Chapter 111 Prelude to the Icefield: The Winter Training of the Part-Time Workers

The bustling city of Tianqi was gradually shrouded in the desolation of winter under the cold wind. However, the "Changqinglou Tianqi Main Store" inside the Taiji Hall was still bustling with activity, and business was even more booming than when it first opened.

There is no other reason.

Ever since Emperor Mingde (now the retired emperor) "tasted" the food here, officials and nobles from all over the country have considered it an honor to be able to book a table here. With Xiao Se, the former Prince of Yong'an and now the "Number One Abacus Master in the World," in charge, the prestige of Changqing Tower has been pushed to an unprecedented level.

But in the past few days, the regulars at Changqinglou have noticed a strange phenomenon.

Lei Wujie, the "chief waiter" who usually moved through the lobby like a red blur, seemed to have slowed down recently. Moreover, he was wearing a thick cotton-padded coat that was at least half a foot thick, and an exaggerated dog-skin hat on his head, making him look like a clumsy red bear.

Not only Lei Wujie, but also Wushuang, the "chief clerk" in the kitchen, was dressed in a peculiar manner. Over his thin gray cloth robe, he was wrapped in a thick layer of animal hide, and even the hand holding the cleaver was covered with thick cotton gloves. Although he was still using flying swords to cut vegetables, the flight paths of the thirteen flying swords had become noticeably more sluggish, and they would occasionally collide with each other, making a crisp "clanging" sound.

"What's wrong with these two kids? Although it's winter in Tianqi City, with their cultivation levels at the Free and Unfettered Heaven Realm, they should be immune to heat and cold by now, right? Aren't they hot dressed like that?"

A wandering swordsman sitting in a corner, gnawing on a demon whale's meat, couldn't help but ask Xiao Se, who was doing the accounting, for some information.

Xiao Se didn't even look up, his little abacus clicking away, but a gloating smile crept onto his lips.

"They are undergoing 'winter training'."

"Winter special training? Special training while wearing a thick cotton-padded coat?" The martial arts expert was even more puzzled.

"That's right. The master said that true movement techniques not only require speed, but also the ability to maintain speed in any extreme environment. Lei Wujie usually relies on the fire-burning technique to ward off the cold, making his movement agile. The master made him wear this 'ice silk weighted cotton coat' weighing a hundred pounds and sealed his fire meridians. If he can run at his previous speed while wearing this cotton coat without using the fire-burning technique, then his stealth steps will be considered truly mastered."

Xiao Se paused, glanced in the direction of the kitchen, and continued, "As for Wushuang, the master said that although his sword control technique was exquisite, it relied too much on the sharpness of his soul. So the master used the hidden force of the 'Frosty Palm' to seal off part of his senses, and made him wear thick gloves to practice micro-management under extremely dull conditions. This is called 'seeking sharpness through dullness'."

The martial arts expert was stunned and gasped in shock.

"This...this is too inhuman! This isn't special training, it's torture! Mr. Su's methods are truly extraordinary."

Xiao Se nodded in deep agreement.

It's definitely abnormal. But the effects are also obvious.

Just yesterday, when Lei Wujie was almost exhausted from being tormented by that hundred-pound cotton-padded coat, he actually managed to break through the speed limit without the aid of the fire-burning technique, leaving a faint sonic boom in the air.

As for Wushuang, although he still often cuts radishes crookedly, Xiao Se could sense that the violent sword intent belonging to the "Great Ming Vermilion Bird" hidden deep within the sword box was frantically accumulating power under this extreme suppression. Once it erupted, it would be absolutely earth-shattering.

"However, why is the master suddenly giving them this kind of special training? Is it to take them to some extremely cold place?" The martial arts expert keenly noticed the blind spot.

Xiao Se paused slightly as he fiddled with the abacus.

He looked up at the closed window on the second floor, a hint of anticipation and excitement flashing in his eyes.

"Yes... the far north snow region, beyond the heavens."

"There, there is the 'big snow monster' that Mr. prepared for Nuonuo, and there is also an old friend that I want to visit."

……

Inside a private room on the second floor.

Unlike the bustling activity downstairs, it was warm and cozy here. Su Changqing was leaning against a soft couch, holding a small wooden stick in his hand, teasing the talkative parrot that had had a few tail feathers plucked and was now huddled pitifully in the corner.

"Little Flower, give me a call," Su Changqing said with a smile.

The parrot (forced to change its name to Little Flower) rolled its eyes, but still, under duress, shouted in its hoarse voice, "Long live Grandpa Su! Grandpa Su is the best in the world!"

