On the road, Qingfeng had asked him everything.
"Young master Zhao Tie, how old are you? You look my age but you feel like my grandmaster."
"Are you from the Eternal Sect? I heard the disciples there wear white . But you're wearing black . Which sect you are from ? Oh is it a mysterious hidden sect that's why you can't tell me ! So cool ! "
"Do you always eat at that noodle shop? Their soup was really good. Do you come every day?"
"That blade on your back, is it heavy? Can I touch it just once? I promise I won't break it."
"Why are you so quiet? Are all strong cultivators like this? My master used to talk nonstop. But he died now. " He felt sad for a few miliseconds and then started asking questions again...
"Hey, where are we going? Are we climbing a mountain to watch the sunset? That's so beautiful..."
"Young master, do you have a dao partner? No? Good. I mean... not good! I mean... never mind."
He asked question after question, hopping over stones, swinging his little fan, completely unbothered by Zhao Tie's silence. By the time they reached the summit, Zhao Tie's ears were ringing, and Gu Qingfeng was still smiling like he had just made a new best friend.
After ascending the mountain, Zhao Tie took out his blade and started practicing his blademanship. Qingfeng looked at him, mesmerized, while he practiced his skills.
Although it is forbidden to watch anyone practicing their martial techniques, Zhao Tie didn't mind it at all. He knew in his heart that without using the Eternal Sutra and the Eternal Divine Technique, no one could replicate his moves.
On the other side, Qingfeng commented from time to time, cheering, whistling, and even shouting while Zhao Tie practiced.
"Whoa! That slash was so fast I didn't even see it!"
"Young master, your back looks so cool when you swing!"
"Do that spinning one again! Do it again!"
Zhao Tie felt the veins on his forehead pop up in annoyance. After a few hours of practice, he finally stopped. He looked at Gu Qingfeng, who had almost dozed off while seating on a rock. He sheathed his blade on his back and started descending the mountain without informing Qingfeng. He doesn't want qingfeng to follow him back , and this is his only chance...
After a few minutes, Qingfeng lost his balance in his sleep and fell off the rock, and howled in pain.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"
But when he looked around, he saw that Zhao Tie was already gone. He shouted, "Wait! Wait, young master, don't leave me alone...."
Like this, he followed the trail behind Zhao Tie. He could see him in the distance, but he couldn't keep up the pace to stay exactly behind him. He followed Zhao Tie from a distance...
Zhao Tie came before a city. This city was known as Rainfrost City, a city known for its coldness all year round.
He came before an inn, known as the Firewood Inn. A flame was engraved as a symbol at the front. This was the highest-ranking inn in the city. Seeing Zhao Tie enter the inn, the front desk girl immediately welcomed him.
She asked, "Young master! Which facilities do you want to use? We have food, rooms, and many more interesting facilities...." She said the last line as if whispering.
Zhao Tie shook his head and said, "I want the highest-grade room of your inn... for one night."
The girl nodded. "That would be 100,000 mid-grade spirit stones per night."
Zhao Tie handed over a high-grade spirit stone and said, "Deliver the food inside the room."
The girl was still looking at the spirit stone dazed, while the attending boy took Zhao Tie towards his room.
The girl now realized that Zhao Tie had left with the boy. She followed them, and after a few turns she found them still heading towards the Heaven-grade room.
She shouted, "Young master!"
Zhao Tie and the boy stopped. She breathed heavily for a few seconds then said, "Your... your change... a single high-grade spirit stone is 1 million mid-grade spirit stones..."
Zhao Tie shook his head. "I don't need the change. Keep it as a tip. Just don't allow anyone near my room."
The girl nodded, dumbfounded, while Zhao Tie headed towards his room with the attending boy.
Gu Qingfeng followed him all the way, panting, his green robe covered in mountain dust. He saw Zhao Tie walk into the Firewood Inn and his eyes lit up.
He tried to rush in right after him.
The front desk girl gave him the same polite smile she had given Zhao Tie. "Young master, which facilities would you like?"
Gu Qingfeng scratched his head, he is completely broke. He couldn't even afford a bowl of soup. He leaned in and whispered, "Um... sister, that young master in black who just came in, tall, cold face, big blade on his back... which room did he take?"
The front desk girl's smile immediately faded. She frowned and remembered exactly what Zhao Tie had said, ' don't allow anyone near my room.'
She shook her head coldly. "I'm sorry, we cannot disclose guest information. And without spirit stones, you cannot enter."
"But I saw him come in here! I'm with him! I'm his sword boy!" Qingfeng protested.
He tried to force his way past the counter to check. The girl didn't even argue. She just clapped her hands once.
Two security guards in heavy fur coats stepped out from the side hall. Both were at Star Emperor level. They grabbed Gu Qingfeng by the arms, lifted him like a sack of rice, and threw him straight out the front door onto the snowy road.
