Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Chapter 300: Chapter 241: Polar Ice Sea

Ling Xiao lay prone on the snow, almost bursting out laughing. Though he knew this group was tracking him, the anger in his heart had already dissipated. It was for no other reason than the two jokers in their party, who could still liven up the atmosphere so comically in such a harsh and dangerous place. Even if they had other intentions, Ling Xiao no longer felt like killing them. He could already sense that no one in this group of adventurers was stronger than him or Song Mingyue. Since that was the case, what was the harm in letting them go? Besides, Ling Xiao had overheard a term that greatly interested him.

’Silkworm Raiser!’

Just then, a young man’s voice came from over there. "Alright, stop arguing! It’s the same old thing every day, as if you’re afraid other people won’t find out. The reason I’m looking for those two is because our supplies are running low..."

"Huh? Didn’t you say we still had enough for a month?" the loud-voiced Ah Ku shouted again.

The effeminate voice retorted disdainfully, "Ah Ku, you pig! If we can’t get out of these snowy plains within a month, are we supposed to just wait around to starve or freeze to death?"

Surprisingly, Ah Ku didn’t retort. Instead, he stammered, "But didn’t you say a month would be enough time for us to make a round trip through this frozen wasteland?"

The young man snorted and said, breathing a little heavily, "Enough my ass! None of you have walked this path before! When I was fifteen, I came here once with my father. Even knowing the route, it still took us a solid two months to get back from the Polar Ice Sea! That was the most unforgettable experience of my life! That’s why I prepared enough food for three months this time. But who would’ve thought we’d run into people from the Bauhinia Clan and have half of it extorted from us! Damn it, the Qin Family is powerful. In the north, they are the undisputed kings. Out here, few people would care if you mentioned His Majesty the King from the Imperial Capital. But if you bring up the Qin Family, even one of their ordinary Stewards is someone we can’t afford to offend!"

Leng Yu, the one with the sharp, effeminate voice, said, "Boss, speaking of which, didn’t His Majesty the King stick a nail in the North, too? The Qin Family doesn’t seem all that impressive! Why should we be so afraid of them? We come and go without a trace!"

"A nail?" The young leader sneered. "A nail, my ass! You think the Ling Family is enough? Ten Ling Families wouldn’t be a match for the Bauhinia Clan! You think the Bauhinia Clan’s strength is just what you see on the surface? Heh, the current Clan Leader of the Bauhinia Clan, the Bauhinia Grand Duke, hasn’t even reached the level of a Demon Sword Master. But did you know? The Bauhinia Grand Duke’s younger brother, Qin Zhan, has the power of a Tier Five Sword Sect!"

"Ah!"

A wave of gasps erupted from the group on the snow. Leng Yu’s voice grew even shriller as he cried out, "How could that be? In the entire Lanyue Empire, only the Royal Family has two Sword Sect masters. How could the Qin Family... possibly have one?"

"That just shows how little you’ve seen!" Ah Ku seized the rare opportunity to get a dig in at Leng Yu.

While carefully examining the tracks on the ground, the young leader said nonchalantly, "Ah Ku is right. It’s you who is ignorant. Back in the day, my father was a subordinate to one of Qin Zhan’s subordinates. Unfortunately, he died during a hunt for a Tier Seven Magical Beast, a Polar Six-tailed Fox. The Qin Family even gave a very generous death benefit at the time. Heh... come to think of it, I probably should have become a slave to the Qin Family and continued to sell my life for them. Too bad my father told me while he was still alive that the only way to have a future is to rely on yourself. When you’re another family’s slave, no matter how much glory you have, you’re still a slave!"

"Boss, we’ve never heard you talk about this before!" a woman’s voice chimed in, filled with admiration.

"It’s all in the past, no point in bringing it up. In short, the true strength of the Qin Family is absolutely not something people like us can afford to tangle with, let alone provoke. We stay as far away as we can. Hmph. Only lone, weak adventurers are our targets. Anyone who dares to come to a place like this to seek their fortune must be prepared to die!" the young leader said coldly.

A slight smile touched Ling Xiao’s lips. ’This leader has a point. It’s just a shame that those who travel alone are often the most powerful ones! They’re hardly weak. If someone were truly weak, how many would have a death wish and dare to venture into these vast snowy plains?’

With that thought, Ling Xiao made a decision. He moved his body ever so slightly, and the group instantly noticed. "Who’s there?" one of them shouted.

Like a wisp of smoke, Ling Xiao shot off into the distance. The group behind him immediately gave chase.

The coarse-voiced Ah Ku and the shrill-voiced Leng Yu were the most excited of the bunch. "It must be them! Quick, catch up to him, and we’ll have food!"

The young leader pressed his thin lips together, his eyes resolute and cold, without a trace of emotion. ’In a place like this, mercy toward others is cruelty to oneself. On these frozen plains, there is no tenderness, only the law of the jungle!’

