Chapter 29: "Y-Y-You!!"

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: "Y-Y-You!!"

The icy wind whipped against Sui Sui’s face. Beyond him stretched the Desert of Endless Snow, an endless expanse of white beneath a bleak sky.

Despite the thick fur coat wrapped tightly around him, the bitter cold still seeped into his bones, leaving him shivering uncontrollably.

They hadn’t even entered the Desert of Endless Snow, yet its frigid gales were already impossible to ignore.

The wind roared like a wild beast, sending his silver hair dancing wildly and nearly ripping the veil from his bamboo hat. Sui Sui instinctively grabbed the brim, barely managing to keep it from being swept away by the relentless gusts.

Sui Sui turned to look at Yizhou beside him. In stark contrast to his own miserable state, Yizhou stood as straight as a spear, his robes fluttering in the wind as though the freezing cold had no effect on him whatsoever.

"Senior Brother, how are we supposed to cross this? At this rate, I don’t think I’ll make it across alive," Sui Sui said through chattering teeth, his breathing already turning uneven from the cold.

Yizhou glanced at him. "Don’t you possess an Extreme Yin Body? It’s naturally suited to cold qi. Why are you shivering from such a trivial amount of cold?"

His tone was as indifferent as ever, but Sui Sui could clearly hear the trace of mockery beneath it. He suddenly had the overwhelming urge to slap that infuriatingly handsome face. Even now, Yizhou was still making fun of him. How annoying.

"I haven’t even unblocked it yet," Sui Sui shot back, rolling his eyes despite the biting wind. "Right now, I’m basically just an ordinary person, you know."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Yizhou said, raising both hands in mock surrender.

His expression, however, betrayed not the slightest hint of remorse. The corners of his lips even curved upward ever so slightly, as though he found Sui Sui’s disgruntled expression far more amusing than he should.

"The place we’re heading to is in the eastern part of the Desert of Endless Snow. There’s an icy lake there. Beneath it is a hidden passage that leads directly into the cave." As he spoke, Yizhou lifted a hand and pointed toward the endless white horizon.

The wind howled between them, carrying snowflakes through the air until the distant landscape blurred into a sea of white, making it impossible for Sui Sui to tell where the sky ended and the earth began.

"As for crossing..." Yizhou paused before glancing at him. "If I were alone, I could simply walk through without putting up a barrier. This much cold is nothing to me."

His gaze swept over Sui Sui, lingering for a brief moment before he continued in a matter-of-fact tone.

"But since you’re with me, I’ll have to cast a barrier spell." Yizhou looked him up and down before letting out a quiet chuckle. "So stay close. I’d rather not have to chase after you when the wind blows you halfway across the desert."

After that, the two of them prepared to enter the snowy wasteland. Yizhou formed a series of hand seals before chanting a spell. A transparent barrier spread outward from his fingertips, enveloping the two of them in a clear dome that shielded them from the worst of the howling blizzard.

Flying artifacts were useless in the Desert of Endless Snow. The violent gales were powerful enough to tear even high-grade artifacts from the sky, leaving walking as their only option.

Yizhou led the way while Sui Sui followed closely behind.

Although the barrier blocked most of the biting wind, it couldn’t completely isolate the bone-chilling cold. The snow beneath their feet was nearly knee-deep, forcing them to lift their legs higher with every step.

Before long, Sui Sui could already feel the cold creeping through his boots and into his bones. Fortunately, it was still bearable, so he silently endured it without complaint.

Hours slipped by.

But the scenery never changed.

No matter where he looked, there was nothing but endless white. The sky and the earth blended together until it became impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. The only sounds were the muffled crunch of footsteps sinking into the snow and the ceaseless howl of the wind.

After trudging through the snow for what felt like an eternity, Sui Sui finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

"Senior Brother..." Sui Sui called out from behind him, unable to hide the exhaustion in his voice. "Are we there yet?"

His breathing had become noticeably uneven. Every exhale escaped as a cloud of white mist before being swallowed by the relentless wind.

Although the barrier blocked most of the icy gale, the frigid air still seeped through little by little. Combined with the thick snow beneath his feet, every step demanded more effort than the last.

Hearing the question, Yizhou slowed his pace and turned his head slightly. His gaze swept over Sui Sui, taking in the snow clinging to his cloak, his flushed cheeks, and the strands of silver hair plastered against the side of his face.

Despite having walked the same distance, Yizhou looked no different from when they had first entered the Desert of Endless Snow. His breathing remained steady, his robes spotless, and even the freezing wind seemed unable to affect him.

