Chapter 150: The Folding Fan and the Nightmare

Liu Li was lost in memory, while Xue Ze was lost in a dream, and neither could control their emotions.

The folding fan still lay quietly on the ground.

It was an indescribable dream. Xue Ze seemed both an observer and a participant, lost in confusion and unable to distinguish one from the other, yet every sensation was unusually clear.

The heavens and earth stretched vast and dim beneath the ceaseless sound of wind and snow.

The Snowbound Realm was blanketed in snow. Beneath the layers of ice lay frost, and beneath the frost stood a palace. Flowers from the snowy land bloomed through the ice, as though adorning the palace itself, their beautiful colors shimmering within the crystal palace.

Xue Ze found herself inside the palace, yet she knew everything happening beyond it. This was the Ice Palace, a place she had never visited but somehow knew intimately.

“How did I get here? How could I possibly come here?”

After some thought, Xue Ze decided to leave and return to the place where she belonged.

She crossed one flight of stairs after another and found that she could pass straight through the Snowbound Realm to the foot of the Ice Osmanthus Tree. There was no trial to overcome, no direction to seek, and no need to fear the howling wind or blinding snow. The palace’s crystal steps led directly to the summit.

It was not cold in the slightest. The snowflakes and icy wind were as graceful as dancers moving to music, while the noble, translucent Ice Osmanthus exuded a strange fragrance.

When she reached the tree, the Ice Osmanthus actually began to shed its blossoms, like pear blossoms falling in a spring breeze. Xue Ze raised her head and saw crystals hanging from the branches.

They were three-colored crystals, each shining with dazzling radiance. Every one was breathtakingly beautiful, and the light of these peerless sacred treasures illuminated the entire mountain.

“Where are the snow lotuses?” Xue Ze wondered aloud.

Suddenly, the cries of snow eagles rang out beside her, drawing her gaze away.

Then she caught a floral fragrance—an indescribably pure scent that overwhelmed every other smell. Following it, she saw one blossom, then another, growing beneath the circular platform at the mountaintop.

They were spotless and pure, their elegant fragrance faint and secluded. These were Ice Crystal Lotuses. One bloomed in each direction—east, west, north, and south.

“So that’s why first-grade snow lotuses are so rare. One blooms only once every thousand years, and only four appear at a time. Since no one has come to harvest them for so long, naturally there are only four!”

Xue Ze had just reached out to touch one when a white phoenix suddenly blocked her path.

“Oh? I thought I had become omnipotent. I never imagined I still couldn’t touch a sacred treasure. But where did you come from, guardian?”

The phoenix was snow-white from head to tail, noble and beautiful. It seemed to be the guardian of this snowy realm.

“Are you the Ice Phoenix that protects the Snowbound Realm? Why have I seen only the snow eagles and never you? Where have you been?”

The phoenix gave a soft cry, producing a clear, ringing note. Xue Ze did not quite understand it. Before the sound had faded, the phoenix glanced at her and began walking down the mountain.

“Wait, where are you going? Why are you ignoring me?”

After a moment of bewilderment, Xue Ze followed it downhill and discovered snow lotuses of other colors.

“Wow, are these second-grade snow lotuses?”

She was just about to examine them more closely when everything before her eyes turned white. The phoenix suddenly flipped her onto its back and carried her away.

Lying on its soft back, Xue Ze glanced behind her. The Ice Osmanthus had suddenly lost all its color. Every crystal had vanished, and the snow lotuses had withered.

“What happened?”

Terrified, Xue Ze tried to return, but the phoenix carried her farther and farther away.

“Put me down! Something has happened to my Snowbound Realm!” she shouted.

Suddenly, Xue Ze felt uncomfortable all over. At the same time, she sensed warmth in the palm of her hand, and the feeling gradually became clearer.

She started in alarm. Every sensation vanished, and Xue Ze opened her eyes.

“You?”

“You!”

Liu Li gave an awkward smile, his face slightly flushed, and released her hand.

