Lin Xue had done her homework before coming, so she remained very calm when faced with difficulties. The two of them ignored the corpse and chose to leave immediately.
However, something particularly bizarre happened. The master and disciple had been walking for a long time, about half an hour. As the snow grew heavier, their vision became unclear. Possibly due to the reduced visibility, they found themselves back where they started. The truth was, the trees in the forest all looked alike. The reason they knew they had returned was because they saw the partially exposed corpse on the ground.
This corpse had now become a landmark. It was impossible for the two of them to ignore it. Ye Tiancheng even joked that perhaps they had disturbed the deceased by digging up the body, and were now being retaliated against.
"Is it really that exaggerated? Master, I feel that getting lost in this forest is an inevitable phenomenon. It's also very possible that this person got lost and died here, eventually freezing to death. We haven't seen any other signs, and even if bloodstains fade over time, they wouldn't disappear completely."
If that were the case, it was indeed possible. They now needed to find a way to leave this place. It felt extremely inauspicious. Having a corpse here would inevitably bring thoughts of death. Even if the master and disciple were weak, they didn't want to die. Of course, they wanted to overcome their current difficulties, find the snow lotus, and then leave this accursed place. It was simply too cold.
Moreover, the snow was falling heavier and heavier, causing a sense of panic. Such heavy snowfall was a serious test for the two of them. Although it was still daylight and not yet dark, the temperature would immediately drop after such heavy snow.
Ye Tiancheng made a decisive choice. They could not continue exploring. Instead, they should choose to leave this place and return to meet up with Fatty. Today's effort was not in vain, as their busy activities had at least given them some understanding of the terrain in the forest.
Given the current situation, Lin Xue naturally chose to trust Ye Tiancheng's judgment. The master and disciple prepared to leave this place, otherwise, it would be too difficult once night fell.
Perhaps due to the heavy snow, the two of them began to struggle with their walking. Such a situation in the forest indicated that the snow outside would be even heavier. Ye Tiancheng worried about himself and also a little about Xiao Pang, wondering if the dilapidated house could withstand such heavy snow. He even suspected if Xiao Pang's house might be blown down by the heavy snowfall.
Clearly, Ye Tiancheng was overthinking. Xiao Pang's house was fine. Instead, Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue, after walking for a long time, had circled back. The corpse was already mostly buried by the snow. If Ye Tiancheng hadn't accidentally kicked the person's foot, exposing the corpse again, they might not have realized they had circled back after such a long time. This was simply like a ghost leading them astray; they couldn't discern the direction at all.
The thought alone was terrifying. Were the two of them going to be trapped and die here tonight? But it wasn't dark yet. Even if they waited until dawn, they still wouldn't be able to get out. Did they have to wait for the snow to stop?
"Master, we shouldn't keep walking. We've both walked for a long time today and expended a lot of energy. If we continue walking, I don't think the situation will improve."
Lin Xue knew that Ye Tiancheng was unwilling to admit defeat and would cherish any opportunity to leave here. However, Lin Xue also understood the reality of the situation. If they insisted on being stubborn, the outcome would surely be tragic. It was better to recognize their own limitations than to be blindly arrogant.
"Xue'er, since there are hunters here, there should be some caves, the kind hunters use for temporary rest. They are usually well-hidden, so let's find a way to locate one."
This was their only chance of survival. If they couldn't find a cave, as soon as the temperature dropped, even with their cultivation, they probably wouldn't be able to last one night. Moreover, Ye Tiancheng was currently just an ordinary person with no true qi in his body. Relying on his disciple to protect him would likely not be enough.
Just as the master and disciple had circled for a long time without finding the so-called cave, Ye Tiancheng suddenly saw a flickering light in his despair. He then asked Lin Xue, who also confirmed she saw it. It seemed to be a group of people holding torches. They were likely hunters.
"We are no match for those hunters. Let's not confront them directly. We'll just quietly follow them. I estimate that with the snow, these people are also looking for a place to stay. As long as we follow them, we can find a place to shelter."
Following these hunters with their guns felt like drinking poison to quench thirst, but the master and disciple had no better options. So, they quietly followed those people, hoping to find a hiding place. After about twenty minutes, the hunters stopped in front of a mountain and then turned a mechanism, revealing a cave entrance. It seemed their plan had worked.
"Master, what should we do?"
"Let's just go over and say that we are people lost in the mountains. We can give them money. After all, hunters hunt for money by trading prey. Their main goal is survival, so they should be willing to accommodate us. Haven't you heard the saying, 'Money makes the world go round'?"
"Excuse me, could you please help us? We are lost in the mountains, and the snow is so heavy that we can't see where we're going. Could you let us stay in your cave for a while? We can give you money."