"What?" A faint smile tugged at the corners of Yizhou’s lips. "Tired already?"

Sui Sui pressed his lips together, refusing to answer immediately. Instead, he glared at Yizhou as though hoping his eyes alone could wipe that teasing smile off his face.

"Just tell me how much farther we have to walk."

Yizhou lifted his head and looked toward the endless expanse ahead. The desert was nothing but an endless sea of white. Snow-covered hills rose and fell in the distance, blending seamlessly into the gray sky.

Without a familiar cultivator, anyone entering this place would quickly lose their sense of direction.

After silently estimating the distance, Yizhou rested a hand beneath his chin.

"Based on our current pace..." he said thoughtfully, "there should still be another thirty li before we reach the icy lake."

The moment those words left his mouth, Sui Sui’s expression stiffened.

"...Thirty li?"

"Mm."

Sui Sui almost wanted to collapse where he stood.

His legs already felt as though they had been replaced with blocks of stone. Every time he lifted one foot from the snow, he had to use twice the effort just to free it before taking another step.

His calves had begun aching long ago, and even his shoulders felt sore from fighting against the wind.

Another Thirty li...

Just imagining the remaining distance was enough to make his scalp tingle.

For a brief moment, he seriously considered accepting Yizhou’s earlier offer.

The thought barely surfaced before he immediately crushed it.

No.

Although he was weaker than Yizhou in every conceivable way, he still had his own dignity. If he admitted defeat now, this insufferable man would probably tease him about it for the next ten years.

Sui Sui inhaled deeply before forcing himself to straighten his back.

"...Let’s keep going."

Yizhou looked at him for a long moment. There was a trace of amusement in his eyes, as though he had already guessed what Sui Sui had been thinking just now.

"Are you sure?" he asked lazily. "You still have one chance to ask for my help."

Sui Sui rolled his eyes without hesitation.

"I’m perfectly fine."

Yizhou let out a soft chuckle.

"If you say so."

Neither of them spoke again after that.

The only sounds accompanying them were the crunch of footsteps sinking into the snow and the endless howl of the wind. Time seemed to lose all meaning within the Desert of Endless Snow.

The scenery never changed no matter how far they walked. Everywhere Sui Sui looked, there was nothing but endless white stretching toward the horizon.

Gradually, his pace slowed.

At first, he could still keep up with Yizhou.

Then a small gap appeared between them.

Before long, it had widened to several paces.

Sui Sui lowered his head, staring at the footprints Yizhou had left in the snow. He focused all his attention on following them, forcing one exhausted step after another.

His boots had become heavy with packed snow.

His calves burned.

His thighs trembled.

Even drawing a full breath became difficult as the freezing air stung his lungs.

Just a little further...

He repeated those words to himself over and over, not because he believed them, but because they were the only thing keeping him moving.

Unfortunately, his body had reached its limit long before his pride had.

Without warning, the toe of his boot caught on a chunk of ice buried beneath the snow.

His exhausted body immediately pitched forward.

"Ah!"

He instinctively threw his hands out to break the fall.

His knees struck the thick snow first before the rest of him followed, sending powdery snow flying into the air. The snow was soft enough to cushion the impact, so the fall itself didn’t hurt much, but his knees still throbbed dully from the collision.

For several moments, Sui Sui remained kneeling there without moving.

His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to catch his breath.

The endless journey, the biting cold, the aching muscles, and the embarrassment of falling all at once—it was almost enough to overwhelm him.

His eyes gradually reddened.

When had I ever suffered like this...?

In his previous life, although he had been sickly, he had always been surrounded by people who cared for him. His parents had never let him endure hardship, and his siblings had always treated him like precious glass that might shatter at any moment.

But now...There was no one left to shelter him. If he wanted to survive in this unfamiliar world, he could only rely on himself.

A quiet laugh drifted over with the wind. "What?" Yizhou’s teasing voice sounded above him. "You’re not crying over something this small, are you? What are you, still a child?"

Sui Sui immediately raised a sleeve and wiped at the corners of his eyes before looking up indignantly. "Who’s crying?" he retorted. "It’s obviously the wind."

The moment the words left his mouth, even he realized how unconvincing they sounded.

Yizhou merely looked at him with an expression that clearly said I don’t believe you, though he was considerate enough not to expose the lie.

Embarrassed, Sui Sui quickly climbed back to his feet and brushed the snow from his robes. However, the moment he tried to take another step, a sharp pain shot through his knee.

