amaotonovel Chapter 593
Chapter 593
Night fell in the Kunlun Mountains, and the wind and snow finally subsided.
The campfire danced beside the makeshift tents, casting long and short shadows of everyone.
Zhang Hao sat on a snow-covered rock, wiping the sword that had been infused with the spirits of the five elements. The multicolored light on the sword swirled endlessly in the firelight.
Wu Tianzhen walked over and handed him a steaming cup of ginger tea:
"Uncle, take a break."
Zhang Hao took the teacup, but his gaze remained fixed on the distant outline of the snow-capped mountains.
Wu Tianzhen sat down beside him and also looked at the continuous mountain range that was edged with silver by the moonlight.
"Thinking about the ancient gods?"
Wu Tianzhen asked softly.
"I'm thinking about what will happen next."
Zhang Hao sipped the ginger tea, the steam condensing into white mist in the cold night.
"Once the ancient gods are completely sealed away, what will become of us?"
Wu Tianzhen was silent for a moment:
"We'll be together again, right?"
Zhang Hao turned to look at his nephew, whom he had watched grow up. The childishness in his eyes had faded, but he still retained that sincerity.
He reached out and ruffled Wu Tianzhen's hair:
"of course."
Not far away, Xie Xiaohua was carefully bandaging the fat man's arm wound.
That wound was left during the battle with the Yeti during the day. Although it wasn't deep, it could easily worsen if not properly treated in the extremely cold environment.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Be gentle, Xiaohua!"
The fat man grinned.
"Now you know what pain is? Why didn't you think about the consequences when you were charging ahead?"
While Xie Xiaohua was scolding, her hands moved exceptionally gently.
As he bent down to tend to his wound, his long eyelashes cast shadows in the firelight.
The fat man looked at his serious profile and suddenly fell silent.
When Xie Xiaohua finished bandaging and looked up, she met his unusually serious gaze.
"What are you looking at?"
Jie Xiaohua glared at him.
"Little flower!"
The fat man scratched his head:
"Once this is over, let's go back to the capital, and I'll treat you to Peking duck."
Not the kind you find on the street, but the proper Quanjude, all you can eat.
Xie Xiaohua paused for a moment, then turned her face away:
"Who cares?"
On the other side of the tent, Zhang Qilin sat alone where the light and shadow of the campfire met.
He closed his eyes to rest, but his slightly trembling eyelashes showed that he was not asleep.
Huo Xiuxiu and Yi Sa were talking quietly not far away, occasionally casting concerned glances at each other, but no one came forward to disturb them.
Until Xie Xiaohua walked over and draped a thick coat over his shoulders:
"Hey bro, it's cold at night."
Zhang Qilin opened his eyes, nodded, and did not refuse the kindness.
Xie Xiaohua sat down next to him, the two of them about a fist's distance apart, yet sharing the warmth of the same campfire.
"The Zhang family's history is heavier than I imagined."
"Xie Xiaohua said softly."
Zhang Qilin remained silent for a long time before whispering:
Some debts must be repaid.
"It's not your debt."
Jie Xiaohua turned to look at him:
"You've already carried enough."
Under the moonlight, Zhang Qilin's profile was hard and cold, but a rare ripple flashed in his eyes.
He didn't respond in the end, but simply wrapped the coat that Xie Xiaohua had put on her clothes tighter.
As night deepened, everyone took turns keeping watch.
Fatty and Xie Xiaohua were on the first shift. The two sat side by side on a high point in the camp, looking down at the Kunlun Mountains shrouded in moonlight.
"Speak of it!"
The fat man suddenly spoke up:
“During that time in the Taklamakan Desert, I thought we were really going to die there.”
Jie Xiaohua recalled the quicksand illusion in the desert and the siege by the sand demon, and couldn't help but feel a lingering fear:
"Yes, you almost got swallowed by quicksand back then."
"But you pulled me back."
The fat man said seriously:
"And when fighting the Sand Demons, if you hadn't discovered their weakness..."
"That's the result of everyone's hard work."
Jie Xiaohua interrupted him.
The fat man shook his head:
No, they're not the same.
In that desperate situation, having someone to fight alongside you feels...incredibly good.
Xie Xiaohua turned her head to look at him. The afterglow of the campfire shone on the fat man's round face, revealing a rare tenderness.
"Do you know that, Little Flower!"
The fat man continued, his voice unusually deep:
"I used to always think about getting rich, thinking that money would allow me to live a good life."