Chapter 29: Barren White Mountain

After traveling for five hours straight, Kun Shang called it a rest when they approached the only tea booth in the middle of the road, surrounded by a bamboo forest. They requested two tables: Kun Shang and Chun Yi, then Xiu'er, Silang, Xiaogua and A'Li. When the tea shop owner came to bring them their tea, he could feel the cricket chirps of awkwardness from this group of travelers. After replying 'no' to Silang that he doesn't have any sweets, the tea shop owner returned to his small kitchen.

Amongst the surrounding bamboo leaves falling, Xiu'er heard the amateur footing of the assassins creeping up on them well before they attacked. She could hear each individual footing as it crunched on the forest ground. The wind brought the sound even closer to her ear. When the time came for the sabotage, they advanced from all directions.

Xiu'er flicked the teacup from her hands to the attacker behind Silang, who ducked down just in time, knocking their attacker off their feet. Kun Shang and Chun Yi sensed it too as they dodged their attackers successfully. Upon closer inspection, they were recognized by Chun Yi to be the Four Evil Gates Heroes and some henchmen. They weren't even trying to cover up their faces or anything.

"Xiaogua, remember the fighting stances I taught you!" Kun Shang recalled. "Strong defenses and protect your core. Let me and Miss Chun take care of the rest. Silang, protect your sister. Xiu'er--"

"Shut up!" She yapped. She was still mad at him.

Kun Shang and Chun Yi pulled out their swords while the other three picked up their stools. Kun Shang bravely took on the Elder Brother and quickly learned that he had overestimated them from the previous fight. The Elder Brother of the Four Evil Gates Heroes was supposed to be the strongest out of the four, but it looked like Kun Shang was much stronger.

When Chun Yi saw that Kun Shang was about to defeat him, she finished with her opponent and came to assist. She stepped in front of Kun Shang when the Elder Brother stabbed his machete at him, but Kun Shang managed to block it and took his machete away. By doing that, Kun Shang twirled Chun Yi away from her offense position.

The Elder Brother decided to forego close combat and locked moves with Chun Yi, forcing her to fight offense again. Kun Shang helped block the punches from her. In her blind spot, the Elder Brother pulled out a dagger from behind him. Kun Shang saw the dagger and grabbed her away, then hit the Elder Brother's hand and the dagger was dropped to the ground. But the Elder Brother had already gotten a hold of her glove before she could completely dodge.

Kun Shang wrapped his arms around her waist to change their position by twirling away. He couldn't help but pull her a little too close again, their heads bent towards each other and their faces coming together. He lost balance.

Chun Yi saw that they would make contact with their mouths again if she didn't do anything. Sure, she still had her veil to cover her lips as protection. But it felt so real last time. The warmth from his lips and his breath inside her mouth. She could feel the softness of his lips on her still.

Feeling embarrassed, she clamped a hand over her mouth. With large eyes, she witnessed him landing his lips on top of her hand.

The hand the glove was pulled away from.

Kun Shang pulled his face back and noticed the glove was gone.

Xiu'er kicked the assassin on the ground on the stomach and whipped her head to see Kun Shang and Chun Yi's pose, just before Kun Shang pulled his lips away from her skin. Xiu'er's eyes grew large.

What have you done, you stupid man!?

The heavy snow falling from the sky covered their footprints behind them at an increasing rate as they climbed the coldest mountain in the world, the White Mountain. The freezing temperature ate away at their fingers and toes, biting their nose, cheeks and ears. Xiu'er's face had gone numb a while back but she didn't care. Chun Yi and her were better off than Silang and Xiaogua, who had to drag a large sled behind them.

After hours of struggle to climb the ice cold dead mountain, the team reached an enormous gate made completely from ice. The gate was guarded by two female guardians dressed in white. They were almost invisible as they blended in with the snow from the blizzard too well. The female guardians could've been on duty all day, but they showed no signs of feeling cold compared to the new group of visitors.

The guardians came up and crossed their swords together to stop Xiu'er and them when they advanced too close. When questioned, the guardians replied that this month, they were especially banning outsiders from entering Western Wind Ethereal Sect under strict orders from the Grandmaster.

Xiu'er approached them again and tried to reason that they needed to save someone. They came with good intentions and a request for help. The guardians listened to Xiu'er but were still firm on their previous decision. Xiu'er turned around to see the unconscious Kun Shang, lying on a sled covered by a thin blanket with his life on the line.

One hour left.

Out of desperation, Xiu'er threatened them to open the gate with forced entry but they didn't seem to be afraid. In fact, they welcome exchanges of hands if Xiu'er and them did not know manners and would rather do that. It wasn't until Chun Yi mentioned Hidden Butterfly Valley that the two guardians suddenly reconsidered and whispered to one another. One of them quickly ran inside to notify a Master while they waited outside the gate to see if they would have any luck.

Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen.

A quarter hour had passed before the other female guardian returned to give them the good news of permission to enter. Walking through the Western Sect, everyone was concerned but were still able to observe the amazing structure of the Sect made from ice. The towers and pillars of the buildings rose high into the sky with a glossy shine. Walls and bridges were made from bricks of ice. Stones were used here and there to reinforce the structure of the place, but the majestic look was from the ice. The place looked like it was from a fairy-tale, or someone's creative imagination.

Once they were inside the Sect, it took eight minutes to get to the guest hall and another two minutes for a Master to come and greet them.

Master Quan was one of the respected Masters in the Western Sect, the Sect that accepted only girls. Wearing a thicker white robe with some of her hair up in a bun, two locks of hair on each side of her face and one delicate feathery ornament in her hair, she was beautiful and youthful even at this age. Master Quan was one of the few who's currently cultivating to become an immortal. She was the one who gave permission for them to enter the Sect, even though she knew clearly of the consequences that came later.

She came up next to the sled and had a student remove the blanket that covered the body, but was frightened by a different living creature.

"You expect us to cure a monkey!?"