Upon hearing the shout, the women of Zhang Village all showed joyous smiles. Each one put down their farming tools and hurried towards the village. The lively atmosphere was like a celebration.
Having lived in Zhang Village for nearly a month, Shu Han had learned that the men here had mostly gone to the distant snow mountains to dig for a spiritual medicine called Snow Lotus. The journey was long and arduous, and they would be gone for two months.
So Shu Han returned to the village with the older women. Upon arriving at Zhang Village, he saw a large bonfire in the center of the village. Despite it being noon, a group of men wrapped in quilts were huddled by the fire, shivering in the blaze.
Their faces were pale, and there was a chill between their brows. They shakily accepted the ginger soup handed to them by the women. They downed the scalding ginger soup in one gulp, not only were they not scalded, but they also wanted more.
With a glance, Shu Han knew that this was the cold energy of the snow lotus entering the body. Although it was not lethal, it was still uncomfortable for some time.
In front of these people, a bamboo basket exuded a white cold air. Inside were more than ten ten-year-old snow lotuses.
Shu Han was not unfamiliar with the Snow Lotus. It was the main medicine for Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, and Shu Han still had more than ten hundred-year-old snow lotuses in his storage bag.
The cold of the snow lotus was nothing to be afraid of. As long as cultivators slightly operated their cultivation method, they could dissolve it, but for ordinary people, it was akin to a deadly cold poison.
The women of each household were looking after their own men. The village chief, leaning on his crutch, went from house to house to count the number of people. Many women cried on the ground because they did not see their men.
After counting the number of people, the village chief stroked his beard and shook his head, "Why only these people came back, and the snow lotuses are not even half of what they used to be, what can we do!"
At this time, Madam Song leading her son rushed over. They anxiously circled the crowd two or three times. Their faces turned pale and they sat down on the ground. They grabbed a man and asked anxiously, "Old Chen, where is Gua's father?! Where did his father go?!"
The village chief also came over and asked, "Chen! What exactly happened, why only these people came back? Tell us!"
The group of men huddling together for warmth all showed sadness on their trembling faces. The man surnamed Chen stammered, "The weather was good that day. We split into two teams to dig for snow lotuses, and everything was fine. Then our team saw a snow lotus as big as a person dancing on the snow slope from a distance. We were frightened and hurried down from the cliff. But Brother Song led the others to climb higher. They didn't have time to come down when a sudden blizzard came."
"The snow and ice in the wind were like knives, cutting our faces painfully. Suddenly we couldn't see or hear anything, everything was white. Those of us who came down quickly dug a snowhole on the spot and crawled in. We huddled together for warmth and barely survived the night, many brothers' hands and feet were frozen. When we looked in the daylight, we didn't know where Brother Song's team had gone."
"We searched for half a day and didn't find Brother Song and his team. Then someone saw that dancing snow lotus on the mountaintop again. We were terrified and hurried back."
Alas!
"The snow lotus has become sentient! It must be that we've dug up too many of its children and it's come to take revenge on us! We only have these few snow lotuses left, how are we going to explain to those people!" the village chief exclaimed, stamping his cane in desperation.
A snow lotus as tall as a person and dancing?
Shu Han and Shangguan Ruolin exchanged a glance. A thousand-year snow lotus!
Upon hearing this, Madam Song almost fainted, holding her son Gua and crying uncontrollably.
Seeing Madam Song's heartbroken appearance, and thinking about how much love Madam Song had shown her over the past month, Shangguan Ruolin also felt a sourness in her heart.
Her little face showed sadness. She walked over and comforted Madam Song by patting her shoulder. Madam Song looked at Shangguan Ruolin, hugged her, and cried, "Ruolin, the pillar of our family is gone. How am I going to live? I can't go on!"
Shangguan Ruolin leaned her head on Madam Song's shoulder, her small hand patting her continuously, then turned to look at Shu Han. Then she let go of Madam Song's hand, grabbed Shu Han, and walked out of the crowd.
Coming to a quiet corner of the village, Shangguan Ruolin ordered, "Let's go find the other people from the village."
Shu Han looked at Shangguan Ruolin's determined gaze and sighed, "Senior, you should also know that the blizzard caused by the thousand-year snow lotus, those mortals are unlikely to have survived."
"I know!" Shangguan Ruolin suddenly shouted angrily, "If they are alive, they should be seen. If they are dead, their bodies should be seen! Even if they have to cry, I must let them know why!"
Shu Han nodded, looked at Shangguan Ruolin seriously, and said, "Senior, you've indeed changed a lot. If it were before, you probably wouldn't even bother about these people. Not to mention finding their bodies."
"Nonsense! I just don't want to be a freeloader! Who cares about these mortals' feelings."
Shu Han looked at Shangguan Ruolin's unyielding appearance and revealed a faint smile. Then he pulled Shangguan Ruolin up, turned into a black light, and rushed straight towards the distant snow mountain.
