Northbound!

By the time the residents who had heard the commotion and rushed to the secluded little house, You Su had already disappeared with the old man's body.

The broken bricks were piled up to bury the burly man's body.

At the scene, only an old sheep could be seen hanging in the yard, its body drained of blood.

Curious onlookers stood outside the door, glancing left and right, but no one dared to go inside. Clearly, these people living in the desolate town did not want to invite trouble and be killed for no reason.

People marveled and whispered among themselves, discussing how such a sudden change could have happened to this long-abandoned hut. However, no one showed much fear on their faces, because such things were not uncommon in the fiercely independent Northern Ao Continent.

The frigid ice and snow here freeze blood and hatred, giving them an extremely long shelf life. It is not uncommon for elderly people in their eighties to be murdered in the dead of night, and when asked why, they mostly cite grudges they made in their youth.

This is Northern Ao Continent, a place of unique beauty. The world here is filled with cool tones, and as far as the eye can see, only black, white, and gray can be seen. Most people here are as hard and cold as the earth itself.

People gradually dispersed when they could no longer see any excitement, leaving only half a ruin in place. In any case, the City Lord's Mansion's soldiers would handle this commonplace matter, and they didn't need to get involved in this mess themselves.

However, judging by the speed at which those soldiers... they're probably all dead drunk, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to deal with them...

The waiter, by the dim light of a nearly burnt-out candle, drowsily observed the customers returning late at night.

The guest was carrying someone on his back.

"Can't you get used to the city's wine? You're sleeping so soundly..." the waiter chuckled, squinting his eyes.

He still thought it was that stingy old man who had gotten completely drunk outside and was then carried back by his clansmen.

The guest didn't answer him, and he felt bored. Since it was almost dawn anyway, he didn't bother to turn on the lamp, so he continued to doze off on the table.

As the guests walked past him, he secretly wrinkled his nose, thinking to himself that these guests were really country bumpkins, always exuding a primitive, animalistic smell—dirty and smelly, with a hint of blood.

He was so focused on sleeping that he didn't notice the unusually strong smell of blood emanating from the old man.

You Su opened her door and saw a small white cat standing menacingly behind it.

Bai Ze had a good sleep, but the more she slept, the more restless she became. When she woke up, she found that You Su had 'abandoned' her. It was her first time leaving Azure Mountain, and the beast was somewhat worried and afraid of being locked in an unfamiliar room. Although the blanket You Su had given her was very warm, she still wanted to protest You Su's irresponsible behavior.

But its rage vanished the moment it saw the old man with his eyes closed on You Su's back.

It quickly stepped aside, letting You Su walk in.

You Su silently placed the old man's body on the bed, then pasted soundproofing talismans on all four walls, creating an oppressive atmosphere that even frightened Bai Ze.

"Keep an eye on him, I'll go get them."

You Su gave a brief instruction and then left.

When he returned, You Su was followed by all the survivors of the Snow Mulberry Tribe.

Upon seeing the old man's body, the Snow Mulberry Tribe members were first stunned, then burst into sorrowful cries. Xiao Lu and Xiao Wu even knelt down beside the old man and wept bitterly. If it weren't for the soundproofing talismans that You Su had prepared in advance, the cries would probably have echoed through the night sky of North Pole City.

Some tried to rush forward, but were held back by their companions; others supported each other, barely managing to keep their weak legs afloat. Their eyes were red, their teeth clenched, suppressing their grief and hatred deep in their throats.

You Su watched all this in silence, and only after their emotions had calmed down did she slowly begin to recount what had happened.

"The lord of North Pole City?!" The old people were shocked.

They were shocked by You Su's 'heroic' act of killing a city lord, and also astonished by the schemes of those people back then. Even the city lord of North Pole City was their lackey; wouldn't their escape be tantamount to suicide?

They hid on the other side of the snowstorm for thirty years. These arduous thirty years were extremely long for them, who had no cultivation. But for the cultivators on the other side of the snowstorm, thirty years was nothing. Those people had not forgotten that there were still those who had escaped from the net on this side of the snowstorm, so they had set up a trap long ago.

"Master Youxian... there is something I truly have a question about." An old man staggered out, his face filled with grief.

