Chapter 62: Station 22: Snow-Capped Peak

The precious pearl dimmed its azure glow. Chi Zihe spoke leisurely,

"In ten minutes, he'll appear at the place where you last met."

Ming Yiyang crushed the cigarette beneath his foot, retrieved his wooden sword, stepped over the corpse at his side, and ascended the stairs at a measured pace.

Si Shuhao, having taken his medication, was now emotionally stable.

"Let's wait together then."

"No, we need to answer the door first. It takes time to do that."

Chi Zihe did not neglect the unconscious Patland lying on the sofa. He gently lifted the young man up and was relieved to find that Patland still retained a warm vitality, indicating he had not succumbed to the cold.

He turned his gaze toward Ada.

"Let's proceed first. We'll open the door and wait for them to pick us up with the snowmobile. Are you alright with that?"

Ada nodded slightly, expressing no disagreement.

Chi Zihe thus called out to Ming Yiyang, who was heading upstairs, "Yang Yang, let's walk there. If you manage to contact Yan Qiling, hurry up and come rescue us with the snowmobile!"

The young man's figure paused momentarily before he replied, "Alright."

Ever since the seal on his eyes was lifted, Ming Yiyang had felt a turmoil in his mind.

Indeed, he had mentally prepared himself.

-

Yan Qiling was the Lord of Oblivion.

This notion had previously been merely speculative, but seeing it with his own eyes made it an entirely different matter.

When Chi Zihe asked that question, Ming Yiyang hadn't been truly prepared, and the reason behind his swift denial was something even he himself couldn't explain.

Ever since he crossed paths with Yan Qiling, his life had become an utter mess.

Yet, Ming Yiyang wasn't even sure if he could blame this chaos.

Rarely did he experience pure joy or amusement from anything.

Most of the time, the world offered him a dull existence, but the thought of giving up on life was equally unappealing.

Yet, Yan Qiling was someone he both despised and adored – rigid and tedious at times, yet captivating beyond measure. Every memory associated with this person was vividly etched in his mind.

Ming Yiyang still recalled the stubborn manner in which their first encounter unfolded, with Yan Qiling extinguishing a cigarette with his lips.

He should have sensed something amiss then.

Who could speak so fluidly after putting out a cigarette that way?

The soft rustling of footsteps caught his attention.

Once again, Ming Yiyang's eyes shimmered with a brilliance akin to diamonds.

Piercing pain and a rush of blood, yet he seemed oblivious as he gazed at the silent black portrait before him.

A pale hand reached out from within the frame, and Ming Yiyang stepped forward, extending his arms.

But those cold fingers covered his eyes, a soothing coolness calming his overused irises and gradually stemming the flow of blood.

Droplets of blood, like liquid rubies, trickled down between those pale digits.

He heard the voice say,

"You're risking your life."

Peering through the narrow space between the fingers, Ming Yiyang caught a glimpse of the surging starry ocean hidden behind the crack in the center of the painting.

The ocean of stars stirred up a draft that swept across his forehead, tussling his hanging bangs.

"Close your eyes," the figure instructed, binding his eyes with a dark golden handkerchief.

He had never willingly plunged into such darkness in the Realm of Endless Torment. A man's cold, fish-like hand took his own.

Ming Yiyang followed Yan Qiling's steps, an unfamiliar sensation for him.

Darkness was never a hindrance to him; even without relying on his eyes, his memory of the terrain allowed him to navigate unobstructed.

He heard Yan Qiling's rustling footsteps and was then led to the snowmobile.

The man opened the car door and said with a light smile,

"Get in, let me try out my newly acquired driver's license."

-

As the roaring snowmobile picked up everyone, those seated inside were all filled with dread.

Except for Patland, who was still unconscious, Ming Yiyang, whose eyes were covered, and the driver himself, Yan Qiling.

Si Shuhao held hands with Ada in the back seat, also making sure to protect the unconscious Patland from being jolted out by the vehicle's erratic movements.

Chi Zihe, in the middle row, clutched his seatbelt tightly, his voice trembling as he asked,

"Qiling, have you obtained your driver's license?"

"It was granted half a year ago, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Holy cow!"

It's a huge problem, alright?!

The snowmobile, revved up to its maximum capacity, charged into the snowy terrain. Its tracks, designed for traction, were more than capable of handling such conditions.

Despite the tires being nearly deflated, they could still rely on the engine's power to push through.

The iron gates stood open, and the snowmobile sped unobstructed along the snow trail.

