The most terrifying thing in the world is dealing with intelligent people; the most relaxing thing in the world is also dealing with intelligent people.

Both Xie Buchen and Jian Chou, being intelligent, clearly understood the significance of traveling together.

When Jian Chou proposed traveling together, even from the moment she stepped into this tea house, Xie Buchen understood that this journey would not be a simple investigation or adventure for him.

But he could not refuse.

The relationship between Kunwu and Yashan remained cordial on the surface, not to mention that Jian Chou’s cultivation far exceeded his own—he simply had no grounds to refuse.

This point he knew, and Jian Chou understood as well.

So he did not refuse.

In an almost eerie silence, Xie Buchen sat without moving, while Jian Chou methodically finished the tea before her, then casually picked up the Burning Lamp Sword and rose, walking to the crude counter of the tea house.

“The bill?”

“Ah, two spirit stones will do.” The assistant blinked, then smiled as he quoted an outrageous “sky-high price,” adding an explanation: “Our boss says that with the poor conditions in both Mingri Xinghai and the snow region lately, tea prices have gone up.”

“…”

This tea dared to charge one spirit stone per bowl—it was faster than robbery.

Jian Chou sneered inwardly but showed nothing on her face, calmly and steadily taking out two spirit stones and placing them on the table, then asking: “You mentioned poor conditions in Mingri Xinghai, which I roughly understand, but what’s happening in the snow region?”

The situation at Xinghai was likely due to Qu Zhengfeng.

There was also the strange phenomenon that appeared at the Night Navigation Ship’s lair when Silver Tower posted its bounty recently—it clearly wasn’t any ordinary existence. But when cultivators went to investigate afterward, they found nothing.

This, combined with Sword Emperor Qu Zhengfeng’s massacre of the Night Navigation Ship, had people on edge.

But the snow region…

The assistant collected the two spirit stones without changing expression, glanced at those suspected esoteric sect monks in the tea house, and said: “I heard the struggle between the New and Old Esoteric factions finally reached a conclusion. They’ve strengthened formations around the temple within three hundred li—no one can probe inside for information. But according to people who came out, the legendary Holy Son Ji Ye has been missing for several days now, and no one knows what happened.”

“I see…”

Holy Son Ji Ye was an incredible existence for the entire esoteric sect.

Yet even he would disappear?

Jian Chou’s brow furrowed slightly, feeling a shadow slowly descending.

But the assistant sensed nothing, looking at her and then at Xie Buchen who had also risen, his voice carrying some curiosity: “Are you two heading to the snow region?”

“Us?” Jian Chou looked back at Xie Buchen, smiling casually. “We’re both traveling for experience, seeing if there are any heavenly materials and earthly treasures around to forge new magical artifacts.”

“Oh, is that so? Then please be very careful along the way.”

Whether the assistant believed them or not, he smiled and reminded them with good humor.

Jian Chou paid it no mind.

When traveling abroad, such casual questions and casual answers were never taken seriously by anyone. As for the snow region, no matter how dangerous, they had to go. Moreover, Fudao Shanren hadn’t failed to give her a couple of life-saving items.

Similarly, Hengxu Laoguai couldn’t possibly have truly let Xie Buchen go explore the snow region so alone.

The two of them indeed needed to be very “careful” along the way.

But what they needed to guard against was probably not the various possible crises from the snow region, but rather the so-called “old friend” with whom they had “forged a bond through mortal danger” traveling beside them.

“Fellow Daoist Xie, let’s go.”

After briefly chatting with the assistant, Jian Chou acted as if there were no grievances between her and Xie Buchen, turning to call him.

Xie Buchen hadn’t said another word from beginning to end.

While Jian Chou conversed with the assistant, he had already picked up the Human Emperor Sword originally placed on the table. Now he merely nodded and left the tea house together with Jian Chou.

Atop the solitary peak, the midday sun was quite fierce.

But it was deep autumn after all, so it didn’t feel scorching. Rather, because this peak was so high, it seemed even colder. The wind carried a blade-like chill.

The bamboo curtains hanging from the tea house behind them rustled in the wind, and the “Tea” banner above fluttered incessantly.

