A Decade of Nightscape Lights

That night passed without further incident, though most kept their hunter's cabin doors tightly shut, sleeping with weapons in hand.

By dawn the next day, the survivors of that nightmare night emerged from their cabins, gazing at the frozen bloodstains and mangled corpses on the snow as if waking from another lifetime. Lan Tianyu looked as though he'd aged ten years overnight, his face gaunt and wrinkled like sun-dried orange peel. In a hoarse voice, he asked the group, "Well then, shall we continue up the mountain?"

Hu Tianwei maintained his leisurely demeanor, affirming they would proceed.

Chen Fuguang initially hesitated, but meeting Qi Nong's gentle gaze, he mustered his courage to agree.

Zhou Zhiqin watched them coldly. Consumed by vengeance for his only son, continuing upward was inevitable for him. Yet he advised Dongfang Xiao against taking unnecessary risks. Dongfang Xiao replied, "We're sworn brothers—we live and die together. Don't try to dissuade me, Elder Brother."

Qian Xueshen pleaded earnestly: "You've seen the situation. We haven't even reached the mountainside yet—the higher we go, the greater the danger. Let's turn back while we can. There must be other ways to undo my Body Transformation Art."

"What other ways?" Cai Zhao asked skeptically.

Qian Xueshen flushed. "I don't know yet... Ah, Young Master Yan, perhaps you could talk some sense into her?"

Mu Qingyan replied lightly, "It's no matter—just a few days' delay. If we find nothing on the mountain within seven or eight days, we'll descend immediately. The Golden-feathered Giant Peng can return us to Azure Tower Sect in two or three days—Song Shijun will have barely arrived by then. Plenty of time to expose the impostor."

Qian Xueshen looked ready to weep.

The group set out once more.

With over half of Jin Baohui's escort dead or injured, they could no longer pull the snow sleds. Everyone had to drive mountain donkeys upward instead. Cai Zhao also led a sturdy donkey to carry their supplies.

The day's journey bore no resemblance to the previous one. The whiteness grew more pervasive, the dark patches increasingly sparse. As Lan Tianyu explained, the higher they climbed, the thicker the snow became, completely burying the underlying rocks and soil.

The path was desolate and silent—no trace of human presence, scarcely even the sounds of birds or beasts from the snowy woods. Between heaven and earth remained only the mute blue sky, the empty white expanse, and the perpetually cloud-shrouded golden summit.

That night at their second hunter's cabin stop, Zhou Zhiqin and Dongfang Xiao prepared Night-Shining Pearls, staying awake all night awaiting the Snow Mountain White-haired Hou's return. Yet the night passed undisturbed.

Lan Tianyu marveled, "It seems this creature has spiritual awareness. When the moon and stars shine bright, illuminating everything, it won't appear. If we could capture one alive to bring down the mountain, it'd be worth ten thousand gold pieces." As an experienced thief, he knew exactly how to fence such treasures.

Zhou Zhiqin only sneered—clearly having no intention of letting the beast live.

Jin Baohui hesitated. "I suspect the White-haired Hou doesn't only emerge on moonless nights. Perhaps it simply detests human presence... though it's hard to say..."

Ignoring their speculations, Zhou Zhiqin spent the next two nights setting up alarm strings and traps around the cabin, hoping the beast would return to hunt. Yet he found nothing except dark circles under his eyes.

Cai Zhao couldn't help remarking, "From attachment springs fear, from attachment springs worry. For one freed from attachment, there is neither fear nor worry. Uncle Zhou, your grief for your son has clouded your judgment."

Qian Xueshen sighed in agreement. Only Mu Qingyan struck a discordant note: "Children shouldn't spout Buddhist verses carelessly. Trying to steal Fakong's business, are you?"After two days of travel, by the third day the mountain slopes grew noticeably steeper, the air thinner, and the mountain donkeys struggled to advance. Even someone with as meager cultivation as Jin Baohui had turned pale.

