A City Swept by Wind and Snow GL - Chapter 25

◎ This is Xifeng’s “finger sword,” capable of instantly shattering dozens of hidden weapons and even a single cervical vertebra. ◎

In the pine forest northwest of this small town, Xifeng and his companions encountered an old man and a young man. The young man was thin, with delicate features and a sickly look. Tang Fei curled his lips at the sight of him, “Look at his small frame! It’s a shame he ran for thirty miles.” The old man had strong bones, white hair, and a

youthful face. Tang Fei pointed at his ruddy face and sighed, “Hey, what’s this old man eating? I feel like he’ll be around for another fifty or sixty years.” After hearing Tang Fei’s words, the young man’s slightly smiling face remained unchanged, but the old man’s expression was bitter, and the white beard on his lips trembled frequently.

Jinse said to the young man, “Little Wolf, you and I are one dark and one bright. I’m sure you’ve heard our names a long time ago. Now, please introduce us to this elder of your sect.”

Little Wolf said, “Tang Fei has already guessed his name. He’s called Old Undying.”

Old Undying’s face looked awful.

Little Wolf added enthusiastically, “Don’t be fooled by his awful face. He’s actually a very kind person. He’s taken good care of Little Wolf along the way.”

Xifeng glanced at them and said to Little Wolf, “Are you Little Wolf?”

Little Wolf suddenly hid behind Old Undying and said pitifully, “This sister is obviously a beauty, but why is she so terrifying when she glares at people?”

Tang Fei nodded secretly to him, expressing his full approval.

Xifeng asked, “How is it? Did we go in the right direction for these thirty miles?”

The little wolf laughed and said, “Not bad, not too far off the track.”

The old man frowned and said unhappily, “What a waste of time! You’re the naughty one, little boy. You deliberately let them grope their way thirty miles.”

“‘Thirty miles’ was what Xifeng said herself!” The little wolf looked as if it had nothing to do with him.

The old immortal said, “Hmph! What a waste of time! I told you they’d notice.”

The little wolf hurriedly said, “But I won! I told you that person would definitely be the first to notice us.”

The old immortal glanced at Xifeng with disdain and said, “You’re right. The high priest of their Free and Easy Cult is far inferior to that beast tamer. He can even fall from a tree while sleeping. I looked at him from afar and thought I was dazzled. Hmph, the Demon King Priest is nothing but a name.”

Xifeng smiled faintly, “It was indeed our beast tamer who first detected your presence.”

The beast tamer’s eyes were Jinse’s, her vision broader than any of her companions. Jinse looked at the greatly belittled Xifeng and raised her eyebrows helplessly.

The old immortal said with some regret: “I also want to meet this animal trainer, but unfortunately the little wolf snatched this opponent away first.”

Xifeng said: “Don’t worry, you just need to wait for the news that the little wolf was defeated.”

The old immortal stroked his beard and laughed wildly: “I’m afraid there is no hope for that. Our animal trainer is the genius created by Nangong Qing. He is the strongest animal trainer in the world! There are not many people who can convince me, and the little wolf is one of them.” After saying that, he glanced at Jinse with pity: “I can only say that your animal trainer is not very lucky.”

Xifeng and Jinse smiled at each other. Without saying a word, they understood each other’s intentions.

Old Immortal seemed a bit impatient, repeatedly saying, “Alright, let’s go! How long will it take?”

Led by Old Immortal and Little Wolf, Xifeng and the others traveled for another two days. They were still quite close to the Eagle Blocking Mountains when Old Immortal suddenly stopped and said, “We’re here.”

Xifeng looked around. They had entered the depths of an ancient forest. Each tree was so thick that three or five people could hug it, and they must be hundreds or even thousands of years old. The trees were mostly pines and cypresses, but there were also some strange vines, lush and thick, climbing up the trunks in some dense and some sparse patterns. However, this place seemed no different from any other forest.

Xifeng asked, “Where is the entrance?”

Old Immortal chuckled contemptuously and pointed to the tree behind him. “Here.”

