The snow bear in the snowy forest now had only one eye remaining, but its injuries made it even more ferocious. In the area where the two had been fighting, the foot-deep snow on the ground had been churned up, stained with patches of fresh blood and filthy mud. Most of the nearby trees had been broken, and the enraged snow bear’s palm-like paws snapped trees as easily as breaking grass. The broken wood scattered everywhere made it even more difficult for the giant bear to move. It circled in place, pushing aside the blood-matted fur in front of its eyes, searching for that elusive little pest that seemed to appear and disappear like a ghost.

Jing Hengbo flashed through the misty snow like a dancing butterfly. She had discovered that no matter how furious the beast became, it always carefully protected a triangular area under its armpit.

Jing Hengbo was panting heavily, her arms stained with blood. This was from when she had earlier tried to fight the bear in close combat and been clawed by the big creature. This beast was much more difficult to deal with than an ordinary black bear, and was even quite agile. Her stamina was nearly exhausted – she had to end this quickly.

Suddenly, she flashed and leaped onto the snow bear’s head.

This move was extremely dangerous. The bear was currently raising both arms, and with just a slight grab it could catch her.

Sure enough, the bear roared and lifted both arms high, viciously clawing toward her.

Jing Hengbo’s body suddenly hung upside down from the bear’s head.

She gripped the bear’s head with her feet, and her body swung down forcefully, landing right near the bear’s armpit area, where she could see a patch of gray, soft fur under the bear’s arm.

In that moment, she felt excruciating pain in the soles of her feet – the bear’s claws had already pierced through her boots.

Without hesitation, she thrust her dagger fiercely toward that patch of gray softness and jerked it upward.

The terrible stench from under the bear’s armpit hit her nose, nearly making her vomit. The next moment, a spray of fresh blood drenched her entire body.

The bear paws that were about to crush her legs dropped down, and the bear’s agonized shriek seemed capable of shattering the gray, overcast sky.

The giant bear thrashed about frantically. Jing Hengbo slid down from the bear’s head – the bear’s fur was incredibly smooth and lustrous, and she slipped down with a whoosh. In that moment, she thought that now all three of them wouldn’t have to freeze to death.

She had no strength left at all.

Behind her came a rush of foul-smelling breath. Exhausted, she turned around to see the massive black shadow looming like a mountain, crashing down toward her.

…

That agonized shriek echoed in the mountain valley for a long time, and both Yelu siblings heard it. The sound was too terrible – both knew it was the death cry of a fierce beast, but this didn’t necessarily mean Jing Hengbo had succeeded. A beast’s final counterattack before death could even exceed its strength when healthy.

After a silence as rigid as rigor mortis, Yelu Qi once again pushed aside his sister and stumbled out.

…

Jing Hengbo lay prone on the ground, breathing rapidly, the snow beneath her body stained with blood.

Beside her, a snow bear taller than a person lay collapsed like a small mountain.

In that moment just before, she had managed to struggle with her remaining strength and lunge forward three feet. Sure enough, in the next instant, the bear’s body crashed down heavily behind her feet, missing her boots by just a finger’s width. Had she been a step slower, she would have been crushed to death.

Only now did she let out a breath of relief.

Having spent most of an hour, exhausted all her energy, and paid the price of a deep wound on her upper arm that showed bone and injuries to the soles of her feet, she had finally dealt with this fierce beast of the snowy mountain forest.

Her arms supporting her on the snowy ground trembled violently, unable to hold up her body. Right now she just wanted to collapse and lie down hard in the snow.

But she knew that lying down in this kind of place at this time would mean death.

Moreover, the roaring and commotion in the mountain forest had ceased. Next, the Yelu siblings would wait for her return. If she was late in returning and Xunru came out to look for her, as a blind woman, if she fell into the deep valley, it would be over.

She had no choice but to prop herself up on her constantly trembling arms and crawl up inch by inch, struggling to tear off a corner of her clothing to tightly bind the wound on her arm.

During the fight she hadn’t felt the pain, but now that she had calmed down, she was in such agony that golden stars danced before her eyes. Since crossing over to this world, she had suffered quite a bit, but had not received many physical injuries. After all, she had always been well protected. Now, for the first time in this snowy valley, shouldering heavy responsibility alone, she tasted the difficulty of single-handedly supporting the overall situation in life.

Everyone was telling her in different ways that the road was difficult.

She climbed to her feet and looked at the snow bear’s corpse. She definitely didn’t have the strength to drag this thing back now, nor the strength to skin and butcher it. She could only go back first to report that she was safe.

