The ground here was anything but flat, dotted with small hills. Yan Qi had to fly the spaceship a bit farther out before he could land. After stopping, he started packing up the equipment and slipped a small-caliber pocket pistol into Cheng Xu’s pocket, whispering, “For self-defense.”

Cheng Xu frowned, saying, “If we’re spotted, they’ll think we’re hostile.” He handed the pistol back to Yan Qi and added, “Don’t take it either; we can’t afford to mess things up.”

Yan Qi seemed a bit helpless but obediently complied. Cheng Xu asked, “What else did you bring?”

“Supplies that I thought we might need here.” Under his gaze, Yan Qi opened the hatch, revealing a pile of items crammed inside. Although they were all packed in cardboard boxes, the labels made it clear what they contained. Some were medicines, some were food, and others were clothing and daily necessities. Cheng Xu was a bit surprised; he had no idea when Yan Qi had prepared all this, but seeing the medicine made him acknowledge that Yan Qi’s preparations might come in handy for this “rescue.”

Yan Qi grinned, tilting his chin up, “Let’s go meet the locals.”

As the hatch opened and the lift descended, Yan Qi’s expression tightened at the door. His initial intent to step down froze. Cheng Xu immediately sensed something was off. Peering down through the gap, he spotted several fierce-looking men brandishing long guns, their faces set in suspicion.

“We’ve been mistaken for enemies. That Ma Liu must have stirred up some trouble,” Yan Qi whispered. Without waiting for Cheng Xu to reply, he quickly flashed a smile, raising his hands above his head, and called out loudly, “Hello! Sorry for the sudden intrusion, but we’re not enemies; we’re here to ask for your help in building houses. By the way, we had a companion who came here before; have you seen him?”

There were five men surrounding them, all slim and tanned, dressed lightly for the cold weather—perhaps they had already grown accustomed to the chill. They showed no reaction to Yan Qi’s words, still fixated on them with fingers curled around triggers.

Yan Qi was almost at a loss for laughter. “I said we’re not enemies. Can you please lower your guns?”

No one moved. After several tense seconds, one of the men finally spoke, “Get down!”

Yan Qi and Cheng Xu descended in succession, and as soon as they were on solid ground, Yan Qi was immediately shoved to the ground. Though the two men pinning him down were strong, he could have easily escaped. Just as he was about to make a move, Cheng Xu whispered, “Don’t move!”

Yan Qi relaxed, pressing his left cheek into the snow, the cold numbing half his face while his arm was wrenched painfully behind him. He bit down on his lip, silently cursing, “Damn it,” noticing that Cheng Xu wasn’t being treated the same way; he was just standing with his wrist held. Only then did Yan Qi manage to suppress his anger.

No one touched their spaceship. Even though the interior was visible and filled with supplies, the five natives acted as if they didn’t see it at all, escorting them toward the village.

The place where the spaceship was parked looked relatively close to a mountain pass, but they soon realized there was still quite a distance to cover. Cheng Xu glanced at the man who had spoken earlier and said in a gentle tone, “Hello, we mean you no harm. The geothermal planet is in its initial development stage, and we want to build an ice city. We’ve heard your craftsmanship is excellent, so we’d like to hire you. We’ll pay whatever wages you ask for. Also, do you know the whereabouts of my companion? His name is Ma Liu; he came here before.”

His tone was friendly, but the men didn’t seem to hear him, walking on with blank expressions and refusing to even look his way. Yan Qi’s arm ached from being twisted, and he grimaced, “Xu Ge, do you think they might not understand what we’re saying?”

“They should. Ma Liu mentioned their language isn’t much different.”

But despite Cheng Xu’s questions, no one said anything during their trek. Twenty minutes later, they finally entered the mouth of the mountain pass and got a good look at the layout of the tribe.

Between two peaks lay a kilometer-wide flatland, and the Xi Er Tribe had made their home here. Their houses were all made of ice, mostly identical in style, with different decorative carvings on each. Some roofs had little birds, some had roosters and puppies, but many featured horses.

Long-haired horses.

The horses varied in size and shape, but they were all intricately carved, with several appearing so lifelike they almost seemed ready to spring to life. Cheng Xu looked on in delight, exclaiming, “Your carving skills are truly impressive!”

They quickly encountered other villagers—elders, women, children… Their clothing was mostly the same, a yellowish hue, and their hair ranged from long to short. The children’s eyes were particularly large, bulging slightly, likely due to malnutrition.