The old man was referring to the tree with a trunk entangled with parasitic plants. However, the parasites on this tree were unusually lush, encircling the trunk completely. Before he finished speaking, he took the initiative and flew to the treetop. The little wolf looked frail, but his light-weight skills were top-notch. He followed the old man, soaring straight up. Then Xifeng and the other five followed.

Standing at the top of the giant plant, they discovered that the center of the tree was hollow.

Zhuque bent down and gently poked the giant plant at her feet with her finger. She sighed, “Huh? How did you hollow out such a huge tree?”

The little wolf came up eagerly and called sweetly, “Sister, this tree wasn’t hollowed out.”

Zhuque was stunned, blinking her big, dark eyes. “Then why is it hollow?”

The little wolf said, “It was eaten by the parasitic vines outside it. This parasitic plant absorbs a large amount of its host’s nutrients, growing stronger and stronger until it sucks the life out of its host. The host is strangled and eventually rots.”

Zhuque’s mouth pursed and she muttered, “What a disgusting parasitic vine.”

The little wolf laughed, “Silly sister, are you still a doctor? What kind of parasite doesn’t eat its host? All things in nature, the yin and yang and the five elements, are inherently interdependent.”

This simple sentence suddenly shocked Zhuque. What kind of parasite doesn’t eat its host? So what about the demon inside Xifeng?

Xifeng was curiously studying the two plants, one decaying and the other flourishing, her eyes alight with childlike excitement. She exclaimed to Xue Qianxun and Jinse beside her, “Interesting!”

The old man, impatient, urged them on, “Hurry in, hurry in!” Then, he was the first to jump down.

The tree hole was deep and dark, and Xifeng instinctively grabbed Xue Qianxun’s hand and followed closely behind. Jinse retracted her outstretched hand, smiled faintly, and leaped down. The little wolf tugged at Suzaku, saying, “Sister, it’s dark in there! Do you dare go down?”

Tang Fei glared at the little wolf and slapped the little wolf’s hand away, saying, “Sickly boy! Don’t pass on tuberculosis to our sister!”

The little wolf hated being called small and sick. Tang Fei had struck two blows at once, instantly fueling his murderous intent. He pointed a finger at Tang Fei’s nose and barked, “Boy, I’ll kill you sooner or later!”

“Hey! How dare you say what I’m going to say first?” Tang Fei stroked the little wolf’s bristles and approached Suzaku.

Unaccustomed to close proximity to a man, Suzaku instinctively moved away, saying, “Tang Fei, let’s go!”

Everyone, including the silver fox Xiaoxue, jumped down from the hollow tree. Only the giant eagle Wuya, due to his enormous size, was left outside.

The tunnel beneath the hollow tree, several feet narrow, gradually widened. The solid earth walls were embedded with eternal lanterns, and the floor was paved with marble.

Xifeng said, “This doesn’t look like Shuiyue Palace.”

“Nonsense!” The old man, still looking arrogant, said coldly, “This is just one of the five paths leading to Shuiyue Palace. To get there, you need to walk another nine miles!”

Few people dared to speak to Xifeng in such a tone, especially when they had just met. Xifeng was stunned for a moment, then shrugged helplessly. Jinse looked at her with a hint of teasing.

The nine miles mentioned by the old immortal meant at least nine miles. Because if you take the wrong path, you might never reach the Water Moon Palace. The further they went, the more complicated the tunnel branches became, some bright, some dark, some narrow, some wide. The old immortal and the little wolf led Xifeng and the others around, turning left and right, and expertly navigated the underground maze. Tang Fei was never quiet. Whenever he saw something strange, he would shout and make moves. He would even poke his head into the forks that his guide had abandoned. The old immortal and the little wolf were disgusted. The old immortal scolded, “You’ve taken the wrong path, I’ll kill you, you monkey!” The little wolf remained calm, his attention focused on Suzaku, silently sizing up her outfit. Tang Fei turned a deaf ear to the old immortal’s rebuke and continued to do his own thing. Wherever his fingers touched, they left behind tiny, almost invisible, and seemingly random nail marks.

