◎Cream Boy◎
"Yingshi, Junior Brother Han!" Xinmei ran towards them, her face filled with excitement and relief. "That's wonderful! You're both still here!"
Wei Kai ran up right behind her, equally amazed at how "presentable" Yingshi and Han Shuangjian looked. "It seems you haven't encountered much danger on your way here, unlike Xinmei and me—we barely escaped with our lives... If Brother Duan hadn't lent a helping hand, we'd probably be on our way back to the Yunshui Sect by now."
He turned to greet Duan Qinghe, who was standing a few steps away. "Brother Duan, come over here! Let me introduce you. These two are also disciples of our Yunshui Sect: Xu Yingshi and Han Shuangjian."
Duan Qinghe hesitated for a moment before stepping closer, offering a polite smile to Yingshi and Shuangjian. "I am Duan Qinghe of the Guiyuan Sword Sect."
Xinmei couldn't hide her excitement and quickly chimed in, "Yingshi, did you hear the heavenly announcement earlier? That incredibly formidable figure whom no one could stop is none other than Big Brother Duan right here!"
"Impressive, very impressive," Yingshi praised.
She stealthily observed Duan Qinghe. So this was what the third male lead looked like—a "cream boy" straight out of an 80s or 90s TV drama, with handsome, non-threatening features that instantly marked him as a righteous character.
Little did she know, while she was checking someone else out, someone was secretly checking her out too.
—Shuangjian confirmed that Yingshi's face showed no signs of being particularly dazzled, her overall reaction quite plain. Only then did he loosen his tightly clenched fist, though the crescent marks dug into his palm would not fade easily.
"How did you all end up together?" Yingshi asked.
"Wei Kai and I were just ambushed by people from the Wanxiang Heavenly Gate. Thankfully, Big Brother Duan appeared at the critical moment," Xinmei explained. "After Big Brother Duan eliminated all of them, we thought we were doomed too. Surprisingly, not only did he spare us, but he also said we could tag along with him... Such chivalry and righteousness are truly admirable!"
"I just couldn't stand seeing the Wanxiang Heavenly Gate bullying the few with the many," Duan Qinghe shook his head modestly. "There aren't many people left in the snowfield now; there's no need to resort to extreme measures. Clashing swords upon every encounter only breeds hostility and damages one's Dao heart. Even if we are in the same trial ground, crossing paths doesn't mean we must be enemies. If we can avoid conflict, why not?"
Shuangjian: "..."
Yingshi suppressed a smile and nodded politely.
She found this scene incredibly amusing. Duan Qinghe was exactly as he was in the book, always ready to preach grand principles and elevate the moral stakes at any given moment.
And the funniest part was that his words were the exact opposite of what Shuangjian had told her not long ago.
If Duan Qinghe hadn't been standing behind a boulder when they were talking, making it impossible for him to overhear, Yingshi would have suspected he came over specifically to rebut Shuangjian.
"Since you four fellow disciples have reunited, I won't intrude any further. I shall take my leave," Duan Qinghe said, turning to depart.
"Wait!" Xinmei looked alarmed and quickly stepped forward to stop him. "Big Brother Duan, please stay. Why don't you travel with us?"
"Yes! A group of five is the perfect number... Or are you planning to find people from the Guiyuan Sword Sect, Brother Duan?"
"I have no such plans," Duan Qinghe replied honestly. "The Guiyuan Sword Sect is a complex web of internal factions. By this point, the disciples of the various branches are divided; unity is highly unlikely."
It wasn't just the Guiyuan Sword Sect; the other two of the "Big Three"—the Daoyi Immortal Alliance and the Wanxiang Heavenly Gate—were in the same boat.
In the final circle, small sects would huddle together for warmth, while the situation for the large sects was much more complicated.
