Chapter 110 – The Little Snow Ferret No Longer Ran Away (11)
When the little snow ferret entered the three elders’ line of sight, the entire world seemed to lose its color. In their eyes, only the soft, fluffy, and snow-white little creature remained. Their young master was as adorable as ever—once a tiny bundle of cuteness, now a slightly bigger one. Before, he was a little cutie; now, he was a big cutie.
It wasn’t until Jianmu placed a blanket over the small ferret—under the noble pretext of “The night air is damp; we mustn’t let Mo Mo catch a cold.”—that the elders finally snapped out of their trance.
The three elders wholeheartedly agreed. Our young master is delicate and precious; he must be well taken care of!
No matter how old Bai Mo was, in their eyes, he was still the little ferret who used to tug at their robes, asking for sweets with a soft, childlike voice.
Since Jianmu was a friend, not a foe, the elders had no reason to continue being hostile toward him. Though they had many questions, the mere fact that he had safely brought their young master back was enough to impress them. A true hero in his youth—this young man has a bright future ahead!
With this shift in mindset, their evaluation of Jianmu changed drastically—what was once seen as scheming was now considered courage, and what was once thought of as trickery was now seen as talent.
The little broadcast spirit, who could perceive their thoughts, nearly burst out laughing. Poor Lord Divine Tree—who would’ve thought he’d have a day where he was mistaken for a thief?
The city gates would not open before dawn. While the elders had enough authority to bend the rules and order them open, Jianmu did not agree.
Firstly, he did not want to break the rules set by the Netherworld. Once a precedent was set, it would be hard to control future exceptions, and given the precarious state of the Netherworld, avoiding unnecessary disruptions was best.
Secondly, he did not want too many people to know Bai Mo had returned. The enemy lurks in the shadows while we are exposed. Without knowing the full extent of the hidden threats, revealing our presence could be the greatest danger of all.
The four of them chose to wait until dawn. The moment the city gates opened, Jianmu carried the little snow ferret inside. The three elders, nearly driven mad with impatience, rushed in like a raging storm, completely ignoring the guards who greeted them.
After much difficulty, they finally arrived at their agreed meeting place—only to find that the little snow ferret was still fast asleep.
Having cried too much the previous day, coupled with the dizziness caused by re-entering the Netherworld, Bai Mo needed ample rest to recover his strength.
“Sir, why not come to my home instead? The young master needs a better place to rest.” Now that the initial excitement of seeing their young master had passed, the Grand Elder finally remembered that Jianmu’s identity remained unclear.
Leaving their young master in the care of an unknown man was simply too dangerous. The royal palace would have been ideal, but since it had been sealed shut ever since the young master was sent away, bringing him back there would attract too much attention. As a compromise, the Grand Elder suggested taking him to his own residence instead.
The other two elders, receiving the Grand Elder’s subtle signal, had the same thought. They put on warm, welcoming smiles, seemingly eager to invite their esteemed guest inside—while, in truth, they were simply waiting for the right moment to snatch the little snow ferret away from Jianmu’s arms.
“You’ve had a hard journey, sir. Allow me to lead the way.” The Seventh Elder reached out, intending to take the little snow ferret from Jianmu’s arms, but Jianmu did not yield.
“No need. We wouldn’t want to wake Mo Mo. Elder, please lead the way ahead,” Jianmu replied with a polite smile, firmly refusing the request.
Since the young master was in Jianmu’s arms, the elders did not dare act rashly. Taking advantage of the relatively empty streets, they guided Jianmu back to the Elders’ Courtyard.
The three remaining elders were all unmarried and childless. For the sake of convenience in discussing matters, they resided together in the courtyard.
