Snow Mulberry Tribe

A biting wind and snow swept across the land, and the three of them left a trail of footprints in the snow.

The old man walked ahead, leaning on his cane and moving very slowly. He was already used to walking in the snow, and he shouldn't have been so slow; it seemed he was making it easier for the frail young man behind him to keep up.

The young man didn't look like a young man at all. His hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows were covered in white snow, making him look like an old man with graying temples. Coupled with his trembling figure and the strange object he used to cover his eyes on the bridge of his nose, the young man inexplicably gave people a sense of vicissitude.

The girl, on the other hand, seemed much more lively. She led the snow deer she had gotten for free, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, actually circling around the young man. Finally, unable to contain her curiosity, she asked:

"Great God, where are you from?"

Her tone of voice had a slightly heavy ending, typical of people from the Northern Ao Continent.

You Su thought to himself that it was fortunate that the five immortal ancestors had unified the written language and spoken language; otherwise, if he had been swept here, he might not have been able to understand even the language of the people of the Northern Ao Continent.

"I come from the mountains," You Su replied.

His voice was hoarse and low, like that of a dead man.

He did indeed come from Lotus Peak, but to the girl, You Su was referring to the continuous snow-capped mountains they had just seen.

You Su had been trekking through the snow for more than three days. He had long since run out of Fire Talisman, and water was gone even faster than food. In the end, he could only swallow ice and snow, and his hands and feet were so frozen that he almost lost all feeling. If it weren't for his strong flesh and blood body, You Su felt that his heart would have been frozen long ago.

He climbed that snow-capped mountain because he finally saw other colors in the vast white world. It was a crimson evil spirit standing on the mountaintop like a beautiful datura flower.

He approached slowly. You Su couldn't call out its name, but he could tell that this evil spirit Dream Master Type. Ironically, the kind of evil spirit that he feared the least was the Dream Master Type.

The experiences with the Dream-Eating Ghost and the Hidden Earth made You Su's mental strength far exceed that of ordinary people, which actually saved You Su a lot of trouble. These kinds of evil spirits often focus on mental pollution while being physically weak. After You Su saw through its bewitching, it tried to trigger an avalanche to escape, but You Su still managed to cut it in two with a single sword strike.

Perhaps this evil spirit never understood, even in its death, why it had been hiding in the desolate, snowy wilderness of the far north for so long, and why it had suddenly been targeted by humans.

The poor thing didn't know that You Su was just passing by, trying to awaken its will, which had gradually become numb over the past three days.

"Is it a god who came from the mountains?" the girl asked worshipfully.

She was supposed to be a sacrifice to that 'deity,' but she was saved by a new deity. And judging from this new deity's appearance... he doesn't seem to want to eat her?

"I am a human being," You Su replied succinctly and forcefully.

"How can a human kill a god?" the Xiao Lu asked incredulously.

This time, You Su did not answer the girl's question immediately. He seemed lost in thought, as if he were immersed in endless memories.

"It is not a god, but merely an evil spirit with the power to bewitch minds."

You Su did not answer the girl's question directly, but it was as if he had already answered it.

So-called Evil God are nothing more than more powerful evil spirits. It's a pity that there are so few people in this world who can think that way.

The girl obviously couldn't understand the hidden meaning in You Su's words, but she also didn't show the fear that a girl should have towards supernatural or bizarre things:

"Aren't evil spirits just gods?"

Her tone was completely matter-of-fact, as if she were already used to the word 'evil spirit'.

You Su was taken aback by what he heard, and slightly tilted his head to look at the girl wrapped in heavy clothes. The girl was also looking at him; she had big eyes, blinked, and had an innocent, snow-like quality.

"Evil spirits are not gods, they are..."

"Xiao Lu, please don't disturb the Immortal Master."

The old man, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, interrupting You Su before she could finish her sentence.

Upon hearing this, the Xiao Lu obediently nodded, not daring to look at You Su again, but hiding away and whispering in amazement, "She really is an immortal..."

Perhaps in the eyes of this mortal girl from the North, there is no difference between immortals and gods.

You Su took in the entire interaction between the two men, but said nothing and simply followed silently.

These two people showed no signs of Evil Qi, nor did they appear to be bewitched by Evil Demon, yet they worshipped them as gods even though they knew they were evil spirits. They were mortals, yet they were accustomed to evil spirits, as if they had long been used to their existence.

