Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Ice Crevasse

For many days prior, it hadn’t snowed again, so much so that Bai Zhengliu slowly forgot the pressure the wind and snow had brought when he first climbed the mountain.

By the next day, with the cold wind carrying snowflakes down, he realized that the threat of the snow mountain came from all directions.

This made his heart tense for a moment, then slowly relax.

“Being too relaxed” would make him uneasy. At a time like this, when the mountain itself posed a threat, Bai Zhengliu inexplicably felt a sense of calm.

However, no matter how calm he felt, he would not underestimate the situation in front of him.

Early in the morning, Bai Zhengliu boiled a pot of hot water again. This time there was no snake meat, only some crumbs of dried rations. He put them in the pot, letting everyone drink until full, and refilled everyone’s water bags.

Placing the water bags on their chests, a simple hot water bag was ready. It couldn’t keep warmth all day, but half a day was no problem.

The group set off against the wind and snow. Bai and Mei were at the front, with the lotus pickers following behind.

The snow mountain was vast, seemingly endless. Now, with snowflakes blown by the wind, it seemed as if even the sky had become part of the mountain.

So cold.

Bai Zhengliu kept hearing people say this.

Then, the lotus pickers began touching the hot water bags in their arms. When their palms pressed against it, their bodies shivered violently—not because the water had cooled, but because it was still warm. Upon contact, a surge of domineering warmth shot through the touch, spreading directly into every limb and bone. This shiver drove away the cold.

Bai Zhengliu thought, “See! Filling hot water was really the right choice.”

Having done the right thing, his steps became noticeably lighter.

The snow grew heavier.

Like goose feathers, it drifted down gently.

Bai Zhengliu glanced at the young man beside him. Even in the heaviest snow, it could at most whiten Mei Yinghan’s hair and eyebrows, but his body remained upright like a pine, with a proud spine like a plum, walking alongside him on the advancing path.

Noticing Bai Zhengliu’s gaze, Mei Yinghan turned his head in question… then he felt a movement in his hand.

Bai Zhengliu had grasped his hand.

The young man smiled slightly. Despite the bone-chilling cold, that expression seemed to drive away the chill at Mei Yinghan’s side.

No! He quickly realized. It wasn’t psychological—it was Bai Zhengliu truly transmitting the newly awakened power from his dantian. For a moment, Mei Yinghan felt as if his whole body had stepped into a warm spring, leaving him warm and floating.Mei Yinghan opened his mouth: “Bai… brother.”

He only called out once, and before he could speak, snow drifted into his mouth.

Mei Yinghan: “……”

Bai Zhengliu: “Pfft!”

The smile on his face became even more genuine. Seeing this, Mei Yinghan’s slight sense of helplessness vanished, replaced by the thought, “Bai brother is really cute today.”

He felt a little reluctant to let go of Bai Zhengliu’s hand.

Having already realized his own feelings, he naturally wanted to get closer to the swordsman. But right now was not the time to confess his heart.

Mei Yinghan silently resolved that once they left the snow mountain, he would make his feelings clear to Bai Zhengliu. And then… if the swordsman also wished to reciprocate, that would be the best outcome. If not, he would simply leave the matter be. In any case, he absolutely did not want to put Bai Zhengliu in an awkward position.

It would be better to give them some distance and time. Gradually, the swordsman might let go of past matters and become a friend to him.

Mei Yinghan planned this silently.

His fingers were still held by Bai Zhengliu’s hand, the warmth flowing continuously.

“All right.” Mei Yinghan suddenly turned his hand over and clasped Bai Zhengliu’s hand. He cherished this moment, yet had to appear fair and impartial: “I may not fully understand the power you possess, Bai brother, but I know that nothing in this world is infinite. It was already not so cold before, and now you’ve kept me warm for so long. If you continue to give me your dantian power, it would be a waste.”

Bai Zhengliu looked at him for a moment, then sighed: “How could it not be cold?”

Mei Yinghan’s heart stirred slightly.

Indeed, with the sky and mountain this cold, how could anyone not feel it? Even Tianshan disciples, no matter how accustomed, were only “used to it,” not immune like a perfected golden bell shield. Besides, while his internal power regulation was good, internal power was not limitless. Traveling the snow mountain was already arduous; how much could be spared for the feet without losing from the body?

Yet, Bai brother…

The two of them gazed at each other in silence.

Something was quietly budding.

Like the first sprout of grass breaking through at the end of winter, or a trickle of water flowing as ice and snow just begin to melt.

Mei Yinghan seemed to hear the “rumbling” of thunder again. So distant, yet so near—

“Not good, not good!!!”Behind them, suddenly came the desperate shouts of the lotus pickers.

“Liu Dequan has fallen! There’s an ice crevice here! Everyone, don’t move!!!”

……

……

An ice crevice—on the snow mountain, besides the bitter cold, it was the thing that terrified people the most.