After walking for who knows how long, or whether it was day or night outside, the tedious Nine-Li Tunnel finally came to an end. Ahead lay a long staircase, ending in a massive iron gate several dozen feet wide and several meters high.

The old immortal stroked his beard, speaking with more impatience than anyone else, “Finally, we’re here. Beyond this gate lies Water Moon Palace.” He pulled a scroll from his sleeve and unfolded it, revealing a wolf-hair brush tucked inside. “Here, write your name,”

Tang Fei asked. “Why write a name?” The sight of this paper reminded Tang Fei of the “death notice” Tang Ran had tied to his cat’s tail.

The old immortal said, “Do you think many people make it to Water Moon Palace? Asking you to write your names is a compliment! Stop talking nonsense and write!” His age and seniority meant he rarely encountered elders to whom he had to pay respect, so he spoke bluntly to everyone.

Tang Fei pondered, figuring it was no big deal. With a flourish, he scrawled the words “Tang Fei” in a flourish. Then he casually handed the pen to Zhuque beside him.

Zhuque was about to write when the little wolf quietly floated over and said in a sweet voice, “Sister, you are the Southern Protector of the Xiaoyao Divine Cult. Zhuque is just your code name. Now you are Zhuque, and in the future, others may also be called Zhuque, so you should write your real name.”

Zhuque didn’t pay attention to the words “someone else may also be called Zhuque in the future”, and just said “I know”, and wrote the three words “Yi Xinci” neatly and elegantly on the scroll.

Tang Fei clapped his hands: “What a good name, what a good name! From now on, I will call you Sister Xiaoyi or Sister Xinci, hey, either one sounds good!” He clapped his hands and jumped up and down, but suddenly found that the little wolf beside him was also clapping his hands, saying almost the same words as him, and even started calling her Sister Xiaoyi. Tang Fei was deeply displeased, muttering to himself, “Damn it! This brat has to be killed!”

Xifeng looked at the three words, a gloom crossing his brow. He looked up at Jinse, who understood and quietly moved behind the little wolf. In a voice only he could hear, she said, “If Suzaku dies, you’ll regret it.”

The little wolf, only hearing Jinse’s voice, was unaware of her movement. Startled, he turned back to find nothing behind him. Jinse had already stood there, as if nothing had happened.

Suzaku intentionally avoided the two people vying to call her sister and came to Xue Qianxun’s side. Tang Fei, inexplicably wary of Xue Qianxun, naturally stood back. The brush was passed to Xue Qianxun, who had long since become accustomed to writing “Xue Qianxun” when it was her turn. Then, Jinse took up the brush and calmly wrote “Jinse.”

The old immortal glanced over and asked, “Real name?”

Jinse replied, “Yes.”

The old immortal muttered, “One surname is stranger than the other.”

Xifeng’s last stroke was the clear, elegant “Xifeng.”

The old immortal was furious and began to shout, “Is your surname Xi? Why is it so strange? It’s so strange, so strange!”

Xifeng glared at him coldly, “Senior Old Immortal, is it strange if your surname is Lao?”

The old immortal’s nose seemed to be crooked, but he couldn’t refute it. He had his reasons for hiding his true name. He asked in a deep voice, “Is that your real name?”

“Don’t believe me? Tear it up.” Xifeng’s delicate fingers grasped the fragile scroll.

“Don’t tear it up!” The old immortal snatched the scroll away, examined the words, then looked at Xifeng. He asked again, “You were born with this name? Is your father’s surname Xi?”

Xifeng said, “What’s it to you?” She decided that her respect for the old man had reached its limit.

The old immortal nodded half-believingly, and repeated: “This is the first name you were given when you were born, oh?”

Xifeng looked at him coldly: “If you keep talking nonsense, I will pull out all your beard.”

The old immortal was frightened by her terrifying gaze and took a step back involuntarily. Tang Fei made a face at the old immortal behind Xifeng, saying: She can really do it!

The old immortal said nothing, and put the scroll into his wide sleeves in a sullen manner. It was dark and deep there, as if it could hide anything big.

