novelraw Chapter 617 - 557: Changed a Lot
Chapter 617 - 557: Changed a Lot
The man had a head of silver hair, tall and straight, with a face more mature and stern than before. It was Yun Han, who hadn’t been seen for a long time.
He was leading a few beastmen from a patrol team, clearly also searching the area, and happened to encounter her.
When Yun Han recognized Shen Tang’s face, he was also stunned, clearly surprised to meet her here.
"You... Your Majesty, how did you come to be here?"
The other members of the search party were also in shock, to encounter this noble Majesty in the wilderness during a cold snap!
Shen Tang didn’t have time to answer before she heard a familiar call, "Tangtang!"
Immediately, a figure burst through the wind and snow, stormily pulling her into an embrace. It was none other than Xiao Jin, who had come rushing over.
Following behind, the rest of the group gradually arrived through the wind and snow.
"Your Majesty, are you alright? Just as we were passing through the valley, a sudden blizzard struck, making it impossible to see anything ahead. After a few steps we turned around and found several people had gotten separated."
Fortunately, no one dared to stray far, so they quickly regrouped.
Shen Tang laughed, "I’m fine. I almost stepped into a void just now, fortunately I met Yun Han and his group."
Xiao Jin also looked at Yun Han and his group in amazement, not expecting to meet him here after so long.
Yun Han snapped out of it, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his voice low, "Recently, many people have gone missing in the area. We came to search as well, and we heard something, so we came over to check it out."
Shen Tang asked, "What happened just now? The wind and snow suddenly intensified, and we couldn’t see the road ahead."
Yun Han replied, "You just happened to encounter a cold snap. The chills here are very complicated, and if you’re not careful, you can quickly lose your way."
Even the beastmen native to the glaciers have lost many due to this, let alone newcomers like them.
When a cold snap hits, it’s incredibly dangerous, so Yun Han and his group had to suspend their duties and escort them back to the city.
The northern area is harsh and barren, with few cities. Lindong City is the largest main city in the north and the safest place.
But compared to the bustling central area, this place is much more rudimentary, where you can only see a few scattered beastmen on the streets.
Their houses are built of thick rock, and some places don’t even have electricity. Inside, there are only basic furnishings like tables, chairs, and beds. There would be a fireplace, or the floor would be hollowed out for heating, but there aren’t many decorations.
Shen Tang thought about how Yun Han had been living here since he left over a year ago, and felt a bit wistful.
In her memory, he was the Young Master Yun, with a haughty and proud personality, having had the best of everything since childhood, basking in the admiration of countless people. Now, he’s leading such a "frugal" life.
Yun Han walked into the house, removed his thick cape, and personally poured them a few cups of water, "Have some hot water to warm up."
Shen Tang took the hot water, "Thank you."
She looked at the silver-haired man in front of her, a little in a daze, realizing he was indeed different from before.
In just a little over a year, Yun Han had become much more mature and stern.
Perhaps because he hadn’t been grooming much, his hair was longer, falling behind his shoulders, and there was a faint stubble on his chin, making him appear weathered and stable, vastly different from the proud and youthful man of years past.
Holding the cup, Shen Tang looked for a moment before smiling, "Long time no see."
Yun Han also looked at her for a long time, gently nodding, "Yes, it’s been over a year."
His voice was deeper and more magnetic, carrying an indescribable smoky hoarseness. Even though a year wasn’t that long, it felt like ages had passed.
The grudges and conflicts of the past seemed to have been washed away by time.
The two sat talking, no longer tense like they were years ago, but instead with a calmness, like old friends reuniting after many years.
Shen Tang brought up the past, "Why did you suddenly disappear back then? You didn’t even notify anyone, many rumors circulated that you were missing."
Yun Han, recalling the past, spoke with self-mockery and relief, "Perhaps it was unwillingness, perhaps it was seeking redemption, or maybe it was to escape..."
That place brought him many painful memories.
He paused, leaving the sentence unfinished, and continued, "I understood that my strength was not enough, my mind was too arrogant and immature, so that night I decided to leave alone, heading to the farther, harsher Northern Territory to train.
"The environment here is more suited for our kind to train, and the defenses here at the northern border are weak. Compared to staying in the Imperial City as an idle young master, I can be of better use here."
Seeing Shen Tang and the others clearly unaware of this, Yun Han guessed the reason, "Before I left, I left my father a farewell letter. I guess my father didn’t want our enemies to find me and kept this hidden."
Xiao Jin, who had never been fond of Yun Han, looked at him with a bit more respect after hearing this, "So that’s how it is. I was wondering where you’ve been all these years, but your old man wasn’t in great health and was planning to retire and pass the position of Family Head to you. With you gone, the Yun Family’s situation has been quite unfavorable."
Yun Han had obviously thought of this but was helpless, "Father’s injuries from back then indeed made him unsuitable to continue as Family Head, but I was far from qualified to truly take on that role back then."
Being the head of a family requires more boldness and strength. Back then, he was far from meeting those qualifications, which is why he decided to break everything to train in the north.
Listening to Yun Han’s words, Shen Tang thought he had indeed changed a lot.
Xiao Jin also sensed that his aura had grown much stronger, now reaching the Tenth Rank, and his affinity towards Yun Han increased.
Males always respect the strong, liking competitors who are evenly matched.
"How about sparring a few rounds?" Xiao Jin smirked carelessly, clearly unfazed by past events.
Yun Han smiled helplessly, "Maybe another day when I’m free. Later, I still have to lead a team out to look for the missing beastmen."
Xiao Jin became serious upon hearing this, "What exactly is the situation in the north? We’re here for that very reason."
Yun Han thought for a while before answering, "The north has been in perpetual winter. Cold waves aren’t uncommon, but the temperature hasn’t noticeably dropped over these two months. However, about half a month ago, major cold waves and avalanches began appearing across various regions, harming many beastmen outside, with some tribes even being affected."
He handed them a report, "Currently, 245 people are confirmed dead, and over a thousand are missing, feared lost."
"Besides conducting rescue operations, we’re also investigating the cause of the cold waves, but there hasn’t been much progress yet."
Seeing snowflakes still on Shen Tang’s head, Yun Han, noticing she was shivering, quickly lit the furnace.
The cold air in the room soon warmed up.
He had a few extra sets of bedding brought in, "This room is empty, no one stays here. You can rest here, and I’ll get some food ready for you."
"Thank you."
"No need to be polite, it’s my duty."
Yun Han then left.