The snow-covered plains stretched as far as the eye could see.
The wind and snow blew from afar, cutting against their faces like a knife.
Men Dong’s two pink lotus-flower hairpins were blown askew, and he couldn’t help but cover his head with his hands, saying, “It’s so cold!”
The treasure location in the cold wasteland was indeed very cold, with the snow and wind seeming endless, and the view was nothing but a vast expanse of white.
Zanxing wrapped herself tightly in the rose-colored cloak that Hong Su had specially chosen for her. Coincidentally, Gu Baiying was also dressed in a deep red brocade outfit. He usually liked to wear all white, but for this treasure-seeking trip, he had opted for a particularly bright red outfit, adorned with delicate swallow patterns embroidered in black. His high ponytail made him look even more like a young master from a wealthy family, vibrant and lively.
The two of them looked like a pair of Daoist companions.
Men Dong, covering his head, scanned them both with a sharp gaze. Zanxing felt uneasy under his scrutiny, and then he said, “Hmph, my Martial Uncle still looks better.”
Zanxing: “……”
Gu Baiying tossed him a hat and said disdainfully, “Put this on. Your hair looks like it could make a bird’s nest.”
Men Dong quickly put it on.
Meng Ying glanced at the distance and said, “There’s nothing here.”
In the treasure map, there were trees, rocks, streams, and bridges depicted. However, this treasure map was drawn many years ago, and the legendary kingdom has long been buried under snow. Now, all that remained here was snow.
“How do we find it then?” Tian Fangfang scratched his head. “There isn’t even a direction.”
“It’s not entirely without direction,” Mu Cengxiao pointed at the map in Meng Ying’s hand. “According to the map, the Sacred Tree grows in the Snow Valley. If we keep going north, we’ll see the Snow Valley. However, with the heavy snowstorm here, it’s easy to get lost. We need to walk and check as we go. When night falls, we can use the stars to determine if we’re going the right way.”
“Martial Uncle…” Tian Fangfang looked at Gu Baiying with a questioning expression.
“Let’s do it this way,” Gu Baiying said.
The group continued forward. Because the snowstorm was so severe, Men Dong, who still couldn’t control a sword, was slower. After half a day of walking, the snow-covered plains began to change. They saw a sudden gap in the snowfield, which, when looked down upon, revealed a deep valley that split the plain into northern and southern parts.
From the crevice in the valley, the sound of a stream could be heard. Zanxing looked at the treasure map and said, “According to the map, the Sacred Tree should be growing in a crevice within this Snow Valley.”
“Isn’t that a bit too dangerous?” Tian Fangfang muttered to herself.
The snow cliff was indeed treacherous. Looking down, the snow abyss seemed bottomless, and the valley was filled with some scraggly trees covered in heavy snow, looking like jade from afar.
If they went down, the snow was deep and the path treacherous, with some places barely wide enough for a person to pass sideways. A careless step could lead to a thousand-foot deep abyss.
As Zanxing hesitated, Men Dong, already wearing his hat, took the lead and urged, “Hurry up! There are many spiritual herbs and fruits here. I can already feel them!”
Men Dong had the spirit sense of an immortal. When he said there were spiritual fruits, there certainly were. Meng Ying looked at the Snow Valley and said, “The Sacred Tree might be below. Let’s go down quickly, gather what we can, and leave.”
Gu Baiying pulled Men Dong to the back and instructed the group, “I’ll go first.”
With his high cultivation level, no one had any objections. They carefully followed him down into the valley.
The area was rarely visited, and there were no roads. As they descended, sometimes there was no place to step, and they had to use their swords and knives to cut through obstacles, temporarily forging a path. The snow grew deeper, and the path became increasingly slippery, making the short distance exceptionally laborious.
By the time they reached halfway up the mountain, it had already grown completely dark.
“We can’t continue any further. Wild beasts come out at night,” Gu Baiying stopped and used his Xiu Gu spear to clear a cluster of trees in front of him. The snow on the trees fell with a swoosh, revealing a dark hole. He said, “Let’s rest here for the night and continue tomorrow.”
The cave was hidden on the cliffside, with no place to land above or below, making it safe unless one encountered a flying beast. Tian Fangfang patted himself and said, “Ah, I forgot to bring any light talismans. Does anyone have one?”
Meng Ying shook her head, Mu Cengxiao rummaged through his Qiankun Bag and said, “I don’t have one either.” Men Dong turned his face away, “Don’t look at me. My Qiankun Bag is empty, it’s for storing spiritual herbs.” Gu Baiying, however, seemed unconcerned and said, “There are branches at the entrance. Collect some to make a fire.”
Men Dong looked at him in disbelief, “Make a fire? Master Uncle, we are cultivators. How can we make a fire like ordinary people?”
“You can eat like ordinary people, so why can’t you make a fire like ordinary people?” Gu Baiying obviously wasn’t accommodating, “Stop talking and go collect some branches.”
Reluctantly, Men Dong went to gather branches.
Zanxing accompanied him and said while collecting, “Light talismans are for illumination, but firewood not only provides light but also warmth. Isn’t that better than a talisman?”
“You’re right, but if I get cold, I can use a cold-repelling talisman.”
Zanxing asked, “Did you bring a cold-repelling talisman?”
“…No.”
Zanxing clapped her hands, “Then it’s settled.”
The snow-covered cliff had many trees, and they quickly gathered a large stack of dry branches, which were placed in the cave. Mu Cengxiao made a fire gesture, and the firewood soon ignited.
In an instant, the cave was filled with warmth.
The cave had some snow near the entrance as well, so the firewood was moved further inside to keep the north wind out. As night fell, the wind grew stronger, howling like a beast outside.
Men Dong couldn’t help but huddle up.
Gu Baiying glanced at him and asked, “Afraid?”
“How could I be?” Men Dong defended, “We have so many people here, but…” He hesitated and asked, “Did a small kingdom really exist here before?”
It looked like a desolate ghost place.
“In the ‘Travels Across All States: The Vanished Cities’ in the library, it is recorded that there was indeed a kingdom here called the Yuezhi Kingdom,” Meng Ying said softly. “But due to the cold climate, the people migrated elsewhere, and the city gradually became covered by snow. The map no longer shows the location of Yuezhi.”
“But that’s not what I read,” Zanxing said.
Everyone looked at her.
“Before I came, I specifically went to the library to find books about this place. The records in the books say that Yuezhi Kingdom didn’t disappear due to the cold climate and migration. More than a hundred years ago, Yuezhi did exist and was very prosperous with people living in peace. Later…” She paused, “The ruler of Yuezhi went mad and killed all the people. After they died, the people turned into mummies, and the city became a dead city. Since then, no one has seen anyone from that kingdom again.”
Meng Ying was stunned, “Is that true? I’ve never heard of this before.”
Gu Baiying looked at her with suspicion, “What’s the name of the book you read?”