You Su found such lifestyle habits utterly incomprehensible. He had been to many places in the Central Yuan Continent and had exorcised many evil spirits, but everyone he had met avoided them like the plague, which was almost an instinctive fear.

You Su felt something was amiss. Lost in the melancholy of losing his former happy life, he suddenly remembered something—

The shore where he landed was surprisingly free of the Divine Radiance Stone.

This is absolutely a matter of life and death for the entire world!

Since its discovery a thousand years ago, the Divine Radiance Stone has been used by the Great God to build a coastal defense line impenetrable to Evil Demon. Countless people risked their lives to dive into the deep sea in order to mine the rare Divine Radiance Stone, and it was their sacrifice that made the Five Continents invincible, bringing peace to the world for thousands of years to come.

These stones should have been scattered along the coastlines of the five continents, but a fatal mistake occurred on this particular coast!

Judging from the nonchalant attitude of these people towards evil spirits, there are definitely more than just that one here. Moreover, these evil spirits are probably not ancient Evil Demon that have been lurking underground for thousands of years, but rather newly born evil spirits that have quietly landed from the lost coast. Otherwise, they would all be monsters of the level at the Chuyun City, You Su would not have been able to kill them so easily.

How long did this lost coastline remain? Did no one notice? Did no one come to repair it?

A series of questions popped into You Su's mind, and just then, the tribe in the snowstorm began to show its strength.

Two thick candles were lit inside the igloo, bringing both light and heat.

"These candles are made from the fat on Snow Bear's belly; they burn very long!"

Xiao Lu noticed that You Su was very curious about the two candles, so she enthusiastically explained them to him, with a hint of showing off in her tone.

The girl had already taken off the thicker coats that were even thicker than armor. The two felt coats she was wearing were still quite a few, but she looked much thinner than before, and her slender figure was still faintly visible.

You Su nodded and looked around curiously again. The house was clearly made of ice bricks mixed with snow, but she didn't feel cold at all inside. Instead, she felt a little warm.

"Ice can insulate against heat, but it can also insulate against cold." The clan chief seemed to have seen through You Su's doubts, and he displayed the wisdom of an elder.

You Su accepted the cup of hot tea handed to her by the old man. Just fifteen minutes earlier, it had been a piece of snow that You Su had casually scraped off from outside.

Warmth is the most precious thing in this icy and snowy world.

As the hot water entered her throat, You Su instantly felt as if all the flesh and blood in her body had been activated, a pleasure no less than that of being reborn. For the first time, You Su felt that a sip of hot water was so precious, and she couldn't help but let out a soft moan.

Xiao Lu watched him revel in the cup of hot water and chuckled, covering her mouth.

You Su realized she had been rude and sat up straighter, but she still couldn't bear to put down the warm cup.

"Won't they turn into dust?"

The old man pointed to a hole in the ceiling, "Master, look up at the sky."

After a moment's thought, You Su realized that the hole was clearly not for ventilation, but rather to allow excess heat to escape from the igloo. This would create a delicate balance between the melting and solidification of the igloo, and the solidification rate might even be faster than the rate at which the ice and snow melt.

You Su couldn't help but nod, marveling at the wisdom of these people who survived in the ice and snow.

People will stop at nothing to survive.

"Not everyone lives in ice caves like this. Some families have men who are good at hunting and can gather extra animal pelts. He and his family can then live in tents made of fur. It's much warmer in there than in an ice cave!" the Xiao Lu added excitedly from the side.

"So that's how it is..." You Su exclaimed.

"However, many families don't have enough furs to make one of those hoods; we're already lucky if we can keep warm. Now that we have the snow deer's fur, Mother's bed will be even thicker!"

Xiao Lu giggled, her genuine happiness infecting You Su, You Su returned a gentle smile.

But the clan chief's expression grew even more grim; he looked distressed and said sternly:

"Xiao Lu, that deer was your prey, so you can only use its fur yourself. This is the rule of our Snow Mulberry Tribe, and even I cannot break this rule, so neither can you."

The old man was clearly still remorseful for pushing the girl into the abyss. The girl, abandoned by her parents, was still thinking of adding blankets for them. Such innocence and kindness pierced the old man's heart.

He could only half-force the girl to be a little selfish, as if only in this way could he soothe some of the guilt and self-blame in his heart.