“Are you all right? What happened?”

Xue Ze struggled to sit up and answered, “I’m fine. I only had a dream.”

“A nightmare? You looked so frightened.”

Xue Ze nodded. “It was a strange dream.”

“Since it was only a dream, don’t dwell on it. Reality may not be so terrible.”

Xue Ze lowered her head in thought, feeling somewhat tense. Why had she dreamed of that scene? Could it be a warning of something to come?

Xue Ze had never believed in dreams. She had always thought they were no more than unresolved feelings or wandering thoughts, but the dream she had experienced before her decisive battle with her senior sister at the Artifact Sect had left a shadow over her heart. After all, some of the things in that dream had happened in another form. There always seemed to be inexplicable connections between them.

Seeing Xue Ze deep in thought, Liu Li could not help becoming troubled as well.

“What are you thinking about?”

Xue Ze came back to herself and looked at him.

“Nothing. You look weak. It would be best for you to return as soon as possible.” Though Liu Li wished he could remain beside Xue Ze at all times, he was in no hurry. Her safety came first.

“I do need to return soon, but first I must escort you somewhere safe. I may sometimes lack the strength to go on, but I can still protect you. The mortal world is hardly peaceful. Demons and monsters are scattered everywhere, so we must remain cautious.”

“That may be true, but you needn’t worry about me. I have my own way of surviving in the mortal world. Besides, the Divine Pearl can help me overcome demons and monsters. What is there to fear? You, on the other hand, have exhausted yourself on my behalf. I truly don’t know how to repay you, and I cannot help worrying.”

Xue Ze smiled and shook her head. “There is no need for such courtesy. It is my duty, so you needn’t thank me. The Divine Pearl is not effective against everything, either, so you must still be careful. The Red Sun Divine Pearl is in the hands of the Demon Overlord. You must not reveal the pearl before him, or it will lead to grave consequences.”

“What happens when the two Divine Pearls are united? And why must this red star appear in the world?”

“The Red Sun and Blood Moon are objects of pure yang, and their power resonates with the Fire Demon’s arts. If he obtains both pearls, he will master a supreme technique and become invincible. The red star is a sign of destiny. When the Red Sun falls, the Fire Demon will have been destroyed.”

“I see! It seems the Divine Pearls are not flawless treasures. Why not destroy them outright?”

“That would indeed avert a great disaster, but they are divine objects, and their hearts are bound to their masters. All sentient treasures obey only their chosen masters. In your hands, they pose no great danger. Keep them safe and use them properly.”

“You trust me that much?”

Xue Ze nodded. “I believe you will become a wise ruler and a great man remembered for generations. You may even have a part to play in bringing peace to the mortal world.”

Liu Li was overjoyed, though he kept his delight carefully restrained.

“With those words from you, I will certainly do my utmost. I will not betray your hopes, nor will I fail the people of the world. But there is something else I would like to ask.”

“If you have a question, ask it directly. There is no need to hesitate.”

Liu Li thought for a moment, then looked straight at Xue Ze and asked with a smile, “Do you know why my name is Liu Li, and why my courtesy name is Bai Shan?”

Xue Ze considered this and shook her head.

“Liu Li was probably the name your father gave you. Bai Shan is a fine name, but I do not know where it came from. Why do you ask?”

Liu Li lowered his head with a faint smile and asked softly, “Do the words Bai Shan truly evoke nothing in you?”

Xue Ze tilted her head and thought for a while before giving a foolish little smile.

“The name sounds like that of someone I once knew.”

“Oh? Did you know someone called that?” Liu Li asked excitedly, thinking, Could it be that you still remember?

“I don’t know. It simply feels familiar. Enough of that. I want to ask you—where did that fan come from?”

“Could you call it something else?”

Xue Ze paused. “I forgot. My apologies. Bai Shan, would you tell me the story of this folding fan?”

“Actually, you may call me whatever you wish. Names are only surfaces.”

