The whole family was brutally murdered? The ruthless heiress's eldest daughter went berserk aft

"Quick, over there!" Murong Xuewei pointed to a rock wall on the right, where the terrain was higher and relatively stable for the time being.

Everyone scrambled to change direction, and the guards carrying Gu Ye moved with extreme caution, afraid that the soft couch might slip at any moment. Cracks continued to spread beneath their feet, like a giant net tearing apart.

"Roar—" The snow wolf pack did not give up the pursuit, but instead took advantage of the chaos to attack even more recklessly.

"Lan'er, cover the rear!" Murong Xuewei shouted sharply, forcing back the charging snow wolves with her sword. The icy air filled her lungs, feeling like countless tiny needles pricking her. She could feel her strength rapidly draining away, but she couldn't care less now.

"Madam...be careful..." Gu Ye suddenly coughed violently, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible.

Murong Xuewei's heart tightened, and she glanced back. Gu Ye's face was even paler than before, and his lips had turned bluish-purple. The chill was accelerating the spread of the poison; they had to find a safe place as soon as possible.

"Over there!" Lan'er suddenly pointed to a depression in the rock wall, "It looks like a cave!"

In the wind and snow, a dark cave entrance could indeed be vaguely seen. Although the depth was unknown, it was still better than being exposed on this dangerous snowfield.

"Everyone, retreat towards the cave!" Murong Xuewei commanded while keeping a close eye on the approaching pack of snow wolves. For some reason, she felt there was a strange look in the wolves' eyes, as if it wasn't just driven by the instinct to hunt.

Just then, the snowflakes falling from the sky suddenly grew larger, turning into a blizzard in the blink of an eye. A howling wind nearly swept people away. The blizzard arrived so suddenly, making the already difficult journey even more challenging.

"Quick!" Murong Xuewei disregarded everything else and grabbed a backpack from beside Gu Ye's couch. "Take out all the tinderboxes! Light a fire!"

The group stumbled and staggered towards the cave, but the snow wolves suddenly stopped their pursuit, standing still and emitting low growls. Their eyes were fixed on the cave, as if something terrifying lurked within.

"Your Highness..." Lan'er's voice betrayed a hint of unease, "the reaction of these snow wolves..."

"We can't worry about that now!" Murong Xuewei gritted her teeth. "Let's go into the cave and take shelter!"

The group finally rushed into the cave, shutting out the howling wind and the howling of the snow wolves. Leaning against the stone wall, they gasped for breath. The tension and fear from before seemed to recede like a tide, leaving only deep exhaustion.

"We're safe for now, at least for now." Lan'er breathed a sigh of relief and stuck the torch in a hollow in the cave wall. "These snow wolves are strange. They cornered us, but retreated at the last moment."

Murong Xuewei didn't reply; her gaze fell on Gu Ye. By the firelight, she could see that Gu Ye's breathing was even weaker than before, and his whole body was trembling slightly. She quickly took off her cloak and gently covered Gu Ye with it.

“Madam…no need…” Gu Ye tried to push off the cloak, but Murong Xuewei held his hand down.

"Don't talk, just rest," Murong Xuewei said softly, her fingertips touching Gu Ye's hand, which was so cold it startled her. She turned and ordered, "Go tidy up this place, start a fire to warm it up."

The guards immediately sprang into action; some organized supplies, others cleared the snow from the ground, and still others set up guard posts at the cave entrance. Lan'er wasn't idle either; she carefully inspected the cave and only returned to report after confirming it was temporarily safe.

"Your Highness, although this cave is sheltered from the wind, the temperature is still very low," Lan'er whispered. "Moreover, we don't have much food left, and we must find a way out as soon as possible."

Murong Xuewei nodded: "Let everyone rest for a while, and continue our journey when the blizzard subsides." She glanced at the raging snowstorm outside the cave and added: "Send people to take turns keeping watch at night, in case those snow wolves return."

Soon, a campfire was lit in the cave, its flickering light bringing a touch of warmth to the cold space. The group sat around the fire, silently recovering their strength. Occasionally, someone would whisper a few words, mostly discussing how to proceed.

Murong Xuewei leaned against Gu Ye, gently holding his hand. She knew this was only temporary peace; once the blizzard passed and they left the cave, even greater hardships awaited them. But at this moment, seeing Gu Ye's steady breathing and hearing her companions' quiet conversation was enough to comfort her.

"The blizzard is about to stop." Lan'er stood at the cave entrance, watching the snowflakes outside gradually lessen. "We should get going."

Zhang Jing knelt down beside Gu Ye and took his pulse, his brow furrowed: "The poison is spreading faster than I expected; we must find the Snow Lotus as soon as possible."

Murong Xuewei nodded and was about to order the packing when she suddenly heard a strange sound. It was a peculiar "crack" sound, as if something was breaking under the ice.

"Stop!" Zhang Jing suddenly shouted sharply, "Don't move!"

Everyone immediately froze, even holding their breath. The cave was silent, save for the faint tremors coming from afar. Zhang Jing listened intently for a moment, then his expression changed drastically: "Avalanche! The snow layer is starting to loosen."

"Which way should we retreat?" Murong Xuewei asked decisively.

Zhang Jing quickly drew a rough topographical map on the ground: "The snow on the mountaintop will slide down these three main ski runs. We must cross this area and reach the opposite ridge before the avalanche."

Before she could finish speaking, a deafening roar echoed in the distance, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing. Murong Xuewei immediately ordered, "Evacuate according to the route Dr. Zhang described!"

The group hurriedly gathered supplies, lifted Gu Ye, and rushed out of the cave. As soon as they emerged from the cave, they saw a white wave surging down the snow slope at an astonishing speed in the distance.

"Stay close to me!" Zhang Jing led the way. "Don't stray from the route; one wrong step and you could be swallowed by an avalanche!"

But the road ahead was difficult. Knee-deep snow severely hampered their speed, making each step feel like a race against time. Several guards began to stagger due to lack of oxygen, their breathing becoming rapid and labored.

"Take these!" Zhang Jing pulled out a few pills from his pocket and distributed them to everyone. "They can temporarily relieve altitude sickness."

"There's a natural cave ahead!" Lan'er suddenly pointed ahead. Indeed, there was a protruding rock face in the recess of the cliff, forming a natural shelter.

Zhang Jing quickly surveyed the terrain: "It's indeed safe there, but we have to cross this narrow path." He turned to Murong Xuewei, "Madam, let me take Gu Ye there. I'm more familiar with this kind of terrain."

Murong Xuewei nodded in agreement, and Zhang Jing personally supported the soft couch, leading several guards as they carefully made their way along the narrow path. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept in, almost causing the couch to lose its balance.

"Watch out!" Murong Xuewei and Lan'er leaped forward simultaneously, stabilizing the two corners of the soft couch. Although they caught it in time, Murong Xuewei's foot landed on the soft snow.

With a "whoosh," a clump of snow slid off her feet and disappeared into the bottomless valley. Murong Xuewei's heart skipped a beat; she could clearly feel the snow beneath her feet loosening...