Chapter 42: The Hunter’s Mark

The tranquil days lasted for less than three days.

The snowstorm at night was several times fiercer than during the day.

Outside the tent, the wind howled like a banshee. Whirling snowflakes slapped against the canvas, sounding like countless tireless hands scratching at its surface.

Shen Zhaoqing had just finished half a gourd of *shaodaozi*, feeling a pleasant warmth spread through her body. She sat cross-legged on a crude beast-hide rug, meticulously polishing the Gui Niang Hu again and again with a clean piece of deerskin.

The ancient patterns on the gourd’s surface gleamed with a soft luster under the dim oil lamp. This humble gourd had been with her for many years, the sole memento left by the old shopkeeper.

As she polished with vigor, the tent flap was silently lifted by a hand.

There were no footsteps, no chilling gust of wind and snow rushing in, as if the hand had simply materialized out of thin air.

Shen Zhaoqing’s tipsiness instantly vanished by half. Almost instinctively, she clutched the shattered jade hairpin beside her, her muscles tensing in an instant.

A golden shadow brazenly stepped inside.

The newcomer wore a magnificent crimson-feathered cloak, which seemed to glow faintly in the dim tent, as if it could repel the very wind and snow outside.

“Hi~” Yuange’s amber-gold eyes sparkled in the flickering firelight, a playful smile gracing her lips.

‘Damn it!’ Shen Zhaoqing cursed inwardly, terrified. She felt completely paralyzed.

‘How could she find me even here?!

This is the Frost Iron Defense Line, deep within human territory! There’s a sentry every ten steps outside, and the city walls are inscribed with Immortal-Binding Array formations specifically designed to counter demonic beasts. How did you get in?’

“Shh—” Yuange placed a slender finger to her lips, smiling like a mischievous child who had gotten her way. “Don’t scream. No one will hear you, you know.”

As she spoke, she glanced with interest at Shen Zhaoqing’s practically bare tent, before her gaze fell upon the half-gourd of *shaodaozi* in Shen Zhaoqing’s hand, and she curled her lip in distaste. “You drink this? It tastes like horse piss. How can you even stomach it?”

Shen Zhaoqing’s mind was still reeling.

She couldn’t fathom how this person had managed to pinpoint her obscure tent without alerting anyone.

‘Could it be… she placed a charm on me too?’

Shen Zhaoqing frantically checked her wrist, but found nothing.

Before she could figure it out, Yuange impatiently strode over, moving with lightning speed. She effortlessly snatched Shen Zhaoqing, who was still processing, from the beast-hide rug.

The next second, the world spun.

Shen Zhaoqing felt her body lighten, and she was roughly hoisted onto Yuange’s shoulder.

“Hey! What are you doing? Put me down!” Shen Zhaoqing struggled, punching Yuange’s back.

“I told you, save your strength.” Yuange’s voice came from below, laced with a cheerful laugh. “If you keep wriggling, I’ll toss you into a snowdrift~”

No sooner had she spoken than Shen Zhaoqing’s vision blurred.

Yuange’s form transformed into a hazy golden streak of light. The tent, the camp, the distant bonfires… everything rapidly receded and stretched in her vision, finally dissolving into a chaotic blur of colors.

Only the whistling wind remained in her ears, so fast that she couldn’t even keep her eyes open.

Within a few breaths, that suffocating sensation of speed abruptly ceased.

Shen Zhaoqing was casually ‘unloaded’ from Yuange’s shoulder, stumbling and landing with a thud in the knee-deep snow.

She leaned on a protruding rock nearby to stand, gasping for air, feeling as though her internal organs had been violently dislodged.

Once she regained her composure, she finally looked up to survey her surroundings.

They were on a towering cliff.

Below lay a bottomless abyss, and opposite, an endless expanse of snow-capped mountains shimmered silver in the moonlight. From this vantage point, the entire military camp of the Frost Iron Defense Line was visible. The sprawling lights, like countless fireflies, appeared minuscule against the vast, boundless snowfield.

The sky was crystal clear, a massive silver moon hung in the heavens, and billions of stars, like scattered diamonds, adorned the firmament, seemingly within reach.

The night sky of the Northern Frontier was indeed breathtakingly magnificent.

