Journey to the End of the Night

Chapter 1651 - 997: Moon Above, Ghosts Below the Clouds

Chen Xiaolan exhaled a breath of cold air, shaking her head in refusal to Meng Zifei’s kind offer:"Master, your health hasn’t been good these days, please don’t waste your spiritual power on me."

Amidst the cold mountains, thick clouds raced low, brushing against the swaying treetops, with occasional bursts of night light sprinkling cold starlight.

This phenomenon made Meng Zifei frown deeply, hiding his body within the shadows of the dense leaves.

He watched the starlight that fell onto the snow, his face pale as paper, with heavy shadows under his eyes.

Meng Zifei could only lean crookedly against a winter tree, barely managing to stand, looking extremely unwell.

Despite the heavy snow and cold, a hint of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

His hair, disheveled by the wind, was plastered to his gaunt cheeks by sweat, quickly freezing into ice in the biting wind.

He seemed to be in a daze for a long time before he realized what Chen Xiaolan had just said.

Meng Zifei slightly turned his eyes, gazing at the girl in the wind and snow, a deep, chilling gleam flashing in his eyes on this harsh snowy night.

Meng Zifei suddenly asked softly, "How did Xiaolan know that my health hasn’t been well these past few days?"

Meng Zifei’s face was hidden in the shadows under the trees, and his voice was as warm as ever, causing Chen Xiaolan to perceive no sign of abnormality.

She rolled her eyes in exasperation, saying, "Master, I’m not blind. Your face is as pale as a ghost, and you speak with wheezing.

Not to mention a cultivator, even a normal adult man, who is like you?"

At that time, the mountain wind blew harder.

Chen Xiaolan shivered, tightened her cloak, and rubbed her face that was stiff from the wind and snow.

"Master, avoiding illness and delaying treatment is not a good habit. You get sick once a month, and you never see an immortal doctor to check?

If you continue like this, even an iron body would not withstand it.

Disciple is still young, if we can’t make it to the Sea God Festival in Shifang City this year, we can go next year just the same.

Moreover, Xiaolan’s aptitude is dull, and I missed the spirit root auction in Dark City.

With such bad luck, I feel there’s no hope of awakening a talisman spirit.

Master, see how the wind and snow are getting heavier, why don’t we find a cave to avoid the storm, and head to Shifang City tomorrow.

I heard that many dignitaries will attend the Shifang City auction this time. If we can meet Hall Master Lin Xi of Cangwu Palace, she’s skilled in medical arts.

Perhaps, with some luck, she could have a look at your condition. With her abilities, she’s sure to cure your chronic illness."

Chen Xiaolan rambled on for a long while, then suddenly there was a soft ’pat’ sound. A heap of snow fell from the bent branches, extinguishing the torch in Meng Zifei’s hand.

His face, half shadowed, was completely engulfed by darkness, the chilly wind carrying a faint scent of blood.

Under the trees, the man’s robe billowed in the strong wind, and he suddenly coughed lowly, stepping further out of the shadow.

The torch in his hand suddenly ignited spontaneously, casting an eerie calm on his profile.

Chen Xiaolan finally sensed something amiss, looking at the entirely different aura of Meng Zifei, a vague sense of unease stirring within her.

She involuntarily stepped back half a step, murmuring, "M-Master? What’s wrong?"

Meng Zifei continued coughing, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his lips.

He nonchalantly wiped the blood from his lips, his gaze dimming as he said, "Xiaolan, I underestimated you. You’ve been by my side for so many years.

Yet today is the first time you’ve seen me show weakness, and you already deduced it’s a chronic illness. Truly impressive."

"Boom!!!"

The torch in Meng Zifei’s hand suddenly erupted into intense flames, his pale face flickering in the blazing light.

The wide sleeves fluttered incessantly, and there came the sharp, urgent sound of strings through the wind and snow, piercing Chen Xiaolan’s eardrums painfully.

She screamed in pain, unable to respond, and saw the space before her being sliced by several invisible, sharp traces.

A sharp, icy breath came at her, and the urge to vomit twisted her stomach.

Under the overwhelming discomfort, her body, at its limit from the cold, collapsed, bending over with a burst of retching.

She vomited out all the fruit she’d eaten that evening.

But such a physiological reaction also saved her life.

Buzz—Boom!!!

Still in shock, Chen Xiaolan heard movements behind her, her face turning as pale as she looked around.

She saw a massive snow-covered boulder on the path she’d come being sliced into fragments by countless invisible threads, collapsing noisily.

Amidst the swirling snow dust, her expression twisted with terror as she looked at Meng Zifei in disbelief: "Master, have you gone mad?!"

Her mind seemed frozen and solidified by the chaotic snowy night.

Looking at the usually gentle face, fear gripped Chen Xiaolan uncontrollably.

Her limbs stiffened, body trembling, unable to understand what she had done to provoke such a reaction from Meng Zifei.

The master who was willing to risk a flare-up of his illness, forsaking sword control, to lead her across mountains to Shifang City for the Sea God Festival to help her awaken her talisman spirit...

Now wanted to kill her!

Like invisible threads weaving through the air, they swiftly recoiled into Meng Zifei’s drooping fingertips.