The journey that would take a mortal half a month, Shu Han, riding on the Pursuing Sword, reached in less than half a day. Upon arriving at this snow mountain, he realized how huge it was. What was initially a white dot on the horizon now blocked half of Shu Han's view.
The snow mountain was covered in white snow, and the setting sun's rays were reflected on the mountain, dyeing it a shade of blood-red.
How to find those people on such a huge mountain?
Shangguan Ruolin sat on Shu Han's shoulder and patted him, saying, "What are you dazing at? Start searching from the foot of the mountain and break open the ice layer inch by inch."
Such a workload...
Actually, there's no better way. It had been nearly half a month since these people dug for the snow lotus, and any traces had long been swept clean by the wind and snow.
And so, Shu Han, with the Pursuing Sword in one hand and the Black Claw in the other, used his magical power to break through the layers of snow and ice, sweeping from the foot of the mountain to its waist.
Inch by inch, they searched, covering the entire foot of the mountain. A full day had passed, yet there was still no sign of the other team from Zhang Village. Throughout the day, although Shangguan Ruolin did not contribute physically, her eyes never stopped assisting Shu Han in his search.
This was the first time Shu Han had seen Shangguan Ruolin so invested in the affairs of others. He couldn't help but buck up and increase the speed of his search.
Flying up to the waist of the mountain, Shu Han felt that this method of searching was too inefficient. Suddenly, he had an idea and slammed the Pursuing Sword and the Black Claw together. The collision of the two magical treasures made a deafening clang.
After performing a few more operations, the snow accumulated on the mountainside began to slide down. The momentum grew larger and larger, eventually triggering a chain of avalanches that swept away the newly covered layer of snow.
In the rolling snow, Shu Han's sharp eyes caught a black block of ice. The missing villagers from Zhang Village were curled up inside the block of ice.
Shangguan Ruolin let out a long sigh and listlessly leaned on Shu Han's shoulder. "Let's go back. At least we have something to show for our efforts."
"Hold on! Senior, look!"
Shangguan Ruolin followed Shu Han's gaze to see a huge and holy snow lotus blooming on a snowy slope not far from the top of the mountain. The bright petals swayed in the wind as if a dancer in a long dress was performing a graceful dance in the mountains, mesmerizing to behold.
Shangguan Ruolin became angry, "A mere thousand-year-old spirit herb dares to act recklessly in front of me! Shu Han, pluck it for me!"
"I had the same thought!"
Upon hearing the shout, the women of Zhang Village all showed joyous smiles. Each one put down their farming tools and hurried towards the village. The lively atmosphere was like a celebration.
Having lived in Zhang Village for nearly a month, Shu Han had learned that the men here had mostly gone to the distant snow mountains to dig for a spiritual medicine called Snow Lotus. The journey was long and arduous, and they would be gone for two months.
So Shu Han returned to the village with the older women. Upon arriving at Zhang Village, he saw a large bonfire in the center of the village. Despite it being noon, a group of men wrapped in quilts were huddled by the fire, shivering in the blaze.
Their faces were pale, and there was a chill between their brows. They shakily accepted the ginger soup handed to them by the women. They downed the scalding ginger soup in one gulp, not only were they not scalded, but they also wanted more.
With a glance, Shu Han knew that this was the cold energy of the snow lotus entering the body. Although it was not lethal, it was still uncomfortable for some time.
In front of these people, a bamboo basket exuded a white cold air. Inside were more than ten ten-year-old snow lotuses.
Shu Han was not unfamiliar with the Snow Lotus. It was the main medicine for Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, and Shu Han still had more than ten hundred-year-old snow lotuses in his storage bag.
The cold of the snow lotus was nothing to be afraid of. As long as cultivators slightly operated their cultivation method, they could dissolve it, but for ordinary people, it was akin to a deadly cold poison.
The women of each household were looking after their own men. The village chief, leaning on his crutch, went from house to house to count the number of people. Many women cried on the ground because they did not see their men.
After counting the number of people, the village chief stroked his beard and shook his head, "Why only these people came back, and the snow lotuses are not even half of what they used to be, what can we do!"
At this time, Madam Song leading her son rushed over. They anxiously circled the crowd two or three times. Their faces turned pale and they sat down on the ground. They grabbed a man and asked anxiously, "Old Chen, where is Gua's father?! Where did his father go?!"
The village chief also came over and asked, "Chen! What exactly happened, why only these people came back? Tell us!"
The group of men huddling together for warmth all showed sadness on their trembling faces. The man surnamed Chen stammered, "The weather was good that day. We split into two teams to dig for snow lotuses, and everything was fine. Then our team saw a snow lotus as big as a person dancing on the snow slope from a distance. We were frightened and hurried down from the cliff. But Brother Song led the others to climb higher. They didn't have time to come down when a sudden blizzard came."