"May I ask?" You Su replied.

"If the city lord recognized the clan chief, then he must have recognized us too. Since he wanted to capture the clan chief, why didn't he capture us as well? With his status, it would have been easy for him to do so. So why did he choose to deal with the clan chief alone? And... instead of taking him back to his official residence, he took him to an uninhabited courtyard? Was he... afraid of being discovered?"

Upon hearing this, You Su also frowned.

He hadn't thought about it carefully before, but after the old man asked him, he realized there were many questions involved.

Before his death, Chief Chen said that the man was the city lord of North Pole City. In this remote little town, the city lord could easily use his power to oppress others. Why would he need to act quietly by himself?

And most importantly--

If this city lord was a lackey of the Snow Mastiff Sect's employer back then, then his purpose should be to kill him to silence him and let this past event rot in the snow forever.

Why didn't the city lord just kill the clan chief, but instead used such a cruel and insidious punishment to torture him?

"He's not one of your former employers!" You Su realized. "He's torturing Chief Chen like this because he wants to extract something from him. He ignored you all because he's certain that only the chief knows what he wants to know!"

Upon hearing this, the old man nodded absently, seemingly surprised that after thirty years, the events of that year had become even more complicated.

"The clan leader knows something we don't..." the old man murmured to himself, then suddenly realized, "The only thing left is his identity as the biggest employer back then!"

Upon hearing this, You Su nodded slightly. After this analysis, You Su felt that the situation was beginning to take shape.

The city lord likely wants to know not only the employer's identity, but also the whereabouts of the pile of Divine Radiance Stone.

The forces involved in this incident are definitely not limited to the Snow Mastiff Sect and its employer. The pile of Divine Radiance Stone stored in Azure Mountain must involve many more interests. That's why the Divine Radiance Stone, which were brought back at such a great cost, cannot be sold for some reason, but also cannot be returned to their original location.

You Su frowned, realizing that the road to petitioning the emperor on the sacred mountain was more tortuous and difficult than he had imagined.

"But the clan chief is gone now, and we don't even know the name of our enemy!"

The elders were heartbroken. They hoped to atone for their sin of stealing the Divine Radiance Stone and also to find the culprits and avenge themselves. Those people had discarded them after they had served their purpose, not only erasing their cultivation but also forcing them to live a miserable life in the cold land for thirty years. Given the fierce nature of the people of the Northern Ao Continent, this grudge had to be avenged.

But the fact that they had no way to get revenge at this point was something they found hard to accept.

"What was your original destination?" You Su asked abruptly.

"The clan chief plans to settle us at the old site of the Snow Mastiff Sect first, and then go to the sacred mountain to uncover the truth of what happened back then..." the old man replied with a sigh.

Upon hearing this, You Su shook his head, "Thirty years have passed since that old site was built. It's still unknown what it's like now, and there might even be more enemies lurking there."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this, until You Su broke the silence:

"Xiao Wu!"

You Su had once taught May Day in the snowfield, which Xiao Wu greatly admired. Therefore, even though Xiao Wu was heartbroken, he obediently followed You Su's orders.

"I hereby appoint you as the new chieftain of the Snow Mulberry Tribe! Lead your people back at daybreak!"

"Me?! Go back...?"

Xiao Wu was stunned, and the rest of the Snow Mulberry Tribe members also looked astonished upon hearing this. It wasn't because Xiao Wu had suddenly become the new tribal chief, but because of the order to return.

"There are too many people out there who want to kill you. Going back is your best option. Once you die, you really have nothing left..." You Su's voice was low and deep, carrying a sense of vicissitude that seemed out of place for his age.

The people of the Snow Mulberry Tribe looked at each other, filled with curiosity about the outside world, but curiosity also meant danger. Many of them were initially taken aback by You Su's words, but soon they began to agree with You Su point of view.

They had lived there for thirty years; though it was barren and cold, it was the only safe haven.

What was even harder for them to accept than having to go and turn back within a day was that they couldn't complete their mission.

"No! If you go back, who will accompany me to the Dragon Seeing Palace?"

Bai Ze, who had been shrouded in a somber atmosphere, jumped out, and its worries were exactly the same worries of the people of the Snow Mulberry Tribe.

