TSFLIP Chapter 243

The martial world has always been unpredictable. Sixteen years ago, the infamous villain Xue Ran, who had once terrorized the martial arts world with countless atrocities, suddenly vanished without a trace. Some claimed he had died, while others believed he had traveled far away. There were whispers that one day he might reappear in the martial world. But as with all terrifying figures, over time, he became nothing more than a legend—a topic of idle gossip over tea. Meanwhile, the martial world remained as treacherous and blood-soaked as ever.

Sixteen years later, atop the freezing Northern Heights.

The relentless wind and snow seemed eternal here. A vast expanse of white ice stretched endlessly, with only a solitary icy peak piercing the clouds. It was said that the snow here never ceased, and the ice never melted, creating an extreme and inhospitable environment. Thus, it was a place where no one chose to live.

In this monochrome world, a young girl’s appearance was like a fleeting splash of vibrant color. Beneath her white cloak was a fiery red outfit, and her presence was so striking that one couldn’t look away.

She trudged up the mountain, panting from exertion despite her martial arts training and the layers of clothing she wore. Her fair face was flushed red from the cold, and she sneezed as the biting wind cut through her. Wrapping her cloak tighter, she spotted a cave ahead and, after a moment of hesitation, stepped inside.

The cave revealed a hidden world. Tables and chairs carved from ice were unremarkable compared to the astonishing array of ice sculptures within. Every sculpture depicted the same woman, her expressions varying but all exquisitely lifelike. Each captured an essence so vivid that it felt as if the real person was standing there.

As the girl ventured deeper, marveling at the sculptures, her gaze eventually landed on the woman lying atop an ice bed. This woman, too, wore red, but her demeanor was entirely different from the girl’s. Where the girl’s red attire exuded vitality, the woman conveyed a bold and unrestrained aura. Even in apparent slumber, her proud and fierce beauty was breathtaking.

The girl unconsciously stepped closer, crouched by the ice bed, and studied the woman’s face with her hands propping up her chin. “Who are you?” she wondered aloud. “Why are you so beautiful? Nangong Mo always brags that his mother is the most beautiful woman alive, but I think you’re even prettier than her.”

The woman on the bed appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, her features frozen in eternal youth. Yet her pallid complexion was a stark reminder that she was no longer alive. The girl knew this, but the woman’s beauty was so captivating that she couldn’t help but talk to her.

“You look familiar somehow… like I’ve seen you before,” the girl murmured, scratching her chin in thought. “Ah! I remember! In a bronze mirror—I look a bit like you!”

She chuckled at her own words. “Not that I’m trying to claim I’m pretty or anything. Grandpa Sun always calls me an ugly duckling. But I’m not ugly at all! I think I look okay. He just says that because I used to cry a lot when I was little.”

Tilting her head, she asked the woman, “Beautiful lady, I heard there’s an Ice Crystal Fruit in these parts. Do you know where it is?”

“Why do you seek the Ice Crystal Fruit?”

The unexpected voice startled her. She turned her wide eyes back to the ice bed, but the woman couldn’t have spoken. Realizing this, she quickly looked behind her.

A man had appeared, clad in white with long white hair. His features were breathtakingly handsome, his dark eyes unfathomable like black obsidian. Though cold and distant, his thin lips held a faint smile. His presence was paradoxical—an air of contradictions that somehow harmonized perfectly. The sheer elegance of his appearance was almost otherworldly.

Still crouched on the ground, the girl stared at him in a daze and blurted, “You’re so handsome…”

The man froze momentarily, his eyes darkening as if something within him stirred. Then, bending slightly, he reached out to gently pinch her chin. His icy touch sent a shiver through her.

For a long moment, he seemed to study her intently, as though searching for something. Finally, a soft laugh escaped his lips, and a faint glimmer of satisfaction flickered in his eyes. “So it’s you,” he said gently.

“Do you know me?” She found his grip on her chin peculiar and stood up to free herself. Even standing, her petite frame barely reached his chest, forcing her to tilt her head back to look at him.

The man didn’t answer. Instead, he turned away and sat by the ice bed, his hand lightly caressing the face of the woman lying there. His expression was one of profound focus, as though she were the only treasure in the world. With a soft sigh of contentment, he finally spoke. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Xia Xiaoxiao,” she replied cheerfully. “My uncle said I was smiling the moment I was born, so my mother named me Xiaoxiao.”