned away, but within her heart burned an incredibly firm resolution.
When we meet again... I will no longer be a burden to you!
※※※※
Gazing into the distance. Though the figure of the beloved woman had long vanished from sight, He Yiming felt an undeniable certainty that, at this very moment, she was looking back toward him from afar.
He wasn't sure how long he stood there before the sound of footsteps approaching from behind shattered his reverie.
Though a flicker of annoyance crossed his mind, by the time he turned, a smile had already settled on his face. “Brother Zhu, what brings you to seek me out?”
Zhu Baqi laughed heartily. “Brother He, are you acquainted with Venerable Xu?”
“Venerable Xu? I do not know him.”
He Yiming ran through every Venerable figure he had met, then shook his head slightly. Among the Venerables he knew, only the thin, ascetic old man encountered that night remained nameless; there were no other experts of Venerable rank bearing the surname Xu.
Zhu Baqi’s smile instantly froze. He murmured, “Strange. If you don't know Venerable Xu, why did he ask me to bring you to meet him?”
He Yiming’s heart tightened. While he trusted that, at least on Tianchi Peak, no one would try to take his life, being sought out by an unknown Venerable was certainly not a positive development.
“Brother Zhu, what does this Venerable Xu look like? Tell me about him.”
Zhu Baqi held nothing back, describing the Venerable’s appearance.
Upon hearing the description, He Yiming immediately understood: this Venerable Xu was the one who had taken the blow from his broad saber that night and was forced to retreat a step.
He frowned slightly. Surely, a dignified Venerable wouldn't harbor resentment over such a trivial matter.
However, once the identity was confirmed, He Yiming felt a significant weight lift from his shoulders. “Brother Zhu, since Venerable Xu summons me, let us go.”
The two walked shoulder-to-shoulder, traversing the mountainside until they entered the summit area, which from below always appeared shrouded in cloud and mist.
Looking up from the base, the area seemed profoundly mysterious. But once He Yiming entered, he realized it wasn't drastically different from the lower levels—merely that a pervasive mist limited visibility across distances.
Yet, this was only his initial impression. After walking with Zhu Baqi in this locale for a short while, He Yiming abruptly stopped, his eyes flashing with sharp light as he surveyed the surroundings, a faint look of astonishment crossing his features.
Zhu Baqi also halted, turning back with a cheerful smile. “Brother He. Did you discover the mystery so quickly?”
He Yiming nodded solemnly. “The clouds and mist here are truly extraordinary. Even my sight cannot penetrate them.”
As everyone knew, moving in dense fog severely impacts vision. But for a powerhouse like He Yiming, gathering True Qi into his eyes usually minimized such interference.
He Yiming had experienced this vividly in Taicang County and Hengshan.
This mist, however, was demonstrably different. No matter how He Yiming tried to marshal his True Qi, the scope of his vision remained severely restricted.
If he couldn't detect the oddity now, all his long years of cultivation would have been wasted.
Zhu Baqi chuckled drily. “Brother He, rumor has it this mist has an ancient origin, perhaps even related to the founding ancestor of our main Tianchi lineage. I don’t know the specifics, though. I’ve just seen it so often, it’s become natural, nothing special.”
He Yiming felt a stirring within. He extended his hand, as if trying to grasp the ethereal vapors floating in the air.
Zhu Baqi shook his head slightly, thinking He Yiming was still too young to be amusing himself at a time like this.
But then, Zhu Baqi’s mouth fell open in surprise. In the center of He Yiming’s palm, the mist began to surge inward, rushing towards that spot. In the blink of an eye, the mist surrounding He Yiming’s hand thickened several times over, condensing so densely that it entirely obscured his hand from view.
Zhu Baqi let out a wry smile, a hint of bitterness creeping into his heart. This He Yiming possessed an endless stream of profound and esoteric skills; he could seemingly summon the very mist itself.
After a long moment, He Yiming finally let out a deep sigh, sweeping his hand gently. The concentrated mist instantly dispersed.
“Brother He, did you gain some insight?” Zhu Baqi asked tentatively.
He Yiming shook his head, his face clouded with confusion. “I can’t figure it out, I simply can’t…”
Though he claimed not to understand, he refused to elaborate on what exactly stumped him.
Zhu Baqi, resigned, led him onward until they reached a secluded courtyard nestled within the clouds.
Arriving there, Zhu Baqi bowed deeply and announced in a clear voice, “Venerable Xu, Zhu Baqi reports. I have brought Elder He Yiming of Hengshan as requested.”
