Fairy, Please Listen to My Explanation

Chapter 12: Tracking

Mount Wanxing, Plummeting Immortal Lake.

A bearded man, carrying a sword on his back, stood by the lake, glancing at the lake shore several hundred meters away, then looking towards the center of the lake.

The originally rippling lake was now occupied by a towering ice pillar.

The pillar, reaching hundreds of zhang in height, was crystal clear and exuded a chilling aura that seemed eternal. It extended under the cascading moonlight, completely freezing the vast lake surface.

(1 zhang = 3.3 meters)

The stubbled man smacked his lips, seemingly affected by the cold. He moved and rubbed his arms, sighing with some regret:

“Tsk, tsk. It’s a good thing I didn’t catch up to them. Given the scale of this, by the time you come back to report, I estimate I would have been frozen in that big ice block.”

The two individuals were the man and woman who had appeared outside the Buddha Hall earlier.

The woman was still dressed in a tight-fitting black robe with red borders. Her exquisite figure was captivating, and her high ponytail swayed gently. She also gazed at the huge ice pillar on the lake surface and said in a clear voice:

“It’s the Sword Sect’s Ran Qingmo.”

The stubbled man squinted his eyes, then suddenly stepped forward. His figure disappeared on the spot, and when he reappeared, he had already landed on the top of the massive ice pillar in the center of the lake.

Seeing this, the woman swiftly followed suit and arrived beside him. When she reached him, the stubbled man was squatting on the icy surface, gently stroking the surface of the ice crystal with his hand.

The woman looked around, observing from a high vantage point.

The forest surrounding Plummeting Immortal Lake, composed of towering hundred-meter trees, had already been flattened over a large area, indicating the intensity of the previous battle.

After a pause, the woman asked the man, “Did you find anything?”

The man squatted on the ground, rubbed his stubble, and hesitated slightly before saying, “The other person who fought against Ran Qingmo doesn’t seem human.”

“A demon?” The woman frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, “There aren’t many formidable shape-shifting demons in the Wanxing Mountain Range who can hold their ground against Ran Qingmo.”

The stubbled man smiled faintly, sniffed a palm-sized scale he had picked up and placed it near his nose, then casually tossed it to the woman, saying, “It’s not those old monsters. It’s a mother snake.”

The woman glanced at it and furrowed her brows. “Mother snake? Can you tell what it is?”

The stubbled man pondered for a moment and spoke in a low voice, “The residual aura left behind resembles the Qi of a Seventh-Life Miasma. Judging from the techniques used and the residual source aura, this Seventh-Life Miasma should have shed its skin and reached its sixth incarnation.”

He clicked his tongue and sighed, his tone filled with some regret. “Tsk, tsk. A Sixth-Incarnation Seventh-Life Python. If it gets another incarnation, it will solidify its human form completely. It’s probably an important figure from the snake demon clan in the realm of exotic demons.”

After a pause, the man stood up, his expression rarely serious. “It was frozen by Ran Qingmo using this ice pillar, revealing its true form and escaping. Judging from the situation, it seems that Ran Qingmo doesn’t intend to face her head-on.”

The woman furrowed her brow even tighter and said, “Are you saying that the Third Young Master was captured by Ran Qingmo?”

The man didn’t answer immediately. After contemplating for a long time, he shook his head and said, “I’m not sure. At least when we were at Plummeting Immortal Lake, Ran Qingmo intended to protect the Third Young Master. Inform the Eldest Young Master and the others that we have found the whereabouts of the Third Young Master.”

A hint of doubt flickered in the woman’s eyes. “But what about now?”

“If we continue to track them, the person who took the Third Young Master will not be able to elude us,” the man interrupted, waving his hand. He stood atop the hundred-zhang ice pillar, staring at the towering mountains in the distance, resembling a devouring behemoth.

“They are heading to Tianmen Mountain.”

The wound on the White Tiger’s back was hideously terrifying. Although it had scabbed over, the vivid redness that had spread across the snowy fur earlier was still striking.

Having just arrived in this world and unfamiliar with cultivation, Xu Yuan couldn’t deduce much information from the shape and depth of the wound.

However, the fact that the White Tiger was injured alone was already significant.

In his unconscious state, the two of them were able to travel from their original location to Tianmen Mountain in just four days, undoubtedly with the White Tiger carrying him along.

However, this White Tiger, serving as his means of transportation while he was unconscious, was injured due to an attack from an external source, despite Ran Qingmo’s presence.

