After the rain stopped, the sky cleared to reveal a soft blue hue, and the fresh smell of the forest lingered as the mossy grass dried. Morning dew began to form.
From a distance, Viper noticed He Xiao and could sense his pain, even though it wasn't her concern. Seeing He Xiao hanging from a pine tree, she decided to intervene, making their presence known with her Mimi Gongzhu.
Despite feeling hopeless, He Xiao's spirits were lifted when Viper arrived. She approached Chu Qiao and suggested, "Mimi Gongzhu, let's change our plans. We should help this man first and see his army of dry bones before their souls depart."
Viper then looked at He Xiao, who, feeling uncomfortable with the attention, wiped his face, turned away, and returned to the small firepit Chu Qiao had made earlier.
Chu Qiao stood still, gazing intently at the snow-capped mountains on the horizon. A blue-black lake, reflecting the gray rain clouds above, encircled by the mountains, looked like an umbrella over the lake.
Suddenly, Chu Qiao turned to Viper and asked, "Is this the direction to the frozen lake where you found me?"
Viper replied, "Yes, but we can take a shortcut."
Viper offered to guide Chu Qiao along the shorter route. Chu Qiao responded, "Even if we explore a thousand caves, it might not help me recover my memories. Perhaps the frozen lake's aftermath could help. Honestly, I don't feel like I was their leader. If I had been, I must have been foolish to let them suffer like this. I feel lost and responsible."
Viper, feeling the weight of Chu Qiao's burden, looked at her with sympathy and said, "If we take the shortcut, we'll reach there by dusk."
Chu Qiao nodded and said, "We need to help the ailing army of dry bones and uncover what happened to them. I also need to find the missing pieces related to the frozen lake. Xinger, Yuwen Yue, Prince of Yanbei?"
Viper, wanting to avoid complicating things for Chu Qiao, silently nodded and turned to prepare their horses and palanquin. She took some weapons from the royal palanquin and wrapped Chu Qiao's indigo scarf in a brown canvas to conceal it. After mounting the black horse, she dislodged the two brown horses and secured their saddlebacks. She whispered to the black horse, which then started running back toward Chu Jing Palace with the royal palanquin.
He Xiao watched as Viper took the reins of the horse. When the horse approached him, it knelt down. Viper then grabbed He Xiao by his dress, lifted him onto her back, and signaled the horse to stand.
As He Xiao struggled to stay still on her back, Viper punched him in the stomach, causing him to groan in pain.
He Xiao protested, "Wait! Where are you taking me? Ouch… Ouch…" Then he muttered to himself, "This bat girl will get me killed faster than a thousand armies."
Viper responded, "I'll feed you to the crocs. Hang on; it'll be a rough path with thorns and glimpses of the underworld."
He Xiao's eyes widened in fear, and he reacted strongly, "No! Definitely not! I'm fine with crocs, but the underworld is a different story!"
Viper seemed to enjoy He Xiao's nervousness and warned, "If you don't stay still and listen, you'll wish being hanged in a tree was more comfortable than riding with me."
Chu Qiao, deep in thought, considered how she would react upon seeing the Xuili Army. It would be her first appearance after a year of hibernation, and if there was an army, it meant there was a war. She wasn't going to merely observe; she intended to reinforce an army that had fought bravely and served the Yanbei prince, a task she felt strongly about.
She wondered about the Yanbei prince—was he the same person Zhong Yu and Viper had fought over? Who was Yan Xun, and what was their situation before the frozen lake?
Though these questions lingered in her mind, Chu Qiao had decided to help the army she once led and protected. She remembered how they had escaped from Chang'an, making Yan Xun appear as a royal prince to them and reassuring them that they had not been abandoned.
As the rain clouds began to rumble and flash with lightning, Chu Qiao called her horse and mounted it. She turned to Viper and He Xiao, ready for their journey.
Viper began the journey by using desert sands from her pouch. She blew the sands onto their path, causing time to seem suspended. He Xiao, holding onto Viper tightly and closing his eyes, tried to forget his status as General of the Xuili army for this surreal journey.
