CHAPTER 213

“Mm, Seventh sister, Seventh sister!”

Dongfang Minghui felt like she was in a world of endless white, mist swirling all around.

Ahead, a graceful figure flickered in and out of sight.

Every time she tried to part the thick fog to see more clearly, the figure would move further away.

The further she went, the colder it got—a chill that seeped into her bones, making her hands and feet stiff.

Her teeth chattered as she blew on her frozen hands, but just then, the figure ahead suddenly disappeared.

“Seventh sister, Seventh sister—”

Dongfang Minghui’s eyes snapped open to find seven or eight pairs of eyes all staring at her.

She looked at them, a bit confused, and quickly touched her chin to check if she looked messy.

“Why are you all looking at me?”

“Little Nine, did you have a nightmare?” Qian Yiling squatted beside her, gently stroking her soft hair.

The gesture was like a mother caring for her daughter, which made Dongfang Minghui feel a bit overwhelmed.

Dongfang Minghui dodged away, not used to this change in Qian Yiling.

She’d already been thrilled that the other woman could accept her and Seventh sister’s relationship, but while she could handle the words, this physical closeness felt strange.

Maybe her reaction was obvious, because Qian Yiling awkwardly pulled her hand back.

“You’re sweating all over and calling out for Yu’er.

Did you dream about something?”

“No, I just—”

Dongfang Minghui tried to recall, but couldn’t remember anything important.

She’d just been wandering around in that small, cold world.

Instinctively, she rubbed her arms, goosebumps still dancing on her skin.

“It wasn’t much, just walking around in a freezing place.

Where’s Seventh sister? Why don’t I see her?”

Everyone’s eyes shrank a little, and none of them dared meet her gaze, looking guilty as hell.

Dongfang Minghui was always sensitive, and seeing them like this, she immediately thought something had happened to Qian Wanyu and started to panic.

Qian Yiling grabbed her wrist, using some force to keep her from rushing out.

“Yu’er went off with Lien yesterday.

We don’t know where they went, but we think she’ll be back soon.”

“Lien?”

Sure enough, two people were missing from the pit.

As for Little Fatty and Toothless, they’d gone out to play after the snow stopped.

For fire-type Spiritual Masters like them, the icy world outside didn’t bother them at all.

“How long has Seventh sister been gone?”

“About four hours,” Qian Ziyan told her.

Dongfang Minghui nodded thoughtfully, then absentmindedly did a routine check on Zhi Lan, giving her both a fever-reducing pill and a qi-replenishing pill.

After that, she just sat off to the side, zoning out.

“Little Colour, did you see Seventh sister go out with Lien yesterday?”

“I did.” Little Colour explained, “Even if you’d been awake, they wouldn’t have let you go.

Lien woke up more than just your Seventh sister yesterday.

I guess everyone trusted your Seventh sister to handle it alone, so no one made a fuss.”

Dongfang Minghui stayed quiet, burying her face in her knees, lost in thought.

To everyone else, she looked pretty pitiful, like someone who’d just been dumped by her lover.

Mu Sheng couldn’t stand it and went over to comfort her.

“Wanyu-jie will be back soon.

You don’t need to worry.”

“If you all know, then the group following us must know too,” Dongfang Minghui suddenly said.

“No, Toothless has been watching them the whole time.”

Dongfang Minghui relaxed a bit, then pouted as she wondered when Seventh sister would come back.

——

Qian Wanyu had followed Lien all night.

The terrain on Ice Lotus Mountain was treacherous, and every so often she’d hear icicles or snowballs tumbling down, making her feel like there were footsteps behind her.

“No one’s there.

Don’t get paranoid.”

“Mm.”

They climbed all the way from the foot of the mountain through the wind and snow to the summit.

At the top, there was a clear indentation, revealing a cave entrance even whiter than the mountain itself—just big enough for a grown man.

Lien bent down to go in, glancing back cautiously.

Qian Wanyu pressed herself against the icy cliff, the cold making her even more alert.

She waited outside for a while, but Lien didn’t come back out.

“Guess I’ll have to go in and check.”

Qing Mo just reminded her, “Watch out for traps.”

Qian Wanyu drew her water thunder whip from her waist and, copying Lien’s steps, walked along a narrow ledge just wide enough for one foot.

Below was a sheer drop, and things kept falling off with barely a sound.

The footing was slippery, and she couldn’t help but think how steady Lien had been just moments before.