She took several deep breaths and wiped the snow off her body, wanting to present her best appearance as she climbed up the slope to appear before that pair of siblings.

Her hand suddenly froze.

Looking up, she saw Yelu Qi standing on top of a small slope ahead.

His face was terrifyingly pale, swaying unsteadily in the cold wind, but his eyes watching her burned like celestial fire.

Jing Hengbo’s heart jumped. She was just about to call for him to hurry back when the next instant he actually slid down the small slope at his feet.

His sliding posture wasn’t very graceful, almost like half-falling. She hurried forward to support him.

But he suddenly pulled her into his embrace!

Jing Hengbo’s body stiffened.

He held her with such force that he didn’t seem like a severely injured person at all. It was as if he wanted to use all the strength in his body to hold her tightly, to confirm the existence of the beloved woman in his arms at this moment.

She sensed the difference in this embrace and wanted to struggle free, but was afraid of tearing open his wounds. She only sighed gently and patted his shoulder and back, saying, “I’m fine…”

But he suddenly turned his face, trying to block her lips with his own. She was startled and turned her head aside, and his lips landed on her cheek instead.

He paused, feeling the softness and coldness of her cheek, with the texture and luminance of cold jade.

Her fragrance remained even now, condensed by the wind and snow into a cold perfume that penetrated to the bone. Her body trembled slightly, soft as a dove in his arms. Her lustrous black hair spread out, brushing against his chest like satin. Between hair and hair, skin and skin, there was only a thin barrier, yet he could feel the heat and smoothness of flesh, blood singing like flowing water in the blood vessels.

He closed his eyes as fantasies came in waves. For a moment, he felt it would be fine to die in this instant.

She shifted slightly again, but he refused to let go. He seemed to sigh softly too, moving his lips away but bringing his cheek close to her lips.

She moved again, her lips brushing past the skin of his face, feeling an abnormal heat. She was alarmed, but at that moment he let go and slid down softly.

Jing Hengbo stared blankly at Yelu Qi lying in the snow, his pale face flushed with an unhealthy red. His usual romantic elegance now had several more degrees of seduction, and his skin was smooth as snow. At this moment, in the heavenly light, his slight weakness made people realize he was actually still very young, very young.

But Jing Hengbo had no mind to appreciate this beauty. Her heart was anxious – the thing she most feared had still happened. Yelu Qi had developed a high fever.

She could only struggle to get up. Since she didn’t have the strength to carry him back to the snow shelter, she moved him behind the bear carcass. The mountain-like bear corpse perfectly blocked the wind, and she began skinning the bear on the spot.

As she quickly skinned the bear, her heartstrings trembled slightly, thinking about whether that person had ever imagined that this skill he taught her would prove enormously useful countless times in the future.

No, he could have imagined it. Everything he taught her later proved to be useful.

This was no coincidence.

He had such far-sighted vision, taking the long view, and everything he did was a piece that should be placed on the game board.

She lowered her eyelashes and suddenly felt a certain place in her heart also beginning to ache slightly.

Focus on skinning.

Her dagger moved in and out like lightning. She first cut off what looked like the thickest patch of fur from the bear’s back. She didn’t have time to process it properly – just wiped it with snow and wrapped it tightly around Yelu Qi.

Someone behind her suddenly said, “Dead animal fat is best for preventing frostbite. Rub some on him.”

Jing Hengbo was delighted to discover that Xunru had also come. She really didn’t know how she had been able to feel her way here – this woman had beast-like abilities.

With Xunru’s help, using those broken pieces of wood, the two women worked together – one pushing, one pulling – to drag Yelu Qi back to the snow shelter.

Jing Hengbo made two more trips to cut off bear hide and bear meat, and brought back bear fat as Yelu Xunru instructed.

Yelu Xunru first lit a fire outside and rendered part of the bear’s fat into oil. Jing Hengbo cut tree trunks and peeled off bark to make ready-made containers, poured the fat into the bark containers to slowly render it. Meanwhile, Yelu Xunru had already used her sword to chisel out a small stone furnace, poured in the rendered oil, twisted animal fur into wicks and lit them, making it both bright and warm at once.

The two women cooperated very smoothly. Jing Hengbo often had the illusion that Xunru wasn’t blind – her movements were fluid and rich with life experience. Indeed, harsh environments were best for producing talent.

But Yelu Qi’s condition didn’t seem very good. He alternated between hot and cold – burning like charcoal when hot, cold as ice when chilled. Yelu Xunru had Jing Hengbo prepare some bear fat to apply to Yelu Qi’s body – this was a good method for preventing frostbite.

