Chapter 33 Frozen Like a Dog

Gu Yi’s expression was quite remarkable.

She hadn’t believed Mei Mumu at first. There were so many charlatans in the world, none of them truly reliable. For a long time, she thought that even if Mei Mumu possessed some gift of foresight, it would never surpass her own abilities—perhaps he could glimpse fragments of the future, nothing more.

Now, she was starting to waver. If she hadn’t sensed clearly that Mei Mumu had no means of psychic probe, no way to glean her thoughts, she might well have looked as if she had seen a ghost.

Having lived for a thousand years, her experience was vast, and her composure regal and unshakable. As a Celt, one of the three great barbarian tribes of Europe alongside the Germans and Slavs during the Roman Empire, she had witnessed both the worst and the best of times. Born in the era of Rome, she saw its fall, then the Renaissance and Age of Exploration, followed by the Industrial Revolution. Gu Yi was truly seasoned; a minor surprise could never faze her. She merely raised her evaluation of Mei Mumu a little.

But that didn’t mean Mei Mumu would escape her admonishment.

“Do you realize, Mei Mumu, that you now face another problem? You know much, but the things you know are riddled with tiny errors when compared to the common sense required for magical cultivation—errors small but enough to seriously hinder your progress. This is even more troublesome than the ignorance of a beginner. If possible, Mr. Mei, I hope you can forget your ‘common sense’ and wholly embrace the training at Kamar-Taj.”

Mei Mumu looked awkward. “What if... I can’t forget?”

Gu Yi smiled at the corners of her mouth. “Either you accept the fate of failure, or you become a true master of magic—for only a master can discern the subtle distinctions in spellcasting and adjust and correct them.”

Half knowledge is worse than ignorance.

Mei Mumu was finally experiencing that frustrating sense of limbo.

Gu Yi continued her instruction: “I don’t know your past, nor the source of your confidence. Perhaps your cleverness brought you success before, but that was merely mortal success. If you wish to advance in the mystical arts, then awaken yourself!”

Mei Mumu forced a bitter smile. If enlightenment or awakening were so easy, he wouldn’t have struggled so much.

“Let go of your mistaken self-perceptions, even the self that has nothing to do with the mystic arts; only then will your power grow strong.” As she spoke, Gu Yi flicked her fingers and opened a portal. “Come with me.”

Mei Mumu gulped, deeply conflicted.

He knew well what lay beyond. In the original story, Gu Yi had dragged Doctor Strange to a Himalayan peak, leaving him stranded to force him to use the Sling Ring to return—a harsh method reminiscent of a lion pushing its cubs off a cliff to make them climb back.

He hadn’t expected her to repeat the original method on him.

Was this Gu Yi’s recognition of his potential?

Or was it the inevitable tribulation inherited from Doctor Strange’s destiny?

Mei Mumu didn’t know. In any case, it seemed he couldn’t escape this ordeal.

He could always shrink back—yes, ‘shrink’ plus ‘heart’ equaled ‘cowardice.’

But if Gu Yi became displeased and stopped teaching him, what then? Mei Mumu was distressed!

Outside was Everest, the extreme cold visible to the naked eye. Through the portal’s swirling light and sparks, snowflakes the size of goose feathers flew out like daggers.

“Mr. Mei?” Gu Yi’s tone was calm, not threatening yet more powerful than a threat.

“I’m coming,” Mei Mumu gritted his teeth.

Only those who suffer can rise above others.

So what if he froze like a dog? He was already a lone dog—what was there to fear?

He would go for it!

Gu Yi watched as Mei Mumu, after his inner struggle and seeing through her intentions, still chose to step over the threshold. She found it both amusing and reassuring.

The moment he crossed, the world opened wide.

Ahead stretched a boundless white sky, beneath his feet lay uneven snowy peaks, and around him whipped the cold, howling wind.

“How does it feel?”

“It’s beautiful! But... it’s freezing cold!” Mei Mumu replied miserably.

Gu Yi smiled at him. Mordo, ever the honest man, hadn’t noticed, but Gu Yi saw at a glance that Mei Mumu had sneaked thermal underwear and a down vest under his training clothes. Mei Mumu was tall and broad, and had apparently compressed these layers so they looked no different from a sleeveless training outfit.

But he couldn’t fool Gu Yi.

“Do you know what I’m about to do?” Her smile grew.

“...” After two seconds of silence, Mei Mumu nodded.

Gu Yi’s smile was suspiciously like a weasel’s.

For this clever and prescient student, Gu Yi was becoming ever more interested. “It seems you don’t fear ordinary tests. Very well, I’ll add some weight for you.”

Wait! Scriptwriter, did you pick up the wrong script?

Mei Mumu’s face collapsed.

Gu Yi moved like lightning; before Mei Mumu could react, her hand brushed over the outside of his Sling Ring.

He immediately lost his connection to its power.

“You’re very confident in your memory, aren’t you?”

“Yes…”

“Good, remember this magic circle—it’s the array carved inside the Sling Ring. If you can’t cast the spell successfully, you’ll freeze to death on Everest.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“An ordinary person without equipment can last two minutes at minus fifty degrees. With your gear, maybe five minutes. In those five minutes, you need to be a true mage, construct your teleportation array, and complete the spell. Farewell!” With a gentle push, Gu Yi sent Mei Mumu flying, landing hard in a pile of snow on the narrow plateau.

“Ooooh!” Struggling to his feet, Mei Mumu found Gu Yi’s figure already gone.

Damn it, his cleverness had only backfired!

He wanted to cry, but no tears came.

Sure enough, rookies had no rights.

In the original, Doctor Strange only needed to spark his limits, and at least had a functioning Sling Ring.

Now for him, it suddenly became hell mode.

“Oh damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!” A torrent of curses burst out—he couldn’t vent his frustration any other way.

Only after cursing did he realize just how cold it was!

The kind of cold that invaded every pore, giving Mei Mumu a dreadful sense of despair. Even with all his preparations, it was freezing!

Rustling, he quickly pulled out and donned all his gear, then activated his character possession card, urgently calling the Balance Lady, “Hey! Did you remember the magic circle just now?”

“I did, but—”

“No buts, project it for me now, I’m freezing to death!” The icy hell was driving him to the brink of madness.