Chapter 23: A Favor

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: A Favor

In the original novel, the events began almost exactly as Yizhou had just described. Sword Venerable Yuxin had ordered the protagonist and several of his trusted disciples to travel to the Northern Region to retrieve an artifact known as the Soul Bell.

As its name implied, it was an ancient bell capable of summoning the souls of the deceased. Because of its terrifying ability, it had long been sealed away by the previous generations of cultivators. Recently, however, the seal had begun to weaken, prompting Sword Venerable Yuxin to send his disciples to retrieve it before it could fall into the wrong hands.

Unfortunately, by the time the group arrived at the place where the Soul Bell had been sealed, it had already disappeared without a trace. There were no signs of a struggle, nor any clues as to who had taken it. Left with no other choice, the group could only abandon the mission and prepare to return to the sect.

However, on their journey back, a violent snowstorm swept across the Northern Region. Amidst the blizzard, Yizhou was accidentally separated from the rest of the group and stumbled into a hidden ice cave concealed beneath layers of snow. The cave was protected by an ancient formation, trapping him inside for several months with no way to escape.

Fortunately, every great opportunity in the novel was accompanied by equally great danger. Although Yizhou had been trapped, the cave itself concealed numerous treasures left behind since ancient times. Among them, the most valuable was an Ice Elemental Spirit that had naturally formed over at least ten thousand years.

Although Yizhou’s physique was naturally inclined toward Yang, causing the Ice Elemental Spirit to reject him at first, it ultimately still acknowledged him as its master.

In the future, after repeatedly relying on his demonic bloodline and suffering several episodes of losing control over his sanity, it was this very Ice Elemental Spirit that helped suppress the violent demonic energy within his body, preventing him from completely falling into madness.

After recalling these details, a thought suddenly bloomed in Sui Sui’s mind and his eyes suddenly lit up.

He had almost forgotten about the Frost Lotus.

According to the book he had read, the Frost Lotus only grew in places with extremely dense Yin Qi and frigid temperatures, absorbing the essence of the moon and cold for centuries before finally blooming. If there was any place in the Human Realm most likely to have one, it would undoubtedly be the Northern Region.

"Senior Brother, could I come with you to the Northern Region?" Sui Sui asked hopefully, his eyes fixed on Yizhou.

Yizhou didn’t even hesitate.

"No."

His answer was immediate, leaving no room for negotiation.

"It’s too dangerous," Yizhou continued calmly. "This is also a confidential mission. Even if I wanted to bring you along, the others traveling with me would never agree. Besides..." His gaze swept over Sui Sui from head to toe before he mercilessly added, "With your current cultivation and aptitude, I doubt you’d survive the journey."

Sui Sui immediately deflated.

His lips pursed into a small pout as he lowered his head in disappointment. Although he already knew the chances were slim, hearing such a blunt rejection still made him a little depressed.

Seeing his dejected expression, a hint of amusement flickered across Yizhou’s eyes as he spoke in a more teasing tone.

"Why do you want to go there in the first place?" he asked. "Is there something you need? If it’s not troublesome, I can bring it back for you."

Sui Sui’s eyes brightened again.

"There is..." he admitted, but his expression soon became suspicious. He narrowed his eyes at Yizhou. "But what’s the catch? I know you definitely won’t help me for free."

A smile tugged at the corners of Yizhou’s lips, this little fool really was becoming smarter by the day.

"It’s simple," Yizhou replied leisurely. "Just owe me a favor. That’s all."

Sui Sui immediately looked conflicted.

He lowered his head and carefully weighed the pros and cons in his mind. The Frost Lotus was simply too important to him. Even if he went searching on his own, he had no guarantee of finding one, whereas Yizhou was already headed to the Northern Region.

After struggling internally for a while, he finally sighed in defeat.

"...Fine." He pointed a finger at Yizhou as if issuing a warning. "But you’d better keep your promise."

Yizhou chuckled before nodding.

Satisfied with the agreement, Sui Sui began describing the Frost Lotus in detail. He explained its appearance, the environment in which it grew, and the characteristics recorded in the ancient text, making sure Yizhou wouldn’t mistake it for an ordinary spirit herb.

After listening quietly, Yizhou asked,

"Is this for unblocking the Extreme Yin Physique?"

