Chapter 11: The iceberg is really cold.

Too close.’

It was really too close.

She could even feel the faint fragrance of her breath on her lips. It tickled, making her shiver uncontrollably. Fear, confusion, shyness… Su Li’er felt like her head was on fire!

‘The pain in my cheeks has subsided, but they are getting hotter and hotter.’

“Scared?” Song Ruoxue’s voice carried a hint of amusement.

“I… I was wrong. Let me go.” Su Li’er turned her head away, her heart about to leap out of her chest.

‘Am I… being teased?’

‘Or is this the big ice cold Sect Master throwing a tantrum?’

“Not so mischievous now?” Song Ruoxue seemed to be smiling in anger.

“I know I was wrong.” Su Li’er quickly shot cute little stars from her eyes, starting to act cute.

—Bite!

Her forehead was poked hard.

“Ouch—it hurts!” Su Li’er squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

What followed was the liberating feeling of her hands being released.

The blizzard stopped abruptly.

As if she had regained her senses, that piercing cold no longer eroded her body.

‘Huh?’

‘Why has the endless glacier calmed its fury?’

With a mixture of confusion and trepidation, Su Li’er slowly climbed up from the sofa, tidying her messy hair. Her little face was flushed, and her eyes still held a hint of moisture.

‘I can’t be bothered with that much.’

‘All in all, I’ve escaped a disaster.’

Song Ruoxue propped her cheek on her hand, her eyes holding a muddle of incomprehensible emotions. She slowly poured wine, drinking alone.

The sound of the pipa from the center of the stage continued, melodious and moving, making her mood even worse.

‘Honestly.’

‘If only it could be a little quieter.’

‘If only I had been a little more impulsive… that would have been nice.’

‘Sigh.’

‘Forget it. Junior Sister was just joking. She was about to cry from fright. How could I act so willfully… that wouldn’t be mutual affection, that would be me bullying her.’

‘I can’t do that.’

“Sect Master, Little Li’s face hurts so much. Is it swollen?” Su Li’er’s eyes were teary as she finally managed to smooth out her hair.

“It’s as swollen as a meat bun,” Song Ruoxue laughed.

Su Li’er placed her small hands on her cheeks and gently rubbed them.

‘So hot.’

‘The big ice cold Sect Master is really ruthless!’

‘And super, super scary!’

Recalling the scene just now, that cold and frosty beautiful face was so close. If it had been just a little bit closer, they would have kissed… ‘I don’t get it, what on earth was the Sect Master thinking?’

‘Does she think I was teasing her, so she’s using the same method to deal with me?’

‘Or… is it her way of testing me?’

The moment this thought popped up, Su Li’er frantically shook her head.

‘No, no, no!’

‘Absolutely impossible, this person is a complete and utter iron-straight girl…’

‘But what about me?’

Su Li’er’s eyes became unfocused, her thoughts drifting.

‘Why did I back down?’

‘That was clearly the result I wanted… if I could have kissed her, maybe I could have absorbed some alluring energy!’

‘Why?’

‘Why did I back down?’

‘It was because I was scared.’

‘If I had to do it all over again, I think I would still refuse… I would definitely refuse.’

‘But if I’m scared, I won’t be able to absorb the alluring energy.’

‘All my efforts for so long will be in vain…’

‘Ah, so annoying.’

‘This iceberg is so cold, much colder than I imagined.’

‘It’s my first time doing this kind of thing… can’t you be a little gentler?’

‘Maybe I should switch from defense to offense, and just attack fiercely?’

‘But what’s the best way to attack?’

“Little Li, what are you thinking about?” Song Ruoxue was somewhat concerned.

“Ah, Sect Master… Little Li was thinking that I shouldn’t have been so mischievous,” Su Li’er scratched her head.

The jade cup was full of wine, clear and fragrant.

The stone wall behind them still felt chilling, as if she was being watched.

Su Li’er drank it like cola, downing it recklessly.

‘Alright.’

‘A little dizzy, it’s going to my head.’

“It was my fault,” Song Ruoxue said, her eyes fixed on the center of the stage, her tone very light.

