chsdbacks Chapter 137 Tianshan
Chapter 137 Tianshan
"I'm glad you like it. Later, I'll take you to see many more places. The ocean, the desert, the grasslands, everything you want to see."
"Mm." Chen Duo nodded, a slight smile curving her lips.
Three days later, Nie Lingfeng took Chen Duo and boarded a plane to Xinjiang.
It was Chen Duo's first time on an airplane. During takeoff, she held Nie Lingfeng's hand tightly, her face a little pale, but her eyes were fixed on the sea of clouds outside the window, without blinking.
"Are you scared?" Nie Lingfeng asked.
"I'm not afraid," Chen Duo shook her head, "It's just... I'm a little dizzy."
Nie Lingfeng smiled, took out a small bottle from his pocket, poured out a candy and put it in her mouth: "Suck it, it'll make you feel better."
The candy was minty, refreshing and invigorating. Chen Duo sucked on the candy and indeed felt much better. She leaned against the window, watching the city below grow smaller and smaller, the clouds drawing ever closer, her emerald eyes reflecting the clear blue sky.
"So beautiful," she whispered.
"Yes, beautiful." Nie Lingfeng also looked out the window, feeling a sense of peace.
A few hours later, the plane landed at Urumqi Diwopu Airport. As soon as the two stepped out of the airport, they saw the person who was there to pick them up—a young man wearing a black down jacket and sunglasses, holding a sign that read "Mr. Nie".
"Mr. Nie, Ms. Chen, hello." The young man greeted them politely. "I'm Ali from the Northwest Branch of the company. Chairman Zhao instructed me to pick you up. The car is outside."
Nie Lingfeng nodded and followed him into a black SUV. The car drove out of the airport and headed towards the Tianshan Mountains.
On the way, Ali gave a brief explanation of the situation.
"The missing villagers went up the mountain half a month ago, saying they were going to pick snow lotus. They didn't return for three days, so their families reported them missing. The search and rescue team went into the mountains and found them in a valley at an altitude of over 3,000 meters. They were still alive, but they were delirious and kept muttering things like 'the woman in white,' 'the flower that glows,' and 'the ice palace.' Our people investigated, and the 'qi' field in that valley was indeed very chaotic, and... the temperature was abnormal."
"Abnormal?" Nie Lingfeng asked.
"Hmm." Ali nodded. "It's summer now. Although the Tianshan Mountains are cool, the temperature in that valley is ridiculously low. We brought a thermometer. The temperature at the valley entrance is five degrees Celsius, but it drops to minus ten degrees Celsius a hundred meters in. Further in... the instrument stops working. Moreover, there are very strong energy fluctuations deep in the valley, but we can't detect what they are."
Nie Lingfeng frowned. It didn't sound like anything good.
"Are there any local legends?" he asked.
"Yes," Ali said. "The Tianshan Mountains have been associated with legends of the 'Jade Pool' and the 'Queen Mother of the West' since ancient times. That valley, which the locals call 'Fairy Valley,' is said to have been where fairies cultivated themselves in ancient times. Later, they ascended to heaven, leaving behind an ice palace. But it's just a legend, and nobody takes it seriously. Until this accident..."
Nie Lingfeng seemed lost in thought. The Queen Mother of the West… in the world of supernatural beings, she wasn't just a simple mythological figure. If it was truly related to her, then it wasn't as simple as just "tourism."
The car drove for more than three hours before finally stopping in a small town. The town was very remote, with almost no tourists, only some local residents and a few backpackers who had come to hike. Ali took them to the best hotel in town—actually just a three-story building, but it was very clean.
"Let's rest today and head into the mountains first thing tomorrow morning," Ali said. "I'll prepare any equipment you need right away."
"No need, we have our own." Nie Lingfeng patted the Qiankun bag at his waist.
Ali's eyes flashed, but he didn't ask any more questions. He just nodded and said, "Okay, I'll pick you up at six o'clock tomorrow morning."
The next day, before dawn, Nie Lingfeng woke Chen Duo up. Chen Duo sat up sleepily, her hair disheveled, clutching her panda plushie, looking at him blankly, like a cat that hadn't woken up yet, so cute that you just wanted to pet her. (๑´ㅂ`๑)
"It's time to go." Nie Lingfeng resisted the urge to ruffle her hair and handed her the down jacket he had prepared. "Put this on, it's cold in the mountains."
