Chapter 121 Part 1

Soaking in the hot springs was, in Mu Qian Tan’s mind, an intimate act on par with bathing together. She had no friendships that reached that level, let alone with this villainous sort she’d only met a few times and who was full of bad intentions. She decisively refused: “No need, I want to rest early.”

Fu Yuzhu did not press her and showed no anger at her curt attitude. Instead, she turned to Jiang Zhouyao. The serene and elegant woman had soft, water-like features, as if pondering with some difficulty, but she still couldn’t bear to refuse and agreed.

“If the Feng Ling Immortal is willing to grace us, it is my honor,” Fu Yuzhu said with a salute to her. She placed the hand clutching her single-shoulder cape behind her back and extended the other palm forward in an inviting gesture: “Please follow me.”

This demeanor was the same as the posture Fu Li had used on the street a few days earlier—it must have been a local etiquette rule. Jiang Zhouyao placed her hand in Fu Yuzhu’s palm and slightly bowed in return.

Fu Yuzhu curled her four fingers, supporting her as she stepped out from behind the table bit by bit. Only after she stood steady did she politely withdraw her hand.

Before the two left together, Fu Yuzhu looked back and reminded them: “The Snow Mountain Hot Springs can relax the limbs, promote blood circulation and dispel stasis, and even aid cultivation. It has the effect of prolonging life. Since you’ve come all this way through the fog, it would truly be a pity not to try it. Yao’e Immortal, if you’re not in the mood now, that’s fine—just find a servant to guide you another day when the fancy strikes. You really should experience it.”

Mu Qian Tan casually replied: “Mm.”

Fu Yuzhu narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression unchanged, and left with Jiang Zhouyao.

After those two departed, Mu Qian Tan also planned to go to sleep soon. She’d been sitting all afternoon, and her legs and feet were nearly numb, so she stood for a moment to clear her head.

Just as she was about to head back, she noticed that Fu Li had already sent someone to bring in a brazier, along with several others carrying iron grates and gold platters. In the middle of the banquet hall, they rolled up the carpet, set it aside, and assembled a barbecue grill. This was clearly preparation for a barbecue feast.

Fu Li said joyfully: “Yesterday’s barbecue banquet ended halfway—what a shame. Today we have good news, so let’s continue from where we left off and eat to our hearts’ content!”

Shang Shan rested her chin on the table, shaking her head: “Aren’t you afraid your mom will hit you again?”

Recalling that slap that had echoed through the pavilion, Fu Li subconsciously clutched her face and said hatefully: “Mother wouldn’t hit me casually—that was because I made another mistake! Don’t mention it again! Besides, today I killed that Whitehead Madman’s demon pet and brought honor to her. I’m a meritorious servant, so she’ll agree to let me celebrate freely!”

Shang Shan said: “Fine, fine.”

Fu Li asked: “So, do you want to eat?”

Shang Shan: “Yes!”

The banquet stretched from afternoon into evening. Everyone had novelty at the start and ate heartily then, but later they mostly played around without eating much. Kids their age digested food incredibly fast anyway, so barbecue at night wouldn’t feel greasy.

Though Mu Qian Tan had only eaten one meal, she hadn’t moved much either, so she wasn’t hungry and had no interest in barbecue. She brushed off her sleeves and headed out of the hall.

She’d intended to go straight back, but after stepping out, she slowed her pace. In the end, after passing the white jade corridor, she stopped at the topmost layer of steps.

The cold that descended every evening arrived on schedule tonight as well.

Goose-feather snow fluttered like paper, speckling the dark backdrop with white.

Mu Qian Tan stood motionless, gazing at the curtain of snow. Going back now would mean getting drenched. She couldn’t stand the cold, so she decided to wait for the snow to stop before returning.

She shifted slightly, thinking to go back inside, but the hall had hosted a banquet all afternoon—the air was quite stifling, and with a few people still barbecuing, the smell would soon fill the entire room.

She hesitated for a moment but didn’t go in. Instead, she sat down on the ground, stretching her long legs onto the third step from the bottom and relaxing her body.

The white fur collar of her cloak piled against her cheeks, making her features appear even more pale and delicate against the snowy backdrop. Her eyes were like two bottomless black springs, piercing through the heavy snow to stare ahead.

A corner of the distant Radiant Palace glowed bright, while the farther snow-capped mountains loomed in deep black, forming a grand and mysterious scene of light and shadow interwoven amid the wind and snow.

This place truly possessed a beauty isolated from the world. Golden treasures, beauties—every vulgar splendor and elegant grace the world had to offer coexisted here. But alas, good times wouldn’t last. In the hands of people whose ambitions had twisted, it would eventually collapse like an avalanche.

The floor was bone-chillingly cold. Mu Qian Tan realized she couldn’t warm up and wanted to scoot inward a bit when a wave of warmth suddenly came from behind her back, like someone had abruptly brought a heating lamp.

“Master, aren’t you cold sitting here?”

