A City Swept by Wind and Snow GL - Chapter 15
◎“Open the door, open the door, little wolf cub! Zhuque is about to die!”◎
Bang! Bang! Bang! —
“An earthquake?” Xue Qian was combing her hair in front of the mirror when a sudden, earth-shaking pounding on the door startled her.
“Open the door, open the door, little wolf cub! Zhuque is about to die!” The one banging on the door was none other than Jin Se.
Xue Qian rushed over and unlatched the door: “Sister Zhuque, how could you be about to die?”
Jin Se bared her small teeth: “She’s in a panic.”
Xue Qian exhaled in relief, raising her eyebrows: “But I haven’t even finished combing my hair!”
Jin Se rolled up her sleeves: “Leave it to me! I’ll do the ‘Three Auspicious Clouds’ hairstyle for you.” She reached for the comb.
Xue Qian dodged quickly: “I don’t dare. I don’t want three flowers on my head and messy hair.” She deftly finished arranging her hair, then asked: “What exactly happened to Sister Zhuque?”
Jin Se pressed her palms together: “Almost forgot! It’s that scoundrel Feng again. Hurry, come with me.” She grabbed Xue Qian and ran, explaining as they went: “Zhuque said Xifeng took her pain-relieving potion without permission and now is hiding somewhere. If we wait another hour, she’ll duel Tang Fei.”
Xue Qian gasped: “Pain-relieving potion? Then during the fight, she won’t feel pain, which makes it even more dangerous!”
Jin Se fumed, muttering under her breath: “That reckless fellow treats life like a kite! Once he lets go, he doesn’t care what happens!”
“Where are they dueling?”
“By the birch forest near Lingbo Lake.” Jin Se pulled a jade flute from her sleeve and blew a sharp tune. Instantly, a flock of crows flew in from all directions. She used the flute to command them, and the crows obeyed, scattering as directed.
Xue Qian stared at the beautiful flute she had never seen before: “Why are you summoning crows?”
Jin Se replied: “That troublemaker Tang Fei seeks chaos. Carrying the fame of the Three Blades, he announced to all martial heroes that he will duel Xifeng. The birch forest may be chaotic, perhaps with members of the Shuiyue Palace or other enemies of the Xiaoyao Sect. We need these crows as scouts.”
Xue Qian was cradled like a lamb as Jin Se flew swiftly. In moments, they reached the northern part of the villa near Moonlight Spring. Xue Qian looked at the spring-formed lake surrounded on three sides by rocks: “Jin Se, why aren’t we going to the birch forest?”
Jin Se set her down: “Zhuque has already gone to the birch forest. We are here to find Xuanwu and Baihu.”
Jin Se played another short tune on the flute. The thick ice on the lake suddenly split, water spraying everywhere, revealing a massive crocodile several meters long. Xue Qian screamed and jumped behind Jin Se. Jin Se pointed at the crocodile: “Don’t be afraid. This is ‘Swim Around,’ the guardian beast of Xuanwu and Baihu, also the protector of Yaqin Mountain Villa.”
Xue Qian still trembled, hiding behind Jin Se.
Seeing Jin Se, the crocodile submerged, leaving a small whirlpool. Then, a crack opened in the rock behind Xue Qian. Peeking cautiously, she saw only darkness. Suddenly, a chilling animal roar echoed from deep inside. She quickly turned, clutching Jin Se.
Jin Se smiled faintly: “That one’s called ‘Climb Up Climb Down.’”
Xue Qian asked: “Jin Se, is Yaqin Mountain Villa your beast garden?”
Jin Se chuckled: “I’m their master, but their current owners are Xuanwu and Baihu.”
Xue Qian thought: “Jin Se gave Wuya to Xifeng, Swim Around and Climb Up Climb Down to Xuanwu and Baihu… I wonder if she still has any beasts she doesn’t want or plans to give away.” She focused intently on Jin Se.
Jin Se suddenly turned, lips nearly brushing Xue Qian’s cheek, and laughed softly: “If you ever meet someone you like, you can have one too. I also have a big tiger, two giant pythons…”
Xue Qian shivered violently and shook her head.
At that moment, a voice came from the rock: “Oh, it’s Little Jin’er.” The voice was old but thunderous, piercing to the bone.
Xue Qian covered her ears as a grotesque, fur-covered face emerged from the darkness.
“Ah!” she screamed, clutching Jin Se’s neck, nearly suffocating her. The creature was certainly not human.
Jin Se pushed Xue Qian’s small hands aside: “Forgot to tell you, Climb Up Climb Down is a baboon.”
Opening her eyes, Xue Qian saw the baboon carrying an old man and an old woman on its back.
The old man’s face was stern and wrinkled. “Little Jin’er, what’s the matter?”
The old woman patted his head, smiling: “Xuanwu, can’t you be kind to Little Jin’er?” Then she addressed Jin Se: “What’s going on?”
Jin Se bowed respectfully: “Xuanwu Gonggong, Baihu Popo, Sister Zhuque asked me to bring you here. Xifeng might be in some trouble.”
Xuanwu’s dark face lit up with urgency: “Xifeng in trouble? How is she? Quick, where is she?”