The entrance was iced over from years of buildup.

She grabbed at it twice and almost fell.

She flicked her whip, anchoring one end at the entrance.

After tugging to make sure it was secure, she leapt and slipped into the cave.

Inside, it was eerily quiet—not even the sound of breathing.

The whole cave was filled with mist, making it impossible to see clearly.

Qian Wanyu watched her step as she went deeper.

Overhead, sharp icicles hung down, thick and long, like rows of monster fangs ready to pounce.

A few steps in, Qian Wanyu was surprised to find some animal pelts, neatly folded on a high platform made of ice.

The platform had clearly been carefully polished.

Next to it were some brightly colored fruits, frozen in the ice.

“Wanyu, look, there’s an ice coffin over there.”

“Yeah.”

Qian Wanyu walked over carefully and found not just one ice coffin, but two—one big, one small, as if custom-made for someone.

There was a person lying in the big one.

When she moved the lid, the person inside suddenly opened their eyes.

A wind blade shot at her.

Qian Wanyu dodged quickly, and the blade gouged a deep mark in the ice wall.

Lien sat up in the coffin, eyes blank, but staring straight at Qian Wanyu.

After a long moment, his eyes reddened and he threw himself at her, looking pitiful.

“Mom.”

“Pfft.” Qing Mo couldn’t help but laugh.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

Qian Wanyu’s face darkened, veins bulging on her forehead.

She whipped Lien hard, trying to snap him out of it.

The whip sent icicles flying everywhere, and a few sharp ones shot straight at Lien.

The idiot kept chasing after Qian Wanyu, mumbling “Mom” the whole time, but he dodged the icicles pretty nimbly—not completely brainless after all.

Finally out of patience, Qian Wanyu tied him up with the Immortal Binding Rope and tossed him on the ground.

She put one foot on a low stool and stared coldly at Lien, who wouldn’t say anything but “Mom.”

“Looks like he’s lost his mind,” Qing Mo said with some regret.

“So much for getting any answers out of him.”

“Not stupid.”

“Then what is it?”

Qian Wanyu gently patted Lien’s face, only to see tears streaming down his cheeks as he spoke to her in a childish, pleading tone.

“Mom, don’t leave me, Rui’er will be good.”

“Rui’er? Where’s your dad?”

Qian Wanyu’s voice was gentle, but it made Qing Mo shiver.

“Dad?” Lien frowned, struggling to remember for a long time.

“Rui’er, where’s your dad?”

Lien couldn’t remember, so in pain, he started banging his forehead against the ice, hard and fast, over and over, until he broke the skin.

Then his head lolled to the side, and he passed out right there on the ice.

Qian Wanyu watched as the whole ice cave shook a couple of times.

She walked over to the ice coffins and saw that they were placed side by side, the big one on the outside and the small one inside.

That’s why, when they first came in, they only saw the big one.

She measured it out.

“This ice coffin must have been made for a beastkin.

The person was huge.”

“Then who’s the small one for?”

The small ice coffin was about half the size of the big one.

She measured it—if you put Little Fatty in there, it’d be a perfect fit.

Qian Wanyu looked it over carefully.

“Hmm, looks like this small ice coffin was broken open at some point.”

There were marks where the lid met the coffin, clear enough that you could see wood splinters and even a bit of a broken blade.

Qian Wanyu gave it a gentle push and found that the small coffin could be moved.

As for the big one next to it, she tried pushing it a few times, but it didn’t budge at all.

“Try using spiritual power.”

“No use.”

Qian Wanyu paced back and forth in the ice cave.

“Someone actually lived up here on Ice Lotus Mountain.

That’s pretty wild.”

Qing Mo let out a long sigh.

“So maybe we’ve been overthinking it.

After all these years, Qian Ying’s child is probably dead.”

Qian Wanyu ignored him and sat on the high platform, looking around.

She only turned her attention back to Lien when he let out a soft groan from the ground.

To be honest, among all the beastkin she’d seen, Lien was one of the more pleasant-looking ones.

He didn’t have the usual roughness and wildness, but instead looked a bit refined.

He had the height of a beastkin, but the rest of him looked almost human.

She didn’t know what Qian Ying looked like, but the Qian Family was known for their good looks.

“Do you think I look like someone from the Qian Family?” Qian Wanyu suddenly asked in her soul sea.

“You do.” Qing Mo had seen the rest of the Qian Family.

