Chapter 282 - The Three Friends of Winter

The voice took him aback. It was Su Xiaomei’s voice, coming from within the Frigid Jade Pendant hanging on his chest. He reached out to her with a whiff of his Divine Sense into the Pendant. “Senior. Do you know what place is this?”

“I don’t know. But I DO KNOW that this place is far perilous than you can imagine! Just get out of here! And be quick!”

Xiao Chen took a breath and calmed himself. Being an entity who had survived more than a thousand years, Su Xiaomei possessed great powers that dwarfed even that of his own. Yet, she was visibly afraid of this place and that was enough for him.

He began to steer his sword out of the infernal vale and flew clear for 50 kilometers until the intense suffocation they felt finally subsided and everything around them, the sky and the sceneries looked more clear and bright at last.

“What a fright! Here I was, thinking that you were about to deliver yourself to certain death once again…” Zhiluan gasped, heaving in a breath of fresh air.

Xiao Chen made no attempt to respond. He was still looking back from where they came from with a heavy and petulant look. “Something is terribly wrong with that place,” he mused, “The old seniles at the Daoist League must be informed about this when we get back to Tianyuan City so that they can send some people to investigate this. There’s no need to get myself in danger for this.”

Just then, he felt the presence of somebody approaching. But before he could leave with his companions, three bolts of light descended from the sky and barred his way. The lights faded, revealing three old men, all with long, white sinuous beards.

“HALT! Who goes there!”

“How dare you!” Zhiluan screeched in panic, “And who are you!? How dare you stop us!”

The three old men were surprised to see Zhiluan. They quickly exchanged glances and one of them muttered with wonder, “How strange, a millennia-old Spirited Lingzhi which is sentient.”

Enraged, Zhiluan was about to retort indignantly when Xiao Chen raised a hand tersely. With a curt bow, he said, “My name is Xiao Chen. I am just passing by here. May I know how should I address you three, Seniors?”

He had immediately sensed that two of the three newcomers were conjurers with powers nearing the Nascent Soul Realm, and the rest one in the Nascent Soul Realm. The three of them must be special and extraordinary, being able to achieve such powers in a place of such destitution and desolation.

They stared at him quietly for seconds, partly impressed by his composure and manners, and one of them spoke suddenly after observing him and finding nothing suspicious about him, “We are from the Burg of the Feral Phoenix. You do not sound local. Where are you from, young one?”

“Well, I’m afraid it’s a long story,” Xiao Chen chuckled and answered, “But we’d just passed through a gorge where there a strong evil aura resides there. Do you know why is the aura so strong there?”

“WHAT?! You’ve just come from the gorge?!”

The three men immediately grew wary that they even began to look fierce as if they were going to attack. Sensing that something was not right, Xiao Chen added hastily, “We’ve passed by the gorge. We did not come from there.”

The three men were still cautious; one of them saw Huangfu Xin’er and barked, “Is she tainted by the evil aura?”

“My friend was injured, but she was not affected by the evil aura you mentioned,” Xiao Chen pointed out, still confused.

“LIES! No one passes through the gorge and emerges unharmed! Who are you and where are you from! SPEAK TRUTHFULLY!”

Zhiluan cowered behind Xiao Chen’s back, fearful of the angry and hostile looks by the three men. Fearing that things would careen out of hand, Xiao Chen explained quickly, “I’ll speak frankly, Seniors. We were in the Tianyuan City of the Middle Continent, taking part in the Immortal’s Sword Assembly there. But something happened and we were suddenly transported here.”

“Wait a minute… You’re, you’re from the Five Continents?!” the three men stammered with awe. One of them asked carefully, still unwilling to believe Xiao Chen, “Do you have proof of what you say?”

Xiao Chen began to feel worried, his forehead creasing with distress. From the words of these three strangers, it was he and his companions who were in fact strangers in a distant land far away from the Five Continents. Without any hesitation, he extracted the green medallion he received during the Sword Assembly, a token which marked him as a contestant of the Eastern Continent.