“I can’t see,” Xunru said casually, “Could you help?”

Jing Hengbo was quite helpless. This woman was obviously extremely capable, but now she was playing dumb.

However, Xunru’s complexion wasn’t good either. She was, after all, someone whose days were numbered. Jing Hengbo had heard the Purple Micro Master drop hints, meaning that she was very difficult to heal completely – it was only a matter of how long she had left to live.

Xunru herself should be very clear about this too, so whether it was her pursuit or her caring, it all carried that casual air. It was nothing more than seeking no regrets in the final stretch of her life.

Jing Hengbo couldn’t bring herself to force such a person. Yelu Xunru cheerfully stripped Yelu Qi again, leaving only undergarments barely covering his vital parts. In frigid regions, it was important to keep the limbs dry. Yelu Qi had broken out in a sweat earlier, and Yelu Xunru slowly wiped him dry with cloth towels.

Jing Hengbo came over with her head lowered, her hands covered in fat, and pressed down on Yelu Qi’s body. The moment her palms contacted his skin, the elasticity and texture belonging to a young man’s flesh made her hands tremble slightly.

The rich masculine scent wafted toward her. Even though she didn’t look directly, she could still make out the beautiful lines beneath her palms – his broad shoulders, delicate collarbones, inverted triangle body shape, and tight abdominal muscles. She felt somewhat uncomfortable. Although in her previous modern life, she had long been accustomed to seeing men’s bodies by the research institute’s pool, this was, after all, a man who loved her, with his sister behind them watching with an expression that seemed both encouraging and feigning nonchalance.

However, Yelu Qi’s slightly rapid breathing quickly awakened her from her unease. She collected herself and told herself: don’t overthink it. Just treat this like studying nursing in the modern world – she was an angel in white saving lives and healing the wounded. Before her eyes was only a patient, no gender distinction. That was the right approach.

She knew Yelu Qi’s wound was very serious. This stab wound was different from the one she had given Gong Yin back then. That stab had been when she was poisoned, already weak, and she had withdrawn the blade after it had only penetrated halfway. But this stab had been made with cruel intent, deeply deluded, leaving no room for retreat.

Her palm slid slowly down along his skin, which was so smooth it naturally slipped downward. She maintained complete focus, her movements quick and efficient, never pausing or hesitating from beginning to end. The snow shelter was completely silent. Outside, snow fell with a soft rustling sound. Only her breathing was calm and steady. The orange lamplight cast her silhouette, her cheeks slightly flushed from the warmth, while her nose tip gleamed with a lustrous light.

Yelu Xunru sat to one side, quietly listening to Jing Hengbo’s breathing. Her eyes held both admiration and a trace of melancholy.

The admiration was for Jing Hengbo’s composure and self-control – not all young women could achieve this level.

The melancholy was still over Jing Hengbo’s composure and self-control. After her breathing became slightly irregular at the beginning, she showed no further disturbance, even when dealing with certain rather blush-inducing areas, she showed no loss of composure.

When a young woman encounters someone she loves in her heart, in such circumstances her heart would inevitably be racing like a startled deer. It was impossible to remain this calm.

She sighed inwardly – it was still her younger brother who saw more clearly, able to perceive all the deepest emotions. Was this fortune or misfortune?

Jing Hengbo continued applying the ointment until she had covered Yelu Qi’s entire body, then wrapped him in animal hide before roasting some bear meat to share with Yelu Xunru. The bear meat was gamey and rank, but she was truly hungry and ate it with relish. However, halfway through eating, her head drooped and she actually fell asleep just like that.

She was exhausted.

Yelu Xunru calmly took the bear meat from beside her mouth, wiped her mouth clean, took a piece of bear hide to spread beside Yelu Qi, then pushed and rolled her onto the bear hide. Jing Hengbo rolled right next to Yelu Qi, with the bear hide half-spread beneath and half-covering them, revealing her deeply sleeping face.

She was oblivious to everything, falling into deep sleep in an instant.

In the middle of the night, Yelu Qi developed a fever. The heat from his body penetrated through the thick bear hide and warmed Jing Hengbo. She murmured comfortably and unconsciously moved closer to the heat source, extending both arms to embrace Yelu Qi.

Yelu Xunru, wrapped in another bear hide sleeping in the corner, lifted her eyelids to “look” briefly, then remained still.

Jing Hengbo was still dreaming. In the dream, she was pulling Gong Yin down onto the bed, asking breathlessly, “Do you… want me?”

