Early the next morning.
The first ray of sunlight rose from the horizon, dispersing the vast darkness of night. The earth gradually brightened, and the boundless snowfield ca to life. Eagles soared high in the sky, a few hungry birds skimd over the treetops. Perhaps fearing the king of the sky, they swiftly darted into the forest and vanished. On a densely wooded hillside, Luo Zheng quietly watched the rising sun and took a deep breath. Standing beside him, Lan Xue also watched the sunrise, and Luo Zheng softly said, "We need to take a break."
"Okay, as you say." Lan Xue showed the gentle side of a traditional woman and her attachnt to her lover when no one else was around. She took off her backpack and tossed it on the ground, surveyed the surroundings, and said, "This place isn't the highest, but not low either. It's quite concealed and shielded by dense woods, so we shouldn't be exposed."
"We can't travel during the day, so we'll rest here for now and move at night. There's a broken tree over there, quite a large one. I'll figure out a way to make so wooden planks into makeshift snowboards. A day should be enough. With these snowboards, we can use less energy navigating the deep snow here. You should rest first; I can handle this alone." Luo Zheng looked at Lan Xue with concern and said.
"I'm fine; let's do it together." Lan Xue's heart ward, and she spoke softly but with determination.
Luo Zheng understood Lan Xue's character well, knowing that once she decided on sothing, she wouldn't change her mind. Saying nothing more, they both went to the fallen tree not far away. The tree wasn't dried up yet; its base had been hollowed out by ants, likely blown down by the wind. It was sturdy and dense—a great material.
Making simple snowboards was not difficult for Luo Zheng. He had learned this craft while hunting in the mountains with the elders. Considering the load problem and the thickness and softness of the surrounding snow layer, Luo Zheng decided to make the snowboards 80 centiters long, 35 centiters wide, and 15 centiters thick. Without saws or other handy tools to cut the logs into planks, Luo Zheng resorted to using the Dragon Tooth Long Sword as an axe.
The Dragon Tooth Long Sword was exceptionally sharp, making it easy to chop the tree. After chopping it down, Luo Zheng didn't stop and continued hacking away, first forming larger crude pieces and then slowly trimming them. They needed four boards, and they couldn't be too straight; a certain curvature, especially at the front, was necessary for proper sliding.
By noon, Luo Zheng finally made four rough planks. He quickly ate so compressed biscuits and returned to work. Lan Xue, anwhile, lay on top of a tall treetop, serving as a lookout, vigilantly scanning the surroundings to guard against enemy approach. She occasionally glanced at the diligently working Luo Zheng, a smile playing on her lips, her face full of sweetness.
It wasn't until dusk that Luo Zheng finally finished making the snowboards, thoroughly exhausted. He found a place to lie down and sleep, using the ancestral Breathing Skill to quickly recover his strength. Having traveled all night and worked hard all day, even a strong man couldn't endure this. Lan Xue felt her heart ache seeing this from the tree but didn't dissuade him. To survive, certain things must be done—what's a bit of hardship and weariness?
Three hours later, the moonlight dimd, and the sky was a hazy gray with visibility not exceeding five ters. Luo Zheng slowly awakened, instinctively cautious, scanning his surroundings while listening carefully. Once he determined there was no danger, he got up and stretched. Seeing Lan Xue approaching, he gestured for her to co over. "Looks like we should get moving," he said.
"Should we contact the outside world?" Lan Xue softly reminded.
"By now, Shadow should have made their move. It's a good idea to check in." Luo Zheng agreed, opening a communicator. He noticed that foot straps were already attached to the snowboards, looking sturdy and ready for sliding. Knowing it was Lan Xue's handiwork, he nodded in acknowledgnt, and Lan Xue responded with a gentle smile.
"Brother-in-law, I finally got news from you. I was worried sick." Lan Xing's voice sounded in his earpiece.
"What's the situation now?" Luo Zheng pressed.
"Everything is as you predicted. Two hours ago, Shadow lit a bonfire to reveal itself. A large number of enemies gathered, fighter jets, drones, and paratroopers. If you saw the scene, you'd be thrilled. I think they parachuted several hundred people and are conducting a search now. Shadow is hiding and safe." Lan Xing hurriedly conveyed.
"Great, is there anything else?" Luo Zheng exclaid with delight.
"Director Wu and his team's hiding place has been abandoned by the enemy and is temporarily safe," Lan Xing quickly inford.
"Alright, if there's nothing special, I'll contact you again tomorrow." Luo Zheng said, and after Lan Xing's agreent, he turned off the communicator, looked at Lan Xue, and said, "Our first step was quite successful. Shadow did an excellent job, and now it's up to us."
"As long as the enemy finds no trace of Shadow overnight, they'll be infuriated. Once we expose ourselves tomorrow, they'll realize they were deceived and will pursue us frantically. Do you have a specific plan ready?" Lan Xue's expression gradually grew intense, and she asked.
"Not yet. We'll play it by ear then." Luo Zheng smiled indifferently and gestured toward the snowboards.
"Alright, let's get going." Lan Xue understood and picked up a snowboard, grabbed their equipnt along with a pole to push against the ground. The two of them moved to the hillside, donned their Night Vision Devices, looked at the slope ahead, exchanged a glance, and nodded. They pushed against the ground with their poles and slid forward.
The snowboards were rudintary, neither polished nor waxed, and the ground wasn't smooth enough, but Luo Zheng's craftsmanship was solid. Though they couldn't compare to sport-grade snowboards, they managed to slide smoothly. Luo Zheng had played with such snowboards since childhood and knew how to handle them. Lan Xue had undergone special forces training in her youth, which included snowboarding, so sliding was no issue. Although they weren't fast, it was much quicker than walking.
The two skillfully controlled their snowboards, sliding forward, leaving a long trail along the slope, continuing their journey eastward along the valley. The mountains conveniently stretched east-west, with the west being higher than the east, making downhill sections significantly frequent, greatly increasing their marching speed compared to walking.
This experience taught Luo Zheng a lesson: the next ti he fights in snowy terrain, he must carry snowboards. Custom-made snowboards are not easily damaged, and they're efficient, improving march speed. Especially on downhill slopes, they made it effortless to rush down ten-ter steep inclines.
Under the night sky, the two swiftly slid along, seeming like two elves darting in the dead silent snowfield forest, becoming more adept and quick. They deftly avoided obstacles like trees and resorted to walking when faced with impassable slopes, continuing sliding after ascending.
Fortunately, they hadn't encountered any enemies along the way. Until solid clues were found, perhaps the enemy wasn't willing to scour the mountains. Besides, their focus was on Shadow, making the east temporarily safer.
"Awoooo—" Suddenly, a wolf's howl pierced the air, shattering the deathly silence of the snowfield forest.
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