As soon as they stepped inside, the Grand Elder quickly instructed the attendants to clean the best room in the courtyard, prepare delicious food, and fetch clean drinking water. Unpolluted water sources had become increasingly scarce. Most people, including the elders themselves, relied on lightly contaminated water for daily use. The Grand Elder’s request stunned the attendants—they thought they had misheard or that the Grand Elder had misspoken. However, under the sharp glare of the Grand Elder, they soon realized they had heard correctly and hurried to make the necessary preparations, though still filled with confusion.
Had it been for anyone else, the Grand Elder would never have parted with such a precious resource. But since it was for Bai Mo? Give him as much as he needs. If they ran out, they would simply purify more. The young master deserved only the best. Others could make do, but Bai Mo must never be wronged.
When Bai Mo finally woke up, he was met with three pairs of eyes staring intently at him. The moment he opened his eyes, their deeply wrinkled faces blossomed into wide grins, so radiant that they frightened away the last remnants of his drowsiness.
“Who… who are you?” Bai Mo mumbled, still groggy. In the unfamiliar surroundings, his instincts immediately sought out the person closest to him. “Brother Jianmu~”
“I’m here. You’ve woken up, little ferret. We’re in the Elders’ Courtyard.” Jianmu stood behind the three elders, his eyes filled with fondness.
“The Elders’ Courtyard?” Bai Mo murmured.
It was no surprise that Bai Mo had no recollection of the place. When he was younger, the elders would always visit him in the royal palace, playing with him, teaching him spells, and keeping him indoors at all costs, fearing that his frail body would be harmed by the mutated cold outside. Naturally, he had never been to the Elders’ Courtyard himself.
As the faces before him gradually overlapped with his childhood memories, Bai Mo’s eyes lit up, and he called out sweetly, “Grand Elder, Seventh Elder, Ninth Elder~”
“Oh! The young master still remembers us!”
“What a remarkable memory, young master!”
“You must be tired from your journey. Why don’t you get up and have a little something to eat before going back to sleep?”
In their memories, the young master was still a child who needed to be coaxed. Even though he had grown up, in the elders’ eyes, Bai Mo remained that same soft little bundle.
Hearing the elders speak in their familiar tones, the boy’s nose tingled, and his eyes quickly reddened. With a heavy sob in his voice, he cried, “Elders, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left like that. It’s all my fault—I caused the other elders to…” If he had stayed, the elders wouldn’t have perished one by one before their time.
“Oh, young master, don’t cry! How could this be your fault? It’s all because of those four great fiends.”
“Exactly! If you hadn’t left, we might not have been able to hold on for much longer ourselves. But we couldn’t die, because we were waiting for you to find a way to save the Netherworld Realm. And look—your people have finally awaited your return…”
The three elders took turns comforting Bai Mo, but the more they spoke, the harder he cried. In the end, it was Jianmu who had to step in, showering him with affectionate reassurances. Only after much coaxing did the little snow ferret finally stop sobbing, though he still sniffled occasionally.
The Grand Elder, Seventh Elder, and Ninth Elder: “!” You insolent brat! How dare you kiss the young master!
Just as their fury at the offense began to rise, Bai Mo shyly took Jianmu’s hand and introduced him to the elders. “Grand Elder, this is Brother Jianmu. After I left, he took me in. Thanks to him and a stroke of fortune, we were able to return.”
Jianmu. The name sounded somewhat familiar, as if they had heard it somewhere before.
The Netherworld Realm had been cut off from the outside world for too long, leaving their information outdated. Some time ago, the Northern Emperor Immortal Lord had barely managed to send a message, saying that he had found a way to lift the seal on the Netherworld Realm. But after that one sentence, no further word had come.
“I was born in the heart of the Nine Provinces, standing between heaven and earth. Outsiders commonly call me ‘Tongtian’—the Sky-reaching Tree.”
Nine Provinces… Tongtian…
The Grand Elder chewed over the words, and suddenly, his eyes widened in shock.
“You are the Celestial Sky-reaching Tree!”
The three elders were utterly shocked. Once they recovered, they no longer looked at Jianmu with wary, scrutinizing eyes. Instead, their gazes were filled with excitement. The heavens have not forsaken our Netherworld!
