Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 36 - The Black Marsh (2)

Thirty disciples entered the mountain, but only twenty-nine returned.

The noisy crowd gradually quieted down, and Tian Fangfang realized that Zanxing was not back yet. She walked up to Ziluo and asked, “Senior Sister, why hasn’t Junior Sister Zanxing returned yet?”

Ziluo furrowed her brows and asked Tian Fangfang, “Were you with her before?”

“Yes,” Tian Fangfang nodded. “Junior Sister Zanxing wanted to find the Night Vine Branch, while I was searching for other herbs. We split up. After I finished picking the herbs, I went to the edge of the Black Marsh to find her. I saw that the Night Vine Branch had already been cut, and there was no sign of Junior Sister Zanxing. I thought she had already left.”

“She found the Night Vine Branch, but no one…” Ziluo’s expression grew even more grim. “Could something have happened?”

“Senior Sister,” the young man who had been bitten by a snake earlier spoke up, “I heard that it’s very dangerous in the mountains after sunset. Shouldn’t we find some senior brothers and sisters and go into the mountain to look for Senior Sister?”

On the side, Hua Yue responded indifferently, “Yang Zanxing didn’t follow the rules herself, and now she’s trapped in the mountains, expecting others to risk their lives to save her. There are many beasts in the mountains, and it may not be appropriate to rashly go there.”

Tian Fangfang was displeased. “So, are we just going to stand by and watch without helping?”

“Sister, has this situation never occurred before?” Mu Cengxiao, who had been silent all along, finally asked.

Ziluo sighed. “It has happened before. However, the mountains of Gufeng are very dangerous at night. To prevent disciples from accidentally entering, the Sect Master specifically placed restrictions at the mountain gate. Once the sun sets, no one can enter Gufeng Mountain. If you want to enter the mountain, you must lift the restriction.”

“Then report this matter to the Sect Master and ask the Sect Master to lift the restriction,” Tian Fangfang suggested hopefully.

Ziluo shook her head. “The Sect Master is currently in seclusion and won’t emerge until 81 days later.”

“Isn’t there anyone else in the entire Taiyan Sect who can lift the restriction?” Mu Cengxiao asked after a moment.

“There is someone, Seventh Senior Uncle can also lift the restriction. However,” Ziluo sighed helplessly, “Seventh Senior Uncle has left the Taiyan Sect for over a year now, and we don’t know when he will return.”

Silence fell around them.

In the distance, the starlight of Gufeng Mountain resembled golden mist, enveloping the dark peaks.

“Let’s inform the elders and senior uncles about this matter first,” Ziluo said with concern. “I hope Sister Zanxing is safe and sound.”

It was getting colder and colder.

Zanxing rose up and leaned against a tree.

Previously, Hua Yue had slashed her clothes with a sword, leaving her robes in tatters. Zanxing rearranged them, making herself look like a personalized fashion show model.

Taiyan’s faction favored a chilly and austere style. Though the robes were ethereal, they offered little defense against the cold. Those who practiced cultivation had decent physical conditioning, but whether it was because her elemental force was damaged or due to the peculiarities of Gufeng Mountain, it felt like wearing thin clothes in winter, making her shiver.

Despite the vibrant miasma lingering around, Zanxing felt nothing, perhaps due to the mint candy she had just eaten. It was already night, and Gufeng Mountain was very dangerous. Zanxing thought it best to leave sooner rather than later.

At night, Gufeng Mountain looked beautiful, different from the fairyland it resembled during the day, with a hint of eeriness. Distant shrieks of harpies and unknown beast roars, along with the howling wind and heavy dew, made it seem like a backdrop for wilderness survival.

She took two steps and felt the weather getting colder. Unable to resist, she rubbed her hands together and blew warm air onto them.

In the original world, if she were to freeze to death in the mountains instead of being killed by a monster, it would sound like a joke.

Zanxing pushed aside some branches and suddenly heard a faint rustling noise ahead. The sound, initially soft, took on a terrifying quality in the silent mountain forest.

She gripped the small knife at her waist, used for cutting night vine branches, and peered ahead. There, in the grassy thicket, was a coiled golden snake, about the thickness of a child’s arm, emitting a faint glow. Its body coiled, it raised its head and spat venom at Zanxing with a hiss.

Zanxing was prepared. With a swift motion, she raised her hand and slashed down. The snake’s head was severed, splattering green juice all over. Surprisingly, the snake’s head remained alive, still coming at her. Zanxing enveloped it in elemental force and delivered a forceful blow, finally shattering it into pieces.

Thanks to her previous encounter with Duan Xiangrao, Zanxing had experience in catching snakes. Carefully avoiding the snake carcass, she was about to leave when she sensed something amiss. She halted and looked back in the direction of the encounter.

The headless snake corpse lost its strength, its coiled body now limp and straightened out, revealing something that the previous snake had coiled around.

It was a golden egg.

While the dead snake looked dull, the egg seemed to glow as if coated with phosphorescent powder, almost blindingly bright. It turned out that the golden light from earlier didn’t come from the snake but from this egg.

This didn’t seem like an egg laid by the snake, it was much larger.

Zanxing didn’t dare to touch the egg directly. Instead, she crouched down in front of it, carefully observing.

The egg was about the size of an ostrich egg. At first glance, it looked like a prop from a real estate sales event where they give away golden eggs, the gold appearing somewhat exaggerated.

She lightly tapped the egg with the sheath of her knife. It remained motionless, but as she got closer, it emitted a soft warmth.

Warm?

Zanxing was stunned for a moment. This thing, carried in her arms, was a ready-made hand warmer!

She was a bit tempted, but she was also afraid that taking the egg would cause trouble. After all, it had been a long time since she had lived in the original world. After thinking about it, Zanxing urged the Xiao Yuan Pearl in her chest. The Xiao Yuan Pearl seemed to be running low on power, and under Zanxing’s forceful urging, it emitted a weak strand of energy, tentatively enveloping the qi in front of her.

Despite her initial lack of sensation towards the egg, as soon as she approached the egg, she felt a wave of comfortable and soothing warmth wash over her.

It was as if when she was sleepy, a bed appeared in front of her, warm and soft, like the fur of a pet, gentle and intimate. In just a moment, Zanxing made up her mind. She reached out and picked up the egg.

The golden egg didn’t look big, and it was a bit heavy to hold, but it was very warm. In the cold mountains, it was like a hand warmer, instantly warming Zanxing’s heart and body. It was also very bright, with its own lighting function, illuminating the path in front of her in an instant.

Zanxing walked forward, one foot deep and one foot shallow, while vigilantly watching the surroundings for any unexpected events. She didn’t even notice that the bird calls and beast roars that were occasionally heard in the mountains had all fallen silent at some point.

Gufeng Mountain was bathed in the bright moonlight, serene and tranquil.

—–

Author’s afterword:

This egg isn’t the male lead…