In the dream, Gong Yin’s face as he leaned down was unclear, hazy and indistinct, all snowy white. He didn’t speak, slowly approaching. She caught his familiar cold, clean scent and felt peaceful in her heart, yet also seemed to harbor some unease, as if something was about to happen.

She gently pulled Gong Yin, and he collapsed onto her. Suddenly, bright red blood spurted from his heart, burning hot as fire!

Jing Hengbo suddenly opened her eyes, her forehead drenched in sweat.

Her chest was still very hot, truly as if fire were burning her. She was dazed for a while before remembering this was the snow valley shelter.

The feeling in the dream was too real. She was lost in thought for a moment, then slowly raised her hand to press against her heart.

It seemed to still be aching there, still being scorched.

Whose heart burns daily in fierce fire? After being tempered and refined a thousand times, would it become diamond or turn to ash?

Suddenly she heard Yelu Xunru cough. She looked up and saw her own position, quickly releasing her arms, grateful that Yelu Qi hadn’t awakened – otherwise this flirtation would be confirmed.

The temperature transmitted through the bear hide alarmed her. She got up and touched Yelu Qi’s forehead – it was so hot she jerked her hand back. She walked outside the shelter. The midnight snow valley was even more bone-piercingly cold. A gust of wind forced its way over, making her shiver violently. She quickly used a bark container to scoop up a full load of snow, returned to the snow shelter, and the ice and snow quickly melted. She dampened her clothing with the ice water and repeatedly gave him physical cooling treatment while sitting beside him to keep watch.

Yelu Xunru continued sleeping soundly. She didn’t want to wake her, so she sat for a while. Unable to resist drowsiness, in her daze she seemed to hear Yelu Qi speaking.

“…Sister… I shouldn’t have disobeyed you and trusted Fei Luo…”

“…Father, Mother, don’t worry… we’ll be fine…”

“Not having eyes doesn’t matter, as long as we have our lives…”

Jing Hengbo sighed, knowing Yelu Qi must have fallen into the nightmares of his youth. Unable to comfort him otherwise, she could only gently smooth his hair.

“…Hengbo…” he suddenly said.

Jing Hengbo’s fingers paused, thinking he had awakened. She quickly withdrew her hand, but he spoke softly and earnestly: “…Don’t be afraid… I prepared a net for you…”

Jing Hengbo was stunned. After thinking for a moment, she understood. That was the first time Yelu Qi had tried to use himself as bait to trick and kill Gong Yin. She had been deceived and fallen off the cliff, nearly losing her life.

This was what she had most resented about Yelu Qi – because she felt he had completely disregarded her life and was truly her enemy. This had left her with a persistent grudge afterward.

She had always believed that when she fell off the cliff and had a flash of inspiration to shout for self-rescue, Yelu Qi had raised the net only to get the answer. Her escape had depended on her own quick thinking, not on Yelu Qi’s conscience.

But now, hearing his confused murmuring, it seemed that back then, he had prepared the net early on and never intended to kill her?

She had harbored this doubt before but dismissed it herself, because if she fell first and Yelu fell second, raising a large net to catch her would make it impossible to kill Gong Yin, which didn’t align with the result Yelu Qi had schemed so hard to achieve.

Perhaps… he truly never harbored murderous intent…

She smiled slightly. What did it matter? It was all in the past.

Continuously changing cold towels, her hands became numb with cold. She put them to her lips to breathe warmth on them, then gradually lowered her eyelashes and fell asleep again.

Yelu Qi awoke in a haze of burning heat and confusion. He dimly saw the person in front of him – she was crouching, curled up like a small animal, her long lashes hanging down, trembling slightly like butterfly wings above her palms. He could vaguely see that her palms were swollen and blue from the cold.

He reached out and pulled her hands over, tucking them against his chest.

Jing Hengbo was pulled forward by this movement and nearly fell on top of him. She braced herself with her hands, thinking Yelu Qi had finally awakened, but when she looked up, Yelu Qi still had his eyes tightly closed. However, the slightly agitated expression on his face gradually disappeared. It seemed that holding her hands like this gave him a stabilizing strength.

She tried to withdraw her hands, but even in his dream he wouldn’t let go. Jing Hengbo was also extremely tired and didn’t want to play tug-of-war with him. Feeling his fever gradually subside, she sighed with relief. The fatigue hit her like a tide, so she simply lay down, wrapped herself in the blanket, and continued sleeping.

Suddenly she was in flying snow and endless sky again, the surrounding scenery dark and shadowy. In the imperial city square, countless faces floated and sank in the icy wind.

She was withdrawing her hand from his chest, the dagger in her hand dripping with fresh blood.

