The group continued onward in the direction the little deer had vanished, trudging through the thick snow.
After being teased by Su Bai about how "deer don't hibernate," Ke Yujia's little face was still flushed as she followed closely beside him.
Her small hand, clad in a thick cold-weather glove, naturally clutched Su Bai's hem tightly, afraid that she would clumsily fall again and cause trouble for Brother Su Bai.
The deeper they went, the more secluded and beautiful the forest became.
Sunlight filtered through the branches of towering snow pines, casting dappled, dazzling patches of light across the pristine snow.
The surroundings were silent to the extreme. Aside from the occasional soft rustle of snow slipping from treetops, all they could hear was the "crunch, crunch" of snow beneath their feet.
The air was filled with the chill and purity unique to high-altitude snowy mountains.
"Boss, slow down. There's a downhill slope ahead covered by snow. It's easy to slip," the old hunter warned as he dutifully scouted the path ahead, continuously tapping the snow with a wooden stick in his hand.
After rounding a mountain hollow concealed by huge rocks and snow, the view suddenly opened up.
In the depths of this hidden valley stood a dilapidated ancient temple.
Its blue bricks and gray tiles carried an air of ancient desolation beneath the snow. Even the temple's plaque had split in half, with one part half-buried in the snow. It had clearly been abandoned for countless years.
Withered vines crawled over the temple walls, adding to the loneliness.
Beside the old temple, a small stream wound through the valley, completely frozen and dried up.
A thin layer of fresh snow covered the ice, refracting crystalline light beneath the sun.
Several fluffy white snow rabbits were hopping around the