Split Zone No.13 Chapter 219

Volume 4
219 The Weirdo, Big Gold Rooster
Once I made my decision, I realized I could look at Gao Qi with clearer eyes.
I said gently, “Sorry. Even if you’re telling the truth, this isn’t my top priority right now. There’re many things I have to do. I need to get somebody’s memories back, I need to find myself, and I need to find my friends who’ve gone missing. There’re too many things I still have to do.”
I was met with Gao Qi’s sorrowful gaze as I finished.
His gaze carried with it a kind of chill, as if it was about to asphyxiate me.
A tear seemed to escape his eyes, but he disappeared right in front of me before I could take a clearer look.
“Gao Qi.” I looked around. Only now did I wonder about my actions. What was I doing? What was I saying?
Didn’t I love him before?
Why did I become like this…
A flood of emotions overwhelmed me.
“Hey, how could we get separated even while holding hands?” I heard Nie Zun’s lazy voice from behind.
I saw those starry eyes and that casual smile as I turned around and took him in a sudden embrace.
“Hey, what are you doing?” He wasn’t gentle now, and he wasn’t kind either. He did not understand why I did this at all.
I looked up at him happily. “Nothing. Let’s go. You’ll be back by my side soon.”
Nie Zun raised his brows. “You’re one weird lady. But, where do we go from here?”
Heavy white fog surrounded us.
“We should’ve let Feng come in with us. This fog would probably be dissipated easily with wind.”
Nie Zun waved a hand. “It wouldn’t work since this is an illusion.”
“You can tell?” Well, he was good at using his pupils.Then why did he take so long to find me?
“I only realized it moments ago. Let’s continue. The illusion might just go away once we pass this layer.” Nie Zun put his hands back into his pockets and started walking.
I rushed forward, snatching a hand from out of his pocket. “This place is scary. It’s better if I hold your hand.” I looked away after I created this bad excuse for myself.
Nie Zun didn’t seem to mind. He answered sarcastically, “I knew you were a scaredy-cat.”
We finally seemed to have reached the checkpoint after passing through layers and layers of white fog.
Though the path ahead was still covered in fog, I could sense that there was something different in front as I activated my MF.
The white fog suddenly disappeared, and the scene around us changed instantly.
I sighed inwardly as I took in the scene around me.
We were back in that glacial wonderland.
There were glaciers everywhere, and we were stepping on ice. I looked down in defeat as the cold closed in on me.
“Why are we back here?” Nie Zun asked.
I answered gloomily, “Yes. I don’t know why. Why are we back here?” And, how do we go to that stone room from here?
It was obvious that we couldn’t go into the river judging from the thickness of the ice below us. There was nothing else but glaciers here, so where do I even start looking for that stone room?
I realized I was too naïve this time.
This is our second time here, so how could it be exactly the same as the first?
The ice in front of us cracked suddenly, and an icicle emerged from the ground.
Somebody was standing on that icicle.
The person was balancing with one leg on the tip of that icicle, as if he was doing yoga.
I decided that this was a crazy person from looking at the position he was in.
Yes, he’s definitely mad.
The person was a sloppy-looking male with a face full of facial hair. He also had extremely long hair. It looked like it was tied in braids all over his head. He had beady eyes like a thief and he was still in that one-legged position, with both his arms raised high above him.
He was mad, no matter how I look at it.
“I hate couples, especially those who look good with each other, like you guys. I’ll carve an ice sculpture out of the both of you today.”
He spoke as he saw me staring at him. His voice sounded crisp and it felt like he was just a boring old man who practiced some weird skill.
“Hey big gold rooster, I don’t believe you can make an ice sculpture out of me,” I challenged. (T/n: The pose where one balances on one leg with raised arms is commonly called Jin Ji Du Li in Chinese, and Jin Ji literally translates to ‘golden chicken’.)
“Well, well, well, this lady sure talks big. But who’s big gold rooster?” He looked confused, squinting his eyes until they looked like they were about to be squashed together.