The heavy iron door slowly opened with a lazy groan, and finally the daylight came into view.

The old immortal said sarcastically: “Welcome to Shuiyue Palace. From now on, each of you may die here.” After that, a strange smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

At that moment, the little wolf moved with surprising agility. In a flash, like a ghost, he vanished behind a gate leading to a winding path. From the far, distant, invisible distance, he uttered a single word: “Jinse, stay alive. I’ll be waiting for you

up ahead!” To Xue Qianxun, it was barely a blur.

Tang Fei yelled, “Don’t run!” and set off in pursuit. Suddenly, a massive boulder fell from the narrow path where the little wolf had disappeared, blocking their path.

Jinse asked, “Why are you chasing him?”

Tang Fei’s face flushed with anxiety: “Sister Xiaoyi was kidnapped by that brat!” Throughout, Tang Fei had been the only one keeping the closest eye on the little wolf and Suzaku, and therefore, the first to notice.

Xue Qianxun blinked in surprise and exclaimed, “Sister Suzaku was by my side just now!… Yes, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I didn’t notice anything.”

Jinse comforted her, “It’s not your fault. Suzaku herself didn’t even have time to scream.”

Xifeng looked at the place where the little wolf disappeared and murmured, “Taking away our doctor? – It means that we can’t get hurt, let alone poisoned, before we take Suzaku back.”

Tang Fei stomped his feet in anxiety and cursed, “Damn it! Damn Tang Fei!”

Jinse said, “Don’t worry, the little wolf took Suzaku away just to restrain us. His opponent is me, and I won’t do anything to her.”

Xifeng said, “Let’s go another way.” He led everyone to leave.

“Wait!” The old immortal suddenly blocked Xifeng’s way, “Let them go first. High priest of the Xiaoyao Sect, let me have your first battle.”

Xifeng looked at him, his eyes as sharp as a hawk, “Old man, do you want to fight with me?”

In just a moment, the previously lazy and casual beautiful girl suddenly became cold and sharp. The old immortal was slightly startled, but also a little more excited: I hope she still has some skills, so that this battle will not be too boring.

“Indeed, to pass this path, at least one of you will have to fight me.”

Xifeng said, “It seems we won’t have a smooth journey to Tianyuan Peak.”

Old Immortal sneered, “The Tianyuan Martial Arts Competition, held every three years, is the most solemn invitation from our Xinghai Palace Master to the world’s top heroes. However, not everyone who reaches Shuiyue Palace is qualified to compete with the Palace Master at Tianyuan Peak. For example, six years ago, none of the nine great masters from the Tianku Diku Pavilion in the northwest reached Tianyuan Peak.”

Tang Fei hurriedly asked, “What about those nine people?”

Old Immortal said, “Of course, they can never go back.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Fei began to worry about Suzaku again, his mind wandering.

Xifeng said, “No wonder the Twin Blades didn’t accept Xinghai’s invitation three years ago.”

Old Immortal said, “Don’t blame those who don’t come, but those who do must abide by the rules.”

Xifeng said, “Tell me your rules.”

Old Immortal continued, “The Xinghai Palace Master on Tianyuan Peak only awaits the strongest. Therefore, we need to screen our guests. To reach Tianyuan Peak, you can choose to advance together or split up. Xifeng, I urge you to let your companions advance first, so you have a chance to enjoy more of the wonders of Shuiyue Palace. As for whether they can wait for you, the High Priest, up ahead

, I can’t guarantee it.” As if he had already seen the frustrated faces of the three men who hadn’t waited for their leader’s return, Old Immortal smiled happily, his youthful face, disproportionately white, becoming even more rosy and radiant. Xifeng glanced around and said calmly, “I’m fighting you alone?”

Old Immortal was slightly startled and asked excitedly, “Did you notice?”

Xifeng snorted coldly.

The old man said, “What are you humming?”

“I’m laughing at you.”

“What’s so funny about me?” The old man didn’t like being laughed at, especially by young people.

Xifeng frowned and smiled teasingly: “Only on what grounds do you look down on me again and again? Besides you, there are twelve people lying in ambush here. Do you think I didn’t notice?”

