Chapter Eighty-three

Chapter Eighty-three

Vast glaciers replaced the yellow-brown soil. The temperature, unbearably hot just a few days ago, plummeted rapidly from mildly pleasant to bone-chilling cold. The blizzard turned the entire world monotonously white, with only a silver-white RV, equipped with anti-skid chains, moving slowly through the snow.

Inside the RV, Xu Fang, wrapped in a bulky down jacket and wearing a fluffy, grey, women's knitted hat, still shivered uncontrollably.

He would never normally wear women's clothing, not even if he were to die, but it was so cold here, and being bald, he felt his brain freeze without hair for warmth. So when Wu Duo offered him a women's hat, he put it on eagerly, feeling slightly better.

"I, I need to start, cow, cow hair." He trembled all over, his speech unclear.

Ouyang Dong wore a black down jacket, its zipper open, lounging comfortably on the sofa with his legs crossed: "Oh, you're that cold, huh? Looks like you're not physically strong. I find it just right."

Back in the desert, due to his constitution, Ouyang Dong was drenched in sweat all day, lethargic from the heat, too weak even to argue, and was mocked by Xu Fang for a long time.

Now, it was his turn. This weather was fine for him, much better than the desert climate. Seeing Xu Fang's teeth chatter, he felt unspeakably comfortable.

Serves you right for mocking me, haha, you deserve it!

Xu Fang wanted to retort, but it was too cold. His words came out disjointed and erratic, and finally, he just sulked and cursed Ouyang Dong in his mind.

Wu Duo and Granny Wu couldn't bear the cold either, but fortunately, there was a bed in the RV with an electric blanket, where they nestled all day, as if hibernating.

Lin An, wearing a thin robe and sitting on a stool, looked cold, but he was actually one of the two who weren’t affected by the cold. Shen Xiuzhe, with his fire-based abilities, had a body temperature higher than normal and mostly drove the vehicle.

And the water-type zombies, capable of forming ice, thrived in the icy, snowy environment.

Xiao Fu, naturally furry, was dressed in a festive red cotton coat by Lin An, with most of its legs covered, not feeling cold at all, even a bit warm.

There's a kind of cold called "my owner thinks I'm cold."

Lin An bought many clothes for Xiao Fu, always thinking it was cold and wanting to put them all on it, with this red one being the thickest.

The RV stopped, and Shen Xiuzhe came in to hurry everyone. It would get colder further on, and they needed to quickly adapt to the temperature. So, they would stop for an hour or two each day to push everyone outside, whether to run or just sit, but they had to stay outside.

Xu Fang was dragged out by Ouyang Dong, howling miserably, leaving a trail of snow marks on the fluffy white ground.

Every day, this scene repeated itself. Reluctantly, Xu Fang would get up from the ground and start jogging around like an overweight bear, having figured out that moving kept him from feeling so cold.

Wu Duo helped her grandmother walk in the snow, careful not to let the elderly woman fall, knowing a fall at her age was no joke.

The other three stood by, watching Xiao Fu struggle to walk on the ground.

Xiao Fu, dressed in clothes, moved awkwardly as if sealed in a spell, its four legs going in different directions, especially struggling on the smooth snow compressed by the car's tires.

Clueless about walking in clothes, Xiao Fu stared at Lin An, then at its own attire, resembling a child who dislikes wearing clothes but dares not defy its mother, only able to plead with pitiful eyes for liberation.

Ouyang Dong laughed heartily at Xiao Fu’s slipping, his loud laughter caught by Xu Fang who mistook it for mockery and rolled his eyes repeatedly at Ouyang Dong.

Lin An couldn't resist such a pleading gaze, yet worried about Xiao Fu getting cold. Seeing the dog stumble around him and whine, he eventually took off its thick, festive coat.

Free from restraint, Xiao Fu joyously ran around in the snow. Rarely using its powers before, perhaps the coat had been too constricting, and now it seemed ecstatic, quickly disappearing from sight.

"Xiao Fu!" Lin An was worried.

"Don't worry, he won’t go far from here. Xiao Fu is fast, zombies and large animals can't catch up," Shen Xiuzhe reassured, thinking Xiao Fu was too clingy to Lin An and should socialize more with its kind.