"That's so fake, so heartless. I'm deducting three ginseng seeds from your dinner tonight."

"No! Grandpa! My ancestor!" the parrot cried out, flapping its short wings as it flew over. "I'll bark! I'll bark, okay?! 'Woof woof woof!' 'Meow meow meow!' Grandpa, I'll bark whatever you want to hear!"

"Pfft!"

Li Hanyi, who was sitting to the side sewing winter clothes for Xiao Nuomi, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You shouldn't bully it. It's a spirit bird from Penglai Island, after all. You've made it look like a monkey performing tricks on it."

"A spirit bird? This thing that's plucked and has barely any meat?" Su Changqing curled his lip in disgust. "If it weren't for the fact that it can speak a few human words and can keep Nuonuo entertained, I would have thrown it into a pot and stewed it long ago. It just so happens that we need to prepare some dry rations for the trip to the far north."

Upon hearing the words "stewed," the parrot trembled with fright and quickly burrowed into Xiao Nuomi's arms for protection.

"Daddy, you can't eat Little Flower! Little Flower still needs to tell Nuonuo a story!" Little Nuonuo hugged the parrot tightly, like a little hen protecting her chicks.

"Okay, okay, you won't eat it. Daddy will take you to eat something even better."

Su Changqing walked over and kissed his daughter's rosy cheek. "Nuonuo, didn't you want to see the snow monster? Daddy has already made arrangements. We'll set off tomorrow to the far north snowy region to build snowmen, have snowball fights, and... catch a few snow monsters for you to keep as pets."

"Yay! Let's go catch the big snow monster!" Little Nuomi cheered excitedly.

Li Hanyi put down her needlework, looked at the father and son, and shook her head helplessly.

"The far north snow region, that's the territory of the Outer Heavens. Rumor has it that it's frozen year-round, with an extremely harsh environment, and is home to countless ferocious remnants of extraterrestrial demonic cults. Is it really a good idea for us to take Nuonuo to such a place?"

Although Li Hanyi herself was a sword immortal and had no fear of any demonic sect, after becoming a mother, she always habitually considered her daughter's safety.

"What's wrong with it?"

Su Changqing said dismissively, "Flowers in a greenhouse can't withstand wind and rain. Although Nuonuo has my protection, she also needs to see the vastness of the world. Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles."

"Besides, I've been wanting to meet those guys from Tianwaitian for a long time. I heard they have a specialty there called 'Ice Jade Snow Lotus,' which tastes amazing when used to make porridge, and it's also good for beauty and skin. I'll go and stock up on some."

It's all about food again!

Li Hanyi was utterly speechless. In this man's eyes, it seemed that all the dangerous and forbidden places in the world were just his vegetable garden in the backyard.

"By the way, is Xiao Se going along too?" Li Hanyi suddenly asked.

"Of course he has to go."

A meaningful glint flashed in Su Changqing's eyes. "The sect leader of Tianwaitian, Wuxin, was his good brother back then. One of them is an accountant in Tianqi City, and the other is a monk in the far north. It's time for them to meet."

"Unintentional..."

Li Hanyi murmured the name to herself. She knew that the monstrous monk known as the "Young Master of the Demonic Sect" was no pushover. If he really joined forces with Xiao Se, plus Su Changqing, the biggest variable...

It seems another storm is about to break out in this world.

……

The next morning.

On the main door of Changqinglou Tianqi flagship store, that familiar sign was once again hung:

[The owner is taking his child on vacation, so the business is temporarily closed. The return date is uncertain. If you want to eat, go to Quanjude next door.]

As soon as the sign was put up, the high-ranking officials and nobles of Tianqi City were filled with wails of despair.

"Another trip?! This Mr. Su is too capricious!"

"I just saved up a thousand taels of gold, planning to try that 'Heartbreak Rice' today, how come it's closed!"

"Be content. Didn't you see that the retired emperor (Emperor Mingde) was turned away yesterday?"

Regardless of what others say, the luxurious carriage pulled by four Jade Lions has already driven out of the north gate of Tianqi City amidst the wind and snow.

This time, the team is much larger than before.

In addition to Su Changqing's family of three and Lei Wujie, Wushuang, and Xiao Se, the three "top-notch employees," there was one more person.

King Xiao Chong of Bai.

No, he should be called the new emperor of Beili now, Xiao Chong!

He actually changed into civilian clothes and quietly blended into the group.

"Second brother, aren't you having a rather leisurely time as emperor?"