During those four days of unconsciousness, it seemed that more had happened than he had imagined.

As thoughts flickered in his mind, Xu Yuan once again surveyed his surroundings.

Snowflakes fluttered down from the sky with the chilly wind, and beneath the thick layer of snow, a blood-stained beast bone could faintly be seen.

This discovery immediately weighed heavily on Xu Yuan’s heart. He glanced at the slender snow wolf lying on the ground and let out a sigh.

The blood-stained bones should be the food that the White Tiger had caught and eaten earlier. Moreover, judging by the size of the wild animal’s bones, they had stayed in one place for at least a day.

One day.

With pursuers behind them, what could have caused Ran Qingmo to have to stop and recuperate?

Xu Yuan looked at the black-clad woman sitting in the snow.

Moonlight gently touched her veil, and her ink-black robe fluttered in the wind, resembling a beautiful sculpture.

Countless thoughts flashed through Xu Yuan’s mind, and he took a deep breath.

“You’re injured.”

His voice was gentle, dissipating with the cold wind of the mountains.

After a moment of silence, Ran Qingmo continued to close her eyes and adjust her breathing, but she did not deny it.

“Mm.”

“Is it serious?”

“A little.”

His speculation was confirmed. Xu Yuan raised his hand and rubbed his temples, then glanced back at the boundless forest below the mountain.

“What about her (Tiger)?” he asked.

“Her injuries are lighter than mine,” Ran Qingmo replied.

…

Xu Yuan fell silent.

He thought about the injury on the White Tiger’s back, which must have been caused by him slowing her down.

The cold wind howled, and the stars filled the sky.

After a long while, Xu Yuan spoke again, his words serious.

“I’m sorry.”

…

Ran Qingmo didn’t answer, but calmly said with her eyes closed, “Since you’re awake, go up the mountain with it. I’ll wait here for her.”

As she spoke, she raised her hand slightly and threw a small object to Xu Yuan.

Instinctively, Xu Yuan reached out and caught it. When he lowered his gaze to see what Ran Qingmo had thrown, he found it was a small ice crystal sword, transparent like crystal.

Curiously, Xu Yuan asked, “What is this?”

Ran Qingmo opened her eyes and glanced at the White Tiger beside her.

“If it acts up, crush it,” she said.

A sudden realization flashed in Xu Yuan’s eyes.

Just a moment ago, he was still wondering why the White Tiger had been so obedient to Ran Qingmo in just four days. It turned out that Ran Qingmo had done something to the White Tiger’s body.

After a brief moment of silence, Xu Yuan didn’t say much. He held the small ice crystal sword in his hand and climbed onto the back of the White Tiger directly.

When he touched the scabbed wound on the White Tiger’s back, Xu Yuan could clearly feel the massive creature beneath him tremble slightly.

Fortunately, apart from that, the White Tiger didn’t have any other significant reactions.

Riding on the White Tiger, Xu Yuan looked once again at the black-clad woman sitting beside him. He fell into a momentary silence and spoke softly:

“I will wait for you at the edge of the Hanging End on the summit of Tianmen Mountain.”

…

After a brief silence, Ran Qingmo’s voice was as serene as when they first met:

“No need.”

Xu Yuan stared at her and calmly repeated:

“I said, I will wait for you at the edge of the Hanging End.”

…

Ran Qingmo blinked her beautiful eyes, her gaze showing slight confusion.

She was trying to understand why this man in front of her insisted on waiting for her.

Xu Yuan didn’t explain, he just gazed at her calmly.

If Ran Qingmo didn’t come, he would have to jump off the cliff.

With his original body’s luck of only 3 points, let alone finding a cave, he would probably be hanged by a protruding rock in the middle of free fall.

Ran Qingmo couldn’t understand and shook her head gently.

“I have left a trace of my Qi on you. I can find you,” she said.

Xu Yuan improvised casually, speaking slowly:

“A cave can shield the trace of Qi.”

Ran Qingmo fell silent.

After a while,

She slowly opened her eyes, slightly tilted her head back, and looked at the brocade-clad young man riding on the White Tiger under the moonlight.

Silence. They locked eyes.

Finally, she nodded gently and, with her red lips slightly parted beneath the veil, said:

“Alright.”

Xu Yuan chuckled softly, “Come earlier.”

In silence,

The White Tiger instantly transformed into a white blur and raced towards the mountaintop, leaving only the figure of the black-clad woman, sitting motionless on the vast snowy ground.