CH 75

Yulian Mountain was located in the southwest of the Central Plains. The climate there was mild. Although there were four seasons, the winters weren’t brutally cold. At that time, it was late autumn and the forests at the foot of the mountain were still lush and green.

However, Yulian Mountain was endless and its peaks pierced into the clouds. The higher you went, the more you could feel the extreme cold drawing nearer.

In addition, Yuqiong Peak was the most unsurpassably wondrous existence in Yulian Mountain.

The top of Yuqiong Peak was permanently covered with snow. From a distance, it looked pure-white and flawless, haughty and aloof like a goddess of the nine heavens.

This mountain was extremely precipitous, with huge boulders in its forests and  craggily cliffs all around. Most of the trees were struggling to wind upwards from the cracks in the mountain wall. Once you climb higher, fewer trees could be seen. There was only a smattering of weak grass, vines and shrubs attached to the rocks.

Fortunately and possibly to facilitate the Divine Doctor’s travels, wood and square stone slabs had been used to build a narrow mountain road winding upward along the slope of the mountain. The steepest places even had iron ropes embedded in the rocks to secure them.

At that moment, both climbers were proficient in martial arts and light footwork. This rugged mountain trail wasn’t too difficult to traverse.

However, the higher they went, the lower the temperature became. Shallow grey frost soon began to appear on the surfaces of the surrounding rocks, shrubs and twigs.

Su Yang stopped walking. He reached out for support from a rock next to him as he panted slightly.

Employing light footwork required him to manoeuvre his internal strength. However, in this short distance, his internal strength had prompted the Cold Pond Ice Spirit to make a mess within his body, causing him to feel cold all over.

His hand that was on the rock could no longer sense the temperature difference between the rock and his skin. He could only feel the chilly air penetrating his bone marrows, one by one, piercing straight from the end of his spine all the way to the top of his head.

Gu Feidi turned around to hold Su Yang’s hand in his palm. He frowned, “Cold?”

Su Yang nodded: “It’s a bit cold, I’ll rest for a while before continuing.”

Gu Feidi transferred over some internal strength from the palm of his hand with a worried expression on his face.

Su Yang stretched out his hand and poked the space between Gu Feidi’s eyebrows with a smile: “I’m alright. It’s just that my internal strength is too cold. The temperature here is low to begin with, so it would have an effect.”

“We should’ve brought the cloak and headband you used when you disguised as a woman.” Gu Feidi said, “Although the rabbit fur is light and thin, it can still retain some warmth.”

Su Yang smiled, “I’m thinking, you still can’t forget what I looked like then?”

Gu Feidi couldn’t help laughing and shook his head.

After resting for a quarter of an hour, the two set off again holding hands and never letting go.

Gu Feidi’s warm internal strength helped Su Yang alleviate a lot of the chill in his body, so he was able to make himself alert and continue climbing behind Gu Feidi.

The mountain climate was guided by the wind.

The wind rose, the clouds surged. Unknowingly, a large, dark, dense cloud had accumulated.

Shortly after that, while the sun was shining brightly at the foot of the mountain, snowflakes began to flurry down onto the mountainside.

In the midst of the wind and snow, Su Yang turned to look at the forests and villages at the base of the mountain which were bathed in golden sunlight and couldn’t help being astonished.

He marvelled for a long time and stretched out his hand to catch a snowflake from the sky. He watched it quickly turn into drops of water in his palm and muttered: “At this moment, I really want to have a camer—something that  can be used to make a record of this scene.”

Gu Feidi pulled him into his arms from behind, “You still have the mood to look at the scenery. Aren’t you cold?”

Su Yang turned his head and smiled at him: “I still have ‘this warm dear’ here ne!”

Gu Feidi also laughed, put his chin on Su Yang’s shoulder and gazed down the mountain together.

“In this world, I fear there’s no painting technique that can depict this stunning scenery.” He said under his breath, “Even if you recite a poem or compose a prose, you can’t replicate the wonder of this moment. Most scenery must be experienced with your own eyes before you can understand them.”

There was indeed no painting technique in this world at the moment that would depict this scenery, but if you really had a camera on hand, it was possible for you to keep a glorious moment as the key to memories.

But Su Yang couldn’t explain that to Gu Feidi, so he could only smile and nod in agreement with him.

The light snow fell suddenly and stopped just as quickly.

In a few minutes, the sunlight pierced through the gaps in the clouds again and spilled onto the rocky mountain road.

Gu Feidi glanced up at the position of the sun, “It’s already past noon, are you hungry?”

Su Yang said: “I’m not hungry yet, but it’ll be good to eat something, so I have the strength to continue climbing in the afternoon.”

They held hands and walked up the mountain. After a while, they finally found a relatively spacious platform. They sat down against the rock and took out the dry food rations from their bags.

Gu Feidi helped Su Yang warm up the water in the water sack using internal strength and the two of them drank some to pad their stomachs. They intended to rest for a while before continuing their journey.

Su Yang leaned his head on Gu Feidi’s shoulder, making small talk and chatting with him.