Xue Ze nodded, though she did not seem to fully understand. Her eyes remained fixed on the fan, and she had also realized why she had fallen asleep. How many objects in the mortal world could break through her shield and plunge her into a nightmare?

Liu Li took out the fan and handed it to her with a smile.

“This fan came from Kunlun. To be honest, I have often dealt with Kunlun and have some friendship with Sect Leader Yu. The fan has been with me since childhood. I heard that the sect leader gave it to me.”

“Oh? Kunlun possesses a divine fan of this kind?”

Xue Ze was deeply puzzled. Such an extraordinary fan—why had her father possessed it? Her mother likely knew nothing about it either. Why was it in Liu Li’s hands?

Liu Li smiled faintly and deliberately asked, “Kunlun has a sacred mountain, and the Kunlun Sect is one of the great orthodox sects. It is only natural that they possess a fan like this. What is it? You seem rather familiar with Kunlun.”

“I am merely somewhat acquainted with the sect leader.”

Hearing this, Liu Li followed her lead.

“Indeed. Speaking of Liu Qing, I never had the chance to thank you properly. Liu Qing is now in Kunlun and has become Sect Leader Yu’s adopted son. It is enough to make anyone envious. I imagine this is a happy outcome you were glad to see.”

Xue Ze nodded blankly, thinking, How lonely must my father have been to take in an adopted son behind my back?

“By the way, why is this fan praised as a divine fan? I can see only that it is sturdy and durable, and that it can conceal objects. It seems more like a hidden weapon used by martial artists. My pearl is hidden inside it as well.”

Xue Ze examined the fan and found several mechanisms, but she could not activate them.

“Are ordinary people unable to touch mechanisms like these? Your fan truly recognizes its master.”

“It is strange. Like the Divine Pearl, it recognizes its chosen owner. That is why I placed the pearl inside it.”

Xue Ze nodded and sighed. “If I am not mistaken, this is indeed a divine fan from the Kunlun Void.”

“Really? What kind of fan is it? What is its origin?”

Xue Ze looked at Liu Li’s delighted expression and thought, I am sorry, but I cannot tell you. It is not that I distrust you. This fan is simply too powerful, and I fear it may bring about a catastrophe. It is better this way. Just treat it as an ordinary treasure and continue being your emperor.

“Bai Shan, I’m sorry.” After thinking for a moment, Xue Ze said guiltily, “It only feels familiar. I have searched my memory again and again, but I still cannot recall anything.”

Liu Li smiled, immensely pleased. Hearing her call him by that name was enough.

“It does not matter. Whether you know its origin or not, it is still only a fan. Whatever its past may have been, I will treat it well from now on. That is enough.”

Xue Ze nodded with a smile. “That is right. You must protect such a fine treasure carefully, and never allow it to fall into the hands of a villain.”

“Of course.”

Liu Li suddenly remembered something and hurriedly took an object from his sleeve.

“By the way, you must forgive me for taking matters into my own hands once again. Your pigeon flew in just now, so I removed the message from it for you.”

Xue Ze accepted the strip of paper and stared at Liu Li in astonishment.

“You—you were able to take the message off?”

“It is strange. Things from Tianshan should not be touchable by outsiders, but…”

Xue Ze froze and asked in alarm, “How did you find the message? And how did you remove it?”

“Was it difficult?” Liu Li smiled unconcernedly. “The pigeon was only the size of a fist. How could I fail to find it? It flew in while you were asleep, and it seemed eager to leave again. So I called it over and removed the message for you.”

“You used a summoning art?”

“Yes. Otherwise, I would not have noticed that it was carrying a message. You certainly keep your letters well hidden. The strip looked like an ordinary feather, and it could not be removed without magic.” Recalling the event, Liu Li was still full of wonder. “I never imagined that summoning art would work on it as well.”

Xue Ze immediately relaxed, thinking, Fortunately, it was because of the summoning art. I must tell Master to strengthen the messenger pigeons, lest any information be leaked.