Chapter 706
Lack of Thorough Consideration
Arriving at the northwesternmost coast of Yuhua Kingdom, the temperature did not become frigid despite Chen Xuan and his group traveling thousands of miles north along the southernmost coastline of Rong Kingdom. The world is too vast, and a mere ten thousand miles of latitude is not enough to significantly alter the climate; the coastal elevation remains in the height of summer.
Looking out into the distance, towards the inland, the terrain rises abruptly, and in the distance, towering peaks that pierce the clouds are faintly visible, covered in snow and ice, with countless overlapping mountains.
Unlike the gentle terrain to the south, the elevation here seems to rise in a straight line towards the inland, with the continental shelf climbing to a plateau environment of thousands of feet after a few hundred miles.
As the sun rises in the east, the snow-capped mountains gleam golden under the sunlight, as if cast in gold, and in many places they reflect colorful rays of light, which is intoxicating.
"It's so beautiful. Although our Jing Kingdom has several months of deep winter every year, the snow in the capital can never compare to the vast and magnificent snowfields of the real world," the little princess exclaimed as she stood side by side with Chen Xuan on the deck, looking into the distance.
Gazing at the distant mountains, Chen Xuan nodded and smiled, "They are indeed breathtaking. This is the first time I've ever seen such vast mountains. Once we're settled, I'll take you deeper into them to experience them up close."
"It looks incredibly dangerous from afar, could there be any real danger?" the little princess asked hesitantly. She wouldn't venture into such a dangerous place just because of momentary curiosity.
He squeezed her small hand and said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I'm here."
As he spoke, he turned around and said, "Sister Juan, there's a small seaside town a few dozen miles ahead. Let's dock there."
Once they were close to their destination, Chen Xuan put the ship back on the sea and sailed normally, as he disliked making a fuss and didn't want to disturb the public when it docked.
"Yes, sir, I'll go inform them right away," Du Juan nodded and smiled as she went to instruct the ship's attendant.
During this period, she slept with Chen Xuan almost every night. She had transformed from a girl into a woman. After years of being an assassin, the coldness between her brows had been replaced by a touch of alluring charm. Her full and soft body shone brightly, and her stunning curves and every move exuded a breathtaking and captivating charm.
"She's all yours now, husband, haven't you had enough yet? Don't even mention it, just looking at Sister Juan's figure, even I, a woman, can't help but feel my heart racing," the little princess teased, noticing Chen Xuan's gaze lingering on Du Juan's back.
Supporting her on either side, Yunlan and Yunxin smiled faintly, their cheeks slightly flushed. They were filled with anticipation. Dujuan had already gotten her wish first. They wondered when the little princess would arrange for them to serve the master.
Clearing his throat, Chen Xuan felt a little guilty and quickly looked at Xia Mei beside him to change the subject, asking, "Aunt Mei, what are the arrangements for the next step?"
Xia Mei immediately stepped forward and said, "Master, after we land, there is no river flowing southeast, so we can only deal with this boat nearby. The gifts we brought can only be sent by a caravan along the agreed route, and we will keep in touch at all times. What do you think, Master?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan thought for a moment and said, "That's fine too. We probably won't be staying in the snowy mountains for long, so we don't need everyone to go together. We can travel light."
“I will make the arrangements then,” Xia Mei nodded. She had been in charge of all the arrangements for the entourage during this period, and everything was in good order.
After a brief discussion, the little girl couldn't help but look at the mountains and ask curiously, "Master, what's on the other side of the mountains?"
"Beyond the mountains lies a wider world, and I've heard there are legendary immortal sects there. I'll take you there to experience it another time," Chen Xuan said with a smile.
"The Immortal Sect?" Even the little princess couldn't help but be surprised.
With the information left by Old Liu flashing through his mind, Chen Xuan frankly said, "That's right, the Immortal Sect. There are legendary forces with Human Immortals, or perhaps their ancestors included Human Immortals. Such sects are called Immortal Sects. But that's too far removed from us. Even if there are, they are extremely rare, probably countable on one hand, so there's no need to worry about it."
Limited by their limited understanding, the little princesses and the others could not imagine what the immortal sect was like. Even Chen Xuan and Lao Liu only left a few words in their minds, so they never bothered with these ethereal things. When they reached a certain level, they naturally came into contact with some things.
Soon after, their ship slowly docked at the seaside town. Although the town was remote, it was not completely isolated from the world. Most of the town's residents, numbering several thousand, relied on the sea for their livelihood. It was rare to see such a large ship as Chen Xuan's, which attracted many people to point and stare.
"It seems that this place has not been affected by the war. Although people live a hard life, it is still relatively peaceful," the little princess observed as she strolled along the bumpy streets after disembarking.
