The sky had cleared at that time.

Carrying the medicine chest and the baggage on his back again, Uncle Liu began to walk towards the top of the mountain.

Shuo Ling and Mo Li finally reached the foot of the Arctic Mountain at noon.

Seeing the Arctic Mountain in front of him, Shuo Ling released a sigh of relief.

Shuo Ling turned to Mo Li and said, "Let's take a rest before climbing the mountain."

Hearing that, Mo Li nodded and said, "Yes, Your Lordship."

Mo Li put the bag filled with the coat on the ground and then let Shuo Ling sit on it.

Then he looked around to find some dry sticks to light the fire so that they could heat up the cakes they brought to eat.

However, unfortunately, it was in endless whiteness. He could not find any sticks because of the heavy snow.

Mo Li took out the cakes from the bag. It had already been frozen hard.

Mo Li took the cakes out of the bag and took a bite of it.

Although the cakes were hard and icy, they could satisfy his hunger at that moment.

Then, Mo Li took another cake from the bag and gave it to Shuo Ling, "Your Lordship, just make do with it."

Shuo Ling turned around, took the cake, and gobbled it up.

At that time, his heart was full of Yang Zijin. It snowed last night, and the temperature was extremely low. He was afraid that something might happen to Yang Zijin.

It had been snowing for so long yesterday, and the weather was so cold. He only wanted to get to her as soon as possible.

After eating up the cake, Shuo Ling got up and walked up the mountain.

The heavy snow last night made the mountain road harder to walk.

Shuo Ling stuck his sword in the snow to help himself walk up the mountain.

Yang Zijin and others were also slowly stepping forward.

Although the extremely heavy snow and the low temperature last night had made some surfaces of the snow hard, it would be inevitable for them to miss their steps.

After walking for a while, everyone was out of breath. Yan Luo ordered them to have a rest in situ.

Liu Ling helped Yan Lingjun walk to a shelter from the wind to sit down and said, "Your Highness, you sit here, and I'll go and take some food."

Yan Lingjun nodded. Then, Liu Ling walked to the side.

At that time, Yan Lingjun felt that his feet were too numb to feel the pain.

The heavy snow last night made his feet frozen hurt. After a long journey, his feet sweated, and his shoes were wet, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

It was torture for Yan Lingjun who had never undergone any hardships.

At that time, he regretted a little insisting on following them here.

However, that thought only went across his mind. Then, he silently cursed himself, "Yan Lingjun, what are you thinking about? How can you think about that?"

He thought, "Father, mother, and Wanchu did not say they could not hold on. I can't say that, either. I come to the Arctic Mountain because I want to prove to them that I'm OK. I can do that!"

He thought, "I do not need my parents to arrange everything for me. This cannot baffle me!"

Thinking of this, Yan Lingjun leaned back.

Yan Lingjun put his hands aside, feeling something wrong.

The place where he sat had an overhang in the back that could block some snow, so there was not much snow there.

Then he sat up, pawing aside the snow with his hands.

Without pawing a few times, he found that the snow beneath it had become red.

Seeing that, Yan Lingjun frowned slightly. Then, he ventured to take out a dagger to dig down.

However, after digging a few times, Yan Lingjun saw a mass of bloody flesh exposed in front of him.

Seeing this, Yan Lingjun stood up suddenly and shouted, "Come here. There's something wrong!"

Hearing Yan Lingjun's voice, all the people looked over him.

Liu Ling with the food in his hand quickly ran over there.

When he came up to Yan Lingjun, he asked, "Your Highness, what happened?"

"You see!" Said Yan Lingjun, pointing at that mass of bloody flesh exposed outside.

Liu Ling looked in the direction Yan Lingjun pointed and was a little surprised. He gave the cakes in his hands to Yan Lingjun, walked forward, and squatted to check it.

Yan Luo and Yang Zijin also came over there.

Yan Wanchu asked Yan Lingjun, "Brother, what happened?"

Yan Lingjun frowned slightly and pointed at where Liu Ling was standing.

They all leaned over to have a look.

They saw that the snow Liu Ling pushed away was bloody.

Seeing that, they all held their breaths.

After clearing away all the snow, Liu Ling stood up and turned to others.

Yan Luo asked, "What's that?"

Liu Ling looked back and said, "Your Highness, it seemed to be a skinned snow wolf."

Hearing that, Yan Luo frowned slightly.

Then, she walked forward. Seeing that, Ruan Yien also followed her.

Judging from its shape, it must be a snow wolf.

What was more, that snow wolf seemed to be killed by someone.

Seeing this, Yan Luo frowned tightly. As a snow wolf never went out alone, the person who killed a snow wolf in the snow must have extraordinary skills.

