Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

Chapter 176: Live to see people, die to see corpses

Tang Ling and the others weren't the only ones feeling anxious. The six thousand soldiers Qi Xiao had brought into Fenglin Mountain were equally apprehensive; their commander had been lost. Lu Xiulin, a skilled leader, had given them tasks to keep their morale from plummeting, including resting camp, building sleds, inventorying food reserves, and exploring the mountain. He kept them busy, and those who weren't busy enough would do the rabbit squat, falling asleep from exhaustion.

Even so, the soldiers couldn't stop talking privately. They were feeling down, but surprisingly, they talked more about Prince Qi Xiao of Chu. They had never met a prince who loved to do everything himself and was not afraid of hardship.

Couldn't the centurion have gone out of camp to get the food? He had to go himself. If he hadn't ordered them to cut notches in the tree trunks along the way, how would they have found their way back to camp? If he hadn't ordered everyone to be tied together, the soldier who stepped on empty air would be buried underground now, how could he still be crying beside his companions? If it weren't for him, in this blizzard, most people would have been unable to return.

If it were this person, their six thousand men might actually be able to win a brilliant victory, letting the world know about the Dingyuan Army. Even if General Bai Liu was gone, the Dingyuan Army would still be a lion that could shake the world! They could all have a day of success, becoming nobles and ministers!

It is this kind of thinking that makes people feel more sad and hate themselves more for being powerless.

Chi Yue couldn't sit still and walked towards the cave entrance again.

"Chi Yue! Come back!" Bai Xiqiao stepped forward quickly and almost started to beat someone up.

Chi Yue turned around and glared at Bai Xiqiao: "I'm not going out! I'm shoveling snow!"

After saying that, Chi Yue picked up the shovel leaning against the rock wall and walked to the cave entrance to shovel away the snow. Every shovel seemed to send more snow rushing into the cave, making waves of ghostly howls.

It was dark again, and the wind and snow never stopped.

"Master, you can't, you must go back to the valley!" Qinglan didn't know how many times he had tried to persuade Tang Ling, but no matter how he tried, it was unacceptable. Tang Ling was weak, and he couldn't withstand the wind and snow that others could withstand. "Master, you already have a fever, you can't go on like this!"

Bai Xiqiao walked over. Tang Ling looked bad, as did everyone else. Their faces were all red from the cold, and he couldn't tell whether they had a fever or frostbite.

"Mr. Tang, please go back. Xiao'er will be worried."

Tang Ling looked up at Baixi Bridge, tears welling up in her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and held them back.

"Chi Yue, take the young master back."

Chi Yue stood up and walked towards Tang Ling: "Young Master Tang, please come in."

The people who were almost going crazy with anxiety before now seem to have been frozen by the wind and snow. Their five senses will become numb, even the pain will become numb, and all their worries and anxieties will eventually turn into despair.

Tang Ling looked at Chi Yue silently for a while, nodded slightly, and was supported by Qing Lan and sent back to the valley by Chi Yue.

It was snowing in the valley, but the snow melted quickly after falling, leaving a layer of white frost on the weeds, mud and rocks, glowing faintly in the dark night. It was completely different from the wind and snow outside the valley that swallowed the world. The white snow here was a beautiful sight, while outside was purgatory.

Tang Ling had been outside for too long, either sitting or standing, and his body had long been frozen and numb. He had been trying to hold on, but in fact he had long since given up. As soon as he entered the valley, a gentle breeze blew, and his legs went weak and he almost fell. Fortunately, Qinglan supported him.

Chi Yue glanced at Tang Ling, picked her up on his back, and quickly returned to the cabin.

"You take care of the young master first. I'll go boil the medicine." Qing Lan said as he lit the charcoal basin in the room. He then instructed Chi Yue, "You've been cold for a long time. You can't just warm yourself up by the fire. Rub yourself to warm yourself up first."

Chi Yue nodded, poured himself a glass of cold water, and drank it in one gulp.

"You're not allowed to go out." Tang Ling propped herself up on the bed and sat up. "You couldn't go out during the day because of the strong wind and snow. Now it's night, going out would be suicide."

Chi Yue turned his back and didn't look at Tang Ling. He stood in the distance for a long time without responding.

"You shouldn't be such an impulsive person."

