A City Swept by Wind and Snow GL - Chapter 47

◎Above the sea surface scattered with whirlpools, seven-colored halos were twisting in a demonic dance, forming a gigantic curtain of light that spanned the sea and sky, from west to east. On the other side of the light curtain was an unknown world that could not be clearly seen.◎

The eleventh year of Huading, the second day of the second lunar month, the first quarter of the xū hour (approx. 7:15 PM). The sun had sunk into the Western Sea, leaving only a thin layer of red glow lingering in the sky. At this moment, He Qishu was strategizing south of the Zuying Mountain Range; Xinghai, Canglang Hong, and others were struggling to maintain the Soul-Summoning Array at the base of Tianyuan Peak; and the Water Moon Isle was drifting ceaselessly across the vast, empty ocean.

Xue Qianxun and her companions had long since recovered their composure from the shock. Eight hours ago, when Water Moon Isle first began to move, they thought an earthquake was occurring, because the entire land was heaving and shaking, and the sound of waves violently crashing against the soil and rock came from the island’s edge; the deep rumbling from beneath their feet was like the low growl of a monster, chilling the heart. This shaking lasted for less than a quarter of an hour, then suddenly turned into a violent lateral displacement, as if an invisible giant hand had finally torn this peninsula away from the edge of the continent. Afterwards, after about half an hour of acceleration, the entire island began to sail at a uniform speed, more smoothly than any giant ship in the world.

During this time, the first person Xue Qianxun wanted to question was the Demon Slayer (Tú Mó Rén); however, the Demon Slayer’s shock was no less than hers. Both of them could only watch helplessly as the island drifted rapidly northward—the effect of this extreme speed was that the entire Water Moon Isle rushed fearlessly toward the bitter winter, the cold wind howling, as if time had reverted to the depths of the coldest months.

Xue Qianxun then thought of Fifth Charm (Wǔwèi Mèi)—not long ago they were still mortal enemies, yet now she considered Fifth Charm to be the only trustworthy person in the Water Moon Palace.

The Demon Slayer volunteered to lead the way, and the group quickly found Fifth Charm in her residence.

In Water Moon Palace, Fifth Charm’s status was lower than the Demon Slayer’s, so no one was surprised that she was equally shocked by the island’s drift. However, when Fifth Charm saw the Demon Slayer, she stared at his face and paused slightly, then smiled, saying, “I forgot, it’s the New Moon Day without a moon. You’re being mischievous again.”

Fifth Charm mostly treated Little Wolf (Xiǎo Láng’er), who had a higher status than her, with humility, yet she interacted casually with the Demon Slayer, whose status was even higher than Little Wolf’s. This was likely due to the vast differences in their personalities.

No one paid much attention to Fifth Charm’s words. Xue Qianxun’s heart was solely focused on Xifeng. She grasped Fifth Charm’s hand and pleaded earnestly, almost incoherently: “Aunt Mei, please, please take me through that door. There’s a ground portal in the pavilion on Tianyuan Peak. Xinghai kidnapped Xifeng and sent her sinking down below. I don’t know how deep that tunnel is. Is Xifeng beneath Tianyuan Peak, or did she drop directly into the seawater? Now this broken island is just speeding wildly. Where exactly is Xifeng?”

Fifth Charm was momentarily confused.

Jinse added, “Senior Fifth, we suspect that the island’s drift is somehow related to Xifeng’s disappearance, but we simply cannot figure out the mystery behind it. Regarding this Tianyuan Martial Arts Tournament, do you know if Xinghai had any other intentions?”

Fifth Charm said, “The Tianyuan Martial Arts Tournament is held once every three years. This time was just a routine invitation to the martial arts world. The place Qianxun is talking about is Hai Batianxin (Sea Overlord’s Heart), right? That is a forbidden area of Water Moon Palace. I don’t have the authority to enter, nor do I have the ability to break in. Speaking of which, why would the Palace Lord take Xifeng inside? Previous tournament winners only sat briefly in the pavilion, the Palace Lord presented a gift, and then they were respectfully escorted off the island.” After speaking, she looked at the Demon Slayer with an inquiring gaze.

The Demon Slayer was frowning deeply. Jinse said, “I believe you are not our enemy, and at least not Xifeng’s enemy. Even now, is there anything you can’t tell us?”

