The Pink String and the Snow Mountain’s Secret

Another seven days passed.

Under Xia Yi’s meticulous care, Bing Yingying was finally able to weakly get out of bed and take a few steps.

Throughout this time, she had been akin to someone in a vegetative state, able to move little more than her head.

She felt nothing in the rest of her body, only a chilling sensation that relentlessly pricked at her soul.

Bereft of her cultivation, she was even less capable than an ordinary person, and was entirely dependent on Xia Yi’s care.

Every aspect, including feeding, cleaning her body, and attending to her physiological needs, required Xia Yi’s assistance.

Over the course of their time together, Xia Yi noticed that Bing Yingying, who had initially seemed like an empty shell, gradually regained a touch of vitality.

This manifested specifically as her ability to clearly articulate her requests and express her gratitude after receiving help.

Moreover, Xia Yi observed that the white string tied around his wrist seemed to have taken on a slightly pinkish hue.

Though not overtly apparent, a change had undeniably occurred.

Xia Yi had no idea what this signified.

“Are you going to explore somewhere further away?”

“Yes. I’ve left you enough food and water, along with some homemade kindling. These should sustain you for some time.”

A few more days passed.

After Bing Yingying had regained basic self-sufficiency, Xia Yi voiced his intention to venture out and explore.

After all, being confined here indefinitely was simply not an option.

He needed to find a way out as quickly as possible; his beloved was waiting for him outside.

And a certain protagonist was soon to arrive…

“Then when will you return?”

As Bing Yingying uttered these words, Xia Yi was surprised to catch a fleeting glimpse of reluctance and worry in her beautiful eyes.

Yet, when Xia Yi looked again more closely, he found only the same empty, lifeless gaze.

‘Perhaps I misread it.’

Xia Yi thought to himself.

Having spent nearly a month together, Bing Yingying had consistently maintained a cold, expressionless demeanor.

Xia Yi had never once seen her betray a single emotion.

“Hmm… probably in about a week. The supplies I’ve left you will last until then.”

“Alright.”

Bing Yingying did not speak again after that.

She closed her eyes and rested.

Xia Yi, accustomed to her quiet nature, said nothing further.

Taking several bamboo tubes of water and his spirit sword, he set off into the depths of the dense forest.

After Xia Yi departed, Bing Yingying emerged from the shelter and stared blankly in the direction Xia Yi had left, lost in unknown thoughts.

****

On Xia Yi’s first day of exploration, he made no peculiar discoveries.

He did, however, stumble upon a flock of sheep.

Leveraging the sharpness of his spirit sword and his childhood hunting experience, Xia Yi successfully captured several sheep to replenish his food supply.

Gazing at the sheepskins, freshly peeled and still bearing their wool, he pondered for a moment.

Xia Yi decided to take these sheepskins with him.

Partly for Bing Yingying’s sake, and partly for his own.

After all, a certain person had been running around practically naked for almost a month, with nothing but a pair of boxers on his entire body.

Whether it was embarrassing or not was beside the point, as there was no one else around.

As for Bing Yingying, Xia Yi felt she had grown accustomed to him flaunting his eight-pack abs in front of her.

Primarily, these furs could offer him some protection.

Xia Yi was uncertain of the extent of dangers lurking in the dense forest’s depths, and an extra layer of defense meant an extra measure of safety.

That night, Xia Yi was fortunate enough to discover an unoccupied cave.

He rested inside for the night and took the opportunity to process the sheepskins he had brought.

The next day, Xia Yi emerged from the cave, clad in what could barely be called clothing, and continued his journey deeper into the dense forest.

Along the way, he skirted around several ferocious beasts and located the tallest tree in the forest, setting off in its direction.

After two consecutive days of travel, Xia Yi finally arrived at the base of the forest’s tallest tree.

By this point, his sheepskin attire had been replaced by bear hide.

Xia Yi, having a stroke of luck, had encountered a bear attack on the third night.