After saying a few words back and forth, Su Yang unexpectedly swayed and almost fell headfirst to the ground.

Gu Feidi supported him. He reached out to check his body temperature and internal strength but didn’t find anything strange—Su Yang hadn’t become unconscious because of the cold symptoms, but he had fallen asleep without warning.

This did not set Gu Feidi’s mind at ease.

After thinking for a moment, he still condensed his internal strength into Su Yang’s ears and called out several times before he was able to wake him up.

“Ng? What?” Su Yang opened his eyes in a daze without realising what happened just now. He yawned, “As expected, I started to feel drowsy after eating…”

“You…” Gu Feidi stared at Su Yang’s eyes and asked hesitantly, “Do you have any ailments recently? With the poison Gu in your body, if there is any issue, you must tell me. You mustn’t endure it yourself. “

Su Yang blinked and didn’t feel that there was anything wrong with his body. He smiled and said, “There are no ailments. Perhaps, it has something to do with the technique; it’s a tad cold.”

As he spoke, he opened his luggage, pulled out a few outer garments from within and wrapped them around himself, “It’s alright, I’ll just wear a few more… as long as we can locate the Divine Doctor soon to eliminate the blood Gu and hurry down the mountain, it’ll be fine.”

Seeing that Gu Feidi’s entire expression was still complex, Su Yang swung his luggage onto his back, got up and pulled Gu Feidi up from the ground.

“I said I’m all right. Let’s go.” He said with a smile, “Hurry up and move. If not, I’ll feel sleepy again and hold up the trip.”

With Su Yang’s strength, Gu Feidi stood up but did not release his hand.

“If your body really doesn’t feel well, you must declare it.” He said, “You and I are each other’s life-partners. There’s nothing we should hide from each other, understand?”

Su Yang glanced at Gu Feidi, nodded, “Yes.”

However, he knew in his heart that there were some matters and quandaries that he wasn’t willing to let Gu Feidi be dragged into with him.

Even if at that time, he hadn’t been careless with the Cold Pond Ice Spirit and the triple cold methodologies in order to extradite the blood Gu for Gu Feidi, he still had to practice Half Withered Red. That was his own decision. He didn’t want to say it out loud and make Gu Feidi feel guilty about it.

To be ‘anxiously worried’ or to ‘regretfully reproach himself’, Su Yang would rather let Gu Feidi be troubled by the former.

The two held hands all the way up the steep mountain road.

Not long after, they walked into a dense layer of clouds.

Suddenly, two slightly crooked figures appeared on the road ahead.

Although the two looked elderly, their gait wasn’t unsteady and the unique rhythm of martial arts practitioners could be seen when they walked.

Gu Feidi tightened his grasp on the Long Cherished Heart sword in his hand. He threw a knowing look at Su Yang and inwardly took precautions.

The two people opposite, who had just walked out of the clouds, were an old man and an old woman. The old man lugged a long axe on his shoulder and the old woman held a heavy wooden crutch in her hands. The two stood side by side on the mountain road steps, smiling at Su Yang and Gu Feidi.

At that moment, the old woman spoke first.

“If a few months ago, someone told this ol’ woman that Tengyun Pavilion’s Young Pavilion Master would be bewitched by the Devil Sect’s demon spawn and walk hand in hand with him, this ol’ woman would definitely not believe it.” She said with a cruel smile, “But seeing your appearance now really disappoints this ol’ woman. Young Hero Gu. Can it be that, for the sake of obtaining the Sword Sage Legacy, you’ve submitted yourself to this demon spawn?”

Su Yang: …

Why does the Sword Sage Legacy have to reappear at this particular time to boost its sense of existence?!

Seeing that Gu Feidi didn’t answer, the old woman continued: “Young Hero Gu was originally our Central Plains’ Martial Arts Young Tiger and Fledging Eagle, but he was bewitched by the demon. It’s truly humiliating. Fengwei of Tengyun Pavilion couldn’t bear to be heavy handed with you… so this ol’ woman will lend a hand to assist Leader Gu in capturing you back to Tengyun Pavilion.”

Gu Feidi smirked and asked, “Where did you hear that we were coming to Yuqiong Peak?”

The old woman said: “This ol’ woman has her own source of information.”

“I suppose it’s news purchased from Wujiangmen again?” Gu Feidi said, “Did Wujiangmen also inform you that I’m together with Su Yang for the sake of the Sword Sage Legacy?”

The old woman narrowed her eyes and laughed scornfully. It seemed as if she wasn’t willing to say anymore. She raised her wooden crutch and struck directly at Gu Feidi!

At the same time, the old man who had been standing behind her also waved his long axe and attacked Su Yang.

“They are the elders of the Jianghu: Bear Weng and Snake Po. They have strong martial arts skills. Be careful when you retaliate!”

Gu Feidi quickly transmitted his voice over to Su Yang and at the same time, he blocked Snake Po’s crutch with his sword. He activated his internal strength, flipped his body and counterattacked with a ‘White Hawk Strikes The Water’ and said: “Don’t fight using too much force. It’s better if we leave earlier!”

