The aurora flickered.
The cold wind roamed the snowy plains, from east to west.
Luo Huayin still hadn't appeared.
Li Qianfan remained lying on the sled, face to the sky, the number eight steel wire still firmly binding his shoulders and legs.
Cough, cough, cough—
Murong Mingyuan, with her slender waist and long legs, bent her body and pulled hard on the rope, moving south as fast as she could, occasionally coughing violently.
Every time she coughed, blood would appear.
Yet, she dared not pause for even a moment.
Because she knew very well that the terrifying Luo Huayin could appear at any time.
She had to go as far as possible before Luo Huayin showed up.
"If only a blizzard would fall, it could help us cover our tracks south," Murong Mingyuan thought to herself when she finally stopped coughing violently.
Whoosh—
The wind blew, and snowflakes danced.
The dancing snowflakes grew larger and denser.
Eventually, they transformed into a blizzard, obscuring the flickering aurora.
The blizzard descended as Murong Mingyuan had wished.
However, she didn't stop. She just bit her lip hard, her eyes stubbornly fixed ahead, continuing south at the fastest speed she could manage.
Every step she took south brought her further away from the battling Luo Huayin heading north.
Adding a tiny bit of safety.
The snowflakes became larger.
The wind howled louder, as if ten thousand gods and demons were roaring at the end of the world.
The continuously falling snowflakes covered Li Qianfan, who lay on the sled.
With his breathing and the blinking of his eyes, three small holes appeared on his face.
While Murong Mingyuan stubbornly pressed on, what was Li Qianfan thinking?
He himself didn't know.
He just felt like he might be dreaming.
A nightmare he feared waking from, lest he see Old Eight and the others again.
Gradually, the weakened Li Qianfan closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.
How long did he sleep?
When Li Qianfan finally woke up, the blizzard had stopped.
The number eight steel wires on his shoulders and legs were also gone.
He lay on the sled, covered by a quilt, his head peeking out.
He could feel a girl in his arms.
Lying on her side, the girl, out of habit, had her legs clasped around his left arm.
Her head was hidden in his armpit, emitting even breaths.
Li Qianfan tried to slowly lift his arm.
Immediately!
A searing pain shot from his shoulder.
He was greatly surprised.
He hadn't woken up from the pain when Murong Mingyuan removed the steel wires.
It seemed his extreme weakness had rendered his pain receptors almost useless while he slept.
Though the pain in his shoulder made Li Qianfan's vision blur, he could still sense a surprising feeling within it.
Itchy.
When new muscle grows in a wound, it feels itchy.
This is common knowledge even for children.
However.
If Li Qianfan were anyone else, he wouldn't even dream of new muscle growth in such a short period.
209.
This was all thanks to 209.
When Li Qianfan's activated 209's replication ability was at its peak, just before reaching its ultimate potential, even if his skin were peeled off with a knife, new skin would grow back on his rear as fast as the front was being peeled.
He still had about half a year to go before reaching the fastest replication speed of 209, so he couldn't expect his wounds to heal in the shortest possible time.
However.
Based on Li Qianfan's guess, his current injuries would heal within three days at most.
"Mmm—"
Murong Mingyuan woke up.
It was Li Qianfan's attempt to retract his hand that startled her.
She didn't rush to pull her head out from under Li Qianfan's armpit.
Li Qianfan's armpit was very warm.
It even had a scent that made Murong Mingyuan fascinated.
It made her instinctively nuzzle her head and inhale deeply.
Li Qianfan didn't speak immediately. He just lay there with her quietly.
After another good seven or eight minutes, Murong Mingyuan, wearing a cotton hat, emerged from under the quilt.
Their eyes met.
They smiled at each other for no reason.
Li Qianfan asked, "How long did you walk?"
Murong Mingyuan thought for a moment and said, "I don't know the exact time. I just stopped when I got tired. And while you were asleep, I removed the wires for you."
Li Qianfan asked, "Do you have any food?"
"Yes."
Murong Mingyuan sat up and looked at the dark blue sky, saying, "But we'd better not make a fire. Otherwise, I'm really afraid that witch will see the smoke or smell the aroma and chase after us."
Her concern was well-founded.