Fortunately, the bear was both clumsy and unlucky.

Its attempt to climb the tree was too noisy, not only waking Xia Yi, but also, as it retreated, it stepped directly on a venomous snake and was bitten.

Xia Yi seized the opportunity to dispatch the poisoned, unfortunate bear, and, with a hint of sorrow, claimed its hide.

Xia Yi arrived at the tree’s base during the nighttime, when visibility was poor.

He therefore decided to wait until the fifth day before climbing the tree to scout.

Perhaps aided by the bear hide’s protective aura, Xia Yi encountered no trouble throughout the night.

As the fifth day dawned, and visibility was at its peak, Xia Yi ascended the colossal tree.

“Is that… a snow-capped mountain?!”

With a clear vantage point, Xia Yi now realized that the dense forest they were in actually encircled a snow-capped mountain.

The snow mountain was not particularly tall, and perhaps due to the dense foliage of the forest, Xia Yi and the others had not noticed it earlier.

Atop the snow mountain, a red glow emanated.

The crimson flicker against the white seemed to beckon people towards it.

With no other apparent way to leave this place, Xia Yi decided to investigate the base of the snow mountain.

Though the snow mountain had not appeared far from his perch in the tree, distance could be deceiving.

It still took Xia Yi three full days to reach its base.

“This is… spiritual energy!”

The moment he stepped within the snow mountain’s vicinity, Xia Yi discovered that some of his lost cultivation had returned.

This realization filled him with excitement.

Yet, as he attempted to open his storage ring, he found it remained sealed.

“What’s going on? Could there truly be spatial laws at play here?!”

Spatial laws were principles only Grand Ascension stage cultivators could grasp.

Even Nascent Soul Venerables lacked the power to seal a storage ring.

This meant that the place Xia Yi had inexplicably been transported to was connected to a Grand Ascension stage cultivator!

After a moment of contemplation, Xia Yi decided to temporarily retreat and consult with Bing Yingying before making further plans.

Firstly, his current resources were insufficient for him to summit the snow mountain.

Secondly, this snow mountain might be connected to Bing Yingying, making it better to discuss it with her before proceeding.

Without hesitation, Xia Yi followed the white string—or rather, the pink string, as it was now more aptly called.

Guided by the pink string, he travelled in a straight line, finally returning to the shelter’s location on the afternoon of the twelfth day.

Upon his return, Xia Yi immediately saw Bing Yingying standing guard outside the entrance, gazing into the distance.

“Why aren’t you back inside the shelter? It’s windy out here.”

“Waiting for you.”

“Uh… I apologize, I returned a bit late.”

Bing Yingying shook her head and said nothing.

She extended a slender, pale hand, intending to help Xia Yi unburden himself of the sheepskin pack he carried.

The sheepskin pack contained various items Xia Yi had collected along the way.

Including medicinal herbs, seasonings, and practical necessities, such as a pair of flint stones, flammable tinder, and long-burning resin.

“Careful!”

Bing Yingying had not anticipated the sheepskin pack on Xia Yi’s back to be so heavy.

Underestimating its weight, she also overestimated her own strength.

The heavy backpack pulled Bing Yingying towards the ground.

Fortunately, Xia Yi reacted swiftly, wrapping an arm around her, preventing the frail, delicate immortal from hitting her head.

“Are you alright?”

“Mm…”

“You should go rest; I’ll handle this.”

Xia Yi did not blame Bing Yingying; after all, she had only meant well.

As Xia Yi alone tidied the scattered items outside the shelter, he failed to notice the blush, not from the setting sun, that graced Bing Yingying’s exquisite face.

In the moment Xia Yi had embraced her, even through layers of clothing, she had felt the boy’s strong, powerful heartbeat.

And a warmth she had never before experienced.

It was the first time she had truly felt her own heart beat—fast, a strange sensation, but not an unpleasant one.