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墨書 Inktalez
The snow shattered the desolate mountains and fields, while the wind howled mournfully along the desolate paths. The heavens and earth trembled in shared sorrow, marking a moment when life and death would part forever. Heartbreak urged tears to flow!
In memories, smiles still lingered, yet the farewell before him was hard to bear. Echoes of past words still resonated in his ears, like flowers blooming at a time when they could not meet. Familial bonds could no longer be rekindled!
Time seemed to halt under Lin Ning's sorrow. He did not know how long had passed when the raging snowstorm finally ceased. On Changbai Mountain, the scene left in the wake of the avalanche was shocking. The once pristine and tranquil snow slopes were now in utter disarray. A massive amount of snow lay scattered as if stirred by a giant, forming uneven heaps that jutted out at odd angles. Broken trees lay haphazardly in the snow—some uprooted, others snapped in half—while remnants of snow clung to their branches, glimmering coldly under the sunlight.
The air was thick with snow dust, like a thin veil that blurred the distant mountains into indistinct shapes. The snow surface reflected blinding light under the sun, causing pain to the eyes. The rocks exposed by the avalanche stood stark against the surrounding white, appearing especially harsh. The once gurgling mountain stream was buried beneath thick layers of snow, disappearing from sight. Silence enveloped the area; there were no birds singing nor whispers of wind through the trees—only the occasional sound of snow sliding down, breaking this terrifying stillness. As time passed, some small animals cautiously peeked out from their burrows, their eyes filled with fear and confusion at this strange and terrifying sight. This avalanche had transformed Changbai Mountain's landscape; nature's overwhelming power had left behind a scene both haunting and unforgettable.
Cong Rong tightly grasped Lin Ning's arm, shaking him desperately as if trying to awaken him from slumber. Her tears surged forth like a flood breaking through a dam, her voice hoarse from overwhelming sorrow: “Leader, you cannot just fall like this! You must pull yourself together; even if not for yourself, think of senior Sister Yuan and the two children!” Lin Ning's body trembled slightly; Cong Rong's words struck his heart like a heavy hammer. Indeed, how could he so easily give up? He still had Senior Sister Yuan and two lovely children who needed his care and protection. Slowly lifting his head, he met Cong Rong's anxious gaze filled with concern—a genuine worry that came from her heart. Taking a deep breath, he worked to calm his emotions before sitting up from the snow.
“Rong'er, you are right; I should not wallow in despair,” Lin Ning said, his voice still low but now tinged with determination. “We must cherish every life and not let them down.”
He paused before continuing: “Now, I have an idea. You must take Ru Yun and Ruo Shui out of Changbai Mountain immediately and hand them over to my parents in Jinling. They will take good care of the children.” Cong Rong hurriedly asked, “What about you and senior Sister Yuan? What will you do?” Lin Ning’s gaze grew more resolute as he answered without hesitation: “I will continue searching for Senior Su Ji on Changbai Mountain with your senior sister. We cannot abandon any hope.”
Cong Rong furrowed her brow tightly with worry: “It’s too dangerous on Changbai Mountain; I can’t trust you alone with sickly senior Sister Yuan here. What if something happens?” Lin Ning interrupted her: “Rong'er, don’t worry about me. I will take care of Senior Sister Yuan and protect myself as well. This is our only chance for survival; we cannot miss it.”
Cong Rong understood that if they all stayed on Changbai Mountain, they might be trapped forever in this mountain wilderness. Tears brimming in her eyes, she nodded slowly before tightly holding onto both infants and turning to head down the mountain. With each step she took, she couldn’t help but glance back at Lin Ning, as if trying to imprint his figure deeply in her mind. Meanwhile, Lin Ning stood quietly watching her fade into the distance until she disappeared completely among the dense trees.
Silently turning away, Lin Ning gripped his black-gold short knife tightly and approached a massive Birch Tree. He dug into the snow with all his might again and again as if trying to vent all his sorrow and pain.
Finally finished digging a pit in the snow, Lin Ning carefully lifted Lin Xiu’s already cold body and gently placed her into the pit he had created. He gazed at Lin Xiu’s pale face filled with endless grief and guilt. “Xiu'er, Second Brother is sorry; I cannot bring you back to Jinling,” he murmured with a trembling voice. “You stay here and accompany Yufeng…” After saying this softly, he gently covered Lin Xiu’s body with snow before kneeling down before her grave and bowing three times deeply.
After rising from his knees, he stood by Lin Xiu’s grave for a long while as if bidding her a final farewell. Then Lin Ning hoisted Yuan Yueming onto his back and continued deeper into Changbai Mountain. His steps felt heavy as if each one drained him of all his strength.
In Changbai Mountain, Lin Ning searched desperately for two more days but saw no sign of anyone. Yuan Yueming’s injuries worsened; her breath grew weaker as if she might leave this world at any moment. Despair filled Lin Ning’s heart; he didn’t know how much longer Yuan Yueming could hold on or whether they would ever walk out alive from this vast Changbai Mountain.
Just when he felt helpless and lost, suddenly his gaze was drawn to a series of footprints in the snow—a set of tiger tracks clearly imprinted on the white surface. Normally, tigers have five toes on their front paws and four on their hind paws; their tracks create a unique shape resembling plum blossoms when they walk through snow. However, these tracks appeared unusual—they were round instead of their typical shape.