He handed it to one of the old men who took the medallion from him carefully as if fearful of an ambush. The old man used his Divine Sense to examine the medallion before he spoke quietly to his companions, “It’s true. This is a medallion of the Daoist League of the Five Continents, a token only the League is capable of producing.”

The other two old men heaved a sigh of relief. Respectfully, they apologized. “We are sorry for the show of aggression. We meant no ill will. We did not know you are from the Daoist League of the Five Continents. Pray forgive our lack of manners.”

“Just water under the bridge, Seniors,” Xiao Chen responded politely, glad that he was able to neutralize the situation.

“What strange event is this, that you from the Daoist League of the Five Continents have to address us as Seniors…” said one of the old men weakly.

“And how should I address you three, Seniors?” Xiao Chen asked, smiling gently.

“Please, there’s no need for a ceremony. We are the Three Friends of Winter from the Burg of the Feral Phoenix.

“Ahh… I see… Seniors Plum, Bamboo, and Pine. Greetings to you three,” Xiao Chen saluted civilly. Even though they have begun to warm to each other, Xiao Chen thought it prudent to maintain proper decorum to denote his respect.

The old men were impressed by his manners. “He is from the Daoist League of the Five Continents and wields powerful strength for one so young as his age. Yet, this boy is modest and humble,” they thought.

Realizing a chance to boast himself, Zhiluan growled, crossing its arms gloatingly, “So what are you waiting for? Present us with food and your hospitality! You’d do well to please us, the representatives from the great Daoist League!”

“Of course, of course, esteemed Immortal Lingzhi,” said the Elder Plum with a benign smile.

Xiao Chen grabbed at Zhiluan by the scruff of its neck and tossed it ignominiously over his shoulder. With a friendly smile, he said, “Please, trouble not yourselves with the impudence of this cat spirit. I have much need of your counsel, beginning with ways to return to Tianyuan City and the story about the gorge with the evil aura.”

The three old men shared a dark look, especially at the mention of the gorge, which was clearly their prime concern. “It’s a very long story,” remarked Elder Bamboo, “How about coming with us to the city? Your friend could use some immediate medical care too.”

“Very well then, please lead on,” Xiao Chen agreed.

As they flew together, Xiao Chen came to know more about the history of this alien land. This place was formerly part of the Five Continents. But the ice and snow of the Thousand Summits Mountain had grown in recent millennia that they were completely cut off from the rest of the world. With all contact with the outside world all but lost, this place became a world of its own. The economy stagnated over time and the development and study of magic began to dwindle as this place slowly faded from the memory of the outside world.

The name of the Daoist League of the Five Continents slowly became a myth to what remains of the conjurers here, as shown by the respect and reverence shown by the Three Friends of Winter when they heard the long-forgotten name. The authorities of the Burg of the Feral Phoenix had dispatched countless missives and couriers requesting for help from the Daoist League when the threat of the infernal gorge came into knowledge, yet none of their messages seemed to reach the outside world.

No one or nothing could get past the gauntlet of the Thousand Summits Mountain; the treacherous and perilous icy fields stretched far out of sight and no one had survived flying through the snow with or without flying swords and Flying-cloud Stones.

Xiao Chen sighed. Evil need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. The Daoist League would seem to have actually abandoned the people here for good. Would that it was thousands of years ago, the Mystic Cyan Sect would have surely waved its banner to muster aid to provide relief to the needy.

“I’m afraid we’d have to beseech upon your charity and kindness, young Xiao,” sighed Elder Plum morosely, “We need the Daoist League to fully appreciate the dire straits the people here are in… If things were to worsen… I’m afraid…” His voice faltered and he could say no more.

“Rest assured, Elder Plum,” Xiao Chen muttered gravely, “I will make sure the Daoist League look into the perils the people here face in full earnestness.”

“You’ll have our deepest thanks, in that case!” The three old men breathed emotionally, looking at Xiao Chen as if he was the savior from the Daoist League that they had been praying for.

But Xiao Chen knew full well that the Three Friends of Winter possessed the ability to leave this quicksand of a place with ease. But they had chosen to stay for the good of the helpless innocents here, who would have had their hopes shattered if even they so elected to leave.

