Fang Mushan hadn't finished speaking when Li Haomiao interrupted,
"Maybe he'd rank high in Yujing, but I'm afraid he's still a long way off. The world's geniuses are like carp crossing a river. With your level, remember to be humble and cautious."
Fang Mushan glanced at Li Haomiao and said nothing.
Xu Yunfan didn't care at all, his mind largely absorbed in his practice. He'd discovered that each time he practiced the Scarlet Snake Cloak Hammer, his proficiency increased far more efficiently than mining.
But he also didn't slack off on his mining skills. This skill was crucial for finding a relatively comfortable resting place within the 800-li Arakawa glacier. If the other fleeing people couldn't protect themselves from the cold and didn't have adequate shelter from the wind and cold, even those with a basic understanding of martial arts would have little chance of survival in this harsh environment with a drastic temperature swing between day and night, which could even drop to minus ten degrees Celsius in the middle of the night.
Fang Mushan, who sat nearby, slowly turning the barbecue, was stunned for a moment before his expression calmed down.
"My father told me something that day, and now I finally understand a little. He probably anticipated this."
Li Haomiao nodded in admiration. "General Fang is a master military commander and extremely perceptive of the situation at court. To remain silent, he had to resort to this desperate measure. Mushan, don't feel wronged. Once we bring that vile woman down, you'll have your day. Once we're out of this 800-li Arakawa, come with me. I'll take you to see someone who will give you the answers you seek."
Fang Mushan was silent for a moment, then nodded and said no more.
Xu Yunfan, standing aside, wanted to say something, but seeing Li Haomiao's expression, which looked like he wouldn't teach him kung fu if he kept asking, he smacked his lips and continued practicing the Scarlet Snake Cloak Hammer.
He hadn't reached his physical limit yet, always stopping only when exhausted.
During his rest period, under Li Haomiao's murderous gaze, Xu Yunfan calmly swallowed a fasting pill and ate another twenty pounds of bear meat. Then, turning his back, he formed the Lin character seal with his hands and silently chanted the Shangshan Ruoshui mantra. Gradually, his mind sank into a state of emptiness.
"You formed the seal and practiced the Lin character seal. You seemed to have some inspiration, but upon closer examination, nothing emerged. Your proficiency in the Lin character seal seems to have increased."
"You..."
The message on the attribute panel didn't surprise him. For the past ten days, every time he practiced the Lin character seal, the attribute panel had displayed similar information.
However, he could clearly sense that after each practice of the Lin character technique, the next session took longer.
After a long moment, Xu Yunfan opened his eyes, his expression brimming with fatigue, yet his gaze brimming with joy. He could clearly sense that he had persisted in practicing the Lin character technique for at least a minute longer than the previous day.
He rolled over and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to turn pale, Fang Mushan was already busy outside the cave. A simple grill was set up over a blazing campfire, and the remaining bear meat sizzled over the flames, the fat dripping into the flames, crackling and emitting an alluring aroma.
The three of them sat together, feasting until their bellies were full and they could no longer hold any more food, only stopping with satisfaction.
All three were martial artists with voracious appetites. After devouring the two brown bears, one large and one small, without a care in the world, only a few strips of meat remained, which they hung on their bodies to dry as dry food.
Xu Yunfan donned the tailored bearskin clothing and sniffed it gently, saying, "What a shame! If I had two more days, the odor would be completely gone."
Hunting wasn't a particularly sophisticated skill, but it covered a wide range of subjects. Even the tanning of animal furs had simple, crude methods, providing temporary relief from the cold.
Wearing bearskin boots and clothing, along with the ibex and yak hides he'd previously hunted, Xu Yunfan felt a warm warmth as he stood in the biting wind.
Li Haomiao stroked the heavy bearskin coat.
"If it were in Yujing, a well-tanned coat would fetch at least two hundred taels of silver."
"I'm afraid it'll be difficult for you to return to Yujing in this lifetime,"
Li Haomiao snorted, his eyes flickering with an inexplicable light.
"One day, I will bring that vixen down."
Ignoring Li Haomiao, Xu Yunfan emerged from the bear cave and gazed up at the dark sky, where snowflakes fluttered down.
"It's snowing."
Fang Mushan's expression tightened beside him, and he said in a deep voice, "We need to hurry. Winter has arrived. If we don't get out before the snow blocks the mountain, even a martial artist would be buried in this 800-mile glacier of Arakawa." "
But there's good news. This heavy snow will obscure all traces of our origin."
Li Haomiao's expression relaxed slightly. "As long as those mystical Imperial Astronomical Officials aren't leading the team, we're considered free."
The two dared not delay any further. Xu Yunfan quickly carried Li Haomiao on his back and,
with a swift pace, rushed forward. They had already covered over 600 miles in these days, rushing and
sprinting. Their agility made them easily scale many peaks and ravines that would be insurmountable for ordinary people, saving them considerable time.
"If we keep fighting, maybe we can get out by dawn."
-
"Dead?"
Zhang Shuyang's face instantly darkened. He stared at Xu Yun's corpse. The horrific death made him purse his lips tightly, and he couldn't speak for a long time.
Xu Yun had followed him for many years. As a close personal soldier, he had experienced countless battles and remained safe and sound, but he didn't expect to die here. This made him angry and full of sadness.
One was disabled, one was only a little bit skilled, and the other was a family slave. It should have been a sure thing.
Zhang Shuyang slowly half-crouched down, his eyes lingering on Xu Yun's face for a long time.
He slowly stood up, and the armor on his body collided with each other with the movement, making a crisp clinking sound, which was particularly harsh in the silent snow.
At this time, the heavy snow falling from the sky had not yet touched his body. It was only three inches away from him, and it was quickly vaporized and dissipated into balls of water vapor.
It was the surging blood in his body that made the temperature around him extremely high, like a volcano that could erupt at any time, suppressing endless anger and annoyance.
Xu Yun was his life-and-death friend on the battlefield. The two had fought side by side for many years and had a tacit understanding. Zhang Shuyang had always placed high hopes on him.
He suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and walked step by step to the bottom of Li Miaoyun who was standing on a huge rock.
Li Miaoyun was dressed in a light gauze dress, and she looked like an ice fairy in the heavy snow. The surrounding ice and snow blended with her indifferent temperament, as if the coldness of the world could not get close to her.
Zhang Shuyang knelt on one knee and performed a standard half-kneeling salute, with a bit of helplessness and caution in his voice: "Sima Li, the person is probably still inside. Now that we have lost the people who are good at tracking, and we are covered with heavy snow, it will be difficult to track him."
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(End of this chapter)