Su Yang nodded. He drew out the thin sword at his waist and used his Prized Flower Steps to contend with Bear Weng.

Seeing a gap, he quickly exited the battle circle. He was just about to leave when he saw Gu Feidi being bogged down by both Bear Weng and Snake Po, making it difficult for him to break through for a while.

Su Yang had no choice but to return and help Gu Feidi get out of trouble.

Although Bear Weng and Snake Po’s martial arts fell slightly short compared to Su Yang’s and Gu Feidi’s, they had a tacit understanding that they had developed over decades. Su Yang and Gu Feidi joined forces, but it was gradually getting difficult to withstand them.

Su Yang’s expertise was using light footwork exercises and he could easily escape, but he couldn’t leave Gu Feidi alone. Gu Feidi was good at swordsmanship, both offensive and defensive, but it was not enough to coordinate with Su Yang to defeat both Bear Weng and Snake Po on the spot.

As such, they were caught in a dilemma.

To make matters worse, Su Yang continued to run his internal strength. It ultimately triggered the Cold Pond Ice Spirit——a bone-piercing chill abruptly flooded his meridians, making it unbearable. His movements stiffened and he groaned out loud.

Gu Feidi hurriedly helped Su Yang block Bear Weng’s attack, but couldn’t withstand the tremendous force. His back slammed onto Su Yang’s, chest causing them both to stagger two steps backward and almost tumble down the cliff.

Su Yang used all his willpower in his Prized Flower Steps to hold onto Gu Feidi’s waist, stabilising both their bodies.

“Haha, Wujiangmen’s news is true.” The snake woman smiled, “As long as you head up the Snow Mountain, Devil Sect’s Su Yang’s martial arts skills will be reduced by half… It’s really this ol’ woman’s good luck to have been able to buy this news!”

As she continued to attack, she went on jabbering: “Su Yang, if you yield and pass the Sword Sage Legacy to this ol’ woman, this ol’ woman might spare your life!”

Su Yang forced himself to stay awake, glaring at the two elders through the dense black clouds before him.

Gu Feidi had no choice but to fight one against and two to block Bear Weng and Snake Po’s joint attack. He protected Su Yang behind him, who had practically lost all his ability to fight. Because he wasn’t able to retreat or dodge, he suffered more and more injuries. The two elders also gradually stopped trying to persuade him to return to Tengyun Pavilion and their moves became more ruthless and violent. 

They couldn’t continue on like this.

Su Yang was propped up on the cliff wall, listening to Gu Feidi’s progressively strenuous moves and his increasingly rapid breathing. His heart began to feel anxious.

Both he and Gu Feidi’s martial arts were not weak, but they lost out over ten years in terms of cultivation. Coupled with his lack of fighting ability at the moment, Gu Feidi not only had to block two offensives, but he also couldn’t reveal the slightest flaw. If they continued to fight, Bear Weng and Snake Po would definitely have the advantage, since they possessed deeper inner strength and more flexible skills. When the time came, it would become extremely difficult to even survive; let alone escape.

Feeling the Cold Pond Ice Spirit wreaking havoc in his body, feeling the tyrannical chill that could so no longer be suppressed, Su Yang had a sudden thought—— if he completely yielded to his icy cold internal strength, overwhelming the potency of the Cold Pond Ice Spirit and penetrating it into the enemy’s meridians, what kind of effect would it produce?

Gu Feidi had difficulty blocking Bear Weng’s and Snake Po’s joint attack. His eyes were red and he clenched his teeth as he meted out several moves in an attempt to force both the elders to retreat.

Bear Weng didn’t retreat but moved forward with the heavy axe in his hand and swung it at Gu Feidi.

Gu Feidi raised his hand and blocked it with the Long Cherished Heart sword, but Snake Po assisted from the side and he was forced to retreat two steps.

Su Yang’s eyesight had become so layered with darkness that he could no longer see the battle around him clearly.

He encouraged his internal strength to condense in his ears, listening to the voice to feel out Snake Po’s approaching footsteps. In an instant, he moved with his Prized Flower Steps forward, driving the raging Cold Pond Ice Spirit within his meridians, gathered it in his palm and struck in Snake Po’s direction.

The bone-piercing chilly air and Half Withered Red technique surged out. Su Yang couldn’t see where his palm struck. He only did his utmost to transform the icy internal force and the Cold Pond Ice Spirit into sharp swords to pierce into the opponent’s meridians.

However, at that moment, the blood Gu that had been suppressed by the Cold Pond Ice Spirit in Su Yang’s body suddenly became aggressive. At the same time, the Cold Pond Ice Spirit sensed the tumult and instantly returned to Su Yang’s meridians to suppress the blood Gu again.

Under the violent effects of both sides, the intense agony swallowed Su Yang’s consciousness at once.

Before passing out, Su Yang seemed to have heard Snake Po let out a blood-curdling scream.

Gu Feidi’s panic-stricken cry immediately followed: “——SU YANG!”