Chapter 11

Early the next morning, Luo Han once again dragged herself out of bed, preparing to search for the last remaining Crane Orchid in the Far North.
Everything in sight was white—white sky, white earth. After staring too long at such a landscape, it was easy to lose all sense of depth and direction.
Ling Qingxiao told her, “Don’t keep staring downward. It’ll strain your eyes.”
Luo Han obeyed and looked away. Sure enough, when she shifted her gaze, all she could see was a vast, featureless void.
She had been wearing her veiled hat for days now. While it shielded her from prying eyes, it did nothing to filter out the harsh glare of the snow.
Just as she was rubbing her eyes, a hand extended toward her. Resting in its palm was a thin piece of white gauze.
Ling Qingxiao said, “I’ve cast a spell on it. If you cover your eyes with this, the snow won’t hurt them.”
Luo Han glanced at him in surprise. Lifting her veil slightly with one hand, she took the cloth with the other. As soon as she pressed it over her eyes, a soothing coolness spread across them, and the dizziness from the snow’s glare disappeared.
With the gauze in place, the endless white no longer stung her vision.
Ling Qingxiao practiced ice-based techniques, so the freezing landscape had no effect on him.
Ye Zinan, however—being a creature of fire—was having an absolutely miserable time.
Since arriving in the Far North, he had been listless, uninterested even in looking for the orchid. Now that they had arrived at their destination, they descended from the sky to search on foot. Lagging behind the group, Ye Zinan sneezed nonstop.
“I hate this place.”
Luo Han sighed. “Just hold on a little longer. The Crane Orchid should be close. Once we find it, we can leave.”
Ye Zinan sniffled pitifully and nodded.
This land was barren and desolate, covered in snow deep enough to reach their knees. Luo Han and Ye Zinan struggled to wade through it, while Ling Qingxiao moved effortlessly ahead, leaving no trace of his steps.
Suddenly, he unsheathed his sword and swept it across the snow.
A tidal wave of ice crystals rose into the air, swirling in an ethereal mist.
Luo Han and Ye Zinan—both weaklings in combat—instinctively covered their eyes.
By the time they looked again, a luminous, crystalline flower had emerged from the snow, glowing with spiritual energy.
Ye Zinan let out a half-hearted sigh. “Ah. So that’s that.”
As experience had taught them, wherever a Crane Orchid bloomed, a guardian beast was never far behind.
Ye Zinan, now familiar with the routine, lazily drew a formation around himself and Luo Han, then patted the ground beside him.
“Alright. Our work here is done. Come sit.”
By now, Luo Han and Ye Zinan had no role in battle whatsoever. Ye Zinan used to try helping out, but he quickly realized that whenever he stayed out of it, fights ended much faster.
After many such humiliating experiences, he had learned to accept his status as a weakling.
The wind howled across the snowfields. Luo Han’s veil fluttered in the gusts, blending seamlessly with her white robes as if she were a celestial maiden poised to take flight.
Draped in layers of pure white, she stood in the boundless, glistening snow, ethereal and dreamlike.
Through her gauze-covered vision, she could make out a massive snow beast surging forth.
It had no fixed form, merging freely with the storm. Even when shattered, it could instantly reform.
An endlessly regenerating foe—the worst kind to deal with.
Luo Han frowned in concern, then glanced down to find Ye Zinan already squatting, arms wrapped around his knees like a useless lump.
Fury surged through her.
“Get up!” she snapped. “There’s a snow beast out there! If you sit here with your head down, you won’t even have time to run when it charges at us!”
Ye Zinan shivered and shook his head. “Relax. With Ling Qingxiao here, it won’t come near us.”
“Since I don’t need to run, why would I bother watching?”
Luo Han choked slightly, finding herself unable to refute. Indeed, the Snow Demon had the home advantage: elusive movements, constant regeneration, a true nuisance. Against any ordinary cultivator, it would’ve been troublesome. Unfortunately for it, Ling Qingxiao also wielded the ice attribute—equally swift, equally relentless, and with formidable strength.
Yes, the Snow Demon was tough, but merely that. With one clean slash from Ling Qingxiao’s sword, it struggled longer each time to reassemble itself. As Ling Qingxiao’s attacks quickened, its regeneration slowed significantly.
Clearly, this Snow Demon was doomed.
However, just because their team leader was strong didn’t mean teammates could slack off. Luo Han stared at Ye Zinan with a disappointed expression, "He's powerful, but what about you? Even if you can't contribute, at least show some spirit. Get up!"
Ye Zinan remained crouched lazily, mumbling, "As if you contributed anything yourself."
"I’m tied to Ling Qingxiao." Luo Han admitted without shame, "Don’t compare yourself with me. I have connections."
Ye Zinan opened his mouth to argue but found nothing to say.