“You take after your mother, but your height probably comes from your father, that night fox beastkin we’ve never met.”

No other reason—Qian Wanyu was even taller than Qian Yiling, with long legs that made her whole figure look stretched out.

Lien was clearly confused, especially when he realized he was tied up.

A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, and when he looked up, he saw Qian Wanyu staring at him thoughtfully, like she was about to dissect him and study every part.

“Why did you tie me up, ma’am?”

“You were chasing me, yelling about killing me.

If I didn’t tie you up, who knows, maybe we’d have another avalanche.” Qian Wanyu’s explanation was perfectly reasonable.

Before he could respond, she changed the subject.

“Do you remember where this is?”

Lien first noticed the bloodstains on the ice, then, after hearing Qian Wanyu’s explanation, suddenly understood.

“I remember.

This is the place I dreamed about.”

Dreamed about?

Qian Wanyu’s lips curled into a smile.

She jumped down from the platform and pulled back the Binding Immortal Rope.

“Last night, you suddenly opened your eyes in the middle of the night, so I followed you.

Now, do you still think this is a dream?”

Lien was speechless.

He couldn’t find anything to say in return.

The first time, he could pretend it was just a dream.

But the second time, someone had actually seen him… He subtly moved his wrists, which were bruised from the rope.

Seeing him go quiet, Qian Wanyu pressed further.

“When I came last night, I saw you lying in that ice coffin by yourself.

Lien, have you been dreaming a lot lately?”

Lien stared, then pointed at the big ice coffin.

“You mean I was lying in that—yesterday?”

“Yeah.” Qian Wanyu raised an eyebrow.

Outside, it was still all white; sometimes you couldn’t even tell if it was day or night.

“If you’re not feeling well, you should have Ninth Sister check you out, so you don’t end up back in that ice coffin.”

“Okay.”

——

The old man kept urging them to get moving, but no one paid him any attention.

Dongfang Minghui was restless all day, couldn’t sit still or stand still, so she ended up building snowmen with the kids in the snow.

Since no one had started before, once she did, everyone followed her lead.

By the time it was getting dark, there were all kinds of snowmen of different heights standing next to the pit they’d dug.

Little Fatty even hugged the snowman she and Little Bean Sprout had made together.

But as soon as she hugged it, the snowman’s head tilted, its arms and legs fell off, and in a few seconds it melted into a puddle.

The puddle quickly froze into ice in the cold wind.

“Ah—”

Little Fatty was stunned, her big eyes even wider than usual.

Her shocked expression made Dongfang Minghui laugh so hard her stomach hurt.

“Ah.” Where did it go?

Dongfang Minghui saw her looking all dejected and quickly comforted her.

“It’s fragile.

You have to be careful when you hug it.

Little Fatty, let’s make another one.”

With her there, Little Fatty had a blast.

Even so, she still clung to the Tianyin Helmet like it was her lifeline.

Dongfang Minghui made a snowman Little Fatty, even dressed it up.

From a distance, it looked just like a real person.

“Look, does it look like you?”

Little Fatty stared at it for a while, frowning like a little old lady.

Then, without a word, she ran behind the snowman, pulled off the coat Dongfang Minghui had draped over it, and put it on herself.

That coat was one of the ones Dongfang Minghui had bought after she was injured.

It was a bit small on her, but on Little Fatty it looked tight, really showing off her little round belly.

If she put on sunglasses, she’d look just like a little gangster collecting protection money.

“Hahahaha—”

The ground shook hard, and Dongfang Minghui quickly covered her mouth, but she still couldn’t stop laughing at Little Fatty’s look.

She laughed so hard she fell to the ground.

When Qian Wanyu and Lien came back, they saw this cheerful scene.

Qian Wanyu had sharp eyes and spotted the figures from far away, thinking something had happened.

But when she got closer, she realized it was just a bunch of snowmen.

“Seventh sister.”

“Had enough fooling around?” Qian Wanyu saw her hands were red from the cold, and angrily grabbed them in her own, feeling the icy chill.

But Dongfang Minghui didn’t think so.

Her hands were cold when she first touched the snow, but then they warmed up, almost burning.

She pouted and teased, “Well, you’re the one who came back so late.

We—Lian, what happened to your forehead?”

Lian smiled a little.

“Witch, I just bumped it by accident.

It’s nothing.”

Qian Wanyu shot him a disapproving glance, her tone meaningful.

