In the Big Mountain, Ye Xuan was still consolidating his cultivation; he was completely oblivious to matters outside.
Three days later.
Ye Xuan’s cultivation had stabilized. He stood up and stretched his limbs.
"Sir, are you going to attempt a breakthrough in your Hidden Veins again?" Hua’s voice came from behind him.
"Hua, weren’t you out gathering information? Are you back?"
"Yes, I’m back. Sir, there’s a piece of news I have to tell you."
"What is it?"
"An organization called the Celestial Calculation Mansion suddenly appeared in the Moyue Kingdom. Their members are adept at divination, and it’s said they’re no weaker than the Celestial Secret Pavilion. They calculated that three days from then—which is at sunset today—you would go to the Ice Mountain."
"The Ice Mountain?" Ye Xuan smiled disdainfully. "I don’t even know where the Ice Mountain is, so why would I go there? These people from the Celestial Calculation Mansion must be quacks."
"Sir, you don’t know the Ice Mountain?"
"Nope. It’s my first time hearing of it."
"Then I’m relieved." Hua let out a sigh of relief. Truthfully, she had been a bit worried when she first heard the news, but hearing that Ye Xuan didn’t even know where the Ice Mountain was set her mind at ease.
It seemed this world was full of people fishing for unearned fame. The Celestial Calculation Mansion had an intimidating name, but they couldn’t live up to it.
"Alright, I’m going to continue breaking through my Hidden Veins." Ye Xuan had only stood up to stretch a bit. With that, he sat down cross-legged, preparing to break through his ninth Mountain Range.
Right then, Blood Princess, who had been playing outside, suddenly appeared in the room.
"Master, this is bad! Something has happened to Ling’Er!"
"Hmm? Something happened to Ling’Er?"
Ye Xuan sprang to his feet and rushed outside Ye Ling’Er’s bamboo hut. The reason they were outside was that her bamboo hut had already caught fire.
At this moment, Gongsun Yanran was cradling Ye Ling’Er in her arms. The girl’s entire body was flushed red, her fair skin looking as if it were about to scorch.
"It’s here! The mountain spring water is here!" Ye Wen, Ye Shanhan, and the others hurried over with buckets of mountain spring water.
They poured the cold water directly over Ye Ling’Er.
HISS!
As cold met heat, steam billowed into the air.
"Her heat sickness is flaring up again," Ye Xuan’s voice rang out as he approached.
"Xuan’Er, you’re finally here! Quickly, brew some medicine for your sister. Do you still have the herbs?" Ye Yizhou called out to him.
"I do. I’ll brew it right away."
In recent days, whenever Ye Xuan went out searching for resources, he never forgot to stock up on Hidden Green Grass and other medicinal herbs. He had always worried that his sister’s heat sickness might flare up again one day.
After all, the medicine he brewed could only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Once the energy from the Hidden Green Grass was exhausted, her entire body would likely burn up again, eventually cooking her internal organs.
"Hurry."
"Got it."
Ye Xuan immediately conjured his Spiritual Fire to begin brewing the medicine. He even tapped into the power of the futon.
"Heat sickness... the Ice Mountain..." Standing to the side, Hua’s pupils constricted as she seemingly realized a connection.
"Could the reason Sir is going to the Ice Mountain be because of Miss Ling’Er’s heat sickness?" she wondered. "Are the workings of this world truly so mysterious? Sir doesn’t know of the Ice Mountain, but will he learn of it because of Miss Ling’Er?"
Ten minutes later, Ye Xuan finished brewing the medicine and immediately fed it to his sister.
Only then did Ye Ling’Er’s body seem to ease, her expression growing less pained.
Hua let out a sigh of relief. Miss Ling’Er’s condition seemed to be under control; it looked like she had just been overthinking things.
"Xuan’Er, your medicine is still the most effective."
At that moment, both Ye Yizhou and Gongsun Yanran breathed a sigh of relief. Just moments ago, Ye Ling’Er’s body had been as hot as a branding iron, and the temperature had still been rising. Gongsun Yanran had even needed to use her Spiritual Qi just to hold her. Now, she was finally returning to normal.
"Father, what happened? Why did Ling’Er’s heat sickness flare up again? Didn’t you say it only triggers under massive emotional fluctuations? The other day, when the Sun Family besieged the city, she didn’t have a relapse. Why did it happen today?"
"I don’t know either. Could it be related to how crazily she’s been trying to increase her cultivation lately? She wants to help you so badly; she’s probably carrying a heavy burden in her heart. That might be why her heat sickness flared up again."
Hearing this, Ye Xuan sighed. "My silly sister..."
He reached out and stroked Ye Ling’Er’s forehead, his gaze incredibly tender. "Mother, Ling’Er should be fine now. Please look after her; I need to continue my secluded cultivation. This batch of herbs can still be brewed a few more times. Make sure she takes it on time."
"Xuan’Er, go about your business. I’m here."
"Alright." Ye Xuan nodded.
Just as he was about to turn back, Gongsun Yanran suddenly cried out, "Ah! Xuan’Er, come look! Is her temperature rising again?"
Ye Xuan furrowed his brows and immediately turned back, touching Ye Ling’Er’s forehead.
After sensing it for a moment, he said, "It does seem to be rising. Is the medicine not potent enough?"
Ye Xuan poured another bowl of medicine and fed it to her. At first, it worked. But after a while, her temperature slowly began to rise again.
"Xuan’Er, it’s still rising!"
"Mother, don’t panic. Let’s observe a little longer."
Time passed, and her temperature continued to rise. An hour later, Ye Ling’Er’s body turned completely red once more. Her pretty face scrunched up in deep discomfort, a heartbreaking sight to behold.
"This won’t do. She’s getting hotter and hotter! Xuan’Er, we need to find ice to help cool her down. But there’s no ice in the Big Mountain."
"Father, don’t worry, I’ll go out and find some. Where did you get the ice before?"
"From the Ice Mountain."
"The Ice Mountain?"
Both Ye Xuan and Hua shuddered.
"Yes, the Ice Mountain. It’s the only place nearby that has cold ice. Cold ice is much harder to melt than regular ice, and its temperature is much lower.
"This is bad, Xuan’Er, your sister’s temperature is rising again. Why don’t you take her directly to the Ice Mountain? I’ve heard that at the peak of the Ice Mountain, there’s a Cold Spring with bone-chilling Cold Spring Water. However, ordinary people can’t go up there. Not even Flying Beasts can make the trip. Low-level Flying Beasts would freeze to death before reaching the top. But you ride a rank-six Beast, so you should be able to make it. If the Cold Spring is effective against Ling’Er’s heat sickness, you can gather some Cold Spring Water to bring back for emergencies."
After Ye Yizhou finished speaking, Ye Xuan remained silent, a massive storm already raging in his heart.
The Celestial Calculation Mansion... were they truly that accurate?
He originally hadn’t known about the Ice Mountain, but now he did. Shaking his head, Ye Xuan asked, "Father, where is the Ice Mountain located?"
"Sir, are you really going? But that place..." Hua’s voice chimed in.
Before she could finish, Ye Xuan silenced her with a look.
"Xuan’Er, I don’t know the exact location, but it’s to the north. It’s actually quite easy to find; the temperature around the Ice Mountain is extremely low."
"Understood, Father. I’ll head out right away; Ling’Er’s condition can’t wait. Mother, hand my sister to me."
"Xuan’Er, you won’t be in danger going out this time, will you?" Gongsun Yanran asked subconsciously.
"Mother, I’ll sneak out. Who will even know? Don’t worry, I won’t cause any trouble. I’ll head straight for the Ice Mountain."