Chapter 54: He’s Really… That Special Kind of Special…

“Mu Yanran! Why the hell did you suddenly grab me?!”

Deep within the snowy pine forest, the fox girl leaned against a tree, arms crossed defiantly. She kicked idly at a snowdrift with one white-silk-clad foot, her stunningly beautiful face etched with pure annoyance.

Jiang Jinyue wasn’t really mad at the cold-eyed fairy in the black dress standing opposite her. No, she was furious thinking about how some mystery person had dragged her off into the woods, and He Yimo hadn’t even glanced back! Forget rescuing her; he hadn’t even noticed someone was missing!

“Grrrrr, it makes me SO mad…!”

She remembered vividly how, when she was trapped in that dungeon, He Yimo had burst in looking so anxious, his eyes fierce. He’d casually obliterated those disgusting Breeding Worms in seconds, leaving her completely dazzled. Swoon…

But now? Just because that simpleminded, sweet little girl Yun Jin was around, He Yimo suddenly couldn’t care less about her. Didn’t even seem to give a damn if she lived or died! Hmph!

“Hey,” Jiang Jinyue switched tracks, suspicion creeping into her voice as she thought about the ahoge girl. “Do you know what that Yun Jin’s deal is, anyway? What’s her background?”

(tln : ahoge is like plain simple-minded sweet girl with A STICKING ONE LONG HAIRRR on her head.  just google it for image )

“Yun Jin?” The black-skirted fairy raised an eyebrow, initially wanting to tell Jiang Jinyue to mind her own business. But as their eyes met, faint crimson patterns briefly reflected in her cold gaze. She paused, thoughtfully resting her chin on her hand. “Yun Jin… she seems to be a young girl with some talent for spirit communication. Her hometown is a small village just down this mountain… About three years ago, Junior Sister Mo came to Northfall Snow Mountain to eradicate an evil cult stronghold. Passing through the village at the foot of the mountain, Yun Jin used her talent to communicate with animals, helping Junior Sister Mo quickly locate the cult’s base. After the mission, Junior Sister Mo brought Yun Jin back to the Wuji Sect.” Mu Yanran explained calmly.

A moment of silence passed. She blinked, then, as if realizing something, abruptly drew her icy sword, her gaze turning sharp and hostile again—SWISH!

“You damn fox! You used illusions on me again?!”

Even with the cold blade pressed against her cheek, Jiang Jinyue couldn’t be bothered. She was still muttering to herself about Yun Jin’s history.

Mu Yanran’s eyes flashed with even more irritation. “Jiang Jinyue, I told you! If you dare use illusions on me again, don’t blame my sword if it ‘accidentally’ slips!”

“Heh,” Jiang Jinyue chuckled softly, three crimson fox tails materializing behind her. Her enchanting eyes, looking at the sword Kensei, were filled with pure mockery. “We’ve worked together for so long, yet you don’t even realize how many times you’ve already fallen for my illusions. You really think threatening me means anything?”

Seeing the other woman still looked unconvinced, Jiang Jinyue leaned in, parted her cherry lips, and delicately took the tip of the slender ice sword into her mouth. Clink.

Fox demon and sword fairy faced off in the swirling snow, locked in a tense standoff.

Finally, Mu Yanran took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and silently retracted her sword. Sheathe.

“What’s wrong~♡?” Jiang Jinyue purred, her peach-blossom eyes sparkling with wicked amusement. “Did a little flashback of the night in Mo Mansion was wiped out just play in your head for a second~♡?”

The white-haired fairy remained expressionless, the anger seemingly drained from her, just watching Jiang Jinyue with cold, empty eyes. The atmosphere grew silent and heavy once more.

“Let’s get back to business,” Mu Yanran finally said, her voice flat. “Regarding this Snow Village investigation… The Miyue Sect contacted me. They said the plan has changed. They no longer intend to leave the Child of Prophecy for Gu Wanglan…” She held her sword, calmly relaying the intelligence.

Hearing serious matters discussed, Jiang Jinyue’s playful smirk vanished, her eyes turning cold and sharp with calculation. “The Miyue Sect is worried Gu Wanglan has been exposed?”

“Who knows?” Mu Yanran shrugged helplessly, a cold smirk playing on her lips. “Gu Wanglan was just another pawn for the Miyue Sect anyway. Disposable whenever they felt like it…” She turned, gazing towards the distant snowy peaks. “The Miyue Sect wants my assistance… help breaking the barrier the Immortal Alliance set up around Snow Village. They plan to send their assassins under the cover of tonight’s snowstorm… Your job will be to pinpoint the Child of Prophecy’s hiding place. The Miyue Sect assassins will then eliminate the Child… along with all other Wuji Sect disciples present. Total annihilation.”

“Wipe them all out?” Jiang Jinyue blinked, a flicker of hesitation crossing her enchanting eyes as a certain someone came to mind.

Mu Yanran observed her expression. She considered saying something harsh but remembered Jiang Jinyue’s somewhat unstable personality and sighed, choosing her words carefully. “If you’re worried about that He Yimo fellow, you can take him away tonight befo—”

“Ridiculous! You actually think I would save him?!” Jiang Jinyue cut her off sharply.