“You really should let Lian take a good look at you.”

Dongfang Minghui looked back and forth between the two of them, and in the end, everyone went back into the ice pit.

She treated the wound on Lian’s forehead.

It looked scary, but it was just a scrape, like Lian said—no big deal.

“It’s best if Lian explains this himself.”

Dongfang Minghui blinked at Lian.

“Lian, where did you and Seventh sister go yesterday?”

Lian didn’t want to say, but when he met her curious gaze, he hesitated.

“Witch.”

“Yeah?”

“I think I’m sick.”

Dongfang Minghui choked on her own saliva, listening as Lian slowly described what had happened to him these past few times.

“It’s like I can’t control myself.”

It was just like when she’d been trapped by the Dragon Seal, forced to give up her nights.

Once night fell, she couldn’t help herself.

“Have you ever had these symptoms before?”

“No.”

The only two times it happened were both at night, at the foot of Ice Lotus Mountain.

As Dongfang Minghui asked questions, she scribbled notes in her sketchbook.

Qian Wanyu was listening seriously, but then Toothless suddenly appeared and dragged her outside.

“There’s nothing in common with my situation.”

“There is.” Little Colour rarely spoke up, but now it reminded her, “The Dragon Seal only controlled you because you were near Dragon Valley.

Lian only started having these problems after coming to Ice Lotus Mountain, so he’s probably connected to this place somehow.”

“Witch, what are you looking at?” Lian felt awkward under her stare, his ears turning red.

“Have you ever been to Ice Lotus Mountain before?”

Lian shook his head.

“Never.”

“But Seventh sister said you seemed really familiar with the way up the mountain, like someone who comes here a lot.” Dongfang Minghui went straight to the point.

“Maybe you came here as a kid and just forgot.”

Lian was stunned.

“But, but—”

Dongfang Minghui just took her sketchbook and went to find Seventh sister, leaving Lian sitting there alone.

Qian Wanyu had gone to deal with the old man.

The old guy was getting impatient and started chatting with Toothless.

When Toothless got annoyed, he’d set things on fire, making the ground shake.

Toothless’s ears were practically calloused from all the nagging, so he dragged Qian Wanyu over to handle it.

“We leave at dawn tomorrow.

Rest up tonight.”

Qian Wanyu tossed that line at him and ignored him after that.

When she saw Dongfang Minghui coming over, she asked, “Did you find anything?”

Dongfang Minghui didn’t know how to explain.

There were always so many strange things in this world.

“Seventh sister, I think Lian must have lived on Ice Lotus Mountain as a child.

Memories can last a long time, so long that you might forget them yourself, but when you’re in a familiar place, they come back.”

“He forgot himself.” Qian Wanyu repeated that line a few times.

“I get it.”

“Huh?” Dongfang Minghui was dumbfounded.

“Seventh sister, what happened to you and Lian on Ice Lotus Mountain? How did he hit his forehead?”

Someone as quick as Lian, hitting his own forehead? That was like Little Fatty getting burned by his own flames.

Not funny at all.

Qian Wanyu’s face was tense, her expression complicated as she looked at Ninth Sister.

Dongfang Minghui saw how serious Seventh sister looked, and her heart started pounding.

Then she heard Seventh sister sigh softly.

“It’s nothing.

We just took a look at the ice coffin Lian mentioned last time.”

“And? That’s it?”

“Yeah, that’s it.” Qian Wanyu nodded firmly.

Seeing Ninth Sister still confused, she reached out and ruffled her black hair.

“We have to travel early tomorrow.

You should just sleep with Little Fatty tonight.”

That only made her more confused.

Seventh sister never let her sleep with Little Fatty.

So that night, Dongfang Minghui forced her eyes open, staring at Seventh sister and Lian for most of the night.

When nothing happened like before, she finally yawned and cuddled up with Little Fatty for a good night’s sleep.

“Hahahaha, why didn’t you tell Ninth Sister about Lian chasing after you and calling you ‘Mom’?”

“Shut up.”

Just mentioning it made Qian Wanyu’s face dark as the bottom of a pot.

She didn’t have such a big, grown son.

Besides, if Lian’s identity was confirmed, he’d probably be over a hundred years old… No way she had a son that old.

“Wanyu.” Qing Mo suddenly stopped joking and called her seriously.

“Speak.”