Li Qianfan agreed that being cautious was always the right approach.
After all, the supplies contained many ready-to-eat, high-protein products.
There was a lot of chocolate.
Although it was hard and could easily chip a tooth if one wasn't careful, it was far better than having no food to eat.
To keep warm.
And to make it easier for Li Qianfan to eat, Murong Mingyuan specifically held him in her arms, facing north (so that if Luo Huayin appeared, she would be visible at a glance).
"Do you remember the day you scratched my face when I wanted to sell Chu Yazhi?" Murong Mingyuan asked as she placed another piece of chocolate on Li Qianfan's lips.
Li Qianfan certainly remembered.
"That day, when you saw Clan Leader Murong through the video, he suddenly cut himself twenty-nine times, yet still had a bizarre smile on his face, right?"
Murong Mingyuan said, "That was my curse. And it was from that day on that I suddenly gained the magical ability to curse."
As they ate, Murong Mingyuan recounted her story to Li Qianfan.
She told him everything without reservation, including the fact that she needed physical contact with Li Qianfan to curse others, and that her curses had no effect on people around Li Qianfan.
Finally, she said, "Li Qianfan, from now on, I have no secrets from you."
Li Qianfan remained silent.
If this matter hadn't happened to him personally, but someone had told him, he wouldn't have believed it even if he were beaten to death.
He vaguely felt—
That Murong Mingyuan's magical curse might have an unclear connection to the 209 he carried.
Otherwise, why would Murong Mingyuan's curses only be effective when she had physical contact with him?
Why could her curse make the zombies from the War Demon Hall attack Luo Huayin, but have no effect on those around him?
"I used to think," Murong Mingyuan said, "that I would never tell you this. Because I was afraid you would treat me as a tool, especially now that I suffer backlash after cursing extraordinary individuals."
Li Qianfan replied, "Don't worry, I will never force you to do anything you don't want to do from now on."
Murong Mingyuan asked, "Is it because I saved you this time?"
Li Qianfan nodded vigorously, "Yes."
Murong Mingyuan then asked, "Can you help me remove the words on my neck and buttocks?"
Li Qianfan hesitated, "No. Ghost fire stains the skin and can never be removed."
"They're so ugly. Every time I take a bath, I stare at them for a long time and hate you."
Murong Mingyuan said softly, "I've had many dreams where these words were gone. And then I could go find the man I like."
Li Qianfan didn't know what to say.
Murong Mingyuan asked, "How will you treat me in the future?"
Li Qianfan countered, "How do you want me to treat you in the future?"
Murong Mingyuan thought for a moment and asked softly, "After your injuries heal, can you sleep with me and give me a sense of belonging?"
Li Qianfan said, "But you don't like me."
Murong Mingyuan said, "But the words on my buttocks can't be removed."
Li Qianfan then asked, "Do you still hate me?"
"Yes," Murong Mingyuan answered bluntly. "But what does my hating you have to do with wanting you to sleep with me?"
Li Qianfan was at a loss for words.
Murong Mingyuan suddenly leaned into his ear, "Does it hurt if you sleep with me?"
Li Qianfan—
The little filly's train of thought was anything but normal.
She curiously asked, "Do you want to sleep with me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Your waist is slender."
"Anything else?"
"Your legs are long."
"And?"
"You possess a wildness that makes men want to conquer you."
"Are you telling the truth?"
"The truth."
"How about—"
Murong Mingyuan said with difficulty, "You sleep with me now?"
Li Qianfan was startled.
He immediately cursed, "Are you out of your mind?"
Murong Mingyuan said, "I can sleep with you too."
"You're crazy," Li Qianfan said. "You'll freeze to death!"
Murong Mingyuan pouted, suddenly losing interest in sleeping.
She stretched her arms and stood up to stomp her numb feet, her expression suddenly changing.
She pointed towards the direction of the flickering aurora and croaked, "What, what is that?"
Li Qianfan looked up.
Faintly, he saw a small, grayish-white dot rapidly approaching.
Li Qianfan's expression also changed. He sniffed the air.
From the cold wind blowing towards them, he caught a distinct musky scent. "Not good, it's a polar bear!"
Yes.
The grayish-white dot speeding towards them was an adult polar bear.