If they had only the assistance of the Northern Emperor Immortal Lord, there was merely a forty percent chance of breaking the Netherworld Realm’s seal. But with the addition of the Celestial Sky-reaching Tree, their hope soared to eighty percent.
“Immortal, please take a seat. We have offended you before—please do not hold it against us.” Realizing the significance of this moment, the three elders stood and respectfully bowed to Jianmu.
“Elders, please rise. This journey was made not only because Mo Mo longed for home, but primarily for this very matter.” Jianmu’s status was unquestionable. Even if he told the elders not to bow, they would likely feel uneasy, so he simply accepted their courtesy and let the incident from earlier slide.
Bai Mo watched in confusion, not understanding how Jianmu and the elders had suddenly become so polite with each other. He turned to Jianmu, who met his gaze with a reassuring look before leaning in to whisper in his ear, “Just a small test. These three elders are truly good people, Mo Mo. You must honor and respect them in the future.”
Jianmu’s voice was soft, but the elders had exceptional hearing. They didn’t catch every word, but they understood enough to realize that the Celestial Sky-reaching Tree bore no grudge against them. This greatly eased their hearts.
Bai Mo scrunched up his delicate little face and huffed playfully, “What kind of thing is that to say? Of course, I will honor the elders~” The elders had always treated him with such kindness—he wasn’t some ungrateful little snow ferret!
After finishing their meal and drinking tea, the five of them sat in the main hall. The Grand Elder waved for the attendants to leave. Once all outsiders had exited, Jianmu casually set up a barrier to block out any potential eavesdroppers, preparing for an open and honest discussion with the three elders.
“The Demon Realm’s Empress nearly fell victim to poisoning—he was afflicted by Red Rainbow Grass,” Jianmu stated bluntly, wasting no time on pleasantries.
The Ninth Elder immediately cried out in grievance, “The Netherworld Realm is already struggling to survive! If we had any spare energy, we would rather use it to dispel the mutated cold aura. Why would we try to harm the Demon Empress? It’s not as if we’re eager to hasten our own destruction!”
“Fortunately, it was discovered early. Su Su only consumed it a few times, so the poison hadn’t spread deeply. Otherwise, we would’ve truly made an enemy of the Demon Realm.” Bai Mo added, then quickly explained, “Brother Jianmu isn’t blaming the elders for failing to manage the Netherworld Realm properly, but rather…”
He glanced toward the door, ensuring no one was outside, then lowered his voice.
“There’s a traitor in the Netherworld Realm. We don’t know their goal, but it’s certainly nothing good.”
The Grand Elder’s expression changed drastically.
This mysterious individual was truly vicious—were they trying to bring about the total annihilation of the Netherworld Realm?
The Netherworld Realm, which the Lord and the other elders—who had sacrificed their lives and spared no effort to protect—was now being targeted by some unknown figure, seeking their deaths. How could the Grand Elder not be consumed with hatred? If he ever uncovered the mastermind behind this, he would ensure that person was torn to pieces.
Jianmu saw the fury burning in the Grand Elder’s eyes. Right now, harboring such negative emotions in the Netherworld Realm was dangerous—it could easily lead to demonic corruption.
Just as the Grand Elder’s mind began to waver into confusion, a crisp chime rang out. The once-clouded look in his eyes instantly cleared, and even his aging body felt noticeably lighter.
He blinked in confusion and turned to the others. “What just happened to me?”
Seeing him regain his senses, the Seventh and Ninth Elders let out a long sigh of relief. “Grand Elder, you were under the influence of something,” the Seventh Elder explained.
The three elders had unwavering loyalty to the Netherworld Realm, making them impossible for the mysterious figure to manipulate. Since they could not be used, they had to be destroyed. Unbeknownst to them, they had been poisoned. The moment the conditions were right, they would have succumbed to demonic corruption and self-destructed.