Han Shuna’s face, blackened as if by a black hole from the "Immeasurable Karmic Fire," struggled to part its mouth toward me, seeming to want to utter something, but the lipless opening only gaped uselessly.

I wanted to ask Chu Yi beside me what was happening, if there had ever been such a precedent in the Kalamaili mountains where the incinerated dead could reanimate, but turning my head, I found Chu Yi, who had been speaking with me moments before, gone. Only the cold night wind, mixed with large snowflakes, howled into the ice wall.

My heart seemed frozen through by the wind and snow. A sudden shiver ran through me. I sat up, and when I looked again, Chu Yi was sitting beside me, clutching his hunting rifle and raising his leather pouch, taking a swig of barley wine. I glanced toward where Han Shuna’s body had been placed; there were no traces of snow disturbance there. I must have dozed off—and in such a short time, I had suffered a nightmare.

If the saying holds true that what you think about by day you dream of by night, then it wasn't surprising. Perhaps in this dark, cold evening, seeing the bizarre golden-bodied mummies of the snowy mountains repeatedly, followed by Han Shuna’s gruesome death by fire, those images refused to leave my mind, leading to such a strange dream. Yet, the terror in that dream felt intensely real—perhaps it carried some subtle premonition?

Chu Yi passed me the leather wineskin from beside me. "You fell asleep while we were talking. You must be utterly exhausted today. I heated the wine for you; have a couple of swallows. The spirits of the barley wine will help relieve the fatigue in your body."

I took the wineskin and downed two large gulps. Standing up, I still felt the need to confirm. I had to see with my own eyes that Han Shuna’s body under the "snow mound" remained unchanged before I could feel at ease. I had dealt with her before, and even if not, she was an accomplice in this venture; I certainly didn't want to deal with the situation only after her corpse had undergone some change—that would likely mean desecrating her remains, which was the most troublesome issue of all.

Who would have thought that as soon as I stood up, I suddenly heard a sharp, piercing sound, a "swoosh," from behind the ice wall, and a flare shot into the night sky. These were the tripwire illumination flares we had set up around the perimeter when we camped, designed to guard against wolf attacks. They were placed behind several ice mounds, at the mandatory points of approach to the camp from the outside.

The flare carried a small parachute, allowing it to hang suspended in the air for some time. Driven by the cold wind, the ghastly white flare swayed in the night sky, illuminating the already snow-white glacier with a blinding, shimmering glare that assaulted the eyes.

In this vast, white haze of snow mist, over a dozen massive wolves were exposed under the flare's piercing light. The closest of these beasts were barely ten meters from the ice wall we had built. They had indeed come to attack under the cover of the heavy snowfall. Seeing them so close, and recalling my analysis of the glacier structure during camp setup—that it hadn't snowed heavily for a long time this season—I knew the sound of light weapons wouldn't easily trigger an avalanche from the peaks. So, I simply pulled out my 1911, racked the slide, raised the gun, and fired. Chu Yi also raised his hunting rifle, aimed at the stealthy wolves, and let loose a round.

The pack stalking silently across the snowfield had probably intended to wait until they were under the ice wall before launching their assault. Unexpectedly, they triggered the flare when still over ten meters away. That dazzling light left them disoriented, making them easy targets sprawled on the snow.

Fatty and the others rushed out with their weapons upon hearing the gunshots to offer assistance. A volley from rifles and shotguns instantly felled over ten wolves. The remaining three massive wolves, sensing trouble, turned and bolted back, but Fatty brought them down one by one with his rifle. A pile of wolf carcasses lay haphazardly before the ice wall, dotting the vast white snow with patches of dark blood.

Just as the last wolf was felled by Fatty’s shot, the flare hanging overhead gradually dimmed, and the glacier was once again engulfed in darkness, leaving only the mournful wail of the wind blowing snow. This area of the Phoenix Divine Palace on the Dragon's Crest Glacier was where the winds converged below, the gaps between the mountains acting as ventilation shafts sucking in the gale. The higher one went, the weaker the wind became, until the very summit where there was practically no wind at all. This glacier could be likened to a trumpet-shaped wind shaft, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Combined with the heavy snowfall, visibility in the vicinity was extremely poor.

Fatty crouched for shelter behind the ice wall and said to me, "Commander Hu, we gave those wolves a proper scare this time. They won't dare come again; we can finally get some peaceful sleep. I’m heading back to bed now. Call me if anything happens. I was dreaming about getting married—I was halfway through when you woke me up. I have to go finish the sequel now!"