The Demon Slayer said, “To be honest, this Tianyuan Martial Arts Tournament was specifically for Xifeng’s sake. Xinghai has already said that a guest soul is parasitizing Xifeng’s body—its name is Dragon Kiss (Longwen). That is to say, the leader of your Free and Easy Divine Sect…” Saying this, the Demon Slayer glanced at Yi Xinci and continued, “Xifeng was very weak during her youth. You were the physician specifically arranged by Prince Zhuang for Xifeng, and also the supervisor of the Grand Priestess. No one understands Xifeng’s physical condition better than you. It’s just that, even if you detected such an incredible thing, you probably dared not believe it.”

Yi Xinci’s face flushed red, she clenched her fists, and quickly said, “How do you know all this? Although I was ordered to monitor the Grand Priestess, I have never done anything to harm Xifeng!”

Jinse and Xue Qianxun hadn’t expected Yi Xinci to be a spy deliberately planted by He Qishu. However, at this critical moment, no one had time to investigate. Jinse pulled the topic back and asked, “Who exactly is Dragon Kiss?”

The Demon Slayer said, “I don’t know what Dragon Kiss’s original form was, I only know that the spirit power of this soul is beyond imagination. It parasitized Xifeng’s body for several years, originally occupying the dominant position and controlling the physical shell. Later, Xifeng’s original soul suddenly became powerful and suppressed Dragon Kiss back into the recessive position. If left unchecked, Xifeng would likely subdue the recessive soul, or even freely absorb Dragon Kiss’s spirit power.”

Jinse smiled faintly and said, “If that were truly the case, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for Xifeng. Does Prince Zhuang know about this? After all, you are still his Azure Dragon Protector.”

The Demon Slayer shook his head with a smile, saying, “If Prince Zhuang knew, how could he tolerate her? Neither the Demon Slayer nor Azure Dragon wants Xifeng to die.”

Jinse said, “Such a secret, yet Xinghai in the far North and you know it inside out.” The Demon Slayer naturally understood the implication and replied, “Xinghai seems to have a deep connection with Dragon Kiss; I am also unaware of the secrets involved. He only told me that Dragon Kiss was imprisoned by Xifeng and they needed to find a way to pull Dragon Kiss out. I was responsible for testing the depth of Xifeng’s martial arts but not defeating her, so Xifeng would ascend Tianyuan Peak as the tournament winner. And Canglang Hong, with his innate supernatural ability, set up the Soul-Summoning Array in Hai Batianxin. Xinghai intends to summon Dragon Kiss out of Xifeng’s body. They want Dragon Kiss…”

Xue Qianxun suddenly grabbed the Demon Slayer’s arm and said, “How do you know whether he wants to pull out Dragon Kiss, or kill Xifeng’s original soul?!”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked, and they had to admire Xue Qianxun’s quick reaction and meticulous thinking. They did not realize that she was often careless about other matters, but was surprisingly sharp when Xifeng’s safety was concerned.

The Demon Slayer was actually startled, ignoring the pain in his arm from Xue Qianxun’s forceful grip, and only said, “Impossible, with Xinghai’s pride and demeanor, why would he need to lie?”

Xue Qianxun said, “If he were a gentleman, he wouldn’t cultivate a despicable assassin like San Dao (Three Knives). Furthermore, where do you think that guest soul will go after leaving the host? Could Xinghai have prepared a clay pot for it?”

The Demon Slayer was silent for a moment, then gradually his eyes flashed with cold light, as if he had just realized something. He gritted his teeth and said, “He… dared to deceive me.”

Xue Qianxun provoked him: “It seems you are not Xinghai’s confidant.”

The Demon Slayer said, “I am not his subordinate, why would I care about being his confidant? Due to certain reasons, I had to temporarily reside in Water Moon Palace. It’s only because he is the master of this place that I showed him some respect and helped him with a few minor tasks.”

Xue Qianxun then asked, “Are you afraid of him?”

The Demon Slayer sneered, “Now, he should be the one who is afraid of me.”

Xue Qianxun asked, “Who is more powerful, you or him?”

Jinse inwardly thought that yesterday on Tianyuan Peak, Xinghai’s aura was many times stronger than the Demon Slayer’s. Xue Qianxun was clearly inexperienced and naturally couldn’t judge their respective levels. Unexpectedly, she heard the Demon Slayer say, “It should be me who is slightly superior.” He specifically glanced at Jinse, knowing she didn’t believe him, and added, “If it were yesterday, I truly couldn’t defeat him. However, the moonless night is when I am at my weakest. Fifth Charm can testify to this.” After speaking, he looked up at the sky, and a chilling, cold expression touched the corner of his lips.

At this moment, the sky was a deep, inky blue. On the night of the second day of the second lunar month, the stars twinkled brightly, and the new moon was like a hook.

