Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Warm and Hearty

Is the snake soup tasty?

Not really.

Same as before—there’s no salt, no seasoning to enhance the flavor. The snake meat carries its own strong fishy smell. Bai Zhengliu even considered using pine needles to mask the odor, but when he tried a small bowl for himself, he found that not only did it fail to cover the fishiness, it added a strong, unpleasant taste. So the swordsman decisively gave up.

—Being able to make a decision when necessary is also a kind of virtue.

He then continued stirring the snake soup with the branches he had gathered. Slowly, the chunks of meat began to firm up, turning a nice tender white. Bai Zhengliu thought for a moment and broke a few pieces into smaller bits. This way, the minced meat floated in the soup, giving even a simple sip a satisfying richness.

“All right,” he said, looking at everyone, “do any of you have utensils to eat with?”

The group shook their heads.

Bai Zhengliu nodded and quickly carved more small bowls.

The lotus pickers, seeing his precise and efficient actions, began to show a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

Some of them quietly thought: this young hero’s martial skill must be impressive—after all, his handling of weapons is so excellent.

If he and Hero Mei are leading us, maybe there’s still a good chance we can get out.

Sometimes, living really depends on that kind of spirit.

As their thoughts shifted, the gray pallor on the lotus pickers’ faces gradually faded. Not completely gone, but compared to before, it was like night and day.

At that moment, Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan ladled the snake soup and handed it to the nearest picker.

“Gulp!”

The man swallowed hard.

But instead of drinking it himself, he passed the bowl to the next person.

The stone bowl was passed hand to hand.

The warmth was passed hand to hand as well.

Until it reached the last person. He lowered his head, carefully and reverently pressing his lips to the surface of the soup—

Then opened his mouth, letting the soup pour straight in.“Gulp! Gulp!”

His Adam’s apple bobbed rapidly as he drank about two-thirds of the stone bowl in just a few swallows. He only stopped when his lips touched the remaining meat, setting the bowl down carefully in front of him, then using his hands to pinch the chunks of meat inside.

Some snake meat was left, but with so many mouths to feed, it still wasn’t enough.

Each person got only one piece—but it was half the size of a palm. Just holding it made the lotus pickers’ mouths water. When their lips touched the meat, and their tongues met it…

“Mm!”

Meat! Meat!

Biting down, the unique texture of the meat filled them with immense satisfaction. At that moment, the taste of the snake soup went beyond “tasty” or “not tasty”; it gave them a tangible sense that they were still alive!

The soup they had drunk earlier had already warmed their bodies from head to toe. Though they knew they were still trapped in danger, a sense of safety filled them.

Aside from the last lotus picker, the others gradually received their stone bowls.

Their actions—drinking the soup, eating the meat—were mostly the same as their companions’. No one dared to chew slowly; this was their first hot meal in days after surviving life and death. No wonder these were heroes of the jianghu—despite the snow mountain being so hard to light a fire, they ensured warmth around them.

Yet no matter how warm, it couldn’t change the fact that they were still in a snow mountain. If they dared to pause even for a few breaths, the soup would freeze as fast as the surrounding snow.

They had to eat quickly!

Get all the warmth into their bellies!

For a while, the forest was silent except for the sounds of the lotus pickers devouring their meal.

Even after finishing the soup and meat, they lingered, licking the last scraps from the bottom of the bowls.

When the last traces were gone, it didn’t matter—they still used their tongues to savor the faint flavor left on the stone bowls.

This lingering taste lasted for quite some time.

Throughout the process, Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan only watched from the side, occasionally adding firewood to ensure the surroundings remained warm and comfortable.

After an unknown period, the first person finally set down his bowl.

It was the first lotus picker who had approached the two jianghu heroes earlier. Now, he finally cupped his hands and introduced himself to everyone.

His name was Cao Youde, an extremely experienced lotus picker. After Zhao Er’s disappearance, the rest of the group had quietly looked to him as their leader.After such an emotional rollercoaster, under normal circumstances, Cao Youde would have struggled to steady his mood. But now, with hot soup warming his stomach, his whole body felt cozy and warm. His mood settled, and he could finally speak to Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan.

“Two heroes,” he called out, “though we can’t get out of this cursed place, do you have any clues?”

Bai and Mei exchanged a glance, hesitant, unsure whether to reveal, “Actually, there really was a ghost among you, deliberately luring you up the mountain.”

