39. Purpose
Inside the abandoned hunting lodge, time seemed frozen by the howling snow and wind outside. The only evidence of its passage was the occasional flicker of the oil lamp flame and the faint green smoke emanating from the slow-burning stalk of tranquilizing grass in the corner that Mu Lin used to measure time.
Su Lin remained unconscious, lying on a straw mat covered in thick fur, like a carefully preserved glass figurine. His breathing was so shallow and weak that it was almost imperceptible, and his face was a disconcertingly transparent paleness, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch. Mu Lin would periodically lean over, using a faint blue light to check his pulse and the vitality within him. With each probe, the solemnity between his brows deepened. Su Lin's life flame had not been extinguished, but it only maintained a faint spark, flickering tenaciously within the depths of his depleted essence, and the recovery was despairingly slow.
Lei Qing sat beside Su Lin like a stone sculpture, his back straight and motionless. He didn't close his eyes. In the dim light, his sharp eyes, like the alpha wolf guarding its territory, were fixed on Su Lin's face most of the time, capturing every weak rise and fall of his breath. His hunting knife was within reach, the handle warm from his grip. Occasionally, he would reach out and touch Su Lin's cold cheek very gently with the back of his fingertips, or carefully tuck in the corner of his fur that had slipped off. These subtle movements formed a sharp contrast with his cold and hard appearance, revealing the worry and protection hidden deep beneath the ice, almost tangible. He didn't need words, his presence itself was the strongest barrier.
Ah Yan, on the other hand, was like a restless beast trapped in a cage. Unable to sit still for extended periods like Lei Qing, he constantly paced back and forth in the small space, his footsteps heavy and chaotic. His gaze frequently glanced toward the door, where Ling Ye, their greatest uncertainty, stood guard. Whenever he thought of Su Lin's fate in order to save Xingchen, and the heavy suspicion of Ling Ye, the guide, he felt, his anger welling up within him. "Damn, is that kid freezing to death out there?" he finally couldn't help but ask, his voice lowered with a thick layer of anger. "How about I go out and 'check on' him?" "Ah Yan," Mu Lin raised his eyes, his voice weary yet undeniably calm. "What we need right now is stability. Su Lin needs absolute silence. Ling Ye... is more 'reassuring' outside than inside." His meaning was clear: rather than having someone so suspicious around, it would be better to keep him outside the door, within sight. "But..." A Yan wanted to argue, but his eyes swept over Su Lin's bloodless face on the straw mat, and he swallowed the rest of his words. He grabbed a handful of hair in annoyance, and finally spat in hatred. He stopped talking, just hugged the short axe, sat down against the wall, but his eyes were still fixed on the door.
Xingchen curled up on the other side of Su Lin's bed, hugging his knees and curling himself into a small ball. He didn't cry or speak, but just stared at Su Lin with his obsidian eyes wide open, unblinking. The boy's face was still stained with blood and tears, but his eyes no longer had the fragility and hesitation from before. Instead, there was an almost paranoid focus and a heavy sense of responsibility that was inconsistent with his age. It was he who touched the poisonous mushroom, and it was he who put Su Lin in such a situation. This realization was like a red-hot iron, burning his heart and tempering his will. He carefully avoided Su Lin's wrist, which was bandaged with cold water vapor, and gently placed his hand next to the back of Su Lin's cold hand, as if this would bring him closer to him and better protect him. He swore in his heart that as long as Su Lin could wake up, he would never let anyone or anything hurt him again, never.
Outside, the snow continued to blow. Ling Ye leaned against the sheltered wall of the cabin, huddled in his tattered clothes. The cold permeated every inch of his body, his lips turning purple with cold, and his body shivered uncontrollably. He listened to the faint, muffled voices from within, especially A Yan's hostile voice, and a barely perceptible, bitter smile curved his lips. He looked up at the gray sky, then down at his own hands, their bony joints covered with scars, new and old, his eyes filled with a complex, unreadable expression.
As night fell completely, the sound of wind and snow seemed to grow louder, as if countless wronged souls were sobbing and crying outside the house.
It was time to keep watch. According to the agreement, Lei Qing would watch the first half of the night, and A Yan would watch the second half.
Lei Qing showed no sign of sleepiness. He remained in his guarded posture, like a silent shadow before Su Chen. The light from the oil lamp cast a deep shadow on his angular profile, making him look even more like a silent mountain.
Later in the night, A Yan replaced Lei Qing. He walked to the door and, through the crack in the door, glanced coldly at Ling Ye, who was curled up outside. After confirming that he was still there, he snorted, hugged the hatchet, and sat down by the door. Although he was irritable, he was not without vigilance.
However, the exhaustion of days, the weakness from recovering from a serious injury, and the extreme worry about Su Lin's condition, like a tide, constantly assaulted his will. An unknown amount of time passed, and amid the monotonous howling of the wind and snow, A Yan's eyelids began to droop heavily, his head nodding slowly. Finally, he couldn't resist his body's protests, and he leaned against the door, holding his hatchet, and fell into a deep sleep.
Shortly after A Yan fell into a deep sleep.
Outside, Ling Ye, who had been curled up, suddenly stirred. Slowly and soundlessly, he raised his head. His eyes, which seemed especially deep in the darkness, scanned the surroundings warily. After confirming that only the sound of wind and snow was present, his gaze settled on the crooked wooden door.
The panic and helplessness of the day were gone from his eyes. Instead, they were filled with a calm, almost cold assessment and a hint of... an indescribable longing. He gently flexed his frozen fingers, then, like a raccoon ready to pounce, silently stood up and took his first step toward the wooden door.