Yesterday, which was moonless, the Demon Slayer, who could easily neutralize Xifeng’s Thunder Overturn, was at his weakest moment of the entire month!

The Demon Slayer reached out to touch the faint moonlight and murmured, “Perhaps, only on a completely dark night did Xinghai have a chance of winning against me. Was choosing to set sail at midnight on the New Moon Day just in case?” What would have happened if the Demon Slayer had stepped forward to block Xinghai the moment he took Xifeng away?

Xue Qianxun was extremely agitated, violently shaking the Demon Slayer’s arm, urging him, “There’s a moon tonight! You’re not weak anymore, right? Let’s go to Hai Batianxin and take Xifeng back!”

Fifth Charm quickly said, “Qianxun, in the forbidden area Hai Batianxin, there is not only Xinghai, but also Canglang Hong and several other peerless masters. I forbid you from taking this risk.”

Xue Qianxun said, “Forget Xinghai’s Hai Batianxin, I would go even if it were the Grim Reaper’s Underworld. Xinghai spared no expense to move the entire island, so he must be determined to accomplish some great matter. That old man is definitely not a good person, and whatever he sets out to do cannot be a good thing. No matter what, I must stop him.”

Fifth Charm only took Xue Qianxun’s words as another boastful claim. This little girl, who had only recently stepped out of her boudoir, seemed to have no idea what “fear” or “retreat” meant. Fifth Charm held Xue Qianxun’s hands and said softly, “Good child, don’t be rash. Alas… why don’t you know fear? This stubborn temper is truly ten times fiercer than Azhi’s.” At this point, Fifth Charm still believed Xue Qianxun was Suosha Xingzhi’s daughter.

Xue Qianxun said a little angrily, “Aunt Mei, do you think I’m a reckless fool who doesn’t know her own limits? To be honest, I am terrified right now. I’m going to ruin Xinghai’s plan, so how could he spare me? But I ask you, if you could go back five years, when the Emperor was going to kill the Suosha clan, would you willingly stand by and watch Azhi die?”

The single sentence struck the deepest wound in Fifth Charm’s heart. Her face instantly turned pale. With this, everything was understood. Her friendship with Azhi had a rift, but Xue Qianxun would never betray that person.

Xue Qianxun looked at Jinse and Yi Xinci. With a mere exchange of glances, their mutual intentions were clear. Xue Qianxun then said to the Demon Slayer, “Will you help me or not?” It was less a request and more a command.

The Demon Slayer was quite displeased and said, “Are you naturally slow-witted or deliberately contemptuous of me? Don’t you know I wanted to kill you the first time I saw you?”

Xue Qianxun widened her bright, sparkling eyes and spoke frankly: “I found you very annoying the first time I saw you too! Didn’t we get along well later?”

The Demon Slayer didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Who did you get along well with? All you ever do is snap at me or order me to do this and that. Knowing I am stronger than Xinghai makes you happier than anything. Isn’t this clearly an attempt to use me? You woman, you are truly shameless!”

Xue Qianxun became anxious: “So wordy! If you help me this time, I will definitely repay you in the future. Just say if you will or not.”

The Demon Slayer was willing in his heart, but too angry to admit it, and remained silent.

Xue Qianxun blurted out: “Demon Slayer, don’t you like her?”

The Demon Slayer was greatly startled, and quickly said, “Who likes her? You, you are talking nonsense!”

“You like her! Stop trying to deceive me. The look in your eyes when you look at Xifeng is exactly the same as He Qiya’s!”

He Qiya, a name that had disappeared for many years, a name that everyone present coincidentally knew tacitly. Everyone fell silent.

Seeing the Demon Slayer’s poor expression, Xue Qianxun knew she had angered him again, so she said gently, “Without you, we have no chance of winning. I beg you to help us. You can take whatever revenge you want on me later.” After speaking, she bowed deeply to him.

‘Take revenge on you? What do you take me for?’ the Demon Slayer thought, then helplessly twitched the corner of his mouth, murmuring, “Fine, fine. I am genuinely afraid of you.” He was defeated just like that. Then, he gave a cunning smile and said, “Xue Qianxun, you’re all eager now and your courage is commendable, but don’t hold us back when the fighting starts later! I won’t have time to protect you.” After speaking, he suddenly dashed toward Tianyuan Peak.