As the sands hovered in the air, Viper used her power to gather them back into her pouch, creating swirling patterns. The others could only watch in awe at the display of her power.
The wind picked up, lifting their hair and quickening their journey. He Xiao clung to Viper's waist, while Chu Qiao's indigo scarf was caught by the wind, forming a beautiful spiral that draped over her face and neck.
The horses continued to run as the mossy forest grew darker and darker, even as they sped along.
The forest grew darker, with thick fog and trees covered in enormous thorns that would be deadly if touched. The sky above was a dull grey, with no sunlight or moonlight, and only the three riders could be seen moving through the shadowy paths. As they neared the edge of the black forest, another part of the underworld came into view.
Viper, showing a hint of concern, glanced at He Xiao, who was tightly holding onto her waist with his eyes closed. Despite his distress, she noted how he appeared strikingly handsome and athletic.
Viper thought to herself, "Don't get lost, or he'll be lost in the dark."
The sound of hooves slowing down was heard as they climbed a steep, narrow path between a high mountain and a valley below. The clattering of rocks rolling down created an eerie echo, sending chills down their spines. Chu Qiao, calm and composed, looked down at the dark, bottomless pit below.
They reached the top of the treacherous mountainside and caught a glimpse of the underworld headquarters. The area was dark with only a hint of moonlight. Tall, newly-built Chinese-style structures mingled with dilapidated, shabby buildings, surrounded by magical underworld birds. It was a grim sight beneath Chu Jing Kingdom, serving as a shortcut to the frozen lake's mountaintops.
Viper let He Xiao see the scene, although Chu Qiao was already familiar with it. Viper said, "The danger is over; you can open your eyes and see the view."
He Xiao opened his eyes, but found the scene far from enjoyable. His eyes widened in fear as he saw the dark, nightmarish landscape. Turning to Viper, he asked in a hoarse voice, "Am I dead and here to pay for my sins? This looks like the mouth of hell!"
Chu Qiao laughed and said, "Welcome to the underworld headquarters. There's the forgotten river where the Higanbana flowers grow. Their scent takes away memories and guides souls from death to the afterlife."
He Xiao said: "General, let me pay my sins on earth and do not let me rot in here."
Viper replied: "This is a place not for you, only the elite underworld spies are permitted to have access and stay here.." she calmly said.
While the cold wind blows to her face she threw him canny smile.
He Xiao did not bother to answer. He feels creepy and goosebumps on the skin shows, an average person cannot stay here for long and will soon feel its doom.
In split of seconds, Viper suddenly scooped a handful of sand again from her pouch.
She recited some ancient oracles, and He Xiao shouted: "Oh no not again!"
Suddenly an unblinding light came to them and brought them out of the frozen lake, reason for the man pinching the body and face, he said: "Did the tour on hell ended?
Am I back to earth?"
He Xiao stomping his feet to the icy lake and sees all blue around as the twilight embraces the daybreak.
Chu Qiao, smiling warmly, approached He Xiao and said, "Don't worry, I'll help erase that nightmarish memory from the underworld. Soon, you'll be back to your normal life."
Viper, releasing He Xiao from her grasp, added, "You only had a chance to hold on to me because otherwise, you might not have survived another day."
With her usual bossy tone, she commanded, "Move!"
He Xiao, realizing he needed to act quickly, let go of Viper's waist and carefully dismounted the horse. He knelt down on the icy ground, feeling the sharp pain of frostbite but ignoring it.
He said, "I owe my life to the bat girl."
He then introduced himself formally in a deep voice: "Thank you for saving me. I am He Xiao, Deputy General of the Xuili Army, from Hong Chuan city. You've just arrived in the land of my ancestors."
Chu Qiao, smiling at the two, said, "Well, let's welcome Viper!"
Feeling pleased, Chu Qiao winked at He Xiao, who smiled back at her.
Viper, still not in the best mood, said, "You can repay me by helping get the Xuili army out of their dry bones."
He Xiao responded, "I honor my word. When the time comes, don't hesitate to ask for it."