Lin An stretched his neck towards where Xiao Fu disappeared, seeing nothing but a white expanse.

But soon, Xiao Fu returned.

They only saw a flash of light yellow as Xiao Fu was already at Lin An’s feet.

It seemed to be carrying something, panting as if presenting a treasure to Lin An.

It was a rabbit.

This unlucky rabbit, all white with a pair of bright red eyes, looked at everyone bewildered and frightened, having been caught just as it peeked out of its burrow.

"Xiao Fu is growing up, can even hunt on its own now," praised Ouyang Dong.

Lin An, averse to touching the rabbit due to his cleanliness, hesitated but eventually took it, seeing Xiao Fu’s puzzled look.

After all, it was Xiao Fu’s first catch, and he needed to encourage his 'child'.

"Thank you, Xiao Fu, I really like it."

Lin An held the small rabbit in his hand, realizing it was just a palm-sized youngster, the trembling creature daring not to move, staring with red eyes nestled in Lin An's palm.

The two pairs of red eyes facing each other bore an indescribable resemblance.

Shen Xiuzhe's lips curled slightly, finding them both adorable.

Xiao Fu, praised, wagged its tail proudly before running off again.

Soon, Lin An received a second, a third, a fourth rabbit... until his hands could hold no more.

"Has Xiao Fu found a rabbit burrow?" Having run around for a while, Xu Fang was no longer so cold and stood by to watch the commotion.

Lin An cradled several baby rabbits, unsure where to put them, and unable to hand them to others; Xiao Fu looked incredulously betrayed, its tail drooping, so Lin An could only fumble to hold them all.

Thankfully, the rabbits, seemingly less than a month old, lacked a strong scent and resembled tiny white snowballs, else Lin An, with his obsession for cleanliness, couldn’t have continued holding them.

He used to shield himself with a water barrier, but in these icy conditions, it froze immediately, rendering it useless.

"Enough, Xiao Fu, there are too many rabbits." A rabbit nearly leapt from Lin An's arms, overwhelming him.

Xiao Fu, relishing its instincts, wasn’t done playing. It had been a long time since it played games with its owner or received praise. In the desert, they were always on the move, and the scorching weather wasn’t conducive to play, leaving Xiao Fu frustrated.

It even brought back two larger rabbits.

Now, the whole rabbit family was gathered here.

Unable to hold them all, Lin An sought Shen Xiuzhe's help. Shen Xiuzhe held the two larger rabbits by their ears, while Xiao Fu watched them intently, as if fearing Shen Xiuzhe might sneak a bite.

"Which one shall we eat for lunch?" asked Ouyang Dong, eyeing the multitude of rabbits hungrily.

Xu Fang suggested, "Eat the big one, there's more meat."

Wu Duo commented, "This whole family isn’t enough for one meal. Who's going to kill those little ones?"

Ouyang Dong immediately refused, "They're too small, I can't do it. Xu Fang, ruthless and heartless, is perfect for this."

Xu Fang retorted, "...Nonsense, I’m all heart."

The two passed the responsibility back and forth, finally turning sheepishly to the expressionless Shen Xiuzhe, "Boss, you do it?"

Shen Xiuzhe was indifferent; any choice was fine. Yet, seeing Lin An's frantic, careful handling of the rabbits, afraid of dropping any, he reconsidered.

"Let's release them. We're not lacking food, and with the snow getting heavier, we likely won't be able to drive tonight. We should leave as soon as possible while it's still day."

Once Shen Xiuzhe spoke, no one objected. They could slay fierce beasts without blinking, but these month-old rabbits were a different matter. It felt right to let them go.

Releasing them was for the best.

Following Xiao Fu's paw prints, they stuffed the rabbit family back into their burrow before continuing their journey.

The poor rabbits, having endured a nerve-wracking ordeal and narrowly escaping human consumption, huddled together, almost bursting into tears.

By afternoon, the blizzard intensified, reducing visibility too much to continue driving, forcing them to stop in a wind-sheltered area.

Everyone sat inside the RV for their meal, with the cold-sensitive Xu Fang clinging fearlessly to his boss, while the other side was occupied by Granny Wu.

The two sandwiched Shen Xiuzhe between them, a natural furnace, getting warmer the closer they were.