Jian Chou looked back once, then took the lead on her sword, heading north.

The Burning Lamp Sword transformed into a strand of warm yellow light, instantly cutting through the drifting clouds like a swaying oar, leaving a thin ripple before disappearing into the distance.

Xie Buchen stood in place for a moment, watching her depart, then followed with his hands behind his back.

The Human Emperor Sword was entirely black, showing no trace of light when it flew, leaving no mark even when passing through the clouds.

Its speed was swift, catching up to the unhurried Jian Chou in moments.

The speed of cultivators controlling artifacts was related to both cultivation level and the quality of the “artifact” itself.

Jian Chou had used this Human Emperor Sword of Xie Buchen’s before and deeply understood its power. Even though she hadn’t been its original owner, just casually wielding it a few times had revealed its terrifying might.

So she wasn’t surprised at all that Xie Buchen had caught up.

She was only reminded of some interesting matters.

Looking ahead, she squinted and suddenly laughed: “I remember Fellow Daoist Xie once said that the Human Emperor Sword has no master, as if any human emperor could take and use the sword. But when I was stranded in the Extreme Domain, I could actually draw this sword from its sheath—quite remarkable.”

These words had hidden implications, but Xie Buchen was completely unaffected.

He lagged behind her slightly, only watching her back, saying indifferently: “Those with an emperor’s heart can cultivate the emperor’s dao. It’s just that some people have an emperor’s heart but are unwilling to walk the emperor’s path. Otherwise, Fellow Daoist Jian Chou wouldn’t have returned this sword.”

He saw quite clearly.

Jian Chou sneered inwardly but said aloud: “It wasn’t mine to begin with, and I wasn’t accustomed to using it, so I returned it to you. As for the dao, you and I indeed follow different paths.”

Different paths meant no common ground for scheming.

Yet now the two of them happened to be traveling the same road. At this moment, the same phrase surfaced in both their minds: seeking fur from a tiger.

Xie Buchen’s face remained composed, his gaze shallow: “Speaking of which, there were several esoteric sect monks in the tea house earlier. Does Fellow Daoist Jian Chou have any thoughts?”

The rapidly flying Burning Lamp Sword suddenly stopped.

Jian Chou turned to look at him, but smiled: “I was just about to ask—does Fellow Daoist Xie have any thoughts?”

“…”

In an instant, the two looked at each other. Without needing more communication, a single glance revealed their thoughts were identical—

They currently knew nothing about the snow region, but those monks in the tea house were perfect sources of information!

Xie Buchen had never been some simple-minded fool, and Jian Chou, having experienced all those past events and survived numerous life-and-death situations, was certainly not some reckless brute.

Neither was virtuous.

At this moment, they coincidentally turned around together, quietly returning to the tea house.

Those monks suspected of being from the snow region’s esoteric sect hadn’t left yet.

With their current cultivation levels, they couldn’t possibly detect that the two strange Central Domain cultivators who had left earlier had now set their sights on them.

After sitting in the tea house for a while longer, the four finally left together.

Jian Chou and Xie Buchen hid in the shadows of the mountain diagonally opposite. Seeing the direction these four were headed, they knew they were going to Mingri Xinghai.

In past years, monks from the snow region’s esoteric sect were rarely heard of venturing outside, much less in this condition.

While in the tea house earlier, Jian Chou had already noticed these people’s hair. Monks all needed to shave their heads, but these few had blue scalps, clearly not groomed in quite some time.

She felt these people heading to Mingri Xinghai seemed more like fleeing refugees.

The four monks all had cultivation between mid and late Golden Core.

Though they outnumbered them, when facing Jian Chou and Xie Buchen, they had virtually no power to resist. Or rather, when they saw Jian Chou appear before them again, they had no heart to resist at all.

In moments, they were subdued by the two and thrown under a boulder on a distant mountainside.

“From the esoteric sect?”

Jian Chou showed no courtesy at all, holding the Burning Lamp Sword as she stood before these people, asking in a matter-of-fact tone.

The four monks all showed considerable panic on their faces.

