#1250 - Chapter 1250 Endless Darkness
“Look, it's snowing on Zhongnan Mountain!” Ye Kong said, looking out the window.
Only then did Liu Ru Shi and the others notice and look towards the window. From the moment Ye Kong walked into the house, snowflakes began to flutter and fall on Zhongnan Mountain outside.
At first, the snowflakes were like scattered salt, but later they became like goose feathers, resembling willow catkins rising in the wind. Gradually, they submerged Zhongnan Mountain, covering it in white snow, preventing them from ascending despite being at the foot of the mountain.
When Liu Ru Shi and the others finally turned around, they saw Ye Kong's appearance. “Does the snow on Zhongnan Mountain have anything to do with your hair turning white?”
“It shouldn't be related. It's just backlash from interfering in things I shouldn't have interfered with,” Ye Kong said, looking at the heavy snow outside that showed no sign of stopping. He made a decision, “We're going to brave the snow and go up Zhongnan Mountain today.”
“What?” Qi Shan reacted. “Are you out of your mind! With this much snow, it'll be difficult enough just to go outside.”
“You can go back,” Ye Kong said to Liu Ru Shi. “Thank you for helping us so much. After I come down from Zhongnan Mountain, I will naturally come to find you.”
Ye Kong then looked at Qi Shan, “You wait here. If Ling Li and I don't return within three days, you can first return to Yunbian Town and then to the Taichu Institute to inform them of the news.”
Seeing Ye Kong acting as if he was making his last arrangements, Liu Ru Shi immediately chimed in, “I don't have any urgent matters right now, and I can wait a little longer. Do you want me to accompany you up the mountain? My father has some old acquaintance with Master Wuchen.”
“No need. The road ahead is long, and I must face it alone,” Ye Kong said, carrying Ling Li on his back. He bid farewell to the two, opened the door, and stepped into the heavy snow.
The gears of fate began to turn secretly.
As soon as he stepped into the wind and snow, an bone-chilling cold spread throughout his body. Ye Kong draped his thick coat over Ling Li, “Ling Li, can you hold on? We'll find Master Wuchen soon.”
Ling Li, still asleep, remained unaware of their current whereabouts.
Ye Kong sniffled and walked with great difficulty to the foot of Zhongnan Mountain. He raised his head and looked at the endless, towering steps that reached into the clouds, and a different thought arose in his mind.
Then, Ye Kong shook his head and stepped onto the stairs, one step at a time.
As soon as he stepped onto the stairs, Ye Kong felt the wind and snow intensify around him. The wind became stronger, and the snow became heavier. Ye Kong picked a straight stick from the nearby bushes to use as a walking stick and climbed upwards step by step.
The two people in the opposite inn watched Ye Kong's figure appear on the vast snow-covered mountain, gradually obscured by the wind and snow.
Suddenly, the door was violently pushed open.
The wind and snow blinded him. Ye Kong hunched over, not knowing how far he had climbed. Ahead was a sky full of wind and snow, and behind him was a vast expanse of white. Ye Kong finally reached a flat corner where he sat down to rest for a moment.
In the next stage, the steps were at a ninety-degree angle, requiring the use of both hands and feet, relying on the ropes on both sides to kneel and climb up. Ye Kong tucked the walking stick into his belt and grabbed the iron chains with both hands.
“Ah.” Ye Kong exclaimed. The iron chains on both sides were already frozen and icy. As soon as they touched his hands, they instantly tore off two complete pieces of skin.
Ye Kong quickly tore off two pieces of his sleeves and wrapped them carefully around his hands several times before climbing onto the iron chains, his feet stepping on the completely covered steps. Several times, Ye Kong's feet slipped, and he almost had to start over.
He managed to get through this completely vertical staircase with great difficulty and came to a gentle place. As soon as he sat down, he heard a “woof” beside him, and a white thing ran away quickly.
“Master, someone is coming up the mountain and has already reached the Daqian Gate,” a disciple reported.
Master Wuchen, who had been disturbed from his peaceful sleep, was very unhappy. “Drive him down the mountain.”
So, Ye Kong, who had rested for a moment in the gentle area, had just taken a step when he didn't know what he had stepped on. His feet slipped, and he rolled directly down the high steps.
Ye Kong didn't have time to react. He plunged his hands into the smooth snow and grabbed the iron chain to avoid rolling all the way down the steps.
Ye Kong took a deep breath and had to grab the iron chain and climb up again.
Soon, Ye Kong climbed back to the gentle area. This time, Ye Kong didn't dare to rest, but quickened his pace, trying to lean towards the side where he could grab something to avoid rolling too far.
The disciple continued to report, “Master, that person has climbed directly to the Beishan Pass.”
Master Wuchen sat up. “Who is it? Didn't you say that Ye Kong wouldn't come for several days?”
“It seems to be an old man with a girl on his back,” the disciple reported.
“Old man?”
“Report… Master, this person is Ye Kong. He is now kowtowing and begging all the way from Beishan Pass to the main courtyard,” another disciple reported.
Master Wuchen looked at the dark outside and the continuous heavy snow, not expecting that Ye Kong would not take the heavy snow seriously.
“Interesting.”
Master Wuchen wrapped himself in his coat, and with a wave of his hands, the falling snowflakes suddenly stopped in mid-air.
Ye Kong looked up and knew that Master Wuchen had come.
“Master Wuchen, I am Ye Kong. I beg you to save Ling Li!” Ye Kong shouted as he knelt and kowtowed.
When Ye Kong stood up again, a person wearing a plain coat stood in front of him, looking at him with a very scrutinizing gaze.
After a long time, he spoke, “You are Ye Kong?”
Ye Kong stood up, “Yes. My master, Elder Wang, should have spoken with you. I specifically brought Ling Li to seek help.”
Master Wuchen did not speak, but kept looking at Ye Kong, “The person behind you can still be saved. But what's wrong with you?”
“Me?” Ye Kong asked, puzzled.
“You are terminally ill and cannot be saved,” Master Wuchen said.
Finally, the endless darkness of the night passed, the morning mist dissipated, and the first ray of sunlight fell on Ye Kong's head, and the special effects of Ye Kong's body instantly disintegrated at the speed of light.
Ye Kong had forgotten something all along, and now he remembered.
“Have you come into contact with someone you shouldn't have come into contact with?” Master Wuchen helped Ye Kong up.
“It seems…”
Ye Kong wanted to speak, but found that the surrounding things flashed by as if they were accelerating. Before he could explain, he had already fallen into endless darkness.
