Unorthodox Wuxia: While Others Practice Martial Arts, I Cultivate Immortality - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Shifting the Blame (Part 2)

The snow fox let out a sharp squeal—“Screee!”—and fled in a panic, stumbling blindly through the snow.

Yuan Zhao was just about to move on when her foot suddenly plunged into a deep snow pit.

The snow in the Yulian Mountain range was simply too thick; every few steps she would sink again, making it extremely difficult to travel.

She lifted her head to look at the sky. Overhead, a mass of dark clouds pressed so low it looked as if they might collapse at any moment.

Could a blizzard be coming? Yuan Zhao couldn’t help feeling worried.

And it was getting late.

“Let’s find a place to rest. We can continue tomorrow.”

“Awwooo~” Old Wolf nodded.

But in this boundless, snowy mountain range, finding a suitable place to rest wasn’t easy. Dusk was falling, and Yuan Zhao and Old Wolf were wandering aimlessly, searching.

Suddenly, Yuan Zhao spotted a long shape ahead, mostly buried under snow. When she approached, she realized it was a frozen corpse.

Humans die for wealth, birds die for food…

This must have been another treasure seeker who ended up freezing to death in the mountains.

Ignoring the body, the girl and the wolf continued their search. Along the way, Yuan Zhao picked up dried branches to take with her.

In such cold weather, she needed something to start a fire and stay warm.

Just as darkness was about to fall and still no suitable shelter in sight, Yuan Zhao suddenly had a clever thought—why not ask the wolf pack for help?

The wolves lived here year-round. They would definitely know where to hide from the wind and snow.

Thinking this, Yuan Zhao quickly told Old Wolf to summon the pack.

Sure enough, before long, one snow wolf after another padded through the snow toward them.

This pack was much larger than the one at the foot of the mountain—over twenty snow wolves.

Snow wolves truly were the spirits of these mountains. With their help, Yuan Zhao managed to find a spacious cave.

The wolves didn’t leave afterward. Instead, they gathered protectively around Old Wolf, guarding him.

To thank them, Old Wolf led them out on a hunt.

Although snow wolves were top predators in the mountains, there were still plenty of creatures they couldn’t easily catch.

But with Old Wolf’s assistance, they returned triumphantly—having hunted a big yak, a calf, and even a cliff-climbing rock sheep.

Normally they could never catch a rock sheep, which excelled at scaling cliffs that wolves couldn’t reach.

With ingredients secured, Yuan Zhao prepared dinner.

The wolves shared the yaks, while she roasted the rock sheep and ate it with Old Wolf.

She only ate half a leg; the rest went into Old Wolf’s belly.

After eating, warmth returned to her body. She wrapped herself in fur and nestled against Old Wolf, and the wolf pack circled around them, blocking the cold entirely.

Soon the wolves began dozing contentedly, and Yuan Zhao entered a cultivation state.

Diligence leads to mastery; play leads to ruin.

The cave quieted. Only the occasional soft crackle from burning wood filled the air.

After a while, a fierce blizzard began roaring outside the cave. Fortunately the cave was sheltered; otherwise the wind and snow would blow straight in.

At that moment, Old Wolf suddenly sensed something. He raised his head sharply toward the entrance, ears standing tall.

The snow wolves awoke instantly, as if receiving a signal, and all stared toward the entrance.

Accompanied by hurried footsteps and voices, a group of people, covered in snow, rushed into the cave.

“Heaven never seals all paths—what luck to find a place like th—”

The first man cut himself off mid-sentence when he saw the firelight—and the pack of wolves baring their fangs at them. He jumped in fright.

As more people entered, the wolves one by one rose to their feet, ready to attack at any moment.

“Wolves? Why are there wolves here?” someone exclaimed.

“Look—there’s someone among them.”

At last someone noticed Yuan Zhao.

Realizing the wolves might be under human control, the oldest among them stepped forward, cupped his hands politely, and said: “Miss, we lost our way in the storm and arrived here by accident. We only wish to take shelter from the wind and snow. I hope the young lady will allow it.”

Seeing his polite demeanor, Yuan Zhao nodded. “Go ahead.”

She patted Old Wolf lightly. Understanding at once, Old Wolf growled low, and the snow wolves withdrew, lying back down.

The man immediately expressed gratitude. “Thank you, young lady.”

He led his group to settle in a corner.

A few of them stole glances at Yuan Zhao, puzzled.

Why was a teenage girl alone in such a frozen wilderness?

Could she be a wolf girl—one raised by wolves?

But… she didn’t look like it.

As they observed her, Yuan Zhao quietly observed them.

There were seven people in total—four men and three women—in their twenties or early thirties.

The oldest was the man who had spoken. Around thirty, handsome and gentle in demeanor, polite enough to easily inspire goodwill.

But Yuan Zhao knew all too well that many people hid their true nature—like that nun she’d met earlier.

After resting a bit, the man approached again and asked, “Miss, could we borrow some fire?”

“You may.” Yuan Zhao nodded.

With no hostility between them, helping others only helped herself.

The man brightened immediately. “Thank you! You’ve helped us greatly.”

Their fire starters had long since been soaked through.