Lotus pickers feared it above all. Thick layers of snow concealed these crevices; although they always carried probing sticks, it wasn’t a complete guarantee.

What if they stepped in the wrong spot? What if the probing stick wasn’t strong enough when it dropped?

By the time they realized it while stepping, it was often too late.

If luck was on their side, the crevice might be narrow, allowing them to quickly flip the probing stick they were using and wedge themselves on it, avoiding a fall. But if luck ran out, the crevice could be wide, or they might not react in time. What awaited them then was nothing less than death.

When Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan arrived at the ice crevice, Cao Youde was kneeling nearby, his face full of pain.

He kept leaning over the edge, looking down, shouting: “Dequan! Dequan! How are you?”

Bai and Mei followed his gaze. Below was a slightly wide but extremely deep crevice, obscured by another layer of ice rather than being a clear vertical drop.

They felt unease in their hearts, but luckily, after a few calls from Cao Youde, a sound finally came from below. Faint, yet distinguishable: “I’m here…”

The group listened, a mix of relief and pain.

Relief that Liu Dequan was alive, pain that even though he was alive, they were powerless.

Everyone knew an ice crevice was a life-swallowing trap. If it had been their own child below, they would have been prepared to go down and try. But Liu Dequan was just a fellow villager, someone close yet still a layer removed.

After a moment of silence, they discussed: “He can call out, which means even if he’s hurt, it’s not severe. In that case, the crevice below might not be that deep; it’s probably just the protruding ice blocking our view.”

This statement drew widespread agreement.

Cao Youde then shouted down: “Dequan, we’ll throw a rope down. See if you can climb up.”

Even if they couldn’t descend, they still had to try something.

From below came the reply: “Okay!”

With that, the group began preparing the rope. This was standard gear for lotus pickers climbing the mountain; they handled it with practiced ease.Cao Youde broke off a piece from his probing stick and tied it to the very end of the long rope, to help determine its position.

Everything was ready. The group threw the rope down and began anxiously waiting.

After a while, the rope tightened. The group rejoiced: “It’s Dequan! It must be him!”

Everyone assumed a tug-of-war stance, ready to pull Liu Dequan up.

Cao Youde shouted: “Dequan, once you’ve secured the rope, let us know!”

From below: “Okay!”

After a moment, he added: “All right, start pulling!”

With that, everyone pulled the rope together.

They shouted in unison, bodies taut and straining. Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan also joined in, helping the lotus pickers.

The rope’s lower end grew noticeably heavier and gradually rose higher, coming closer…

Faces flushed with effort, but expressions brightened with joy.

Bai and Mei were also involved. Though slightly farther away, their experience made them mentally calculate: “This weight and speed… Big Brother Liu Dequan isn’t that deep. What a relief…”

“Ah!!!”

At the front, Cao Youde’s face suddenly changed, and his body toppled backward!

Like a chain reaction, those behind him fell as well, tumbling chaotically before regaining composure. The cause was clear: the rope had either broken or the person on it had fallen!

Everyone’s faces shifted again. Bai and Mei quickly returned to the edge of the ice crevice. Cao Youde, dazed, muttered: “It’s over… all over. Two falls—who could survive that?”

Bai Zhengliu ignored the words. He quickly drew the Twenty-Eight Generals and said: “I’ll go down and check.”

The group watched. The lotus pickers’ pupils contracted slightly, and Mei Yinghan drew a deep breath, realizing he couldn’t stop him…

He was only a step slower than Bai Zhengliu in speaking up.

While everyone’s thoughts raced, Bai Zhengliu had already begun climbing down the ice crevice.

He repeatedly stabbed the knife into the ice, using it as a support point to slow his descent.Before long, the figure had disappeared from everyone’s sight.

Everyone’s mood grew heavy, and Mei Yinghan was no exception.

He watched the ice crevice with concern and care. At the same time, the lotus pickers began gathering around.

They murmured: “What a good man… truly a great man!”

“I wonder how Dequan is…”

“Can the hero bring Dequan out?”

“…” Mei Yinghan’s fingers tightened slightly, and he remained silent.

His gaze stayed fixed on the ice crevice. Gradually, however, some peripheral vision fell on the people around him.

One, two… plus Zhou Liuer, who was carried on someone’s back, eight in total, right?

Mei Yinghan’s expression suddenly stiffened.

He recounted again: one, two, three, four… eight!

The swordsman’s cheeks tightened instantly.

How many lotus pickers had come last night? Seven or eight?

No matter the original number, the current count didn’t match!

Those above were already enough—so who had fallen?! …Earlier, he had been too focused on the ice crevice, had clearly noticed the discrepancy in numbers once, but still didn’t glance at the people around him!

Mei Yinghan’s expression completely changed: “Bai brother!”

Author’s note:

Here it comes!

Escaped, escaped…!