Feeding Deer in the Cold Forest, Longevity Dao Rhyme Warming Living Beings

The days of heavy snow had sent the temperature in Secluded Forest Valley plummeting. Deep within the Dense Forest, the snow had already risen past the knees, making it ever harder for the Spirit Horn Deer herd to forage. Thinking of those intelligent Spirit Horn Deer, Shen Hao set out early that morning with Zi Xuan, carrying two large baskets of spirit grain soaked in Spirit Spring water and dried spirit herbs. Treading through the snow, they headed for the valley where the deer herd dwelled.

The bitter wind whipped snowflakes into their faces, stinging them painfully. Shen Hao kept Zi Xuan behind him, while the Longevity Dao Rhyme around him transformed into an invisible barrier that shut out the wind and snow. The two trudged through the snow, one step deep and the next shallow, their feet crunching with "crunch, crunch" sounds that rang especially clear through the silent mountain forest.

"Brother Hao, do you think the deer herd might be freezing or starving?" Zi Xuan asked worriedly, wrapping her fur cloak more tightly around herself. She still remembered the injured fawn from last time, and her heart was full of concern for it.

Shen Hao tightened his hold on her hand and said gently, "Don't worry. Spirit Horn Deer are spiritually aware and have their own ways of keeping out the cold. But with this blizzard sealing off the mountains, food must be scarce. If we bring them some spirit grain and herbs, they'll be able to endure these coldest days."

After walking for roughly an hour, they finally heard the low calls of Spirit Horn Deer ahead. Following the sound, they saw more than a dozen deer huddled together in a sheltered hollow. A thin layer of snow covered their bodies, and even their originally lustrous white