Chapter 373: Happy Birthday

Yuan Yao pondered for a moment, then decided she still had to go see Xie Yan.

It was not only because of Heaven Snow, but also because Xie Yan once said he had something to tell her in person.

Yuan Yao took a deep breath, she turned to look at her senior brothers and sisters: "Senior Yue Liu still has something to entrust me to go alone, so I must leave for a while."

"What matter requires you to go alone?" Xiao Lingwei frowned slightly.

Yuan Yao coughed lightly, "This is a private matter concerning Senior Yue Liu; I also find it hard to describe."

Everyone could see Yuan Yao's nervousness.

Cang Li narrowed his eyes, deliberately humming: "You confess honestly, what do you intend to do?"

Yuan Yao said: "Third senior brother, stop asking, even if you ask me I won't tell. Anyway, I won't be in danger."

She reiterated with a very serious expression: "I will not encounter danger!"

Seeing her so solemn, although everyone felt worried, they still chose to respect Yuan Yao's wish.

Xue Jin said softly: "Don't be gone too long."

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao instantly broke into a blooming smile, she nodded happily.

"Go on." Cang Li let out a long sigh.

Song Yan reminded: "Pay attention to safety."

Ying Wuji stared at Yuan Yao with a dark gaze, a vague uneasy feeling rose in his heart.

Xiao Lingwei took something and stuffed it into Yuan Yao's hand: "This is a signal flare; if you encounter danger, just activate it immediately."

Yuan Yao put it away, her face serious as she nodded.

Immediately after, she waved at them and then strode off into the distance.

Song Yan and the others watched their receding figures.

Xue Jin: "Should we follow them?"

Cang Li chuckled: "She just felt guilty, proving she has something on her mind. If we follow now, wouldn't we expose her? Then she'll surely be angry."

After a pause, he added: "Forget it, today is her birthday, let her do as she wishes."

"If Yao Yao encounters danger……" Song Yan furrowed his brow slightly, still uneasy in his heart.

Ying Wuji lifted his eyes and spoke slowly: "You stay here, I will secretly follow her. Rest assured, I won't let her notice me."

"Agreed." Xiao Lingwei said approvingly, she trusted Ying Wuji's ability.

Upon hearing that, Cang Li also thought it feasible.

…

Yuan Yao walked a long stretch on the snow, until she looked back and saw no trace of her senior brothers and sisters, she swiftly darted forward.

She clearly knew her senior brothers and sisters would not be at ease with her alone; they would surely send someone to tail her covertly.

Therefore, she must shake them off.

Because she cannot let her senior brothers and sisters discover she is going to meet Xie Yan.

She exerted her utmost speed, leaping over one snow mountain after another.

Soon she realized her footprints would be a problem.

She could only advance quickly while swinging her sword to sweep away the snow on the ground; only her long sword flew and danced, continuously waving, stirring up gusts that blew away the accumulated snow along the way.

As her movements grew faster, the originally footprint-covered snow gradually returned to a flat, smooth expanse, as if no one had ever walked there.

At the same time, Ying Wuji, who had been pursuing, saw no footprints on the snow and his eyelids twitched slightly.

He laughed angrily.

Yao Yao really went to great lengths to shake them off.

Ying Wuji felt a bit helpless, yet also happy for Yao Yao's cleverness.

At this moment, his mood was extremely complex.

The little junior sister they once protected has grown up so fast, like a fledgling eagle gradually growing wings and then flying to a place beyond their sight.

Ying Wuji suddenly thought of something, the corner of his mouth blossoming into a gentle smile.

As long as she is happy, that's enough.

Elsewhere.

Yuan Yao had been conducting counter-surveillance all along, wasting considerable time; by the time she reached the cave entrance it was already half an hour later.

She did not directly enter the cave, but warily called out from outside.

"Are you there?"

Soon, a faint sound came from inside the cave, followed by the white-clad youth wearing a ghost-face mask appearing at the cave mouth.

Seeing that he was really there, Yuan Yao felt a great relief in her heart.

"Cold?" Xie Yan gazed at her cheeks frozen red, couldn't help but ask, paused, then continued: "Come in and we'll talk."

"Okay." Yuan Yao nodded.

She stepped into the cave; inside it was unusually dim, yet not as bitterly cold as outside.

Yuan Yao turned her head toward him: "Xie Yan, what do you have to tell me face to face?"

Xie Yan stepped closer: "You have nothing to say to me?"

Yuan Yao blinked slightly, pressed her lips: "I want to contract Heaven Snow, that is, the Mountain King."

Xie Yan's pupils narrowed slightly: "Has it agreed?"

Yuan Yao said: "Probably."

She took a deep breath, lifted her gaze to Xie Yan: "Why must you insist on taking the Mountain King's beast core?"

Xie Yan suddenly leaned slightly forward, drawing near her, earnestly said: "If I tell you the reason, will you yield it to me?"

Yuan Yao frowned, reached out and pushed the boy away.

I don't know.

Xie Yan straightened his posture, gazing at her brows and eyes, and said, "Without the Mountain King's beast core, I can seek another beast core."

"Then aren't you making a wasted trip?" Yuan Yao lifted her gaze to him.

Xie Yan's eyes deepened somewhat.

"Not a wasted trip."

Yuan Yao's heart jumped; she instinctively avoided his scorching gaze.

She feigned ignorance and let out an "oh".

At that moment, Xie Yan lifted her chin, saying, "Look at me."

Yuan Yao instantly felt her chin itch, and his fingers were so cold they almost made her shiver.

She reached out to push his hand away, then stared at him, smiling, and said, "Xie Yan, what do you want to say to my face? We're friends; if you're in trouble, I'll consider helping you."

Hearing her emphasize that their relationship was that of friends, Xie Yan felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

He took out an oval emerald jade tablet from his storage space, then took her hand and gently placed it in her palm.

"This is a gift for you."

"Happy birthday, Yuan Yao."

Yuan Yao froze, lowering her gaze to the emerald jade tablet in her palm, then her eyes unconsciously drifted to the emerald gourd hanging at his waist.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly.

She knew that this emerald jade tablet was likely an extremely important item for Xie Yan.

The last time in the Flowing Light Secret Realm, when he took out this emerald jade tablet and gave it to her, he only said: "I'll lend it to you temporarily."

And he told her not to lose it.

Now he actually wants to give this emerald jade tablet to her?

"Such a precious jade tablet, I cannot accept..." Yuan Yao felt the emerald jade tablet heavy in her hand, and she wanted to return it to Xie Yan.

"If you think it's precious, then keep it safe and don't lose it." Xie Yan said, lowering his lashes to gaze at her brows and eyes, "Since I've given you the jade tablet, I won't take it back—don't be afraid."

Yuan Yao lifted her eyes to meet his gaze, and her heart felt a little more tumultuous.

She said, "Can this jade tablet be used to contact you?"