Chapter 13
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Chapter 13: Avalanche and Frost Town
“Dash!” The triangular-eyed man shot out talisman light, but before it could reach him, Li Hui pressed a light gray spirit talisman into the snow.
To be honest, he didn’t know how effective this talisman would be when used in the snow. However, if it achieved just a little effect, it would allow him to slide down the snow slope for a hundred zhang and evade the oncoming ambush.
It was a good idea, but he overlooked one detail. The Cloud Pattern Talisman exploded with astonishing power in his hand, and the Quick Sand Talisman he placed on the ground did the same.
A cracking sound erupted beneath his feet, and the ancient ice layers began to crack massively. The talisman that should have turned the ground into shallow quicksand instead caused the snow to collapse, creating a deafening roar as cracks spread wildly outwards.
“What’s happening?”
“The Earth Shaking Talisman? Damn, damn, this kid has really gathered a lot of benefits!”
The shouts mixed together and caused chaos.
Even Brother Zheng, who had just landed, stood there in shock; the noise was just too great. Not only was it loud, but snow and ice rolled down from many places, making him let out an “Oof!” as he desperately tried to lift himself off the ground.
Li Hui felt his heart racing; he wanted to take advantage of a small section of the collapsing ice and slide away. However, the power of the Quick Sand Talisman was so immense that it surged beneath his feet, and in an instant, he was swept away, dodging the triangular-eyed man’s attack.
“Pine Tree Talisman, dash!” In a crisis, Li Hui rubbed his fingers together and ignited the Pine Tree Talisman.
This was the third spirit talisman he obtained from the Artifact Pavilion. Holding back the pouring snow and ice, it shone a blue light and performed beyond regular limits, activating a defense level that the average Pine Tree Talisman could not achieve.
“Boom, boom, boom!”
It sounded like a thousand horses galloping. From above, the ridge of the mountain appeared to have an enormous chunk bitten away.
The ten-zhang tall ghostly form of the Pine Tree enveloped Li Hui, as the icy snow violently crashed against it, compressing the ghostly form from ten zhang to eight zhang, then to five zhang, and finally down to three feet.
In that moment, Li Hui rushed through the mountainside, traversing a distance that would normally take an hour during an avalanche, and he did not stop; he continued crashing into rocks and trees.
Finally, the protective form of the Pine Tree shattered, and he fell into the forest. Even though he landed on the ground, the impact caused him to cough up blood, suffering a little internal injury.
After about half a tea’s time, coughing echoed through the woods.
“Cough, cough! I hurried through the avalanche; who else in the sect could be as flamboyant as I?” Li Hui wiped his mouth and staggered to his feet.
He dared not linger, pulling out a pill to swallow. Brother Zheng had the aid of his Rune Wings, so he might not be buried by the avalanche. If he caught up, he definitely wouldn’t be as careless as before; he would surely attack with all his might. Additionally, such a huge commotion would undoubtedly attract the sect’s attention. It was best to leave quickly and not remain in danger.
After swallowing the pill, Li Hui felt slightly better. However, unlike the spirit talismans from the Artifact Pavilion, he had not a single talisman left on him, but he was not lacking in essential items for wandering the world.
After walking for a short while down winding mountain paths, he suddenly spotted twinkling lights at the foot of the mountain. He had arrived at Frost Town, a medium-sized town formed around the Jade Symbol Sect at Jade Spring Mountain.
Li Hui had a fondness for this place, as the town’s name was appealing. The silver money symbols could be exchanged for frost silver, making the term “Frost” shimmer with silver effects. Unfortunately, he was about to leave for distant lands, and he didn’t know when he would get the chance to return.
Frost Town was bustling at night, with the tavern door wide open, and it was even more lively than during the day. Many miscellaneous disciples were living a drunken life, and there were also wandering folks gambling at the casino hoping to hit it big. Tavern and brothel establishments were essential here, making it more prosperous than most grand cities in the world.
As he entered the town in darkness, Li Hui let out a breath of relief, muttering, “Lucky it’s dark; that jerk Zheng didn’t chase after me, and I’ve narrowly escaped this disaster.”
Once inside Frost Town, he navigated effortlessly. He knew every street well; even though he hadn’t been down the mountain for six months, he had visited often, staying for a couple of days each month.
After turning two corners and confirming that no one was following him, he continued down a narrow alley.
Before long, he arrived at a shabby wooden door. He first knocked three times with “thud, thud, thud,” followed by four slower knocks, repeating this three times. The wooden door wobbled slightly before opening.
A large, hairy hand pulled Li Hui inside, and a deep voice boomed, “Little brother, you’ve finally come! You always come down during the day; why are you here tonight?”
“Elder brother!” Once inside the small courtyard, Li Hui caught sight of the sturdy man in the dim light, feeling extremely excited.
The man stood as tall as Li Hui but was much broader, capable of accommodating three and a half Li Huis. He wore an open coat that displayed his chest hair, and the sleeves were stained with grease.
“Ha ha, it’s been six months! I’ve missed you, little brother!” The man vigorously patted Li Hui’s shoulder, knowing that despite his little brother still looking skinny after joining the Jade Symbol Sect, he was growing stronger and wasn’t afraid of his rough slap.
“I have something important to discuss today; hurry and call Sister-in-law.” Li Hui got straight to the point. In Frost Town, his two closest people were his elder brother and sister-in-law, and no one was closer to him than them.
His elder brother was not a biological brother but was closer than blood. His sister-in-law wasn’t a biological sister-in-law either, but she was like a sister and a mother rolled into one, helping to resolve any difficulties they faced together.
“It looks like there really is something.” His elder brother, Zhu Tianci, was a man of detail. Despite his rough appearance, he softened when he saw Li Hui.
This bond was something outsiders could not fathom; it was a deep friendship built through countless mutual supports amidst death. From their team of over two hundred, only the two of them remained today—how cruel! How moving!
The two shared a perfect understanding; Zhu Tianci didn’t ask further and took a short flute, heading outside.
Originally, Zhu Tianci had an older brother who was capable, sharp, and composed, bringing both Zhu Tianci and Li Hui back home. He had planned to marry Ji Mengxue, a girl they were betrothed to in childhood. However, the human heart is difficult to gauge.
The official in charge of the military’s pensions had not made things difficult, but he had asked the three of them to leave with the pension money, stating that they were responsible for handling the compensation for the over two hundred deceased soldiers’ families. After that, he would not interfere.
Who would have thought the official set a trap on the road? The older brother, a resolute man, did not die on the battlefield but fell prey to poison by rogues.
Once back home, the older brother quickly made arrangements, using the remaining pension money to open doors and hire an accounts manager to teach Li Hui bookkeeping, all while apologizing for the burden he placed on the younger two, as he was an unworthy older brother. Even his soon-to-be wife, Ji Mengxue, bore that burden.
With the older brother gone, Li Hui was left in tears. Ji Mengxue, full of loyalty, had a falling out with her family, marrying a dead man while taking on the heavy responsibilities of being a war orphan to a lonely elderly person.
In the darkness, the sound of a flute rang out, calling for his sister-in-law, Ji Mengxue, who lived in Lingfeng Silk, while Zhu Tianci’s small courtyard was located behind the Fuyuan Tavern.
