Junior Sister is skilled in subduing demons.

Chapter 195 This young man is strange
The campfire inside the snow cave crackled and popped, the leaping flames reflecting a warm glow onto the icicles on the cave walls, as if someone had inlaid countless tiny gems into the stone.

Shen Anzhi leaned against the cold rock wall, his gaze involuntarily falling on Ge Wensong. The boy was carefully breaking the last piece of dry rations in half, and without hesitation, he handed over the larger piece while keeping the smaller one for himself.

"Eat quickly, the snow will stop soon, and we need to find Lingyuan Mirror Lake." Ge Wensong's voice carried the warmth of the campfire and the fragrance of burning pine resin.

Anzhi took the dry rations, her fingertips touching the warm wheat cakes, and a warmth inexplicably welled up in her heart. She didn't eat immediately, but stared at the wound on his forehead, where dark red scabs still clung, standing out starkly against his fair skin: "Is your injury... serious?"

"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious." Ge Wensong grinned, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth, his eyes gleaming with the smugness unique to young men: "Let me tell you, I dug this snow cave out with my sword, wasn't that impressive?"

Seeing his expression, Anzhi couldn't help but laugh, her eyes and brows beaming with joy. But this laugh pulled at her frozen cheeks, causing her skin to sting slightly, and she unconsciously frowned.

Almost simultaneously, Ge Wensong's smile vanished. He immediately pulled out a small bottle of wound medicine from his pocket and carefully handed it to An Zhi: "This was given to me by Monk Tongda. It's said to be very effective. Let me apply it for you."

His movements were as gentle as if he were afraid of breaking fragile glass. His fingertips, moistened with cool ointment, carefully applied it to the scratches on Shen Anzhi's cheek, avoiding the redness and swelling around the wound.

Anzhi could smell the faint scent of pine wood on him, mixed with the crispness of snow water and the herbal smell of ointment. These scents intertwined to create an atmosphere that inexplicably reassured her.

“By the way,” Ge Wensong suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence, “While we were digging in the snow just now, I think I heard what the goddess Shibi from the Five-Colored Pool said. She said that to enter the sacred mountain, you must find the Spirit Abyss Mirror Lake, where there is a divine turtle that can teleport you there directly. Otherwise, the pilgrimage route is very, very far, and it will take five months.”

"Five months?" An Zhi was shocked, nearly dropping the dry rations in his hand. Five months—who knew how much suffering the people of Qiang City would endure, how much more blood would be stained with General Black Python's blade…

“So we have to find the divine tortoise as soon as possible.” Ge Wensong’s tone suddenly became firm: “Don’t worry, with me here, we will definitely find it.” As he said this, his eyes were fixed on Anzhi, without the slightest hesitation.

Looking into his earnest eyes, Anzhi suddenly recalled the night in Yading Village when he stood by the campfire and said, "Once we get the Demon-Slaying Sword, let's go find Tuantuan together." At that time, she had only thought it was the spiritedness of a young man, but now she sensed a different meaning in that determined gaze.

After packing their things, the two carefully walked out of the snow cave as the snowstorm subsided.

The outside world was a silvery white, and sunlight pierced through the clouds, reflecting a blinding light onto the snow, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes. Ge Wensong immediately took off his goggles and handed them to Anzhi without saying a word: "Wear these, don't let the light dazzle your eyes."

"And what about you?" An Zhi held the cold goggles, looking at his slightly narrowed eyes, which were already bloodshot. "My eyesight is good, I'm fine." Ge Wensong smiled and winked, the ice crystals on his eyelashes reflecting rainbow colors in the sunlight. He stepped onto the snow first, walking forward with uneven steps, not forgetting to turn back and remind him: "Stay close to me, there might be traps in the deep snow."

Throughout the journey, Ge Wensong led the way, carefully probing the snow beneath his feet with his sword. When encountering steep snow slopes, he would first climb up using both hands and feet, then extend his hand, palm up, waiting steadily for her. If he saw loose icicles overhead, he would immediately shield her behind him, carefully using his sword to knock the icicles off. He didn't care that ice shards landed on his shoulder.

This meticulous care suddenly reminded Shen Anzhi of the porcelain spirits Liu Yulin and Ding Tianfeng she had met in Jingdezhen, of their tightly clasped hands before their deaths, and of the barely concealed shyness and tenderness in Kui Ran's eyes when she spoke of Kang Qing at Sanqing Mountain. She had never understood before why, knowing the road ahead was dangerous, one would still entrust their heart to another, adding another layer of worry to their life. But now, watching Ge Wensong's busy figure in the wind and snow, seeing his slightly hunched back as he shielded her from the snow, she suddenly understood—some feelings are never a matter of choice.

“Wen Song,” An Zhi suddenly spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the open snow, “Thank you for coming with me to such a dangerous place.”

Ge Wensong paused, then slowly turned around. The sunlight fell perfectly on his face, gilding his eyelashes with gold, making even the fine hairs clearly visible. He scratched his head, a blush creeping up the tips of his ears like clouds dyed by the setting sun: "Nonsense, protecting... protecting the fairy is a man's duty."

"A fairy?" Anzhi deliberately raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips, unable to resist teasing him.

Ge Wensong's face flushed bright red instantly, like a persimmon roasted over charcoal, even his ears turned red. He quickly turned around, his back to her, and strode forward, his voice stammering, "I... I mean, you're so amazing and so beautiful, what else could you be but a fairy?"

Seeing his embarrassed yet earnest expression, Anzhi couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The two climbed to the top of the snow-capped mountain, and suddenly a breathtaking view opened up before them. A lake surrounded by ice and snow lay quietly among the mountains. The lake was as calm as a mirror, clearly reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, snow-capped mountains, and rime ice forests on the shore. Heaven and earth seemed to merge into one, a beautiful secret realm like the abode of immortals.

On the rocks by the lake, a crystal-clear snow lotus flower sways gently in the cold wind, and the ice crystals that have formed on its petals shimmer with iridescent light in the sunlight.

"That is... Lingyuan Mirror Lake?" An Zhi exclaimed in amazement, her eyes sparkling with astonishment. She had never seen such a pure and pristine sight before.

Ge Wensong nodded, his eyes also filled with shock. He carefully walked over, avoiding the sharp icicles, and gently plucked the snow lotus. Then he quickly returned to her, held it in both hands, and handed it to her with a serious look, as if he were handing over some rare treasure: "This is for you."

Anzhi took the snow lotus, its touch icy cold. She looked into Ge Wensong's eyes, which reflected the snow-capped mountains and lakes, and even her own image, so earnest that it made her heart skip a beat...