You Su suddenly realized that there was such a rule, which is why even the old and frail clan chief, who was of noble status, could not live in a tent made of fur.

Upon hearing this, the Xiao Lu lowered its head and softly uttered an "oh".

Seeing this, the clan chief could only sigh helplessly. The Xiao Lu had clearly heard what he said when he tried to persuade her to stay...

"Immortal Master, are you feeling any better?"

The old man casually scraped a handful of snow off the wall and put it into You Su's cup; the snow melted and turned into fresh tea.

This unique way of 'adding tea' left You Su astonished. The old man explained:

"Please don't be offended, Immortal Master. Here, it's considered a courtesy to scrape snow off one's own wall to serve tea to guests."

Upon hearing this, You Su took a small sip of the freshly brewed tea, a gesture that signified his respect for their customs and demonstrated his friendly attitude.

The old man smiled wryly, "I'm glad you don't mind, Immortal Master. My name is Sang Yin, please just call me by my name."

You Su nodded in agreement.

In the past, he would have politely declined and insisted on calling someone else clan leader, acting as a gentle and refined young man. However, he had experienced much this time, his personality had changed, and he was in a foreign land where he knew no one. Therefore, he should change his previous warm and gentle attitude towards others. At this moment, being able to use his immortal status to exert a deterrent effect was, to some extent, also a form of self-protection.

"Master Immortal, you are a distinguished guest of our Snow Mulberry Tribe. If you need anything, please feel free to ask Xiao Lu or speak directly to me. Please don't hesitate to ask," the old man said politely.

"There's no need for that. I'm not a distinguished guest, just a passerby." You Su politely declined the other party's offer, still wanting to maintain a distance.

"Even though you're only passing through briefly, you're still a distinguished guest to us. Our Snow Mulberry Tribe is located in the far north, and we rarely receive visits from immortals. Your arrival truly brings honor to our humble abode."

Located in the far north...

When he had free time You Su liked to look at the map of the five continents jointly drawn by the Great God. With his photographic memory, he quickly determined his approximate location.

"Is the Snow Mulberry Tribe affiliated with North Pole City?"

"Does Your Excellency know about our Snow Mulberry Tribe?" Xiao Lu asked in surprise.

You Su, of course, didn't know about this nameless little tribe; he only knew that the northernmost city on the map of the Northern Ao Continent was North Pole City.

"I don't know."

"I don't know? Then why are you here?" the Xiao Lu asked with concern.

Whether it was because her life had been saved by You Su, or because she was too curious about this rare outsider, Xiao Lu showed extra concern for You Su.

"I ventured deep into the Arctic for training, when I suddenly encountered Evil Demon. I fled in panic, only to be caught in a massive blizzard. When I awoke, the Evil Demon had taken me into a cave. Fortunately, I fought back fiercely and finally exorcised the Evil Demon." You Su appeared shaken. "But thankfully, it seems I'm not too far from North Pole City."

"I see..." The old man nodded thoughtfully after listening.

You Su didn't care whether the clan chief believed him or not; he just needed to fabricate a reason for his appearance so that the clan chief could give the clansmen an explanation. Whether the reason was true or false, his identity as an immortal was enough.

The old man exchanged a few more pleasantries with You Su, his attitude always respectful, as if afraid of offending her.

Fearing he might offend the immortal, the old man requisitioned a clansman's tent as a temporary residence for You Su. The tent was also equipped with three candles for heating and a lot of precious food.

You Su did not refuse, even though he still felt a little embarrassed.

He lay on the thick blanket, still unable to calm his mind.

Why did the Divine Radiance Stone along this coastline disappear without a trace? Are the people of the Snow Mulberry Tribe truly unafraid of evil spirits? If he wasn't mistaken, that girl must have been a sacrifice offered to that evil spirit, but why doesn't anyone from such an ignorant tribe become a follower of the Evil Demon?

It's funny, really. The people of the Central Yuan Continent are so well protected, yet they are so afraid of evil spirits; but the natives of this far north, without the protection of the Divine Radiance Stone, are surprisingly fierce.

Too many questions piled up in You Su's mind, and he felt his eyelids become unusually heavy.

There are many problems, but his priority is to get some rest and get his body back in shape.

Outside the warm tents, the natives were sharpening their knives.