Chapter 741 - 353: A Home That Cannot Be Returned To (Part 2)

"Really?!" Bai Ze seemed to be rejuvenated, standing up again on all four legs, looking incredulously at You Su, as if he didn’t expect someone as unpleasant as You Su to speak kind words.

"If you don’t believe me, ask him. Mr. Chen, isn’t it true?"

Chen Yi, suddenly put on the spot, hurriedly nodded in agreement, "Friends who share wine and meat differ from those who genuinely care for each other."

Bai Ze’s eyes spun around, happy to paw the ground twice with his front hooves.

"She seems particularly busy, so it must be because she’s too busy to come see me! But she definitely still remembers me!"

"Even if she doesn’t remember, seeing you will surely jog her memory," You Su added. How could someone like the Palace Master of the Jianlong Palace easily forget things, let alone a Divine Beast like Bai Ze? He had said that just to tease this stubborn little Divine Beast.

Bai Ze nodded heavily twice, looking at You Su with much less animosity in his gaze.

"Then let’s go! Let’s go find her right now!"

...

Chen Yi and the other survivors knelt on the ground, paying respects to the simple grave before them.

The grave lay on the necessary path to Upper Cang Mountain, flanked by the glistening Xue Zhi Pines. It was the first grave on Cangshan, as no one had ever dared to bury a corpse on the Holy Mountain before.

You Su leaned quietly against the mountain wall behind him, casting a glance at Bai Ze, who lay prone with its limbs folded beneath him.

Bai Ze’s eyes were tightly closed, his body slightly trembling, as if repenting for the crime of murder.

After paying respects for a long time, Chen Yi finally stood up, brushing off the snow on his body, and then helped Bai Ze to rise.

"I’m sorry... I’m really sorry... I thought you were bad people..."

It’s hard to imagine a spiritual creature with a voice choked with emotion.

Chen Yi showed a desolate expression, shaking his head, "We’re all guilty. If some evil should arise from now on and harm innocent people, their lives would be on our hands. So we knew long ago that death is actually a relief for us. Being buried on Cangshan is a grace we never dared hope for. Once our mission is completed, we hope Lord Bai Ze will accompany us."

Chen Yi wasn’t indifferent to the death of his comrades, but he didn’t blame this innocent Divine Beast for their accidental deaths under Bai Ze’s hand. He knew very well that the real culprit wasn’t Bai Ze but those people. To avenge his comrades, what needed to be done was to expose those who hid behind a fa?ade of respectability.

"Hmm! All of them can be buried! Except him!" Bai Ze appeared extremely generous, but his generosity never extended to You Su.

You Su snorted coldly, brushing the snow off the scabbard of the Mo Song Sword.

Bai Ze hurriedly retreated a few steps, feeling apprehensive, not daring to provoke You Su further.

"Things have come to this, let’s get moving." You Su wrapped himself in furs and urged them on.

Chen Yi nodded slightly and continued to lead the way.

"Hey, you walk on the right side."

You Su tapped Bai Ze’s hind leg with his sword. In truth, he wanted to smack Bai Ze on the backside, but Bai Ze was too large.

"Why?" Bai Ze asked back.

"You’re big and not afraid of the cold, so stand on the right to shield us from the wind and snow." You Su explained as if it were the most reasonable thing.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi and the others quickly waved their hands to decline. With their identities, how could they dare to accept protection from a Divine Beast? Even Bai Ze was very angry.

"Isn’t it you who said you wanted to protect humans? But when it comes time to step up, you refuse? No wonder no one’s come to see you. Don’t forget, you just killed a comrade of theirs."

Dealing with a brash youth requires a stern approach, something You Su understood well.

Hearing these words, Bai Ze lost his temper and hurried over to the right side of the group to act as a windbreaker, harboring quite a few grudges against You Su among the group.

"This sudden snowstorm, you little snow spirit, do you know its cause?" You Su asked lightly.

"I’ve never stepped out of my home, how would I know?"

Bai Ze’s unyielding attitude made You Su itch to discipline him further.

You Su looked back again, the outline of Cangshan becoming less visible against the increasing storm:

"The Divine Radiance Stone is left here, is that really alright?"

