Chapter 429: Chapter 426: The Price of Targeting Mo Qi (Part 3)
A world of ice and snow, of towers untold;
One does not turn back until the Cold Cicada is seen.
To enter the valley is to plunge into the sea,
And learn that Time itself is the ultimate thief.
Cold Cicada Valley!
A powerful, family-like faction composed entirely of women that operated outside the jurisdiction of the Hall of Envoys and was not accountable to the Immortal Realm.
Their origins were mysterious. Although they weren’t one of the Immortal Realm’s Five Great Holy Lands, they seemed to share some special connection with them.
Moreover, the people of Cold Cicada Valley were fiercely protective of their own. They didn’t care about right or wrong—only whose side you were on.
Provoking one of them was the same as offending the entire Cold Cicada Valley.
Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, the Hall of Envoys would never dare to provoke them.
The assembled Immortal experts recognized the newcomer’s affiliation, and they were both shocked and bewildered.
The Hall of Envoys and Cold Cicada Valley had always kept to themselves. This was the first time Cold Cicada Valley had ever shown up at their door with such obvious hostility.
But then again, why would someone from Cold Cicada Valley appear here?
After all, to ensure the meeting between Sub-Palaces was not disturbed, the Hall of Envoys had specifically chosen a remote and uninhabited island.
There was no chance they had simply gotten lost or stumbled upon this place by accident.
"May I ask which of Cold Cicada Valley’s Grannies has graced us with her presence?" Huangfu Zhong stepped forward, cupped his fists, and asked respectfully.
Cold Cicada Valley was composed entirely of female Cultivators, so "Granny" was a common honorific used to show respect to their powerful experts.
"Brat from the Huangfu Family, stop playing dumb with me. I know exactly what kind of person you are."
An old woman with a rather frail figure, dressed in simple white robes and holding a Dragon Head Walking Stick, appeared before them.
Her most striking feature wasn’t her attire, but her long, silvery hair, which cascaded down like a waterfall.
Unlike other women her age, she didn’t tie her hair up, instead letting it fall freely over her shoulders, dancing in the wind.
The sight was both jarring and bizarre.
"The Silver-haired Granny!"
Upon the old woman’s appearance, the Immortals from the Hall of Envoys cried out in alarm, each involuntarily taking a step back.
Huangfu Zhong, who had just been mocked by the old woman, showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, his face was a mask of shock, as if he’d just seen a ghost.
Although the Hall of Envoys and Cold Cicada Valley had few dealings, they were still aware of the Valley’s most famous experts.
Among them, the reputations of the Silver-haired Granny and Granny Jin Hua were the most renowned.
This was because the two were twin sisters and were known to be inseparable.
They had not only become Immortals at a very young age, granting them immense seniority and power, but they were also ruthless, vengeful, and known for holding deep grudges.
To become their enemy meant a battle to the death. They left no survivors, habitually eradicating their foes down to the last root.
Now that the Silver-haired Granny had appeared, it meant Granny Jin Hua had to be somewhere nearby.
Huangfu Zhong’s figure shot backward until he was hidden among the crowd of experts from the other Sub-Palaces. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief.
Of everyone present, he was the one who feared the Silver-haired Granny the most.
Many years ago, long before he became an Immortal, he had encountered the Silver-haired Granny, who was already a veteran Immortal at the time.
Back then, Huangfu Zhong had been just like the present-day Huangfu Yu—arrogant, believing himself to be the greatest in the world, and looking down on everyone else.
In an act of supreme foolishness, he had tried to harass a young maiden who was traveling with the Silver-haired Granny.
The Silver-haired Granny, naturally, did not tolerate his behavior. She had given him a thrashing that nearly crippled him.
If the elders of the Huangfu Family hadn’t arrived in time, offering extravagant gifts and endless apologies, not only would Huangfu Zhong have been killed, but the entire Huangfu Family might have been dragged down with him.
Because of that incident, the Silver-haired Granny had left an indelible scar deep within Huangfu Zhong’s psyche.
This was the root cause of his utter loss of composure.
After a long silence, one of the Immortals mustered his courage and asked respectfully, "May we ask why the Silver-haired Granny has come here?"
The Silver-haired Granny lifted her Dragon Head Walking Stick and took a step forward.
THUD!
The Dragon Head Walking Stick tapped lightly on the ground, but it let out a heavy thud, and the earth trembled slightly.
Her gaze swept back and forth across the crowd, as if she were searching for something.
"This has nothing to do with you. I came here today to find someone. Heh heh. I didn’t expect to walk in on such a good show. The Hall of Envoys really has gone downhill."
The Immortals looked deeply embarrassed, and many turned their faces away.
If anyone else had said such a thing, they certainly wouldn’t have let it slide. But facing the Silver-haired Granny, they could only swallow their pride and pretend they hadn’t heard a thing.
The Silver-haired Granny sneered but didn’t say anything more.
Her gaze finally landed on a spot behind the members of the Xiao Family, and a look of delight appeared on her face.
Then, the Silver-haired Granny quickened her pace and walked toward the Xiao Family’s position.
The Xiao Family expert was stunned. ’What’s going on?’
’Could it be that the Silver-haired Granny is looking for someone from our Xiao Family?’
’Judging by her expression, the person she’s looking for must be very important to her.’
’If I can use this opportunity to build a connection with the Silver-haired Granny, and by extension Cold Cicada Valley, the benefits for my Xiao Family would be endless.’
At this thought, the Xiao Family expert put on a smile, cupped his fists, and stepped forward, preparing to say something.
"You’re in my way. Get lost!"
The Silver-haired Granny raised her Dragon Head Walking Stick and tapped it on the Xiao Family expert’s shoulder.
A bone-chilling cold instantly erupted from the point of contact.
Before the Xiao Family expert could even react, half of his body was covered in solid ice.
BANG!
An immense force followed, shattering the ice into a shower of tiny shards.
Shattering along with the ice was the Xiao Family expert’s entire arm.
Crimson ice shards dyed the ground blood-red in a ten-foot radius.
PSHH—
As if struck by a heavy blow, the Xiao Family expert spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying like a kite with a broken string.
"My arm!"
After landing, the Xiao Family expert ignored his other injuries and frantically looked down at his severed arm.
The wound was clean, covered by a layer of ice that had staunched the bleeding.
The chill had not yet dissipated and was continuing to invade his flesh and blood, threatening to freeze him solid.
The Xiao Family expert didn’t dare to be careless. He quickly circulated his Immortal Power to dispel the encroaching cold.
The rest of the Xiao Family had never imagined the Silver-haired Granny would attack so suddenly, and so viciously.
Though they were filled with indignation, none of them dared to show it.
Faced with the approaching Silver-haired Granny, the members of the Xiao Family all retreated, terrified of provoking her further.
It wasn’t just the Xiao Family; the other experts from the Sub-Palaces in that direction also backed away, until only Qian Duoduo and his companions remained in her path.
"Old Wu, what’s wrong?"
Qian Duoduo noticed that Wu Bainian, who was standing beside him, had his head lowered, his fists clenched, and his jaw set so tightly that his entire body was trembling slightly.
Wu Bainian didn’t say a word.
Qian Duoduo frowned. He glanced at Wu Bainian, then at the steadily approaching Silver-haired Granny.
"Old Wu, is it because of this old hag?" Qian Duoduo had a habit of speaking bluntly, without thinking.
So when those three words left his mouth, everyone present was completely stunned.
Even the Silver-haired Granny herself was momentarily taken aback.
’Someone actually dared to call me an old hag to my face?!’
’Was this courage, or just sheer idiocy?’