Even thinking about it felt too intense. The lotus pickers had just regained some spirit—could they handle such a revelation? Saying “we saw a ghost” was one thing; “I really encountered a ghost” was another.

After some thought, they avoided that topic and simply said, “This place is strange. We have searched in all directions but still haven’t found a way out… For now, we intend to continue ascending.”

Cao Youde: “Ascend?”

Mei Yinghan: “Yes. Since descending eventually leads in circles, it’s better to go the other way. If we find clues, all the better. If not, at least we aren’t wasting time and energy standing still.”

Cao Youde let out a sigh. He realized that, faced with such a bizarre situation, even heroes were as powerless as his group.

Yet having already endured the deepest despair, recalling the taste of meat in his mouth, he felt it was not unbearable. The situation hadn’t fully improved, but having a meal and two heroes guiding them was undeniably a good thing.

With that thought, Cao Youde’s mood steadied. “Alright, we will follow your instructions entirely.”

Bai and Mei looked at him, then at the other exhausted lotus pickers beside him. “You’ve probably gone a long time without proper rest. Tonight, sleep well. At first light, we set out.”

All the lotus pickers nodded.

The exhaustion from earlier had been immense. Just closing their eyes, many immediately began to snore.

Later, the snoring grew louder. To Bai and Mei, it sounded like a chaotic orchestra of instruments.

Not particularly pleasant, but full of life.

Having traveled the jianghu long enough, Bai and Mei had encountered far worse. The noise didn’t bother them; rather, it brought relief—they no longer had to worry about the lotus pickers.

Amid snoring, firelight, and faint moonlight, the two spoke quietly.

Bai Zhengliu: “After the avalanche, it seems our luck is improving.”

Mei Yinghan thought for a moment. That’s exactly how things had unfolded: first the long snake appeared, then people arrived at their doorstep.

Mei Yinghan: “Exactly.”

Bai Zhengliu was silent for a moment, then whispered, “I should feel happy. But Mei brother, with so many good things happening all at once, I can’t help feeling uneasy.”

Mei Yinghan tilted his head to look at him. The young man’s brow was slightly furrowed, and his worry was genuine, not feigned.“…It’s almost as if whatever’s on the snow mountain decided to let us be,” Master Brother of Tianshan said slowly. “It’s normal for you to feel suspicious.”

Bai Zhengliu: “Then what about tomorrow?”

Mei Yinghan: “We take care with everything and see step by step.”

Bai Zhengliu nodded.

At this point, there was no other choice.

Mei Yinghan continued: “Now there are fewer people among them, and that ‘extra one’ is nowhere to be seen. That’s good, but I still can’t feel at ease. What if he’s still around, just hiding somewhere else? Or even worse…”

Bai Zhengliu’s Adam’s apple moved as he said, “If we could shake off those two wandering souls impersonating Junior Sister Yuhan and Junior Brother Hanshu, they might already realize we can see through their identities. What if that’s why they deliberately aren’t showing themselves now…”

Mei Yinghan: “I’m afraid something else is waiting for us further ahead.”

Bai Zhengliu nodded, heavy with thought.

Mei Yinghan’s gaze stayed on him. At this moment, he smiled slightly. “Alright, we’ll handle whatever comes. For now, let’s rest.”

Bai Zhengliu came back to himself: “Right. Mei brother, I slept first last night, so today it’s your turn.”

Mei Yinghan: “Since you know you slept first last night, you should understand that I get tired later than you, so naturally, you should sleep first.”

Bai Zhengliu: “You…” Meeting Mei Yinghan’s eyes, he gave in. “Alright, I’ll go first.”

The swordsman closed his eyes.

He still had many scattered thoughts, making it hard to fall asleep.

Worried about Mei Yinghan’s concerns, he consciously adjusted his breathing.

Then, unexpectedly, he felt Mei Yinghan move closer to him.

Gently, Mei Yinghan touched his head.

Bai Zhengliu’s heart pounded, unsure what exactly he was feeling.

Until Mei Yinghan rested his head on his shoulder.

Bai Zhengliu understood. Oh, Mei brother just wanted him to rest well.The moment this thought came, he suddenly relaxed. When he closed his eyes again, he truly drifted into sleep.

Author’s note:

Speaking of which… today my back and waist are sore, TT

Yesterday at work I moved a lot of things. At the time it was just my waist hurting, but after one sleep, both arms are sore and aching too.

Lying flat (:з」∠)!