Two days later, outside Snow Hidden Valley.
The snow-covered road had melted, and a secluded path led to the depths of the valley.
The path was lined with flowers and plants, full of life, making it impossible to tell that this was a valley sealed by snow just two days ago.
Ye Ling looked at the scenery within the valley and chuckled, "In just two days, such a great change has occurred. It's truly a marvel."
Feng Ke, standing beside him, was accustomed to such things. She glanced at Ji Xue, then said to Ye Ling, "Snow Hidden Valley is now open, but this is my master's place of cultivation, and outsiders are usually not allowed in. Bringing you in is already an exception."
"I understand."
Ye Ling smiled faintly and instructed Ji Xue, "You stay outside the valley. If there's any disturbance, contact me immediately."
"Yes."
Ji Xue bowed respectfully, not feeling wronged by this.
After all, she was not acquainted with Feng Ke, and since Snow Hidden Valley was the cultivation ground of the Snow Hidden Sect, barging in would be breaking the rules.
Moreover, the Kas people had all died by her hand, and Feng Ke had a very good impression of the people of Fulong Town. Ji Xue did not want her blood-stained self to defile this sacred place.
Feng Ke continued, "Then shall we go in? There are many traps and illusions within the valley. A slight mistake and you could get lost. You must stay close to me."
Ye Ling smiled, "Alright."
After a brief exchange, Feng Ke led the way into Snow Hidden Valley, with Ye Ling following closely behind.
Feng Ke was still immersed in the grief of Fulong Town being turned into ruins. She had barely spoken for the past two days, focusing solely on cultivation. Now, leading the way, she walked with her head down, not interacting with Ye Ling at all.
Ye Ling didn't mind this. He admired the scenery of Snow Hidden Valley at his own pace, while simultaneously extending his divine sense into the valley to investigate its current state.
It had to be said that the existence of a marvel like Snow Hidden Valley in the Kunlun Mountains was a testament to nature's artistry.
Despite the snow blanketing the outside, the inside was full of spring vitality, with flowers blooming in profusion.
A casual sweep revealed precious herbs everywhere, with rare treasures in dazzling abundance.
If this place were developed into a tourist attraction, the uninhabited areas of the Kunlun Mountains would likely become instantly crowded, with tourists from all over the world visiting in rotation.
Of course, everyone knew that such a thing was impossible.
"Hmm?"
As Ye Ling scanned the depths of Snow Hidden Valley, his brow furrowed slightly, and he couldn't help but ask Feng Ke, "Besides you and your master, are there any other people in Snow Hidden Valley?"
Hearing Ye Ling's question, Feng Ke snapped back to attention and asked, "No, what's wrong?"
Ye Ling looked towards the depths of Snow Hidden Valley and said faintly, "It seems your Snow Hidden Valley has been invaded by outsiders."
Outside a few wooden houses in the depths of Snow Hidden Valley, Ye Ling sensed the residual aura of at least ten people, and even a faint smell of blood permeated the air.
It was clear that someone had entered Snow Hidden Valley recently.
If only Su Xue'er and Feng Ke were in Snow Hidden Valley, then the auras of those dozen or so people clearly indicated intruders.
"Invaded by outsiders?"
Upon hearing Ye Ling's words, Feng Ke's expression changed slightly, and she stopped walking slowly, instead sprinting rapidly into the valley.
Not only did Snow Hidden Valley contain a large number of rare treasures, but more importantly, it held many precious items left behind by her master!
Each of those items was incredibly valuable and could not be lost!
Seeing Feng Ke's panic, Ye Ling also sped up to follow.
His purpose in coming to Snow Hidden Valley was to confirm Su Xue'er's identity.
But now, someone had gotten there first. If all items related to Su Xue'er were taken away, his trip would have been in vain.
The two quickly reached the depths of Snow Hidden Valley. Feng Ke, without time to greet Ye Ling, rushed into Su Xue'er's house to check if anything was missing.
Ye Ling did not stand idle either. He spread his divine sense around, thoroughly searching Snow Hidden Valley.
"Judging by the residual concentration of these auras, the intruders left over a month ago. The rare spiritual herbs in the valley were not dug up, indicating their objective was not the heavenly treasures within Snow Hidden Valley..."
"In this case, it's highly likely they were targeting Su Xue'er. Are they people from Hongchen Pavilion?"
Ye Ling walked to a spot with the strongest residual aura and looked at the sword marks on the ground, muttering to himself, "There are traces of a fight. Besides the illusions and traps within Snow Hidden Valley, there are no mechanical soldiers. This means there were two groups of people in Snow Hidden Valley..."
"And there's still a smell of blood on the ground, but the killer carefully wiped away the bloodstains and even disposed of the bodies. This indicates they didn't want to defile Snow Hidden Valley... Was one of the groups targeting the people of the Snow Hidden Sect?"
By examining the situation within the valley, Ye Ling had managed to analyze this much information.
Unable to obtain more information from outside, Ye Ling did not linger and walked directly into the house. He saw Feng Ke meticulously examining various items with a grave expression.
Ye Ling asked, "How is it? Did anything go missing?"
"Strange... These ornaments have been moved, but nothing is missing. What was the objective of those intruders?"
Feng Ke was now completely perplexed, frowning as she looked at the situation inside the house.
She was the one who usually tidied up the items in the house, so she could easily tell if something had been moved.
She was certain that intruders had entered Snow Hidden Valley, but the intruders rummaged through everything yet took nothing. Such behavior was truly bizarre.
What were the intruders looking for?
"Everything was moved, but nothing was lost..."
Hearing Feng Ke's words, Ye Ling pondered for a moment, then asked Feng Ke again, "Do you usually have any close acquaintances in your Snow Hidden Sect?"
"There were two forces of intruders in this valley. I suspect one of them was specifically guarding Snow Hidden Valley, killing all the other intruders. The items taken by those intruders might have been put back by that person."
"Close acquaintances?"
Feng Ke shook her head, "When my master was in the valley before, I was always cultivating diligently within the valley and never saw my master bring anyone back."
"However, my master often went out of the valley. Perhaps there was some expert outside the valley who was friendly with my master."
"Is that so..."
Ye Ling's gaze was distant. After a moment of thought, he said, "Since nothing was lost, we can set aside the matter of the intruders for now. Are your master's notes still here?"
Feng Ke nodded, "Yes, they are. I'll get them for you right away."
"Thank you!"
Upon hearing that Su Xue'er's notes were still there, Ye Ling's eyes lit up slightly.
In fact, after discovering the intruders, he had already prepared himself for the loss of the notes, but he hadn't expected this pleasant surprise!
Feng Ke took a yellowed notebook from the desk and handed it to Ye Ling, "If you can help me find my master, I will do anything you ask of me."
"Don't say that. I also want to find Su Xue'er. This is something that benefits everyone." Ye Ling took Feng Ke's notebook and, suppressing his anticipation, slowly opened it.
When he saw the delicate handwriting in the notebook, his pupils contracted sharply.
Even though he had been mentally prepared, seeing the handwriting in the notebook still shocked him!
This was Xiao You's handwriting!
Su Xue'er was Ye You!