The fairy’s eyes remained skeptical, but the fox girl just sniffed disdainfully, a cold, almost manic glint in her eyes. She lifted one white-silk-clad foot from the snowdrift, a disturbing smile twisting her lips as she recalled something.

“Mu Yanran,” she began, her voice taking on a strange intensity, “Aren’t you curious? Why would I, of all people, take such an interest in some trash destined to be cannon fodder?”

“I don’t care who you like,” Mu Yanran retorted dismissively, rolling her eyes.

But Jiang Jinyue ignored her, launching into her explanation anyway. “For so many years… I’ve seen countless pathetic fools who fantasized about defying fate and changing their destiny… Like you, once upon a time… or the previous Wuji Sect Master…”

“I said I’m not curious! Why do you insist on telling me?!” Mu Yanran frowned deeper.

Jiang Jinyue still ignored her. “So far, no one in this world has ever broken the Organization’s prophecies. No one has ever shattered predetermined fate.”

“But He Yimo is different! He broke the prophecy! He survived his destined death! His true nature, hidden beneath that facade, actually fooled the eyes of fate itself! Even the Organization’s prophecy just saw him as a worthless, hedonistic young master!” Jiang Jinyue spoke with rising excitement, her usually charming peach-blossom eyes gleaming with an unnerving, almost feverish light.

Mu Yanran frowned even harder, looking at her like she was genuinely insane.

But Jiang Jinyue surged forward, grabbing the front of the fairy’s robes, pulling them open slightly to reveal the creamy white curve of her ample bosom beneath.

“Mu Yanran! Don’t you get it?!” she hissed, her face close. “A He Yimo who can break prophecies is infinitely more interesting, more valuable, than any of those dime-a-dozen, so-called ‘Children of Destiny’!”

“So, no, I won’t save He Yimo!” she declared fiercely. “Because I saw it with my own eyes! I believe he absolutely cannot die here! If a few random Miyue cultists can kill him, then it just proves I was wrong about him all along! That he really is just another insignificant ant swept away by the tides of fate! And what’s the point in saving someone like that?!”

By the end of her rant, Jiang Jinyue’s emotion seemed to settle. She blinked, gazing at the stunned white-haired fairy, and suddenly looked bored. She let go of her robes.

Mu Yanran staggered back two steps, instinctively covering her chest, pulling her disheveled robes closed again.

“Forget it,” Jiang Jinyue scoffed, “Talking to you is like playing a lute to a cow. Especially a giant-breasted cow who seems to hoard all her nutrients in her chest!” As she spoke, her eyes were inexplicably drawn to the fairy’s impressive assets. She clicked her tongue, her earlier manic glint replaced by unconcealed envy. Tsk.

Mu Yanran’s expression flickered. She glanced down at her own generous bosom, which even both arms couldn’t fully conceal, then glanced at the fox girl’s petite ‘xiaolongbao’ (small steamed buns) that could fit in one hand… and somehow, the insult didn’t sting quite as much. She rolled her eyes again, turning away, deciding magnanimously  not to argue with Jiang Jinyue.

“A cow like you, tamed by fate, will never understand He Yimo’s true appeal!” Jiang Jinyue sneered. “We’ll just wait and see tonight.”

With a final cold laugh echoing in the moonlit, snowy wind, the fox girl turned, gave a dismissive wave, and dissolved into thousands of crimson flower petals, vanishing from the white-haired fairy’s sight.

After Jiang Jinyue left, Mu Yanran stood alone in the biting wind. She reached out, catching a few lingering crimson petals on her palm, her gaze slowly lowering.

Honestly… Mu Yanran felt completely bewildered by that whole exchange. She had no idea what she’d said to trigger Jiang Jinyue’s outburst. The fox girl had just suddenly snapped.

Maybe, like those books say, she mused dryly, people with smaller chests really do have smaller capacities for patience… and quicker tempers.

However…

“He Yimo… broke the prophecy?” Recalling Jiang Jinyue’s fervent words, Mu Yanran’s thoughts inexplicably drifted to her own stubborn Junior Sister—the genius swordswoman obsessed with locking herself away to study Go. But just as the thought formed, a brief, bloody flashback—a Go board stained crimson—flashed before Mu Yanran’s eyes. Gasp! Her hand trembled, dropping the petals. Even the rise and fall of her impressive chest quickened.

“Hmph. Such ridiculous fairytales… Only a naive fool like Mo Yuyan would actually believe them.”

(Meanwhile, back at the peak of Northfall Snow Mountain…)

“Yimo… Junior Sister Jiang… she really didn’t follow us,” Yun Jin said, her ahoge drooping, her face etched with worry as she gazed out at the moonlit ruins of Snow Village from the edge of an open-air hot spring. “Maybe… maybe we should go back and check? I’m worried something really happened to her…!”

Beside her, He Yimo had already shed his upper layers and was soaking blissfully in the steaming hot spring, eyes closed, completely relaxed. Hearing Yun Jin’s fretting, he let out a bored yawn.

