She took out a jade from her chest pocket and threw it into a cave.
The cave was illuminated, and the whole mountain was shaking with loud rumblings.
When the noise was already loud enough to wake the dead, the wall before Li Xueâer split. A nine-foot-wide passage appeared.
A few people walked out of it. They were all members of the Ice Spirit. Men or women, they all looked as cold as ice.
Maybe it was because they were members of Spirits, but no matter how old they were, their skin was as smooth as jade and as fair as ice.
âXueâer, with such great talent you have, it took you so long to finish. Iâm disappointed.â
They were led by a middle-aged woman. She was average-looking, but her skin was fair and extremely good. She looked extraordinary.
âAunt.â Li Xueâer looked emotionless. She didnât try to argue, but said directly, âLetâs go back home.â
As she spoke, she walked towards the passage.
âWait.â
The middle-aged woman sized her up and reached an arm out to stop her. She said, âDo you remember Ice Bamboo? She was sent out at almost the same time as you.â
âYeah?â Li Xueâer didnât see why she had brought this up.
âShe was sent to an aristocratic family in the Realm of True Force, but we found out sheâd fallen love with the young master there. After her return to the clan, she was always upset.â
Li Xueâer was shocked, but she didnât show it. She said, âWhat does that have to do with me?â
âFor kids like you and Ice Bamboo, I bet youâre very lonely away from the clan. Thereâs no one you can turn to, so itâs easy for people to take advantage of you.
âThose human beings get close to you because they want to play up to the Ice Spirit. You donât know how cunning they are. It would be easy for them to con you.
âThatâs a drawback of the countermeasure against Kill Talents. We Spirits wonât accept the dirty blood of human beings!
âXueâer, let me ask you one thing. Did you fall in love with anyone from the Realm of Nine Heavens? Did you engage with anyone secretly?â
The last question was the last thing she had wanted to hear. She answered without thinking, âNo.â
âYou know how Ice Bamboo ended up with that man?â
âAunt, itâs none of my business.â
The woman ignored her and continued, âThe Ice Spirit called the man over and made Ice Bamboo hide somewhere. The king warned him first and then lured him away by offering him a reward so he would leave Ice Bamboo.
âThe shallow man agreed immediately. Ice Bamboo saw everything from a hiding spot. She was overwhelmed with sorrow. Now, sheâs kept in the Ice Heart Cave.â
Li Xueâer shook her head and said, âAunt, I donât like your tone. You sound like you donât trust me.â
âItâs my responsibility and the kingâs orders. No good results come about from staying with a human, like you and Jiang Chen,â the woman said. When she mentioned Jiang Chen, her look became extremely sharp.
Li Xueâer finally couldnât hold it in anymore. She stared at the middle-aged woman.
âFor as long as you try to pry, traces will be left. This will harm the countermeasure against Kill Talents,â said Li Xueâer.
âIn comparison, the spirit of a heart polluted by human beings is what will harm the Ice Spirit more,â said the woman.
âWhat do you want? Are you going to invite Jiang Chen to the clan land to interrogate him, too?â Li Xueâer scorned.
âThe Realm of Nine Heavens is too far away from us. We donât want to waste our time on him. Besides, we talk to them only in order to make you kids drop the idea forever. The young master with Ice Bamboo was killed as soon as he left the clanâs land,â said the woman.
Li Xueâer opened her eyes wide. She flew into the air without saying anything, but she only heard a pah before her body was frozen. She was unable to move. Only from her eyes could others tell how anxious she was.
âXueâer, those ordinary people donât deserve to be with the Ice Spiritâs members.â
The woman caught the ice sculpture Li Xueâer had turned into and carried her into the cave. She said to the others, âWatch her here. Iâll take care of the remaining problem.â
Then she disappeared.
Trapped in the ice, Li Xueâer looked extremely anxious. Her pretty face was even distorted, but the woman was too strong. She wasnât able to run away from her power.
And Jiang Chen wouldnât be able to defeat her, either.
He was on his way back to the Southwind Ridge, alone. The warship wasnât with him.
Itâs so cold. Whatâs going on?
Jiang Chen, still thinking about his apprentice sister, noticed the temperature had sharply dropped. It had even started to snow.
He turned serious right away and took the Red Cloud Sword out.
A cold voice came from the air.
âHuh, very wary.â
Jiang Chen looked up and saw a middle-aged woman. It was Li Xueâerâs aunt.
âIce Spirit?â
It wasnât difficult to guess. Her energy sold her.
âExactly. Iâm Li Xueâerâs aunt, Cloud Guardian,â the woman said.
Her aunt? An Ice Spirit always has a senior to instruct juniors. Such a senior woman is called aunt and such a senior man is called uncle, Jiang Chen thought to himself. He glanced at her and said, âAre you coming to kill me?â
âYep,â Cloud Guardian nodded.
âWhy?â asked Jiang Chen.
âWhy do you think?â Cloud Guardian answered him with a question.
âBecause Iâm with Xueâer? But shouldnât you persuade me out of it first? Youâre going to kill me directly instead. How arrogant,â Jiang Chen said with a cold smile.
âIâve seen too much ugliness from you human beings. If I let you go, youâll still try to see Xueâer.
âThatâs right. We used to pay guys like you lots of money so that you would give up.
âBut when the news spread, many men came to blackmail us. That became the only reason they got close to our girls. Itâs ridiculous, isnât it?
âThatâs why the rules have been changed. Once such things happen, we kill directly.â
She kept mentioning âhuman beings,â not even trying to hide her arrogance as a Spirit or her disdain for human beings.
âBut you Ice Spirits keep treading on othersâ dignity. Thatâs not a good enough reason for you to plead innocent. Youâre not justified in being so unreasonable.â Jiang Chen didnât show any fear. He said, âI havenât gone to see Li Xueâer. Even if I did, itâs none of your business.â
Cloud Guardian squinted. She said after a good while, âDidnât you hear me say Iâm here to kill you?â
âYes, I did. Thatâs why I was telling you how ridiculous and absurd your behavior is. You think youâre better than human beings and intend to kill me like youâre stomping an ant.â
Jiang Chen shrugged his shoulders. Staring at Cloud Guardian, he said, âListen to me, Iâll show you the power of human beings when I go to the Ice Spiritâs territory to marry my apprentice sister.â
What the hell is going on in this manâs head?
Cloud Guardian was in a daze. She showed a rare smile and said, âYou would rather talk trash than beg for my mercy. Go to hell, then.â