Upon reaching an incline, the vehicle's power visibly dwindled.

Si Shuhao was startled by the snail-like pace:

"Wow, at this speed, we'll reach the summit sometime next year."

Yan Qiling switched off the engine and called out with a clear, resonant voice,

"Sit tight."

Everyone else: The engine's off?!?!

The vehicle started to roll down the snowy slope slowly, then suddenly picked up speed!

"Oh no! Yan Qiling, what are you doing?!"

Chi Zihe was speechless. He now realized that letting Yan Qiling drive was an utter foolish decision.

A mischievous glint flashed in Yan Qiling's eyes. Like a snake, the Spirit Binding Rope shot out from his sleeve, stretching much farther than the range of sight!

The descending snowmobile was lassoed by the rope around its metallic bumper!

The snowmobile came to an abrupt halt under the tension of the rope, swiftly spinning around in inertia! The entire vehicle tilted dramatically, nearly flipping over!

The man frantically steering the wheel remained unfazed.

The snowmobile left an exaggerated huge semi-circle in the snow, strangely stabilizing itself upside down on the slope.

Chi Zihe suddenly had a premonition of something terrible.

He heard a crisp snap!

A massive force surged from behind, and the enormous snowmobile started to slide down the slope headfirst!

"How is this possible?!"

Si Shuhao turned back with a trembling heart. The taut silver rope seemed to be attached to a spruce tree, rapidly pulling them in that direction.

When they were about thirty meters away from the spruce tree, the Spirit-Binding Rope suddenly loosened and wrapped around another, more distant spruce!

Due to this change, the snowmobile rushed forward briefly with its front end down before being yanked towards the end of the slope by the pull of the rope!

"I'm going to throw up," Si Shuhao covered his mouth. Although this kind of driving technique could get them to the peak successfully, it was really easy to get motion sickness.

Chi Zihe was utterly terrified.

"I swear, hold it in! I don't want to be covered in your vomit, it'll probably freeze on me right away!"

Yan Qiling managed to reignite the snowmobile mid-journey primarily to maintain a suitable temperature inside the vehicle and prevent them from losing too much energy while on board.

Thanks to their efficiency, what was expected to be a half-day hike through the mountain was compressed into just two hours.

The sky had completely darkened.

There were still three hours until the train's arrival.

The summit was within reach, and Si Shuhao had already keenly spotted the distinctive "open eye" symbol.

"There it is! I see the exit!!!"

But this time, there were no trees up ahead that they could use for leverage. The snowmobile was forced to come to a halt mid-air.

"It's alright, alright. We should only have about ten minutes left, right, Ming Yiyang?"

Ming Yiyang, whose eyes were perpetually covered, softly acknowledged with a "hum." He removed his dark-golden handkerchief and turned to look at the man in the driver's seat. For a moment, he was stunned before suddenly bursting into a furious cry.

"Get out! Now!"

The three in the back were startled. Chi Zihe hastily carried Patland out of the vehicle, followed by the two girls who quickly jumped off the snowmobile. To their surprise, Ming Yiyang also leaped down!

The stationary snowmobile began to slide down slowly.

"Yan Qiling is still inside!"

Si Shuhao shrieked. Her breath turned into mist that swirled amidst the blizzard.

The moment Ming Yiyang alighted, he rushed to grab the icy spirit-restraining rope!

It seemed like an immense struggle for him. The sliding snowmobile stabilized briefly before resuming its descent with difficulty.

"Chi Zihe!"

This cry was nearly squeezed out between the young man's gritted teeth.

Chi Zihe hastily handed the unconscious Patland to Ada and Si Shuhao, then dashed towards the snowmobile.

He circled around to the driver's side, flinging open the door in mid-chase. Before he could speak, a dark figure tumbled out from inside!

He instinctively reached out to catch the person, only to be knocked down into the snow by their considerable weight, rolling over and over.

The snowmobile completely lost control, speeding off the track and plunging into a deep snow ravine, disappearing without a trace.

Choking on the snow, Chi Zihe hurriedly turned over the nearby Yan Qiling, struck speechless by what he saw.

Five bright red streaks of blood seeped from the man's perfect face, still gushing relentlessly.

The sub-zero temperature swiftly froze the blood into vivid ice crystals.

While Chi Zihe was still in shock, Ming Yiyang had already rushed over to cradle Yan Qiling in his arms.

Using a handkerchief, he wiped away the continuously oozing blood from the man's face – not just his features, but also from both ears, which were also bleeding.