Duan Qinghe's expression grew somewhat heavy as he continued, "The words 'Guiyuan' originally mean 'all dharmas return to the sect, the origin is the beginning,' but unfortunately, it is hard to unite people's hearts... In my humble opinion, if hearts are scattered, the blade will surely break. Alas, this is a truth ordinary people struggle to grasp..."
Every question asked of him managed to elicit a profound life reflection, leading him to bare his soul even to passersby he had just met.
You could say Duan Qinghe's inner world was highly self-consistent, his logic forming a perfect closed loop. Perhaps this was why he never turned to the dark side.
"Why not form an alliance with us for now?" Yingshi suggested as well.
In the final circle, having an extra ally was always better than having an extra enemy.
Besides, they were currently on bad terms with Qin Yuman and Bai Fangsui. If they could build a good relationship with Duan Qinghe, he might be of some help in the upcoming plotline, right?
Duan Qinghe paused, not responding immediately. Instead, his gaze immediately shifted to Shuangjian, who hadn't spoken a word.
Following his lead, the other three instinctively turned their attention to Shuangjian as well.
Shuangjian remained expressionless, completely silent.
"..."
Duan Qinghe opened his mouth, preparing to decline politely.
Even someone as devoted to cultivation as he had heard some pre-competition gossip.
Xu Yingshi and Han Shuangjian of the Yunshui Sect were both well-known figures.
Especially the man, who was rumored to be narrow-minded and prone to obsession. Duan Qinghe could faintly sense Shuangjian's hostility towards him. Why force himself to stay and invite trouble?
But situations were always changing. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Han Shuangjian's gaze shift away from him. Duan Qinghe suddenly sensed something too. His expression tightened as he spun around, raising his sword defensively and whispering, "Someone's here!"
As if in response to his words, the newcomers seemingly decided not to hide anymore. A flurry of chaotic footsteps and the sharp sound of objects cutting through the air suddenly struck from the side.
Seven or eight people in various attires emerged from behind a snowbank. One of them flicked their sleeve, sending a dense shower of long needles shooting toward Yingshi's group.
"Watch out!" Duan Qinghe reacted with lightning speed. Drawing his sword, he spun and slashed, knocking all the needles that touched his sword's gleam to the ground.
Oddly enough, some needles that hadn't even touched the sword light seemed to hit an invisible barrier and fell down, but it was too subtle for anyone to notice.
With that fraction of a second, Yingshi darted in front of Shuangjian, her hands forming a seal. A water-blue barrier materialized before them.
Shuangjian paused slightly, his eyes lowering to gaze at the back of Yingshi's head, which emanated a sense of determination. The hand he had started to raise inside his sleeve silently slipped back down.
Xinmei caught sight of the snow around the fallen needles turning a sickly green-blue. Her heart skipped a beat, and she demanded with trembling lips, "In the preliminary trial, merely destroying the beaded bracelet is enough to eliminate someone. Why are you using poison?!"
And such a potent poison at that!
The attacker sneered dismissively, "I excel at it, so I use it. What of it?"
"Are you the main tank or something? How dare you say something so punchable!"
Yingshi furrowed her brows and glared at the speaker. Reacting even faster than Duan Qinghe, a burst of spiritual light bloomed from her palm, shooting toward the group with incredible speed. Like a high-pressure water cannon, it slammed into the poison user, sending him flying backward.
"Urgh!" The man clutched his chest as he fell, his eyes wide with fury. He raised a hand, seemingly intending to retaliate in anger, but the impossibly precise "water pressure" locked onto him once more. His expression was still frozen in resentment when the beaded bracelet on his wrist shattered with a sharp crack!
In an instant, the man dissolved into white light and vanished—he had been eliminated!
What a fast and precise attack!
Xinmei watched, dumbfounded. "Ying... Yingshi... When did you get so strong?! Is that... is that the ultimate form of the Water Wood Heavenly Splendor Art?"
Wei Kai was also dumbfounded, muttering, "If I had faced you in the inner sect competition, I'm afraid I wouldn't have made it here."