Their arrival drew curious gazes. The villagers, who had been working or playing, stopped to watch them. Yet, no one spoke; despite the crowd, the atmosphere was eerily silent.

Yan Qi and Cheng Xu were escorted through the central street. As they reached the heart of the village, Cheng Xu noticed a massive gazebo made of ice, beneath which lay a small long-haired horse.

Healthy horses typically don’t lie down unless they’re sick or injured.

Cheng Xu felt a chill run down his spine; it seemed they had stumbled into the worst-case scenario. He knew about the Xi Er Tribe’s deep affection for long-haired horses, viewing them as symbols of luck. If a person had hurt one, they might not face severe consequences, but if a long-haired horse was harmed, it would undoubtedly lead to harsh retribution.

He couldn’t help but wonder how Ma Liu had managed to hurt this horse.

Just as he was ruminating on this dilemma, Yan Qi whispered, “That little horse was hit; there’s blood at its mouth, and it seems to have internal injuries. Its front leg is broken.”

Cheng Xu furrowed his brow, contemplating a possibility. “Was it hit by a snowmobile?”

“Probably.”

The guards slowed their pace as they passed the gazebo, looking at the injured horse, their eyes filled with sorrow. Cheng Xu noticed an elderly man with snow-white hair kneeling beside the horse, muttering prayers or perhaps something else. The little horse looked handsome, with eyes that should have sparkled but now lacked vitality. The eyelids trembled occasionally, and a puddle of blood-tainted liquid was pooling on the ground nearby, indicating it was close to death.

If it did die, what kind of punishment would the likely “culprit,” Ma Liu, face? Cheng Xu felt a surge of anxiety. Just as he was at a loss for what to do, Yan Qi suddenly started to struggle fiercely, exclaiming, “I brought medicine! Maybe I can save this little horse!”

His tall figure and loud voice immediately drew everyone’s attention, including the men who had intended to threaten him.

After some negotiation, the people of the Xi Er Tribe finally agreed to let Yan Qi fetch the medicine to save the horse. Half an hour later, Yan Qi returned to the gazebo with a medical kit in hand. Cheng Xu felt a mix of panic and chaos, unable to help but edge closer and whisper, “Are you sure? If you can’t save it and make things worse, you’ll become the culprit, and they won’t let you off so easily.”

Cheng Xu wasn’t worried for his safety; though the Xi Er Tribe was fierce, they wouldn’t kill for no reason. But Yan Qi’s actions had changed the situation entirely.

Yan Qi met his gaze and suddenly smiled brightly, saying, “Xu Ge, are you worried about me?”

Cheng Xu tightened his frown. “Is this really the time for that?”

“So you admit it?” Yan Qi grinned even wider before turning serious again. “The medicine I brought is the most advanced in the world; it can save critically ill patients. A horse should be no problem.” With that, he strode confidently toward the gazebo.

Cheng Xu watched his back with mixed feelings. He had resolved to distance himself from this person after the latter had crossed his boundaries. Yet, deep down, he knew he wasn’t entirely indifferent to Yan Qi.

The intense love he had once sought was something he had only felt with this man.

But after feeling that spark, what followed was humiliation and coercion, which Cheng Xu couldn’t bear, leading him to decide to escape. Upon their reunion, he expected to be treated harshly, but instead, Yan Qi showed restraint and stepped up to help him out of a tight spot.

It was all so contradictory.

The villagers—men, women, and children—gathered around with hopeful eyes. Cheng Xu observed as Yan Qi crouched in front of the little horse, gently stroking its head before opening the box, expertly mixing the medicine and preparing a syringe. Cheng Xu wasn’t surprised that Yan Qi could give injections; modern syringes were user-friendly, and as long as one was steady, it was nearly impossible to mess up.

As the liquid was injected, the little horse emitted a weak whinny. Yan Qi pulled out the needle, pouring some liquid medicine into its mouth, and then treated the broken leg. He finally stood up and said, “Once a day for three days should yield results.”

The only man who had spoken to them warned, “If it doesn’t work, you will be punished and can never leave the Xi Er Tribe!”

Yan Qi dismissed the threat, even smirking, “Let’s see if they can keep me here after three days.” He then turned his head and found Cheng Xu, flashing him a bright smile.

Cheng Xu’s heart raced with a mix of emotions.