After chasing for several miles, the young leader and the dozen or so people with him were all gasping for breath. The leader finally waved his hand, bent over panting, and swore, "Damn it, stop chasing! We’ve been tricked!"

"What? Was... was it... to lure the tiger from its mountain?" the woman asked.

"I think so. He’s toying with us. I made a bad call. Damn it, it’s true that no one who dares to come here is weak. Forget it... It’s not like he intended to cause us any real trouble." The young leader sighed in frustration. "Let’s go. Starting today, we’re on half rations. Hopefully, we can hunt some wild animals!"

Song Mingyue stared into the deepening darkness outside, her heart fraught with worry. She had never felt like this before. Back when she disguised herself as a man, she considered herself quite dashing and debonair. When she encountered women who developed feelings for her, Song Mingyue could turn and walk away without a second thought, leaving no trace of sentiment behind.

She never thought she could become so much like a lovesick girl. Although she kept reassuring herself, ’He can’t be in any danger. He’ll be back any moment,’ her heart still wouldn’t stop worrying.

The instant Ling Xiao appeared before her, Song Mingyue had the sudden urge to throw herself into his arms. She looked at the wild animal in his hand—it was nearly two feet long, already skinned and gutted, and looked very clean. Her fair cheeks blushed as she said softly, "You’re back?"

Her voice sounded just like a wife waiting for her husband to come home. The realization made Song Mingyue’s face flush crimson, so red it seemed blood might well up.

Ling Xiao gave her a gentle smile and said, "Were you getting worried? I ran into a small problem."

Song Mingyue was about to deny it, but when she heard his last words, she quickly asked, "What kind of problem?"

Ling Xiao briefly recounted what he had just witnessed. Song Mingyue was stunned for a long moment, then said, "I can’t believe people actually come to a place like this. And from the sound of it, they seem to be making some kind of deal with someone over by the Polar Ice Sea. What were they called again? The Silkworm Raiser... Ling Xiao, do you think... it could be the one we’re looking for?"

Ling Xiao deftly sprinkled fine salt over the prepared animal, then set it on a spit over the bonfire to roast. Soon, drops of fat began to drip and fall into the flames, making a SIZZLING sound and releasing a tempting aroma.

Ling Xiao casually placed a few Magic Beast Crystal Cores at the entrance of the snow cave, setting up a concealment Array. From the outside, the place now looked like a simple snowdrift. He didn’t want that group to find them, nor did he want a direct confrontation. Deep down, he hoped to follow them to find this "Silkworm Raiser" and see just what kind of silkworms this person raised. For all he knew, it might be the very Ice Crystal Celestial Silkworm they were looking for.

Hearing Song Mingyue’s question, Ling Xiao replied, "I was thinking the same thing. Let’s hope so. If it is, we’ll save a lot of time!"

Just then, a stomach rumbled twice. Ling Xiao looked up at Song Mingyue, his eyes full of doting affection, and smiled. "Hungry?"

"Mhm," Song Mingyue replied, giving Ling Xiao a dazzling smile. "What you’re roasting is just too tempting!"

The cave entrance was sealed by Ling Xiao, blocking out all sound from the outside. To have such a place, warm as spring in this world of ice and snow, to be with the person you love, eating delicious food—it was the greatest of pleasures. Song Mingyue ate very demurely at first, but after just two bites, she discovered the meat from this unknown beast was incredibly delicious. It was succulent without being greasy, tender, and fragrant, with a flavor that lingered on the palate, leaving her wanting more!

And so, Song Mingyue followed Ling Xiao’s example, cast her restraint aside, and began to eat with gusto...

After they had both eaten their fill, the bonfire had died down to a pile of red embers. Ling Xiao casually put away the Luminous Pearl inside the cave, and the space was instantly plunged into darkness.

As if she knew what was coming next, Song Mingyue’s lovely face flushed. In the dark, her eyes sparkled with a mixture of shyness and anticipation.

Early the next morning, Ling Xiao got up and went out for a look, discovering that the party was already on its way. A pleased smile spread across his lips. ’Those people would never dream that the person they had chased for half a day would now be following in their footsteps, trailing right behind them!’

Ling Xiao’s tracking methods were far superior to theirs.

And so, for more than ten days straight, Ling Xiao and Song Mingyue trailed the group. They traveled by day and practiced Dual Cultivation by night. The affection between them intensified rapidly, and in the depths of their hearts, they had now completely accepted one another.

Finally, around noon one day, Ling Xiao and Song Mingyue simultaneously spotted a vast expanse of golden light in the distance! It was so bright it was blinding.

And the adventurers up ahead let out ecstatic cheers, one after another!

They had reached the Polar Ice Sea.

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