Several guards supporting Jin Baohui panted heavily, "This mountain is too steep."

Hu Tianwei remained unperturbed, his expression calm. "Steeper is better. The steeper the slope, the sooner we reach the summit."

Upon reflection, the others agreed.

Lan Tianyu called out loudly, "We’re deep into the mountains now. Since few people come here, the accumulated snow has compacted into solid ice over the years, making it easy to slip." He suggested wrapping hemp ropes around their boots with iron nails or caltrops to prevent slipping.

Mu Qingyan had already prepared these items. Qian Xueshen grumbled, "If I end up tumbling all the way down, don’t bother looking for me—I’ll just wait for you at the inn. Just in case, Young Master Yan, why not give me a dozen or twenty antidote pills first?"

Mu Qingyan replied impassively, "You’d better rub some snow on your face. Daydreaming too much leads to an early death."

Cai Zhao nearly laughed herself sick.

Chen Fuguang struggled along the path, stumbling at the very rear of the group.

Surprisingly, Qi Nong remained steadfastly by his side, gently supporting and encouraging him.

Chen Fuguang, moved to trembling, said, "Qi Nong, your kindness to me… one day, I will repay it."

Qi Nong’s eyes softened with tenderness as she whispered, "Young Master is kind and gentle. Meeting you is my good fortune."

—Hu Tianwei, walking at the very front, seemed completely unaware.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Cai Zhao, watching him from afar, thought his head looked a little… green. Just as she was stifling a laugh, she heard Qian Xueshen beside her let out a startled "Ah!" before his body abruptly sank halfway into the snow.

Cai Zhao froze, then pulled him up, only to realize that beneath the snow layer was hollow, thin ice. Qian Xueshen’s step had broken through the fragile surface, as if stepping into a mud pit.

Mu Qingyan’s reaction was rather amusing—though it was Qian Xueshen who had stepped into the hollow ice, his first instinct was to tightly grab Cai Zhao instead. Qian Xueshen rolled his eyes hard.

Lan Tianyu rushed over to inspect the situation and loudly warned the group, "Beneath our feet now lies only snow and solid ice. The ice here is thickening, and who knows how deep the rock and soil are beneath it. Unlike solid ground, ice can form hollow cavities or even crack. Everyone, watch your step—don’t step too hard. It’s best to tie ropes between companions."

The group quickly complied.

Sure enough, soon after, cries of "Aiyo!" rose all around as many people stepped into ice pits. Even Dongfang Xiao fell victim, wryly lifting his foot out of a hole.

By the time the sun began to set, a long, piercing scream suddenly rang out—one of Jin Baohui’s guards had abruptly vanished before their eyes, having fallen into a pit but failing to climb back out.

Hearing the prolonged echo of the scream, the group hurried over and discovered that the guard had fallen into an extremely deep ice crevice, at least four or five zhang deep, its bottom lined with sharp, needle-like icicles.

The guard, caught off guard, had no time to gather his qi to leap back up. He plummeted straight onto the icicles, impaled clean through. His eyes were wide open, blood staining the ice beneath him—a ghastly sight.Before anyone could comment further, two equally prolonged screams echoed—another guard had fallen into an ice crevice. Judging by the sound, this one seemed even deeper. Unfortunately, he was tied to another guard by their belts, so when he fell, the momentum dragged the other down as well. One died instantly from the impact, while the other was impaled through the eye by a sharp icicle, piercing his skull and killing him on the spot.

Jin Baohui turned deathly pale, nearly collapsing in fear.

Lan Tianyu sighed, "These ice crevices are impossible to guard against. We should form a single file and take turns having the first person scout the path."

Zhou Zhiqin and Dongfang Xiao refused to walk alongside members of the Demonic Cult, so they formed a separate line with Mu Qingyan, Cai Zhao, and Qian Xueshen, with Zhou Zhiqin taking the lead. The remaining group formed another column, led by Lan Tianyu.

