Chapter 132: The Red Thread as Guide

That vast, frigid consciousness enveloped the entire outpost like a tide; the flames in the fire pit were pressed down by an invisible force until only a few dying embers remained, and fresh frost crystallized on the stone walls. The wolf-clan warriors involuntarily dropped to their knees, and even Commander Lang Ben touched one knee to the ground, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

The red thread on Shi Ran's wrist twisted violently, scorching hot as if it would brand itself into her flesh and bone. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to cry out in pain, yet discovered Ling Xiao's hand had already covered her wrist. A thread of cool sword qi slowly flowed in, temporarily easing the burning pain.

"No need to hide." Ling Xiao's voice was weak, yet carried an undeniable resolve. "He has already sensed us; hiding serves no purpose."

He forced himself to sit upright, shielding Shi Ran behind him, even though the movement turned his face even paler and his breathing grew ragged.

The stone chamber's door was blasted open by an invisible force. Yin Che and his Silver Wolf Guards were already prostrate on the ground, trembling all over. An illusory figure gradually coalesced inside the room — not a true body descending, but a powerful divine sense projection.

The newcomer wore a dark fur robe, features blurred and indistinct; only a pair of golden-brown eyes were piercingly clear, cold and utterly devoid of human emotion. Wherever that gaze fell, the air seemed to freeze solid.

"Demon Emperor's Decree." That gaze landed on Ling Xiao, the voice resonating directly in everyone's minds. "Bearer, state your name."

Ling Xiao met that gaze without a trace of fear, slowly raising the black token. "This decree was gifted by a friend. Might you be the Illusion Demon General, Fei E?"

The illusory figure rippled slightly, seemingly surprised by Ling Xiao's directness. "This General is indeed Fei E." The golden-brown eyes narrowed slightly. "Since it was a friend's gift, where is that friend now?"

"He has returned home." Ling Xiao answered calmly, though his fingertips lightly stroked the token.

Shi Ran watched tensely; she could feel Ling Xiao's body trembling, knew he was forcing himself to hold on. And Fei E's gaze soon shifted from Ling Xiao to land on her.

"As for you..." Fei E's voice abruptly turned cold. "The aura of the Abyss, and this nauseating red thread... An otherworldly soul, daring to set foot in the Northern Territory."

That gaze pressed down like substance; Shi Ran felt her breath catch, the red thread on her wrist flaring hot again as if responding to that pressure. She gritted her teeth and straightened her spine; black-gold demonic power circulated uncontrollably around her, tinged with strands of crimson.

"She is my disciple." Ling Xiao's voice abruptly turned cold; though weak, it carried an undeniable authority. "Not some otherworldly thing."

"Not?" Fei E's projection let out a cold snort; the temperature in the stone chamber plummeted. "In all my years this old man has never misjudged; the Red Silk Coiling on her is proof..."

He paused, and when his voice sounded again he spoke of the Red Silk Velvet's harm: "And because of this Red Silk Coiling, she will ceaselessly crave to devour the vital essence of living beings, ultimately degenerating into a monster that knows only slaughter. You can protect her for a moment, but can you protect her for a lifetime?"

Before his words fell, Fei E's projection suddenly raised a hand; a streak of ice-blue light shot straight at Shi Ran!

Without a thought, Ling Xiao shoved Shi Ran completely behind him and simultaneously activated the Demon Emperor's Decree. The Dark Bird token blazed with white light, barely blocking that strike, but Ling Xiao violently spat a mouthful of fresh blood; the bloodstains froze into ice the instant they hit the frigid ground.

"Master!" Shi Ran cried out in alarm, hurriedly steadying his swaying body.

Luo Changfeng and Wei Yuzhu drew their swords at the same time, stepping in front of Ling Xiao; though under the Demon General's pressure their movements were extraordinarily difficult.

"General Fei E!" Commander Lang Ben forced himself to rise under the pressure. "This is a Wolf Clan outpost; they are guests of the Wolf Clan! Even if you are a Demon General, you have no right to act here!"

Fei E's projection coldly swept over Lang Ben; a flicker of killing intent flashed in the golden-brown eyes. "Lang Ben, do you intend to betray the clan?"

"This humble general is loyal only to His Majesty the Demon Emperor!" Lang Ben stared straight at the projection without yielding. "His Majesty once decreed clearly: the bearer of the Demon Emperor's Decree is as His Majesty's personal presence! Does the General intend to defy the imperial command?"

The atmosphere in the cave was sword-drawn and bow-bent; the wolf-clan warriors rose one after another, and though facing the Demon General's projection filled them with instinctive fear, they still stood firmly behind Lang Ben.

Fei E's projection fell silent for a moment, its gaze sweeping once more over Ling Xiao's pale face and the glaring red thread on Shi Ran's wrist.