“Relax. Jiang Jinyue won’t get into trouble,” he said dismissively. “She probably ran into Chen Jianxin down below and decided to tag along with them to look for clues, who knows?”

“But… we went back to the village entrance earlier and couldn’t find her… It’s the middle of nowhere out here! Junior Brother, aren’t you even a little bit worried about Junior Sister Jiang?” The wind blew past, making Yun Jin shiver. She hiked up her trousers and carefully dipped her cold little feet into the invitingly steaming water. Ahhh…

He Yimo opened one eye, glancing at the ripples spreading around her pale feet in the water. His thoughts drifted to the original story – this poor girl, so dedicated to finding the Nine-Colored Deer, only to die alongside it in the mountain temple. He looked at Yun Jin’s genuinely worried expression, then thought about the other girl, the fox who had nearly gotten Chen Jianxin killed in the original plot.

Who should he really be worried about? Wasn’t the answer obvious?

“Because,” He Yimo said calmly, gazing up at the moon, “Jiang Jinyue is much, much shrewder than you are, Senior Sister.”

Yun Jin blinked, lowering her gaze slightly towards He Yimo’s well-defined torso visible above the water line. “Young Master He… are you saying… Yun Jin isn’t smart…?” Her voice was small, her cheeks flushing slightly. Though they were talking about serious matters, her eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the eight-pack abs usually hidden beneath his shirt.

Honestly, after entering the ruined village, Yun Jin hadn’t known where to go either. She’d just followed He Yimo as he explored. Before nightfall, they’d discovered this steaming hot spring pool near the summit. He Yimo had declared they’d rest here for the night. Yun Jin assumed that meant setting up camp nearby. She definitely hadn’t expected him to just strip off his shirt, leaving only his shorts on, and hop right into the spring to relax!

Okay, sure, guys only really needed to cover their lower half… but just seeing He Yimo’s upper body was already… quite stimulating… for her innocent young heart.

And also… Was this really the normal physique for a sixteen-year-old boy?!

“My wise auntie used to say,” He Yimo began casually, stretching languidly and smoothly changing the subject, “that the hot springs in Snow Village don’t just heal wounds, they also restore spiritual energy… Senior Sister, are you sure you don’t want to hop in for a soak?”

Yun Jin’s face turned beet red. She quickly waved her hands dismissively. “N-No! No, thank you! I only brought this one set of clothes! If they get wet, I won’t have anything to change into…”

“Ah, true.” He Yimo sighed with exaggerated regret. Too bad I didn’t think to ask Mo Yuyan for a spare female yukata before leaving Ranmo Peak.

Silence fell between them as they quietly enjoyed the soothing warmth of the spring.

As a cloud drifted across the crescent moon, He Yimo, who had been leaning silently against a rock in the pool, suddenly opened his eyes.

“Senior Sister,” he said, reaching up to his chest, “Hold onto this jade pendant for me.” He removed a black-and-white, ink-wash style jade pendant threaded on a red string and handed it to the ahoge girl beside him.

Yun Jin looked confused but carefully took it, cradling it in her palm. “This is… Senior Sister Mo’s pendant?”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing valuable,” He Yimo reassured her. “It’s just for communication… You keep it safe for me for a bit. I suddenly need to… uh… relieve myself outside. Be right back.” He hoisted himself out of the water, dried off quickly with a towel, changed into clean clothes, and put his black, cold-weather windbreaker back on.

Yun Jin stood up too, watching him with worried eyes, wanting to say something but hesitating. “W-Well… be careful then…”

“You’re the one who needs to be careful, Senior Sister,” He Yimo replied seriously, turning back to her. “Stay right here, okay? Keep the pendant safe for me. And please, please don’t go running off looking for me just because you’re worried… If we get separated up here in the mountains, it’ll be real trouble!” He emphasized his words earnestly.

Yun Jin nodded obediently. But deep down, an indescribable nervousness gnawed at her. She had a strong premonition that once He Yimo walked away this time… he might disappear into the snowy night forever.

“Yun Jin, did you know?” He Yimo finished packing his gear but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he walked around behind her. He gently took the jade pendant she clutched in her hand, untied the red string, and carefully fastened it around her slender white neck. Click.

After securing it, He Yimo rested his hands on her shoulders, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. “Before we came to Snow Village this time, Senior Sister Mo specifically told me to protect you very carefully—” He leaned in slightly. “Senior Sister Mo said… that Yun Jin child is kind-hearted but far too naive. Always putting others before herself, even to her own detriment. She said if this silly girl ever left the safety of the Wuji Sect, she’d easily be tricked and abducted by bad people with ill intentions out in the Jianghu.”

“S-Senior Sister Mo… really said that?” Yun Jin touched the pendant resting against her chest, feeling unexpectedly flattered, her cheeks blushing.

He Yimo flashed a charming, cold smile, gently pinching her round cheek. “Nah, I made that up.” His tone shifted slightly. “She actually warned me not to be the one to trick you.”

“Eh? EEEHHH?!”