Yang Li took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

She knew that now was not the time to complain to each other.

Although the man was ruthless, his wooden hut was the only hope in this icy wasteland.

"Stop crying! What's the use of complaining!" Yang Li shouted sharply, trying to regain her authority. "The most important thing now is to find a way to survive! That man may be despicable, but he has food and a warm place to live! We must find a way to get these things from him!"

"But... Sister Yang Li, he's so fierce, how could we possibly..."

A timid woman said shyly.

A sinister glint flashed in Yang Li's eyes: "A direct confrontation definitely won't work. But don't forget, we are women. We have plenty of ways to deal with men. No matter how ruthless he is, he is still a man. And every man has weaknesses."

She paused, glanced at her remaining companions, and said in a low voice, "Let's find a place to hide and observe the situation. I refuse to believe that with the 'wisdom' of us sisters, we can't handle a primitive, smelly man!"

Despite her tough words, Lin Feng's clean, ruthless slash and the gruesome death of his companion had already planted an indelible shadow of fear in the hearts of Yang Li and her followers.

How effective their so-called "wisdom" is in the face of absolute power and chilling killing intent is something only heaven knows.

After thoroughly cleaning up the wooden house that had been turned upside down by these uninvited guests, Lin Feng's eyes grew even colder.

The next morning, the first rays of gray light struggled to pierce through the thick clouds, illuminating the snow-covered ground outside the cabin in a deathly stillness.

Lin Feng opened his eyes, his expression icy.

The intrusion of those uninvited guests last night was like a poisonous thorn stuck in his heart, giving him a deeper understanding of the unpredictability of this world and the baseness of human nature.

He got up. He had cleaned up the mess inside the wooden house overnight, but the air still carried the foul smell of those strange women.

The phantom huddled at his feet, occasionally letting out a low, aggrieved whimper; clearly, the events of the previous night had greatly frightened it.

"We must strengthen our defenses."

Lin Feng's eyes were icy as he muttered to himself. Everything he had painstakingly built, from the warm wooden house to the exquisite hot spring, and even the luxurious golden toilet, was the crystallization of his wisdom and labor. It was the foundation upon which he stood in this wild land, and he would never allow any petty person to easily lay a finger on it.

He began to inspect the doors and windows. The brass locks that had been easily pried open the previous night made him realize that this level of security was practically useless against someone with malicious intent.

He decided to install stronger latches on the inside of the wooden door, reinforce the windows with crossbars, and even set up some simple traps and warning devices on the outside.

He found some sturdy ironwood in the storeroom and began to bustle about with clanging and banging.

Just then, a noise came from the shed.

Qin Lan, Su Wanqing, Tang Bao, Qian Xiaoxiao, Ruan Mengtian, and Shen Jiaqi, six women, were cautiously walking towards the wooden house.

Their faces showed a hint of unease and inquiry, clearly indicating that they had also noticed the unusual behavior when Lin Feng returned last night.

When they saw Lin Feng's ashen face and the sharp wooden stake he was sharpening in his hands, they involuntarily stopped in their tracks and dared not approach any further.

"You, stand there, don't move!"

Lin Feng's voice was like a frozen block of ice, devoid of any warmth.

The women felt a chill run down their spines and dared not utter a sound.

Qin Lan, as their representative, mustered her courage and cautiously took a few steps forward, asking softly, "Mr. Lin, is...is something wrong? You don't look too good."

Lin Feng stopped what he was doing, his sharp gaze sweeping over them, making them feel a chill run down their spines.

He didn't answer immediately, but instead asked, "Last night, after I left, did any of you approach my cabin?"

"Absolutely not!"

Qin Lan immediately answered decisively, and the other women also shook their heads, their faces showing a hint of grievance and fear at being doubted: "Mr. Lin, we have kept your instructions firmly in mind before you left. We dare not take a step closer to your wooden house, let alone touch anything inside."

Lin Feng's expression softened slightly. He knew that Qin Lan and the others wouldn't dare to openly disobey his orders.

Moreover, the clothing and behavior of the group of strange women last night were completely different from Qin Lan and her group.

He briefly recounted what had happened the previous night to them.

The six women were stunned. Their faces first showed disbelief and surprise, then turned to lingering fear and a hint of inexplicable relief.

Surprisingly, there are other people in this world.

What's frightening is that if Lin Feng were to take his anger out on them, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Fortunately, it wasn't them who made a mistake.

"There were...there were other people?"

Su Wanqing murmured, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Qian Xiaoxiao exclaimed indignantly, "These women are going too far! Mr. Lin, how could they just barge into and ruin the home you built with so much effort?"

Tangbao's little face was puffed up with anger: "They even bullied Meiying! Bad people!"

Qin Lan quickly calmed down and immediately stated, "Mr. Lin, we are different from them! We are absolutely loyal and obedient to you, and we would never do anything ungrateful or usurp your place!"

