Nanshan waited for an answer, but still, there was no response.
She was shocked: “You can’t even ask this?!”
“It might be because I didn’t have a medicinal bath today,” Ling Ye stiffly replied.
Nanshan understood, but just as she was about to say something, Ling Ye interrupted:
“Stop looking for something to say. I’m not going to sleep.”
“My second uncle, who froze to death on the roadside after drinking, thought the same thing at the time.”
Nanshan said faintly.
“Did you get injured when you fought the seven-legged snake?” Nanshan asked again.
Ling Ye: “Hmm.”
“Was it serious?”
Ling Ye: “A little internal injury, not heavy.”
Nanshan immediately felt more at ease.
She opened her mouth to say something, but Ling Ye’s fingertips suddenly pressed against her palm, tapping gently.
“That should be enough, right?” His voice was cold, and Nanshan didn’t need to look up to know his expression was one of both nobility and impatience.
Tapping her hand instead of speaking?
That meant he truly didn’t want to talk.
The two of them fell into complete silence.
The wind and snow were raging.
Although Ling Ye’s outer robe was a high-tier magical garment, with its master losing his spiritual power, even the best robe was useless, providing less warmth than Nanshan’s thick cotton clothes.
The wind was sneaking in from every possible place, and beneath the thin fabric, even Ling Ye didn’t bring up the issue of their relationship.
One hand tightly held Nanshan, while the other continued tapping her palm gently.
“Master Immortal… hasn’t arrived yet?” Nanshan felt like her feet were submerged in ice water, her voice trembling as she spoke.
Ling Ye had frost on his eyelashes.
He reluctantly looked up at the sky, exhaling a light mist, “No.”
“Is it because Master Immortal is afraid of being punished and didn’t tell him we fell down here?” Nanshan asked again.
Ling Ye: “Impossible.”
“Does he have to find the seal to save us? Couldn’t Master Immortal just make a hole somewhere else?” Nanshan shivered.
Ling Ye: “The small belly of the Muyu Lake is vast. Once the bottom of the lake is broken, tens of thousands of acres of water would pour out. At that point, you and I would both be swept away…”
Before he could finish, someone couldn’t help but bury their face into his robe.
The weather was too cold.
Even though she was tucked under his clothing, her breath was still chilly, and when it brushed over his chest, Ling Ye felt so cold that even his heartbeat seemed like it would skip.
He had originally planned to push her away, but when his gaze inadvertently fell on the bead bracelet on her wrist, he stopped himself.
The two of them were closely pressed together on the endless snowfield, the only remaining warmth shared between their clothes.
Their limbs, not tightly pressed together, became numb and painful, eventually losing all sensation.
Nanshan silently listened to Ling Ye’s heartbeat, and after a long while, she suddenly laughed.
Ling Ye paused: “What are you laughing about?”
“If Master Immortal really comes late and sees us holding each other like this, do you think he’ll think we’re committing suicide?” Nanshan asked.
Ling Ye: “He might even put us in a coffin and bury us.”
The thought of Ling Ye being forced into a posthumous marriage with her made Nanshan suddenly find it amusing.
Ling Ye, rarely not refuting her, paused and then said faintly: “You won’t die.”
“I hope so. If I could, I wouldn’t want to die,” Nanshan kept reminding herself not to fall asleep but still couldn’t control herself and closed her eyes.
“Because of the ‘twenty-year lifespan’ prophecy, I’ve always been more afraid of death than other children. I don’t want to die at all…”
Her voice grew softer until her breathing became light, and Ling Ye stopped tapping her palm with his fingers.
When Nanshan opened her eyes again, the sky was clear, with clouds rolling gently, and the hard snow had turned back into soft snowflakes.
She poked one of the snowflakes and felt no coldness.
She sat up suddenly, and her clothes fell away.
Ling Ye, who had been staring at the blue stone, glanced at her: “You’re awake?”
“When did it get light? Why hasn’t Master Immortal come yet? Why isn’t it cold anymore? Didn’t… I fall asleep last night? Did you know I fell asleep? Why didn’t you wake me up? Do you want me to freeze to death?” Nanshan bombarded him with questions.
Ling Ye frowned: “Which one should I answer first?”
“Of course, the most important one!” Nanshan put her hands on her hips.
Ling Ye glanced at her: “Father King still hasn’t come.”
“… I meant, ‘Why didn’t you wake me up?’ I’m not blind, of course, I know Master Immortal hasn’t come yet.” Nanshan was speechless.
Ling Ye: “No need.”
Nanshan was stunned, her eyes wide in disbelief: “What do you mean, ‘no need’?”
“As soon as you fell asleep, you started snoring. You sounded more lively than when you were awake. There was no need to wake you.” Ling Ye explained.
Because Ling Ye said “more lively than awake,” Nanshan immediately fell silent, but after a while, she started asking when Master Immortal would arrive.
Ling Ye, annoyed by the constant questioning, closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
Nanshan: “… “
That’s too fake.
Who closes their eyes in the middle of a conversation?
Ling Ye’s unwillingness to talk was so obvious that Nanshan quieted down.
