1. White Mountain Guard Corps (Please keep reading, leave a comment, and click through)
Page (1/3)
Changbai Mountain rises high into the clouds, its peaks blanketed with snow year-round. Temperatures plunge to minus twenty degrees Celsius; breaths freeze in the air, and the snow never melts.
“Haaah~”
“There’s no village ahead, no shop behind—Fan, what’s the point of guarding this desolate place?” Chen Cunyuan yawned, clearly uninterested. “Had I known it’d be like this, nothing could’ve made me come.”
“Cunyuan, stay sharp. If the captain comes out and sees you like this, you’ll be in for a scolding,” Lin Fan whispered. Lin Fan, twenty-two years old, had just graduated in June when he was selected for this mission. Chen Cunyuan was his teammate. What the mission entailed, they still didn’t know. Two months in Changbai Mountain, their daily work was simply patrolling—it felt more like being security guards than anything else!
Besides Chen Cunyuan and himself, there were a dozen others, patrolling day and night. From what Lin Fan had gathered, it seemed to be some special research project. Very mysterious—even insiders knew nothing.
“The captain? Hah!” Chen Cunyuan’s eyes flashed with disdain. “Fan, who’s Huang Qiushan anyway? He got in through connections, eats and sleeps well, and whenever there’s a sound in the woods, he nearly wets himself! If you ask me, you should’ve been captain. Only you let him get away with it, and now he’s getting more brazen!”
Chen Cunyuan was indignant. Two months ago, everyone had wanted Lin Fan as the team leader, but Huang Qiushan snatched the position at the last moment. Since then, Huang often assigned Lin Fan to night shifts—a clear attempt to sideline him.
Chen Cunyuan, grouped with Lin Fan, harbored a deep resentment toward Huang Qiushan.
“No matter, those who are capable bear more,” Lin Fan replied. “Cunyuan, it’s fine to say these things to me, but don’t let outsiders overhear.”
Lin Fan preferred to avoid trouble. With only three days left in the mission, he’d soon receive a thirty-thousand reward, so there was no need to fuss.
Lin Fan carried another identity besides this one: he was the sixty-third successor of Zhenwu Mountain, inheriting Daoist traditions. Raised in martial arts since childhood, he was exceptionally gifted. His master, Wu Xuzi, often lamented that Lin Fan was born in the wrong era—spiritual energy was thin, the age of magic waning; otherwise, his physical prowess would have transcended the ordinary long ago!
Zhenwu Mountain had always been sparsely populated, passing the lineage from master to apprentice. Lin Fan grew up there, with only Wu Xuzi as family. When Lin Fan went to college, Wu Xuzi passed away, leaving him truly alone.
Wu Xuzi left only the title of successor; Lin Fan inherited nothing else. Simply put, he still needed to work for a living.
This mission’s pay would cover Lin Fan’s expenses for a year.
“Fan, you’re just too kind!” Chen Cunyuan said admiringly. Lin Fan was famously helpful, always ready to lend a hand to teammates in need.
That was why Chen Cunyuan preferred working with him.
“Enough talk—let’s check ahead.”
Crunch, crunch, crunch!
Lin Fan’s thick boots shattered the ice. The forest was awash with white light, branches hung with long icicles like inverted swords.
Page (2/3)
Sunlight pierced the dense woods, casting dazzling white rays onto the ice swords. Though daytime, the sun’s warmth barely touched the cold that lingered.
Their patrol area wasn’t large; they simply needed to ensure nothing unusual within five hundred meters.
The mountain path was manageable, and after twenty minutes, Lin Fan and Chen Cunyuan returned the way they came.
Upon arrival, they found the security team already assembled.
At the center stood Huang Qiushan, stocky in his snow gear, looking rather bulky and gazing icily at them.
Huang Qiushan, around thirty, was the oldest among them and had once served in special operations units. His captaincy owed much to another connection: his cousin, Dr. Huang Dongshan, was part of the research team.