Thump!
He stood up, shaking the dust and snow from his dress, his hair a mess. He pointed at the inn and cursed under his breath.
"Stupid expensive inn! Heartless! Snobbish!"
But he didn't leave.
He just stood on the roadside opposite the inn, waiting for Zhao Tie. Sometimes he kicked apart the small snowmen the local children had made. Sometimes he pouted at the big flame symbol on the door. He wrapped his arms around himself against the cold of Rainfrost City and murmured to himself.
"Cruel young master... you didn't even let me inside... you eat hot food in a Heaven-grade room while I'm freezing out here... heart of iron, really is Zhao Tie..."
All of this, Zhao Tie was watching from the third-floor window of his Heaven-grade room, a steaming cup of tea in his hand.
He watched the green figure stomping in the snow, talking to himself, refusing to leave.
Without even realizing it, the corner of Zhao Tie's cold mouth lifted just a tiny bit.
He smiled.
At last, he thought, he had won...
After dinner, Zhao Tie went to sleep.
He woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of wind howling. He opened his eyes and saw snow starting to fall heavily from the clouds outside.
His window was rattling in the cold night. The first thought that came to his mind was about Gu Qingfeng... but then he shook his head. 'Maybe he is already gone. Who would wait for someone in this heavy snowfall?' he thought In his head...
He stood up from his warm bed and walked to the front of the window, just to check.
But the moment he looked down, he froze in his place.
Down below, on the other side of the street, Gu Qingfeng was still there.
He didn't know anyone on this unknown planet. He didn't know where to go in this heavy snowfall. And the only person he knew was inside this inn, so even during the storm he didn't leave.
He was sitting curled up under the small awning of a closed shop opposite the Firewood Inn. His light green robe was already soaked through, frozen stiff at the edges. Snow had piled up on his shoulders, on his hair, on his eyelashes. His lips were pale blue.
He was using his qi to keep himself warm, a faint green light flickering weakly around his body. But the snow in Rainfrost City was not normal snow. It carried ice-attribute spiritual energy. It cut through qi like knives. Every breath he took felt like swallowing ice shards.
His teeth chattered uncontrollably. His hands, clutching his little fan, were shaking so hard he could barely hold it. The qi in his dantian was draining fast ,a Star Lord could last a night in normal winter, but not here. He knew if he kept this up all night, he wouldn't survive until morning.
But he had no other options.
He pulled his knees tighter to his chest, buried his face, and waited. Snow kept falling on his head, covering him more and more, until he looked like just another small snowdrift on the roadside. Only the faint, stubborn green glow proved he was still alive, still waiting.
Seeing all of this, Zhao Tie frowned.
He immediately pushed open the window. Even he himself couldn't survive the outside cold of Rainfrost City without circulating the Eternal Sutra. The cold wind slapped his face hard the moment the window opened, carrying sharp ice qi that stung like needles.
Without another thought, he jumped from the third-floor window and landed silently on the snow-covered street below. He walked straight towards Qingfeng.
Qingfeng was barely conscious, his head drooping, the green light around him flickering like a dying candle. Zhao Tie stood in front of him, raised his hand, and released his qi. A wave of pure, warm energy from the Eternal Sutra immediately covered Gu Qingfeng, then eliminated the cold qi surrounding him. The snow on his shoulders melted instantly, turning into steam.
Seeing Zhao Tie, a faint, foolish smile appeared on Qingfeng's frozen face. His voice was hoarse.
"Young... master... you came..."
Zhao Tie looked down at him, his face as cold as ever, but his eyes were dark with anger.
He scolded him, his voice low and sharp in the snowstorm.
"Are you an idiot? Do you want to die?"
"I told you not to follow me!"
"Who told you to wait here in this snow? Do you think Rainfrost City is a joke? A Star Lord like you would freeze to death in one night!"
Qingfeng shivered, but still tried to grin through his blue lips. "But... if I left... how would I find you again..."
Zhao Tie gritted his teeth. He didn't answer. He just bent down, grabbed the front of Qingfeng's icy robe with one hand, and pulled him up roughly from the snowdrift.
"Stand up."
Qingfeng wobbled, his legs numb. He almost fell again, but Zhao Tie held him steady, his warm qi continuously pouring into him.
"Idiot," Zhao Tie muttered again, but this time his scolding was quieter.
Qingfeng couldn't walk at all. His legs had gone completely numb from the cold, and the moment Zhao Tie let go for a moment to dust the snow from his clothes, he crumpled back into the snow.
Zhao Tie clicked his tongue in annoyance. He looked at him coldly, then without a word, he bent down and lifted him up in his arms like he weighed nothing.