The purple-faced youth, unremarkable enough to be lost in a sea of people, was bundled up in a thick overcoat and surrounded by a group of black-clothed men with only their eyes visible.
The black-clothed man in the lead, of medium stature and exuding an aura of menace, was the one demanding to buy Chang'an's house. His exposed eyes radiated a bloody ferocity.
"One hundred taels, and you give up your house," he rasped, his hoarse voice as grating as a crow's shrill cry, unpleasant to the ear.
Chang'an and Chang Le remained inside, straining their ears to listen to the commotion outside.
Old Gu Six's brows were set in indifference, his gaze sweeping calmly over each person with a piercing glint flashing in the depths of his eyes. His voice was extremely faint, carrying an icy chill that cut deeper than the bitter winter outside.
"Get lost."
The man's pitch-black eyes were too sharp to hold for long, and the chilling aura surrounding him was formidable. Though aloof, he was like a fierce tiger to be feared.
The black-clothed man grumbled inwardly, "Blast, we've hit a wall."
"Senior, apologies for the disturbance," said the previously silent youth, stepping out from the protective circle. His plain looks belied the pleasant quality of his voice.
It was like the sound of water striking stones, clear and melodious, or a fresh spring quenching thirst, fluid and deep.
Chang'an wondered how someone with such a pleasing voice could be a dimwit urging his underlings to seize people's houses.
Peeking through a tiny gap left in the window, she saw a group of dark figures with a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youth in a blue overcoat at the front.
From Chang'an's angle, she could only see the youth's nondescript profile, so plain as to discourage a second glance. She pursed her lips in disdain.
It seemed the heavens had shut one door on him, only to open a window. To have followers who would rob people's houses—no wonder the master was such an unsavory character, his unsightliness understandable.
Chang'an moved away from the window, no longer looking out. The youth seemed to sense a fleeting, disappointed gaze and furrowed his brow briefly before regaining his composure.
Having to linger outside in this freezing weather with these people was truly vexing. Old Gu Six curtly told them to leave in an irritated tone, "None of the houses here will be given up to you. Please depart immediately."
The youth lowered his eyes, a hint of displeasure passing through his sinister gaze. Truly a fallen tiger being bullied by dogs.
Of the over one hundred escorts he had brought, only these seven or eight remained. They could not afford further losses, or else he would have demonstrated the might of the Crown Prince of Prince Yun'an to that man.
But not now. They were unaware of the man's true strength, and the imposing aura alone revealed he was no simple character.
When out and about, one must yield when necessary to avoid losses. "We shall depart immediately. Our deepest apologies for the disturbance. Please, senior, forgive us."
The youth bowed in sincere apology before leading his men away from their lodgings.
Only after watching them leave did Old Gu Six turn and re-enter, shivering as his formidable six-meter-eight aura dissipated. He had to admire the youth still walking outside.
This contrast left Chang Le staring in bewilderment after emerging from the room.
Chang Le: Uncle Gu, your seamless switching has left me utterly baffled.
"Why are you still gawking? It's time to make lunch. Don't let my daughter go hungry," Old Gu Six ordered Chang Le without hesitation, his slightly upturned phoenix eyes lending an aloof, piercing air.
Chang Le was unfazed. After nearly three months together, he had a basic understanding of Old Gu Six, even if not a thorough one. The man meant no harm.
It wasn't that he didn't want to know more, but Old Gu Six was quite capricious, always offering surprises just when you thought you knew him.
Chang Le prepared the meal more deftly than Old Gu Six, rinsing the rice, starting the fire, cutting the cured meat into cubes, and tossing in a couple handfuls of dried string beans from a half-sack.
For lunch today, they would have cured pork and string bean rice porridge. Knowing Old Gu Six's hearty appetite, he took out five of the rock-hard buns to steam-soften and eat together.
The water they used now came from melted snow filtered through a simple filtration system Chang'an had made. Basic filtration was better than drinking unfiltered.
With an outsider in the house now, she couldn't freely draw water from her space. What a hassle taking someone in.
If it were just her and Old Six, she could use her space as she pleased, and their provisions would be much better.
She had intended to let him leave once he recovered, but in this biting cold, sending him away would be akin to a death sentence. Having rescued him, it would be a waste not to utilize his help.
Besides not being able to freely access her space, everything else was fine. Having an extra pair of hands to do chores, Chang'an contentedly played the role of house mistress.
Was it too much to ask for his help around the house in exchange for saving his life?
Not at all.
Everyone lived in their own houses. With the frigid weather, no one ventured out to socialize. Larger households could chat amongst themselves, while smaller ones had only solitude.
Outside, snow fell in swirling flurries. Having finished lunch at Chang'an's home, Old Gu Six and Chang Le squatted to pass the time.
The youth and his subordinates who had been driven away set up a windbreak not far from Chang'an's lodgings, digging caves into the hillside like her household.
The youth warmed himself by the fire in the shelter, wondering when this cold spell would end. They lacked food, and a prolonged duration would surely be their undoing.
This cold snap had already frozen untold numbers of disaster victims to death. They had nearly become among them, only surviving by stocking ample winter supplies before departing the Capital.
Some had been lost to pursuers along the way. All they could do now was pray for the cold spell to end soon.
With many hands, they managed to dig out two rooms by nightfall, installing doors, compacting the floors and walls. They worked through the late hours before finally resting.
With no spare quilts for bedding, they had only a thick blanket, half of which the youth's master used as a mattress, the other half as cover.
A fire was lit inside the room, far warmer than the windbreak outside. The youth gradually regained his warmth.
Eight subordinates huddled around the fire pit outside, sitting across from each other. They had no blankets and had to rely on the fire pit for warmth. All of them possessed inner strength to protect themselves from the cold, and their clothing was thick and warm, so they didn't feel too cold.
"Chief, we only have enough food supplies for one month," one of them said with some concern to the leader.
"The cold spell should be over in a month. By then, we can hunt for some wild game in the mountains to sustain us until we reach Lingnan."
They didn't know that the cold disaster would last for half a year, and their optimism was premature.
