Chapter 5, The Frost Moves

Snowflakes are falling

The little beggar covered his hands as he navigated through the narrow alleyway. These filthy paths, which were usually only traversed by rats, allowed him to avoid the blizzard raging outside on the streets. The bread he held in his arms had long since frozen solid, sticking to his skin and bringing a chilling sensation that seemed to freeze his very blood.

A sword silently pressed against his throat

No

The small face with a high fever

The little beggar let out a long breath, brushed the snowflakes off his head, and stood up straight... He turned around...

Snowflakes are fluttering here. However, that woman and her baby have already vanished without a trace, leaving only the disordered snow where the woman had just sat.

Then, there is the scene of the little baby girl slowly, slowly, stopping her breath

Reason told him that he should return home immediately. However, no matter how much his reason urged him, he could not take a single step forward. It was as if he were frozen in that icy world, the little beggar was also frozen there.

The crying of the infant girl

Young man, has the 'key' already caught up? Speak! Where is he now!

Byron, wait a moment!

However, what is perhaps most striking about him is not his clothing, but rather what is at his waist. At his waist, there are two sword sheaths, one of which has already been drawn, with a precious and sharp blade held in this man's hand. In contrast, the sword in the other sheath is bound by layers of chains, making it seemingly impossible to draw. Moreover, the hilt of this sword has a rather bizarre design, with patterns on the grip resembling human bones, and a small round hole at its center. This stands in stark contrast to the elegantly adorned and upright sword in the man's hand.

He had felt the warmth of the infant girl and knew that she was running a fever

During this period, have any suspicious individuals appeared

It sounds like a male in his twenties. He locked the little beggar's hands as if they were the strongest iron chains, rendering him unable to move

The young man let out a sigh of relief as he slowly moved the blade of his sword away from the throat of the little beggar. Just at the moment when the blade was barely moved, the little beggar suddenly broke free from his restraint and quickly jumped a few steps forward, immediately attempting to escape

The sharp blade made him feel a chill more piercing than a blizzard! ... As the sword appeared, a massive hand suddenly covered his mouth, dragging him backward into the depths of the alley...

Unbeknownst to him, the little beggar slowly raised his hands. He looked at his fingertips, which were smeared with the crystallized blood of the shopkeeper. ... Yet for some reason, he recalled a certain feeling ...

Yet its fragrance remains so rich

The fear of death reemerged, the situation came too suddenly, leaving the young beggar no time to contemplate a countermeasure! In the blink of an eye, he was pulled into a dead end of the alley by that hand. At the same time, a young man's voice suddenly came from behind him.

Young man, although you are not the person for the 'key', please stay here a little longer

The woman, holding the infant, stood closely nestled behind the man. After the man carefully observed the little beggar, he looked at the woman with a slightly puzzled expression. Only after receiving a nod from her did he sheathe his sword

... ...

The night has deepened

He touched the little infant in order to help her with feeding

Three snowflakes did not follow the little beggar as he turned. At that T-junction, they floated out from behind the little beggar. These snowflakes seemed to be hesitating about something, lingering at the T-junction, as if they were uncertain whether to continue following the little beggar or return to their owner

At a T-junction, the footsteps of the little beggar came to a halt

At last, he arrived. The little beggar leaned against the wall at the entrance of the alley, dragging his nearly exhausted body inside. His anxious gaze searched here and there as he rummaged through the trash bins, leaped over the stinking ditches where rats scurried about, and ventured further inside

Accompanied by the sound, there was a series of footsteps. Then, a young woman, cradling a baby and draped in a cloak, came around from behind. Upon seeing the face of the little beggar, she immediately sighed in relief and said: "Byron, he is not the one for the 'key'. He is the child I just mentioned to you."

The little beggar ran away, hiding in the darkness of the blizzard. After he left, three delicate snowflakes slowly emerged on the bedroom door, following the little beggar's footsteps as they slipped through a hole. Once these three snowflakes departed, the frost within the apothecary began to melt. Just as it froze quickly, the disappearance of the icy world was equally swift

The snow has dyed the woman's cloak white

But another path leads to the alley where the woman and the baby are. I once said that I would bring her medicine

The little beggar does not know

The little beggar looked at the bread in his arms, his eyes radiating a fierce light akin to that of a wild dog guarding its food. Now that he was going back, that woman might come to snatch the bread from his hands. In such a life-threatening situation, who would care whether they had helped him or not? After all, the other party was an adult, and there was a real possibility that they might kill him and take away his food

Ha ... ... Ha ... ... Ha ... ... Ha ... ...