"The snow and ice in the wind were like knives, cutting our faces painfully. Suddenly we couldn't see or hear anything, everything was white. Those of us who came down quickly dug a snowhole on the spot and crawled in. We huddled together for warmth and barely survived the night, many brothers' hands and feet were frozen. When we looked in the daylight, we didn't know where Brother Song's team had gone."
"We searched for half a day and didn't find Brother Song and his team. Then someone saw that dancing snow lotus on the mountaintop again. We were terrified and hurried back."
Alas!
"The snow lotus has become sentient! It must be that we've dug up too many of its children and it's come to take revenge on us! We only have these few snow lotuses left, how are we going to explain to those people!" the village chief exclaimed, stamping his cane in desperation.
A snow lotus as tall as a person and dancing?
Shu Han and Shangguan Ruolin exchanged a glance. A thousand-year snow lotus!
Upon hearing this, Madam Song almost fainted, holding her son Gua and crying uncontrollably.
Seeing Madam Song's heartbroken appearance, and thinking about how much love Madam Song had shown her over the past month, Shangguan Ruolin also felt a sourness in her heart.
Her little face showed sadness. She walked over and comforted Madam Song by patting her shoulder. Madam Song looked at Shangguan Ruolin, hugged her, and cried, "Ruolin, the pillar of our family is gone. How am I going to live? I can't go on!"
Shangguan Ruolin leaned her head on Madam Song's shoulder, her small hand patting her continuously, then turned to look at Shu Han. Then she let go of Madam Song's hand, grabbed Shu Han, and walked out of the crowd.
Coming to a quiet corner of the village, Shangguan Ruolin ordered, "Let's go find the other people from the village."
Shu Han looked at Shangguan Ruolin's determined gaze and sighed, "Senior, you should also know that the blizzard caused by the thousand-year snow lotus, those mortals are unlikely to have survived."
"I know!" Shangguan Ruolin suddenly shouted angrily, "If they are alive, they should be seen. If they are dead, their bodies should be seen! Even if they have to cry, I must let them know why!"
Shu Han nodded, looked at Shangguan Ruolin seriously, and said, "Senior, you've indeed changed a lot. If it were before, you probably wouldn't even bother about these people. Not to mention finding their bodies."
"Nonsense! I just don't want to be a freeloader! Who cares about these mortals' feelings."
Shu Han looked at Shangguan Ruolin's unyielding appearance and revealed a faint smile. Then he pulled Shangguan Ruolin up, turned into a black light, and rushed straight towards the distant snow mountain.
The journey that would take a mortal half a month, Shu Han, riding on the Pursuing Sword, reached in less than half a day. Upon arriving at this snow mountain, he realized how huge it was. What was initially a white dot on the horizon now blocked half of Shu Han's view.
The snow mountain was covered in white snow, and the setting sun's rays were reflected on the mountain, dyeing it a shade of blood-red.
How to find those people on such a huge mountain?
Shangguan Ruolin sat on Shu Han's shoulder and patted him, saying, "What are you dazing at? Start searching from the foot of the mountain and break open the ice layer inch by inch."
Such a workload...
Actually, there's no better way. It had been nearly half a month since these people dug for the snow lotus, and any traces had long been swept clean by the wind and snow.
And so, Shu Han, with the Pursuing Sword in one hand and the Black Claw in the other, used his magical power to break through the layers of snow and ice, sweeping from the foot of the mountain to its waist.
Inch by inch, they searched, covering the entire foot of the mountain. A full day had passed, yet there was still no sign of the other team from Zhang Village. Throughout the day, although Shangguan Ruolin did not contribute physically, her eyes never stopped assisting Shu Han in his search.
This was the first time Shu Han had seen Shangguan Ruolin so invested in the affairs of others. He couldn't help but buck up and increase the speed of his search.
Flying up to the waist of the mountain, Shu Han felt that this method of searching was too inefficient. Suddenly, he had an idea and slammed the Pursuing Sword and the Black Claw together. The collision of the two magical treasures made a deafening clang.
After performing a few more operations, the snow accumulated on the mountainside began to slide down. The momentum grew larger and larger, eventually triggering a chain of avalanches that swept away the newly covered layer of snow.
In the rolling snow, Shu Han's sharp eyes caught a black block of ice. The missing villagers from Zhang Village were curled up inside the block of ice.
Shangguan Ruolin let out a long sigh and listlessly leaned on Shu Han's shoulder. "Let's go back. At least we have something to show for our efforts."
"Hold on! Senior, look!"
Shangguan Ruolin followed Shu Han's gaze to see a huge and holy snow lotus blooming on a snowy slope not far from the top of the mountain. The bright petals swayed in the wind as if a dancer in a long dress was performing a graceful dance in the mountains, mesmerizing to behold.
Shangguan Ruolin became angry, "A mere thousand-year-old spirit herb dares to act recklessly in front of me! Shu Han, pluck it for me!"
"I had the same thought!"