Lin Feng snorted coldly, his eyes still icy: "In my opinion, you and they are not much different in essence. Women are the root of all trouble."

He paused, then announced in an unquestionable tone, "From today onwards, the transaction will take place outside the cabin. Without my permission, you are not allowed to step within fifty paces of the cabin. Also, the privilege of using the hot spring once every ten days that I previously granted you is hereby revoked."

"What?" Qian Xiaoxiao and Ruan Mengtian couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, their faces filled with disappointment and grievance.

The opportunity they finally got to clean their bodies regularly is gone just like that?

How could they accept this? Tang Bao tugged at Lin Feng's sleeve and pleaded softly, "Mr. Lin..."

Qin Lan and Su Wanqing's faces also turned somewhat pale, but they were better at assessing the situation.

Knowing this wasn't the time to haggle, and that any explanation from Lin Feng would only add fuel to the fire, Lin Feng was already furious.

Qin Lan took a deep breath, suppressing her disappointment, and said respectfully, "Yes, Mr. Lin, we understand. We will definitely abide by your rules."

She glared at Qian Xiaoxiao and Ruan Mengtian, signaling them to shut up.

Although the women were extremely unwilling, they could only dejectedly agree.

They understood that they had no room to object to Lin Feng's decision.

Qin Lan then changed the subject, displaying her intelligence: "Mr. Lin, the most urgent thing now is to find out where those women come from and their exact location. Since they also came from 'over there,' they might know some information that we don't."

"Moreover, since they dared to break into your cabin once, there's no guarantee they won't do it a second time. Keeping them around is always a potential problem."

Lin Feng nodded, a hint of approval flashing in his sharp eyes.

Qin Lan's analysis is not without merit; knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. Moreover, he genuinely didn't want to be disturbed any further.

"You're right."

Lin Feng said coldly, "I'll leave this to you. Find them, find out their background, including how many of them there are, what their abilities are, and where they are currently hiding. If you can provide valuable information and lead them to the place I designate, I will reward you handsomely."

"A reward?" The women's eyes lit up slightly, and the disappointment of losing the hot spring was somewhat relieved.

Qin Lan immediately replied, "Yes, Mr. Lin! We will do our utmost to find their whereabouts as soon as possible!"

So, at Lin Feng's instruction, Qin Lan led Su Wanqing, Qian Xiaoxiao, Tang Bao, Ruan Mengtian, and Shen Jiaqi to search for the uninvited guests in this icy and snowy land.

They were familiar with the terrain and knew where there might be water sources or caves that could provide shelter from the wind.

After a long and arduous search, they finally found a small cave, half-hidden by snow and emitting a faint smell of smoke, in a sheltered mountain hollow.

There were some gnawed bones and plant roots scattered around the cave entrance, indicating that someone had been there.

Qin Lan gestured for everyone to hide, while she quietly approached.

A woman's voice, laced with complaints and curses, drifted from inside the cave. It was Yang Li and her group!

They huddled in the cave, with a small campfire burning around them, but they were still shivering from the cold, their faces were sallow, and they were listless.

The terror and cold of the previous night, along with the tragic death of their companion, had left them like frightened birds.

At this moment, they are arguing incessantly because of the unequal distribution of the meager amount of food they have.

"It's all that damned jerk's fault! If it weren't for him, Xiaoli wouldn't have died! And we wouldn't be in this mess!"

A woman with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks screamed.

Yang Li's face was grim. She wrapped her tattered clothes tighter around herself and said coldly, "Alright! What's the use of saying all this now! We have to find a way to survive! Once I've caught my breath, I'll make that man pay!"

Qin Lan noted down the situation, quickly returned to rejoin the others, and then sent someone to report to Lin Feng.

Upon receiving the news, Lin Feng's lips curled into a cold smile.

Instead of taking immediate action, he instructed Qin Lan and the others to continue surveillance while preparing some "tools".

Another night passed, and Yang Li and the others were starving and freezing, almost on the verge of collapse.

They are not people who can endure hardship. They are used to being pampered in modern society and cannot bear this kind of suffering.

When Qin Lan reappeared before them with several women, carrying some dried meat and clean water.

Yang Li and the others were initially wary, but then a greedy glint appeared in their eyes, like hungry wolves spotting their prey.

"It's you? What are you doing here?" Yang Li tried to remain calm, but her voice was a little hoarse.

Qin Lan said expressionlessly, "Mr. Lin sent us to check on you. If you're willing to cooperate, there might still be a way for you to survive."

Upon hearing this, Yang Li and the others became excited, thinking that things had taken a turn for the better.

However, their smiles quickly froze on their faces.

Because Lin Feng, carrying that gleaming steel knife and accompanied by Wangcai, appeared before them like the Grim Reaper.