A distinct flash of surprise also swept through Duan Qinghe's eyes.
Even her teammates were so astonished, so naturally, their opponents were startled for a moment as well. That group seemed to hesitate over whether to continue their attack or make a tactical retreat. However, this brief moment of hesitation cost them their chance to flee, leaving them with no choice but to grit their teeth and fight.
Sword glints and spiritual light intertwined; hidden weapons and spiritual talismans danced together.
A chaotic melee broke out instantly.
...
Yingshi had never experienced this kind of group brawl scenario before.
Yet, surprisingly, she adapted to it quite well and was extremely active. In total, she had personally eliminated at least a double-digit number of people!
After they fought a few rounds with the group that had ambushed them earlier, more and more people rushed over. Most joined the fray with intentions of breaking up the fight or picking up easy wins. In the end, the snowy plain had turned into a complete mess.
When the Voice of Heaven abruptly echoed, announcing, "The number of survivors has reached exactly one hundred. Congratulations to all disciples for passing the preliminary trial of the Heavenly Dipper Martial Gathering. The second trial will commence tomorrow at the hour of Chen; everyone may rest and recuperate," Yingshi didn't even react.
She was still subconsciously circulating her spiritual energy until a white light flashed before her eyes. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over her and then slowly faded. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing back on the teleportation platform of the preliminary trial.
"What's going on?"
In Yingshi's mind, she was still in the middle of a brawl.
She was dazed for a moment before hurriedly looking at the beaded bracelet on her wrist. Confirming it was still perfectly intact, that meant... She quickly looked left and right to check. Most of the stone platforms around her had gone dark; some held dejected people, while others were completely empty.
Including the platform she was standing on, exactly one hundred stone platforms were still lit—no more, no less!
It turned out she had been so absorbed in the fight that she hadn't even heard the final announcement from the Voice of Heaven!
A delayed sense of joy wrapped around her heart. Yingshi desperately wanted to jump up and down on the spot, but since everyone around her was acting completely unfazed, she had to pretend to be calm as well, only allowing the corners of her lips to curve up silently.
This was great; she had performed even better than in the original novel!
In the original story, Xu Yingshi had failed to qualify for the second trial of the Heavenly Dipper Martial Gathering, which essentially put her offline for the subsequent plot. She only reunited with Shuangjian after he passed the final trial and ultimately claimed the championship.
But now... Yingshi looked around for Shuangjian. When she spotted his somewhat distant figure, her eyes lit up immediately. Upon meeting his gaze, she bounded over like a joyful little puppy.
However, Shuangjian moved toward her even faster.
In the blink of an eye, he had crossed through the sea of people and stood before her.
The closer he got, the tighter Yingshi's chest felt. But after she actually caught the faint fragrance on Shuangjian, that inexplicable nervousness dissipated.
With the preliminary trial concluded, they now had an entire evening of free time.
"Shuangjian, with such a tight schedule, do we have enough time to unbind the puppet threads?" Yingshi asked hurriedly.
"It's enough."
"That's good." Yingshi breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking of the culprit, she couldn't help but grit her teeth again. "I wonder if that guy Qin Yuman is still in the Daoist One Immortal Alliance. If I catch him, I'll definitely get back at him!"
Hearing this, Shuangjian's eyes flickered for a moment before he spoke, "The fact that he has fallen to the demonic path has probably been discovered by the Daoist One Immortal Alliance. Right now, there are only two possibilities for him: escaping or being captured. Either way, it will be difficult for us to reach him now."
"Qin Yuman... fell to the demonic path?"
Yingshi froze in place. Which fanfiction's plot was this from?
This was never written in I See Frost and Snow!
Although Qin Yuman had an eccentric personality, twisted values, and the puppet arts he excelled at were quite sinister, he fundamentally cultivated using orthodox spiritual energy. In the story, his role had always been a neutral troublemaker who just wanted to watch the world burn, not a rebellious demonic cultivator!
And why did Shuangjian know things that she didn't?
