Jiang Si’s eyes flickered as she looked at the unconscious young man.
To kill or not to kill – this was indeed a question that gave her pause.
Killing them simply for trying to steal their roasted meat seemed excessive. However, these two were from Northern Qi, and their words might not be entirely truthful.
Killing them would certainly be the most expedient solution.
But these were still two lives at stake.
Jiang Si decided to pass the difficult decision to Long Dan: “Long Dan, you handle this as you see fit.”
For this southern journey, there were officially only four of them, but Long Dan had made additional preparations on his end. Leaving it to him to deal with would be more prudent.
Long Dan pondered for a moment, then said, “Let’s just let them sleep it off in the ruined temple for the night.”
He didn’t mention anything further.
Jiang Si didn’t ask, Old Qin was naturally a man of few words, and Elder Hua was even less likely to comment.
Long Dan dragged the young man over to where the other Northern Qi man lay.
Suddenly, Old Qin pressed his ear to the ground, his expression grave: “It seems more people are coming.”
“More people?” Long Dan’s face showed exasperation. “This day has been truly bizarre. It’s already dark and snowing heavily. How is it that people keep coming to this rundown temple?”
“It’s precisely because it’s snowing that more people are seeking shelter,” Old Qin said as he stood up, dragging the older Northern Qi man towards a corner.
The two men lay motionless side by side, one of them missing half his left ear. It wouldn’t be appropriate for newcomers to see them.
Fortunately, it was already late, and the light in the temple was dim. Dragging these two into a corner and concealing them wasn’t too difficult.
Old Qin and Long Dan had just finished hiding the unconscious men when there was a commotion at the temple door.
“Is anyone there?” A voice called out as two figures appeared in the doorway.
Jiang Si and the others looked over. By the light of the fire, they saw that the speaker was an elderly man with graying hair, accompanied by a teenager of about thirteen or fourteen.
Seeing Jiang Si’s group looking their way, the old man politely asked, “The night is cold and the snow heavy. May this old man and his grandson seek shelter here for the night?”
Elder Hua, preferring to avoid trouble, remained silent.
Jiang Si, pretending to be Elder Hua’s granddaughter, felt it wasn’t her place to speak if her “grandmother” didn’t.
Long Dan, noting the old man’s white hair and the thin, red-faced boy shivering beside him, nodded: “Please, come in. We’re just travelers taking shelter from the snow as well.”
The old man visibly relaxed and entered with his grandson.
The warmth inside the temple eased their expressions, while the aroma wafting from the fire made them glance involuntarily towards the cooking meat.
Long Dan secretly looked at Jiang Si, and seeing no objection from her, said, “If you’re hungry, you’re welcome to some roasted meat.”
The handsome young boy, his cheeks flushed from the cold, couldn’t help but swallow.
On a snowy day’s journey, the steaming hot roasted meat was undeniably tempting.
The old man hesitated for a moment, then said sheepishly, “We don’t mean to impose.”
Long Dan took the initiative to cut off a few pieces of roasted meat and handed them to the old man and the boy.
The grandfather and grandson thanked him and, seemingly famished, began to eat ravenously.
For a while, the only sounds in the temple were their chewing and the crackling of the fire.
Soon, the pair finished eating, and the old man thanked Jiang Si’s group again.
“No need for thanks, old sir. Even chance meetings are a form of destiny. It’s getting late, and we’re preparing to rest,” Long Dan said with a smile.
The old man, quite perceptive, led his grandson to the other side of the temple and half-reclined against the wall.
Both groups fell silent as weariness set in.
Suddenly, Old Qin stood up and walked towards the temple entrance.
The old man, who had just closed his eyes, immediately opened them, his gaze following Old Qin.
“The wind is strong. I’m checking if there’s anything we can use to block the door,” Old Qin explained, circling outside before returning empty-handed.
Long Dan opened his eyes slightly: “Stop fussing. Let’s sleep early. If the snow stops by morning, we need to hurry on our way. We’ve already lost a lot of time today.”
Old Qin came over and sat down next to Long Dan.
Gradually, the temple fell quiet again.
Though Long Dan had his eyes closed, he wasn’t asleep.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t tired, but in the wilderness, he couldn’t afford to sleep soundly. The Princess Consort’s safety was always his top priority.
Suddenly, someone grabbed his hand.
Long Dan’s eyelids twitched, and he opened his eyes.
It was Old Qin who had grabbed his hand.
Long Dan blinked to express his confusion.
The fire had died down to embers, making the temple even darker, but being close to each other, they could see each other’s expressions.
Old Qin released his hand and wrote a few words on the ground.
Long Dan looked down, and his expression immediately changed. The words read: There are people under the trees by the road.
Long Dan mouthed silently, “How many?”
Old Qin wrote the number “2”.
Long Dan shifted his gaze to the other side of the temple.
The old man and the boy were huddled together, seemingly asleep.
Long Dan’s expression grew serious.
This was truly a restless snowy night.
Old Qin had discovered two people under the trees outside the temple. Were they with the grandfather and grandson who had arrived later, or with the two Northern Qi men who came first?
Regardless of who they were with, staying outside under the trees in this weather instead of seeking shelter in the temple was suspicious.
Were they waiting for everyone to fall asleep before entering to kill them?
After some thought, Long Dan suddenly stood up and walked towards the exit.
As he moved, several pairs of eyes opened, including those of the grandfather and grandson.
Long Dan inwardly smirked.
His movement had been light, yet the pair had immediately noticed, indicating they hadn’t been asleep at all.
Reaching the temple door, Long Dan muttered to himself, “Drank too much, can’t hold it anymore. What a miserable thing in this cold weather.”
With those words, his figure disappeared from the temple entrance, melting into the starless, moonless night.
The boy sitting next to the old man stirred, about to rise, but was held back by his grandfather.
“Grandfather—” the boy called out silently, his expression stiffening.
The old man shook his head slightly, stopping the boy from saying more, while his gaze remained fixed on the temple entrance, his expression tense.
As Long Dan stepped out of the temple, the weariness was instantly swept away by the wind and snow. He quickly surveyed his surroundings.
Not far from the ruined temple was a row of trees, where he could vaguely make out two figures standing.
In summer, the lush branches and leaves might have concealed these two figures, making them hard to spot at night. Now, they only partially obscured them, making them visible upon careful observation.
Long Dan walked towards them, stepping through the accumulated snow.
For a man, going to the trees to relieve oneself was perfectly normal.
As he got closer, the two figures remained motionless.
Long Dan slowed his pace, sensing something odd.
The snow hadn’t stopped, and these two had been standing under the trees for who knows how long. Whether they could withstand the cold was one thing, but why didn’t they react at all to his approach?
They were impressively calm. Did they think he hadn’t noticed them and were preparing to strike when he got close?
But even as Long Dan approached, the two figures remained completely still.
What was going on?
Puzzled and on guard, Long Dan moved closer and carefully looked at them. What he saw were two pale, rigid faces.