"Fairy sister, what are you saying? We have great respect for you and your master. You slept for a day and a night, maybe even more, but everything is fine now. We haven't done anything to you. We truly respect the two guests who came to this deep mountain and treat you as our own."
No matter what this refined man said, he gave off a very fake impression. Ye Tiancheng ignored him, his entire attention focused on the roasted meat, which was incredibly alluring.
"May I ask what kind of meat this is?"
Ye Tiancheng's eyes couldn't leave the roasted meat. It was placed in a box next to the refined man. It looked ordinary, but the aroma was incredibly enticing.
"Heaven truly provides a way out. Perhaps the snow outside was too heavy, so a deer stumbled in. The deer froze to death. We didn't kill it, so we just ate it. It's like giving the deer a proper end."
"Is there such a coincidence?"
Ye Tiancheng was already very hungry, but he remembered that he had been asleep during that time. He was still nervous about the unknown origin of the meat. His heart pounded, but he dared not eat it casually.
"Fairy sister, your master seems to suspect us. If not, why don't you eat first? This meat is top-grade venison, and it's delicious."
The refined man presented the plate of roasted meat as if offering a treasure. Even more miraculously, the meat was still warm, as if they had only finished eating not long ago. It tasted even better now.
"I'm not hungry and don't need to eat. It's just that this venison looks a bit strange. I always feel something is not quite right."
Ye Tiancheng was perhaps a bit more tactful, but Lin Xue was more direct. Seeing the venison, she directly stated that something was not right.
"Fairy sister, we wouldn't dare to lie. A deer really did wander in. Heaven and earth bear witness, we wouldn't dare to lie casually."
The refined man spoke with apparent excitement, which only heightened Lin Xue's suspicion. She felt something was odd. Besides the color and taste of the meat, it seemed too fragrant.
"This is definitely not venison. Don't treat people like fools. Before I find out, I hope you can admit it yourself. What exactly is this meat? If you tell the truth, it will save everyone trouble. I don't want to keep arguing about this."
Lin Xue suddenly became serious. The refined man with glasses probably knew he couldn't afford to offend her. He paused for a moment, then whispered that it was indeed venison and that he hadn't lied to the fairy sister.
"Master, don't believe them. We won't eat it. This is definitely not good meat."
No matter what Lin Xue said, the refined man maintained an honest and reasonable demeanor, always with a smile on his face.
"Of course, it's good meat. It couldn't be human flesh, could it? I would never do something so insane. You overestimate me."
The word "human flesh" suddenly touched a nerve in Ye Tiancheng. He felt something was strange. This had now reminded him.
"Xue'er, your memory is better than mine. Quickly, look at the men with glasses. Are they all here? They wouldn't have killed someone and eaten them, would they?"
Although Ye Tiancheng said this, everyone felt a chill down their spines. If it were human flesh, it would be terrifying. However, they had heard of such cases before. People would do anything to survive; that's human nature.
"How could it be so exaggerated? We really didn't kill anyone. Look, everyone is here."
Even though the meat was very tempting, and the refined man's subordinates were indeed all present, there was no obvious strangeness. Yet, something still felt not quite right.
"We won't eat it. If you like it, you eat it."
Ye Tiancheng rubbed his stomach. Despite being very hungry, he told himself he had to persevere and not make an unforgivable mistake at this critical moment.
Ye Tiancheng endured his hunger and did not eat. The standoff lasted for about two hours. Then, one of the refined man's subordinates ran over to report a great piece of news: the snow outside had stopped. Since the snow had stopped, these people no longer had to be trapped there. It was daytime outside, so everyone dispersed.
Ye Tiancheng was a bit weak and had to lean on Lin Xue for support. The refined man's face still held a kind smile.
After everyone had left, Ye Tiancheng finally realized something was wrong. On the way back, he saw some tattered clothes buried in a snowdrift. They were accidentally exposed when they walked, revealing their true form.
"Xue'er, doesn't this look like the corpse we found back then? Now the corpse is gone, and only the clothes remain. It still feels a bit strange."
Lin Xue was reminded and quickly noticed the problem.
Could that meat be human flesh? Otherwise, why would a deer suddenly wander into the cave? It had been snowing for so long, were there such foolish animals?