Ling Yin’s voice rang again suddenly in his mind like a tolling bell from the former epochs, “We are all students in the skills of magic, and the good of all life should be your primary mission and life’s goal, even if it means your death…”

Just when he was still preoccupied with his thoughts, the Three Friends of Winter halted suddenly in mid-air.

“What is wrong, Seniors?” Xiao Chen looked ahead and saw the recognizable figures of the seven dark-cloaked assassins. They had caught up to him like bloodhounds on a scent, he frowned.

It was plain as day to the Three Friends that these seven men were skilled students in the arts of dealing death. With ice in his voice, Elder Plum thundered sternly, “Strangers. Who are you and what business do you have with us?”

Being the leader of the three, Elder Plum delivered his inquiry with a voice and tone both fierce and implacable and the leader of the assassins, stirring uneasily, hissed coldly with his eyes narrowing, “We have no wish to fight you three. We only want the two of them.” He motioned towards Xiao Chen and Huangfu Xin’er.

“Oh?” Elder Plum muttered inquiringly and peered at Xiao Chen before returning his glance to the seven strangers. He shook his head. “I’m afraid not. These two are guests of the Burg of the Feral Phoenix. We are responsible for the safety of any friends of the Burg.”

A cold and malicious glint flashed from the eyes of the seven like a keen blade. The leader of the seven threw his head back and guffawed smugly. “The Burg of the Feral Phoenix? Does a lowly city like the Burg wish to interfere in the affairs of the Five Continents?”

“I see,” Elder Bamboo snapped, “You wish to have a taste of what country clods like us are capable of?”

“Humph,” the leader of the seven snorted. He vanished, only to reappear before Xiao Chen to launch a surprise attack. Zhiluan screeched loudly and scampered off to Huangfu Xin’er, recoiling with fear.

“IMPUDENCE!”

Elder Plum snarled and a magic bolt shot from his hand. The strength of the blow mirrored his wrath, churning up winds so strong that the assailant was forced away.

“This might be a modest and small place, but not one for any of your misconducts nonetheless!”

The force felt by the assailant was so powerful that he choked on his breath and nearly lost his ability to keep himself in the air. With an icy voice, he muttered, “I see. Such is the strength of the Three Friends of Winter.” He flailed his sleeve and turned. His cohorts followed suit and they vanished, turning into seven bolts of light that flew away.

“Humph!”

Elder Plum scoffed and asked Xiao Chen, “Are you all right, young Xiao?”

“I’m fine, Senior,” Xiao Chen replied with a smile, “Thank you for your help.”

After a half-hour’s journey, they finally came to a city. There were ponds of water outside, but they were all nothing but frozen ice in the cold and even the roads leading into the city were blanketed in a layer of frost. Two sentries, both clad in black suits of armor, guarded the entrance into the city. They were wrapped tightly to ward off the cold that only their eyes could be seen through the visors of their helmets as they examined the line of common folk waiting for permission to enter the city. Unlike the watchful sentinels, the tens of citizens looked weak and frail as they struggle to keep themselves warm.

The Three Friends of Winter looked on sullenly at the pitiful sight. Just then, a commotion broke out at the gates and everyone moved aside frantically suddenly.

“YOU! YOU’RE INFECTED! How dare you seek entry into the city!”

“No! No! It’s impossible! I’m not evil! I’m not corrupted!”

A gaunt and sickly scholar had fallen to the ground, his face fraught with panic as he mumbled incomprehensibly before the glinting points of the spears in his face. The sentries drove him into the bushes, trying to get him as far as possible from the gates and an elderly couple fell on her knees, begging dismally, “Please, officers, our son is only sick. He’s not tainted by the evil aura… Please allow us to enter the city to seek a doctor…”

“LEAVE NOW! There’re already marks on his neck! Marks proving that he has been infected! Leave now before we execute you!”

The other peasants waiting in line immediately dispersed, afraid that the blight of the evil aura might spread to them. Xiao Chen sighed. He bolted forward and sped towards the scholar but Zhiluan cried, “No, boy! There’s no need for you to interfere!”

So were the Three Friends of Winter, who cried hectically, “Come back, young Xiao! You’ll be infected!”