Money was running low, and Qian Mingwu, though groggy, could still vaguely hear the voices around him. He began reflecting on his life—what a failure it had been.
His parents hadn't loved him, his beautiful concubine had abandoned him, his children held no affection for him, and the only woman who had ever truly cared for him—he had cast her aside.
In the final moments before losing consciousness, Qian Mingwu finally remembered his devoted wife, the one who had once taken such meticulous care of him. Life had been so good back then. But he had forsaken her for Concubine Zhao and hadn't even helped execute the petty concubine who caused her death in childbirth…
Qian Mingwu's tuberculosis served as a dire warning to everyone. Wu Yu gathered those with symptoms of colds and flus together in one area, fearing another outbreak like Qian Mingwu's case.
This decision was unanimously supported by the rest of the group. The opinions of the sick themselves were, however, entirely ignored.
Because of this segregation and the worsening cold, many of the sick kept relapsing. In the end, another dozen or so people died—mostly the elderly and children with weaker immune systems.
At this point, nearly thirty percent of the exiled convoy had perished. Wu Yu found himself at a loss; he hadn't anticipated such harsh conditions this year. Winters in previous years had never been this bitterly cold.
To make things worse, they still had to keep moving despite the snow, as only about a month remained until their mandated arrival date for exile.
In order to conceal her unusual condition, Sun Juanfang had used waterproof makeup to fake frostbite on both her and Ting-jie'er's faces and hands to avoid drawing suspicion.
The snow, coupled with the need to continue traveling, left many feeling indignant and resentful. They looked for opportunities to vent their frustration, but for now, those feelings had to be buried deep.
During one trek across a snow-covered mountain, the accumulated snow made the path hard to distinguish.
Seeing the thick snowpack, Sun Juanfang grew worried. An avalanche was no joke.
But then, she noticed something odd—ever since arriving in this area, Qian Lanyue had remained tense and kept walking in a very specific direction.
Even when the path twisted, she would quickly return to that same bearing.
Sensing something was off, Sun Juanfang used her psychic ability to scan Qian Lanyue's current thoughts.
Sure enough, she was right—an avalanche was indeed going to happen today, and only that direction offered any chance of survival.
From that point on, Sun Juanfang silently followed behind Qian Lanyue, tightly holding Ting-jie'er in her arms, unwilling to let go.
She feared her daughter might die in the impending disaster. Though Ting-jie'er was technically just part of her mission, after spending so much time together, Sun Juanfang had genuinely grown to love her thoughtful, sweet child.
Soon, a thunderous rumbling echoed through the air. Most froze in place, but a few sharp-eyed individuals spotted a huge mass of snow tumbling from the mountaintop.
Only when it got closer did the rest realize—it was an avalanche. Panic erupted.
"Run! The snow is collapsing!"
("Snow collapse" was the ancient term for avalanche.)
"Mother! Father! Help me!"
Cries and screams filled the air as the convoy descended into chaos, fleeing wildly to escape the oncoming snow.
Sun Juanfang rushed to the front, overtaking Qian Lanyue. Others saw the legitimate wife and daughter rushing ahead and felt irritated.
A wicked thought crossed Qian Lanyue's mind: If I push the two of them, I'll be the only one left… Do it…
But before she could lift a finger, her body was suddenly launched into the air and thrown straight into the path of the avalanche.
At the moment Qian Lanyue's malicious thoughts reached their peak, Sun Juanfang acted decisively. She triggered a mental fail-safe in Qian Lanyue's brain, damaging her sea of consciousness, and hurled her toward the fate she deserved.
How dare she scheme at such a critical moment? It was like striking the gods themselves. Sun Juanfang had no intention of sparing her—she unleashed her double killing move without hesitation.
Watching it all unfold, Concubine Sun tried to grab her daughter but only caught a torn scrap of fabric. Fearing for her own life, she ran faster.
The fleeing crowd created a surreal scene: a woman carrying a child raced ahead with a trail of people behind her. No one could catch her, no matter how hard they tried.
Even Wu Yu at the back was stunned. He had cultivated martial arts for years, yet still couldn't match this woman's speed—his whole worldview was shaken.
Some snow still fell over the runners, but those who ran fast enough were only lightly buried and could dig themselves out.
Sun Juanfang, for instance, was barely covered. At the first sign of snowfall, she had immediately transferred most of it into her storage space.
Inside that space, Little Tian—who had been pulling weeds—was startled by the sudden appearance of snow.
He made a mental note to demand "emotional damages" from his sister later. After all, she had once used that excuse to loot a trove of cultivation treasures…
As more people dug themselves out, everyone was struck speechless by the horror they had narrowly escaped.
Then the survivors realized many were still trapped under the snow, and they finally started digging in earnest.
In the end, thirty people were lost, including several guards.
Seeing this, Wu Yu fainted on the spot. He had never imagined the death toll would be so high and couldn't accept the brutal reality.
The rest of the group fell into panic. Their leader had collapsed—who would guide them now?
Unbeknownst to them, chaos had already erupted in the outside world. Due to Emperor Situ Yu's benevolent policies, regional lords had long grown defiant. Just days ago, the Prince of Huai'an had launched a rebellion.
The Xuan Dynasty was now in total turmoil.
Author's Note:
If you're interested, vote now to choose the next world:
The Substitute Lover of a Genius Director
The Girl Group Trainee Who Was Cyberbullied
Next arc will definitely be set in the modern world—pick one, and the story will follow!