Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 319: Complex Matters

Chapter 319: Chapter 319: Complex Matters

They’d been on the road for nearly ten days. Their legs were throbbing from exhaustion and at the end of each day, they didn’t want to leave the tent. When they could hear the wind whistling outside, they were overwhelmed by a sense of weariness.

Gu Fan was having a hard time too. He felt like he was about to collapse before finding Lin Xi.

At this point, Lu Yi kept checking the online rumors about Yuxueyun Mountain and found stories about a snow monster. Various discussions about the snow monster dominated the web. He read about people hearing strange noises and spotting large footprints when climbing the mountain.

Unable to resist his curiosity, Lu Yi asked, "Old man, does a snow monster really exist in Yuxueyun Mountain? Have you seen it?"

Upon hearing the question, old man Tian’s face darkened and he responded solemnly, "Those are just rumors. I’ve never seen it. It’s extremely dangerous to climb Yuxueyun Mountain because of the frequent avalanches. In such a harsh environment, how can a snow monster survive?"

Everyone found old man Tian’s explanation reasonable, which was somewhat comforting.

Ning Qi cut in, "I once noticed a large white figure hopping around when I was hunting in the woods. It vanished into the trees in a flash. I thought I was mistaken."

"Really, you’ve seen it?" Everyone got worried again. Looking at their tent, they couldn’t help but feel unsafe.

Xu Haowen offered his opinion, "Yuxueyun Mountain is so hazardous, it’s likely that the snow monster hides in the woods at the foot of the mountain. We just have never encountered it."

"Ah, I got it. As long as we climb the mountain, we don’t have to worry about running into the snow monster." Lu Yi’s expression seemed to approve of Xu’s suggestion, but the others looked uneasy because if Yuxueyun Mountain was too dangerous for even a snow monster, then...

"Enough, stop overthinking. We will rest for another day and have to get moving tomorrow." Before old man Tian could finish his sentence, Ouyang Jin began to signal him to delay their departure. The longer they stayed, the more money he could make.

"The sooner we finish, the sooner we can return safely. That’s the best outcome." After saying this, old man Tian patted Ouyang Jin’s shoulder, indicating he should give up his persistence.

With no chance of making extra money, Ouyang Jin couldn’t help but sigh.

Lu Yi tried to comfort him,

"Come on, dude, you’ve made enough. Don’t sweat the small stuff for just a day or two. Given our friendship, we will no doubt withstand the test of money."

Moved by these words, Ouyang Jin’s face lit up with sudden realization, "You’re absolutely right. Thanks to your friendship, I’ve made a fortune this time. I really appreciate it."

Without missing a beat, Lu Yi quickly replied, "As you’ve realized the value of friendship, you can keep prices fixed and not hike them in consideration of our friendship, right?"

Ouyang Jin firmly shook his head, "Exactly because of the value of friendship, I can’t afford to demean it. So, raising the price is inevitable."

"You bastard!" Lu Yi was so furious his teeth itched, ready to thrash it out with Ouyang Jin.

Ouyang Jin also provocatively gestured as if to say "come on, bite me."

Predictably, a fight broke out between the two.

Given the limited space in the tent, everyone cleared out. Gu Fan was the first to escape, "Guys, could you save some energy? We need to set off tomorrow."

"I don’t care. I must vent my anger." Determined not to back down, Lu Yi was now rolling on the ground fighting Ouyang Jin.

Having barely made it out of the tent, Gu Fan took a breath of cold air to cool his head. He needed to figure out their next move.

Without a map, without a guide, without any clues, Gu Fan felt like they were about to randomly bounce around Yuxueyun Mountain like headless flies. If they were lucky, they could accidentally bump into Lin Xi’s party.

"I refuse to believe you can all still move." Gu Fan thought to himself, but he had underestimated one thing - Lin Xi knew magic. She could heal everyone’s tired bodies with magic, allowing them to continue on their journey.

Yes, Du Changhui also believed that with Lin Xi they wouldn’t face any problems. But in reality, there were too many people on Lin Xi’s side. She needed to conserve her strength. After patching up one person, another would come forward. Finally, she decided not to heal anyone at all. If anyone wanted to rest, they could. It didn’t matter how long they rested - after all, they had already reached Yuxueyun Mountain, they could take their time searching.

"What’s on your mind?" Suddenly, Su Hui had appeared next to Gu Fan. "Are you thinking about Lin Xi or worried about Leng Le, or maybe Ning Qi?"

Her words made Gu Fan sound like a Casanova, and he laughed awkwardly, "I’m thinking about all three, actually. I just can’t figure out why I always get tangled up with women."

"The way Ning Qi looks at you seems like she depends on you. I feel like you two have reached an agreement. Are you two together now?" Su Hui’s words nearly gave Gu Fan a headache. He replied, "No, not together. I’m not interested in Ning Qi at all. Actually, I find her a bit dangerous. I should keep my distance. But some things happened and I can’t just ignore them."

Su Hui nodded, "As I said, I won’t force you to talk. We can discuss it after we all safely return."

"Sister Su, do you think if we can return safely, we can let bygones be bygones?" Looking at the high mountain peaks disappearing into the clouds, Gu Fan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret. Why was there always danger lurking ahead?

Su Hui noticed Gu Fan’s hesitation and distress. She wondered what unspeakable secret he had that would make him defend Ning Qi so much. But what actually happened? Did Hu Bo and Kang Rong really fall prey to a pack of wolves?

"Alright, you need to figure out how to handle it." With these words, Su Hui left. Gu Fan’s previous words echoed in her mind, about letting bygones be bygones if they could safely return.

"Wait. If Hu Bo and Kang Rong didn’t die by the wolves’ hand, then who could have killed them? What could have upset Gu Fan?" Su Hui couldn’t help speculating. Gu Fan was searching for Hu Bo and Ning Qi. She always suspected something fishy about Hu Bo and Ning Qi. If Gu Fan had interrupted something between Hu Bo and Ning Qi, what could have happened?

Did a failed conspiracy lead Hu Bo to attempt to kill Gu Fan, and did Gu Fan kill Hu Bo in self-defense, witnessed by Ning Qi? Is that why Gu Fan needed Ning Qi’s help to cover it up and why he hoped the matter would end?

Wait, if that were true, shouldn’t Ning Qi conspire with Hu Bo against Gu Fan? But why did Ning Qi seem to be on Gu Fan’s side?

"I just can’t figure it out, can’t figure it out at all." As complex as it was, Su Hui found her curiosity piqued.