He hung his head – she couldn’t see his expression, and knew in her heart she couldn’t see it. On that final night, she and he had never made eye contact at all.

However, in this dream, he suddenly raised his head.

He pressed against the knife wound on his chest, looking at her silently. There was no pain in his eyes, but there was anguish. Black flames burned in the depths of those dark pupils, scorching her.

She suddenly opened her eyes.

Another dream.

In one dream she seemed to be herself, yet also seemed to be him. In the dream she felt heart-crushing pain and saw the endless words in his eyes.

She lay silently, thinking about that stab on that day, and this stab today.

Feeling her hand was still in Yelu Qi’s embrace, she silently withdrew it and tucked it into her sleeves.

There was a slightly cool silence in the air.

Yelu Xunru turned over, seeming to let out a faint sigh.

The sky was gradually brightening again.

Jing Hengbo woke very early. She was startled awake by a strange sound, as if some huge object was being dragged across the snow. As she listened, she suddenly sat up and rushed outside with a whoosh.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw a large mass of something flying up from the slope below, brushing past snow-laden treetops and disappearing in the direction of the cliff.

She stared blankly for a long moment, then burst out cursing: “Purple Micro, you old immortal bastard! Do you live just to disgust people?”

Cackling laughter came from above the mountain cliff. At this moment, it sounded like the most unpleasant sound in the world to her.

That damn old scoundrel had dragged away the snow bear she had worked so hard to kill yesterday.

Originally, storing this snow bear in the snow valley would have been enough to feed three people for a month. At the very least, she wouldn’t have worried about food. But this hateful old man, to increase the difficulty of the test, directly stole their prey. It was easy to imagine that once the old bastard stole once, he would steal a second time. Any prey she hunted afterward would still be stolen.

Sure enough, the old man’s voice came from above: “If you can manage to keep your prey safe one day, I’ll give you half a point.”

Then a package of salt was thrown down from above, as compensation for the old man stealing the bear.

She still needed the salt. There was no way to get salt in this snow valley, and Jing Hengbo didn’t want to turn into a white-haired woman by the time she left the valley.

She snorted at the doorway and returned to the snow shelter. Both Yelu siblings had awakened. Yelu Xunru asked, “What happened?”

“The old bastard threw down his underwear to disgust me again.” She casually weighed the salt in her hand. “But I got a package of salt from him. We’ll have something to enhance the flavor later.”

Yelu Xunru smiled enigmatically. Yelu Qi’s gaze was gentle as he said, “Come sit over here, I’ll roast some bear meat for you.”

“I want to go out for a walk first, then come back for breakfast.” Jing Hengbo waved her hand and headed outside. “You eat first, don’t wait for me, mwah.”

She left without another word. There was a moment of silence in the snow shelter, then Yelu Xunru smiled and said leisurely, “She really is a good girl.”

Yelu Qi only sighed gently, then after a long pause said, “Under this snowy valley’s snow, there will be snow mice. In the snow mice’s burrows, there will be stored grain.”

“Alright, I understand.” Yelu Xunru pointed at his forehead with her finger. “You rest, I’ll handle it.”

“Sister, don’t tire yourself out.”

“Come on, stop being fake. If it weren’t for chasing after your future daughter-in-law, your sister wouldn’t help you by kneeling and digging holes.”

“Sister, I’ll personally cook mixed grain porridge for you later.”

“Come on, aren’t you really cooking it for her, and I just get a share?”

“Are you jealous?”

“If you’re capable, make her jealous.”

“Sigh…”

…

Jing Hengbo trudged back exhaustedly, carrying a rabbit with a broken leg.

The animals in this snow valley appeared to be ordinary creatures, but were all more cunning and agile than normal animals. Their fur was extremely slick, their speed like lightning. Even a group of rabbits had grown fangs and knew how to work together in coordinated deception.

She had run herself ragged chasing through the dense mountain forests, going up and down slopes, before finally catching a rabbit with a face-plant dive. Even then, the rabbit had only been caught because it got dizzy from running and accidentally knocked itself unconscious by hitting a tree stump.

As she walked back, she pondered how to explain to the Yelu siblings why they were eating rabbit instead of bear meat. Should she say rabbit meat tasted better?

Rabbit meat wasn’t necessarily tastier. Bear meat was even worse – coarse and slightly gamey. What she really wanted to eat now was a bowl of thick, concentrated porridge that gleamed with oil and carried the clear fragrance of grains…

She suddenly stopped and sniffed. Huh, why was there actually a rich porridge fragrance in the air?

Was she hallucinating? Where would hot porridge come from here? Since entering Seven Peaks Mountain, she hadn’t had a chance to eat a proper meal.

