XIAO SHUXIANG'S
275 - Towards the Eternal Ice Empire
Washi and Xiao Shuxiang continued to move, occasionally treading on the branches of pink flowering trees, both also several times running on the roofs of the residents who were white because they were covered in snow.
Like thin smoke coming out of the noses of Xiao Shuxiang and Washi as the two exhaled, the snowflakes still fell but not as tight as they had been.
This is good, because they can see more clearly and do not need to force themselves through the storm.
Tap
Washi retraced first, he was now in a forest filled with shades of white, pink, and green.
Not a single tree is not covered in snow, this place is beautiful but not the time to admire the beauty. Washi still has to find his friends.
It took Washi and Xiao Shuxiang about eight minutes to find two young men and a child. They were standing on the edge of a deep hole.
Washi approached his friends, greeting them as usual. The three friends only turned a glance before turning their gaze again towards the hole in front of them.
Washi felt something strange on the faces of his three friends, he walked closer and then set his gaze towards the hole.
!!
He was surprised, in a hole about five meters deep there is a human corpse with a wooden branch stuck in the middle of his neck, chest, and both thighs.
What is terrible is - both hands of the corpse were cut off and whether the pieces were where.
Washi knew very well that this hole was one of the traps set by his three colleagues, but the trap had no other traps in it, let alone something like a pointed twig.
"He must have been killed before he was thrown into this hole. I've checked the other traps, and it's just this that's broken,"
One of Washi's colleagues began to tell him about the situation, named Taiga, a silvery-white-haired young man with a scar on his left cheek.
The corpse that was inside the hole was none other than Shinobu, the man who was the target of Washi and his friends.
"We have a mission to capture him alive. What happened was beyond a doubt. I don't know who killed him,"
This time the one who spoke was Yuuichi, a 23-year-old youth who had a flat but handsome facial expression. He then went down and examined Shinobu's corpse.
Xiao Shuxiang watched the corpse of the man who had taken him hostage a while ago, Shinobu appeared to be 28 years old, had a scar on his right eye, he died with his mouth and eyes wide open.
Yuuichi finds a token made of light blue ice behind Shinobu's clothes. There is a snake pattern on the token that is in the shape of a circle, he went back to look again but it seems only the token is there.
"How's this? He's dead, our mission is failing. Do we have to go home and report it to Mr Mikage?"
Xiao Shuxiang turned to look at the 6-year-old boy, despite seeing the ugly corpse - in fact this child was not afraid at all. It was as if he was used to this kind of thing.
"Yota, we're not going home just because one mission failed. The real mission has just begun,"
Yuuichi turned his head towards Taiga, his partner as if he knew what he wanted just by wearing an eye. Soon Taiga nodded slowly and then whistled quite loudly like calling something.
Xiao Shuxiang did not understand these people's speech because they used a language that he did not understand. But as he thought about it, a growling voice began to sound.
?!
Xiao Shuxiang slightly flinched, there was a tiger with white fur and dark brown striped that ran quickly towards him.
He did not feel any danger to the one and a half meter tall tiger, it seemed like the tiger was a tame animal.
True to Xiao Shuxiang's guess, the tiger he saw was one of Taiga's pets. The animal is assigned to carry Shinobu's body to the headquarters, where Washi and his three friends live.
Shinobu's body was placed on the tiger's back, the animal immediately left at the same time as Hu Li returned while carrying a medium-sized wooden box.
"Hu Li, where have you been?"
Xiao Shuxiang immediately questioned Hu Li when his companion was nearby. O Zhan who was above Hu Li's head let out a voice like he was answering a question from Xiao Shuxiang.
Pii~
"Hm? You mean.."
Xiao Shuxiang picked up the wooden box that Hu Li had brought without asking his friend for permission first. He then opened the box which turned out to contain human organs.
!!
"Hu Li's.. What have you done?"
Xiao Shuxiang closed back the box in his hand. He asked Hu Li to give him an explanation, the human organs inside the box that were on him were none other than the hands of Shinobu.
Hu Li was just downcast, he did not want to explain anything to his Young Master Xiao because there was someone else in this place. He half-whispered saying that he would tell everything when only he and his master were left.
Xiao Shuxiang stuffed the box he was holding into his Spatial Ring, "You should indeed give me a lot of Hu Li's explanation,"
The fugitive pursued by Washi and his friends has been caught in a lifeless state.
Though curious about who killed Shinobu, Washi and his three friends decided to investigate after they returned from a mission in the Eternal Ice Empire.
Washi and his friends are so calm and mediocre. This was because they had the thought that whoever had killed Shinobu must have held a great grudge against him, as evidenced by Shinobu's body being covered in stab wounds and having both hands slashed.
