Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!

Chapter 340 - 332: Predicament and Despair

Stepping out of the castle and leaping onto the hill, despite her significantly improved physique, she almost couldn’t steady her stance. The wind was too strong, and the rapid advance created hindrances as expected.

She followed the path provided by the system that Qi Fei and the others took when leaving, trudging along with difficulty, hoping to quickly find Qi Fei and confirm their safety.

With the system down, her heart was burning with anxiety, yet she dared not be careless. She didn’t even notice that she almost fell several times, and someone nearly reached out to help.

Fortunately, someone was extremely clever, transforming danger into safety each time, leaving the others to secretly sigh and covertly follow hidden within the wind and snow.

She just crossed two mountains in an hour. For someone equipped with modern high-quality luxury skis, this pace could hardly be faster than a crawl.

In the biting wind and snow, even her thermal clothing seemed ineffective. The piercing cold made her heartbeat slow significantly.

Other masters of Inner Strength could use True Qi to circulate through their meridians, activating and rejuvenating their limbs, thus resisting the cold, but she could only endure it.

Who told her that her Martial Arts Internal Power was stolen?

Spreading her Internal Power throughout her body would help a little, but Internal Power was neither endless nor unfeeling. Constant exhaust would tire her out and wasn’t sustainable.

She could only rely on advanced modern equipment, putting on a facade as if she could also use True Qi to resist the cold, a truly indescribable bitterness.

How could the gap between the two cultivation systems be so wide?

Qi Fei and his group stayed by the cliff for another day, yet the weather showed no signs of improvement.

Their food was nearly depleted, and more people fell ill. Mysteriously, over a dozen older people and several three to four-year-old children died, possibly because their bodies couldn’t withstand the cold and died naturally.

The group was in panic, with spirits dropping one by one.

Especially the civilians who joined later, some had already regretted following them out. They weren’t blaming anyone for losing their lives; the sudden cold would mean death even at home. They regretted only that, after death, their bodies would be left exposed in the wild rather than having a resting place at home, avoiding becoming lonely wandering ghosts.

The women, exiled and weeping, softly sobbed to their parents or husbands, expressing their fear of dying.

For a moment, the sorrow of shared fate enveloped the entire group.

Families with children were terrified and anxious. Even holding them tightly in their arms, wrapped in thick fur cloaks, the small body in their arms grew colder, with increasingly faint breaths.

"Xiao Yu’er, don’t sleep, open your eyes and look at your mother." Liu Family sobbed quietly, comforting her husband’s child while secretly wiping her tears.

Beside them, Feng Liangzheng sighed, having practiced medicine for half a lifetime, traveling with his herbs and saving lives, dedicating himself to others but unable to save his grandchild, feeling deeply ashamed. His face, full of wrinkles, seemed to deepen with a few new lines.

"Doctor Feng, Doctor Feng, look at my granddaughter, she’s not going to make it."

The elderly yet robust General Yan strode briskly to Feng Liangzheng.

The girl before him had purple lips and faint breaths, seemingly worse than Xiao Yu’er.

"Brother Yan, we are all guilty exiles; I dare not accept the title of doctor," he said, revealing the girl’s neck and feeling her pulse, then shook his head. "There’s nothing I can do, my grandson is the same."

Following Feng Liangzheng’s gaze, Yan Youkuan saw the equally unconscious Xiao Yu’er.

If Feng Liangzheng could save him, he would have already acted.

Indeed, in such freezing temperatures, without medicine or equipment, how could they save the children?

The hope that had briefly ignited in his heart was suddenly extinguished. Unable to bear the blow, he almost dropped the child in his arms. The men and women behind him took the child and broke down in tears.

Yan Youkuan sat in utter despair beside Feng Liangzheng. He, with his grey hair, had personally sent away one child and grandchild after another, leaving his already shattered heart completely desolate.

"Heaven is determined to destroy us!"

The Yan Family, loyal and heroic, from military generals, possessed body constitutions far superior to ordinary people. But not everyone in the family practiced martial arts. The women and young ladies of each household were of delicate physique. They suffered greatly during exile, with over a dozen not making it along the way. Now, with such adverse and abnormal weather, does it mean the Yan Family will be annihilated?

"Ah!" Who could argue otherwise?

This commotion reached Qi Fei’s ears, prompting him to come and see.

It was luck that they were sent with two significant figures who would be very useful to the development of their Underground City. One was an accomplished Imperial Physician and the other a battle-hardened General. With their addition, the base would thrive.

"What’s wrong with the children? Let me take a look." Qi Fei squatted down to examine the symptoms of the two children.

The members of the Feng Family and Yan Family, unaware, watched this young leader warily, fearing he might order the two useless children to be abandoned.

This thought arose because that was how people were dealt with along the route of exile.

Seeing the children in dire straits, Qi Fei did not wish for the two young lives to end here.

He had the children brought into a tent reinforced with weapon shields. Both families were extremely worried but were allowed only one member of each family inside the tent. The two family heads exchanged glances and entered the tent.

Qi Fei took out an Energy Bar, bent it vigorously into a U shape, and placed it on the folding bed. The Energy Bar slowly emitted a gentle glow, brightening the dim tent considerably. Most astonishingly, the two people standing by the bed felt warmth emanating from the glowing object, significantly raising the temperature—a magical phenomenon.

Qi Fei carefully took out two bags of high-concentration saline solution from a sealed bag, warming them and instructing the two men to feed them to the children.

The two old men exchanged glances, but Feng Liangzheng was first to react, taking the items and, following Qi Fei’s instructions, fed them to Xiao Yu’er.

The moment he opened the bag, Feng Liangzheng realized the purpose of the items and hesitated not to use them on his grandson.

Then the other took out a small bottle of high-proof liquor. Feng Liangzheng understood, quickly accepted it, and expressed his gratitude.

They had encountered someone capable, and their grandson was saved.

"Rescue them quickly; we must leave immediately."

The meaning was clear: he had done his best to help; whether the children could be saved depended on Feng Liangzheng’s skills and the children’s will to survive.

"Yes, yes, thank you!"

Feng Liangzheng broke off the silver thread button on his belt, removing a small segment about the size of a silver needle, and began to pierce a few important acupuncture points.

Conditions for emergency treatment were not available before due to the low temperature. Now there was hope; he would certainly be able to save Xiao Yu’er.

Half an hour later, the two children temporarily clung to life. Both families were exceedingly grateful to Qi Fei.

Qi Fei said lightly, "You have all been purchased by my boss Dahua at a high price; it wouldn’t be right to lose you. Moreover, with your status as Official Slaves, most people wouldn’t dare to buy you. You should be thankful for encountering such an opportunity. Repay your master well in the future. We are not far from the outskirts of Daxing Mountain; as long as we persist until the place, there are good days ahead for you."