"Until I find my friend, none of you will touch those big stones!" Bai Ze turned and puffed a breath towards You Su as if to freeze him.

"So smelly." You Su pinched his nose and complained, irritating Bai Ze greatly.

Chen Yi watched the bickering between human and beast, finding it quite amusing, unexpectedly concluding their journey of redemption in such a manner.

"Mr. Chen, each piece of the Divine Radiance Stone is so massive. How did you manage to move them back then?"

With Bai Ze acting as a ’snow shield,’ the pressure of conversation eased significantly for You Su and the others.

"The Divine Radiance Stone is even weightier than typical gigantic stones. But here on Beiao Continent, we tied ropes and added strength talismans to move them across the snow." Chen Yi reminisced about the scene of several people pulling a giant stone, with a melancholic feeling in his heart.

"It’s like real Snow Mastiffs." You Su commented impassively.

Their expressions shifted slightly, but Chen Yi wasn’t offended:

"Indeed... At that time, we really were like dogs..."

"So you plan to drag them back like dogs again?"

Chen Yi shook his head, "Initially, we hoped to kill the guards with Immortal You’s help, ensure the Divine Radiance Stone remained there without being moved, and then head for the Divine Mountain to reveal the truth of those days. But now, with the situation changed, we can directly seek justice."

You Su nodded, "Once we’re out of the snowfield, our deal is done."

Chen Yi paused, "Immortal You, are you going home?"

"Home..." You Su became contemplative. He didn’t know if he could return to Zhongyuan Continent, to Lotus Peak.

If his fate lay within that person’s grasp, then everything at the Profound Sky Sect might be under their surveillance.

Zhengyang gave up his life to provide an opportunity to avoid their watchful eyes. Would returning expose him? Could it bring disaster to his Master and Senior Sister?

You Su hesitated in his heart, hoping the road under his feet would stretch on just a bit longer.

"No! You must go!"

Bai Ze jumped in, interrupting his thoughts.

"Why?"

Rendered speechless, Bai Ze thought long and hard and finally replied, "These people are untrained, how can they protect me all the way to Jianlong Palace? Also, they’re all elders, how slow must they move? What if by the time we meet my friend, the big stones are gone?"

But You Su mocked, "A female pretending to be the boss?"

Dueling with Bai Ze had left no doubt in You Su’s mind whether Bai Ze was male or female.

Bai Ze, upon hearing this, was furious to the point of exploding—this Divine Beast born of the snow truly wished it could breathe fire and burn this annoying human to ashes.

"Get lost!"

You Su merely intended to deflate Bai Ze’s arrogance and then asked, "You need protection from others? What about your own strength?"

"I’m not telling you!" Bai Ze retorted sullenly, turning his head away, ignoring You Su.

Chen Yi remained silent nearby, Bai Ze’s words prompted him to reflect deeply.

With his cultivation gone and having been isolated from the outside world for thirty years, could he truly live to see the day when the truth was spoken? Or if the truth came from his mouth, would anyone really listen?

The group traversed through the wind and snow, and with Bai Ze among them, even if someone fell behind in the heavy snow, they would soon be found again. Seemingly as penance for the crime of murder, Bai Ze was genuinely conscientious about protecting everyone.

Unnoticed, eight mortals and a Cultivator of the Condensed Water Realm miraculously passed through the region of the raging snowstorm that sprawled across the center of the Arctic Snowfield together.

You Su gazed into the vast world with a sense of freedom, even catching a glimpse of the black city walls at the distant edge of the mountains.

The Xuesang Tribe people had been waiting at the appointed place for quite a while; Xiao Wu had excellently fulfilled the Clan Leader’s assigned mission. How they managed to pinpoint their location amidst the snowstorm remained a mystery to You Su, presumably an unspoken secret of the Snow Mastiff Sect.

Yet, the reunited tribespeople weren’t as joyful as one might have expected. You Su frowned inwardly; he sensed that their happiness came to a halt the moment their gaze fell upon him—their benefactor—with an undercurrent of apprehensive fear.

It was Xiao Lu who broke free from her mother’s grasp, cautiously approaching You Su, her bright eyes examining his face, tremblingly asking:

"Deity... are you a bad person?"