"Can kill Shinobu in no time, especially when we chase after her.. He's certainly not a random person,"
After hearing the remark from Washi, Yuuichi immediately turned his head towards Xiao Shuxiang. He had forgotten the red-clothed man with long unraveling hair.
Yuuichi's friends also began to notice Xiao Shuxiang and Hu Li. One of them asked a question that was answered by Washi.
".. They're my new friends. This is Xiao Shuxiang, and.. I don't know your name yet?"
"My name is Hu Li and he's O Zhan."
Pii..!
Yota, the youngest of them all seemed impressed to see an adorable little fox. He only occasionally saw the animals, yet they had a terrifying aura.
In addition to introducing Xiao Shuxiang and Hu Li to his friends.. Washi also told Xiao Shuxiang's weakness of not understanding their language.
Taiga frowned, "He's a native of the Eastern Continent, right? He should have understood our language.."
"Not everyone learns your language, Taiga. What matters now, we're gonna go on the next mission,"
Washi also said he had invited Xiao Shuxiang and Hu Li to join them, coincidentally the goal of his two new friends was also the Eternal Ice Empire.
Yuuichi and Taiga watched Xiao Shuxiang from top to bottom. There was no evil intent they felt from this young man, but it didn't matter if they kept being careful.
"I actually mind you taking strangers on our mission. You already know very well that this mission is very important and dangerous,"
Yuuichi's voice was so cold just like his facial expression. He used the language of the residents of the Eastern Continent so that the two young men in front of him also knew what he was saying.
"Buddies, Shuxiang and Hu Li are not bad people. Their destination was the Eternal Ice Empire, after arriving there.. We'll split up. Don't you act this cold, aren't you aware? You and Shuxiang are so similar,"
?!
Taiga, Yota, and Hu Li gasped. The three then noticed Xiao Shuxiang and Yuuichi's faces in turn. They were long enough to judge until Taiga flinched then pulled the white cloth wrapped around his left wrist.
"Let me tie your hair,"
?!
Not yet Xiao Shuxiang said, Taiga started tying her hair. Hu Li subconsciously opened his mouth wide, his Young Master Xiao had the same face as Yuuichi, distinguished only by his height and eye color.
"This..?! Are you brothers?!"
Yuuichi and Xiao Shuxiang looked at each other after hearing the 6-year-old boy's words. The two did not say a single word, you could say.. They are focused in their minds.
Feeling his friends no one objected to the addition of the members-Washi also invited them all to leave this place.
Hu Li quickly became familiar with Taiga, while O Zhan was so happy to be embraced by Yota. Xiao Shuxiang himself remained silent and occasionally met a glance with Yuuichi.
"This appearance.. You're a fanatical fan of the Destroying Star?"
Xiao Shuxiang finally opened his voice, he could not stop thinking that someone was imitating his appearance. Unfortunately, Yuuichi instead snorted and said that he was also a fanatic of the Destroying Star.
".. You imitate her name, it's even worse than me."
"My name has been used since my first life and I will continue to wear it until the next life,"
Xiao Shuxiang did not want to lose out in cold expression and spoke softly. He and Yuuichi pry at each other for information about each other's person. They are not even aware of becoming more and more familiar.
Under the slowly falling snow, no one felt cold. They walked leisurely even when the six were in White Wisteria City.
Xiao Shuxiang asked why Yuuichi was not a mere cultivator, whereas he seemed to idolize the Destroying Star.
".. I see you have the potential to become a cultivator, what if you start practicing from now on,"
"I would rather be a samurai. Cultivators to me are just a path filled with loneliness,"
Yuuichi was so firm about his stance. He did not hesitate to admit that he learned much from the story of the Destroying Star. One is to be a heartless human before the enemy.
While in White Wisteria City, many recognized Washi and his friends. They were greeted several times by residents.
One of the old men who looked to be 60 years old and was arranging his wares gasped when he saw Xiao Shuxiang.
He immediately approached the young man who was walking with his friends and then asked something that made Xiao Shuxiang and Hu Li surprised.
"Is this you.. Yang Shu?"
!!
Yuuichi may have a look quite similar to Xiao Shuxiang, but that does not mean he will be known as Yang Shu. His face was too firm, cold, and not as friendly as Xiao Shuxiang's.
Moreover, the color of his eyes was different from this young man beside him. Yuuichi has golden-yellow eyes, unlike Xiao Shuxiang whose eye color is light brown.
"Yang Shu, is this you..?"
Xiao Shuxiang was confused as suddenly the old man stopped him and looked so happy. Though he had not answered this question from Tua Bangka.
Xiao Shuxiang tried to give him an understanding, he was helped by Hu Li. He remembered his grandfather putting two scrolls on him. The only one he had left to the Snow White Emperor and now only one remained.