“I know you haven’t stopped looking for Qian Ying’s son this past year, but I still have to say, Lian probably isn’t him.

We can’t keep focusing on him.” Qing Mo was afraid she’d get fixated and try to prove Lian’s identity no matter what.

But honestly, aside from being a little odd, Lian was nothing like Qian Ying’s son.

“Are you done?”

“Don’t be so careless.

If you make a mistake, you’ll pay for it.”

“Such a nag.”

——

No one slept that night.

The next day, everyone set out again.

Lian’s forehead injury was minor, and Zhi Lan’s wounds were getting better.

They moved fast, spending the whole day on the road.

By nightfall, it was as bright as day all around, but the wind and snow were fierce.

After half an hour, a few people couldn’t take it anymore—their clothes were soaked, and they almost rolled down the mountain.

Qian Wanyu wasn’t familiar with the area, and after searching for a while, she still couldn’t find a good place to rest or shelter from the wind and snow.

Snow fell all year round on Ice Lotus Mountain.

Underfoot was a thick layer of ice, with a bit of snow on top.

Even someone as steady as Uncle Wood couldn’t help but slip now and then.

“Uncle, Mom, you two wait here for a bit.

I’ll go ahead with this guy and see if there’s anywhere we can stay.” Qian Wanyu dragged him forward quickly.

After walking for about half an hour, they finally found a narrow crack in the mountain, just wide enough for a person to squeeze through.

“You dragged this old man here—what do you want?”

“What do you think? Your people are about to freeze to death.

Isn’t it your job to find them a place to shelter from the wind and snow?” Qian Wanyu kept part of her attention on the old man, bringing him along just in case he tried anything sneaky in the dark.

The old man just burst out laughing.

“I’ll give you a friendly reminder about something else.”

The old man tilted his head, listening.

Qian Wanyu glanced at him coolly.

“If you want to laugh like you did just now, hold it in.

Otherwise, who knows, maybe a snowball bigger than both of us will fall from the sky in the next second.

If you get hit, don’t expect me to help.”

“You—”

“After all, I have the map.

If you can’t keep up with us, don’t blame me for not warning you.

If you get lost, you’re really lost.” Qian Wanyu pulled out her whip, which startled the old man.

Qian Wanyu snorted.

“This old guy really can’t handle a scare.”

Qing Mo said helplessly, “If he knew how much you wanted the Eye of Truth, he’d have you right where he wants you.”

Qian Wanyu first used her Water Thunder Whip to probe the crack, then sent a wisp of her consciousness inside.

It was pitch black, but there was plenty of space.

“Alright.”

The old man clearly hadn’t recovered yet, still stuck in the shock from Qian Wanyu’s threats.

Thinking back, he realized he’d been too hasty when he agreed to cooperate.

He should have kept the map for himself.

But now it was too late.

“Miss Qian, did you find a place to rest for the night?”

Qian Wanyu couldn’t stand his polite tone.

Whenever he acted polite, it meant he was up to something.

If he chased her for the Eye of Truth every day, that would be the right attitude.

She crossed her arms. “Got a problem with that?”

The old man felt his scalp tingle under Qian Wanyu’s stare.

Strangely, she hadn’t done anything, but he felt like she could see right through him.

“Miss Qian, it’ll take you at least half an hour to go back and forth.

If you’re worried about getting lost, why not let me stay here and keep watch?”

“Fine.”

With that, Qian Wanyu hurried back.

Qing Mo was still uneasy about the old man.

“How come you’re just like your Ninth Sister now? What if he does something in the crack? What will you do then?”

Qian Wanyu didn’t say a word and made it back in less than the time it takes two incense sticks to burn.

“Seventh sister.”

“Mom, Uncle, I found a place to shelter from the wind and snow.

It’s not far.

Hang in there, once we get there, we’ll be fine.”

Qian Yiling looked satisfied, but on the way she asked, “Why didn’t the person who went with you come back?”

Qian Wanyu said quietly, “He was being overly helpful, so I let him have his wish.”

“Nonsense.”

“Don’t be mad, Mom.

Seventh sister must have a plan.” Dongfang Minghui suddenly chimed in.

Qian Wanyu smiled at that and took her hand.

“Ninth Sister always gets me.” She still hadn’t withdrawn the wisp of consciousness she’d left in the cave, keeping an eye on the old man.

Besides, until they found the Dragon Clan’s land, she doubted he’d dare turn on her.