I told Fatty not to underestimate the enemy, saying there would be time to sleep once victory was achieved; this was far from over. Once we skinned the White-Haired Wolf King and hung his pelt on the prayer flags, the pack would be leaderless and no longer a threat.

At this point, Chu Yi spoke up. "Brother Duoji is right. These wolves are very cunning. We must be wary that they are trying to distract us here while other wolves circle around behind us. Once we get close to the main pack, we can’t use guns; we might hit our own people."

Alerted by guide Chu Yi, we all recognized the possibility. Chu Yi understood wolf behavior too well. Judging by this small-scale encounter, the pack would certainly split up to flank us. Our camp was set next to the tomb of the Reincarnation Sect’s leader. There were ice ravines on both distant sides, making passage difficult. Although we had set up mechanisms with flares at the front and rear, we couldn't rely on them entirely.

After a brief discussion, the group decided that rather than staying put and being harassed all night, it was better to meet the attack head-on and strike the rear assault before it even began.

Chu Yi estimated the main force of the wolves was behind us, and they were approaching against the wind, meaning the sound of gunfire and human scent would be easily detected by them. The vanguard wolves must have planned to pounce suddenly while we were complacent after our victory and scattering to rest. To achieve surprise, we needed to confuse them and act quickly; if they detected any change in our posture, eliminating this pack tonight would be difficult.

Inley Yang remarked that wolves had strong senses, and since we were downwind, we could easily be exposed. "How can we confuse them?"

Chu Yi didn't answer. He vaulted over the ice wall and dragged the nearest wolf carcass back. He instructed everyone to smear some of the wolf's blood on their foreheads. According to local legend, among all living things, only the human soul resides in the forehead area. Vicious wolves were considered Asura hungry ghosts, unable to perceive the human body with their noses or eyes; they could only see the human soul. Furthermore, it took a full day and night for a soul to leave the body after death, so the freshly shed blood of these wolves carried wolf spirits. Smearing it on the forehead would obscure one's soul and confuse the pack.

I thought that even if the legend wasn't literally true, smearing the strong scent of wolf blood would indeed mask our human odor. Thus, as Chu Yi instructed, I inserted my paracord knife into a wolf's throat. The wolf had just died and hadn't frozen yet; the blood was still warm.

Everyone used three fingers to dab the blood and drew a streak across their forehead. Then, carrying our weapons, we switched off all portable light sources and quietly crept toward the ice slope behind us. This slope was located roughly in the center of the Dragon's Crest Glacier. Such undulating ice formations were common on this ancient glacier. Initially, we paid them no mind, only noting that this raised hump provided some cover from the wind and snow, which is why we camped below it. It wasn't until I and Inley Yang confirmed the location of the Nine-Story Demon Tower in the ice cirque that we suspected this slope might be the site where the "Glacier Crystal Corpse" was buried.

The group bundled Uncle Ming and Ah Xiang in the middle, lying prone on the ice and snow, keeping below the ridge line of the slope. Our gear was adequate for the polar environment. This Dragon's Crest wasn't very high, and there was a saying: "Warmer after the wind, colder after the snow." The real cold front would arrive after the snowfall ceased, and the wolves would retreat to the forest before the cold killed them. Though heavy snow was falling now, it wasn't excessively cold. Nevertheless, lying flat in the snowdrift on the ice was certainly unpleasant.

I pressed my hand down, signaling everyone to halt. Chu Yi and I covered our mouths, exposing only the wolf blood on our foreheads. We then cautiously peered over the slope's ridge to survey the area below. If the wolves attacked from that direction, this would be the choke point.

On the dark earth, only snow flurries filled the air. I watched for a long time but saw nothing. The sky was heavily overcast with no light whatsoever; visibility was extremely low, everything around a vague, hazy darkness. Just then, Chu Yi tugged my sleeve and slowly pointed his finger down the slope. Following the direction of his hand, I focused my gaze and noticed a few tiny green lights faintly shimmering within the veil of wind and snow. Because the snow was heavy, I almost missed them without Chu Yi pointing them out.

I switched on my low-light flashlight and flashed it twice toward Fatty and the others behind me, signaling that I had spotted the lurking pack and was ready for combat. However, Chu Yi, still prone on the ground, suddenly sprang up and dashed down the ice slope toward the few green lights in the darkness.

I didn't know why he did that—had something suddenly changed? But I couldn't let him venture into danger alone. I grabbed my M1911 and pointed the "Wolf's Eye" flashlight, chasing after him. Behind me, I heard Fatty and Inley Yang shouting, "Hurry back! What are you two doing?"