Ye Tiancheng sent Lin Xue to speak because women have a natural advantage in social interactions. Although Lin Xue was a skilled and powerful woman, she gave off a less threatening aura. If Ye Tiancheng, a strong man, were to negotiate these terms, it would create a sense of crisis for others, and they wouldn't easily listen to him.
"Are you a human or a ghost, girl? Appearing here dressed all in white. We've never had anyone else here. Are you a ghost?"
Lin Xue usually wore white clothes and had long black hair. In the snow, she looked even more eerie, indeed possessing the demeanor of a female ghost.
"Of course I'm not a ghost, I'm a living person. If I were a ghost, would I have money? Have you ever heard of ghosts spending money?"
In the wind and snow, even speaking was difficult, and having to converse with these people felt truly exhausting. But for the sake of survival, she could only try her best to communicate with them.
"They say ghosts also spend money, just paper money. You're giving me what looks like normal money now, but it might turn into paper money the moment we turn away. I know your tricks, female ghosts, hahaha."
Ye Tiancheng had been standing behind Lin Xue and hadn't had a chance to reveal himself yet. He was about to be angered to death by these people. Their imaginations were truly rich. It would be a shame if they didn't write novels; their self-created scenarios could be made into a TV drama. At this moment, Ye Tiancheng couldn't hold back any longer and appeared.
"This girl is my disciple. I can prove she's not a ghost. Name your price, we just need to stay here for one night."
As soon as Ye Tiancheng finished speaking, he saw a man wearing glasses emerge from the cave. This man was tall and thin, giving off a scholarly impression, unlike a hunter. He looked more like a cultural person, perhaps a bank manager, rather than a rough hunter.
"Alright, stop the nonsense. It seems they are also people lost in the mountains. Hurry up and invite them in. We are all people, so we should help each other. Everyone has difficult times."
It seemed the welcoming gesture was genuine. This fellow spoke politely, giving people a cordial feeling. Ye Tiancheng didn't feel scared at all; instead, he felt a sense of closeness and security with them, without any distance.
The master and disciple entered the cave, and the feeling of being shielded from the wind and snow was wonderful. Before, not only could they not speak, but even breathing felt like inhaling ice-cold air. But now, it was gone. It wasn't exactly warm, but at least they felt like they had returned to the human world.
"This is great, I finally feel alive. I thought I was going to die. This forest is truly terrifying."
Ye Tiancheng and the cultured man exchanged a few words of感慨. Lin Xue leaned against the stone wall without a word, her expression as cold as frost. She truly had the aura of a female ghost, no wonder those people were so suspicious of her.
After a few polite exchanges, the sky outside began to darken. No one spoke anymore. Ye Tiancheng took out his portable stove, started a fire, and cooked some dumplings. He hadn't brought too few this time, so he shared them with everyone. The hunters who received dumplings thanked Ye Tiancheng. They appeared honest and kind, but not long after, Ye Tiancheng felt very drowsy and fell asleep. When he woke up, he discovered that both he and his disciple were bound tightly.
Lin Xue was relatively fine, leaning against the wall. Ye Tiancheng was in a worse state. Perhaps because he was a man, no one showed him any mercy, and he was hung up. Ye Tiancheng's neck was suspended. Upon waking, he took a deep breath. The cultured man smiled at Ye Tiancheng, and then the stool beneath Ye Tiancheng's feet was kicked away. Ye Tiancheng instantly felt suffocated. His eyes turned red due to prolonged suffocation, making him feel very uncomfortable.
"Help!"
Ye Tiancheng was just an ordinary person and could not withstand such suffocation. He would die within a few minutes.
Fortunately, at the critical moment, Lin Xue also woke up. Lin Xue used her spiritual energy to break free from her ropes and simultaneously untied Ye Tiancheng's ropes. Ye Tiancheng fell down with a thud, landing on the ground with his bones aching.
"You vixen, what sorcery did you use? Is this move called 'striking the bull through the mountain'?"
Lin Xue hadn't touched them at all, yet all the ropes were undone. The cultured man was terrified, and his subordinates were all dumbfounded. He thought he had encountered some kind of monster.
"Didn't you say I was a female ghost? Congratulations, you guessed right. I am a female ghost. How dare you lay hands on me? I will make you all die, and your bodies will be left in pieces."
"We put sleeping medicine in the water you drank yesterday. If you were truly a female ghost, how could you have fainted? You fake female ghost, you just know some tricks we haven't seen before, and you still want to fool us here. How shameless!"
The refined man, who had been pretending to be refined, finally couldn't maintain his composure. He was on the verge of cursing. He felt both terrified and defensive of Lin Xue's unusual performance.
"It seems I have to show you my true power."
Lin Xue didn't want to argue with these people, but they were too arrogant. Lin Xue began to slap them, one after another. Everyone except the refined man was struck down, writhing in pain on the ground.