Chen Duo obediently put on her down jacket—it was pink, bought by Nie Lingfeng in town yesterday, with two fluffy ears on the hood. She was already thin, and the thick down jacket made her look even smaller, like a little bear wrapped up tightly.
When the two came downstairs, Ali was already waiting. He had changed into professional mountaineering clothes and was carrying a large backpack. When he saw Chen Duo's attire, he was taken aback for a moment, but quickly regained his composure.
"Let's go, the car is outside."
The three got into the car and drove deeper into the Tianshan Mountains. The road became narrower and bumpier, until finally it disappeared altogether, forcing them to get out and walk.
It was just dawn, and the distant snow-capped mountains gleamed golden in the morning light, like a colossal, silent deity. The air was crisp and cold, carrying the scent of snow and pine needles. Chen Duo took a deep breath, her eyes brightening.
"Are you cold?" Nie Lingfeng asked.
Chen Duo shook her head and pointed to her down jacket: "It's warm."
Nie Lingfeng smiled and took her hand: "Stay close to me, don't get lost."
"Um."
The three walked along a faint path into the mountains. Ali led the way, while Nie Lingfeng followed behind, holding Chen Duo's hand. The further they went, the lower the temperature and the thicker the snow became. Fortunately, none of them were ordinary people, so the walk was not difficult.
After walking for about two hours, Ali stopped and pointed to a valley shrouded in thick fog ahead:
"That's it, Fairy Valley."
Nie Lingfeng looked up. The entrance to the valley was narrow, with steep ice cliffs on both sides. White mist filled the valley, obscuring its depths. But just as Ali had said, the temperature here was abnormally low; his breath instantly turned into white mist, and frost quickly formed on his eyelashes.
"You two wait here, I'll go in and take a look," Nie Lingfeng said to Ali and Chen Duo.
"I'll go with you," Chen Duo said immediately.
Looking into her determined eyes, Nie Lingfeng knew he couldn't stop her, so he could only nod and say, "Then stay close to me and don't wander off."
"Um."
The two entered the valley. Ali waited outside, looking somewhat nervous.
Inside the valley, the fog thickened, reducing visibility to less than ten meters. Thick snow crunched underfoot. The surroundings were eerily quiet; not even the wind could be heard, only the sound of one's own breathing and heartbeat.
Nie Lingfeng was on high alert, his senses fully activated. He could feel that the Qi field here was indeed very chaotic, like a pot of boiling water, with energies of various attributes mixed together, colliding and tearing at each other. Moreover, the further he went in, the stronger the chilling cold became, like countless ice needles piercing his bones.
Chen Duo suddenly stopped and tugged at Nie Lingfeng's hand.
"What's wrong?" Nie Lingfeng turned around.
Chen Duo pointed ahead and whispered, "There... there's light."
Nie Lingfeng looked in the direction she pointed. Deep within the thick fog, a faint, blue light flickered slowly, like a distant star in the night sky.
"Let's go take a look."
The two walked towards the blue light. After walking for about ten minutes, the view suddenly opened up before them.
The thick fog has dissipated.
Instead, there was a huge cave covered in ice. The entrance was about ten zhang high and five zhang wide, and the cave walls were covered with thick ice crystals that refracted a rainbow of colors under light from an unknown source, making it a sight too beautiful for the human world.
Deeper inside the cave, the blue light became even clearer.
It is a...hot spring.
The pool, about three zhang in diameter, was crystal clear, with a thin mist floating on its surface. The water was warm, even scalding, a stark contrast to the surrounding sub-zero temperatures. At the bottom of the pool lay a layer of milky-white, jade-like stones, from which the blue light emanated.
"A hot spring?" Nie Lingfeng was stunned. In such an extremely cold environment, there was actually a hot spring? That didn't make sense.
Chen Duo squatted by the pool, reached out to test the water temperature, and her eyes lit up: "It's hot."
"Don't touch it!" Nie Lingfeng quickly grabbed her, "What if it's poisonous..."
He froze before he could finish speaking.
Because the moment Chen Duo's hand touched the pool water, the black line on her palm, which had faded to almost invisible, suddenly... lit up.
It was very faint, but it did light up.