They walked a bit slower, and when they finally reached the spot, everyone looked at each other.

The crack was really narrow, but luckily everyone in the group was tall and slim, so they could squeeze through without trouble.

When it was Little Fatty’s turn, her Tianyin Helmet made it through, but she got stuck in the crack.

“Ah.” She couldn’t get in.

Dongfang Minghui couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

She pinched Little Fatty’s cheeks and pretended to be troubled.

“What should we do? We all got through, but you’re too fat, Little Fatty.

You can’t make it.”

Little Fatty got anxious at that, babbling incoherently.

Qian Wanyu looked her up and down for a moment, then shook her head and even suggested mischievously, “She’s not afraid of the cold anyway.

If she can’t get in, just let her guard the outside by herself.”

“Ah.”

Little Fatty let out a weak “ah,” as if she’d just taken a huge hit from the world, her big head drooping.

Xiao Miao gently touched her hand and said softly, “I’ll stay with you.”

Little Fatty glanced at Xiao Miao, but she still looked a bit down.

She really wanted to go into the crack with everyone.

Dongfang Minghui shot Seventh sister a disapproving look.

Qian Wanyu just made a shushing gesture at her.

“Maybe if you grow a bit more, Little Fatty, you’ll get taller and not be so chubby.

Then you’ll definitely be able to come in with us.”

“Huh?”

Little Fatty tilted her big head and stared at her for a long time.

Then Qian Wanyu, ignoring Dongfang Minghui’s protests, dragged her into the crack.

“Seventh sister.” Dongfang Minghui was so annoyed she almost stomped her foot.

“Shh.”

“Still shushing—”

Qian Wanyu’s cool hand covered her lips.

The darkness was gone, and the narrow space could fit about ten people.

The moonstone only lit up a small area, so no one else knew what the two of them were whispering about.

Actually, the two of them were peeking out, watching Little Fatty and Xiao Miao standing outside, staring longingly at the narrow passage.

Little Bean Sprout in Little Fatty’s hand wiggled to comfort her.

But for once, Little Fatty just stood there in front of the crack, making sad noises.

She was crying so pitifully.

Dongfang Minghui had never seen her so dejected before.

Ever since Little Fatty appeared by her side, she’d always been strong, fearless, and bold enough to run around barefoot and shout in people’s faces.

But now, she was being kept out by a narrow passageway.

Xiao Miao reached out to catch the snow outside, but as soon as the snowflakes landed in his palm, they evaporated instantly.

“Ah ah.”

Just as Dongfang Minghui was struggling with what to do, Seventh sister pulled her back a step.

They watched as a chubby little hand reached in, and Little Fatty desperately tried to squeeze through the corridor.

She squished her little face out of shape, looking like she wouldn’t give up until she got through.

“Sev—”

“Don’t talk, just watch.”

Then, Dongfang Minghui heard Little Fatty’s heart-wrenching cries in her ears, and her own heart was pounding with anxiety.

She struggled several times to break free from Seventh sister’s grip, even resenting Seventh sister for being so harsh—how could she say such things to Little Fatty? She was still a child… But then, Little Fatty stared with wide eyes as she squeezed through the crack in the mountain, and her height really did stretch out just like Seventh sister said.

“Ah.”

Little Fatty’s eyes curved into crescents with joy.

Hugging the Tianyin helmet, she happily squeezed next to Toothless, as if nothing that happened before mattered at all.

Her world was so simple: Little Bean Sprout, Dongfang Minghui, and food—having these three things was like having the whole world.

Toothless looked at Little Fatty in surprise and praised her without hesitation, “Not bad.”

Xiao Miao easily slipped through the mountain crack and, after settling next to Toothless with Little Fatty, watched as she used her finger to tease the bud that looked just like a bean sprout.

“I want to touch it too?”

Little Fatty glanced at him and shook her head.

Seeing Xiao Miao’s disappointment, she grabbed his hand and let him gently touch the sprout.

Little Bean Sprout was so scared it didn’t move at all.

“Ah ah.”

Xiao Miao seemed to understand something and nodded.

Dongfang Minghui stood there dumbfounded, not knowing how to react.

She tugged at Seventh sister’s sleeve, feeling very conflicted.

Qian Wanyu hugged her gently.

“She’s much tougher than you think.

She just isn’t aware of it yet.

We need to teach her from time to time.”

“But I don’t know how to teach.”