Shen Xiuzhe, veins throbbing on his forehead from the squeeze, didn’t push them away.

Lin An watched Shen Xiuzhe, looking like he wanted to explode but couldn’t, and secretly smirked to himself.

Outside, the howling wind and snow continued, with Xiao Fu lazily sprawled at Lin An's feet, full and dozing off, suddenly perking its ears up, alertly sitting up.

Simultaneously, Lin An also looked outside.

"What's wrong?" Shen Xiuzhe, feeling cramped, noticed Lin An's movement.

"I think I heard something, and Xiao Fu heard it too."

Everyone else stopped their playfulness, peering out the window. Amidst the roaring blizzard, they listened carefully, discerning intermittent sounds.

"Sounds like, wolves?" Wu Duo thought it resembled a wolf's howl.

Granny Wu, not as sharp-eared as the youngsters, heard nothing, but from her younger days visiting the area, she knew, "It might be. Wolves do roam around here."

"Wolves? Hope they're not zombie wolves," Xu Fang disliked zombie animals, bizarre in appearance and strong, making them tough to handle.

Shen Xiuzhe moved Xu Fang aside and walked to the window. The howling was sporadic, sounding far away and behind them.

"No, the sounds seem normal, not like those made by zombies. But to be safe, we shouldn't take out the meteorite these few days."

Lin An knew the urgency of matters and had been cuddling a meteorite lately, feeling less hungry as the scent seemed to saturate him. Thus, he readily agreed.

Xiaofu straightened up, squatting at Lin An's feet. Its animal hearing was sharper than humans, especially now with its special abilities enhancing its senses, allowing it to hear even more clearly.

"Awoo~ Awoo~~ Woof!"

Mimicking the sounds outside, it raised its head and howled, gradually shifting into barking.

Xiaofu's antics dispersed the tense atmosphere in the RV, making everyone laugh heartily at the playful dog.

In the distance, snowflakes fluttered down, landing on the thick, white fur. A pack of wolves, almost blending with the snowstorm, feasted, with rabbit fur and blood scattered in the snow, soon covered by the heavy snowfall.

Suddenly, several wolves lifted their heads in unison, their eyes emitting a ghostly blue glow in the dark night, colder than the snowstorm, gazing in a certain direction.

They seemed to hear the call of their kind.

Having finished eating, the pack discerned the faint sound in the blizzard, quickly identifying its direction and running towards it.

The blizzard couldn't hinder their pace, their blue eyes vigilant of any danger, as the quiet and mysterious pack soon vanished into the vast whiteness.

The next day, the sun came out, shining on the snowfield, revealing its sparkling transparency. The RV set off again, driving for several hours before stopping.

Today was colder than yesterday, with a thick layer of snow. Each step buried the foot deeply in the snow, leading Xu Fang to stop running and start building a snowman.

Ouyang Dong and Wudu joined in the snowman-making.

"Xiao Fu frolicked and ran in the snow, turning to find his master standing with Shen Xiuzhe. His barks, ignored by his owner but amusing Shen Xiuzhe, failed to attract attention, making Lin An laugh."

Xiaofu gnashed at the air: Annoying guy!

Recalling the rabbits that had caught its master's attention yesterday, Xiaofu decided to catch another nest, hoping to divert his master's attention from that bad guy.

Fast due to its special abilities, Xiaofu quickly ran off. With yesterday's experience, Lin An wasn't overly worried, but this time, Xiaofu was gone longer than usual. Long enough for Xu Fang and others to finish their snowman and even the 'free time' was over, it was time to move on, yet Xiaofu hadn't returned.

That's when everyone realized something had happened to Xiaofu.

In reality, it had been kidnapped.

A wolf much larger than it was carrying Xiaofu by the nape, running through the snow, surrounded by a dozen other wolves of similar size.

Xiaofu couldn't struggle; the nape is a weak spot for all cats and dogs. It could only bark and curse, urging the pack to put it down.

Unfortunately, there seemed to be a language barrier; the other party couldn't understand what it was saying.

Xiaofu was frantic, barely able to smell its master's scent. It knew they would drive away and wouldn't return, and if they went too far, it couldn't find them.

So, it was a plea for help! Would anyone come to save a dog in distress?