But… she touched her stomach, and it immediately responded with a series of very timely gurgling sounds… She really wanted to eat grain, to eat rice, to eat a bowl of steaming hot, fragrant porridge…

“Time to eat!” Yelu Xunru poked her head out of the snow shelter, holding a bark bowl with hot porridge inside that smelled so good it made her dizzy.

Yelu Xunru welcomed her inside. The siblings didn’t ask why she brought rabbit instead of bear meat, nor why her walk had taken so long. Yelu Xunru simply pressed the porridge into her hands, smiling as she cupped both her hands around the bowl. “Your hands are so cold. Come, drink some hot porridge to warm up.”

All the explanations Jing Hengbo had prepared stuck in her throat. She looked down at the bowl – the porridge inside was thick and creamy, with a slight oily sheen from cooking. The two people across from her smiled with calm gentleness, without doubt, suspicion, or unease, only kind tolerance and patient waiting.

In this moment, the snow shelter was warm. Everyone’s faces were bathed in the steamy atmosphere from that pot of hot porridge, their features soft and caring. Everyone’s eyes held flowing light, as if carrying the essence of home.

Her nose suddenly felt sour.

How many years had it been since she tasted this feeling – the taste of home?

She always remembered clearly the scenes of eating New Year’s Eve dinner with her three close friends each year, precisely because only on that day could they forget their lives as lab rats in the research institute, forget their orphan status, and find a trace of the atmosphere of home with mutual care and support.

At this moment, this pair of siblings who were also orphans with even more tragic experiences were quietly offering her this warmth in this cold snow valley.

“Little Qi’s handiwork,” Yelu Xunru smiled and raised her bowl toward her. “His porridge-making is exceptional too.”

She buried her head and drank the porridge. It contained various mixed grains and things like chestnuts and pine nuts – clearly dug out from some burrow. But the porridge was truly fragrant! She finally understood that among all the delicacies in the world, returning to simplicity was the ultimate taste.

She only drank half a bowl before setting it down and ladling a bowl of porridge for Yelu Qi, who had been smiling and watching her. There wasn’t much porridge left in the stone pot – she could tell the grain dug from the burrow was limited.

The injured and ill needed this kind of nourishment most. If she didn’t know that Yelu Qi wouldn’t eat unless she did, she wouldn’t have touched even this half bowl.

“I already ate,” Yelu Qi said.

“Heh.” She laughed. “Say that again and I’ll build another snow shelter and we’ll go our separate ways.”

Yelu Qi had no choice but to reach for the bowl. But as soon as he raised his hand, Yelu Xunru beside him pressed it down. “Little Qi, moving like that will aggravate your wound. Come, big sister will feed you.”

Yelu Qi’s expression was rather helpless.

Jing Hengbo stroked her chin and stared at the pretentious Yelu Xunru – would this tough sister really spoil her brother this much? Hadn’t she heard that when Yelu Qi used to slack off and refuse to practice martial arts, Yelu Xunru kicked him into a ditch?

The intention wasn’t really about the porridge, was it?

She silently counted: one, two, three…

Sure enough, just after the third count, Yelu Xunru’s bark spoon poked Yelu Qi’s chin.

Yelu Qi’s smile became even more helpless. Jing Hengbo interpreted this as suppressed anger he dared not voice.

Yelu Xunru set down the spoon and turned to greet her openly.

“Little Bo,” she said, “I’m blind and can’t see. You come feed him.”

Yelu Qi seemed about to raise his hand to take the bowl himself, but his hand was sat on by his sister. He wanted to say something, but Yelu Xunru shot him a look and he had to keep quiet.

Jing Hengbo chuckled, finding it actually quite interesting to be stranded with this pair of peculiar siblings. She simply sat over boldly, took the bark spoon, and smiled: “Come, good little brother, big sister will feed you.”

Yelu Xunru raised an eyebrow – any romantic atmosphere, when treated with such straightforward teasing, instantly dissipated.

But Yelu Qi’s expression seemed quite satisfied. He really did obediently open his mouth and let Jing Hengbo feed him spoon by spoon. The steam rose to his cheeks, giving them a slight flush of color and making his skin appear crystal clear.

Only the soft clinking of bowl and spoon could be heard in the snow shelter.

Jing Hengbo kept her head lowered. She felt Yelu Qi’s gaze constantly enveloping her like something tangible. His gaze was like his smile – both were intricate and omnipresent. They seemed to pass by lightly like a dragonfly touching water, but were actually as dense and persistent as light rain. Once you were caught in it, you’d be soaked through like walking in a Jiangnan spring rain, your heart filled with countless thoughts.