Xue Qianxun quickly chased after him, as if afraid of losing the Demon Slayer. Jinse closely followed Xue Qianxun. Fifth Charm was behind Jinse. No one noticed that Yi Xinci’s face was as pale as paper at this moment; she could only force herself to follow, falling to the very back. Before long, everyone was nearing Tianyuan Peak.

The Demon Slayer only now noticed Xue Qianxun’s qinggong (lightness skill). Her movements were graceful and elegant, possessing the noble air of an immortal, a marvelous footwork he had never seen before. He then saw Jinse closely following; it was obvious who was a novice and who was a master of the skill. Only then did he realize this exceptional skill was taught by Jinse. He did not yet know that this was the long-lost “Treading Waves,” but he simply lamented Jinse’s deep affection for Xue Qianxun. Xue Qianxun was full of energy, her cheeks flushed with a rosy glow, and her eyes sparkled like stars. Her natural beauty, paired with the exquisite lightness skill, made her seem ethereal and truly beautiful beyond compare. While dashing forward, the Demon Slayer reached back and patted her head, saying, “Why are you acting like you’ve been injected with chicken bl00d? Do you really have no internal martial arts foundation?” He had secretly observed Xue Qianxun for several days and saw her progress by leaps and bounds, her talent so exceptional it was almost defying nature.

“My body has been very strong since I was a child,” Xue Qianxun said flatly.

The Demon Slayer scoffed, saying, “Strong? It’s only been a few days, and you’ve already lost several liang of flesh. Prince Zhuang will be heartbroken later. It was better during those days in Chunjiang Courtyard, where you were plump, radiant, and full of vigor.”

Xue Qianxun didn’t know when he had seen her in Chunjiang Courtyard, but she was so angry her face was smoking. Just as she was about to retort, she suddenly heard a startled cry from Yi Xinci. A few people hurriedly stopped, only to discover that the one in trouble was Fifth Charm.

Yi Xinci had been trailing behind, so she was the first to notice Fifth Charm’s abnormality—first, she suddenly stumbled during her swift movement, then vomited a mouthful of fresh bl00d. Her face was pale, and her whole body was burning hot. Yi Xinci quickly began to take Fifth Charm’s pulse.

This event was sudden and extremely strange. Everyone had to stop.

Xue Qianxun was stunned, and asked in a trembling voice, “Was this because of an injury I inflicted during the tournament?”

The Demon Slayer quickly said, “No, you overestimate yourself.”

Fifth Charm weakly shook her head.

Yi Xinci also firmly told Xue Qianxun that it had nothing to do with her, to prevent her from blaming herself.

“Then what is wrong? Does Aunt Mei have an old illness?” Xue Qianxun had already come to regard Fifth Charm like her own aunt and was genuinely worried.

Fifth Charm was about to speak but suddenly vomited another mouthful of bl00d.

The Demon Slayer answered for her: “Fifth Charm has always had a minor illness that no doctor could figure out, only saying it was nothing serious. However, something like this is unprecedented.”

Yi Xinci had already finished taking her pulse and said, “Senior’s qi and bl00d are severely depleted, and her meridians are disordered. It is either chronic poisoning or a congenital deficiency; in short, it does not resemble an acute illness.”

As they spoke, the entire island suddenly shook violently. The Demon Slayer and Jinse were the most agile, and they quickly flew to a high branch of an ancient tree on Tianyuan Peak, a spot from which they could overlook the entire island and the sea surface. They were nearly shocked into falling off the tree by what they saw. The sea horizon in front of Water Moon Isle was covered with countless whirlpools, lying across their path and extending endlessly to the east and west, as if attempting to sever the entire ocean. Each whirlpool ranged from a few zhang (tens of feet) to several dozen zhang in diameter, their centers pitch-black like ink, rotating rapidly. The whirlpools were separated by a distance of several hundred zhang, resembling the eyes of demons born on the sea. Just moments before, Water Moon Isle had rushed past a sporadic whirlpool; now it was sailing toward a place where the whirlpools were densely concentrated. Above the sea surface scattered with whirlpools, seven-colored halos were twisting in a demonic dance, forming a gigantic curtain of light that spanned the sea and sky, from west to east. On the other side of the light curtain was an unknown world that could not be clearly seen.

“Heavens, what in the world is this demonic thing!” After a long while, the Demon Slayer finally let out an astonished cry.

Jinse murmured, “It is the Little Sea of Finality…”

The Demon Slayer asked her, “What are you saying?”

Jinse said, “This is the Little Sea of Finality. I once saw it in a book, and at the time I only thought it was fiction, but I never expected it to be real! Demon Slayer, we have arrived at the end of this world!”