Despite it being autumn, the lake remained frozen and icy. Tiny cracks and clear water could be seen beneath the surface.
Not far away, a striking black horse stood, and a handsome man in purple robes with gold embroidery dismounted and walked alone across the ice. He wore a cold expression, and his sword-like eyebrows added to his regal appearance.
He was earlier than usual this year to commemorate the icy lake incident. He knelt on the ice, tears welling up in his eyes. Overcome with regret, he allowed one tear to fall.
As Chu Qiao's lone tear fell onto the ice, the lake began to froth and foam. Chu Qiao looked pale and was in visible pain. The ice around them started to melt, and Viper and He Xiao quickly realized they needed to evacuate her.
Viper asked, "Mimi Gongzhu, do you feel cold but hot inside?"
Chu Qiao, feeling a drastic temperature shift, could only nod in response.
He Xiao said, "We need to get her out of here. Let's head to Hong Chuan city so she can rest."
Viper agreed but warned him, "If you try to deceive me, I'll make sure you end up hanging from a pine tree again."
He Xiao smiled, but Chu Qiao was already losing consciousness. Viper caught her just in time.
Suddenly, they were surrounded by men, and He Xiao stepped forward to defend them. Meanwhile, the gloomy prince noticed changes in the ice as it cracked and splintered rapidly.
One of his men whispered, "We have company."
Yan Xun, with narrowed eyes, ordered, "Capture them and don't let them near this area."
The guard replied, "Your Highness, it's He Xiao."
"He Xiao?" Yan Xun repeated, surprised.
Yan Xun, puzzled by He Xiao's unexpected appearance since he was supposed to be at the Meilin border, climbed onto his horse. He thought it was odd for He Xiao to come personally with news when he could have sent a messenger. The ice had stopped cracking, so Yan Xun ordered his escort to leave the area.
A Yanbian lieutenant approached He Xiao and asked, "General, why are you here? Is there an urgent matter?"
Suddenly, a voice came from nearby, "Did you come to give me news or deliver a concubine?"
Yan Xun approached with a sly but sad smile, inspecting He Xiao. "Did you disguise yourself by wearing these poor clothes instead of your Yanbei uniform?"
He Xiao remained silent, simply watching Yan Xun.
Yan Xun then looked at the two women behind He Xiao. One appeared to be from barbarian tribes, with a whip at her waist and a fierce yet angelic look. The other looked like Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, wearing a white dress with an indigo scarf covering her face down to her neck, revealing only her eyes.
Yan Xun narrowed his gaze at her while Viper held the unconscious Chu Qiao.
He Xiao said, "Your Highness, I apologize for the disturbance. Please excuse us."
He Xiao knelt before Yan Xun and said, "Your Highness, I'm not here to offer a concubine. There's an emergency I need to explain later. For now, we need to leave."
He Xiao didn't want to tell Yan Xun about Chu Qiao yet, as he preferred her to see the Xuili Army first before reporting.
Yan Xun's mood shifted from formal to cheerful. "Come on, ride back with us. Let me help with one of your slaves."
Yan Xun dismounted his horse and, not recognizing Chu Qiao because of the indigo scarf she wore, approached Viper, who appeared to be a barbarian woman. He reached for Chu Qiao.
As Yan Xun picked her up, he felt a sharp pain in his hands, likely from frostbite, but kept going. Viper reached for her whip, but He Xiao gave her a warning look, signaling her to stay calm.
Yan Xun held Chu Qiao in his arms. Two soldiers helped him onto his horse with Chu Qiao, and then assisted Viper onto another horse. Chu Qiao remained unconscious, unaware of her surroundings.
He Xiao could do nothing but allow Yan Xun to assist them. Viper watched silently as Yan Xun gently cradled Chu Qiao.
Yan Xun's horse walked slowly to avoid disturbing Chu Qiao. The rest of the party, including He Xiao and Viper, mounted their horses and rode away from the icy lake towards the grasslands of Yanbei.
As they traveled, Yan Xun felt a sense of comfort and contentment.