"I'll go," You Su replied briefly.

Bai Ze's eyes widened, as if it hadn't expected that the only person who had always been determined not to go would become the only one to accompany it.

Everyone was stunned. The old man who had asked the question looked at You Su, felt sorry for her, and said slowly:

"Master Youxian... you've already done enough for us... this is our own business..."

His words also reflected the sentiments of many members of the Snow Mulberry Tribe. Although this young man was a notorious villain on the wanted list, he was not so in their eyes.

"Before Chief Chen died, he told me that person's name," You Su said softly, speaking the truth. "If you were to bear that name, you would die even faster. He protected you all his life, and I was entrusted with this task by him; I will not let him down. Now, I am the only one here who can do this. There's no need to say more."

"But... but you're also living a precarious life, going towards the sacred mountain... isn't that just courting death...?"

The old man was deeply worried. In his view, You Su, an outsider, was willing to take on this responsibility entirely out of guilt for the old man's death.

Even though they were members of the Chen clan, they didn't think that You Su was directly responsible for Chen Yi's death. On the contrary, they felt that You Su had done a great favor by avenging Chen Yi and bringing his body back. The people of the Northern Ao Continent were all so clear about gratitude and revenge; it was their nature, ingrained in their bones.

You Su didn't say anything, but simply pulled down her collar and took off her sunglasses.

"If you didn't know my name was You Su, would you think I was the person on the wanted poster?"

Everyone looked at You Su's face: the young man had a thin face with distinct features, and his eyes, which were clear and deep, were particularly striking; perhaps because he had spent a long time in the North Pole Snowfield, his skin was tanned dark, and he had a slightly rough beard on his chin and cheeks.

He didn't look as handsome as the man in the portrait, but his resilient and weathered demeanor gave him a special charm.

The reactions of the crowd have already answered You Su's question.

"When I look in the mirror, I honestly don't recognize myself anymore..."

You Su sighed softly, looking lost and forlorn.

"It hasn't been long since I last looked in the mirror, but I feel like I've aged many years."

"When I was little, I would either feel my way along the wall or just recklessly crash into it, hoping to eventually break through and find a way out. But there was nothing in the snow; there wasn't even a wall I could break through. Before he left, Chief Chen told me that his method for determining direction in the snow was to step on his front foot with his back foot. Hmm, I don't think there's ever been a better way for me."

This world is a little different from what I imagined, and I feel lost. So this trip to the sacred mountain is not only to help you, but also to help myself. Having taken this step, I don't know where the next step will lead. I'm not the kind of person who likes to stay in one place and wait.

Everyone remained silent, as if they were getting to know this young man who was beyond their comprehension.

The Xiao Lu had come over unnoticed and quietly took You Su's hand.

You Su was stunned for a moment, then realized that she had something in her hand.

It was a necklace, a small one, made of a warm and delicate material.

"This was made from the antlers of the Xiao Lu that came back with the Great God," the Xiao Lu said earnestly, introducing the gift it had given to You Su.

"The snow deer's antlers will keep growing, stronger than the Snow Mulberry Flower in the snow. My mother said the deer's antlers symbolize immortality. Great God... this is a gift to repay you for saving me! Please accept it!"

You Su pursed his lips. He did not refuse the girl's kindness, even though he had saved the girl completely unintentionally.

"Thank you." You Su patted the girl's head, and the girl smiled at him.

The brief darkness faded very quickly, and light soon enveloped the earth.

A commotion arose outside; it seemed the city lord's death hadn't been kept secret until the very next day.

Everyone knew they had to act immediately.

The city gates were deserted; the few soldiers present had all been dispatched to the crime scene.

The people of the Snow Mulberry Tribe returned to the North Pole Snowfield. You Su Sushan, who came to see them off, arrived late and handed over the large amount of food and warm clothing that he had just 'scavenged' from the city to Xiao Wu.

The people of the Snow Mulberry Tribe waved goodbye to You Su with tears in their eyes.

You Su held a cat in her arms, watching the departing crowd.

His eyes were no longer filled with confusion; he turned and walked towards the center of the Northern Ao Continent, where the largest and highest snow-capped mountain in the Northern Ao Continent stood—

Kong Yuan Divine Mountain.