Lin Ning crouched down to observe these footprints closely; after some thought, he realized someone must have nailed iron plates onto all four paws of this tiger! A flicker of hope ignited within him upon this realization—if someone had done that to this tiger’s paws, then there was likely someone nearby.
Standing up straight again, he took a deep breath and called out loudly using his powerful inner strength: “Is anyone here?” His voice boomed like thunder throughout Changbai Mountain’s valley, echoing back repeatedly.
Suddenly an earth-shattering roar from afar pierced through—the roar was filled with anger and authority as if shaking the entire valley itself. Moments later, a massive spotted tiger lunged toward Lin Ning like lightning at an incredible speed; it reached him in an instant.
Seeing this unfold, Lin Ning quickly leaned Yuan Yueming against a Birch Tree before turning to face the tiger head-on. However, his movements were slightly delayed—the tiger had already pounced right before him! This enormous spotted tiger opened its gaping maw revealing sharp fangs as it viciously lunged toward Lin Ning’s shoulder.
With quick reflexes, Lin Ning dodged just in time as the tiger missed its target due to inertia propelling it forward for some distance. But this agile beast quickly turned around mid-air and pounced at him once more.
Just as its front claws were about to strike Lin Ning down, he swiftly sidestepped and fell onto the snowy ground without hesitation. Immediately afterward, he kicked up his right leg like lightning—striking accurately at the tiger’s abdomen with tremendous force! The blow sent it flying backward hard onto the snowy surface.
Seizing this opportunity to observe closely now that it was downed—Lin Ning noted that this tiger was indeed large with vibrant fur indicating it was an adult male! To his astonishment further—each paw bore an iron brand!
After sustaining heavy injuries from its fall onto the snow—it writhed painfully while contorting its body due to excruciating agony but refused to give up! It soon struggled back up from the ground glaring fiercely at Lin Ning preparing for another attack.
At that critical moment—a man’s shout suddenly rang out from afar: “Little one! Stand aside!” The voice boomed like a bell showcasing profound inner strength while possessing an almost magical quality that caused even this ferocious tiger to halt its advance obediently.
As he spoke—a man floated gracefully into view standing before Lin Ning—a closer look revealed him to be around fifty years old with a bald head bearing an extremely ugly visage; his nose was flat while his small eyes glinted menacingly—gripping a massive Wolf Tooth Club that exuded an intimidating aura.
Following closely behind him was a woman around forty years old—her figure graceful yet alluring despite being middle-aged—holding sharp Double Hooks blades in each hand while still retaining beauty reminiscent of youthfulness.
The man eyed Lin Ning sternly demanding: “Who dares trespass into Changbai Mountain’s depths?”
Lin Ning quickly cupped his hands respectfully replying: “I am Sun Moon Gang’s Lin Ning; I came here seeking Hero Su on account of my unfortunate misstep into your territory—if there has been any offense please forgive me!”
Upon hearing this—the man furrowed his brow slightly displaying signs of vigilance as he scrutinized Lin Ning thoroughly before smirking faintly saying: “Sun Moon Gang does hold quite some renown within Jianghu—I’ve heard tales indeed but regarding one named Lin Ning—I’ve never heard anything.”
“What business do you have seeking my master?”
The woman beside him crossed her arms watching intently while scrutinizing every detail about Lin Ning.
It turned out that this man was named Niu Ben while standing next to him was his wife Sai Xianhua—they were both disciples of Siji!
Hearing Niu Ben refer to Siji as master brought joy to Lin Ning who quickly responded: “My junior sister has been poisoned gravely—her life hangs by a thread! I’ve heard your esteemed master possesses remarkable medical skills capable of miraculous healing hence I traveled thousands of miles bringing my junior sister here hoping for Hero Su ’s assistance!”
Niu Ben glanced at Yuan Yueming then turned back towards Lin Ning asking: “Is it this young lady who is poisoned?”
Lin Ning nodded vigorously affirming: “Yes!”
Niu Ben observed them closely noting their Han attire before shaking his head sighing: “Haven’t you heard my master’s rules? He only treats Jurchens—not Han people.”
Sai Xianhua chimed in agreement: “Indeed—my master only treats Jurchens—not Han people!”
Lin Ning cupped his hands asking respectfully: “May I inquire your esteemed names?”
Niu Ben raised one hand proudly declaring: “We do not change our names nor our surnames—I am Niu Ben—and this is my wife Sai Xianhua!”
Upon hearing their names—Lin Ning couldn’t help but find humor within himself yet stifled laughter remained hidden beneath earnestness; Niu Ben sounded akin to cow dung while Sai Xianhua resembled blooming flowers! He mused silently about how fitting it was—their appearances matched their names perfectly—a flower atop dung!
Regaining composure suppressing laughter—he earnestly stated: “To save one life is worth more than building pagodas; please take me to see Hero Su!”
However—Niu Ben appeared somewhat impatient waving dismissively stating gruffly: “You’re quite long-winded! Flower girl—little one—we’re leaving!”
Having finally glimpsed hope for Yuan Yueming’s survival—how could he let these two simply walk away? With determination etched across his face—he stepped forward blocking Niu Ben and Sai Xianhua's path wielding Sunlight Blade firmly in hand!
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