The only one in slightly better condition was the cultivator thrown in the middle. He had the highest cultivation at late Golden Core, was very thin, with prominent temples, and hidden light in his eyes—clearly someone with some achievement in esoteric sect cultivation methods.

He looked up at Jian Chou, maintaining forced composure: “We, we are. What do you want?”

“Don’t worry, no malicious intent.”

Jian Chou wasn’t some unblinking killer, speaking relatively kindly.

“You should have noticed in the tea house earlier that my companion and I want to visit the snow region. But we don’t know what the current situation there is like.”

Upon hearing this, the four monks visibly relaxed.

As Jian Chou had suspected, they truly were refugees. The current snow region was completely filled with flashing swords and bloodshed—small fry like them could hardly survive.

Once they learned Jian Chou and the others weren’t there to take their lives, they spilled information about the snow region like beans from a pod.

“We four are all esoteric sect monks, cultivating for nearly a hundred years.”

“When we entered the sect, though we heard of many conflicts, we just went in to make a living and didn’t think much about it. Who could have imagined that over these decades, the New and Old Esoteric factions would fight so fiercely. When Holy Son Ji Ye was first invited out, he suddenly helped the Old Esoteric faction, and we all thought the situation had greatly improved, that the temple would finally be clean. But unexpectedly…”

“Recently, several dharma kings of the New Esoteric faction somehow made great advances in cultivation and massacred the Old Esoteric faction…”

Perhaps recalling the bloody scenes of that time, fear spread through the depths of this monk’s pupils, and the other three also looked ashen.

“The Old Esoteric faction originally had only three dharma kings—now two are dead and one wounded.”

“We three are all disciples of Dharma King Li Yan. His injuries are too severe, and he said he doesn’t have much time left, only instructing us to leave the snow region and never return. We urged him to flee, but he said he would wait for the Holy Son. The current snow region, the entire temple, has all fallen into their hands…”

“By the Bright King above, if you two wish to go there, it’s extremely dangerous.”

Indeed, it was conflict between the New and Old Esoteric factions.

This didn’t surprise Jian Chou, but she was somewhat bothered by the monk’s mention of “several New Esoteric dharma kings suddenly making great advances in cultivation.”

She looked sideways at Xie Buchen: “What do you think, Fellow Daoist Xie?”

Xie Buchen’s gaze slowly swept across the four men’s faces. Rather than answering Jian Chou’s question, he asked the monk who had spoken: “According to what you’ve said, you know nothing about the recent deaths of Central Domain cultivators from Kunwu and Yashan in the snow region?”

“…What?”

The four almost simultaneously froze, instantly feeling a chill rise from behind them.

Kunwu and Yashan!

How terrifying was the deterrent power of these four words?

Yet the cultivator before them was telling them that Yashan and Kunwu cultivators had died in the snow region—what earth-shaking storms lurked behind this?

The monk who had spoken earlier nearly shivered, taking a long while to shake his head: “We left the temple seven days ago and know nothing of this matter.”

Xie Buchen fell silent.

Jian Chou glanced at Xie Buchen, then at the monk, finding herself unable to read the situation clearly.

She had followed Xie Buchen here firstly for the innocent sect members from Yashan who had died, and secondly to see what medicine Kunwu—or rather, Hengxu Laoguai—was peddling.

With her superior cultivation, even if Xie Buchen knew her purposes, he could do nothing about it.

But Xie Buchen’s current behavior really did seem like he was only there to investigate the deaths of Kunwu disciples.

Real?

Fake?

Heaven knows.

Jian Chou well knew what a deeply scheming person her companion was, so even though he currently only had peak Golden Core cultivation, she wouldn’t let her guard down.

Going through the monk’s words in her mind, she found no flaws.

Only then did she directly wave her hand, removing the restrictions placed on these people: “You have no further business here. All of you may go.”

This sudden interception came suddenly and left suddenly.

When the restrictions on their bodies were released, the men couldn’t quite react for a moment. After a daze, they hurriedly got up, messily placing their right hands on their left shoulders, bowing in the esoteric sect salute before running toward the distant mountain path.