The old immortal’s expression changed dramatically, and he smiled again, very happily: “Very good. It seems that you really have some skills. I am very surprised.”

“Since you are surprised, enjoy this feeling. Maybe it will be the last time in your life.”

The old immortal was overjoyed and shouted: “Very good, very good! I admire your momentum. Come on! I haven’t had a good fight for a long time! By the way, tell your companions to go first. Once the fight starts, those weak ones will be in danger and will be in the way.”

Tang Fei refused to accept and shouted: “I will fight you!”

Xifeng raised his arm to stop Tang Fei, and said to the old immortal: “No need. We have important partners to recapture, and we won’t stay here for too long. Besides, it won’t take up too much space in the fight.”

“Well, well, if they don’t leave, then they won’t. However, it’s not my intention to expose them to such brutality. Quick! Quick! Are you ready?” The old immortal was impatient, his voice deep and powerful, like a bell. His wide robes swelled with innate energy, brimming with murderous intent. He was ready to unleash his might. The long-suppressed desire for killing had filled him to its core, and if he didn’t unleash it, he would become a firecracker.

“Hey, as we age, we gradually forget about the importance of tenderness and compassion. Xifeng, you’re on your own!” The old immortal’s voice grew stronger, and to Xue Qianxun’s ears, her very being trembled.

Jinse whispered in her ear, “He carries a murderous aura. You must resist with your inner strength, or you’ll be hurt.”

Xue Qianxun followed his instructions, and her body no longer felt the same discomfort as before. However, she was even more worried about Xifeng. The old immortal exuded a terrifying, overwhelming aura unlike Tang Fei’s, who had fought Xifeng.

Xifeng’s aura was remarkably peaceful. She hadn’t yet prepared to strike back, and her voice was light and gentle, devoid of any internal energy. “Can this fight kill me?”

The Immortal roared, “Of course! That’s precisely why I’m treating you!”

Xifeng replied, “I understand. But please be careful, for I’m not known for my courtesy towards certain Immortals.”

“Watch out!” The Immortal, impatient, slammed down with a palm like a tidal wave. Xifeng twisted her foot and drifted away. The Immortal’s palm brushed against Xifeng’s sleeve, missing the air. But without stopping, he thrust his palms against the ground, using the momentum of a somersault to reverse course and pursue Xifeng, saying, “I heard your ultimate weapon is the Ice Soul Silk Gauze, ranked fifth on the list. Bring it out, I want to see it!” Xifeng remained silent, dodging.

The Immortal’s punches and kicks kept glancing at the edge of Xifeng’s shirt, a thrilling encounter.

The Immortal Old Man seemed to excel in bare-handed combat. He was a massive figure, possessing immense strength. Seventy or eighty years of martial arts training had amassed an incredibly potent internal energy. The sheer wielding of incandescent energy was enough to kill. Yet, Xifeng not only made no effort to deploy her Ice Soul Silk Gauze, she didn’t even bother to lift a finger. She simply dodged with impeccable precision.

Each of the Immortal Old Man’s killing moves narrowly missed Xifeng. One moment, she’d believed her opponent was doomed, the next, she’d missed by a hair’s breadth.

The Immortal Old Man hated that feeling.

After three lightning-fast rounds, the Immortal Old Man raised his lip, reached into his arms, and suddenly produced two steel claws, their tips glowing emerald green, clearly imbued with a potent poison. This sudden change startled the onlookers. Even more astonishing was the fact that the dozens of claws’ tips simultaneously detached from the claws’ bodies, darting towards Xifeng’s vital points.

The uniquely constructed weapon, unexpectedly and lightning-fast, unleashed a poisoned blade, leaving a close-quarters opponent with virtually no chance of escape. Who could have imagined that those steel claws were actually hidden weapons? This technique was even more sinister and ruthless than Tang Ran’s fourth strike.

“You won’t have a chance to draw your Ice Soul Silk!” The old immortal sneered, brimming with confidence. He was indeed impatient, having already deployed his ultimate move.