Xiao Shuxiang almost forgot about it, immediately he took out the scroll and gave it to the Old Man in front of him. He then said goodbye without saying anything more.
Xiao Shuxiang did not want to be held for longer if he stayed behind and waited for Old Bangka to read the contents of the Yang Shu scroll. Therefore, as much as possible he asked his friends to move faster.
Washi, Yuuichi, and Taiga did not understand who the Old Man was referring to. Yet they heard the Snow White Emperor surname called.. Could it be that the red-clothed youth who was with them was one of the members of the emperor family?!
Xiao Shuxiang chose not to answer clearly. He only said Yuuichi also had a face quite similar to him but why did no one recognize him as the Emperor? But Washi replied that before anyone said so.. Yuuichi had already given her a cold, deadly look.
".. I want to say something. We need to pass through two more cities before reaching the Empire's borders. But we have a shortcut, it's just that your eyes need to be covered first,"
The person Washi was referring to was none other than Xiao Shuxiang and Hu Li. The shortcut he was referring to should only be known to the samurai and this should remain a secret.
Xiao Shuxiang and Hu Li looked at each other for a moment before nodding in agreement. The two began to be tied to the black cloth that covered his eyes, O Zhan was also treated the same.
Xiao Shuxiang was led by Washi, while Hu Li was led by Taiga. They could see nothing and could only feel the coldness of the snowflakes.
Yuuichi and his friends step foot into one of the taverns. He showed a red token with a crescent moon pattern to the store officials.
"Through here, sir."
Xiao Shuxiang and Hu Li heard a female voice, both of them walked back and this time it felt as if they were climbing up the steps.
One of the doors made of wood began to be shifted, Yuuichi and his friends entered the room. Right on the back wall, Yuuichi placed the ice token he got from Shinobu's corpse.
The token emits water that quickly spreads and then hardens like ice. A sky-blue and silver-colored complexion began to form, this sort of portal that could make Yuuichi and his companions condense their journey.
Soon Yuiichi keeps back the ice token and then enters the portal, he is followed by Yota who holds O Zhan. Washi and the others also came from behind.
The Eternal Ice Empire was actually more beautiful than the White Snow Empire. But the location of Xiao Shuxiang appeared to be in a place that was only shrouded in many mountains without a single tree or houses of the residents.
Washi began to open the eyes of Xiao Shuxiang and Hu Li. These two young men gasped as they looked around them, the atmosphere here was much colder.
"Buddy, we are now quite close to the palace where our mission began. Maybe it's a location far from your destination, sorry.."
Washi patted Xiao Shuxiang on the shoulder. He said his mission was very dangerous, killing the Ice Queen. He did not know whether to survive or even lose his life, yet he was hoping to meet Xiao Shuxiang back.
".. We don't have much time to get to know each other. But I believe you're a good friend,"
Xiao Shuxiang smiled and patted Washi on the shoulder back, reminding him that his new friend is always careful. Together with Hu Li and O Zhan.. He began to say goodbye.
Xiao Shuxiang immediately darted away, followed by Hu Li and O Zan who were now in his best friend's arms.
While darting, he also took out an herbal book from his Universal Bracelet. Xiao Shuxiang watched the map of the Northern Continent, precisely the territory of the Eternal Ice Empire. The location of himself with the place of Elder Da Lin's descendants was not far from this place.
It took about 15 minutes for Xiao Shuxiang and Hu Li to arrive at their destination. It was fortunate that both of them could fly as there were no barrier seals that normally existed in every city.
A frozen lake flanked by four snow hills, appears bluish white. Xiao Shuxiang and Hu Li treaded right in the middle of the lake.
"Young Master, are you sure this is the place?"
Xiao Shuxiang nodded in response to Hu Li's question. He had already been told by the Siren and what they said was the same as the location display on the map of the Eternal Ice Empire.
Xiao Shuxiang gathered and condensed Qi in his right fist. After asking Hu Li to retreat a little-herself started punching hard at the ice he was treading on.
A BAAAM!
It only took one strike and the ice on part of the surface of the Lake became pieces. Xiao Shuxiang immediately jumped into the lake and attempted to dive to look for the descendants of Elder Da Lin who were trapped in the Eternal Ice.
***
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Author's Note :
Arigatou Gozaimasu Minna-Sama for having followed Xiao Shuxiang's journey so far. 'Author' is often slow to update because of a lot of work. So you should not wait for it, ( ▽ ` )
We are very happy because Friends still want to read this 'Work. Dasha does not promise to be crazy up, but if the work is done it will definitely update more than one Chapter. Again, Arigatou and hopefully stay healthy and energized always..! ⁇ (´▽`)/
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Description: Hu Li & O Zhan