Had she missed some important plot point?
That shouldn't be the case; they had been together the whole time!
Just as she was feeling bewildered, she saw the crowd surging toward the exit come to a halt. Several elders dressed in the attire of the Daoist One Immortal Alliance stood at the front, blocking the way. One of them, with a gaze as sharp as lightning, swept his eyes over the entire venue. His voice was not loud, but it clearly suppressed all the noise. With a solemn expression, he announced, "A demonic cultivator has infiltrated the participating disciples of this year's Heavenly Dipper Martial Gathering."
"Whoa—"
His words caused a massive uproar. The disciples, who had been so composed that they hadn't even shown any joy after passing the preliminary trial, suddenly broke out into a commotion.
Demonic cultivators were simply too unfamiliar to these fledgling rookies. Most of them had only ever read about them in ancient texts or heard about them from their elders.
Panic quickly spread through the crowd. Everyone instinctively distanced themselves from the strangers around them, terrified that the hidden demonic cultivator might be standing right next to them.
The elder then added, "Please remain calm, everyone. That demonic cultivator has already... been subdued by the Immortal Alliance. However, just in case, we must now inspect the spiritual altars of all the disciples who passed the preliminary trial one by one to verify your identities."
Someone in the crowd immediately asked, "Who is that demonic cultivator? Can you make their identity public?"
They were terrified that they might have come into contact with the demonic cultivator without knowing it.
"...Silence."
The elder did not answer. He merely gestured for the disciples at the very front to go and accept the inspection from the Immortal Alliance elders.
Yingshi was utterly bewildered by this bizarre turn of events. She could only silently grip Shuangjian's hand and whisper in his ear, "Is the demonic cultivator really Qin Yuman? How did you know?"
Shuangjian also lowered his head and whispered back, "When I fought him, I sensed demonic energy similar to that of Mi Ruotian. Even if the events that occurred within the trial grounds cannot be displayed exactly as they happened before the examiners' eyes, the surging of auras inside cannot escape their perceptive gaze. It's only natural that Qin Yuman was discovered."
...
On the other side of the Daoist One Immortal Alliance, inside the main hall of the Reflecting Snow Peak.
Bai Fangsui was kneeling on the floor, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"Master, are you saying that the demonic cultivator is that rogue cultivator who specializes in puppet arts, and not Han Shuangjian from the Cloud Water Sect?" She shook her head incessantly. "But it's impossible for this disciple to be mistaken... When I fought him, I felt a unique, sinister chill. I was almost consumed by the backlash of that power!"
Perfected Lord Suhua sat quietly at the head of the hall. His facial features were obscured by the swirling spiritual mist, making it hard to see clearly. He simply said indifferently, "You fell under his nightmare spell."
"A nightmare spell?" Bai Fangsui bit her lip. "But..."
But how could an ordinary disciple from a tiny sect have a nightmare spell so advanced that it destabilized her Dao heart?!
Bai Fangsui lowered her head in embarrassment, ultimately failing to voice her complete thought.
Perfected Lord Suhua seemed to sigh softly, speaking in a leisurely tone, "You have an upright and unyielding nature, and you abhor evil as a deadly foe. This is the foundation of a divine maiden. However, what is too rigid breaks easily, and obsession becomes a hindrance... You absolutely must not let this matter become a knot in your heart."
"..."
"If you still harbor doubts in your heart and are unwilling to accept this, then there is no need to agonize over it pointlessly. The second trial is imminent. You might as well test your skills against him personally. When the time comes, you will naturally understand what is real and what is illusion."
Bai Fangsui's fingers curled up slightly, and she said with a pale face, "...But Bai Feng has already been eliminated."
"Then why not let the real Bai Fangsui participate?" Perfected Lord Suhua lowered his gaze and suddenly murmured, "As it happens, the contents of the second trial have been adjusted. It makes for an exceptionally fitting opportunity for you to gain some experience..."
