As soon as the twelfth lunar month arrived, a heavy snow began to fall.
Xiaobai seemed a little restless, and Yang Ruxin knew that it missed its mother, so she decided to take Xiaobai on a trip into the mountains. Truth be told, after so many days, she also missed Dabai a little.
Entering the mountains during the days when heavy snow seals them off is very dangerous.
Gu Qingheng was the first to express his opposition. If Gu Yao were here, he could accompany her, but with Gu Yao not yet back and him temporarily unable to stand, he was unwilling to let her take the risk.
"Don’t worry," Yang Ruxin reassured him as she gently stroked Gu Qingheng’s face, "I won’t put myself in danger. In the past, haven’t I often gone into the mountains alone? Besides, I have Xiaobai and Xiaolun with me. In the mountains, they are the overlords; I’ll be fine." Xiaobai’s physique was nearly that of a full-grown wolf now, and it was looking more and more like one too. It seemed its father’s genes were indeed strong. However, the only difference was that, from some time back, its white fur had started to change. The fur on its forehead began to turn yellow in some spots, and from a distance, it even formed the shape of the character "king", probably the only remnant of its tiger mother’s genes.
Gu Qingheng knew that he loved her, but he shouldn’t restrict her. If possible, he truly wished he could accompany her in ascending the mountains and crossing the rivers, but...
"Xinxin, be sure not to let anything happen to yourself," Gu Qingheng could only remind her in the end.
"I’m cherishing my life right now," Yang Ruxin chuckled. "Don’t worry, I still need to provide for you. I won’t let myself get into trouble..."
After Yang Ruxin left, Gu Qingheng called over Dao Xuzi: "Senior, is there a way to speed up my treatment?"
"Do you think this is like steaming buns?" Dao Xuzi gave Gu Qingheng a sidelong glance. "Think you can just turn up the heat and they’ll cook faster? It’s not impossible for you to want a quicker cure..."
Gu Qingheng immediately widened his eyes.
"Cut off your legs, and there, the poison is gone." Having said that, Dao Xuzi turned and walked away with his hands behind his back.
Gu Qingheng couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head, he was still anxious after all.
At this time, Yang Ruxin had already followed Xiaobai into the forest. Though the snow was heavy, and it was mostly a white expanse all around, Xiaobai and Xiaolun were not affected in the slightest, playfully scrambling ahead of her.
Frankly, Ruxin could understand Xiaobai’s behavior, but she was somewhat frustrated by how spirited Xiaolun was. Aren’t snakes supposed to hibernate in the winter? How come this guy showed no signs of hibernating at all?
In the end, she had to accept that Xiaolun was not your ordinary snake, and so, it did not need to hibernate.
In winter, many small animals hibernate, making it a struggle for those that do not need to hibernate to find food. It is also for this reason that there are incidents of animals coming down from the mountains to harm people.
Along the way, Xiaobai and Xiaolun were not idle, catching a good number of wild chickens, rabbits, silly pheasants, and wild goats. Yang Ruxin simply followed behind and picked up the prey, tossing them all into her space.
Around noon, from afar, she heard what sounded like a roar – it was the bellow of a tiger.
Xiaobai immediately became excited, stretching its neck and starting to howl in response.
The moment Xiaolun heard the roar, it zipped around Yang Ruxin’s neck and froze still. Alright then, different species, you have your reunion; I, King Green, shall not interfere.
Soon, the entire forest seemed to have been startled by the roaring, with ceaseless tiger and wolf howls coming from all directions – the cacophony was lively, to say the least.