It turned out Shang Shan was kneeling behind her—that explained the sudden warmth, with hot air even flowing into her collar at the back of her neck. Mu Qian Tan reached back and pushed her face away: “Why aren’t you eating barbecue? What are you doing here?”

Shang Shan tumbled backward, propped herself up with both hands, and scooted over on her knees to sit beside her: “I was afraid you’d be cold, so I came to warm you up.”

Mu Qian Tan said: “Is that so? It’d be better if you just brought the brazier over.”

“Oh oh! Master is so smart!”

Shang Shan thought it was a brilliant idea and admired her all the more. She bolted into the hall, snatched up the brazier, and ran back out, prompting Fu Li to yell: “Hey, what are you doing!”

She placed the brazier at a spot neither too close nor too far from the woman, so it could warm her without risking her clothes catching fire. Only then did Shang Shan grin: “There.”

“…” Mu Qian Tan turned to look at her. In the orange glow of the flames, the girl’s smiling face burned as hot and fierce as fire. She’d executed the order decisively, but Mu Qian Tan had only made a sarcastic joke.

At a loss for words, she turned back to gaze at the snow curtain.

Once the brazier was gone, Fu Li followed out. Before she could complain, she caught sight of the snow filling the sky and suddenly realized that barbecuing outside was far more comfortable than indoors. So she moved the venue to the platform corridor.

With everyone gone, Qin He naturally couldn’t stay alone. Thus, the barbecue originally meant for inside shifted outdoors, and Mu Qian Tan found herself—much like when picking seats at the Beast Arena—unwillingly dragged into the kids’ table once more.

Getting up and moving again would be a hassle, and now the floor was nice and warm. Fine, whatever—let them do as they pleased. Rich people didn’t fuss over such trifles.

Fu Li reassembled the grill and waved over a servant: “Before barbecue, let’s eat something special first.”

The servant bowed with a platter. On it sat a long, oval, plump and taut piece of meat the size of two palms. Its surface was slick, emerald green in color, coated in a thin membrane, and exuding an evil, dangerous aura.

This thing looked unappetizing—likely even poisonous. Shang Shan said: “I don’t want to eat that!”

Fu Li said: “This is our custom here. If we face danger together and slay evil together, we can become siblings, sharing fortune and hardship alike, drawing even closer. The ritual for bonding is eating snake gall, called the Snake Gall Heart Test. Others beg for the chance and can’t get it!”

With that explanation, the item on the platter was the snake gall dug from Fu Chi’s white serpent—explaining its freshness, straight from the body, possibly still stained with unwashed blood.

Come to think of it, this wasn’t their first time teaming up. Strictly speaking, their first collaboration was during the Civil and Martial Trials.

“Who wants to be sisters with you?” Shang Shan flopped onto Qin He: “I only have Qin He and Little Sister Que as sisters!”

Qin He steadily supported her and said: “The snake gall is poisonous—this carries risk.”

“Becoming siblings isn’t something you do with a casual ritual. You have to overcome hardships together first.” Fu Li heated a small knife’s tip over the fire and carved three knuckle-sized pieces from the snake gall: “But don’t worry, I had people test it. The poison is very mild—at least for cultivators like us, it’s nothing.”

She distributed the other two pieces to the pair across from her. Holding her own piece of snake gall meat, Fu Li’s previously firm gaze suddenly darted around: “And don’t get the wrong idea, like I’m dying to be friends with you or something.”

After emphasizing that, she added: “I just hate owing favors. You saved my life before, and now you helped me slay the serpent. I remember it all.”

At the Beast Arena, she’d been unwilling to admit defeat and wanted revenge for Kun Kun. In her rage, she charged into the arena. Facing that massive demon, how could she not feel fear? She’d never faced a demon beast of that level alone—how could she not panic?

With so many watching and her mother on stage, what if she failed? Being mocked by Fu Chi was the least of it—ruining the dignity her mother had painstakingly built would be the true horror.

She racked her brains for a way to deal with that demon pet. The Heaven-Flipping Mirror could manifest a figure but only split her power, offering little help. Alone, she could only succeed—no failure allowed. The pressure was immense.

But then, two figures landed behind her. In that instant, it felt like they were back in the Seventy-Two Fold Outer Mountains of Tianyu Sect during the Civil and Martial Trials. After shaking off the mantis demon, they’d ultimately claimed victory over the yellow sparrow. They wouldn’t be defeated by this minor setback!

Her wavering heart steadied in a flash. This time, they would surely win!

“Though us Fu Clan folk are arrogant, we’re not unreasonable. So forming this sisterhood is a kind of contract. If you have troubles later, come find me. If I don’t help, it’s breaking the pact—I’ll face heavenly punishment and the Curse. This is a belief passed down here for a century—absolutely real and effective.”

She paused, then puffed out her chest: “I’m giving you the power to curse me, to settle the debt. So today, eat it if you want—or eat it if you don’t!”