Chapter 200: Wait!

A crater had been blasted into the basin. Broken stones lay everywhere. Most importantly, the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit tree was gone.

The crater stood exactly where the tree had once grown, and the hard stone ground around it had cracked outward like a spiderweb. A group of Moon Butterflies beat their wings overhead, casting a hazy glow across the entire summit. Seen from far away, the mountain seemed to have a luminous jewel resting on its crown. Beneath the Moon Butterflies, cultivators searched everywhere. After quite some time, a group of them gathered a pile of miscellaneous debris and brought it over.

They surrounded Han Bing and spoke quietly for a long while. Once Han Bing understood the situation, she led several people toward a towering rock and looked up with them. Xue Luo’er stood atop it. Her skirt streamed in the wind. Her loosened hair snapped wildly behind her in the bitter cold.

“Young Mistress!”

Han Bing cupped her hands and called upward. Much of the snow across the mountain had been stripped away, exposing black rock in many places. Xue Luo’er withdrew her sweeping gaze and slowly looked back. The wind blew her disordered hair across her face, lending her an unfamiliar kind of beauty. But her eyes were cold as lightning. A group of cultivators responsible for guarding the mountain lowered their heads in fear. Xue Luo’er flashed down from the rock and landed lightly before them.

Wind curling around the stone tugged her long hair in every direction. Han Bing stepped beside her and moved aside to reveal the people behind. With a gesture, she indicated the things they were holding for Xue Luo’er to inspect. Two men carried pieces of the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit tree. They were truly only fragments now, broken into scattered splinters and short lengths of branch. Another man held a charred, half-oval, ugly lump. It looked like stone, yet not entirely.

In several places, it seemed to possess a metallic sheen.

“What does this mean?”

Xue Luo’er asked coldly. Han Bing stepped forward, took the ugly object into her arms, and brought it closer.

“Young Mistress, look. This should be a kind of meteoric iron.”

“Meteoric iron?”

Xue Luo’er looked puzzled and raised her head toward the night sky. Han Bing nodded.

“Young Mistress, Qiyun Sect normally purchases this sort of thing as well. I have seen some meteoric iron before. Most pieces have an outer surface charred black as though burned in fierce fire.”

Xue Luo’er looked at her.

“What are you trying to say? That meteoric iron fell from Heaven and happened to strike the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit tree?”

Han Bing sighed softly.

“I fear that is exactly what happened. It can only be called too much of a coincidence.”

“Young Mistress, come look.”

She returned the “meteoric iron” to one of the men and personally led Xue Luo’er to the edge of the crater.

Pointing downward, she said, “This crater was clearly blasted out by an enormous impact. Add the meteoric iron found here on the summit, and apart from Heaven itself, I cannot think of any other explanation.”

She shook her head helplessly. Han Bing understood perfectly well what this meant for Xue Luo’er. Every year, Xue Luo’er spent a period of time with the old mistress.

The old mistress lived in Xuanbing Palace, a place of extraordinary cold. Even ordinary cultivators with profound cultivation could not remain there for long.

Whenever Xue Luo’er went to stay in that bitterly cold place, she first consumed a Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit, using its power to withstand the cold. Now the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruits were gone. Even the tree itself had been destroyed. In the future, Xue Luo’er would probably no longer be able to stay in that place of extreme cold. The old mistress had always told outsiders that she herself used the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruits. That was only to keep Xue Luo’er from being placed in a difficult position.

The old mistress's meaning had always been very simple. If anyone wanted a Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit, they could go ask the old mistress themselves. If she refused, there was no one beneath Heaven who dared continue pestering her. As for the avalanche, anyone who had lived for years in snowy country could understand it easily. A sufficiently violent disturbance could indeed trigger one. In truth, Yuan Gang had simply taken advantage of the fact that these people did not understand certain unfamiliar things.

If he himself had been the one examining the scene, he would certainly have spotted several obvious clues.

Xue Luo’er asked, “How could it be this coincidental? Why did it have to strike this mountain, and why did it have to strike exactly where the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit tree grew?”