Luo Han's casual remark further reinforced his speculation—perhaps Luo Han was some hidden daughter of a powerful figure who kept her identity secret for certain reasons. After all, her extraordinary wealth despite her youth, her mysterious background, Ling Qingxiao’s overwhelming talent yet loyal obedience, all pointed in that direction.
When they had first entered the Biyun Secret Realm, Luo Han had effortlessly pointed out the exact locations of all ten He Ling Orchids by merely tapping on her bracelet. Asking about others’ artifacts was considered deeply inappropriate, so Ye Zinan never questioned openly, but he privately assumed that Luo Han’s bracelet was some kind of heavenly artifact allowing communication with her powerful hidden backer.
For ordinary immortals, the Biyun Secret Realm was mysterious and dangerous. But to those big shots above, it might be as transparent as clear water, and pinpointing some rare herbs’ exact locations would hardly be difficult.
In their team, Ling Qingxiao represented absolute strength, Luo Han represented power through connections, and only Ye Zinan lacked anything special. With wounded pride, Ye Zinan stubbornly retorted, "I’m just lazy! If I worked half as hard as Ling Qingxiao, I would’ve long ascended into an True Immortal."
"I don’t like hearing that," Luo Han replied immediately, irritated by such excuses. "Your willingness to work hard itself is a kind of talent. Ling Qingxiao is a fraction of your age, yet his cultivation matches yours, and his actual combat strength surpasses you by far. Just look at him, then look at you!"
Ye Zinan defiantly argued back, "I simply don't want to waste all my time cultivating! If I spent as long as him in meditation, I'd have ascended ages ago!"
"Ha." Luo Han gave him a gentle, pitying smile, "You think your lack of success is purely due to laziness?"
Ye Zinan fell silent.
"Wake up. Being lazy isn't something to boast about, and you’re just using laziness as an excuse. You claim you don’t want to be a boring cultivation addict, but the truth is—even if you practiced as diligently as Ling Qingxiao—you’d never match him."
Ye Zinan’s fragile pride took yet another hit. He’d previously thought Ling Qingxiao was ruthless, but now it seemed Luo Han was the real demon.
While Ye Zinan sank into depression, Ling Qingxiao had already dealt a final, decisive blow. The Snow Demon disintegrated into glittering snowflakes, scattering and failing to gather again.
Luo Han turned joyfully, "You’ve already defeated it?"
Ling Qingxiao sheathed his sword and replied simply, "Mm."
Satisfied, Luo Han roughly nudged Ye Zinan, signaling him to start doing chores. Ever since Ye Zinan joined the team, he had become responsible for all mundane tasks—cleaning, carrying supplies, and harvesting herbs.
Luo Han clumsily rushed to Ling Qingxiao's side, excitement in her voice, "Great, we've finished here. Next is the west. If we hurry, we might even get out of this frozen wasteland before nightfall."
Halfway there, Luo Han suddenly felt danger approaching. An ice barrier rose instantly behind her, shielding her from a volley of icy projectiles. Startled, Luo Han glanced back, seeing that Ye Zinan had also come under attack.
A group emerged from the snow-covered forest, the leader yelling aggressively, "This Crane Orchid was already spotted by our young master. How dare you steal treasures right under the noses of our Zhongshan Ling family?"
Luo Han's expression darkened upon seeing them, and at that moment, the newcomers also recognized Ling Qingxiao. Ling Zhongyu raised his hand slightly, silencing the henchman who’d shouted. Stepping forward, Ling Zhongyu studied the trio, his gaze complicated. "Second Brother? Why are you here?"
Ling Zhongyu had entered Biyun Secret Realm specifically for this Crane Orchid. According to information from a family disciple, this rare herb grew precisely in this northern area. Previously, that disciple couldn’t harvest the Orchid as it wasn’t yet mature, so he had reported its location to the family in exchange for rewards.
Ling Zhongyu had come specifically for this herb, but along the way, disputes between Su Yinyue and Yun Menghan had delayed him. He’d just arrived at the location in the intelligence report, only to see Ling Qingxiao already there, and that bird clan immortal beside him was clearly about to dig up the Orchid.
How dare they! Ling Zhongyu considered the He Ling Orchid practically his already; there was no way he’d willingly hand it over. Narrowing his eyes, Ling Zhongyu stared coldly at Ling Qingxiao, resentment flickering in his gaze.
His quiet, aloof younger brother, who usually kept to himself, was now trying to snatch treasures meant for him. Ling Zhongyu was furious but hid it beneath a cold, indifferent facade. He spoke solemnly, "Second Brother, fate rewards those who discover opportunities first. This information was originally mine—you secretly saw my intel and deliberately rushed ahead to seize the herb. Your behavior isn’t honorable at all."

Author's Note:
Poisonous Chicken Soup Mentor—Luo Han.