It was less likely to be a hunter in this season. However, the snow wolf in front of them was skinned.

Yan Luo was confused.

Then, Yan Luo turned around and said to others, "Everyone, be careful! If there's something wrong, report to me immediately!"

"Yes!"

All the people nodded.

Looking at that skinned snow wolf lying on the snow, Yang Zijin on the side was also shocked.

As there was not any trap, it could not be a hunter. She knew that snow wolves were social animals. Even a person with some skills could not manage to get away easily when encountering them.

There could be no time to peel its skin, either.

What was more, there was not any trace of struggle around that wolf.

Was this person a master?

Thinking of this, Yang Zijin could not help frowning.

It seemed that the next step would be harder.

Yan Luo looked at Yan Wanchu and asked her, "Wanchu, check the map. Which direction should we go next?"

"OK." Yan Wanchu replied to her, taking out the parchment scroll.

Then, she squatted and put the parchment scroll on the ground. She rolled it out and looked at it carefully.

After checking the direction, she put away the parchment scroll and pointed at the road on the right. She said, "The parchment scroll indicates the road on the left. But I think it's purposely misleading us, so we should walk the road on the right."

Hearing that, Yan Luo asked Yan Wanchu, "Are you sure?"

Yan Wanchu thought for a moment and looked at Runyu on her side. Then, she said, "Yes, I'm sure!"

Hearing that, Yan Luo nodded and said to others, "OK. Then, have some food, and we'll resume our journey."

All the people said yes and spread out.

Yan Luo looked at Yan Lingjun and said, "Lingjun, come here!"

Then, Yan Luo walked to the side.

Hearing Yan Luo calling him over, Yan Lingjun glanced at Liu Ling on his side and then followed Yan Luo.

Yan Luo stepped aside and stopped there.

"Mother, what happened?" Yan Lingjun asked Yan Luo.

Yan Luo turned back and said to Yan Lingjun, "Lingjun, you saw it just now. This is only the beginning. More dangers are awaiting us in the future. I cannot guarantee your safety all the time!"

Hearing that, Yan Lingjun felt his heart quivered. He asked, "Mother, what do you mean?"

Yan Luo continued, "I mean that I'll ask some people to escort you back. As long as you are safe..."

Hearing Yan Luo's words, Yan Lingjun turned his head away and interrupted her, "I won't go back!"

Yan Luo hove a sigh and said, "I know you want to prove yourself to others. But the situation is out of control now. Maybe we'll be in danger the next moment. We might meet the snow wolf pack. We might fall into the snow hole. We might freeze to death. We might..."

Yan Lingjun looked at Yan Luo and raised his voice, "Mother, you do not need to say that. As none of you are afraid, why should I be afraid?"

Ruan Yien, who was watching there, felt something wrong and walked over there.

After Yan Luo heard Yan Lingjun's words, her face darkened. She said, "Lingjun, there's no room for your nonsense!"

Yan Lingjun said with a strong attitude, "Mother, whatever you say, I'll be with you. I won't go back!"

Then, Yan Lingjun walked to the side.

Hearing that, Yan Luo shouted behind him, "Lingjun, you..."

Yan Lingjun did not stop. This was the first time he did not listen to Yan Luo.

Ruan Yien called Yan Lingjun before Yan Lingjun reached him, but Yan Lingjun did not stop, either.

Ruan Yien walked up to Yan Luo, "I know you are worried about him. But he's grown up. He could know his own mind."

"I know. I can let him do everything he wants. But we do not know what we will encounter in the future. I can’t help worrying." Yan Luo looked at Ruan Yien and said to him, shaking her head.

Ruan Yien got closer to Yan Luo and said, "Although Lingjun followed our arrangements every time, I have found it for a long time that he knows his own mind. He was afraid that we would be unhappy, so he always followed our arrangements. But as time goes by, he will get more and more depressed. This can be a test for him. After all, his personality is not OK for him to be an emperor in the future. What's more, we could not be with him and give him advice forever!"

"Yien, I know that. But this journey is so dangerous. I do worry that..." Yan Luo knew that Ruan Yien made sense, but she could not help worrying!

Before Yan Luo could finish her words, Ruan Yien interrupted her, "Maybe it isn't as bad as you think?"

Hearing that, Yan Luo did not say anything immediately. She closed her eyes and thought something.

She pinned all her hopes on Yan Lingjun all these years. As long as it was good for him, she would arrange it for him, failing to consider his feelings.

Over time she tended to worry about everything about Yan Lingjun.

Thinking of this, Yan Luo opened her eyes and said to Ruan Yien, "You make sense. But we need to be extremely careful in the future."

"OK." Ruan Yien smiled and nodded, taking Yan Luo in his arms.