Chapter 170: The Mysterious Island

Luo Wushuang had been utterly hooked by Shangguan Liqian’s address of “Madam,” and even after waking the next day, her mood remained exceptionally bright.

She meticulously helped her sister fasten her buttons and draped a heavy cloak over her shoulders before tenderly carrying her into the carriage.

The group continued their journey northward.

The further north they traveled, the more freezing and desolate the landscape became. Eventually, they were surrounded by nothing but a vast, white expanse, with no end to the snow in sight.

Shangguan Liqian sighed inwardly. She let the carriage curtain fall back into place and turned to ask, “How much longer must we travel?”

Luo Wushuang lowered her head to consult the map in her hands. After calculating their daily progress, she provided a rough estimate. “We should reach the Island of Forgotten Sorrows in about half a month.”

According to the map provided by Master Yujing, Spirit Spring Valley was located on that very island. If they wanted to reach the valley, entering the Island of Forgotten Sorrows was unavoidable.

However, the island had remained a place of deep mystery for thousands of years. Its inhabitants never left, and outsiders were strictly forbidden from entering. They were self-sufficient, yet they showed no fear toward those from the outside world who tried to test their boundaries.

In the past, many stubborn individuals had attempted to force their way onto the island. In the end, they left behind nothing but piles of bleached bones along the island’s periphery. Consequently, the public perception of the Island of Forgotten Sorrows had always been one of mystery, power, and a disdain for worldly affairs.

It was only in the last few centuries that traces of the islanders began to appear across various nations. As expected, these people were elusive and possessed extraordinary martial skills. They would bring out the finest jewelry and ancient medicinal herbs to trade with major merchant houses for gold, silver, and grain. Occasionally, they would select talented youths to bring back to the island for training.

However…

Very few of those who went to the island ever returned. Even those who did often suffered a complete change in temperament. Over time, many people grew afraid to let their children follow those formidable-looking figures back to the island.

Despite this, the islanders remained active throughout the various kingdoms. In recent decades, rumors had spread through the martial world that the Island of Forgotten Sorrows was in a state of internal chaos, and the number of guards protecting its borders had drastically decreased.

Ambitious individuals saw this as a chance to sneak onto the island and claim a fortune for themselves. They hired scores of skilled mercenaries to raid the island and plunder wealth that did not belong to them.

While the vast majority of these raiders remained on the island forever, those few who were lucky enough to escape saw their wealth skyrocket. Even the hired thugs became rich enough to never worry about a living again. This sparked a “raiding craze” for the island.

Yet, the Island of Forgotten Sorrows was located in the Far North. Without significant internal energy to protect one’s body, it was nearly impossible to endure the biting cold long enough to reach the island.

Of course, one could also do as Shangguan Liqian did and arm themselves with thick clothing from head to toe.

Therefore, most who attempted to raid the island were martial artists, some with quite profound internal energy. Even so, less than one in ten survived the journey; sometimes entire teams were wiped out. But as long as one person returned, they could essentially enjoy a lifetime of wealth and luxury.

The tales told by those lucky survivors did not discourage the greedy; instead, they made people even more restless and eager. Smart people in various countries could sense that something was wrong, but the greedy refused to listen to any warnings. They simply believed that others were trying to keep them from a better life.

Thus, in recent years, many people had relied on their martial skills to band together and attempt to storm the Island of Forgotten Sorrows.

Luo Wushuang and her party, however, had not encountered anyone else traveling through the snow. Most raiders chose to go during the spring or summer. Those like them, who braved the piercing winter winds, were rare—to say the least.

After all, the colder the weather, the more internal energy one had to expend just to stay warm. Conversely, if they chose a warmer season, they wouldn’t have to divert their energy to resist the cold, greatly increasing their chances of a successful raid.

As Luo Wushuang shared these secrets about the island with Shangguan Liqian, Leng Yu’s voice suddenly drifted in from outside.

“Your Majesty, Ling Feng has sent word back.”

Luo Wushuang acknowledged her, and the carriage curtain was soon lifted. Leng Yu respectfully handed over a letter. Luo Wushuang took it, and as she scanned the contents, her brow furrowed.

Seeing her expression change, the casual look on Shangguan Liqian’s face was replaced by gravity. She sat up straight. “What is it?”

Luo Wushuang sighed and handed the letter over.

“More than half the residents of the small town near the Island of Forgotten Sorrows are physically disabled?” After reading the letter, Shangguan Liqian’s brow also knitted in concern.

Physical disabilities were either present from birth or caused by trauma. Regardless of the cause, they should only represent a tiny minority. For over half a town to be disabled exceeded their understanding of normalcy.

Furthermore, previous island raiders had never leaked such information. No matter how they looked at it, this was highly suspicious. Had these people made a deal with someone, or were they perhaps being controlled?

The thought was chilling.

Luo Wushuang and Shangguan Liqian exchanged a look, sensing that this journey might be far more dangerous than they had anticipated. However, they had to reach the Spirit Spring Valley, so they had to get onto that island.

The only thing they could do now was send more people to investigate. Due to the unique environment, it wasn’t even realistic for Luo Wushuang to deploy the army. Without internal energy or perfect thermal gear, ordinary soldiers would easily be frozen into ice statues in this bitter winter. If they wanted to use the military, they would have to wait until the spring thaw.

But Master Yujing had said that the situation with her sister could not be delayed. They could only head to the island and try their luck.

She wondered… was everything going smoothly on Master Yujing’s end?

Luo Wushuang sighed deeply as she thought of Master Yujing, who had separated from them as soon as they left the Imperial Capital.

The Earth-Vein Spirit Eye was located in the Far South. To find the Earth-Vein Purple Reishi, one had to travel to the southernmost lands. One was in the south and the other in the north; the journey would take a long time. To gather the necessary items as quickly as possible, they had to divide their forces.

Master Yujing said he would personally go to the Far South to retrieve the Earth-Vein Purple Reishi and then meet them on the island. Neither of them doubted whether the Master could make it. From the moment Master Yujing had suppressed and expelled the Yin-Fiend Qi from Shangguan Liqian’s body, they knew he possessed genuine power. A man like that would not make empty boasts.

Therefore, what they needed to do now was travel faster and enter that mysterious Island of Forgotten Sorrows at any cost. Once they reunited with Master Yujing, they would decide their next move.