Chapter 35: Ambush

Fate is a peculiar thing.

Some people have the affinity but lack the destiny. They might live in the same area, frequently visit the same caves, take medicine prescribed by the same doctor, and even tease the same dog. They might share surprisingly similar viewpoints on many subjects, yet they simply cannot come together.

Others have the destiny but lack the affinity, often emphasizing: fate is determined by the heavens, but destiny is determined by man. In most cases, however, when the affinity isn't there, no matter how hard you try, the outcome remains the same.

— Musings on Fate

Sharo sat with her head bowed, the roaring fire casting a red glow on her fair face, her long hair draped over her chest. Perhaps because it was her first time interacting with a boy, she would sometimes, without knowing why, steal a glance at what Da Qing Shan was doing.

What a sight it was.

Under the grilling flames, grease dripped continuously from the meat, fueling the flames higher. Da Qing Shan's face was lit by the dancing firelight. He slowly turned the roasting spit with one hand while evenly sprinkling salt and other seasonings on the meat with the other.

Greenie leaned against Da Qing Shan, resting its head on his belly, drooling with anticipation. Whenever Da Qing Shan went to gather firewood, Greenie would obediently take over the spit, turning it slowly.

"What a good little fellow," Sharo smiled with her head down.

After finishing the roast, Da Qing Shan skillfully lit another campfire nearby, extinguished the previous one, and covered the ashes with stones. Then he pulled over the sled, placing it right over the ashes, saying his first words of the day: "You sleep on the sled." He then wrapped himself in his bedding, leaning against a slightly protruding rock to shield himself from the wind, and lay down. Soon, Sharo heard the sound of his steady breathing.

She couldn't understand what kind of man he was. Sharo didn't know much about men to begin with. Remembering the night before, when Lin Yushang specifically warned her to be careful, to not fall into a deep sleep, and to keep her guard up so Da Qing Shan wouldn't sleep beside her—Sharo hadn't understood what Sister Yushang meant by those words. She truly didn't know how a boy could possibly harm a girl.

Soon, a warm feeling spread in Sharo's heart—she finally understood Da Qing Shan's earlier actions. The embers beneath the sled gradually radiated a gentle warmth through the wooden slats. In the icy wilderness, with the wind howling outside, that warmth was indescribable.

As Sharo savored this warmth brought by the opposite sex for the first time, Lin Yushang was witnessing another spectacle with wide eyes.

To ensure they reached the forest's edge by the following night, so they could quickly retreat into the darkness if they encountered enemies, Amy decided to press on. The delegation camped well into the night.

Their first task was to find wood for a fire. Unlike Da Qing Shan, they weren't as lucky; it was too dark to find fallen wood. So, two soldiers began chopping down trees. The wind was strong, making it hard to fell a single large pine tree even after a long time.

Impatient, Amy stepped forward and said politely, "Let me try." Several empire soldiers, already displeased with his behavior, handed him the axe immediately. Amy shook his head, drew the Ice Blade from his back, and circled a large tree. All eyes were on him, curious about how he would manage. Several soldiers showed obvious disdain in their eyes.

Amy stepped back slightly, bent his body a bit, and raised the Ice Blade high. Like lightning across the sky, he struck from the side. The tree fell with a crash. Without pause, he swung his longsword repeatedly, quickly chopping a pile of firewood as tall as a small hill. The Ice Blade emerged unscathed.

Everyone was stunned.

Flames soared into the sky, bathing everyone in their warmth.

Lin Yushang beamed at Amy, "Impressive, impressive. As expected from someone skilled in both swordsmanship and magic. Judging by your wood-chopping skills, you could probably become an S-class mercenary."

Amy smiled faintly, but for some reason, the usually bold and never disadvantaged Amy seemed unsure of himself in front of the girl, not knowing what to say.

"I've never seen anyone chop wood like that. Could you teach me sometime?" Lin Yushang asked sincerely, seeking a boy's help for the first time.

One soldier, feeling uncomfortable hearing his idolized girl flatter a much younger boy, interjected, "It's not that amazing. Our former captain of the Glacier Squad could also chop wood with a sword, and much faster too. You could learn from him someday."

Lin Yushang was about to speak when Amy calmly said, "I know, because he's my father."

Silence fell instantly, and the eyes of three or four middle-aged soldiers locked onto Amy and the long sword on his back.

The next morning, Da Qing Shan rose early, fed the sled dogs well, and called Sharo to start the new day.

They were obviously nearing the forest edge. Trees became fewer, sunlight pierced through the canopy directly onto the snowy ground, and the snow thinned. In some spots, black soil was visible, requiring them to carefully navigate around areas with less snow.

The sled jostled continuously, forcing Sharo to grip its edges tightly. Da Qing Shan sat steadily on the sled, guiding the lead dog to areas with more snow under the trees.

In the forest's shallower snow, small animal footprints like deer and foxes were visible. Da Qing Shan noted them carefully, seeing no signs of human activity yet.

