The brief respite in the valley did not last long.
After the initial exhilaration of surviving the calamity faded, exhaustion surged back over the guards like a tide. Su Lie briefly checked on the injured guard. Though his condition had not worsened for the moment, his complexion remained poor and his aura was somewhat unstable. Clearly, the frigid energy erosion within Yin Wind Ravine was more serious than it appeared on the surface. He knew they had to return to the city as quickly as possible—not only for the young lady's sake, but for this loyal guard's life as well.
"Can you still walk?" Su Lie asked the injured guard, his voice low.
The guard struggled to stand, and the two beside him hurriedly supported him. "Commander, I'm fine. I can hold on."
Su Lie nodded, his gaze sweeping over the others. "Pull yourselves together. We need to leave this place as soon as possible. Back to where we hid the carriage."
With the order given, the group began moving again. Though they had left the bounds of Yin Wind Ravine, that bone-deep chill seemed to linger in everyone's senses, making their movements appear somewhat stiff. Even the sunlight seemed to have lost most of its warmth.
Lin Chen still walked at the very front, his pace neither hurried nor slow. He did not turn back to urge them onward, yet his silence itself carried an invisible pressure that kept those behind him from delaying too much.
They skirted the edge of the valley and returned to the concealed grove where they had left the carriage. Fortunately, both the carriage and the two worn-out horses pulling it were unharmed. The horses, however, seemed to have sensed the aura drifting from nearby Yin Wind Ravine and were visibly restless.
The guards