Panting heavily behind him, Jin Baohui muttered, "What kind of madness is this? When I came up this mountain years ago, the path was peaceful and uneventful. Why is it like this today…"

Lan Tianyu turned and chided softly, "Save your breath. Talking isn’t helping."

Mu Qingyan smiled. "Oh? So Senior Jin has been here before?"

Realizing his slip, Jin Baohui forced a laugh and refused to say more.

Hu Tianwei laughed loudly, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Strange phenomena on the ground signify divine treasures descending from the heavens. If this journey proves fruitful, it’ll be worth a thousand times more than a smooth trip. What’s there to fear?!"

Mu Qingyan maintained his smile. "Might I ask what divine treasure could compel you all to disregard danger like this?"

Hu Tianwei replied coldly, "You’ll know when we get there." His gaze shifted to Cai Zhao, and he grinned. "That said, Young Master Yan and his sister have impressive lightness skills. Especially Miss Feng—you’ve truly surprised us."

At this point, it was difficult to hide their abilities completely.

Everyone could clearly see that this supposedly "delicate" young girl moved with remarkable agility. Though her breath wasn’t particularly long, it was steady and controlled. Even if her combat skills were lacking, her lightness skill was undoubtedly exceptional—and undoubtedly honed under a renowned master.

Cai Zhao itched to slap Hu Tianwei so hard he’d see stars, but she maintained her fragile act, blushing as she said, "My mother always said fighting isn’t becoming for a girl. It’s better to focus on lightness skills."

Hu Tianwei smirked. "Your mother speaks wisely."

"Enough chatter. We should find shelter—look how dark it’s getting," Jin Baohui shouted.

Dongfang Xiao gave a wry smile. "He’s right."

Everyone strained their eyes to scan the distance, but after a long while, no red ribbons fluttered in sight. Instead, they spotted a dark silhouette in a side valley. Lan Tianyu, accustomed to surveying snowy landscapes, was the first to speak up. "There’s a house over there."

The two groups had to detour, carefully trekking for half an hour before approaching the spot.

Along the way, they discovered several strange plants hidden beneath the snow in remote corners. They resembled vines twisted around rocks, with only a few bare branches exposed, or perhaps lichen deeply buried in the snow.

Lan Tianyu and Jin Baohui stared at these odd plants and sighed softly.

Upon arrival, they realized it was a wooden double-house compound, with a fence in front and a storage shed at the back. The two connected main buildings had everything—kitchen, bedrooms, dining area—but they seemed long abandoned. The structures were dilapidated, with holes in the roof letting snow seep in, forming ice both inside and out.

Cai Zhao murmured blankly, "This isn’t the Hunter’s Cabin, is it?""No, someone lived here long-term." Mu Qingyan examined the dilapidated state of the house and the thickness of the accumulated ice. "About five or six years—did this family move away?"

Jin Baohui's face grew increasingly pale, as if drained of strength, while Lan Tianyu beside him lowered his head to support him.

Chen Fuguang, on the other hand, had a flushed face, his gaze unfocused, his breathing heavy.

Qi Nong touched his forehead and said softly, "The young master seems to have a slight fever. He needs to rest and take some medicine."

Zhou Zhiqin surveyed the courtyard. "Probably mountain villagers who lived here before. The whole family moved away five or six years ago, and the place was abandoned. It's getting dark now, and finding another Hunter's Cabin won't be easy. We'll have to make do here for the night."

After losing three more of Jin Baohui's guards, the remaining group had dwindled. Everyone found a corner in the main house, set up oxhide tents, and melted snow to cook dried meat for dinner.

Mu Qingyan once again pitched two tents in a secluded corner far from the others, while Zhou Zhiqin and Dongfang Xiao openly chose the very center of the main house.

Cai Zhao wandered around the courtyard with interest, inspecting the stove, beds, broken chairs and tables, shattered coarse pottery dishes, and even a hanging cradle for rocking a baby, along with two rotting wooden swords—one carved with a mountain peak on the hilt, the other with a small tree.

