Before I could figure out what was going on, I saw Feng Shu draw an ancient sword and charge towards something not far away.
I crawled out of the tent and looked in the direction Feng Shu was heading. I saw something appear in the mist over there.
Logically, in this icy and snowy terrain, mist should not appear, nor should anything be in the mist.
Only after Feng Shu unleashed a sword strike did I clearly see what was in the fog.
It was a monster, completely black, about a meter tall. The monster had no face and six or seven legs like a spider.
The monster moved extremely fast on the snow, as if wearing ice skates. In a moment, it was in front of us.
As Feng Shu's nearly two-meter-long sword pierced through a monster, my eardrums suddenly ached. I heard no sound, yet it felt like some piercing noise was tormenting my ears.
I thought this must be some kind of ultrasound.
Fatty covered his ears and asked me, "Xiang Ye, what's happening?"
I shook my head, also unsure for the moment.
"You two, get behind!"
At this moment, An Ying walked over, signaling for Fatty and me to retreat behind Fu Honglang and the others.
I hesitated but did as she said. At first, I wanted to show off, but thinking about those dark monsters being completely unknown creatures, I gave up the idea.
Fatty and I hid at the rear, watching Feng Shu and the monsters wrestle not far away.
The number of monsters was not large; I counted about five or six.
The others were also ready, but without An Ying's command, no one made a move.
"Xiang Ye, these things look a bit familiar?" Fatty suddenly spoke.
I looked at him: "You recognize these things?"
Fatty furrowed his brows and thought carefully. After a moment, he exclaimed in surprise, "I remember! Years ago, when I was in Panjiayuan, I collected an ancient book. That ancient book introduced this kind of monster... it seemed to be called 'Lie Lie'?"
Hearing this, I felt speechless: "Was the ancient book you collected called 'Shan Hai Jing'?"
Fatty paused and said, "It seems that's its name."
'Shan Hai Jing' can indeed be considered an ancient book, so I couldn't scold Fatty.
"Lie Lie" is a monster from 'Shan Hai Jing'. 'Shan Hai Jing' records: "There is a black worm, shaped like a bear, named Lie Lie."
I looked closely at the black monsters and found they did resemble the description in the book.
Could these really be monsters from 'Shan Hai Jing'?
Before I could think further, gunshots rang out. I saw Yang Hanxue produce a gun from somewhere and start shooting at the monsters.
In the darkness, all of Yang Hanxue's shots seemed to hit the air; the monsters showed no reaction.
Feng Shu, holding her ancient sword, fought fiercely with the monsters. In an instant, they had exchanged hundreds of blows.
I was initially worried that Feng Shu might not be a match for these monsters, but who would have thought that after more than ten minutes, the monsters would be at a disadvantage? One of them was even annihilated by Feng Shu's sword!
Indeed, it was gone. The monster seemed to suddenly turn into a puff of smoke and merge with the mist in the air.
Fatty clicked his tongue and said to me, "Xiang Ye, this woman is truly not simple."
I didn't reply, but stared at An Ying not far away. She stood still, her expression completely unchanged throughout, her eyes revealing no emotion – no fear, no surprise, no fluctuation.
If you didn't look closely, you would think she was a statue standing in the wind and snow, motionless.
The battle lasted for nearly half an hour, and Feng Shu eliminated the monsters one by one.
"Feng Shu, you'll stand guard tonight. Everyone else can go back and rest," An Ying arranged.
Although we all had many questions, none of us asked too many. We each returned to our respective tents.
Back in the tent, Fatty moved the charcoal stove to the center and laid out a waterproof sleeping bag next to it. As soon as he crawled into the sleeping bag, the fellow started snoring.
For the next few days, we traveled through wind and snow every day. Apart from the harsh conditions, we encountered no other strange things.
It wasn't until the eighth day that we arrived at an ice lake. The lake was vast, and the ice layer was very thick. Walking on it, I finally understood what it meant to tread on thin ice.
The ice surface was crystal clear, reflecting the dazzling sunlight.
Countless ice crystals sparkled like diamonds, forming a magnificent picture.
Cracks could be seen on the ice surface, revealing the deep blue water below. The edges of the ice cracks hung in the air like sharp blades.
There were also some small pits and unevenness on the ice surface, seemingly caused by uneven ice thickness.
In some places, the ice layer was thicker; in others, it was quite thin.
As we walked on the ice, our footsteps made crunching sounds, and sometimes we heard creaking noises. The ice layer underfoot was hard and smooth, like a giant mirror reflecting the surrounding scenery.
The distant peaks and the clouds in the sky were mirrored on the ice, creating an illusory world.
There were also ice blocks, snowflakes, and icicles on the ice surface. They sparkled in the sunlight, like pearls scattered on a white blanket. When the wind blew, these small ice blocks, snowflakes, and icicles swayed gently, making faint sounds.
Standing on the ice, feeling the cold air and strong sunlight, it was like being in a mysterious world, giving one a peculiar feeling.
Fatty walked beside me and asked, looking into the distance, "Xiang Ye, where are we going? I feel like we've already left Earth."
I gazed into the distance. It truly felt somewhat unreal, but looking at An Ying and her group, I had an indescribable feeling.
"Xiang Ye, how do you think we'll get back?" Fatty asked again.
I remained silent, looked at An Ying in the distance, took a deep breath, and quickened my pace, walking towards her: "How much longer do we have to go to reach the place you want to go?"
An Ying turned to look at me: "I told you before, not to follow me..."
"Now that I'm here, there's no point in saying that, is there?" I smiled.
She smiled and pointed ahead: "Keep going. After this ice lake, there will be a snow mountain. Once you cross the snow mountain, you'll be there... Based on our current speed, it should take another two months."