Chapter 678: Chapter 678: The Harshest Winter
Hu Yan let out a soft, heavy sigh. He patiently held the tiny plant close to his chest to shield him from the wind and said, "Stove, listen to me. We’ve already searched all around the borders of Dragon Beast City. You couldn’t even sense a whisper of her aura. If she were still nearby... you would have found her hours ago."
Hearing this, Stove suddenly became completely quiet, his thrashing vines drooping listlessly.
Hu Yan gently patted his little leaves with a massive finger.
"There’s no point in searching blindly in this snowstorm. It’s far too dangerous. Let’s go back to the house first. When the storm passes and the snow stops, we’ll all continue searching together."
Stove slowly lowered his head, his tiny green body trembling.
He knew... he knew deep down that Hu Yan was completely right. If Little Hua was anywhere near the city, his instincts would have flared up. He would have sensed her. But no matter how hard he pushed his energy, he couldn’t feel a single thing.
His tiny legs felt completely numb from the bitter cold. Every step was becoming a monumental struggle, and the mounting snow was almost swallowing him whole.
Tears quietly gathered in his small eyes, freezing into tiny ice droplets on his cheeks.
"What should I do..." he whimpered, his heart breaking. "I can’t lose my little wife..."
Seeing the usually energetic Stove so utterly broken and weeping made Hu Yan’s chest ache with sympathy.
He wracked his brain, trying to find a way to comfort the little plant, when a sudden thought flashed through his mind. His eyes lit up instantly.
"Stove, what about An Mo?"
Stove slowly raised his tear-stained face, his leaves perking up slightly.
Hu Yan continued, his tone gaining confidence, "An Mo is extraordinarily powerful. Maybe... just maybe he can find Little Hua. He might know exactly where she went."
Stove’s eyes instantly widened to the size of saucers. "An Mo..."
A spark of desperate hope slowly returned to his dimming eyes. "That’s right! An Mo is so powerful! He has all those strange abilities! He will definitely know how to track her!"
The very next second, Stove didn’t hesitate. He immediately scrambled up Hu Yan’s thick fur coat and jumped straight onto his broad shoulder, gripping his collar tightly.
"Let’s go! We’re going home right now!" Stove squeaked excitedly, all his energy suddenly returning. "I have to find An Mo! He definitely has the answer!"
Seeing Stove finally regain some of his fighting spirit, Hu Yan forced out a small, relieved smile.
However... deep inside his heart, he wasn’t sure at all. He had only spoken those words to comfort the panicked little plant.
Whether An Mo could actually find a missing spiritual plant in the middle of a massive winter storm... he honestly had no idea.
Not far away in the brush, Han Jue and Rong Ye had also been searching relentlessly all day. Both of them were almost completely buried up to their necks in the thick snowbanks, their heavy furs soaked.
Only their heads remained visible above the white powder.
They turned their heads around after hearing Stove’s loud voice echoing through the trees.
Seeing that the stubborn little plant had finally agreed to return home to the warmth of the house, the two of them secretly let out a massive sigh of relief. At least... he was finally willing to stop endangering himself for tonight.
Without saying another word, the four of them grouped up and began making their grueling way back through the fierce, howling snowstorm toward the city gates.
The freezing wind screamed violently behind them, but their hearts remained incredibly heavy.
"Please... let Little Hua be safe."
Meanwhile...
Inside the City Lord’s residence of Dragon Beast City...
The heavy, endless snow continued to fall silently outside the large window, blanketing the world in a thick shroud of white. The wide streets, the ancient trees, the rooftops...everything had turned completely and utterly white under the dark night sky.
Standing beside the window, Wang Mulan quietly looked outside. Her shapely brows slowly furrowed with growing concern. She leaned her weight gently against Mo Qingli’s broad, reassuring shoulder.
"Why do I feel like this year’s winter is much harsher than before?" she spoke softly.
"The snow has only been falling for a few days, but look outside. It has already piled up so incredibly high."
She let out a soft, heavy sigh, wrapping her arms tightly around herself.
"I have a bad feeling, Qingli. I think the weather will become even colder as the weeks pass. If this keeps going... I’m afraid many of the older wooden houses won’t be able to handle it. They will collapse. What will everyone do then?"
Mo Qingli gently stroked her silky hair, pulling her a little closer to his side. His sharp gaze remained fixed on the endless, swirling snowfall outside, his expression equally serious and weighed down by the duties of leadership.
"I feel exactly the same," he murmured, his deep voice filled with a rare trace of vulnerability.
"This winter is turning out to be much harsher than previous years."
His sharp brows knitted together tightly. "What worries me the most are indeed those wooden structures in the lower residential districts. They have already endured many brutal winters and dry rot. If the snow continues piling up like this without a break, many roofs simply won’t be able to bear the immense weight. They will eventually cave in and collapse."
He let out a helpless, frustrated sigh. "Even though the City Lord’s residence is exceptionally large... we still can’t provide shelter for the entire city. The population is too vast."
The number of beastmen residing in Dragon Beast City was simply too great. No matter how many grand halls and guest rooms this stone house possessed, it wasn’t enough to act as a refuge for thousands.
Suddenly, a bright spark of thought flashed through Wang Mulan’s mind.
Her eyes lit up instantly in the dim room, and she eagerly grabbed Mo Qingli’s sturdy arm.