“Good. Let him enter.”
A familiar voice drifted from within. Zhu Baqi gave He Yiming an encouraging glance and promptly withdrew.
He Yiming advanced a few steps and carefully pushed open the courtyard gate.
A young boy, no older than fifteen or sixteen, was waiting there. He offered He Yiming a deep bow and took the lead.
A mere glance from He Yiming told him that despite the boy’s youth, his internal cultivation had already reached the pinnacle of the Seventh Layer of Inner Strength.
He thought to himself: Being close to a true powerhouse brings undeniable benefits. This child may not ascend to the Xiantian realm, but reaching the Tenth Layer of Inner Strength is almost certainly guaranteed.
Moments later, they entered a spacious room. As He Yiming stepped across the threshold, he immediately straightened his posture, bowed deeply, and said, “He Yiming pays respects to the Venerable Lord. It is truly too much honor that Your Venerable Lord has come to greet me personally; I am deeply unworthy.”
Venerable Xu was indeed waiting in this room, and he was not lounging casually in an armchair, but standing before the hall.
Though martial artists who had reached their level rarely concerned themselves with worldly etiquette, Venerable Xu’s demeanor still made He Yiming feel profoundly honored, even slightly overwhelmed.
Venerable Xu waved his large sleeve. “No matter. Sit.”
He Yiming sat down, his heart fluttering with anticipation. The young attendant brought tea, bowed, and retreated, leaving only the two of them in the room.
“Venerable Xu, you summoned this junior. Do you have some guidance to offer?”
Venerable Xu watched him in silence, his expression strangely intense, making He Yiming feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
“He Yiming, are you from Taicang County in the Tianluo Kingdom?”
He Yiming was momentarily stunned. While he had been constantly speculating about the Venerable’s intentions, this opening question caught him entirely off guard.
Composing himself, He Yiming replied, “This junior is indeed from Taicang County.”
Venerable Xu fell silent again.
He Yiming found this perplexing. For a supreme expert of the Venerable rank to display such evident hesitation and anxiety was utterly baffling.
Venerable Xu suddenly let out a long sigh. “He Yiming, do you know of a place called the Xu Family Fortress in Taicang County?”
He Yiming’s head snapped up. A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind as he scrutinized the Venerable’s face. The more he looked, the more a chilling sensation prickled his skin.
This elder’s features bore a striking resemblance to Xu Xiangqian, the Fourth Master of the Xu family. And once this notion took root, the feeling intensified relentlessly.
Simultaneously, he recalled what his grandfather, He Wude, had once mentioned: a certain ancestor of the Xu family had left long ago and his whereabouts remained unknown, along with the two top-tier Firewood Secret Manuals hidden by the Xu family.
All these elements, once disparate clues, now coalesced following his meeting with Venerable Xu.
He took a deep breath. “So, the Venerable is the Ancestor who departed from the Xu Family Fortress? This junior has been disrespectful.”
Venerable Xu snorted. “Ancestor? I do not recognize any Xu Family Fortress.”
He Yiming was momentarily dumbfounded, but he absolutely did not believe the words. The fleeting look of nostalgia and remembrance in the elder’s eyes when he asked the question could not have been faked.
Blinking twice, He Yiming made a swift decision. “Senior, how about I recount the affairs of my hometown for you?”
Venerable Xu nodded gently, a hint of satisfaction flickering in his eyes. He clearly admired He Yiming’s perceptiveness.
He Yiming began to eloquently narrate the stories of the three great families of Taicang County, naturally focusing more heavily on the Xu Family Fortress. He even vividly described the time the fortress was raided by horse bandits.
Half an hour later, He Yiming finally finished his account.
While speaking, He Yiming constantly monitored the elder’s changing expressions. Although the man appeared outwardly unmoved, He Yiming vaguely sensed the surge of violent, scorching rage when he recounted the near-destruction of the Xu Family Fortress. When he mentioned He Yiming’s intervention that calmed the situation, the Venerable’s demeanor softened, and the look he gave He Yiming became noticeably gentler.
Finally, Venerable Xu let out a cold laugh. “Horse bandits... horse bandits…”
His voice was laced with a sharp, bone-chilling murderous intent.
At this point, He Yiming was certain: if this elder had no connection to the Xu Family Fortress, then killing him would not make He Yiming believe otherwise.
Ps: Five chapters today, and five chapters again tomorrow… The monthly ticket double period ends in two more days. White Crane asks for votes, thank you.