Sitting on the carriage shaft, Xiao Se looked at Xiao Chong, who was riding an ordinary black horse beside him, shivering from the cold, and couldn't help but sneer, "You have so many memorials to submit at court, and you come with us to the far north to starve? Aren't you afraid those ministers will rebel?"

Xiao Chong wrapped his mink coat tighter around himself. Although he was so cold that his teeth were chattering, his eyes, which had only recently regained their sight, shone with an unusually bright light.

"With the Grand Tutor and several senior officials assisting me in court, there will be no trouble. I have just ascended the throne, and I also need to go out incognito to investigate the people's conditions."

Xiao Chong spoke nonsense with a straight face, "Moreover, Mr. Su is going to the far north, a long journey. As the emperor of Beili, I should do my part as a host and protect you."

"Protect and protect? With your mediocre martial arts skills?"

Lei Wujie chimed in, "Second brother, I'm not trying to discourage you, but once we get to the far north, you might not even be able to beat a regular snow wolf. We don't want to have to worry about protecting you then."

"Insolence!" Cang Ming, the guard beside Xiao Chong, roared in anger.

"Alright, Zangming, step back."

Xiao Chong waved his hand, not angry at all. "Brother Lei is right. I didn't come here to fight. I just wanted to... see Mr. Su's divine power with my own eyes again."

In fact, Xiao Chong had another purpose in mind.

He knew that a celestial being like Su Changqing couldn't stay in Beili forever. Since he couldn't keep him, he had to cultivate a closer relationship as much as possible. This trip to Tianwaitian was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity. Even just serving tea and water would allow him to become a familiar face.

This is the mindset of an emperor, and also his way of survival.

The carriage left two deep ruts in the snow.

As they traveled north, the surrounding scenery became increasingly desolate. Snowflakes fell like goose feathers, turning the entire world white. The temperature plummeted; their breath turned to ice crystals instantly.

"Achoo!"

Despite wearing that heavy, hundred-pound ice silk cotton-padded coat, Lei Wujie couldn't help but sneeze. His fire-burning technique had been sealed by Su Changqing, so he could only rely on his physical body to resist the cold, and his lips had turned purple from the cold.

"Sister...Brother-in-law, how much longer until we get there? It's so cold in this outer world!"

"Soon."

Su Changqing's lazy voice came from inside the carriage, "See that snow-capped mountain ahead? Once you cross it, you'll reach the realm of the Outer Heavens."

Everyone looked up.

At the horizon where wind and snow raged, a towering, massive snow-capped mountain rose into the clouds, like a sharp sword thrust upside down into the earth, piercing straight into the sky.

The snow-capped mountain was icy cold, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression. At the highest point of the mountain, a magnificent palace could be faintly seen.

That place is the legendary headquarters of the Demonic Cult—the Outer Heaven!

"Unintentional..."

Xiao Se looked at the snow-capped mountain, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

four years ago.

What has become of that monstrous monk who once stirred up trouble in Tianqi City?

The carriage slowly drove towards the snow-capped mountains.

However, just as they were about to step into the snow-capped mountain area...

"boom--!!!"

The snow-covered ground ahead suddenly burst open without warning!

Amidst the swirling snow, a dozen white figures emerged from the snow like ghosts, instantly surrounding the carriage!

These people were all dressed in white cloaks that blended seamlessly with the snow, and their faces wore eerie ice sculpture masks. They held crystal-clear ice swords in their hands, the tips of which were pointed directly at the carriage, exuding a chilling murderous aura.

"The forbidden land of the Outer Heavens, trespassers shall die!"

A chilling voice echoed through the wind and snow.

"Oh, looks like they're not very welcoming to us."

Xiao Se sat on the carriage shaft, lightly flicked his fingers, but did not draw the Wuji Staff. Instead, he turned to look at Lei Wujie, who was shivering from the cold.

"Lei Wujie, aren't you complaining of the cold? Perfect timing, stretch your muscles and warm up a bit."

"Damn it! Xiao Se, you idiot! How am I supposed to fight when I'm frozen stiff?"

Although Lei Wujie complained, his actions betrayed him. He suddenly jumped off the carriage shaft, the hundred-pound cotton-padded coat seemed to lose its weight on him, and he pounced on the group of white-clad assassins like a tiger descending a mountain.

"Come on! Let me show you my 'fireless version' of the Unbounded Fist!"

Battle is imminent!

Inside the carriage.

Su Changqing was holding a roasted sweet potato that smelled delicious, and slowly peeling it.

"Nuonuo, look! The vanguard of the snow monster is here. Daddy will catch one for you to play with later."

The winds and clouds over the far northern snowy region were finally stirred up with the arrival of this carriage!