strokinit Chapter 19 Snowfield
Chapter 19 Snowfield
The scene shifts to the frigid far north.
The sky was a hazy gray, with leaden clouds hanging low overhead, as if they might collapse at any moment.
A cold wind howled, carrying tiny ice crystals that stung my face like knives.
Looking out, the world was a vast expanse of white, with snow-capped mountains stretching endlessly and ice fields stretching to the horizon, devoid of any greenery or life.
Deep within this icy world, a city stands silently.
The city wall is made of black boulders, and its surface is covered with mottled marks from the erosion of wind and frost.
Guards stood watch at the city gate, their thick animal-skin coats draped over their shoulders, their breath quickly condensing into frost in the cold wind.
The streets of the city were sparsely populated, with only a few vendors bundled up in their clothes occasionally pushing their carts past, the wheels crunching through the snow.
A handsome young man walked slowly down the street.
He wore a magnificent robe, the dark blue fabric embroidered with exquisite cloud patterns in silver thread, which stood out against the gray and white world.
There was no fluctuation of cultivation on his body; he looked just like an ordinary mortal rich young master.
This person was none other than Chu Yuan.
After leaving Xuanwu Kingdom, he traveled north, and after many twists and turns, he arrived at this place, Xueyu Kingdom, by chance.
Snowfield Kingdom is a level four cultivation kingdom.
The difference between a fourth-level cultivation nation and a third-level cultivation nation is immeasurable.
Here, Nascent Soul cultivators are no longer the rare, top-tier experts, but merely the backbone of the sect.
The true rulers are those at the Nascent Soul stage. They sit in charge of all directions, overlooking all living beings. With a single word, they can determine the rise and fall of a sect, and with a single thought, they can decide the life and death of ten thousand people.
Chu Yuan concealed his cultivation level. From the outside, he was no different from an ordinary person. Even if they were both at the Nascent Soul stage, it would be difficult to detect his abnormality without deliberately using divine sense to carefully investigate.
He chose this place to transcend the mundane and comprehend the essence of life within this world.
To transform into a mortal, one needs to choose a suitable place.
In overly prosperous countries, people are restless and find it difficult to find peace of mind; in overly desolate places, people are sparsely populated and find it difficult to experience the full spectrum of human life.
Although Snowfield Kingdom is a level four cultivation kingdom, the environment of its mortal kingdom is extremely harsh, covered by ice and snow all year round, frozen for ten thousand years without melting.
The people here live a hard life, their lives precarious, struggling against the cold and hunger every day.
It is in such an environment that the good and evil of human nature, and the joys and sorrows of life and death, are magnified to the extreme.
Chu Yuan walked slowly down the street, his gaze sweeping over the pedestrians who were wrapped in thick clothes and had hunched shoulders.
Their faces bore a numb weariness, their eyes dim, as if all hope had been worn away by the endless wind and snow.
"This snowy region is truly a barren land."
Chu Yuan murmured to himself, his breath condensing into a cloud in front of him before being dispersed by the wind.
"Even in this mortal kingdom, one can sense the faint aura of death."
He shook his head slightly. The Snow Region Kingdom is located in the far north of the Vermilion Bird Star. The climate is harsh and resources are scarce. Whether mortals or cultivators, life is extremely difficult.
Mortals live with ice and snow all year round, often going hungry and lacking proper clothing, and their lifespan is much shorter than that of mortals in other cultivation countries.
Cultivators are not much better off. The spiritual energy is thin, and rare natural treasures are scarce, so their cultivation speed is far slower than that of cultivators of the same level in other regions.
Such a place is completely unsuitable for human habitation.
No wonder the future Snowland Kingdom would launch a war against all odds, just to escape this impoverished place. When people are in dire straits, they are capable of anything.
Chu Yuan pulled himself out of his thoughts and stopped thinking about it. He turned a corner and went straight to the front of a restaurant.
The restaurant was small, with only two floors. The wooden facade was weathered and mottled by the wind and snow. A faded banner hung at the entrance, with the words "Welcome Guests" written on it.
Through the crack in the door, the aroma of wine and meat wafted out, which seemed especially tempting on this cold street.
Having cultivated Taoism for so many years, he has not eaten mortal food for a long time.
He fasts daily, takes elixirs, and spiritual energy is the best nourishment for him; mortal food is no longer necessary for him.
But at this moment, standing in front of this restaurant, smelling the familiar yet unfamiliar aroma of cooking, Chu Yuan suddenly felt a long-lost feeling.
He couldn't help but think of the delicacies from his past life: hot pot, barbecue, spicy hot pot, crayfish... things he used to take for granted but hadn't touched in a long time.
Chu Yuan couldn't help but smile as he pushed open the door and went inside.
The restaurant was much warmer inside than outside, with a roaring fire casting a warm orange glow on the walls, making the entire hall cozy.
A few tables of guests sat sparsely in the lobby, mostly merchants and laborers, drinking cheap liquor and talking in hushed tones, occasionally letting out a few rough laughs.
"Waiter."
Chu Yuan walked to a table by the window, sat down, and gestured for them to sit down.
"Here it comes!"
A young waiter with a towel draped over his shoulder jogged over, his face beaming with smiles.
"Young master, what would you like to order?"
Chu Yuan casually took out a gold ingot from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
The gold weighed a full five ounces and gleamed with a warm luster under the glow of the furnace fire.
The waiter's eyes widened instantly, and his mouth opened but he couldn't utter a word for a moment.
He had worked in the restaurant for so many years and the biggest reward he had ever seen was only a few coins. He had never seen such a generous customer.
"Bring me one of every dish that's on your restaurant's menu."
Chu Yuan said casually.
Yes, yes, yes!
The waiter nodded repeatedly.
"Please wait a moment, young master! We'll be right there!"
He grabbed the gold ingot, turned, and ran towards the kitchen, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Kitchen! Kitchen! Bring out the full set of signs! The full set!"
Chu Yuan leaned back in his chair, his gaze peering through the gap in the window paper at the gray sky outside.
He'll probably be spending a good amount of time in this snowy country for the foreseeable future.
A lifetime in the mortal realm is neither long nor short, but one must eventually calm down and truly integrate into this mortal world in order to experience things that can never be reached in the world of cultivation.
As he was thinking, his brow suddenly twitched slightly.
At a table behind him sat three rugged-looking men.
All three were dressed in thick animal skin coats, and each had a hideous knife scar on their face, making it clear that they were desperate criminals who had spent years licking blood from the edge of a knife.
Several small dishes and a pot of cheap wine were laid out on the table. The three men ate with greasy mouths, occasionally letting out vulgar laughter.
The moment Chu Yuan took out that gold ingot, the three men's eyes were like hungry wolves smelling blood, and they all stared at him.
Those greedy eyes seemed to want to devour Chu Yuan and the gold in one gulp.
"Boss, did you see that? That kid just pulled out such a huge gold ingot!"
One of them lowered his voice, his eyes practically brimming with greed.
The man in the middle licked his chapped lips, glanced at Chu Yuan's back with a sinister look, and whispered, "I saw him. So young, thin, dressed in expensive clothes and spending lavishly. He looks like a naive young master who doesn't know his place."
The three exchanged a glance, and a sinister smile simultaneously crept onto their lips. They all understood each other's meaning from each other's eyes.