She returned with a grave expression just as Qian Xueshen began wolfing down his food.

Mu Qingyan handed her some roasted meat and noticed her odd demeanor. "What's wrong?"

"This family had... about ten people," Cai Zhao said, gazing at the rafters. "Judging by the ice and snow accumulation, this place was abandoned five or six years ago. But based on the decay of the objects, it seems no one has lived here for over a decade."

Qian Xueshen, his mouth full of dry rations, looked up. "What's so hard to figure out? The family moved away over a decade ago, but the roof caved in five or six years ago."

Cai Zhao frowned. "Though I grew up in the south, I've seen enough on this journey. Snow doesn’t need a hole in the roof to accumulate inside. The last Hunter's Cabin we stayed in had intact walls and doors, yet ice still formed inside."

"Zhao Zhao is so clever," Mu Qingyan smiled, his eyes glinting with a deep light.

Having spent so much time together, Cai Zhao knew he had thoughts he wasn’t voicing, but he said nothing, only urging her to eat more.

That night, Qian Xueshen returned from relieving himself and whispered to Mu and Cai, "Hey, I saw Miss Qi Nong slip into Chen Fuguang's tent! Seems he’s fallen ill, and Hu Tianwei sent her to tend to him while he and the mute old servant share a tent."

Cai Zhao was taken aback. "...Hu Tianwei is being awfully generous."

Qian Xueshen was curious. "After all this traveling, I’ve realized Fatty Jin and Lan the Bandit must’ve known each other long before this. Who knows why they came up the mountain?"

"Thieves never leave empty-handed. Probably some treasure on the snowy mountain," Cai Zhao teased. "What else could it be? Surely not like me, climbing up to admire the scenery to test my fiancé."

Qian Xueshen sighed in despair. "I never want to marry in this lifetime."

Noticing Mu Qingyan's silence, Cai Zhao asked what was wrong.

Mu Qingyan spoke slowly. "My thoughts are tangled. I can’t quite put it into words, but something feels off."

"I know," Cai Zhao said.

Mu Qingyan looked slightly surprised.Cai Zhao said, "At first glance, these people seem unrelated, but upon closer thought, they're all connected—Chen Shu died at the hands of Uncle Zhou, yet now Chen Shu's younger brother and Uncle Zhou's cousin, Zhou Zhiqin, are on the same mountain."

"Elder Tianji, Duan Jiuxiu, slaughtered everyone at Clear Wind Temple, yet his only remaining senior disciple, Hu Tianwei, and one of the two survivors from Clear Wind Temple, Elder Dongfang, are both here. Moreover, it was my aunt who killed Duan Jiuxiu, and now I'm here too."

"On the other hand, Fatty Jin and Lan Tianyu don’t seem to have any ties to the rest of us."

Qian Xueshen was stunned. "...I hadn’t even thought of that."

Mu Qingyan smiled at the girl. "So you’ve been keeping track of all this. I thought you were carefree the whole way here."

Cai Zhao pulled a woolen blanket over herself. "My aunt said that sometimes things don’t make sense simply because the right moment hasn’t come. Overthinking it is pointless. When the moment arrives, everything becomes clear."

At daybreak the next morning, they set off again.

Chen Fuguang’s fever had worsened, and he rode on a mountain donkey while being tended to by Qi Nong. In his delirium, he grasped her hand and murmured, "Don’t worry. Even if I die, I’ll protect you. I won’t let you remain a servant, bullied by others."

Cai Zhao glanced ahead at Hu Tianwei, the very man who "bullied maids and concubines," but pretended not to hear.

After walking for another half-day, having stumbled into countless icy pits, they suddenly saw a half-human-sized figure crouched in an open area ahead.

Someone called out a few times, but there was no response.

Cai Zhao felt an eerie chill.

Lan Tianyu stepped forward first, using his walking stick to brush away the thick snow covering the figure. After a long inspection, he gasped. "Heavens, it’s a Jade Goddess Statue!"