“Sect Master.” Su Li’er’s eyes were downcast as she hesitated again and again. “Little Li is a little confused.”

“About what?” Song Ruoxue was surprised.

Su Li’er pondered for a moment, then smiled. “I haven’t figured it out yet. I’ll tell the Sect Master about it in the future.”

Song Ruoxue rolled her eyes. “There you go again.”

Su Li’er stuck out her little tongue and continued to act cute.

At the center of the stage, the melodious sound of the pipa stopped. The strange thoughts in her mind also dissipated.

‘This is good. I don’t have to think about so many complicated emotional things anymore. Really, why think so much?’

‘Is it because of this Enlightenment Wine?’

‘It just feels strange.’

‘Eh?’

‘Why are all those female performers sleeping on the ground?’

‘Is this some kind of grand finale performance?’

Su Li’er was extremely puzzled. She looked around and saw that the guests in the surrounding seats had all fallen asleep on their tables.

‘What’s going on?’

Su Li’er rubbed her eyes, confirming that she hadn’t seen wrong.

“Little Li, you leave first,” Song Ruoxue said urgently.

Su Li’er was stunned. “What happened?”

“Soul-Devouring Incense. There’s an uninvited guest in the tavern,” Song Ruoxue muttered in a low voice.

“Is it a robbery?” Su Li’er was a little nervous. She had never encountered such a thing before!

“Just a robber.” Song Ruoxue paused and said, “You leave through the back kitchen first and wait for me outside.”

“No.” Su Li’er shook her head. “Wherever the Sect Master is, I will be.”

‘Aren’t they just small-time bandits?’

‘They can be easily defeated, right?’

‘How dare they interrupt my date with the big ice block Sect Master, they’re courting death!’

“Be good!” Song Ruoxue urged.

“O-okay.” Su Li’er shrank her neck. Compared to the bandits, the current big ice cold Sect Master seemed even more terrifying!

She had to obey for now.

Su Li’er left dejectedly, looking back every three steps as she went.

At the same time, she had a strange feeling, as if her whole body was hot, in a way she couldn’t describe.

The kitchen wasn’t far from the main hall. Su Li’er hid behind the door, peeking out to observe the situation.

“Hmph, that stinky Sect Leader wants to get rid of me, but I’m not leaving!”

****

At the entrance of the tavern.

A man with a scruffy beard walked in, bent over like a shrimp. His wrinkled face was full of sarcasm. “Sect Master Song, I’ve long heard of your great name!”

“Who are you?” Song Ruoxue’s face darkened.

“I forgot to introduce myself. “I forgot to introduce myself. I am Juesha, the number one expert of the Martial Killing Sect” the scruffy-bearded man said, cupping his hands.

“An assassin?” Song Ruoxue asked back.

“Precisely.” The scruffy-bearded man nodded. “The Thunder Mansion of Fengtian has come to demand the Sword Sect’s unique secret manual… Holy crap, you’re sneak-attacking me!”

—A sword light flashed by.

The scruffy-bearded man staggered back.

“You’re wasting my precious time. You deserve to be slain.” Song Ruoxue’s expression was cold.

‘No, I feel dizzy… The world is spinning, everything is turning upside down!’

‘This Soul-Devouring Incense is taking effect so quickly!’

Her footsteps were a little unsteady.

Song Ruoxue fell back onto the sofa.

“Sect Master Song is indeed formidable, to have resisted the Soul-Devouring Incense for half an hour!” The scruffy-bearded man clapped.

Song Ruoxue racked her brains to recall.

‘Could it be that the entire hall was filled with the Soul-Devouring Incense from the very beginning of the play… was some method used to cover it up?’

“It took a lot of effort to develop a Soul-Devouring Incense with the aroma of wine!” The scruffy-bearded man lamented. “Sleep, and then you will never wake up again.”

Song Ruoxue formed a hand seal and circulated her energy.

‘How can I faint at a time like this… Junior Sister is still waiting for me.’

‘I feel so dizzy.’

‘My consciousness is confused, my vision is blurry…’

‘I can’t faint, I have to wake up…’ The last bit of the image gradually blurred, and her ears were ringing.

‘This is bad!’