Baihu tugged at his beard: “Calm down, calm down. Little Jin’er is here; invite her in for tea.”
Xuanwu glared: “Tea? Xifeng in trouble, and we drink tea?” He moved to Jin Se: “Let’s go, Little Jin’er.”
Baihu descended from the baboon, patting its head: “Climb Up Climb Down, stay home and sleep…”
“Wait, Baihu Popo,” Jin Se blocked her, pointing at the still-stunned Xue Qian: “May we borrow Climb Up Climb Down? Xue Qian can’t use lightness skill.”
Climb Up Climb Down, though ugly, proved a superb mount. Soon, Jin Se, Xue Qian, Xuanwu, and Baihu arrived at the birch forest by Lingbo Lake. Zhuque leapt down from a tall tree, anxious and tearful: “Xifeng proposed to start the duel early; Tang Fei agreed. They’re over there, and many martial artists have gathered. I can’t stop them…”
Jin Se seethed: “That bastard Tang Fei! He’s making this duel a spectacle. The Xiaoyao Sect cannot lose; he’s forcing Xifeng to go all out.”
Xuanwu dashed forward. Xue Qian rode Climb Up Climb Down, looking anxiously at Jin Se, who understood and followed closely.
Zhuque and Baihu explained the situation. Baihu sighed: “Little Xifeng, such a child, is both heart-wrenching and worrisome. Perhaps the Grand Priest position of the Xiaoyao Sect is too heavy for her?”
Xue Qian felt a pang of sadness.
As they neared, a cloud of snow suddenly rose—battle had begun. The spectators, though mostly formidable, kept their distance, wary of Xifeng and Tang Fei’s lethal techniques.
Some Xiaoyao Sect disciples and elders were present, but Prince Zhuang He Qishu was absent; his connection to the sect remained secret.
Upon arriving, Xue Qian’s eyes fixed on Xifeng, who wielded not a sword, but a five-meter-long white silk ribbon. It danced in the air, sometimes dragon-like, sometimes like a startled swan, elegant yet lethal, stirring snow in a radius of several meters.
Xue Qian asked Jin Se: “What is Xifeng holding?”
Jin Se replied: “The Ice-Soul Ribbon, woven by Beiming Weaver with ice-infused silkworm silk. It ranks fifth in the weapon registry. Xifeng seldom uses it, so she clearly values this duel.”
Xifeng’s focus was absolute: the Xiaoyao Sect must not lose. Tang Fei’s skills rivaled the world’s top assassin Tang Ran; this duel was as fierce as Xifeng’s interception of the Three Blades.
Tang Fei was also different from usual—eyes serious, holding an additional Yue Ruo Gou (Moon Hook). Unlike the paired hooks of Tang Ran, Tang Fei’s were drastically different in size, the new one three times larger than the original. He named them “Great Thunder” and “Small Thunder.”
Xifeng glanced at Xue Qian, smiling faintly. Tang Fei lunged with a spinning strike, grazing Xifeng’s cheek. He noticed Jin Se, Xue Qian, and Zhuque, but only addressed Zhuque: “Pretty-eyed lady, cheering for me?”
Before finishing, Xifeng’s Ice-Soul Ribbon shot forward, cutting a strand of his hair.
“My goodness!” Tang Fei cried, focusing fully on Xifeng. His attacks became twice as fierce.
The duel was intense. Xue Qian urged Jin Se: “We must stop them! Tell Tang Fei to wait until Xifeng heals!”
Jin Se said coldly: “Impossible. A duel challenge is binding, even unto death.”
Xue Qian protested: “But Xifeng is still injured! This is unfair! …Sister Zhuque, we must—”
“Xue Qian!” Jin Se’s voice turned icy: “This is a life-or-death duel, not a game. Trying to intervene is suicide with people like Xifeng and Tang Fei.”
“Even you can’t?” Xue Qian looked pleadingly.
Jin Se’s heart tightened. “If Xifeng goes all out, only the Eastern Protector Qinglong could stop her—but he’s absent.”
Xuanwu tugged his beard in frustration: “Even Qinglong couldn’t stop her. Little Xifeng would be upset!” He glanced at Jin Se: “I heard this duel started because of you.”
Baihu comforted Xuanwu: “Don’t worry; it’s not Little Jin’er’s fault. Xifeng has never lost, has she?”
Xuanwu scolded Zhuque: “Xin Ci, why didn’t you watch the pain-relieving potion?” (Zhuque’s real name was Xin Ci; she had just assumed the role of Southern Protector.)
Zhuque sobbed: “Xifeng insisted, how could I control her?”
Baihu soothed her gently: “Don’t cry, good child. You can’t beat Xifeng.”
While they spoke, Tang Fei unleashed two rounds of his Three-Blade technique, identical to Tang Ran’s, each round more ferocious than the last. Xifeng, though injured, managed to counter.
The crowd gasped: “As expected of the Xiaoyao Sect Grand Priest—a cold-blooded girl like a demon! She can counter the deadly Third Blade of the world’s top assassin!”
Xiaoyao Sect disciples cheered loudly.
Tang Fei was wounded, looking battered. Furious, he roared like thunder: “The tiger must show its might, or you’ll think me a sick cat!”