"The Demon Emperor's Decree can protect you for a time." In the end he said coldly. "But this otherworldly soul will sooner or later become a calamity for the Northern Territory — no, for the entire Spirit Realm. Ling Xiao... I have remembered this name."

The projection began to blur; those golden-brown eyes gave Shi Ran one last deep look. "The day the Red Silk Coiling awakens is the day you lose your true nature. Take care of yourself."

As the words fell, that suffocating pressure vanished abruptly; the flames in the fire pit surged upward as if reborn.

Dead silence filled the cave; everyone exhaled as if they had just walked a round through the gates of hell.

Yin Che and his Silver Wolf Guards scrambled up and fled in panic without looking back, never daring to mention the matter of escort again.

"Quick, help him lie down!" Lang Ben hurried forward to assist; the wolf-clan physician stepped forward again to examine Ling Xiao's condition.

Shi Ran knelt beside Ling Xiao, holding his ice-cold hands, watching his tightly closed eyes and the blood at the corner of his lips; Fei E's words echoed in her ears — "otherworldly soul," "monster that knows only slaughter."

"It won't happen..." she murmured to herself; she was a fine socialist youth with Marxist philosophical thought, so why was she bound here? She lifted her head and said firmly, "I won't..."

Suddenly, a cold hand gently clasped hers back. Shi Ran lowered her head, meeting Ling Xiao's eyes, opened at some unknown moment.

"Right, you won't!" His voice was weak yet clear. "You are Shi Ran; you will not become a monster!"

A warm tear fell onto the back of Ling Xiao's hand; he sighed softly, raising his hand with all his strength to wipe the tear tracks from her face.

"Although I don't know why the Red Silk Coiling latched onto you, we already know the method to resolve the Gu." Ling Xiao said in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over Shi Ran's instantly pale face. "Don't worry; among the five heaven-and-earth treasures we already have two; once you obtain the remaining three you will completely shake off the Red Silk Coiling..."

He tightened his grip on Shi Ran's hand. "Until then, don't let go of my hand, alright?"

Shi Ran nodded, lowering her eyes so Ling Xiao wouldn't see the panic in them. In truth she felt that so-called Demon General was right; she was an otherworldly soul, transmigrated here after leaving a bad review. As for this Red Silk Coiling, it was as if the book, sensing her as a variable, had specially spawned it to debug this bug — because ever since leaving the Netherworld she had stayed by Ling Xiao's side the whole time, never giving anyone else a chance to act, so this...

Shi Ran was silently pondering when Luo Changfeng's voice grew increasingly clear in her ear.

"Master, Junior Sister, regarding this Red Silk Coiling I once heard mention from people of the Tianshuan Sect." Luo Changfeng crouched down, solemnly interfacing: "They say the Red Silk Coiling brings both the desire to devour and can become a source of power. The key lies in the host's will."

"The reason Fei E is so eager to eliminate you," Ling Xiao continued explaining, his fingers unconsciously stroking the now-dulled red thread on Shi Ran's wrist, "is because historically the only person who fully mastered the Red Silk Coiling nearly unified the four realms of immortals, demons, monsters, and humans, with power so great it could contend with the Heavenly Dao itself!"

Wei Yuzhu also quietly moved closer; hearing this she sucked in a cold breath. "So he fears..." Shi Ran's power.

Shi Ran, however, cared more about another matter. "Master, then... that person... I feel like... I've never heard you mention them..."

"He..." Ling Xiao's eyes deepened as he looked at Shi Ran. "Disappeared... suddenly vanished from this world, as if he had never come at all... This is a taboo of all sects, so no one speaks of him!"

Disappeared? Could it mean he went back? A tiny spark of joy rose in Shi Ran's heart; she was about to ask further when she suddenly heard Ling Xiao cough.

Shi Ran patted his back for a while; Ling Xiao only recovered after a good long while and continued: "We must leave here as soon as possible. Fei E will not let the matter rest; next time he comes it won't be just a projection."

Lang Ben approached from behind, expression grave. "Everyone's injuries are unhealed; traveling now is far too dangerous."

"Staying is even more dangerous." Ling Xiao forced himself to sit up. "Commander Lang Ben, can you prepare some cold-weather supplies and mounts for us? We must reach the nearest teleportation array as quickly as possible and return to the Human Realm."

Lang Ben hesitated. "But the Bishui Xiyue... our Third Prince..."

"It was my oversight." Ling Xiao had Wei Yuzhu split the Bishui Xiyue in two; half to Shi Ran, the other half kept for Lang Ben.

With the Bishui Xiyue in hand, Lang Ben finally nodded. "I can prepare snow wolves and supplies for you, but the Silver Wolf Guards have certainly laid surveillance outside the outpost. How to leave without being detected?"

Shi Ran, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. "I have a way."

