Struggle and Hope in Desperation

In the cave, Lin Yue, Li Yi, and Su Yao listened intently to the sounds outside. The black - clothed men were searching around the valley. The sound of their footsteps kept approaching and then fading away outside the cave, making their hearts leap into their throats each time.

"Will they find us here?"

Lin Yue asked in a low voice, a slight tremor in her tone.

Li Yi gently took her hand and comforted her,

"Miss Lin, don't be afraid. I'm here. They won't find us."

Su Yao nodded beside them,

"This cave is very secluded. As long as we don't make any noise, they shouldn't discover us."

However, as time passed, their food and water supplies were running low. Although Lin Yue's injury had improved somewhat, in such an environment, her body was still very weak. Li Yi looked at Lin Yue's pale face, his heart filled with distress.

"Miss Lin, eat a little more to regain your strength."

Lin Yue shook her head,

"Your Highness, there isn't much food left. We need to save it."

Just as they were worrying about food and water, a strange sound suddenly came from outside the cave. The sound was like someone crying or the howl of some wild beast, echoing in the silent valley, making people's hair stand on end. Su Yao's face changed.

"Not good. This sound... It seems to be the cry of the Snow Mountain Evil Spirit."

"Snow Mountain Evil Spirit? What is that?"

Lin Yue asked in horror.

Su Yao explained,

"Legend has it that there is an evil spirit in this snow mountain. It appears when people are in desperate situations and leads them into the abyss of death. Although no one has actually seen it, this sound..."

Li Yi gripped his sword tightly and watched outside the cave warily.

"Whatever it is, we can't just wait to die."

At this time, the sound outside the cave grew louder, as if something was approaching. Li Yi stood up and prepared to go out and check the situation. Lin Yue quickly grabbed him.

"Your Highness, it's too dangerous. Don't go."

Li Yi looked at Lin Yue's worried eyes and felt a warmth in his heart.

"Miss Lin, I'll be careful. You and Miss Su stay here and wait for me."

Li Yi walked out of the cave cautiously. The valley was filled with thick fog, and he couldn't see anything clearly. The strange sound was still echoing in his ears, but he couldn't find its source. Suddenly, a black shadow rushed out of the fog and pounced towards Li Yi. Li Yi quickly brandished his sword and engaged in a fight with the black shadow.

During the intense battle, Li Yi found that the black shadow was extremely fast and powerful. He gradually began to struggle to resist, and several more wounds appeared on his body. Lin Yue and Su Yao were extremely anxious when they heard the fighting outside the cave. Su Yao said,

"Miss Lin, I'm going out to help the prince."

Lin Yue nodded,

"I'll go too. I can use herbs to help you."

The two walked out of the cave and saw Li Yi fighting fiercely with the black shadow. Lin Yue quickly took out the herbs, prepared a potion, and sprinkled it towards the black shadow. After being hit by the potion, the black shadow's speed significantly slowed down. Su Yao took the opportunity to launch an attack. Her archery skills were excellent. She shot several arrows at the black shadow. The black shadow let out a scream and fell to the ground.

Li Yi and Su Yao walked forward and found that the black shadow was actually a huge snow ape. The snow ape was covered in white fur and was of a large size. At this time, it was already dying.

"So it's a snow ape. No wonder it's so powerful."

Su Yao said.

After dealing with the snow ape, they returned to the cave. After this ordeal, their physical strength was greatly exhausted, and there was very little food and water left. Lin Yue leaned against the cave wall, her face pale.

"Your Highness, what should we do? If this continues, we'll eventually be trapped and die here."

Li Yi pondered for a moment and said,

"We can't just wait to die here. After the black - clothed men outside leave, we'll go out. We must take the Millennium Snow Ginseng back. It's the key to resolving the crisis."

Su Yao also nodded in agreement,

"I'm familiar with the terrain of this snow mountain. Maybe we can find another way out."

They decided to take a rest first, regain their strength, and then figure out a way to leave. In the cave, Lin Yue leaned in Li Yi's arms, feeling his warmth and strength. She knew that no matter how many difficulties lay ahead, as long as they were together, they would definitely be able to overcome them.