Suddenly, a series of crackling sounds was heard. Before the old immortal could finish his words, he froze, his eyes fixed straight ahead, the corners of his lips still curled. Within his sight, poisoned hidden weapons lay scattered on the ground. Xifeng, who had previously stood opposite him, was nowhere to be seen. He felt only a chill at the back of his neck, his limbs unable to move.

“You want me to draw my Ice Soul Silk Gauze?” Xifeng stood tall behind him, her long, white fingers pointing through the air at the back of his seemingly ageless neck. Her voice was low, clear, and indifferent.

“Finger, sword!” Old Immortal opened his mouth only to realize his throat had been pierced by Xifeng’s sword energy, and a stream of bl00d gushed out.

Having grasped the highest secrets of the sword, he concentrated his zhenqi and spiritual power into his fingertips, achieving a state of transforming the invisible into the visible, a realm where the sword is present without a sword in hand. This was Xifeng’s “Finger Sword,” capable of instantly piercing dozens of hidden weapons and even a single neck bone.

“Am I just a name, Master of the Three Blades—Old Immortal?” Xifeng slowly lowered her hand and asked him casually.

Old Immortal was stunned, his voice brimming with bl00d as he said, “How did you know… I was Tang Ran’s master? How did you know… I had a hidden… hidden weapon to unleash?” It turned out that this duel, which he had gone from disdainful to somewhat anticipating, would be decided in a matter of seconds.

Xifeng said, “Thirty miles of careful stalking has revealed too much of your Qinggong skills. Furthermore, your ‘Chopping Palm Technique’ and Tang Ran’s ‘Three Blades’ differ in form but share the same essence. Your ultimate move is similar in form to Tang Ran’s Fourth Blade, and they share the same origin. In short, old man, your skills are as immature as your face!”

“Xifeng…” the old immortal gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with fear. “You… are… so… strong…” From his past experience, Xifeng’s strength was ostentatious and fierce. Now he understood how silent and unfathomable her power was.

The twelve ambushers, lurking in the shadows, suddenly vanished without a trace. They departed, sharing the shocking news to those awaiting the outcome of the duel: the old immortal had been instantly killed.

Tang Fei rushed forward, grabbed the old immortal, and hissed, “Are you Tang Ran’s master? Did you ask him to be a killer? Did you force him? Did he give you all his reward?”

The old immortal’s cloudy eyes turned sluggishly towards Tang Fei. Looking at his bloodshot and tear-filled eyes, a sinister smile suddenly appeared, and a few words squeezed out from between his teeth: “Blame, blame yourself! The condition for him to work for me… is… that he can’t do anything to you…”

The old immortal’s throat, gurgling with bl00d, could no longer make any other sound. Tang Fei shook his corpse frantically: “You can’t die, you can’t die! Explain to me clearly! Why are you forcing him!”

A parrot suddenly flew out of nowhere, pounced on the old immortal’s body, snatched the scroll with Xifeng and others’ names from his sleeve, and flew into the sky.

“Old immortal, die! Old immortal, die!” The parrot’s crisp cry was indescribably funny and ironic.

Tang Fei was stunned, his heart as cold as it had never been before.

“Xiao Fei, I met an uncle today! Here, he gave me a hot meat bun, eat it!”

“Xiao Fei, that uncle taught me martial arts. I’m so powerful now, I can protect you!”

“…” “

Xiao Fei, that uncle said he won’t teach you martial arts. Don’t be sad, Xiao Fei, I’ll teach you…”

The thief Tang Fei’s martial arts were taught by his assassin brother. His first theft target was the assassin brother who taught him martial arts. Unable to stop his brother from killing, he resorted to stealing his brother’s rewards. He gave the money to those in need, hoping to atone for Tang Ran’s sins.

Tang Fei blinked hard and sniffed hard, trying not to burst into tears in front of the three women, but the tears kept flowing.

Xifeng took Tang Fei’s veiny hand away and said, “He’s made it clear enough. Let’s go.”

The path that Little Wolf had taken was blocked by a huge rock, and before the four of them lay three forks in the road, their destination unknown.