“How is it?” Yuange’s voice sounded beside her, tinged with a hint of triumphant boasting. “What’s so great about the military camp? The night sky of the Northern Frontier is truly unparalleled.”

She stood at the edge of the cliff, her crimson cloak flapping in the night wind, appearing as if she were about to merge with the dazzling galaxy.

The familiar sense of numb speechlessness returned.

“I brought you to see the stars and get some fresh air. You’d suffocate if you just stayed cooped up in that shabby tent,” Yuange turned, her amber eyes shining astonishingly bright under the starlight. She advanced towards Shen Zhaoqing, cornering her against the cliffside rock, and slowly began, “And…”

A faint, sweet scent of feathers and sunshine, mixed with the unique fragrance of a young woman, enveloped Shen Zhaoqing.

This scent was more intoxicating than the strongest liquor.

And more dangerous than the sharpest blade.

“Even if you hide within this human iron fortress,” Yuange reached out, gently twirling a strand of Shen Zhaoqing’s dark hair between her fingers, her voice lowered, laced with a seductive smile, “even if that cold sword immortal protects you, you are still my prey.”

Her fingertip traced Shen Zhaoqing’s cheek, leaving a cool sensation.

“I’ll capture you whenever I please.”

“I’ll take you wherever I want.”

“Do you understand?”

Shen Zhaoqing: “…”

‘I understand, I get it.’

She had heard such words so often her ears were practically calloused.

The Demonic Venerable had said similar things, even promising her the back garden of the Infinite Demonic Domain.

And while her Senior Sister didn’t explicitly say it, the look in her eyes, as if she wanted to tie Shen Zhaoqing to her belt, conveyed the exact same meaning.

“This is what you agreed to yourself!” Seeing Shen Zhaoqing’s bewildered expression, like a ‘network delay,’ Yuange narrowed her eyes in dissatisfaction.

“Huh? Me?” Shen Zhaoqing was even more confused. She replayed every detail of her encounters with Yuange but couldn’t recall ever saying such a thing.

“Never mind if you don’t remember.” Yuange’s lips curled into a mischievous grin once more.

“It seems I’ll have to leave a mark on you then.” She grabbed Shen Zhaoqing’s left wrist.

Shen Zhaoqing’s heart sank, sensing trouble. She tried to pull her hand back, but found her wrist immobile.

Yuange bent her index finger, and a tiny, brilliant golden light, like a condensed star, lit up at her fingertip.

That speck of golden light gently touched the inside of Shen Zhaoqing’s fair wrist.

“Hiss—” A stinging pain, like being burned by a spark, shot through her.

Shen Zhaoqing looked down to see an incredibly intricate golden pattern rapidly spreading and forming on the spot where her wrist had been touched. It was the shape of a feather, with complex and ornate lines, as if embroidered with golden thread, vividly lifelike.

“What… is this?” Shen Zhaoqing frowned, attempting to rub it with her other hand, but the feather pattern seemed to be embedded in her skin, utterly unmovable.

“My ‘hunter’s mark’.” Yuange admired her handiwork with satisfaction, then released Shen Zhaoqing’s wrist, her tone full of triumphant declaration of ownership. “With this, no matter where you run, to the ends of the earth, I’ll find you instantly. And…” She leaned close to Shen Zhaoqing’s ear, her warm breath tickling it, “it will also tell others, especially certain ignorant individuals, that this prey already has an owner.”

These words were clearly pointed.

Shen Zhaoqing immediately understood that this mark was less for her own benefit and more for Gu Chang’an, for Ling Shuangjue, and for all those who eyed her with ‘covetous intent.’

This was an blatant act of provocation and a show of force.

Shen Zhaoqing’s face darkened completely.

She could already foresee the stormy expression Gu Chang’an would wear when she discovered this mark of the demonic beast royal lineage on her wrist, foreshadowing a tempest. At that point, she would be the one to suffer.

“You…” Shen Zhaoqing was so angry she wanted to curse, but found herself at a loss for words. ‘What was the use of reasoning with these lunatics?’

“Alright, snack time is over.” Yuange clapped her hands, seemingly quite pleased with Shen Zhaoqing’s exasperated and helpless demeanor. “We’ve seen the stars, and the mark has been left. I should go back now.”