Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 344: Chapter 269: The Visitor, Part 2

Wrapped in winter gear, he still shivered uncontrollably in the frigid wind.

He hunched his shoulders, neck pulled in, and rubbed his hands together nonstop, trying to generate a little warmth.

The luggage at his feet was gradually being covered by falling snow. It was a sight that would stir pity in anyone’s heart.

Seeing this, Feng Mountain quickly spurred his horse.

He urged Cigar to speed toward North, kicking up a spray of snow that danced in the wind and left a long trail in his wake.

Once he was close, Feng Mountain leaped straight off the horse’s back, landing steadily on the snowy ground.

Without bothering to brush off the clinging snow, he quickly shrugged off his beast-skin coat. He closed the distance to North in a few large strides and draped it over him.

"Buddy, why didn’t you call before you came? And why are you wearing such thin clothes?"

"My... my ph-phone... was st-stolen!"

North was so cold his teeth were chattering, and he answered with a violent shiver.

It seemed to take all his strength just to get each word out.

The wind on the Far North Tundra was simply too brutal. In just that short time, North had become frozen stiff, his body barely responding to his commands.

As for the winter gear he was wearing, it was as useless as paper in this extreme cold, offering no protection whatsoever.

The bone-piercing cold easily penetrated the fabric and assaulted his body, making him feel like he was trapped in a giant icehouse.

"Come on, I’ll take you back to camp."

Feng Mountain picked up the luggage, placed it on Cigar’s back, then mounted the horse himself before pulling North up behind him.

North sat behind him, his body still wracked with uncontrollable shivers. He pressed tightly against Feng Mountain, trying to draw some warmth from his body.

And Cigar, despite carrying two adult men, showed no signs of strain, its steps still steady and powerful.

Its four hooves pounded out a steady rhythm on the snow, carrying the two of them toward the camp.

Once they entered the range of the tribe’s Fire Seed, it was like stepping from an icehouse into a relatively warm room in an instant.

The bone-chilling cold of over forty degrees below zero suddenly vanished, and the temperature instantly returned to around ten degrees below zero.

However, this sudden temperature shift made North feel exceptionally ill. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

First, he had been frozen stiff in the extreme cold, and every part of his body had seemingly adapted to that ultimate chill.

Now, with the sudden warmth, the blood in his body began to thaw and slowly circulate again.

But this rewarming process was accompanied by wave after wave of stabbing pain, as if countless needles were piercing his bones and muscles.

It made North furrow his brow, and he couldn’t help but let out a few painful whimpers.

He grew ever weaker and more feeble.

These were the symptoms of a thermoregulatory imbalance: dizziness, fatigue, blurred consciousness, and more.

A severe imbalance could be life-threatening, potentially leading to cardiac arrest.

"Buddy, just hang on a little longer! We’re almost at the camp." Feng Mountain spurred his horse, and Cigar’s pace quickened once more.

....

「On the grassy field outside the camp.」

Everyone was drinking beer, eating grilled skewers, and swaying to the music.

Suddenly, the sound of urgent hoofbeats rang out.

Before anyone could react, they saw Cigar’s agile form charging toward the party like an arrow shot from a bow.

The sudden charge sent the crowd into a panic, like a disturbed hornet’s nest.

One person nearly threw their beer as they scrambled to dodge, terrified of being trampled. Another, in the middle of eating a skewer, abandoned the tasty treat and fled, screaming.

The party descended into utter chaos, the cheerful atmosphere shattered by the sudden intrusion.

Cigar paid them no mind.

It charged straight through the party, heading for the Ice River.

In its wake, tables were knocked askew, chairs were overturned, and food and drinks were sent flying everywhere.

It was only then, amidst the panic, that the crowd finally realized there was a stranger slumped over on Cigar’s back, right behind Feng Mountain.

They all exchanged confused glances.

"Hey, isn’t that Xiaofeng? Who’s that he’s carrying?"

"Oh no, something’s wrong!"

"Quick, let’s go see what’s going on!"

The suggestion was met with immediate agreement.

A large group of people immediately dropped their beers and skewers. Forgetting all about the mess, they rushed after Cigar.

Cigar reached the bank of the Ice River and came to a screeching halt.

Feng Mountain dismounted, supporting the now-unconscious North.

He ripped the beast-skin coat off North and, without a moment’s hesitation, threw him straight into the bone-chilling water of the river.

SPLASH! A huge spray of icy water shot into the air.

The shock of the icy water jolted North from his stupor.

The moment he opened his eyes, he found himself submerged. He was surrounded by cold, churning river water, and the chill was seeping relentlessly back into his body.

North panicked instantly. He lost all sense of direction, his mind went blank, and he began to struggle desperately on pure instinct.

His hands flailed wildly in the water and his feet kicked nonstop as he tried to escape the icy river, all while screaming for help.

Just then, a hand reached out, grabbed his arm in a tight grip, and yanked him from his desperate struggle in the icy water.

North was dragged onto the riverbank, sopping wet. The cold wind hit him, and he began to shiver even more violently. freewēbnoveℓ.com

Before North could even process what was happening, the owner of the hand began to roughly tear the clothes from his body. The movements were swift and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.

Seeing this, North was both shocked and terrified. ’What in the world is he doing?’ he thought, and subconsciously began to struggle.