Sitting so close, their breathing audible to each other, his breath was slightly rapid – whether from his invalid condition or stirring emotions, she couldn’t tell.

It was too quiet, quiet enough to make one uneasy. She couldn’t help but look for something to say to break this moment of wordless tranquility.

“Too bad we don’t have any side dishes,” she smiled. “Actually, this kind of clear porridge goes best with pickled vegetables…”

At this point she paused, seeing before her eyes a bowl of clear porridge and pale yellow pickled vegetables in a white porcelain dish.

She heard herself asking urgently: “Is it good? Is it good?”

She heard that person saying clearly and lightly: “Not bad, but I don’t like salty food. You eat more.”

Her hand suddenly trembled, and the spoon poked Yelu Qi’s chin. Porridge spilled onto his collar.

She snapped back to reality, frantically trying to wipe it clean. Yelu Qi grabbed her hand.

She froze, looking at her own hand, then at him. His eyes were deep, seeming understanding, seeming sorrowful.

Those misdirected feelings between them were like the never-ceasing wind in this mountain valley, colliding and wandering in the confined space.

After a long mutual gaze, he regained his composure, released her hand, and methodically took a cloth towel from beside him to wipe clean her fingers that had been dampened by the porridge.

His movements were meticulous, as if handling precious treasure.

Jing Hengbo somewhat numbly withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and said in an evasive manner: “I’m going to practice martial arts.” She hurried out the door.

The wind and snow outside was bone-piercingly cold, but it was also sobering. She vigorously rubbed her face and exhaled a puff of hot air.

Wasn’t life always like this – whatever you coveted, you would lose?

For the rest of the time, she kept busy. She spent half the day chasing prey through the forest, finally hunting a roe deer. She shoveled many snow bricks and built another snow shelter.

This snow shelter could only accommodate one person. She planned to live in it herself. That room was a bit too cramped for three people.

When she moved her bear hide to sleep next door that evening, neither of the siblings tried to stop her. Instead, she felt guilty and tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep.

Just as she had drifted into dreamland, she suddenly heard Yelu Xunru scream: “Ah! This is terrible! Little Qi’s wound has flared up and he’s dying!”

She rolled and crawled to the next shelter. Looking inside, Yelu Qi was smiling helplessly at her while Yelu Xunru looked completely composed.

Before she could decide whether to get angry or laugh it off, the tough sister had already occupied her small snow shelter with un-blind-like speed, leaving her here with Yelu Qi.

Jing Hengbo expressed her complete disdain for this sister’s pimping behavior.

The snow shelter was small. No matter how much she tried to avoid him, it was equivalent to sleeping beside him. When Yelu Qi had been feverish and unconscious, she was busy caring for him and didn’t feel anything special. But now that both were conscious, she suddenly felt uncomfortable all over. The small snow shelter was filled with his scent – she couldn’t describe what it smelled like, but it was deep and pleasant, like orchids blooming at midnight.

And he similarly lay motionless, also feeling that the small snow shelter was filled with her fragrance – neither flower nor grass, intensely yet lastingly fragrant, reminding him of vast fields of flowers on early summer grasslands.

Neither of them could sleep. He was counting her breaths while she counted her own heartbeats. His gaze only fell on her back. The oil lamp’s light was soft and shallow, coating the curves of her figure with a layer of golden light. Those undulating lines were as beautiful as exquisite mountain ranges, especially the graceful curve at her waist – how could there be such a perfectly proportioned arc in this world?

But her posture seemed a bit too tense. She hadn’t changed position once from beginning to end.

He sighed softly with a trace of tenderness – sleeping like this wouldn’t be restful.

The blanket on her shoulder slipped down. He gazed at her back for a long while. Seeing she resolutely refused to move, he reached out to gently pull it back up for her.

Feeling the shoulder and back beneath his fingers tense up even more, he withdrew his hand and smiled slightly. With a flick of his finger, he pressed her sleep acupoint.

Rather than letting her resist like this, better to give her a relaxing sleep.

The beast oil lamp’s glow reflected the flowing light in his eyes – whether loneliness or melancholy was unclear.

Those distances so close at hand – who knew they were actually as far as the ends of the earth?

…

When Jing Hengbo woke at dawn, she felt she had slept very well. The previous night’s fatigue was completely swept away.

Then she jumped up and said “Oh no!” before rushing to the next snow shelter to check. Sure enough, Yelu Xunru was sleeping sweetly, but the roe deer she had hidden in the shelter was gone again.

