Evan Yang really had no fondness for Harris, so he said, "Harris, I don't have time to spar with you today. If you keep this up, I won't be polite anymore."
Evan hadn't expected Harlan to know about the Nine-Heaven Ice Lotus, but he clearly didn't want to share and sounded like he wanted outsiders gone.
Happy was stunned. Evan noticed and asked, "Happy, what's wrong?"
Snow gradually covered Harris. Seeing Harris turn into a snowman, Evan chuckled and walked into the cave.
[Omitted: irrelevant meta-text]
"What's wrong? Is something dangerous about it?" Evan asked, knowing Happy understood what kind of place it was.
"It's our forbidden land. There's a powerful demon there, and Sun–Moon Heaven is strange. People who go in never escape and often become food for that demon," Happy explained.
Harlan's face was grim as he stared at the fire, gripping several pieces of wood in his hands and snapping them angrily, over and over. His eyes stayed fixed on the flames, as if thinking of something that made him furious.
"Uncle." When Evan came in and noticed the mood inside, he still spoke up.
"Because today he helped me teach Harris a lesson and saved me," Happy said with a naive smile.
"Uncle, I made you angry today, so I came to apologize," Evan said.
"No need, forget it. It's not really your fault," Harlan replied.
"Uncle, why do you hate my friends so much?" Evan asked, feeling a bit wronged.
"The outsider who tricked me is still in the snowfield. He's about as strong as I am and always slips away. I've fought him a few times, but never caught him. If your friends can bring him in, I'll tell them where the Nine-Heaven Ice Lotus is," Harlan said.
"So that's how it is. But not all outsiders are bad. If they hadn't saved me today, I would've been killed by a human," Evan said.
"A human? What happened?" Harlan frowned. Evan made up an excuse, imitating Happy's tone and sounding very upset.
After listening, Harlan said, "So that's it. No wonder you wouldn't listen to me and insisted on bringing these outsiders to see me."
"Uncle, actually, they just want to ask you something," Evan said.
"Ask what?" Hearing that Happy had been saved by them, Harlan was no longer as angry as before and became curious.
"The Nine-Heaven Ice Lotus. They came to the snowfield looking for the Nine-Heaven Ice Lotus. Uncle, do you know anything about it?" Evan asked.
Harlan's expression changed again when he heard this, then he snorted coldly, "The Nine-Heaven Ice Lotus is a heaven-and-earth treasure of our snowfield. How could we possibly give it to them? Tell them to stop searching and go back."
Evan hadn't expected Harlan to know about the Nine-Heaven Ice Lotus, but he was clearly unwilling to share any information and spoke in a tone meant to drive outsiders away.
"Uncle, they really need the Nine-Heaven Ice Lotus," Evan said.
"No way. That thing is precious. Do you know why it's so valuable?" Harlan said.
Evan asked curiously, "Why is it so valuable?"
"Nine Heavens—there are nine growth stages. Each stage takes hundreds of thousands of years, and all nine together require at least several million years to form. Plus, lots can go wrong along the way, so even in our snowfield, they're rare. As it happens, I know of a place where one grows, but I absolutely won't tell them," Harlan said.
"Uncle, they saved my life, and you don't even need the Nine-Heaven Ice Lotus. Just let them try," Evan pleaded.
"They saved your life, that's one thing. Telling them about the Nine-Heaven Ice Lotus is another. You can't mix the two," Harlan said firmly.
"Uncle, what would it take for you to tell them? You can't just not give them any chance at all, right?" Evan pressed, unwilling to give up.
Seeing Happy like this, Harlan didn't want him to become a heartless demon, so after thinking for a moment, he said, "Fine, I'll give them a chance—but it's up to them to make the most of it."
"Oh? Please tell us," Evan said excitedly.
"You know I really hate outsiders, right?" Harlan said.
Evan nodded, "That's right."
"The outsider who betrayed me back then is still in the snowfield. His strength is about equal to mine, and he's very elusive. I've fought him several times but never managed to catch him. Your friends seem strong, too. If they can capture that guy for me, I'll tell them where the Nine-Heaven Ice Lotus is," Harlan said.
Evan hadn't expected such a condition. If Harlan's strength was close to an Emperor, then the target must also be a Demon Emperor. But there was no other way, so Evan asked, "Where is he?"
"Sun–Moon Heaven. You should know what kind of place that is. Tell your friends, and remember—the guy has a red dot on his forehead. If you don't catch him within a month, leave this place immediately. I'm only doing this for your sake, so take care," Harlan said.