Chen Xuan, who had been keeping a close eye on her, was relieved to find that she didn't seem uncomfortable despite the long boat ride and the sudden ground beneath her feet. He nodded and said, "After all, we're located on the frontier. There aren't any coveted resources, and it's not a strategic location for military conflict. Besides, Yuhua Kingdom and Shuangyue Kingdom have temporarily ceased hostilities, so it's normal for people to live in peace and contentment. Apart from a few lowlifes, I doubt any big shots would be so bored as to come here and cause trouble. Let's not talk about that. It's lunchtime. Let's find a place to eat something, and once Aunt Mei and the others have made arrangements, we'll head to the Snowy Mountains."
“Hmm, speaking of which, the four countries around us were all part of a unified country a thousand years ago, and our civilizations are largely the same. Now we can’t even understand what’s being said here. I wonder if someone is secretly talking badly about us?” the little princess suddenly asked.
Speechless for a moment, Chen Xuan chuckled and said, "Why would people speak ill of us for no reason? Besides, I've already mastered their language, so I can understand what they're saying."
"My husband has been here before?"
"No, it's just a different accent. The language of this small place is quite easy to learn. Not to mention here, I could understand the language of the giants in the underground cave in less than half an hour," Chen Xuan smiled and didn't seem to care.
"If you have such abilities, why do you keep saying you're not smart enough? Why don't you use them for studying?"
"Oh dear, I'm just not cut out for studying. Ever since I made some progress in martial arts, I've gotten sleepy when I try to read. There's no simpler and more direct way than talking about resources. Let's go with this place. It looks pretty clean, but I wonder how the food is," Chen Xuan decisively changed the subject.
"I think my husband clearly hasn't put his heart into his studies; otherwise, passing the imperial examination would be a piece of cake."
"My wife, you really think highly of your husband. I'm terrified of those 'scandalous kings'."
In a small town of several thousand people, there are hardly any restaurants. The one Chen Xuan and his group came to was considered the best in town, but it didn't have many dishes and was deserted even though it was breakfast time early in the morning.
The others couldn't understand the local language very well, so Chen Xuan stepped in to negotiate. They didn't want to suffer in silence. Since they were already there, and considering that the ship was about to be sold off, they simply borrowed his kitchen and had the girls cook a meal for them.
"My lord, because it was all done in such a rush, I managed to gather all the wealthy households in town through the town mayor. A few families were interested in taking over our ship, but they simply couldn't afford it. Even if they bought it, we would have to redo the seawater corrosion protection treatment. So in the end, we only sold it for less than three hundred taels. The rest of the belongings have been packed and loaded onto the carts. We practically searched the entire town to gather six carriages, which cost us over four hundred carriages. We're ready to depart at any time. What do you think, my lord...?"
When they were halfway through their meal, Xia Mei, who was running around, quickly came to report.
Good heavens, such a huge warship sold for only three hundred taels? That's probably not even a fraction of the price of the ship. Are the people here just ignorant? They really can't afford it, they're too poor. It's a small loss, better than nothing. They shouldn't just sink it and lose it. The long journey back would be troublesome and might even cost more, and it would probably be useless anyway, so it's really unnecessary. But they spent over four hundred taels on the carriage, so they ended up losing money.
It was indeed a bit extravagant, to be honest. Chen Xuan couldn't help but laugh and say, "It's alright, thank you for your trouble, Aunt Mei. Please sit down and have something to eat. We'll make do for now, and we'll get better transportation when we get to the big city."
"It's my duty, sir. I hope you won't blame me for not doing my job well," Xia Mei said, secretly relieved as she sat down.
Suddenly remembering something, Chen Xuan asked, "Does this count as illegal immigration? Did Aunt Mei go through the necessary paperwork?"
"My lord, this small town has no experience or officials to handle such matters, so we can only go to a big city to deal with it," Xia Mei said helplessly.
This wasn't like usual when he wandered around alone. Chen Xuan was still very disciplined, but it was just a small matter, and he didn't care at all.
They stayed briefly in the town, and after lunch, they split into two groups and set off. Chen Xuan took Princess Dujuan, Yunlan, and Yunxin straight to the snowy mountains, with Xia Mei accompanying them as a contact person. The rest of the group took a carriage with their luggage and headed southeast, leaving marks along the way to stay in touch.
Birds and beasts are nowhere to be seen among the snow-capped mountains; as far as the eye can see, there is only a vast expanse of desolation.
Standing atop the mountain, the group seemed to have the entire world beneath their feet. The surrounding wind howled, cold as knives, but the area around Chen Xuan and his companions was warm and gentle, so they felt no cold at all, let alone any sense of oxygen deprivation or suffocation.
If Chen Xuan hadn't protected everyone, the sub-zero temperatures of minus eighty or ninety degrees Celsius at their location would have cracked even steel, and it would have been difficult for ordinary innate masters to stay there for long.