The others seemed to respect him, though in truth the reverence was for his cousin.
“You two took your time—were you slacking off somewhere?”
“Let me tell you, I’ve seen all those tricks before!” Huang Qiushan stood with hands on hips, exuding the air of a quarrelsome woman.
“Captain Huang, everyone knows our group is the most diligent. If you call us lazy, who else is hardworking?” Chen Cunyuan retorted immediately, unwilling to be accused. This wasn’t the first time he’d clashed with Huang.
“Hey now!”
“Come on, Huang, let’s get to the point,” a teammate said, handing him a cigarette and diffusing his anger.
“Yes, let’s hear what Dr. Huang just told you.”
“Right, no need to delay the researchers’ work!”
Huang Qiushan shot Chen Cunyuan a glare, then smiled as he took the cigarette, inhaled, and continued, “Smart move. Starting today, it’s first-level alert. Everyone must be on duty at all times.”
“What!”
“Ah! Does that mean we can’t sleep at night?”
“What’s going on, Huang?”
“Quit whining—it’s not just you, I’m in this too!” Huang Qiushan said gruffly. “Just three days. Don’t let anything happen. I’ll assign your areas now.”
“Lin Fan, your group is on the far east. Zhang Le, you’re in front of the research facility.”
“Report any unusual activity immediately. That’s all. Any questions?”
“…Understood!”
“Damn it! That fat bastard.”
“He’s always targeting us—he put us on the outermost edge. Isn’t that just making us stand watch at night? If anything happens, we’ll be the first to suffer!” Chen Cunyuan cursed. The research facility’s east side was the furthest; the other areas were sheer cliffs or steep peaks—impossible to guard against intruders.
Chen Cunyuan was furious.
Page (3/3)
When had he ever endured such treatment?
“I’m going to report this. Surely someone can deal with Huang Qiushan and Huang Dongshan! They act like the research institute is their own home!”
“Fan, are you coming?” Chen Cunyuan said, marching toward the institute.
“Cunyuan, let it go. Avoiding trouble is best. Nothing’s happened so far. If you’re uneasy, just find a spot to hide tonight—I’ll take the night watch,” Lin Fan replied.
He had no interest in confronting Huang Qiushan. Let him play his games; in three days the mission would end, and freedom would return.
“Alright.” Chen Cunyuan thought it over—now was not the time to fall out with Huang.
“Fan, do you think the sudden first-level alert means something happened?”
“I’ve heard there are legends of mountain spirits and monsters in these woods,” Chen Cunyuan said, shrinking back, as if afraid something might leap out from the forest.
“All scare stories,” Lin Fan replied. He’d been in Changbai Mountain for three months without incident—not even a winter bear sighting. Yet Lin Fan felt a faint anticipation; everyone had heard the rumors, but who could say if they were true?
“I swear, you seem excited about something!”
“Nonsense…”
Early winter, the days grew short and the nights long. Dusk fell gently, silver moonlight shimmering on icy mountains and snowy fields, as if it were a kingdom of frost.
At night, the cold deepened. Chen Cunyuan huddled for warmth.
Not far away, Lin Fan leaned against an ancient tree, caressing the Chunyang Sword. The blade was archaic, its patterns mysterious, the whole sword a dark gold, its edge thin as a cicada’s wing.
The Chunyang Sword was said to be left by Master Lü, passed down through generations until it reached Lin Fan’s hands.
A wealthy collector once offered ten million for it, but Lin Fan refused. His reason was simple: it was not only the legacy of Zhenwu Mountain, but also his cherished memory.
A memory of Wu Xuzi—whenever he picked up the sword, he recalled his master and every moment atop Zhenwu Mountain.
Training under Wu Xuzi, learning every technique.
The Chunyang Sword was a symbol of the sect leader—if he sold it, his master would surely curse him from the grave:
“Unworthy descendant!!”
PS: I’ve researched extensively for this novel—high quality! Please follow, like, and comment! Later, there will be short stories and special scenes at the end—thank you for your support!