He’s definitely a lunatic.
“Big gold rooster refers to you, old man. Why are you standing on an icicle? Can’t you come down and have a proper conversation? It’s weird for me to look at you like that.”
Nie Zun spoke before he could answer. “Is that so? I think it’s interesting. I even thought about having a go at it myself.”
I was rendered momentarily speechless at this.
Big gold rooster looked extremely satisfied with whatever Nie Zun said. He looked at Nie Zun with acknowledgement. “This young man here has good taste, except when choosing a girlfriend. I wouldn’t want this lady even if she’s dog food.”
What, what and what…
What did he just say about me…
I flashed a brilliant smile at him. “Smelly golden rooster, come down and say that again if you dare.”
I thought he would come down from that icicle once I challenged him like this, but I didn’t expect for him to refuse my challenge. “I’m not going down. It’s not fun down there.”
He jumped once and the icicle started moving across the ground, like a shark’s fin that was moving in the water. Before long, he started moving in circles.
“I’ll turn, I’ll turn, I’ll turn, turn and turn.” He started having fun on his own just like this. He was overjoyed at his own little game.
I turned to Nie Zun. “Are you sure you want to be like him? Turn, turn and turn?”
Nie Zun smiled. “That looks pretty interesting. He’s more interesting than you.”
“…”
“I love what that young boy is saying. Come, come on over. Come and turn with me.” Big gold rooster appeared right beside me, scaring me with his invitation.
I snapped alert immediately. Anyone who could creep up on me like this must have a very high MF.
“Let’s go, young man. I’ll take you to have some fun. Let’s not care about this old hag.”
I, I, I, I’m an old hag?
I was about to blow my top. That big gold rooster stretched out a hand towards Nie Zun, who smiled as he raised a hand, as if he was about accept the invitation.
At that very moment, the hand of that big gold rooster turned into an icicle. I also noticed several transparent spikes on that icicle he was standing on.
It was too late to stop Nie Zun, but he didn’t take that hand either.
Nie Zun had quick reflexes and he had realized something was wrong. His hand stopped just two centimeters away from the other hand.
Big gold rooster could have stabbed him at such a distance, but he didn’t.
Nie Zun did not avoid the hand. With his reflexes, his hand was already enshrouded in thick, black mist.
I laughed. “So it’s somebody who likes to joke around and attack suddenly.”
Big gold rooster stared at me. “Says who. I just wanted to let him witness my skills.”
“Fine, you’ll always have an explanation. I want to know who you are and why you’re here now.”
Big gold rooster retracted his hand and continued staring at me. “I’m the ice spirit in this glacier.”
“Pch.” I didn’t believe him at all.
Ice spirit? The spirit of this glacier? Or just a random soul in the glacier?
He didn’t look like any of those.
He stared at me angrily upon seeing my look of disbelief. “You’re really annoying, lady. I’m definitely turning you into an ice sculpture.” However, he didn’t have any follow-up actions after that.
I found him rather interesting at this point. I leaned in closer and asked, “Are you really the ice spirit of this glacier? Then can you tell me why the first time I came here, there was a river instead of this ice? Do you know why?”
Big gold rooster finally jumped off his icicle. He touched his beard as he answered, “You’re referring to a glacier, that’s for sure, but it isn’t this one. This glacier is huge, and everyone who enters the demon cave will reach a glacier. Why are you looking for that particular place? At least you can still stand here.”
Should I tell him that I’m looking for that stone room? Can I trust him?
As I hesitated, big gold rooster asked, “Don’t tell me you’re looking for that demon palace under that icy river.”
Demon palace. That seemed to refer to that stone room.
I smiled at him. “Why? I can’t go there?”
He leapt up suddenly, jumping around all over the place as he flailed his arms about. “Mad, mad, mad, mad. Others are running away while you’re actually heading for that godforsaken place? You’re really mad, mad, mad.”
I think you’re the one who’s mad…
I answered patiently, “I have to go there for something important. Are you able to lead the way to that icy river?”