Sui Sui nodded instinctively. "Yeah, I want to star—"

His voice abruptly stopped, his eyes slowly widened as realization struck him. He stared at Yizhou as though he had just seen a ghost. "Y-you..." he stammered. "When did you find out?"

Yizhou looked at his horrified expression with obvious amusement.

"I figured it out just after the first time I drank your blood," he answered matter-of-factly. "Did you really take me for some ignorant country bumpkin? Did you think I’d simply believe whatever excuse you gave me without looking into it myself?"

Sui Sui froze and his face darkened almost instantly.

So... all this time he had been trying so hard to hide his secret, yet Yizhou had already known from the very beginning?

That was simply infuriating.

Sui Sui wanted nothing more than to turn away and sulk in silence. Unfortunately, he was still sitting on Yizhou’s lap, with one of Yizhou’s arms resting securely around his waist, making escape completely impossible.

"Don’t worry." Yizhou chuckled softly, clearly amused by Sui Sui’s reaction. "I won’t tell anyone your secret. After all, I wouldn’t want to share such a delicious treat with anyone else."

"Whatever. You’re so annoying." Sui Sui rolled his eyes, though there was little annoyance behind his words.

Since Yizhou had already figured it out, there was little point in trying to hide it anymore. No matter how unwilling he felt, he could only accept reality.

For a brief moment, Sui Sui fell into thought.

He debated whether he should give Yizhou a few hints about the future. If he revealed too much, he might end up changing the story beyond recognition. However, remembering his original goal of changing the protagonist’s tragic ending, he decided that a few subtle reminders should be fine.

"By the way, Senior Brother," Sui Sui suddenly said, breaking the silence between them. "I once read in an ancient book that there’s a hidden cave somewhere in the Northern Region."

Yizhou raised an eyebrow, his interest immediately piqued. He leaned back slightly and let out a quiet hum.

"Oh?"

"Mm." Sui Sui nodded seriously. "The cave has an icy lake inside it. According to the book, deep beneath that lake, an Ice Elemental Spirit has been born after absorbing the essence of heaven and earth for countless years. It’s an extremely valuable treasure."

Yizhou remained silent, gesturing for him to continue with a slight nod.

"As for what comes after..." Sui Sui paused as though trying to recall the details before continuing, "The book mentioned that after obtaining the Ice Elemental Spirit, an exit leading outside will appear beneath the lake. However, it also said that beneath the lake lies another hidden cave."

His expression became increasingly earnest as he spoke.

"If by chance, you accidentally find this place, you absolutely can’t miss this. The book said that beneath the lake is a hidden cavern filled with naturally formed spirit herbs and other treasures that have accumulated over countless years."

Of course, Sui Sui conveniently left out the fact that this so-called "ancient book" was actually the novel he had transmigrated into.

In the original story, Yizhou had only managed to obtain the Ice Elemental Spirit. After being trapped inside the cave for several months, he had exhausted nearly all of his strength and only wanted to escape as quickly as possible. Because of that, he never bothered exploring beneath the lake.

Only later did the novel briefly mention that below the place where the Ice Elemental Spirit had been born was another hidden cavern containing countless naturally formed spirit herbs and other treasures. Even until the end of the novel it was a missed opportunity that no one ever discovered.

Since Sui Sui already knew about it beforehand, there was no reason for Yizhou to let that fortune slip away again.

After all, in this lifetime, Sui Sui had no intention of following the original plot and becoming Yizhou’s dual cultivation partner. In a sense, he was taking away one of the protagonist’s greatest opportunities. Helping him obtain another hidden fortune instead could be considered a small form of compensation.

Yizhou quietly looked at the youth before him, his dark eyes lingering on Sui Sui’s unusually serious expression.

"You seem awfully confident about the contents of this ancient book," he remarked with a faint smile, his fingers lightly tapping against the armrest. "If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’ve been there yourself."

Sui Sui’s heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"I just happened to remember it clearly," he replied without missing a beat. "Whether you believe it or not is up to you."

Yizhou let out a soft chuckle but said nothing more. Whether he truly believed Sui Sui’s words was impossible to tell, yet he silently committed every detail to memory.

The two continued talking for a while longer, discussing trivial matters as the night gradually deepened. By the time Yizhou finally stood to leave, the moon was already hanging high above the courtyard, and it was well past midnight.