"Master, I suggest we don't continue discussing this topic. I'm already feeling a bit nauseous. I'm afraid if we keep talking about it, I'll vomit directly."
Realizing that those hunters might have eaten human flesh, no matter how strong their mental fortitude, they would likely be unable to bear it. During the period of rest and recovery, those people had broken through their humanity, committing such cruel acts. The thought alone was terrifying.
"Alright, let's not talk about it. Anyway, everyone has already parted ways. Since we've gone our separate ways, there's no need to dwell on it. What's past is past."
They had to forget about it. It didn't matter how they survived, as long as they didn't harm the master and disciple. It was considered giving them face. These smiling tigers could do anything, and it was already good that the two of them got out unscathed. They shouldn't ask for too much.
They thought the matter was over, but then the master and disciple encountered a particularly embarrassing situation: they were lost. Although the snow had stopped, and they thought they could get out, they remembered they had been lost before. Now, they hadn't improved at all and couldn't find their way.
"Master, what should we do? This is too embarrassing. How did we get lost?"
The two of them had been circling the area for several laps but still couldn't find their way. This was a socially mortifying event. Their physical strength was clearly failing, and then this happened, which was bound to make them feel uncomfortable.
"It's alright. I believe that sincerity can move mountains. As long as we try hard to find it, we will surely find an exit."
They should have asked those hunters for escort. It wouldn't have been this embarrassing. Those people had probably already left, while they were still wandering around aimlessly. This was purely foolish behavior.
The master and disciple were like headless flies, circling around the area, trying to find a way out. However, it wasn't working out yet. After searching for a long time, they couldn't find it and instead got themselves dizzy.
They hadn't eaten for a long time and had reached the limit of human endurance. Now, even a little hunger made them unable to cope. A person's psychological state can collapse in an instant.
The master and disciple stopped talking and sat leaning against a very thick tree. The sunlight shone on their faces. They should have seen hope, but they didn't know how to get out. This was very embarrassing for them.
After a long while, just as Ye Tiancheng finally adjusted his mindset and mustered the courage to continue, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
Although the fatty's voice was rough, it was incredibly pleasant at that moment, like a divine melody. He was no longer a burly man; his voice sounded more like it came from a fairy.
"Brother Ye, I thought you two were gone! I've been looking for you for a long time and finally found you. I really went to great lengths to find you. I came at this time every day, but I couldn't find you anywhere. I've become so familiar with the situation in the mountains that I can come and go freely now."
The fatty raised his chin slightly, speaking with pride, as if he were incredibly accomplished. The fatty wasn't exaggerating at all; he genuinely felt he was familiar enough with this area. It was truly remarkable.
"What's the use? We're leaving soon. I've found the snow lotus and eaten it. I don't need to search anymore."
The fatty saw the people he wanted to find and became too excited. He finally reacted, realizing he was carrying a backpack. The bag also contained some cold-weather clothes. Since Ye Tiancheng was cold and hungry, he needed warmth. The fatty quickly stopped and took out all the thick clothes from his bag.
"It's my fault for getting too excited. Hurry and put them on. I'm shivering from the cold, let alone you two who have been outside for so long. You must be frozen through."
The fatty's teeth were chattering as he spoke, mainly because it was too cold. It was deadly weather, and ordinary people could freeze to death here at any moment. If Ye Tiancheng hadn't had a good disciple who secretly protected his body with spiritual energy, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
After putting on the clothes, Ye Tiancheng finally regained his normal human senses. Otherwise, he had initially worried that he might suffer some sequelae from the cold, such as losing his sensitivity and becoming numb to everything.
The three-person team was finally reunited. Under the fatty's guidance, they found the small wooden house in less than half an hour.
Seeing the small wooden house, they felt it was both familiar and strange. For a moment, they couldn't figure out what was wrong, but it was indeed quite different.
"Fatty, did you renovate the small wooden house?"
"Yes, Brother Ye. We're such good buddies. Nothing I do escapes your eyes; you saw it right away."
"Of course. You've made this small wooden house warmer. I'm not an idiot; I can tell at a glance. The small wooden house is very different now."