Chapter 311: Snow Flower Seed
Once they stepped outside, they would have officially stepped into the Upper Realm.
Tian Shu was more excited than anyone. Time flowed differently in the Upper Realm compared to the small worlds, and he hadn’t been home in a very, very long time.
’I wonder how Father and Mother are doing. They should be fine, right? After all, I’m one of the Young Master’s men, and my grandfather saved the Family Head’s life.’
At this thought, Tian Shu’s worries eased slightly as he pondered how to convince Yu An to let him return to the Tian Family.
"Hold on."
Just as Tian Shu was getting impatient to leave, Yu An said abruptly, "There’s still one more thing to take care of. We’ll leave after it’s done."
While Tian Shu was still stunned, Han Li’s figure flashed and he quickly entered the passage. Immediately after, the sound of two sets of footsteps echoed from within.
Before long, Han Li emerged, dragging Feng Qi, and threw him to the ground.
"Speak," Yu An said, approaching with a smile. "What did you see?"
Feng Qi looked terrified. "N-no, I didn’t see anything..."
He hadn’t left with the Mo Family Head and the other two. Instead, he had chosen to stay in the passage, hoping to find a way to convince Yu An to join their team.
But he never expected to see Yu An conjure a person out of thin air. Such a large man just appeared with a SWISH!
And the dead bodies that were on the ground before had vanished without a trace.
When he saw that scene, Feng Qi was inwardly thrilled. The more capable Yu An was, the greater an asset she would be to him once he won her over.
It wasn’t until Han Li appeared in a flash to grab him that Feng Qi realized Yu An had known all along that he hadn’t left.
’I’ve stumbled upon her secret, so my fate...’
"I didn’t see anything, really!"
Feng Qi swore to the heavens, "I won’t say a word to anyone, or else..."
He hoped to escape his fate with an oath, but Yu An found oaths unreliable. ’Better to just bury him in the ground.’
Seeing no room for negotiation, Feng Qi waited for a moment when Yu An wasn’t paying attention, then shot up and dashed toward the passage.
’I don’t want to die! I have to at least put up a fight!’
But none of them were pushovers. Han Xiaoyun snorted coldly and slapped Feng Qi back where he started.
Lu Lu had been guarding the entrance to the passage. Even if Han Xiaoyun had missed, it would have been there.
And so, the expression on Feng Qi’s face froze permanently.
As they buried his body on the spot, throwing it into the pit, the bundle he had been clutching tightly in his hand fell out.
A white, oval object inside flashed into view. Yu An picked it up to take a look—
’I don’t recognize it.’
She had only ever seen a painting of a Snow Flower, never its seed.
Fortunately, Tian Shu recognized it, preventing Yu An from casually tossing it aside.
Yu An planted the Snow Flower seed in her space. The group then left the area, and after they emerged, the cave entrance behind them rapidly sealed itself shut.
Tian Shu explained, "There is only one entrance, but the exits lead to various places. And once someone comes out, that exit disappears."
"Ma’am, where are you headed? If it’s possible, could you let me return home for a while?"
Worried that Yu An might misunderstand, he quickly added, "I have parents at home. I haven’t seen them in a very long time and I miss them dearly. Please rest assured, Ma’am, I will absolutely not reveal a single word about you!"
"Go back if you want to," Yu An said with a wave of her hand. "But have you thought this through? Your mission failed, and it’s very likely that Tian Fu has already returned to the Tian Family."
"If he holds a grudge against you and tells Master Tian everything you’ve done... even if you are one of the Young Master’s men, will the Young Master really turn on Tian Fu for your sake?"
"That..."
Tian Shu hesitated. In truth, he already knew the answer.
Yu An changed the subject. "Where are we? We’re heading to the Heaven and Earth Illusion Realm. Will we pass through Tianhuan City?"
"You’ve been a great help, which can be considered atonement for your past actions. If we pass by, I can help you rescue your parents and help your family escape the Tian Family."
