Liu Dazhi took a step forward, his eyes raised, and the scene that unfolded before him made him dumbfounded.
The "crackling" sound came from branches by the side of the narrow path. Heavy with snow, the overloaded branches snapped, falling directly above Qin Ningyi and his companions.
The two people beside him reacted swiftly, pulling Qin Ningyi away. Qin Ningyi, already mid-spin, landed steadily a short distance away in an instant.
On such a narrow path, Qin Ningyi’s agile footwork showed no sign of slipping. If his stance wasn't firm, then it could only be…
The high-end shoes from the city are more slip-resistant!
The branch fell precisely where Qin Ningyi had been standing. His expression unchanged, he continued to stride forward.
The people ahead had already walked some distance. Liu Fang nudged Liu Dazhi's arm, "Dad, let's go!"
Liu Dazhi snapped back to reality and hurried to catch up.
As he walked, he swallowed hard and stammered, "There are many branches on this path, brothers, please be careful…"
Before he could finish, another "crackling" sound echoed.
This time, the sound was exceptionally close.
A sense of dread washed over him. He quickly pulled Liu Fang into his embrace, shielding her with his body.
In this deep mountain wilderness, the trees were very tall. Falling snow from such a height could be dangerous, and certainly painful.
A whistling sound cut through the air, a gust of wind in the silent, snowy forest.
The expected pain never came. Instead, a scattering of coldness landed on his back.
A stone fell to the ground not far from him.
"Wow!" Liu Fang, protected in Liu Dazhi's arms, hadn't understood what was happening. Her eyes happened to look forward, and she witnessed Qin Ningyi pick up a stone and shatter the ice shards that had formed a cluster in the air.
"An'an's dad is so amazing!"
Still shaken, Liu Dazhi stood straight and looked towards the more densely wooded direction ahead. "Xiao Fang, you stay here and wait for us. It's too dangerous up ahead."
On such a perilous path, he wondered if that child Zhaodi had been hit. She was already so small and frail; it would be terrible if she were struck!
Liu Dazhi, who hadn't taken the matter too seriously initially, now frowned.
"Sister Huo's husband, let's speed up. Zhaodi can't afford to be hit."
Without knowing his name, Liu Dazhi could only refer to Qin Ningyi with such a lengthy description for the moment.
Hearing the qualifier placed before him, a smile couldn't help but spread across Qin Ningyi's lips. He glanced at the progressively fewer footprints on the ground, his gaze lingering on one for a long time before he looked up and said, "Hmm, it's not far ahead. Let's go."
Liu Fang wanted to follow, but after the recent incident, she sensibly understood that she couldn't ask to go now.
Liu Dazhi left Liu Fang at a neighbor's house nearby and followed Qin Ningyi and his group into the mountains.
"Brother, I still haven't asked your name?" Liu Dazhi asked, trying to keep pace with Qin Ningyi and his party.
He no longer dared to underestimate Qin Ningyi and the others. These city dwellers navigated the mountain path more steadily and faster than he did; these were definitely not ordinary weaklings.
His stamina was among the best in the village, and he could barely keep up with their speed. Looking at the decreasing number of footprints on the ground, he wiped his sweat and let out a sigh.
"Qin Ningyi."
Upon hearing the name, Liu Dazhi, despite his lack of formal education, exclaimed in surprise, "The old are still strong, the heart of Ningyi as white as hair?"