Han Bing smiled bitterly.

“The possibility of human involvement is extremely small. If anyone approached the mountain, the Snow Fiends would certainly give warning and alert the guards.”

“Perhaps Heaven's will is simply difficult to fathom.”

“Heaven's will?”

Xue Luo’er raised her face toward the sky. Her long hair whipped chaotically in the wind.

She murmured, “Why would Heaven's will be like this?”

Han Bing remained silent. That was not something she knew how to answer. The confusion gradually left Xue Luo’er’s face. She turned into the wind and flashed down the mountain. Some people remained behind to continue investigating, while others followed her. Here and there amid the collapsed snow, Snow Fiends clawed their way free and gave lingering cries of fear. Some had stained the surrounding snow red and lay rigid and unmoving inside the drifts. Xue Luo’er landed briefly at the foot of the mountain and took in the scene.

Then she flew away and returned to the land of jade halls and towers. Cultivators from the various sects who had approached the avalanche zone to investigate personally saw Xue Luo’er and the others leave. Many of them clearly remembered hearing a muffled detonation on the mountain before the avalanche began.

Yet none had dared rush up the mountain to see what was happening, and no one knew what exactly had occurred... Three figures flew up a snowy mountain and landed inside the snow wall on its summit. When Lei Zongkang recognized them, he finally relaxed and cupped his hands toward Niu Youdao.

“Master Dao!”

The words had barely left his mouth when Lei Zongkang abruptly raised his head. By the light of the fire, he saw Yuan Gang descending from the sky beneath a broad sheet of cloth.

“...”

Lei Zongkang froze. Yuan Gang had flown here through the sky?

Outside the snow wall, Yuan Gang landed and broke into a run before coming to a stop. He slipped out from beneath the hang glider, then swung his arms in a series of chopping blows.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The framework supporting the wing broke apart into pieces. Yuan Gang gathered the wreckage in his arms, ran to the summit, climbed over the snow wall, and threw everything into the fire. Black Peony, Duan Hu, and Lei Zongkang all stared at him as though looking at a monster. The cloth tossed into the flames quickly burned away. Niu Youdao immediately smashed down the snow wall and buried the fire beneath it.

Then he barked softly, “Go!”

Duan Hu and Lei Zongkang each seized one of Yuan Gang's arms. Following behind Niu Youdao and Black Peony, they sped down the mountain. The group raced without pause across the boundless snowy wilderness beneath the cover of darkness... At dawn the next day, the Ice and Snow Pavilion finally released a statement to the outside world. A meteorite had struck the snowy mountain and triggered the avalanche. That was all. There was no further explanation.

In truth, the Ice and Snow Pavilion had no need to announce that the meteorite had happened to strike the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit tree and destroy it. Such a coincidence seemed almost like Heaven's will. Speaking of it openly would only sound inauspicious. People from the various factions inside the canyon had whispered and speculated throughout the night, wondering what had happened. Once they heard the official explanation, realization dawned.

No one imagined that the “meteorite” had not only struck the summit but had also happened to land directly on the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit tree...

Beizhou, Lingbo Residence. A group of mounted guards escorted a carriage to the gates of the residence. The carriage stopped. Someone quickly set a three-step wooden stool beside it. The curtain lifted, and Shao Pingbo emerged in white robes and a black cloak. He stepped directly down from the carriage.

“Eldest Young Master!”

Shao Sansheng, who had come down the steps to meet him, bowed and at the same time gave him a meaningful look. Shao Pingbo understood. His expression did not change. He turned instead to Tang Yi beside him and smiled.

“Sect Leader Tang, you have worked hard. Go back and rest early.”

Shao Pingbo had gone out to inspect the territory, and Tang Yi's group had specifically been named to accompany him as guards. It was part of their duty. Tang Yi had found it difficult to refuse and could only travel with him. Shao Pingbo had originally wanted Tang Yi to remain so they could talk a little more.