But as soon as she became quiet, Ling Ye seemed unaccustomed to it.
After opening his eyes a few times, he finally spoke first:
“I really don’t know when he’ll come.”
Nanshan tilted her head back, her black eyes reflecting the blue sky and white clouds.
“Will it be as cold tonight as it was last night?” she asked softly.
Ling Ye paused, not denying it.
Nanshan had already guessed the answer and felt calm at this moment:
“Have you ever endured the cold before?”
The topic changed too quickly for Ling Ye to keep up with her thoughts.
After a long pause, he only said, “Since I could remember, I’ve been able to use high-tier magic robes, and with spiritual power protecting me, I’ve never been cold except for last night.”
Nanshan smiled helplessly and looked at him:
“Then you definitely don’t know the difference between freezing while hungry and freezing when you’re not hungry.”
Since falling from the lake bottom, it was the first time Ling Ye saw her so calm.
He couldn’t help but ask:
“What’s the difference?”
Nanshan shrugged:
“The difference is, when you’re hungry, you’re more afraid of the cold than when you’re not hungry.”
Nanshan seemed not to notice his speechless expression and sighed softly:
“Last night, we missed a meal, but we still had lunch to support us, so we were a little more resistant to the cold. But today is different, even though it’s not cold now, my hands and feet are already icy.”
She suddenly grabbed Ling Ye’s hand.
Ling Ye was slightly startled and, when he regained his senses, she had already let go.
“You’re cold too,” Nanshan tugged at the corner of her mouth, “If tonight’s as cold as last night, we’re really going to have a hard time.”
Ling Ye hadn’t thought about this, but now, looking at his own reddened joints, he furrowed his brow.
“Master Immortal, hurry up!” Nanshan suddenly shouted loudly, “You must come before it gets dark!”
“… He can’t hear you.”
“I know, I just want to shout a few times.”
Nanshan stretched lazily, suddenly full of energy again.
Unfortunately, her energy only lasted for most of the day.
As the sky began to darken and Master Immortal still hadn’t arrived, she suddenly threw herself into the snow and rolled around.
“Why! Why! Why does Heaven treat me this way! What did I do wrong, why must I wait here to die!”
She rolled around in the snow, covering herself completely.
Ling Ye could no longer watch it, and after stepping back to ensure that she wouldn’t get any snow on him, he frowned and said, “Father will come.”
“Maybe by the time he gets here, I’ll already be dead!”
Given the current situation, it was hard for Nan Shan to remain optimistic.
Ling Ye looked at the snow piled on top of her head and found it difficult to communicate with her.
Nan Shan, however, wouldn’t let him off the hook.
Suddenly, she sat up, her gaze fixed on him:
“I’ve noticed…”
“What?” Ling Ye met her eyes.
Nan Shan: “You’re much more patient with me today.”
After a brief silence, he glanced at her, “You’re overthinking.”
Nan Shan pouted:
“Is there no other way for us to save ourselves besides sitting here waiting for Immortal Uncle?”
Ling Ye seemed distracted, but instinctively nodded:
“There is.”
“What?!” Nan Shan’s eyes lit up.
Ling Ye paused, clearly not intending to elaborate, but seeing her keep staring at him, he finally spoke:
“If the seal drifts to the Qian position, the lock outside will reverse and turn inward, remaining like that for about five hours. During this period, people outside cannot open it, but those inside can come and go freely. This is a flaw left by my father when setting up the barrier. He intended to fix it, but the barrier was already established, and modifying it would affect everything, so he left it as is. The chance of the seal drifting is very small, so he didn’t make the change.”
Let me think this through… So, if the seal drifts to the southeast, we don’t have to wait for Immortal Uncle to rescue us, we can just use my blood like when we fell yesterday, and we can get out?”
Nan Shan tried to analyze it.
Ling Ye: “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me such important information yesterday?” Nan Shan was upset.
Ling Ye said blankly, “Because the barrier is huge, and the probability of the seal drifting to the Qian position is less than one in ten thousand. Unless a miracle happens, otherwise…”
Before he could finish speaking, a light flashed in the southeast, like a shooting star in the daylight.
Nan Shan saw it too and tiptoed beside him:
“What is that?”
Ling Ye: “A miracle.”
Ling Ye spoke slowly.
One in ten thousand probability… and it actually happened?
Even after walking for a long time, Nan Shan still found it absurd and even suspected that Ling Ye was trying to trick her, but when she saw his face had turned pale as a sheet and how he was still pushing forward with effort, she realized he wasn’t joking.
“Can you still walk?” She asked him.
Ling Ye answered, not directly:
“The seal is several dozen miles away, with snowstorm conditions. We have about five hours. If we miss it, we’ll have to keep waiting for my father.”
“…Actually, waiting for Immortal Uncle might work too. Maybe after five hours, the seal will flip, and he’ll find us,” Nan Shan said, trying to be subtle.
Ling Ye glanced at her:
“Who was the one insisting on saving herself earlier?”
“I’m just worried you’ll die from exhaustion. Plus, it’s almost dark, and if the temperature drops, with all this walking and sweating, we might die even faster,” Nan Shan reasoned.
