C12 Heh! Men!!

To tell the truth, when Kuan Feifei collapsed into Ke Dong's embrace, he couldn't help but feel a stir of enchantment. Given Kuan Feifei's status, her striking looks and figure were second to none. Had they not been trapped in this perilous labyrinth, Ke Dong would have surely seized the chance to forge a closer bond with her, potentially setting himself up as a true victor in life.

But that was not an option at the moment.

Facing off against four wolves was already a grave risk. Without the boon of his Indestructible Avatar, the advancement to the Second Layer of the Qi Refining Stage, and the acquisition of a sharp stone shard, Ke Dong might have had to pay a steep price to slay the quartet of predators.

Having Kuan Feifei by his side meant the possibility of double rewards, but it also spelled double the trials. For Ke Dong, this was far from a blessing. Beyond her beauty, Kuan Feifei was essentially a dead weight.

Ke Dong quelled the allure he felt and, without a glance at her tear-streaked face, firmly pushed Kuan Feifei aside. "Hold on a bit longer. It's too cold here. We need to get out of this room. Just give me a moment," he said.

Without waiting for her response, Ke Dong released her and plunged back into the blizzard. Shortly, he returned, dragging the carcasses of the four wolves with him.

These wolves were Ke Dong's hard-earned trophies, possibly hiding valuable treasures. He couldn't just leave them behind. And with the assistance of the cultivation interface, dismantling the wolves' remains wouldn't take much time at all.

Kuan Feifei's heart sank with a renewed sense of helplessness as Ke Dong pushed her away. She had just begun to truly trust him, lowering her defenses, only for him to distance himself. Didn't he realize the opportunity he had missed to earn her favor with a few comforting words?

But Ke Dong had already distanced himself. Out of pride for her empress-like stature, she couldn't bring herself to plead with him again. Swallowing her pride, she leaned on her wooden stick, standing aside and watching Ke Dong skillfully work on the wolves' remains.

A look of surprise once again crossed her face as she witnessed Ke Dong's astonishingly swift dissection of the four wolf corpses. In a mere ten minutes, nothing but a pool of blood and scattered remains were left on the ground—Ke Dong had claimed almost all the valuable parts.

She was even more puzzled by the fact that she hadn't seen where Ke Dong had stashed the parts he'd removed. They seemed to vanish as if by magic.

Reflecting on the tiger skin draped over her shoulders, and recalling Ke Dong's recent actions, she began to realize that he was no ordinary man—he harbored many secrets.

Once Ke Dong had finished with the wolves, his backpack was noticeably fuller.

Wolf Heads x3: Each imbued with a wisp of malevolent energy.

Wolf Meat x9: Edible, rich in Qi and vitality.

Wolf Skins x4: Not well preserved, lacking in aesthetic value, suitable for crafting soft armor.

Wolf Teeth x9: Sharp and durable, ideal for use as throwing weapons or in forging.

After a quick inventory of his loot, Ke Dong turned to Kuan Feifei. "Let's move on to the next room."

Kuan Feifei nodded, refraining from asking for help. She used a wooden stick as a makeshift crutch, following Ke Dong. But her calf wound was no trivial matter; each step was an ordeal of pain. Barely two meters in, she could no longer bear it and collapsed with a thud.

The fall shattered the resilience she had been holding onto, leaving her feeling utterly helpless as tears began to flow uncontrollably.

Hearing the noise, Ke Dong quickly turned back and saw Kuan Feifei on the ground, her left calf bleeding profusely.

"If you can't walk, I'll carry you," Ke Dong offered, unable to stand the sight of her in such a state.

Kuan Feifei, remembering Ke Dong's earlier indifference, was inclined to refuse. But in her current state, did she really have any other option?

"Yes, thank you," she murmured, her voice barely audible. Had Ke Dong's senses not been enhanced, he might not have heard her at all.

While dissecting the wolf carcasses earlier, Ke Dong hadn't concealed the process from Kuan Feifei, so there was no point in being secretive now. He stowed the Coldsteel Sword in his backpack and crouched before her. "Come on."

Kuan Feifei looped her arms around Ke Dong's neck, and with a firm grip, he hoisted her up and proceeded forward.

Ke Dong thought little of the gesture, but Kuan Feifei's cheeks flushed with color. As a celebrated Heavenly Queen, she had never been this close to a man. She stood apart from her peers in the entertainment industry, having never been embroiled in scandals and always rejecting roles that required intimacy with male co-stars, maintaining her pristine image.

Now, faced with a life-or-death situation, she was forced to make concessions. Despite the discomfort stirring within her, she also felt an enveloping sense of safety. Without Ke Dong, she surely would have fallen prey to the wolves.

Remembering the constant protective presence of Ke Dong, a warmth spread through her, the kind of warmth that comes from feeling secure. Gradually, she rested her head on his shoulder.

Ke Dong, noticing the subtle shift, realized their relationship was growing closer. As they continued, he wondered if he'd be able to distance himself from Kuan Feifei once they reached the lounge area.

Though Kuan Feifei was undeniably attractive, with a pleasant demeanor and none of the airs of a diva, Ke Dong's mind was elsewhere. His priority was survival.

A few meters on, they came upon a door. Grasping the handle, Ke Dong paused. "Once we open this door, I'm not sure what we'll face. Are you ready?"

Kuan Feifei nodded confidently. "With you here, I'm not afraid."

Without another word, Ke Dong inhaled deeply and pushed the door open, stepping inside with Kuan Feifei. They were greeted by the appetizing aroma of food.

In the center of the room sat a stone table, adorned with four slices of bread and two bottles of mineral water. The welcoming scent that filled the air was indeed that of the freshly baked bread.

Upon witnessing the scene, Ke Dong's tension eased; the room was safe, at least. He had Kuan Feifei take a seat on the stone table and split the food between them: two slices of bread and a bottle of water each.

Kuan Feifei hesitated before taking just one slice of bread and a bottle of water. "One slice is plenty for me," she offered, pushing the rest toward him. "You've just been through a fight and must have used up a lot of energy. You need the food more than I do."

Ke Dong was taken aback by her gesture but didn't stand on ceremony. The recent skirmish had indeed drained him, and he was feeling the pangs of hunger. To him, a couple of slices of bread were hardly enough to make a dent in his appetite.

After wolfing down three slices and guzzling half a bottle of water, his hunger finally began to ebb.

Kuan Feifei, meanwhile, was delicately nibbling on a small piece of bread, chewing thoughtfully, which lent her an air of charm.

When she caught Ke Dong's eye, she extended the half-slice of bread she was holding. "You can have this too."

Ke Dong declined, "You keep it. You already gave me three bags of snacks earlier, so you should..."

He trailed off mid-sentence, his attention caught by something under the stone table—firewood!

With firewood here and wolf meat in his backpack, why were they nibbling on bread? The only hitch was the lack of fire.

"Hey, do you have any way to start a fire?" he inquired.

"Would a lighter work?" Kuan Feifei responded, producing a Zippo lighter from her pocket. "I need it for a scene in my upcoming film, so I brought it along."