But the moment he saw that Shao Sansheng had urgent business, he had no choice but to set aside the pleasant prospect of keeping a beauty nearby to please the eye, perhaps even gaining some welcome outcome from the conversation. In truth, beauty itself meant little to him.

He could not sever ordinary desires between men and women completely, but compared with the serious matters that occupied his attention, feminine beauty was something he could take or leave.

“Yes.”

Tang Yi cupped her hands and withdrew. Shao Pingbo watched her go with a smile. Only after she had disappeared did the smile leave his face and he turn into the residence. Once inside, he also dismissed Huang Dou, Lin Hu, and the other retainer cultivators who had accompanied him. Master and servant returned all the way to the inner residence and went straight into the study. Shao Sansheng helped remove Shao Pingbo's cloak and held it over one arm. He sighed.

“Eldest Young Master has been traveling and laboring without rest. You have worked hard.”

Shao Pingbo sat behind the desk.

“Speak of the important matter. What happened?”

Shao Sansheng gathered the cloak more securely over his arm and said heavily, “Just as Eldest Young Master predicted, something really did happen at the Ice and Snow Pavilion.”

Shao Pingbo, who had only just sat down, slowly rose again.

“Is it related to the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit?”

“I have not heard that anything happened to the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit itself.”

Shao Sansheng continued, “But something strange happened to the snowy mountain where it grows.”

“Our eyes there sent back two reports in succession.”

“The first said that two nights ago, a violent rumbling explosion sounded from that snowy mountain, after which an avalanche occurred.”

Shao Pingbo narrowed his eyes.

“And the second report?”

“The Ice and Snow Pavilion announced the next day that a meteorite had struck the mountain and caused the avalanche.”

“A meteorite?”

Shao Pingbo's gaze flickered. Then he suddenly chuckled.

“Not long ago, Jinzhou Prefectural Capital was in an uproar over some meteorite falling from Heaven. The commotion there was enormous.”

“And now a meteorite has appeared at the Ice and Snow Pavilion as well.”

“Heaven itself is helping me!”

Shao Sansheng tried asking, “After hearing what Eldest Young Master said before, I also find the matter suspicious. But... could he truly have succeeded?”

Shao Pingbo sneered.

“This is no small affair. It is the sort of affair that costs heads.”

“A man like him would never act lightly unless he had confidence.”

“I dare guarantee that the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit is already in his hands, eight or nine chances out of ten!”

He swept one hand aside, plainly indicating there was no longer any need to doubt the matter.

Then he asked, “How long does it take to travel from the Ice and Snow Pavilion to Jinzhou?”

Shao Sansheng considered for a moment and estimated.

“Even if one rode at full speed, changing horses and traveling straight through without stopping, it would still take several days.”

“Under ordinary circumstances, it would take at least a month.”

“A flying mount would naturally be another matter.”

Shao Pingbo nodded.

“Good. I understand.”

With that, he sat back down, picked up one of the accumulated documents on the desk, and began reading. During his period away on inspection, quite a number of less urgent official documents had piled up. Now that he had returned, he intended to process them quickly.

Seeing him apparently set the matter aside, Shao Sansheng could not help reminding him, “Eldest Young Master, should we release a little word outside?”

Shao Pingbo's eyes and attention remained fixed on the document in his hand. He did not even look up. He gave only one word.

“Wait!”

More than a month passed in a rush. Within the State of Zhao, Niu Youdao's group traveled through Jinzhou but did not enter Jinzhou Prefectural Capital. They practically brushed past the city. Greenery flourished along both sides of the road. Riding on horseback, Black Peony looked back toward the distant direction of Jinzhou Prefectural Capital, then turned to Niu Youdao.

“Master Dao, we're not going into Jinzhou Prefectural Capital?”

She was puzzled. Had they not taken the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit in order to treat Xiao Tianzhen? Niu Youdao turned his head toward her. A half-smile touched his face. Again, he gave only one word.

“Wait!”

Black Peony stared blankly.

Wait?

Wait for what?

[End of Chapter 200]