Chapter Eleven: At the Summit of the Snowy Mountain

“So this is the summit of the Snow Mountain?” Zhou Yu gazed into the endless whiteness before him.

For half a month, Zhou Yu had been practicing Snow Severance as he climbed. Though he still couldn’t split a feather-light, drifting snowflake in two, his swift sword grew swifter, his slow sword slower. He could now unleash three consecutive slow strikes before exhaustion claimed him.

That evening, Zhou Yu and the old man finally reached the summit. Contrary to imagination, the peak wasn’t a cramped, solitary spot. It was an endless expanse of white, a world of rolling snowdrifts, treacherously hard and slick ice, and the ceaseless howl of the wind.

They had spent two months climbing from the mountain’s waist to its crown. Zhou Yu recalled the highest peak on Earth; in comparison, this snowy giant was child’s play.

The old man carried two wild geese slung across his back. Taking a swig of wine, he said, “Let’s walk a bit further and settle down. We’ll practice swordplay here. Once your skill improves, you can try your hand against the monsters of this snowy summit.”

Zhou Yu nodded, and the two pressed on.

As night fell and the wind grew even sharper, they found shelter behind a snowdrift and stopped. The old man took down the geese and tossed them to Zhou Yu, who deftly plucked and gutted them, slicing them into hefty chunks with his great sword. He laid the meat flat atop the blade.

Zhou Yu pressed his watch, summoning Duena, and instructed, “Start roasting.”

Lately, as they climbed higher, firewood grew scarce, but wild geese often flew by. After days of eating raw goose, Zhou Yu had an idea. Since Duena could generate electricity, why not have her electrify the sword and turn it into a makeshift grill?

Though reluctant, Duena had no choice but to become a cook for her great king. Each time they roasted meat, she donned a chef’s outfit, channeling current through the blade, using it as a heating coil.

Zhou Yu flipped the golden goose meat, pressing it against the sword to sear. “Master, the summit is so vast. Are there beasts here? Bears, snow wolves, perhaps?”

The old man’s eyes locked on the roasting meat, savoring the aroma as his mouth watered. He swallowed and said, “How should I know? I’ve never been up here. But there are definitely monsters. Though they’ve been hiding lately, I still sense their aura. We must stay vigilant.”

It was strange. Originally, Zhou Yu and the old man had always seen the monsters’ aura swirling at the summit, but a few days ago, the clouds suddenly dispersed, and they hadn’t seen it since.

After finishing the roast goose, Zhou Yu and the old man rested a while. Then Zhou Yu began practicing swordplay; the old man sat cross-legged, gathering sword energy in his left hand to practice his left-handed sword.

After an hour, Zhou Yu stopped, his body still at its peak—he hadn’t trained to exhaustion as usual, just in case monsters attacked at night.

The old man opened his eyes, glanced at Zhou Yu, and nodded. Diligent, careful, gifted, patient—given time, this boy would become great. But would he have enough time?

The stars above the snowy summit shone brighter than anywhere else, seeming close enough to touch. Their light spilled across the snow, making it glow faintly. Zhou Yu exhaled deeply, dispelling the tightness in his chest, then began practicing the breathing technique Duena had taught him.

As time passed, the starlight seemed to gather toward Zhou Yu, slowly converging upon him. Bathed in the glow, his expression was calm, his breaths long and steady, his internal mechanisms steadily strengthened, though he felt a faint dizziness and unease.

Suddenly, a ripple of unease flickered through him—a strange sensation, like a current running through his body, gone in a flash, yet undeniably real.

He opened his eyes, scanning the surroundings with caution. Nothing—just endless whiteness. Under the starlight, he could see far, but there was no sign of movement.

“That was killing intent,” the old man said, opening his eyes. He instinctively reached for his wine flask but didn’t drink. “This monster is stronger than we thought. Perhaps a demon king, or at least one on the verge of becoming one.”

He looked at Zhou Yu. “What surprises me isn’t the monster’s strength, but that you sensed its killing intent.”

Zhou Yu smiled. “I only felt a fleeting unease—nothing definite.”

“The monster is still far away, but it’s already noticed us. I doubt we’ll sleep tonight,” the old man said, taking a drink and gazing into the distance.

“What if it doesn’t attack, just sends out killing intent to scare us? We wouldn’t get any sleep,” Zhou Yu replied.

The old man nodded. “You’re right. We’ll have to deal with it soon.”

Zhou Yu stood, brushing snow from his clothes, and shouted into the distance, “Come eat us! We’re right here!”

He shouted three times, then grabbed his great sword and began digging a hole in the snow.

The old man stared in astonishment; he hadn’t expected such a direct method of luring the monster.

“What are you digging for?” he asked once he regained his composure.

“Sleeping, of course,” Zhou Yu replied as he worked, stamping the snow firm around the hole, then started digging a hole for the old man.

“What if the monster shows up? Surely you’re not asking your master to stand guard?”

“Aren’t they always saying old people need less sleep? I’m still growing; I need more rest,” Zhou Yu joked as he dug.

“Don’t be upset, Master. I’m making you a hole, aren’t I? Leave the night watch to Duena—it’s not exactly a skilled task,” Zhou Yu said as he finished the old man’s hole and pressed his watch.

“You don’t have a body, so why bother changing clothes? That red hat is an eyesore. If you like uniforms so much, why not try lace, or something more daring?” Zhou Yu said, eyeing Duena, who looked like a Christmas elf.

Duena pouted, her face glowing and even turning a little red with irritation. “There’s snow everywhere. I dress like this to fit in.”

Zhou Yu opened his mouth to retort, then sighed. “If you like it, then tonight you can patrol and keep watch for us.”

Duena bounced with delight. “Really? Great King, you’re wonderful! I’m bored stiff in that watch all day!”

Zhou Yu gave the old man a look—see, that’s how you fool girls.

The old man quietly gave Zhou Yu a thumbs up—a hero, even in youth.

Duena transformed into a green halo, spreading outward. Unless Zhou Yu was unconscious or in mortal danger, she could not act without his command.

After discovering Duena’s uncanny resemblance to human emotion, Zhou Yu worried she would become too human, lose her rationality as a computer, and make mistakes only humans would make. So he kept her in check.

Watching the light fade into the distance, Zhou Yu stretched, crawled into his snow hole, then poked his head out after a while. “Master, aren’t you sleeping?”

The old man nodded, corked his flask, and climbed into his own snow hole.

Far away, Duena scampered happily over snowdrifts, when suddenly she spotted two glowing green lights. She approached them to scan, only for the lights to vanish abruptly into the snow.