Just when his fingers were about to touch the door panel!
“Swish!”
A thin figure suddenly leaped out from the shadows beside the door like a ghost! With a cold dagger, carrying a resolute killing intent, it stabbed Ling Ye's wrist with precision and swiftness! The movement was fast, fierce, and accurate, without a trace of hesitation!
It's stardust!
He hadn't slept at all! He had been lurking in the shadows inside the door, like the most patient hunter, waiting for any possible threat! He had calculated that A Yan would fall asleep out of exhaustion!
Ling Ye's pupils suddenly shrank. He had never expected this usually silent and seemingly insignificant young man to possess such acute awareness and such ruthless and decisive skills! Hastily, he abruptly retracted his hand and stepped back, narrowly avoiding the vital wrist attack. However, the dagger's sharp edge still slashed a bloody wound on the back of his hand!
"You..." Ling Ye looked at Xingchen in shock and suspicion. Xingchen was hunched over like a little leopard and staring at him fiercely. He was speechless for a moment.
Stardust didn't even give him a chance to speak. After missing his attack, he immediately retreated half a step, holding the dagger across his chest, adopting a defensive and counterattacking stance. He lowered his voice and warned with a cold tone that didn't match his age: "Back off. One step closer, and you'll die."
His voice was quiet, but it carried an undeniable resolve. His obsidian eyes burned with a protective flame and naked murderous intent. It was as if if Ling Ye dared take another step forward, he would pounce without hesitation and rip his throat out with his teeth.
The noise in the house woke up Mu Lin, who was lightly sleeping, and Lei Qing, who was already alert.
Mu Lin reached the door in an instant. Seeing the two men facing each other outside and the still-dry blood on Xingchen's hand, his face darkened. He didn't speak immediately, but instead carefully sensed Ling Ye's condition.
Lei Qing's movements were even faster. Like a silent flash of lightning, he appeared beside Xingchen, his towering figure completely blocking out the view from the doorway. He didn't look at Ling Ye. His cold gaze first fell on Ah Yan, who was a little confused after being awakened, then jumped up in anger. With a subtle hint of reproach, he turned to Ling Ye outside the door.
"Explain." Lei Qing's voice was colder than the wind and snow outside the house. It was without any emotion, but it carried a thousand-pound weight, pressing down on Ling Ye.
Ling Ye looked at the situation before him—the murderous Xingchen, the sullen Mu Lin, A Yan on the verge of rage, and Lei Qing, who was like an iceberg, emitting a deadly sense of oppression. He knew that any inappropriate move on his part could result in a devastating blow.
He took a deep breath of the cold air, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He tried to force out a trace of bitterness and helplessness of being misunderstood on his face, and raised the back of his injured and bleeding hand: "I... I was just too cold, and wanted to see if I could take shelter at the door... I didn't expect this little brother to react so strongly..."
"Bullshit!" Ah Yan was completely furious, and his hatchet instantly caught fire. "Shelter from the wind? Do you think I'm a fool? What are you trying to do by sneaking in here? Tell me!"
Xingchen still stared at Ling Ye, holding the dagger tightly, not believing his nonsense at all.
Mu Lin frowned slightly. His perception told him that Ling Ye's emotions were very complicated at the moment: fear, nervousness, but also a kind of... desperate determination underneath. He whispered to Lei Qing, "His words are unbelievable, but... he doesn't seem to want to hurt us directly."
Lei Qing's gaze, like a knife, lingered on Ling Ye's face for a full ten seconds, a gaze that seemed to penetrate the skin and see straight into the soul. Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice still cold, but with a hint of other meaning: "You know Su Lin's situation."
This is not a question, but a statement.
Ling Ye's body trembled slightly, and he looked up at Lei Qing. A flicker of struggle flashed in his eyes, and then, as if he had made some kind of resolution, he gritted his teeth and whispered, "Yes... I can probably guess. I know the consequences of overdrawing his abilities... I know all too well."
This sentence was like a huge rock thrown into stagnant water, making everyone's heart rise!
"You know?" Mu Lin stepped forward and stared at him closely. "You know his abilities? Who are you?"
Ling Ye met everyone's scrutinizing gazes and smiled bitterly, a smile tinged with the weariness and self-mockery of a lifetime. "Who I am...it's a long story. But I can tell you, if he continues like this, relying on his own slow recovery, his chances of waking up are less than 10%. Furthermore, even if he does wake up, the severe damage to his origin could cause him to...completely lose that power, even becoming a truly ordinary person in this apocalyptic world..."
He paused, not saying anything more, but everyone understood what he meant. Su Lin, having lost his power, faced a foreseeable fate in this cruel world.
"Do you have a solution?" Lei Qing's voice suddenly became sharp, and he took a step forward. The powerful pressure almost suffocated Ling Ye.
Ling Ye nodded under pressure, then shook his head. "I can't guarantee... but I've seen similar situations before. I know of a potentially effective warming and nourishing method that requires some specific herbs combined with my... little tricks. But the prerequisite is that you trust me and get me those herbs."
He threw out a huge temptation and also set a difficult test. Believe it or not? Take a risk, or watch Su Lin's life slip away?
Inside and outside the cabin, the atmosphere instantly became incredibly subtle and tense. The wind and snow howled outside, but it couldn't drown out the pounding hearts and silent battles within.
The foundation of trust has not yet been established, and the hope of saving Su Lin seems to rest on this suspicious stranger.
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