Everyone's gazes converged on her.

"The Red Silk Coiling... lets me sense the vital auras of living beings around me." She said softly, raising her wrist; the red thread flickered faintly again. "I can lead everyone past all surveillance."

Ling Xiao gazed at her for a moment, then nodded. "Good, we'll follow your method."

That night, guided by Shi Ran, the group soundlessly avoided every Silver Wolf Guard surveillance point, rode the snow wolves provided by Lang Ben, and quietly departed the outpost.

The Northern Territory's night sky shimmered with aurora, dreamlike and illusory, yet no one had the mood to appreciate it. Ling Xiao barely stayed on his snow wolf, supported by Shi Ran at his side. Luo Changfeng and Wei Yuzhu rode ahead and behind, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

Relying on Shi Ran's perception of vital auras, they successfully evaded three patrols of Silver Wolf Guards. However, just as dawn was about to break, Shi Ran suddenly pulled the reins, her face pale.

"Ahead... there are massive vital auras, surrounding the gorge that is the only path to the teleportation array."

Ling Xiao frowned. "Can we go around?"

Shi Ran closed her eyes and sensed for a moment, then shook her head. "Going around would add two days' journey. Your injuries..." She didn't finish, but everyone understood — Ling Xiao's condition wouldn't last that long.

"Then we charge through." Ling Xiao said calmly, his hand already resting on the sword hilt.

"Out of the question!" Luo Changfeng objected. "Master, you cannot use spiritual power again!"

Just then, the red thread on Shi Ran's wrist suddenly grew hot. A strange impulse drove her, as if something ahead was calling to her.

"Wait..." She suddenly widened her eyes. "Those life auras... they seem a bit strange."

Under everyone's puzzled gazes, Shi Ran closed her eyes and sensed the auras ahead with all her might. The red thread flashed brightly on her wrist, and black-gold demonic power began circulating uncontrollably.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes, and a trace of crimson flashed through her golden-brown pupils.

"Not the Silver Wolf Guards." She said softly, her voice carrying a majesty she herself hadn't noticed. "It's an ice plains wolf pack, a very large one... They're hunting."

A bold idea surfaced in Shi Ran's mind. She turned to the others, her gaze exceptionally bright. "Perhaps... we don't need to avoid them."

Under everyone's surprised gazes, Shi Ran briefly explained her plan.

A quarter-hour later, the group quietly approached the canyon. They saw several hundred ice plains wolves besieging a herd of massive ice plains yaks. Wolf howls and yak roars intertwined; the battle was fierce.

Shi Ran took a deep breath. Following the method that had suddenly appeared in her mind, she poured demonic power into the red thread on her wrist. The thread instantly brightened, emitting a strange aura.

An astonishing thing happened — the wolf pack suddenly stopped attacking, restless and agitated. Many wolves even lowered their bodies toward their direction, displaying submissive postures.

"Go!" Shi Ran said quietly, urging her wolf forward first.

Under the wolf pack's gaze, they actually passed through the canyon unharmed, suffering no attacks. Only after they had gone far from the canyon did Luo Changfeng speak in disbelief: "How did you do that?"

Shi Ran looked at the red thread on her wrist, which had returned to normal, and shook her head. "I don't know either... I just suddenly knew what to do."

What she didn't say was that in that moment, she felt a resonance from the depths of her bloodline, as if the red thread was not merely a curse, but a key, opening a door to an unknown world for her.

Ling Xiao looked at her thoughtfully, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.

After a day and night of hard riding, the four finally saw the transfer array perched atop the snowy mountain. However, just as they were about to arrive, the distinctive horn call of the Silver Wolf Guards rang out from far behind them.

"They've caught up!" Wei Yuzhu cried out in alarm.

"Quick!" Ling Xiao urged, another trace of fresh blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

The four desperately urged their snow wolves, charging toward the transfer array. Just as the Silver Wolf Guards' figures appeared at the edge of their vision, they finally stepped onto the transfer array's platform.

Luo Changfeng swiftly placed spirit stones at the array eyes, activating the transfer array. Light began to rise. The Silver Wolf Guards were already within arm's reach. Their leader, Yin Che, drew his longbow to full draw and loosed an arrow!

Just as the arrow was about to shoot into the transfer array, Shi Ran instinctively raised her hand and waved. The red thread on her wrist flashed, and a black-gold barrier appeared out of thin air, blocking the arrow. But the rebounding impact made her stagger a step, nearly falling out of the transfer array.

"Ranran!" Ling Xiao abruptly reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back into his embrace.

At this moment, the transfer array's light blazed, and space began to twist. In the instant before they were completely transported away, Shi Ran clearly saw, on a distant snowy peak, a blurry figure standing — golden-brown eyes coldly watching them. It was precisely Po Tuo!