"I won't die." The dangers Chi Yue had gone through over the years were beyond Tang Ling's imagination, so what if there was a snowstorm? "I'll bring him back."

"You're not allowed to go out!" Chi Yue just raised his leg when Tang Ling stopped him again, "If you must go, you have to wait until daybreak."

Chi Yue stood there without moving.

"We've waited four days, one night won't make a difference."

"Don't you like His Highness? Why don't you let me go? If you can find him, wouldn't that be good for you? Even if you can't, even if I die, it won't make any difference to the current situation, right?"

"His Majesty has handed the Tiance Camp over to Qi Xiao and placed you by his side. Do you think you are useless? Dispensable? If you die here, the attack on Qi will only become more difficult. It would be better to just give up and turn back."

"If something happens to His Highness, then there will be no hope of conquering Qi."

"According to Bai Xiqiao, the place where they were separated is about fifteen miles away from the camp. Even if you have superb Qinggong skills and can not only identify the direction in the wind and snow, but also see in the dark and find the place where they were separated, you will not be able to find them in the middle of the night. In a blizzard like this, they will definitely seek shelter. If you must go, go tomorrow morning and bring firecrackers and fireworks. Wait at the place where they were separated. Qi Xiao must still be nearby."

"...Are you so sure?" Chi Yue knew Tang Ling was right. If it were him, he would have avoided the snowstorm and waited for the weather to clear. But Qi Xiao hadn't returned in four days. Perhaps he had encountered some emergency and couldn't find shelter from the snowstorm, or perhaps he was forced to wait there.

"With such a strong snowstorm, he wouldn't risk trying to find a way back. Besides, if he really fell into a ravine, there would most likely be injured. Waiting for rescue would be the wisest option. If he had to leave for a reason, he would definitely leave a mark, so you wouldn't miss it when it gets dark."

"...Okay, I'll wait until dawn."

Tang Ling closed her eyes and said in a deep voice, "If the wind and snow don't stop, you won't be able to bring them back even if you find them."

"I'll bring him back."

"If possible, Qi Xiao would have come back long ago." In such a heavy snowstorm, the level of lightness skills is not important at all.

"At least, I want to find the person." If he's alive, I want to see him. If he's dead, I want to see his body.

Tang Ling opened her eyes and looked at Chi Yue: "Why are you so anxious and worried? I believe he will be fine."

Chi Yue turned to look at Tang Ling. Qi Xiao might be alright, but Zong Sheng wasn't so sure. With his stubborn personality, if danger truly threatened, he would desperately protect Qi Xiao, completely disregarding his own life. Everyone was worried about Qi Xiao, but he wanted to protect Zong Sheng.

Ten years ago, he broke Zong Sheng's leg. At that time, he understood that he had nothing in his life, had never gained and would never lose. He was just a worthless life and a wild ghost. But he didn't know when Zong Sheng began to regard him as more important than his own life.

Chi Yue had never dreamed of anything before. Zong Sheng didn't know when he left Wudu Prefecture, nor did he know about the humiliation and torture he suffered in Dushi Prefecture. Zong Sheng also didn't know about the longing he had hidden in his heart for a full ten years. Finally, God opened his eyes and they met again. That fool hugged him and liked him, which made him unable to help but have extravagant hopes. Now he couldn't leave him.

"...You fell in love with him?" Tang Ling was shocked to see the heart-wrenching look in Chi Yue's eyes.

Chi Yue was slightly stunned, then suddenly smiled: "No, Your Highness."

"...It's Zong Sheng?!" Tang Ling was even more shocked. He didn't even notice it at all. When did this happen?

Chi Yue was silent, and Tang Ling couldn't ask any more questions. Chi Yue was a ghost that Tang Ling found terrifying, because he was ruthless, indifferent to herself and everyone else. But when he fell in love, he became a pitiful and pathetic person.

"Young Master." Qing Lan pushed the door open and walked past Chi Yue. He placed the food box on the table, took the medicine bowl and brought it to Tang Ling. "Drink it while it's hot." Turning back to Chi Yue, he said, "I made some ginger tea. You should have a bowl to warm yourself up."

Chi Yue looked at Qinglan, then at Tang Ling, walked silently to the table and drank the ginger tea.