Moreover, Chen Duo's expression changed. It went from her usual calm to a kind of... almost bewildered comfort.
"Nie Lingfeng," she turned her head to look at Nie Lingfeng, her emerald eyes reflecting the blue light of the pool, "this place... seems to be good for me."
Nie Lingfeng frowned, squatted down, and reached out to test the pool water. The water temperature was indeed very comfortable, and... he could feel that the pool water contained a peculiar, gentle, and vibrant energy. That energy seeped into his body through his skin, and surprisingly, it made his body, which was somewhat tired from the continuous battles, feel a sense of comfort.
"This is..." He sensed it carefully, "The spiritual energy of heaven and earth? No, it's purer and gentler than spiritual energy... like... like some kind of 'primordial' power."
He suddenly remembered something and looked up at the milky white stones at the bottom of the pool.
"Could it be... 'Warm Jade'?"
Warm jade, a legendary treasure said to exist only in extremely cold regions, can spontaneously absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, transforming it into gentle life energy. Wearing it for a long time can nourish the meridians and prolong life. Water soaked with warm jade is also a sacred healing agent, capable of removing toxins and repairing hidden injuries.
If the bottom of this pool were lined with warm jade, then this pool water... would be a natural healing sanctuary.
"Chen Duo," Nie Lingfeng looked at her, his eyes serious, "How are you feeling? Is the Gu poison in your body... reacting?"
Chen Duo closed her eyes, carefully sensed for a while, then opened them and shook her head:
"No reaction. But...it feels good. Like...like sunbathing."
Nie Lingfeng breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the pool water was not harmful to Chen Duo; on the contrary, it might even be... helpful.
"You soak here for a while," he said. "I'll keep watch. If anything seems amiss, come out immediately."
Chen Duo nodded and naturally began to take off her coat. Nie Lingfeng quickly turned away, avoiding eye contact. (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
Behind me came the rustling sound of clothes being undressed, followed by a "plop"—the sound of Chen Duo entering the water. Immediately after, there was a very soft, satisfied sigh.
"So comfortable..." Chen Duo's voice carried a rare hint of languor.
Nie Lingfeng sat cross-legged with his back to her, closed his eyes, but kept his senses fully alert, paying attention to the movements around him. At the same time, he was thinking rapidly.
Tianshan Mountains, Fairy Valley, Warm Jade Hot Springs... This place is definitely not simple. The "woman in white," the "glowing flowers," and the "ice palace" that those villagers saw were very likely not hallucinations.
There might really be something extraordinary here.
Just then, Chen Duo's voice suddenly came from behind:
"Nie Lingfeng".
"Um?"
"Look."
Nie Lingfeng turned his head, and then... froze.
In the hot spring, Chen Duo stood with her back to him, revealing her smooth back. And at that moment, a pattern was slowly emerging on the skin of her back...
It's not a tattoo; it appeared naturally, like a birthmark or some kind of ancient totem.
It was a... phoenix about to take flight.
Her entire body was emerald green, like the finest jade, with every feather clearly visible. Her eyes were two blood-red gems, so lifelike that they seemed ready to fly off her back at any moment and soar straight to the heavens.
"This is..." Nie Lingfeng's pupils contracted.
Chen Duo turned her head, her emerald eyes reflecting the blue light of the pool water, as well as Nie Lingfeng's shocked face.
"I don't know either," she said softly, "it just... came out as soon as it touched the water."
Nie Lingfeng looked at the jade phoenix, his heart churning with turmoil.
A holy child with a Gu-like body, a jade phoenix...
Could Chen Duo's background be related to this Tianshan Mountain...?
Just then, from deep within the cave, a faint sigh suddenly came.
It was a woman's voice.
It is very light and soft, but it carries an indescribable, ancient sense of vicissitude.
"Three thousand years... finally... I've waited for you..."
Nie Lingfeng's hair stood on end, and he instantly drew his Snow Drinking Blade, standing in front of Chen Duo, and shouted sharply:
"Who?!"
Deep inside the cave, a blue light suddenly shone.
A blurry, indistinct female silhouette, dressed in a white palace gown with long, flowing hair, slowly emerged.
She looked at the phoenix totem on Chen Duo's back, and two lines of clear tears streamed down her face.
"My...child..."