The others hurried over and saw a dark green jade statue of a goddess standing in the center of the snow.

The statue sat on a base shaped like flowers and foliage, her eyes closed, fingers poised in a gesture, with a coiled whip at her waist.

Cai Zhao let out a soft sound of surprise. "The flowers on this base look like the mountain peach blossoms unique to my home."

Fallen Blossom Valley enjoyed eternal spring, so flowers and trees were abundant, but few knew of the peculiar mountain peach blossoms that grew there. Their blooms were no larger than a child’s fist, with petals arranged in three layers, all curling inward, round and adorable like buds.

Unlike the playful flowers on the base, the goddess herself was solemn.

Folk depictions of goddesses were usually plump and kindly, but this statue was carved with sharp, austere lines, her brow stern. Though the carving was simple, her expression was unmistakably impatient.

"Such a massive piece of jade must be worth a fortune," Lan Tianyu murmured.

Hu Tianwei grinned. "Let me try lifting it. If it’s not too heavy, we can take it back." With that, he moved to shift the statue.

Lan Tianyu paled. "No! The deity is connected to the ice layer—you might crack it—"

But Hu Tianwei had already moved the statue, and nothing happened. He laughed loudly. "Lan Tianyu, you’re too timid."

Lan Tianyu examined the base where the statue had been and frowned. "That’s odd. If this statue had been here for years, it should’ve frozen solid to the ice. How could it be moved so easily?"

Fatty Jin fawned, "It’s just that Brother Hu’s martial prowess is unmatched, his arms blessed with divine strength." The weaker one was, the more one needed to cling to the strong in dangerous times—he could no longer afford to uphold the dignity of a righteous sect.

Zhou Zhiqin snorted in disdain.

Just then, a deep, ominous crack echoed beneath their feet, as if something had split apart—followed by several more.Lan Tianyu shouted, "Not good, the ice is cracking, run—!"

Before he could finish his roar, the ground beneath everyone’s feet gave way. With a deafening roar, the entire area spanning seven or eight zhang shattered into fragments, sending people and donkeys alike plummeting straight down.

The frigid wind howled violently, and the speed of their descent was terrifyingly fast, indicating the depth of the ice cavern below.

Falling straight down like this would either kill them or leave them crippled. Those who fell first immediately employed their skills to save themselves. Meanwhile, Qian Xueshen, Qi Nong, and Chen Fuguang, who had been standing outside the statue, were the last to fall.

Zhou Zhiqin and Dongfang Xiao both drew their swords and forcefully stabbed them into the ice walls, freeing one hand each to grab Jin Baohui and Lan Tianyu, slowing their fall.

Hu Tianwei and his mute old servant extended their palms like claws, fingers curved and sharp, digging into the ice walls with precision. They landed swiftly and caught Qi Nong and Chen Fuguang.

Mu Qingyan struck a small hole into the ice wall, clinging to it as he caught Cai Zhao.

Cai Zhao had initially intended to draw her Bright Sun Blade, but once Mu Qingyan grabbed her, she released the silver chain from her left wrist, driving its end into the ice wall. She looked up and shouted, "Catch Wan Daqiang!" Even in this moment, she remembered Qian Xueshen’s alias—she was quite proud of herself.

The group landed one after another. Several guards and donkeys, with no one to break their fall, crashed heavily onto the ice—some dying instantly, others with broken legs, their agonized screams filling the air.

Cai Zhao’s silver chain hadn’t embedded deeply, so her descent along the ice wall was somewhat clumsy.

She pushed herself up from her sprawled position and had just sat up when she suddenly spotted a shadowy figure behind the ice wall. Brushing away the snowflakes, she saw a ghastly, bluish-purple corpse—its face twisted in a grotesque snarl, its tongue lolling out like a vengeful ghost.

Since setting foot on the snowy mountain, this was the first time Cai Zhao screamed.