To help the mermaid break the curse of turning into a statue, Princess Kiki, accompanied by Ring, headed towards the mountaintop across the sea to fetch the white lotus flower.
To reach the mountaintop, they had to pass through the seasons of spring, summer, and winter.
They had already experienced the spring controlled by the Flowers Fairy and the summer controlled by the Fat and Thin Immortals.
As they bid farewell to the Fat and Thin Immortals and continued flying towards the mountaintop, they suddenly felt a rush of cold air hitting their faces, and both couldn’t help but sneeze.
Princess Kiki said, “It seems we’ve entered winter.”
Sure enough, they soon saw snowflakes swirling in the air, covering the ground with layers of snow, and trees blanketed in white.
They felt increasingly cold, as if they had fallen into an ice cave.
Suddenly, they spotted a house ahead.
Princess Kiki landed the flying fish in front of the house and said to Ring, “We’re freezing. Let’s go inside to warm up first, then we can figure out what to do!”
So, they got off the flying fish and ran to the front door of the house, knocking on it. But there was no response from inside.
They tried pushing the door, and to their surprise, it wasn’t locked. They pushed it open and stepped inside.
However, instead of feeling warmer, it became even colder inside.
Looking around, they saw everything covered in white, with ice and snow everywhere.
Then a voice said, “Who’s sneaking into my house?”
They looked around but couldn’t see anyone. The voice spoke again, “I’m right here.”
Only then did they notice a girl standing not far away. She wore a white dress, and her complexion was almost as pale as the surrounding snow and ice.
If it weren’t for her long black hair, she would blend entirely into the wintry scene.
Ring, feeling a bit frightened, asked, “Who… who are you?”
The girl said, “Everyone calls me Snow Beauty. All this ice and snow surrounding us, I created it. You two little girls have quite the courage, daring to intrude into my domain of winter. You’d better hurry down the mountain. Remember, with just a gentle touch of my finger, I can conjure ice and snow. Be careful, or I’ll turn you both into ice sculptures.”
As she spoke, she lightly placed her hand on the table, and another heap of snow formed on the already icy surface.
No wonder the entire house was covered in ice and snow.
Ring, terrified by the sight, was naturally very frightened. She pulled the princess aside and said, “Princess, let’s go down the mountain. It’s too cold here. If we turn into ice sculptures, it will be even worse than for the mermaids.”
But the princess replied, “I am a little magician. I’m not afraid of this kind of sorcery!”
Upon hearing this, Snow Beauty burst into laughter and said, “Let me show you a little something. You have no idea how powerful I am.”
As she spoke, Snow Beauty reached out her hand towards Princess Kiki and Ring. Her hand seemed to stretch infinitely like a spring. While she was speaking, her finger had already touched Princess Kiki.
The princess and Ring, caught off guard, were shocked, thinking, “Are we really going to be turned into ice sculptures by Snow Beauty?”
But to their surprise, at the moment when Snow Beauty’s finger touched Princess Kiki, she screamed in agony.
Princess Kiki and Ring looked on as Snow Beauty stumbled backward, falling onto a chair, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
At that moment, they felt the surroundings suddenly become warmer, as if they had returned to the spring controlled by the Flowers Fairy.
The ice and snow around them melted away, and the sun, hidden behind the clouds, revealed itself once again.
Looking at Snow Beauty again, despite the blood at the corner of her mouth, her complexion regained its color.
She was indeed a very beautiful girl, no wonder she was called Snow Beauty!
Weakly, Snow Beauty gazed at Princess Kiki and said, “Not only did you not turn into an ice sculpture when I touched you, but you also harmed me. Only someone with a truly kind and sincere heart could do that. Who are you, really?”
Ring spoke up, “Our princess is the princess of the island kingdom across the sea. We’re on a mission to fetch the white lotus flower from the mountaintop to help the mermaid break the curse of turning into a statue.”
Snow Beauty said, “I’ve heard of the princess of the island kingdom across the sea, known for her kind and sincere heart. Now I’ve finally seen it for myself. Well, you have defeated me and dispelled the ice and snow. I have nothing more to say. You may leave.”
Seeing the weakened state of Snow Beauty, Princess Kiki and Ring originally intended to stay and take care of her.
However, Snow Beauty waved her hand and said, “I just need some rest.”
So, Princess Kiki and Ring bid farewell to Snow Beauty, boarded the flying fish, and continued their journey towards the mountaintop.
Having already passed through the seasons of spring, summer, and winter, their next destination was the mountaintop, which also marked their final destination.
What would they encounter there? Would they successfully obtain the white lotus flower? To be continued.
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