Chapter Fifty-Three: The Treasure

Standing in front of the ice cave, I hesitated, torn over whether or not to enter. As the saying goes, the less trouble you seek, the better. Why should I invite trouble upon myself? I warned myself inwardly that it would be best not to go in.

Beside me, Feng Zimo and Lin Weiyan noticed my reluctance to move forward. Feng Zimo couldn't help but ask, "What are you daydreaming about? Why aren't you going in?" With that, he started toward the ice cave.

I grabbed him by the arm. "Brother Feng, let's take a look somewhere else instead."

Seeing my reaction, Feng Zimo looked at me in confusion. Just then, a voice echoed from within the cave, "Since you've come all this way, friend, why leave now?"

Hearing this, since the person inside had already spoken up, it would be embarrassing to shrink back any further. I had no choice but to step inside—after all, if it’s fate, I can’t avoid it, and if it’s disaster, I can’t escape it.

Inside the cave, a man appeared before me, dressed in a crisp suit, cultured and refined in manner, clearly a wealthy man. He was a bit older—by my estimate, around fifty. He didn’t seem particularly surprised to see us.

With a slight smile, he said, "Young man, you must be the famous Chu Yun."

Famous? Was he really referring to me? Did I deserve such a title? I started to doubt my own life choices.

"I hardly deserve such praise. May I ask who you are, sir?" I replied.

The man in the suit chuckled. "My name is Li Cheng, but you can call me Old Li."

He continued, "If even you say you don’t deserve the title, I doubt anyone does. I’ve heard of your deeds, and now that I see you in person, it’s true—the young produce heroes."

After such flattery, I felt almost lightheaded. Was I really that well-known? I always thought my actions went unnoticed, but apparently, I had gained a name for myself in the world of occult arts. It also dawned on me that someone had been watching my every move.

Thankfully, my nature isn’t bad—what I’ve done has always been for good. Still, judging by Li Cheng, he didn’t seem like someone from the world of mystic arts. He looked more like a wealthy entrepreneur. But of course, one can never judge a book by its cover.

I smiled awkwardly. "You flatter me, sir. But may I ask why you’re here?"

Li Cheng’s smile didn’t waver. "To tell you the truth, I’m here to search for the Snow Spirit Flower."

So it turned out I was right—he was also looking for the Snow Spirit Flower.

"And have you had any luck, sir?" I asked.

Li Cheng shook his head. "The Snow Spirit Flower isn’t so easily found. I assume you’re searching for it as well?"

I nodded in confirmation.

He continued, "Have you found it yet?"

Just as Feng Zimo was about to answer, I stopped him. This old fellow would surely start boasting again, and since we didn’t yet know who Li Cheng really was, it was better to be cautious.

So I replied, "Not yet. The snow outside is heavy, so we came here to take shelter and happened upon you, sir, purely by chance."

Li Cheng gave a skeptical "Oh? What a coincidence indeed!"

I smiled faintly. "Yes, it is."

Li Cheng proposed, "Why don’t we join forces to search together?"

I considered for a moment. I didn’t have time to waste here—Fatty was still waiting for me to save his life. But I couldn’t say that outright, lest I give myself away.

So I said, "Best not. You said yourself, the Snow Spirit Flower isn’t easy to find. I think I’ll give up the search."

Li Cheng didn’t press the matter. He sighed, "That’s a pity. Since you insist, I won’t force you. However…"

He trailed off, as if there were more to say.

I thought to myself, "However—what? Just spit it out instead of leaving people hanging!"

"And what would that be?" I prompted.

Li Cheng replied, "It’s just that… Besides the Snow Spirit Flower, there’s said to be an even more precious treasure on this mountain."

A treasure? More valuable than the Snow Spirit Flower?

At the word "treasure," Feng Zimo’s ears practically perked up, his eyes gleaming.

"What kind of treasure?" he asked eagerly.

But I had neither the mood nor the time to go treasure hunting. I shot Feng Zimo a warning glance, signaling him to keep quiet.

Li Cheng continued, "This treasure is no ordinary thing. It’s called a Soul Capturing Pearl shard. Legend has it that whoever gathers all seven shards will possess supreme magical powers—perhaps even become immortal."

A Soul Capturing Pearl shard? I felt completely at a loss.

How did the Soul Capturing Pearl become shards? And divided into seven pieces? What was going on?

Suddenly, I understood. No wonder my jade pendant’s guidance toward the Soul Capturing Pearl had gone awry—it must have been tampered with and split into pieces by someone. But who could possibly have the power to do such a thing?

No one could answer that for me now.

But since the shards had appeared here, I couldn’t give up. Not for the sake of immortality, but because only the Emperor could remove the Crimson Eyed Demon’s gaze from within me—I had to find the shards.

So I said to Li Cheng, "If there’s an even greater treasure, then I must try to find it."

Li Cheng grinned, "So you’re interested in immortality too, young man?"

I laughed as well. "Who in this world doesn’t long for immortality?"

After chatting for a while longer, we left the ice cave together.

Although Li Cheng knew the Soul Capturing Pearl shards were somewhere on Qianmu Mountain, he had no idea where exactly. So our search was still difficult.

We trekked over hills and valleys, combing nearly the entire mountain, yet found no sign of the shards.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. In those days, we encountered and dispatched numerous wild beasts and monsters. I also got a sense of Li Cheng’s abilities—he truly was formidable. It wasn’t an exaggeration; even ten of me together couldn’t match him.

Time slipped by, and Fatty’s remaining days were running out. If we kept searching like this, he really would die. I resolved to give myself just one more day—if we found nothing, we’d have to return, save Fatty’s life, and then come back for the shards.

Today, as usual, we continued our search on Qianmu Mountain. Each of us scrutinized our surroundings, determined not to miss the slightest clue.

Suddenly, a block of ice drew my attention. Though it looked just like any other, my careful eyes noticed there seemed to be something inside.