Ling Ye stopped: “So, you want to keep waiting?”
Nan Shan:
“If we continue to wait, Immortal Uncle might arrive in five hours, or it might take fifty hours, but if we push ourselves now, we might get out… but we could also freeze to death on the way.”
Nan Shan pursed her lips and looked at Ling Ye: “What do you think?”
“You decide,” Ling Ye tossed the question back to her.
Nan Shan took a deep breath:
“Let’s go!” She didn’t like waiting passively.
Ling Ye smiled slightly.
“I mean, I’m going. Whether you want to go is up to you,” Nan Shan said firmly.
“Just so you know, if you can’t keep going, I won’t be able to help.”
“I’m not counting on you for help,” Ling Ye shot a glance at her.
“But if I can’t go, I hope you can help me, after all…” Nan Shan shook her wrist, and the coral beads were still beautiful.
“You know what I mean.”
Probably too speechless, Ling Ye didn’t say anything else. Nan Shan was able to chat for a bit at first, but after walking a distance, she was too tired to talk and fell into a quiet march, like Ling Ye.
As the day darkened, the wind howled, and snowflakes swept across the land.
Last night, Nan Shan hadn’t felt much when lying on the ground, but today, walking through the snow, the snowflakes felt like slaps on her face, both itchy and painful.
The place where the shooting star had fallen was still glowing faintly, silently guiding their direction.
Nan Shan’s feet grew warm, but her body was still stiff from the cold.
She fell multiple times onto the frozen snow, each fall causing her to cry out in pain.
On the fifth fall, Ling Ye grabbed her hand just in time, about to take off his outer garment to give it to her.
Nan Shan was startled and quickly stopped him: “You should wear it.”
“Why not?” Ling Ye asked.
Nan Shan was nearly driven crazy with desire, but when she saw his pale face, she felt a pang of conscience:
“You wear it. I’m not that cold.”
As she said this, the words “not sincere” were practically written on her face.
Ling Ye paused for a moment, and his hand, still holding hers, did not let go.
Once they were holding hands, Nan Shan tripped less often.
They pressed forward against the wind and snow, but their pace slowed down the more they walked.
The endless blackness of the snow-covered land seemed to stretch on forever, and without seeing the guiding light ahead, Nan Shan would have doubted if they were walking in circles.
She kept her head down, walking in a daze, when suddenly a force yanked her down.
“…”
Nan Shan let out a muffled grunt, and then she heard Ling Ye’s low apology.
She thought it was an accident, but soon they fell again, and again, and again.
By the fifth time, Ling Ye no longer apologized.
When he got up from the ground, he didn’t reach out to hold Nan Shan’s hand again.
“If you can’t keep going, rest for a bit,” Nan Shan said.
Ling Ye glanced at the faint light ahead:
“We still have seven or eight miles to go.”
Nan Shan was stunned.
She hadn’t realized they had already come this far.
“Less than half an hour left,” Ling Ye’s breath trembled, his eyes determined as he walked forward.
“We have to leave before the seal flips.”
Seeing this, Nan Shan didn’t try to persuade him further.
She ran up and held his arm. Ling Ye was about to shake her off, but heard her weakly say, “Hurry, stop sulking.”
Ling Ye paused and then stopped resisting.
The last seven or eight miles seemed harder than the previous several dozen.
Nan Shan’s feet started to ache, and soon they lost all sensation.
Every step felt like a heavy burden.
She also had to support Ling Ye, making the journey even more difficult.
The worst part was that she was beginning to feel warm.
She wanted to take off her clothes, wanted to sleep, wanted to lie in the snow and cool off.
When she looked at Ling Ye, his collar had been pulled open slightly, exposing his long neck and collarbones.
Clearly, he felt the same as her.
After her second uncle passed away from freezing by the roadside, Nan Shan had heard plenty about this from her elders, so she knew how dangerous their situation was.
She also knew they had no choice but to keep pushing forward.
But knowing this in her mind was one thing, actually doing it was another.
Nan Shan was already exhausted from walking, and now she had to support someone else.
All she could do was watch as the faint light ahead grew weaker and weaker, unable to do anything.
If they kept walking like this, they would probably freeze to death here.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, her heart sank.
She let go of Ling Ye, who collapsed straight to the ground.
“Ling Ye!” Nan Shan cried out, rushing to help him.
Ling Ye grabbed her hand firmly, his sharp gaze cutting through her:
“You want to leave me?”
Nan Shan felt guilty under his gaze, about to explain, but he had already released her hand.
“Forget it, at this rate, neither of us will make it out.”
“Ling Ye…”
Ling Ye closed his eyes.
“You go alone.”
“Don’t worry. My father isn’t unreasonable. Even if you leave me alone, he won’t resent you. He will provide protection for your family, not a single bit less.”
Nan Shan’s words caught in her throat.
Ling Ye closed his eyes tightly, seemingly unwilling to look at her.
The distant light flickered once, like a candle struggling against the wind before finally going out.
Though it was still not dawn, and the last flicker of light had completely disappeared, Ling Ye felt as if the world had suddenly brightened.
It seemed like a hallucination caused by the cold.
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