There's a kind of cold that looks cold. Even with Chen Xuan protecting them, the girls inexplicably felt a chill down their spines. Fortunately, they were prepared. In this environment, except for Chen Xuan, they all put on scarves and cloaks and subconsciously covered themselves up. It was purely psychological.
Letting out a soft breath, the little princess murmured, "There's no white mist rising at all; it lacks a truly tangible experience."
"My dear wife, please don't do anything reckless. If I remove the warm true energy around us, you might catch a cold if you're not careful," Chen Xuan said, startled. He quickly gave her a heads-up. Even though they had been sleeping in the same bed for so long, his wife still liked to play around sometimes.
The little princess retorted irritably, "Do you think I'm such a thoughtless person? I have to think about the baby in my belly, not myself!"
"That's good"
The little girl beside him looked away, a little disappointed, and said, "Master is lying. Behind the iceberg is just another iceberg; there's no wider world at all."
Patting her little head, Chen Xuan shook his head and said, "This snowy mountain range stretches for thousands of miles. We've only just begun. It's said that even the Jade Flower Kingdom doesn't fully understand its size. It's like a natural barrier, separating the boundless world further north. However, I've heard that the Frost Moon Kingdom has some dealings with the countries further north."
"Oh, I thought you could see the other side from the top of the mountain," the little girl said shyly, sticking out her tongue.
That's definitely not possible, unless we continue north through the vast mountains.
Chen Xuan led them directly into the snowy region for hundreds of miles, instead of slowly traversing mountains and valleys, and went straight to the area they most wanted to see. Although they missed out on some thrilling experiences along the way, it was really unnecessary to go through all that trouble.
Looking out over the vast mountains, there was no sign of life. Even cold-resistant creatures would find it difficult to survive in such a low-temperature environment.
If he were still an ordinary person, climbing up here from the periphery would be an incredible achievement, enough to brag about for ten lifetimes. However, such an action is like child's play for Chen Xuan now, and it's utterly boring to even think about.
Chen Xuan had considered skateboarding down the steep iceberg for some thrills, but then realized that was too childish and quickly dismissed the idea. His playful spirits returned, and he turned to the little princess and the others, asking, "Would you like to see something exciting?"
"What was so thrilling?" Du Juan asked, puzzled.
After keeping everyone in suspense, Chen Xuan surveyed the treacherous icebergs around him and said, "Be prepared, don't get scared."
As everyone watched with curiosity, he lightly snapped his fingers, and without disturbing them, a wave of true energy silently swept out, encompassing the mountains ten miles ahead.
The next moment, a scene that left the little princesses wide-eyed and terrified unfolded: the earth trembled, and icebergs that seemed to have stood for millennia collapsed, causing the land to crumble and the earth to roar. Endless ice and snow surged and rolled like waves, and the chain reaction made it seem as if the whole world was collapsing. The scene was breathtaking.
This scene lasted for almost half an hour before gradually calming down. The environment in front of them had changed drastically. Hundreds of mountains had become shorter, and some mountains had lost hundreds of meters in height. One can imagine how much damage Chen Xuan's light snap of his fingers had caused.
"That was terrifying!" As the scene of the landslide gradually subsided, the little princess, who had been staring at the scene with wide eyes for a long time, finally patted her chest and exclaimed in amazement.
Holding her in his arms, Chen Xuan asked with concern, "I told you we were going to have some thrills, but these lifeless, icy mountains shouldn't endanger any living creatures. Are you alright, my wife?"
"It's alright. My husband gave me advance notice, so I was mentally prepared. It's just that the scene still gives me the creeps," the little princess said, shaking her head as she subconsciously rubbed her eyes.
Seeing this, Chen Xuan belatedly realized what was going on and quickly said, "It was my oversight. This unchanging snow mountain isn't much to see. We've seen it and experienced it, let's go now."
"We've only been here a short time, why do we have to leave already?" the little princess asked, puzzled.
Without further hesitation, Chen Xuan leaped forward, carrying them swiftly away from the mountains. He explained, "It was my oversight to protect our eyes. It's fine for a short time, but staying in this white world for too long will be unbearable for our eyes, and could even lead to blindness. So it's best to leave as soon as possible. We can skip seeing these snow-capped mountains. My wife, you're already showing signs of eye discomfort. Close your eyes now, and wait until we're gone to recover before opening them again."
Hearing that the consequences were so serious, the little princess immediately closed her eyes. She hadn't expected that there could be such a dangerous side to the icy and snowy landscape, and couldn't help but worry, "Will we be alright?"
“You reacted quickly, my wife, don’t worry,” Chen Xuan comforted her.
The trip to the snowy region ended so abruptly, lasting less than an hour in total… (End of Chapter)