After raising Toothless, and now Little Fatty…

Dongfang Minghui felt she really wasn’t cut out to raise kids.

A loving mother spoils her children.

Whenever she saw them suffer, she couldn’t bear it.

But in a place as dangerous as this, if she raised them to be as soft-hearted as she was, they’d probably die before they even grew up.

“Seventh sister, I’m sorry.” I blamed you wrongly.

Sometimes, being a little ruthless might bring unexpected results.

Dongfang Minghui saw Little Fatty carefree as ever, even after growing taller, acting like nothing happened—born with a big heart.

Meanwhile, she herself had been upset for so long just now, practically torturing herself.

Qian Wanyu buried her laughter in Dongfang Minghui’s neck.

“Ninth Sister, let’s learn together, we’ll get the hang of it eventually.”

“Mm.”

It was rare for everyone to find a place that sheltered them from both wind and snow.

They all sat together, and a bit of warmth gradually grew among them.

Mu Sheng and Zhi Lan’s group needed a good rest, and as the howling wind outside lulled them, they slowly drifted off to sleep.

The sound was loud, like a lone demonic beast crying out in misery.

Listening to it for too long was enough to make anyone nervous.

Around midnight, the most alert among them all opened their eyes.

Qian Wanyu drew her water thunder whip and said quietly, “I’ll go check it out.”

Qian Ziyan stood up as well.

“I’ll go with you.”

The two of them left one after the other.

Dongfang Minghui was woken up by their movements.

“Where is Seventh sister going?”

Qian Yiling saw her looking confused and came over to reassure her.

“Yu’er and big brother are just being cautious about the fierce beast on this Ice Lotus Mountain.

They’ll be back soon.”

She trusted Seventh sister and Uncle Wood’s fighting abilities, so she wasn’t worried at all.

“Dong dong dong—”

This time, the sound was even stranger than before, like something heavy pounding the ground over and over.

The whole mountain was sealed in ice, and such pounding could easily trigger an avalanche.

The sound got closer and closer, until it felt like it was echoing right in their ears.

“Mom, what’s that sound?”

“Shh, don’t make a sound.”

Lian already had her bow and arrow ready, just waiting to shoot if any beast charged in.

Mu Sheng was groggily shaken awake by Xiao Miao, and Little Fatty sat obediently next to Dongfang Minghui, holding Little Bean Sprout.

Toothless frowned as she listened to the sound, then suddenly stood up.

“I’ll go take a look.”

“Toothless.”

Dongfang Minghui tried to grab her, but Toothless slipped out through the crack in a flash—she didn’t even catch a corner of her clothes.

She turned back and called softly, “Mom.”

Dongfang Minghui was about to say something, but then noticed the room felt emptier with those people gone.

The old man and his group were huddled silently in a corner, clearly separated from them.

Now, both sides had about the same number of people.

More importantly, Seventh sister, Uncle, and Toothless had all gone out.

If she left too, only Mu Sheng and the others would be left inside, which made her uneasy.

“Xiao Jiu, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.

I just wanted to say Seventh sister and the others will be back soon.

Let’s just wait patiently.”

Even so, most of Dongfang Minghui’s attention was on the people the old man brought, with a small part focused on the outside.

Ever since Toothless went out, that strange sound outside seemed to have disappeared.

“Little Colour, stay alert.”

Little Colour’s vine quietly snaked out and poked Mu Sheng in the dark corner, almost scaring his soul out of his body.

Luckily, the little green in Mu Sheng’s soul sea was somewhat familiar with Little Colour.

Who knows what the two of them did, but after about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the old man and his people all collapsed together, which really startled Dongfang Minghui.

She suddenly stood up, pulling Qian Yiling behind her, and watched the darkness where the old man’s group was with caution, afraid something else would happen in this narrow cave.

Every move made her jumpy.

“Xiao Jiu, what’s wrong?”

"Minghui, don't worry.

I just had Xiaobai give them a little sedative so they could get a good sleep." Mu Sheng saw how tense she was, her face changing dramatically, and quickly stood up to explain.

Dongfang Minghui let out a heavy sigh, not even having the energy to roll her eyes.

"You should've said so earlier.

I thought some fierce beast was attacking us."

"Fierce beast? I doubt even a fierce beast could squeeze in here."

Mu Sheng hadn't even finished her teasing when a piercing dragon's roar suddenly exploded right by their ears.

Yay another one!!