Evan understood what Harlan meant, so he said, "Alright, thank you, Uncle. I'll go tell them now."
Then he turned and left. After Evan left, Harlan wondered, "Why was Happy able to talk to me so closely today? Usually he keeps his distance and speaks softly. Maybe his friends have influenced him?"
If Evan had heard this, he would have been shocked. Luckily, Harlan didn't suspect Evan was an impostor—otherwise, he wouldn't have given them any chance at all.
Evan returned to Happy's cave and told Richard and the others what had happened. After hearing it, Richard said, "Alright, I'll go catch that guy right away."
"What features does that guy have?" Lora Luo asked curiously.
"There's a red dot on his forehead," Evan replied, repeating what Harlan had told him.
Happy was stunned, and Evan and the others noticed. Evan asked curiously, "Happy, what's wrong?"
"Sun–Moon, Sun–Moon Heaven," Happy said in shock.
"What's wrong? Is there something dangerous about it?" Evan knew Happy understood what kind of place it was, so he asked curiously.
"It's our forbidden land. There's a powerful demon there, and Sun–Moon Heaven is a strange place. It's said that no one escapes from inside, and many become food for that demon," Happy explained.
"That demon isn't the one we're supposed to catch, is it?" Evan frowned.
"No, that demon doesn't have a red dot on its forehead. But I'm not sure exactly what kind of demon it is, since that place has always been dangerous," Happy said.
"No matter how dangerous, I'm going," Richard said.
Evan and Lora Luo nodded. Happy gritted his teeth, "Alright, I'll go with you."
"No need. Just tell us the location. You don't have to get involved—if there's danger, it's not worth it. Lora, same for you," Evan said.
After hearing how dangerous it was, Evan decided he and Richard would go, while Lora and Happy stayed here.
"But..." Lora didn't want to stay here alone, especially since there were demons all around.
"Evan's right. You should stay here," Richard said.
Evan nodded, but Lora couldn't help but say, "Happy has no cultivation. If other demons show up, and they're strong, I'm worried."
Lora voiced her concern, and Evan and Richard realized she had a point. They looked at Happy and said, "Happy, I'll restore your cultivation right now."
"What? You're really going to restore my cultivation?" Happy exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, really," Evan replied.
Happy hadn't expected his cultivation to be restored so soon, but he frowned, "Aren't you afraid I'll betray you and tell my uncle?"
"You won't," Evan said with a smile.
"Why not?" Happy asked, puzzled at Evan's confidence.
"That's a secret," Evan said with a smile, refusing to explain. Then he turned to Lora, "It's fine now. With Happy here, you can relax."
Lora nodded. She trusted Evan.
So Evan and Richard said goodbye to Happy and Lora, and left.
Watching them leave, Happy scratched his head and muttered, "Don't worry, I definitely won't tell anyone."
Lora was curious, "Happy, why do you trust us so much?"
Happy answered, "Because I don't think you're bad people."
"Oh? Why?" Lora asked curiously.
"Because today he helped me teach Hash a lesson and saved me," Happy said with a naive smile.
Lora hadn't expected Happy to have trusted them from that moment, so she paused, then smiled, "Is it really that simple?"
"Also, my master is a human," Happy said with a smile.
"Your master? Aren't you native to this place? And what about your uncle?" Lora asked, surprised.
"No, my uncle took me in after I arrived here, gave me a name, and told me to call him uncle," Happy explained with a smile.
After hearing this, Lora understood—Happy's master was a human, meaning he came from another realm.
Happy continued, "My master treated me very well, so when I was young, I loved following him. After I came here and lost my master, seeing humans made me uncomfortable. Plus, many companions here don't like me. If my uncle wasn't the leader, I would've been driven out long ago."
"I see. But why didn't you tell us when you first met us?" Lora asked curiously.
"I've lived in the human world long enough to know some people are good or bad. At first, I wasn't sure about you, so I didn't say anything. But after spending a day with you, I realized you have kind hearts, just like my master—even willing to risk threats for friends," Happy said with a smile.
Lora understood everything, so she settled in and chatted with Happy about his past and his master.
Meanwhile, Evan and Richard had been gone for a while. On the road, Richard asked, "Why are you so sure Happy won't betray us?"
"My cultivation method is special. When he first saw us, he wasn't afraid—he was excited. Did you notice?" Evan said with a smile.