Chu Yi stopped at a certain spot. I halted beside him, about to ask what was going on, when I saw seven or eight massive wolves lying on the snow. Their necks had been sliced open by sharp blade teeth, blood gushing out. A few were not entirely dead, glaring at us with malevolent eyes, but they were bleeding too heavily to move; death was imminent. The emerald green eyes we had seen from the ridge line on the slope belonged to them.

Chu Yi knelt down to examine the wounds on the wolves' necks. "The White-Haired Wolf King did this. They won't be coming tonight." After speaking, he used his Tibetan knife to dispatch the remaining wounded wolves one by one and returned with me behind the ice slope.

When we explained the situation to the others, everyone was baffled. Our initial assessment was clearly correct: the pack intended to attack from the rear. But for some unknown reason, the Wolf King had killed so many of its own kind before quietly retreating. Even the guide Chu Yi, intimately familiar with wolf nature, could not comprehend it.

Inley Yang stamped his foot on the ice slope and addressed the group. "This glacier most likely conceals the Nine-Story Demon Tower we seek. Morgoan customs dictated that only the Monarch and the Evil God could be interred in the Tower upon death. Even high-ranking clergy of the Reincarnation Sect, like the Sect Master, were not qualified; they could only be buried in ice caves around the Holy Land. In the epic poem, 'The Great King Who Subdues the World with the Enemy-Subduing Jewel,' the White Wolf was a demon servant of the Morgoan Kingdom, and the King had fought pitched battles against the wolf pack led by the Wolf King multiple times."

"Although the Morgoan Kingdom perished long, long ago, the ancient pact between the Monarch and the wolves might still be in effect, and the pack might still bear an ancient curse. Perhaps the Wolf King discovered this was the Demon Tower where the Evil God was worshipped and had to abandon its original plan, even killing a few wolves as a sacrifice. Does this resemble ancient Native American legends about wolf packs, something that also exists in the Kalamaili section of the Kunlun Mountains?"

Hearing Inley Yang say this reminded me of the huge wolf pelt and the murals depicting the commanding of wolf slaves in the Ghost Mother's tomb chamber at the Great Phoenix Temple on the Kunlun Pass. Therefore, the possibility Inley Yang suggested seemed plausible.

Since the wolves would not harass them again tonight, everyone could finally rest peacefully. Tomorrow, they had to excavate the most crucial 'Glacier Crystal Corpse.' Thus, the group returned to camp to rest.

I suddenly recalled the nightmare and felt profoundly uneasy about not confirming Han Shuna’s body. However, it was best to let Uncle Ming know about this to avoid any misunderstanding. I urged Uncle Ming to cremate her body overnight and just take the ashes back.

Uncle Ming was already dazed and was about to agree, but guide Chu Yi strongly objected. Less than a day had passed since Han Shuna died; her soul had not yet departed. Cremating the body with fierce fire would cause her soul to suffer the torment of the Karmic Fire, which was very bad for the deceased and could bring disaster upon all of us.

As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Although we didn't believe in such rules, it was difficult to argue against them. Everyone proceeded to Han Shuna’s body. I asked Uncle Ming if he could roll her up in the blanket instead of just covering her, suggesting it offered only advantages and no drawbacks. Uncle Ming was silent for a moment before slowly nodding in agreement.

I brushed away the accumulated snow from the body and as my hand touched the blanket, my heart plunged. The blanket formed an empty arch, and the corpse beneath it had vanished without a trace! I sharply threw off the blanket and saw that, on the ice surface below, a rather large ice hole had appeared—and beneath that, a massive fissure in the ice.

Could Han Shuna's body have fallen into the depths? Everyone crowded forward to look. I shone the "Wolf's Eye" flashlight down, and perceived a fleeting silhouette deep in the bottomless icy chasm, disappearing into the dark. I quickly tracked the beam of light, only to see a woman clinging to the sheer ice wall between the fissures, moving with hands and feet. She was facing away from us, but her hair immediately identified her: it was Han Shuna.

Fatty, seeing the person presumed dead suddenly alive again, believed she was possessed by a demon and raised his rifle, intending to shoot. I stopped him and shouted down, "Han Shuna, where are you going?"

Han Shuna clearly heard our voices and felt the beams of several flashlights on her. She slowly turned her head on the ice wall. Her face, previously charred black, was gone, replaced by a ghastly, pale white. But her large white face featured only two rows of teeth, devoid of eyes or a nose.

For more novels, visit storyread.net.