Tian Shu’s face lit up, but then he hesitated. "Then... what do I have to do?"
A smile touched Yu An’s lips. "You don’t have to do anything. I just need your parents to draw me a map of the Tian Family estate."
’Especially the location of the Blood Crystal. If Tian Shu’s parents know where it is, that would be perfect. It would save me the trouble of searching everywhere.’
It was better them than him. Tian Shu agreed without a moment’s hesitation.
’It’s just one map in exchange for the future safety of my family. We wouldn’t have to worry about the Tian Family’s retaliation. It’s absolutely worth it!’
Tian Shu observed his surroundings and said, "Ma’am, this should be the easternmost part of the Upper Realm. The Heaven and Earth Illusion Realm is in the far west."
"We’ll not only pass through Tianhuan City, but several of the Upper Realm’s major cities, including Earth Geography City, are all on the same route."
"Good," Yu An nodded. "Then I’ll have to trouble you to lead the way."
Han Li was from the Upper Realm, but he wasn’t familiar with the routes.
As for Yu An, she was even more clueless. ’Weren’t my memories supposed to return once I entered the Upper Realm? Why is my mind still a complete blank?’
"Do you even have to ask? It must have been the Heaven and Earth Stone," Han Li said. "An’an, it’s tricked you again."
He threw the blame onto the Heaven and Earth Stone without a second thought, and of course, he wasn’t wrong.
Inside the space, Little Stone, who was checking on the cubs’ cultivation progress, suddenly felt a chill run down its spine and shivered.
Da Hu noticed. "Uncle Divine Stone, what’s wrong?"
"It’s nothing, it’s nothing," Little Stone coughed lightly. "I didn’t cover myself properly last night and caught a cold."
’Can stones catch colds?’
Da Hu didn’t understand, but after a moment of thought, he fetched a small blanket and covered Little Stone with it.
Little Stone was no longer inside the cubs’ bodies. It was a smooth, round stone, with the only imperfection being a missing corner on its upper left side.
’As soon as I find Fuzai, I’ll be whole again.’
Covered by the thick blanket, Little Stone was deeply moved.
’The cubs are so good to me. When the truth comes out later, they’ll surely plead my case, right?’
At this thought, Little Stone tentatively asked, "Cubs, if Uncle Div... ah, Uncle Divine Stone did something a little bad—and I’m just saying *if*..."
"...just a tiny, little bad thing, and it made your Female Mother angry, would you plead my case for me?"
Little Wolf, with a stern little face, said, "No..."
"...that we wouldn’t help you," Da Hu cut in. "Uncle Divine Stone is so good to us, of course we’ll help you."
Little Wolf looked at his big brother in confusion, but at Da Hu’s prompting, he changed his tune. "Right. But Female Mother says that as long as you can admit your mistakes and fix them, you’re a good kid. Uncle, you just have to fix your mistake, and it’ll be okay."
Xiao Yu and the other two chimed in, patting their chests and promising they would absolutely be on its side.
"I’ll fix it, I’ll fix it," Little Stone said hurriedly. "I’ll definitely fix it. Good kids. Come, let Uncle teach you another trick..."
’I knew it! Starting with the cubs was the right move!’
The first stop on the journey for Yu An and her group was Earth Geography City. But while they were still on their way, the Tian Family was already in turmoil.
Tian Fu’s return was expected by Master Tian and his son, the Young Master. If that old fossil could have been killed so easily, he wouldn’t have ruled the Tian Family for so many years.
Master Tian spoke respectfully, "Welcome back, Old Ancestor. About the Beastman World..."
Tian Fu’s face was grim. "Don’t you dare mention the Beastman World to me! The Tian Family has a traitor in its midst and you didn’t even know? Are you the Family Head just to eat for free?!"
He knew Tian Shu was one of the Young Master’s men, but he couldn’t afford a complete falling out with the Family Head just yet.
"I recall that the traitor, Tian Shu, still has relatives here. Bring them to me!"