Only the monk with the highest cultivation looked at them both, seeming to have something to say, but ultimately only showed a bitter smile, bowed once, said “A thousand promises,” and followed his companions.

The four monks’ figures quickly disappeared among the mountain forests.

Both Jian Chou and Xie Buchen stood watching until the figures vanished, then slowly withdrew their gazes.

“He seemed to have something he wanted to say but probably felt it would be useless, so ultimately didn’t tell us. Fellow Daoist Xie, aren’t you curious?”

Jian Chou looked back once.

Xie Buchen remained noncommittal, only checking the still-clear weather and saying calmly: “Perhaps he wanted to advise us not to risk our lives, but also saw which sects we came from and where we originated, so knew speaking would be useless.”

Few people knew about Kunwu and Yashan having disciples lost in the snow region.

With two people appearing out of nowhere to intercept them and ask about the snow region’s situation, thinking it through a bit would reveal their identities.

So anything said would be superfluous.

Those who should leave would leave, and those who should come would come.

Some matters couldn’t be stopped by one person’s strength.

In the mysterious currents, everyone was swept along by a great flow, stepping toward the directions they should take, going to the distant places they would reach, exploring the secrets they wished to uncover.

Jian Chou and Xie Buchen finally had no more exchanges.

For Jian Chou, it was simply having nothing to say.

For Xie Buchen, it was wariness and apprehension coexisting.

There was probably nothing more vexing in the world than this—

You had once killed someone, but this person hadn’t died and had become your most unspeakable, deepest, most bone-deep heart demon. Each additional word spoken with her, each additional moment spent, the heart demon would grow stronger. Yet you couldn’t escape. Even though you had purposes for this journey, with her at your side, you felt your hands and feet bound.

One careless moment, and you’d end up like in the Red Slaughter Realm, making wedding clothes for others.

Jian Chou…

Even when initially killing her, these two words had never been as deeply engraved as this journey together.

Compared to Xie Buchen, Jian Chou was much more relaxed.

Her cultivation was higher, and this journey held no greater secrets or purposes for her, so she carried virtually no burden. After intercepting those esoteric sect cultivators and gathering information, she continued heading north, thinking about matters related to the Burning Lamp Sword while observing the changing landscape below.

North from the tea house, the climate naturally grew colder.

The terrain became obviously higher, with howling cold winds across the horizon, tearing through thin cloud layers to reveal the ice-cold azure sky behind.

The red sun traveled west, the cold moon gradually rose.

When they could see the cliff barriers rising from the ground ahead in the distance, night had already deepened.

From Mingri Xinghai to the snow region was like going from basin to plateau. The snow region’s topography was actually quite special—as if a giant had once lifted one corner of Jiushijiu Zhou high up. So Mingri Xinghai was at the bottom of this fault line, while the snow region’s land became elevated wilderness, closer to the supreme firmament than anywhere else in Jiushijiu Zhou.

Seeing the cliffs meant seeing the snow region.

At this moment, Jian Chou glanced at Xie Buchen, and Xie Buchen glanced at Jian Chou. Both swords paused briefly in mid-air, then simultaneously shot straight upward.

Higher and higher, higher and higher, giving one the illusion of no end.

Not until half a moment later did their vision suddenly open up. The cliffs that had blocked their view were now beneath them, and before them appeared a breathtaking magnificent scene.

At this moment, everything else was forgotten.

Only what lay before their eyes remained.

Vast sea of clouds, moon rising over heavenly mountains.

In the ink-blue night sky, the star river glittered brilliantly; bright white moonlight scattered across the boundless mountain ranges, illuminating endless silver snow; winds of ten thousand li swept through, and five-colored prayer flags inscribed with Sanskrit fluttered among the peaks, while all around was utterly still.

Only the extremely faint Sanskrit chanting from distant places echoed in their ears and reverberated in their hearts.

The legendary holy mountain stood at the world’s end.

The majestic temple towered at the highest point, like ice carving and snow casting.

Layers of thin clouds created interlacing light and shadow, projecting mirage-like scenes in the distance of their vision. The holy mountain, temple, and countless surrounding monasteries together seemed, in that trance-like moment, like a heavenly Buddhist realm…