The Mysterious Tianchi Lake and the Village with Stories

"Big situation?"

Chen Chang'an looked at Da Huang with some confusion—was this guy being serious?

"Da Huang, stop messing around. What's really going on?" Chen Chang'an asked.

"Well, how should I put it?"

"The snow demons do exist, and their numbers are massive."

"I did a rough estimate—there are over a thousand of them. As expected of a pack-dwelling demonic beast, they’re different."

Over a thousand? That was indeed a considerable number, but what did that have to do with a "big situation"?

"But Cloud Snow Ridge doesn’t just have snow demons—there are humans too."

"And the strangest part is, these humans and snow demons are now gathered together," Da Huang said helplessly, glancing at Chen Chang'an.

Gathered together?

A brawl?

Unlikely!

If it were just a simple brawl, Da Huang wouldn’t have considered it a "big situation."

Could it be some kind of gathering?

But… wasn’t it said that the snow demons of Cloud Snow Ridge were inherently warlike and disliked humans?

"Stop dragging it out. Say everything at once," Chen Chang'an said, frowning.

"They’re worshiping!"

"The snow demons and humans—together."

"I discovered that at the highest point of Cloud Snow Ridge, there’s a celestial pool. Nearby is a village where humans have been living all along."

"And the relationship between the snow demons and humans seems… symbiotic. They coexist in harmony."

"But what they’re worshiping—I don’t know."

"That celestial pool is suspicious."

Humans living on Cloud Snow Ridge? No one in Yunchuan had ever mentioned such a thing.

"This Cloud Snow Ridge is quite interesting."

"Snow demons, humans, a celestial pool, worship."

"Feels like a place with a story."

"Let’s go take a look," Chen Chang'an said with a smile.

"Let’s go, let’s go! I’m curious too. This kind of situation is something I’ve never seen before," Da Huang said, also intrigued.

Since both Chen Chang'an and Da Huang were set on it, Gu Xian'er, as a maid, naturally followed behind them.

The two men and a dog ascended without incident, eventually reaching the summit of Cloud Snow Ridge.

The peak was a vast flatland, and the first thing that caught their eyes was a small village.

Smoke curled from the chimneys, giving the village a lively atmosphere—yet at this moment, not a single person was inside. Everyone had gathered several hundred meters away, near the celestial pool.

Around the pool stood the villagers and the snow demons of Cloud Snow Ridge.

Their movements synchronized, they knelt facing the pool, murmuring words too indistinct to decipher.

"They look quite devout. Could it be that their ancestors are in that pool?"

"But that doesn’t make sense—humans and snow demons sharing ancestors?"

Da Huang found it odd. Humans worshiping ancestors was understandable, but what were the snow demons doing?

Were their ancestors also in the pool?

"Da Huang, haven’t you noticed something off about this celestial pool?"

"Of course I have. It seems enveloped in some kind of energy—my perception can’t penetrate it."

"Honestly, if it can block my senses, this pool is anything but ordinary."

Though Da Huang wasn’t the most reliable, his strength was undeniable. If even his perception was blocked, this celestial pool was no small matter.

"Young Master, should we go take a closer look?" Gu Xian'er asked from the side.

"Wait. We have no quarrel with them—no need to disrupt their ritual."

Chen Chang'an shook his head and didn’t approach. Instead, he sat down nearby, waiting for the worship to conclude.

Time passed slowly. As the sun set, a strong wind swept across the peak of Cloud Snow Ridge.

"So cold!"

Gu Xian'er’s sudden remark made both Chen Chang'an and Da Huang pause.

Cold?

Gu Xian'er was at the ninth level of the Transcendent Realm—how could a mere gust of wind make her feel cold?

"This place really is strange."

"And it looks like they’re about to finish."

Chen Chang'an turned his gaze back to the celestial pool. The villagers and snow demons were gradually standing up.

Though divided into two groups, their interactions were harmonious—some villagers even exchanged smiles and words with the snow demons.

The snow demons, often described as aggressive and hostile toward humans, were now interacting amicably.

Suddenly!

A stir arose among the snow demons. Clearly, after completing their worship, they had noticed Chen Chang'an’s presence.

"Don’t attack."

"They’ve been here for a while but didn’t disturb us. They don’t seem hostile."

"Let me go and speak with them first."

Just as the snow demons were about to strike, the village chief stopped them.

Strangely, the snow demons obeyed the chief’s command without question, standing down—though their eyes remained wary.

Seeing the chief approach, Chen Chang'an stood up, offering a friendly smile to signal his peaceful intent.

"Young friend, what brings you here?"

"How did you know to come today?" The chief studied Chen Chang'an’s expression, searching for any hint of deception.

Chen Chang'an answered openly, hiding nothing.

This was merely a chance discovery—he had no ulterior motives.

"So it was just a coincidence."

"You’ve seen everything that happened here?"

"Why didn’t you leave? Why didn’t you ask?"

The chief’s meaning was clear: if they were curious, why not inquire? If not, why stay?

"Of course we’re curious."

"But… a gentleman knows when to act and when not to."

"Such an important occasion—I doubt you’d appreciate interruptions."

"Waiting a little longer isn’t much of a bother."

Hearing this, the chief nodded slightly, his wariness easing a little.

Gu Xian'er, too, admired her master’s conduct—such nobility and integrity.

Only Da Huang stood to the side, barely suppressing his disgust.

"A gentleman knows when to act and when not to"?

Since when have you ever acted like a gentleman?

"It’s getting late. Would it be possible for us to stay the night here?"

Stay the night?

The chief’s brow furrowed. This village had never hosted outsiders before.

Even those who stumbled upon it by accident were always driven away.

"Apologies, but we don’t accommodate guests."

"If you have no further business, you should leave quickly."

"There’s nothing here worth your curiosity." The chief’s tone turned stern.

Without waiting for Chen Chang'an’s response, he turned and walked away.

After all, they were strangers—the chief couldn’t let his guard down completely.

The chief led the villagers back to their homes, while the snow demons, though they withdrew from the pool, remained vigilant. Chen Chang'an and Da Huang both noticed many still lurking in the shadows, watching them.

"Talk about being cautious."

"What secrets does this Heavenly Pool hold that have them so on edge?" The more they acted this way, the more curious Chen Chang'an became.

"How about we make a nighttime raid on the Heavenly Pool?" Da Huang asked excitedly.