When Yelu Xunru learned that Master Purple Micro had snuck into the snow shelter in the middle of the night to steal their prey, not only was she not disappointed, she excitedly shouted to the sky.

“Purple Micro! Purple Micro! Did you come to my boudoir last night? Ah, you’ve ruined my reputation, you must remember to take responsibility!”

After thinking: “If you’re too embarrassed to take responsibility, I can take responsibility for you too.”

After more thought: “Last night’s roe deer counts as my betrothal gift to you. It’s settled then.”

Thud. A roe deer was thrown down from above. Yelu Xunru magnificently waved at Jing Hengbo: “Alright, the roe deer is returned. You don’t need to hunt today!”

Jing Hengbo looked at Yelu Xunru with complete admiration…

…

Life in the snow valley gradually settled into routine. At first, Jing Hengbo needed to hunt laboriously and spend evenings trying every method to hide her prey to prevent it being stolen by a certain shameless old man. Gradually, as Yelu Qi’s injuries improved and he could move slightly, Jing Hengbo’s burden lightened considerably. He had many clever hunting techniques that made hunting twice as effective with half the effort. After a few days, when Jing Hengbo fought snow bears again, she no longer struggled as she had the first time. She quickly adapted to various fighting techniques on snow, ice lakes, and even ninety-degree cliffs. Meanwhile, due to nearly constant combat, the power of various pills stored in her body was accelerated into use. Combined with the especially pure heaven and earth energy of this snow valley, she could almost feel daily that the various chaotic energy flows in her body were rapidly merging, like thousands of streams returning to their source in simplicity, gradually condensing.

On this night when the moon was full again, moonlight like water made the snowy ground as clear as a single color. Jing Hengbo, sitting on the snow shelter roof, slowly opened her eyes and exhaled a breath of pure white air.

This breath arose from the depths of her dantian, flowing smoothly with silver-like radiance, like a full moon following cosmic trajectories in constant circulation within her body.

The Bright Moon Heart Method.

In this moment in the snow valley, the never-ceasing wind and snow suddenly stopped. The moon overhead was as large as a disk, seeming close at hand. Heaven and earth were bright as mirrors, still as deep abysses.

When a supreme heart method first achieved completion, heaven itself would respond.

Inside the snow shelter, the Yelu siblings also sensed this and exchanged smiles.

“She truly is a woman blessed with fortune,” Yelu Xunru sighed softly. “Seven Peaks Mountain’s Bright Moon Heart Method is said to depend on fate and is extremely difficult to practice. I originally thought that even with Master Purple Micro’s repeated tempering, she might not have the opportunity for natural achievement. After all, she began cultivating her heart too late, with no foundation whatsoever. I never expected she would still surprise me.”

“She was always an extraordinary woman,” Yelu Qi smiled.

“Beginning heart method cultivation at twenty and achieving success in half a year – if word of this spread, who knows how many people would be stunned. I’m afraid even those otherworldly sects rarely have anyone with such a record. As for the ordinary martial world, there’s no need to mention it.” Yelu Xunru spoke as if discussing herself, her face full of pride.

“Actually, her talent isn’t top-tier,” Yelu Qi said softly. “But in this world, no one can match her combination of nature, experience, and opportunity. The Bright Moon Heart Method requires a heart like the bright moon – radiant in heaven, reaching everywhere, past and future. It requires the practitioner’s heart to be as pure as moonlight and to have a moonlight-like broad realm. One must experience worldly ups and downs and suffering, yet maintain an unstained spiritual platform. She has experienced human hardships, and though cunning and changeable, her inner righteousness never dies. She also has numerous opportunities – she carries at least three types of precious pills in her body, laying a foundation others can hardly match. She even has supernatural talents, naturally resonating with heavenly powers. So Master Purple Micro chose her and gave her this most clear and pure snow valley for final tempering. This place is at the seventh peak of Seven Peaks Mountain, the highest elevation, with the brightest moonlight and least turbid air… Fortunately she finally succeeded.”

“I always feel…” Yelu Xunru seemed to be pondering, “Master Purple Micro’s reasons for selecting her aren’t just because of the above factors. There might be other things we don’t know about…”

Yelu Qi smiled, thinking of Jing Hengbo’s unconventional behavior and the various strange things that came out of her mouth.

She never seemed like a person from here. Perhaps that was also a reason.

“The Bright Moon Heart Method – those who master it become increasingly beautiful. Hmph…” Yelu Xunru’s tone was jealous, but her expression was joyful.

On the rooftop, Jing Hengbo tilted her face upward, her complexion more radiant than the moonlight.