The figure of the little beggar weaved through the alley, his strength already depleted, even struggling to catch his breath. Yet he did not stop, moving forward little by little. On the contrary, he ran faster and with more determination. Deep within him, there was a vague sense of worry. He did not know what he was worried about; all he knew was that in front of him, the feverishly hot little face of the infant girl kept swaying. What does a persistent high fever mean for a newborn? He did not need to articulate it.

The little beggar had reached the end of the alley, and through the bustling street outside, he could clearly see the grand bridge and the archway beneath it. However, for some unknown reason, his foot, which was about to step onto the path home, remained there, lingering without moving forward.

In such a snowstorm, that woman and the infant will surely not survive the night...

The alley leading to the main street no longer has the figure of the little beggar... On the main street, the accumulated snow forms a large, flawless carpet, extending into the distance...

... ...

The little beggar held back his saliva and no longer bit into the bread. The remaining food could sustain him through tomorrow, so he could not afford any extravagant waste. Now, he needed to return to his nest immediately, hide the bread well, and then conceal himself, much like a hamster storing food. Yes, he had to go back right away, before the blizzard claimed his life.

Moreover, he did not obtain the medicine. Now, returning would only mean watching that infant die without being able to do anything... And the more important point is...

He looked at the two forks in the road before him. One of them led to his den, the place he referred to as "home." As long as he crossed this path and walked a little further, he would reach that great bridge

... ...

Is it an illusion? Why do such scenes appear before my eyes?

The young man reached out and effortlessly grabbed the little beggar by the nape of his neck, throwing him into a dead end. The little beggar fell onto a pile of snow; although it did not hurt much, his sense of alertness intensified.

The soldiers fled the pharmacy in a great uproar, and from that moment on, no one dared to enter again. It was not until noon the next day that the soldiers' commander gathered fifty men to break down the door, only to discover the pharmacy owner, who had long since frozen solid, and the small wall hole in the restroom.

Why ... ...

As he took his steps, the little beggar constantly questioned himself why. He could not find an answer, and he even felt ashamed of his own behavior. This is not something a person who wishes to survive should do; he should now burrow into his little nest and cover himself with that tattered blanket, enduring until the sun rises tomorrow. Instead, he allowed his feet to run so fast towards a place he should not go at all! This is not something a person who wishes to survive should do; he should now burrow into his little nest and cover himself with that tattered blanket, enduring until the sun rises tomorrow. Instead, he allowed his feet to run so fast towards a place he should not go at all!

The little beggar straightened his back. He regretted his recklessness once again. That woman had already left, and he was just a fool for coming to such a deserted place. Now, he should be able to give up and return home.

The more he thought about it, the more the little beggar felt that his decision was correct... He turned his back to the direction of the baby girl and walked forward with large strides, his pace growing faster and more urgent...

The little beggar thought for a moment and stepped onto the road home without hesitation. Upon reflection, he even regretted his irrational promise made just moments ago. What relationship did that woman have with him? Why should he risk his life to fetch medicine for her? Her daughter died of illness, and she could only blame herself for not being a more attentive mother. He could not be blamed for not helping. Her daughter died of illness, and she could only blame herself for not being a more attentive mother. He could not be blamed for not helping.

Creaking ... ...

On his fingertips, on these ten fingers that were almost numb from the cold, with even clots of blood sticking to them, he felt a faint warmth

The man took out a paper bag from his bosom and opened it. Inside were fragrant, exquisite little cakes. The enticing aroma wafted into the little beggar's nose, causing his stomach, which was not yet fully satisfied, to grumble.

At the same time that the little beggar was earnestly contemplating how to cope, a familiar voice also came from behind him.

A woman is holding a baby

As the figure of the little beggar grew smaller in the alley, the snowflakes seemed to have made up their minds. After swirling in the air, they quickly rushed to the place where their master was, abandoning the little beggar.

Ha ... ... Ha ... ... Ha ... ... Ha ... ... Hu ... ...

Now, he could clearly see the person in front of him. It was a handsome swordsman, probably around twenty-two or twenty-three years old. Although his clothing was tattered and stained with blood and dirt, the exquisite craftsmanship and the gilded buttons clearly indicated that this person held an extraordinary status.

The woman saw the little beggar's stomach growl, smiled slightly, and took out a cake to hand it over. However, the little beggar did not accept it; he merely clutched the half piece of frozen bread tightly in his arms, watching the two of them warily.

The feet, stepping on the snow, made a crunching sound