Assuming Ming Yiyang would be frantic, Chi Zihe was surprised when the other man calmly cleaned the blood, then removed his scarf to wrap it around the man's face. Turning to Chi Zihe, he said,

"Give me a hand."

With the man supported on the young man's shoulder, they began their journey through the snowy terrain.

Ming Yiyang's white down jacket blended seamlessly with the snow, and from a closer look, one might mistake him for a hunched-over polar bear.

His body temperature remained consistently high, and the man leaning on his shoulder was left with only shallow breaths. No matter how warm his exhales were, they still felt cold. Yet, the frozen cheeks against him seemed to gain a deceptive warmth from their prolonged contact.

Ming Yiyang looked down at the snow beneath his feet, steadily sinking with each step of his boots as they traversed varying depths.

The crystalline snow was as cold as the person behind him, but not quite like him.

Yan Qiling was like a swaying Mandrake in the wind, not a fleeting snowflake. He could exist perpetually between the realms of life and death – an understanding that unexpectedly brought Ming Yiyang a moment of indescribable comfort.

This sense of calm was a state that had always been just out of reach for him.

Whether isolated from the crowd or immersed within it, he was perpetually in a state of irritability and restlessness.

Despite his composure, he would often do things that startled his acquaintances or utter words that instilled unease.

Only when shrouded in smoke did he find fleeting moments of tranquility.

He had once grumbled about why humans only had two lungs; if all his organs were lungs, he could smoke until death embraced him in eternal peace.

When he first encountered Yan Qiling, he was so agitated, so averse to seeing this person amidst the masses.

Yet, witnessing this man's repeated rebirths, observing his composed or inquisitive expressions, and feeling his cold or warm touch,

Ming Yiyang began to yearn for a mutual recognition of each other's presence amidst the throngs.

He is now somewhat aware.

He desires to leave an indelible mark uniquely his own in this person's boundless world, by any means necessary.

For...

He believed that in Yan Qiling's heart, he was unique.

-

The crunch of snow under their feet filled the air.

What should have been a ten-minute walk took them half an hour. Si Shuhao started showing signs of hypothermia, fortunately, the cable car station on the mountain was still operational.

Ming Yiyang forcefully unlocked the door, allowing everyone inside before manually closing it and igniting the fireplace.

The room quickly warmed up.

Through the glass windows of the cable car station, they could see an overwhelming, pitch-black cloud blanket the area around the hotel, darker than the night itself.

Something had been torn into fragments and was hurtling towards the fissures in the clouds above.

Within those fissures, starry seas seemed to be swirling.

Even the wind altered its direction because of it.

Chi Zihe couldn't help but gesture for Ming Yiyang, who was tightly hugging someone in his arms, to look at the chasm-like crack.

"This is how he brings the world to its knees."

Ming Yiyang was fearless; instead, he asked,

"Wouldn't he get indigestion from devouring everything here?"

Chi Zihe: "..." Isn't your focus on something rather off here?

He felt that continuing the conversation might worsen the situation, so he reluctantly said,

"That's beyond our consideration now."

Yan Qiling's nose and mouth were no longer bleeding, but he showed no signs of waking up either.

Finally, the train emerged from the fog.

Miraculously, nothing untoward happened in those last few hours.

Si Shuhao was genuinely astonished.

The group hurriedly entered the warm train carriage.

Ming Yiyang placed Yan Qiling on the seat beside him, while Chi Zihe sat opposite them and suddenly asked,

"...Is he not breathing?"

Ming Yiyang instinctively reached out to check—Yan Qiling's breathing was usually so faint it was almost imperceptible, and his body was always cold as ice, as if he could blend seamlessly into a blizzard.

But now, he truly couldn't sense any breath at all.

He then touched the other's heartbeat and pulse.

Utter stillness.

Ming Yiyang felt his own breathing come to a halt.

Yet, his voice remained astonishingly calm and composed:

"Do you have any idea what's going on here?"

Chi Zihe was stunned.

"I've never seen him injured this severely before... I have no idea what's happening either."

Just then, as if he were draining all the blood from his body, Yan Qiling's features began to bleed profusely, almost to the point of being washed in blood. Ming Yiyang couldn't wipe it away fast enough!

As he struggled to clean Yan Qiling's face, the conductor, with a questioning mark above its head, arrived before them.

It grabbed Yan Qiling's ticket and scanned it, causing the man to vanish before their eyes in a stream of light.

Only a puddle of blood dripping mid-air was left behind.