"Ow..." He sucked in a sharp breath.

He must have twisted it when he landed earlier.

Yizhou noticed the slight limp almost immediately.

He watched Sui Sui stubbornly try to hide it before letting out a long, helpless sigh, as though dealing with an especially troublesome child.

Without saying another word, he turned around, walked back, and stopped in front of Sui Sui.

Then, to Sui Sui’s complete confusion...Yizhou slowly crouched down.

"...Get on."

Sui Sui blinked blankly, certain he had misheard. "What?"

"I said, get on." Yizhou said once again.

For a moment, the only sound between them was the howling wind. Realizing what Yizhou meant, Sui Sui’s eyes widened slightly. "You... want to carry me?"

Yizhou looked at him as though the answer were obvious.

"You’ve already injured your leg. At your current pace, we’ll be lucky if we reach the cave before tomorrow."

"I can still walk." Although the pain in his knee hadn’t subsided, Sui Sui instinctively refused. His pride simply wouldn’t allow him to admit defeat so easily, especially not in front of Yizhou.

Yizhou raised an eyebrow. "You can," he agreed calmly. "It’ll just be painfully slow, I don’t have the time to accompany you at your slow pace."

"..."

Seeing Sui Sui remain rooted to the spot, Yizhou seemed to lose the little patience he had left.

He let out a quiet sigh before reaching behind him without another word. Grasping Sui Sui’s wrist, he gave a gentle tug, pulling him a step closer. Before Sui Sui could react, Yizhou bent slightly and caught him beneath the thighs, effortlessly lifting him onto his back in one smooth motion.

"Ah—!"

The sudden change in height startled Sui Sui. Afraid of falling, he instinctively wrapped both arms around Yizhou’s shoulders while his legs tightened around Yizhou’s waist.

"Senior Brother! What are you doing?" he exclaimed, his voice carrying a mixture of surprise and panic.

Yizhou adjusted his grip beneath Sui Sui’s knees before straightening up as though he were carrying nothing more than a bundle of blankets.

"Obviously," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "I’m carrying you."

"Well, I know that!" Sui Sui protested, his ears flushing red. "But why? I can still walk on my own."

Yizhou resumed walking through the snow without the slightest change in his pace.

"Too slow," Yizhou replied. "Keeping this barrier up is already draining enough spiritual energy. If we continue at your pace, I’ll exhaust myself before we even reach the cave. Carrying you is much more convenient."

Sui Sui stared at the side of Yizhou’s face, trying to figure out whether Yizhou genuinely meant what he had said or was simply looking for another excuse to tease him.

After a long moment, he pursed his lips.

"So... you’re saying I’m just slowing you down?"

Yizhou didn’t answer immediately. He simply continued walking through the snow, his footsteps as steady as ever. Only after a few moments did he reply without even turning his head.

"I never said that."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"You came to that conclusion yourself."

"...Hmph."

Sui Sui puffed out his cheeks in annoyance, wanting to retort but finding no words to refute him. Still unwilling to admit defeat, he gave a small wriggle on Yizhou’s back, hoping the other would finally lose patience and put him down.

Instead, Yizhou merely tightened his hold. His hand slid instinctively beneath Sui Sui to keep him from slipping, accidentally giving his butt a firm squeeze in the process.

Sui Sui’s eyes widened, his face turning crimson in an instant. "Y-Y-You!!"

Yizhou’s footsteps faltered almost imperceptibly. He cleared his throat and calmly shifted his hand back to the underside of Sui Sui’s thighs as if nothing had happened. "You were about to fall, I just fixed your position" he said flatly.

In the end, Sui Sui could only give up.

It’s not like I asked him to carry me. He insisted on doing it himself.

With that thought, his embarrassment eased slightly.

The further they walked, the more he realized the difference between trudging through the snow himself and riding on Yizhou’s back.

Without needing to force his legs through the knee-deep snow, his entire body finally had a chance to relax. The biting wind that had tormented him earlier was also mostly blocked by Yizhou’s broad back, leaving only a faint chill brushing against his face.

Perhaps because he had exhausted himself too much earlier, the warmth from Yizhou’s body and the steady rhythm of his footsteps gradually made his heavy eyelids droop.

Sui Sui rested his chin lightly against Yizhou’s shoulder, quietly watching the endless snow-covered plains pass by.

For the first time since entering the Desert of Endless Snow, the journey no longer felt quite so unbearable.