According to the plan made with Amy during their parting, Da Qing Shan quickened his pace. Two hours after Amy encountered the enemy, Da Qing Shan should be near the forest edge. Amy would create a diversion, drawing all enemies into the dark forest, where they couldn't discern the size of Amy's group in the darkness. By the next morning, Da Qing Shan and Sharo could safely enter the Snowfield City.

As night fell, the exposed soil increased, and the sled dogs labored to pull the sled through the muddy path.

Almost there, Da Qing Shan calculated silently.

Now very close to the enemy, he carefully gathered the sled dogs and found a snow ditch to hide the sled, marking the spot. Then, with the ten sled dogs and Sharo, they searched for a new campsite.

Unlike previous nights, they couldn't light a fire due to the proximity to the enemy, as it would reveal their presence.

Behind a small hill, Da Qing Shan suddenly spotted a dark cave ahead. Elated, he thought that with such a cave, they could manage to light a fire at night without being discovered by the enemy, and avoid enduring the wind.

However, the sled dogs became restless, sensing something inside. Having grown up in the mountains, Da Qing Shan understood the dogs' behavior. Such minor unrest indicated no large carnivorous or herbivorous animals, possibly just some small animals leaving behind scents.

He entered the cave with two dogs, igniting a torch. The cave was large and deep, about ten meters long, with a small bend inside. Lighting a fire within would be hard to detect from outside.

After inspecting the cave with the torch, he deemed it safe with no signs of previous inhabitance, as the frigid air was a natural deterrent to most creatures.

He called Sharo in, passing her the torch, then went to the nearest tree, drew his longsword, and began chopping wood.

The firewood quickly piled up.

Suddenly, Sharo's terrified scream came from the cave, "Ah—"

Startled, Da Qing Shan rushed into the cave with his sword and Greenie.

The torch lay on the ground. Sharo, pale, sat with her back against the cave wall, one hand covering her mouth, the other clutching her left foot. Not far from her was a large black snake, about one meter long, its head raised, flicking its red tongue. Following the snake's tail, Da Qing Shan saw a hole in the wall, clearly the original occupant, now furious at the unexpected guests.

When Da Qing Shan looked closely at the snake, his face changed drastically. "Did it bite you?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"I—I don't know. It bit my shoe," Sharo said, clearly terrified.

On the Ice Continent, where there are only three months without frost, snakes are rare. There are only a few known types, all black, and only one is venomous. Although he had never seen it, Da Qing Shan had to be cautious.

His sword struck quickly, the black snake leaping to bite him, but he deftly sliced its head and a portion of its body off. He immediately stomped on it, twisting his foot to ensure the head wouldn't spring back. "Don't be scared, it's dead. Does your foot hurt?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," Sharo whimpered, "It hurt at first, but now it's just itchy."

Da Qing Shan's face grew more serious. He rushed over, ignored Sharo's protests, and loosened her shoelaces, pulling off her shoe and pink sock.

As her fair foot emerged from the sock, Da Qing Shan felt a strange dizziness. Her five toes had a rosy hue, each topped with a translucent nail like a tiny shell. On the side of her big toe were two small bite marks, surrounded by congealed black blood. A black line of venom climbed her leg.

Poison, indeed a venomous snake.

Sharo realized her foot was numb. Seeing the black line on her leg, she was at a loss.

Da Qing Shan heated his dagger on the torch, then, despite Sharo's struggles, held her foot firmly and sliced open the bite marks, letting the black blood ooze out. Hesitating briefly, he lifted her foot and began sucking the venom, spitting the dark blood onto the ground.

Sharo felt incredibly shy. Although her foot was numb, she could distinctly feel Da Qing Shan's forceful sucking, a sensation she couldn't describe. Her foot struggled instinctively against the pain of Da Qing Shan's grip.

Eventually, the black line receded from her leg, and red blood trickled from the bite. Sharo now felt a piercing pain, crying out softly.

As the torch on the ground nearly extinguished, Da Qing Shan fetched more wood and rekindled it. He then sprinkled salt on Sharo's wound, bandaged it with medicine and gauze, and helped her put her sock and shoe back on.

Only then did Da Qing Shan notice a faint fragrance lingering in the air.

Reflecting on the events, Da Qing Shan didn't know what to say. His face flushed, he ran outside to gather more wood, then stoked the fire and planted a stick in the snake's hole.

After securing the cave, he checked for any other threats, then took his bedding and, holding Greenie's paw, headed outside.

That night, neither Da Qing Shan nor Sharo could sleep. Sharo couldn't shake the image of Da Qing Shan forcibly removing her shoe and sucking the venom, a feeling she couldn't describe. Da Qing Shan, on the other hand, felt something was amiss but couldn't pinpoint what it was.

In the sky, the red moon cast a warm glow over the midsummer forest, bathing it in gentle moonlight.