"Check your phone, any signal?"
"Alright, then we’ve got no choice. Let’s find a place to shelter from the snowstorm and spend the night. We’ll see tomorrow. We’ve already walked a few miles without any signal, it’s just our luck..."
Qin Tian was gasping for breath, exhausted. Seeing that there was no signal on his phone, and Meng Yao also repeatedly failed to get through an emergency call, both resigned themselves to spending a night in the ice and snow.
However, at this time, the sky had already turned dark. In the vast Snow Forest, finding a place to shield from the wind and snow was not easy.
"Use your phone to light the way for me; my phone still has battery, let’s save it."
Qin Tian said to Meng Yao. Working together, they trudged through the snow for about half an hour, and by the time it was almost completely dark, they found a small hill in the woods. One side of the hill was a recessed curve, like a shallow cave, just big enough for two people to squeeze into and sit down.
"We can’t find any other place, let’s stay here for the night."
Qin Tian was helpless, and so was Meng Yao.
Catching a murderer was supposed to be a cause for celebration, but who could have anticipated... what a turn from joy to sorrow...
Qin Tian set Meng Yao down and gathered some dry grass next to the hill to make a bed, saying, "The ground gets a bit damp with heat, sit on the grass. Hiss... it’s going to be cold tonight without a fire."
Qin Tian rubbed his hands together, looking around in the pitch-dark.
"It is a bit cold, but I didn’t bring a lighter." Meng Yao said disappointedly, "Looks like we’re destined to go hungry and cold tonight."
"Pfft, you’re underestimating my abilities, aren’t you?"
Upon hearing Meng Yao’s words, Qin Tian laughed, "I’ve stayed in places ten times worse than this. This is nothing."
"At a time , you’re still bragging?" Meng Yao was speechless, "Then tell me, just how much worse are those places?"
"The Amazon Rainforest in South America, where I once spent a week sleeping in a tree with poisonous snakes. The East Africa Rift Valley in Africa, where I’ve faced off against over thirty leopards and came out alive, and things like eating mice or snakes, I’ve done it all."
Qin Tian looked at Meng Yao with a serious expression, finding that in the darkness, they could barely see each other’s silhouettes, let alone faces.
Hearing Qin Tian’s tone, which didn’t seem like he was joking, Meng Yao started to believe him, "You’ve experienced so much?"
"Heh, what do you think? Without real combat experience, do you think I could have reached my current level in martial arts by just practicing behind closed doors?" Qin Tian replied with a light smile, "You, a young lady from a big city, with a strong family background, surely don’t understand these hardships. But never mind, there’s no use telling you all this. Let me show you something practical to prove my capabilities."
With that, Qin Tian crawled out of the small cave, using his phone as a flashlight, he collected a large pile of branches.
He cleared the snow off the branches, set them aside, and also prepared some dry grass, placing them to one side as well.
Finally, Qin Tian used the Dragon Blood Dagger to dig a hole on one side of the small cave. In just over ten minutes, he had dug a basin-sized pit about twenty centimeters deep.
Meng Yao watched Qin Tian’s actions through the murky darkness, noting how skilled and experienced he appeared, clearly not a novice.
She realized what Qin Tian was attempting and said, "Qin Tian, you’re trying to make a fire, right? But we don’t have a lighter, how are we going to start the fire?"
"Who said you need a lighter to start a fire?"
As Qin Tian spoke, he had already placed the dry grass in the pit and was ready with the small branches.
"You provide the light, and I’ll make a fire. Watch closely and learn; wilderness survival skills are highly practical," Meng Yao said, pulling out a pistol.
Under Meng Yao’s illumination, Qin Tian took two bullets from the pistol, extracted the gunpowder from the casing, and placed it on a stone he had already cleaned.
Qin Tian then arranged some dry grass nearby and added some flammable cotton on top of the licorice.
He picked up another smooth stone and rubbed it horizontally and forcefully against the stone containing the gunpowder!
The burst of force brought with it a subtle sound, and then Meng Yao saw that, as the stones rubbed together, sparks flew from the gunpowder. The sparks gathered, making contact with the nearby cotton and flammable dry grass, quickly igniting a small flame!
Qin Tian hurriedly blocked the wind and used the dry grass to nurture the small flame, placed it in the pit, and slowly added kindling... In less than a minute, the fire in the pit grew larger.
Seeing this, Meng Yao turned off her cellphone, her face lit up with joy, "Qin Tian, how did you manage that? You can make fire ? How did you do it?!"
At this moment, Meng Yao was in complete awe of Qin Tian.
Qin Tian smiled and said, "The gunpowder contains nitrate, sulfur, and other substances that ignite easily. As long as there’s enough gunpowder and sufficient friction, it’s easy to start a fire. Ordinary people need at least five bullets to get it right, but I can do it with just two. It’s not a miracle; I used to play around with this stuff."
Meng Yao felt an even greater respect for Qin Tian after hearing this.
Qin Tian laughed at his own words, thinking, damn, was he laying it on too thick just now? So dominating!
"Seems like I’ve been underestimating you?"
Now that they had a fire, Meng Yao no longer felt cold and was all smiles.
Qin Tian moved some twigs and wood closer to Meng Yao and said, "Keep an eye on the fire, make sure to add wood periodically so it doesn’t go out. I’ll go get some water."
"Water?" Meng Yao was startled at first, wondering, in this wilderness covered in snow, where could they possibly find water?
However, Qin Tian’s next remark enlightened her, "Isn’t snow made from water?"
Meng Yao instantly smiled knowingly.
Qin Tian combined the water from two mineral water bottles into one, then took the empty bottle and filled it with clean snow from outside. He placed it beside the fire, and in no time the snow melted into water.
"Wow, Qin Tian, you’re so amazing, you really know how to live," Meng Yao exclaimed.
Thirsty and having refrained from drinking water due to the concern of a limited supply, Meng Yao could now drink to her heart’s content. If needed, she could always ask Qin Tian to scoop up more clean snow.
"Having water is truly wonderful..."
After drinking, Meng Yao wiped her mouth and then touched her growling stomach, saying, "If only we had something to eat right now... that would be perfect... I’m so hungry."
"Want something to eat? That can be arranged."
Hearing Meng Yao’s wish, Qin Tian responded, "Your wish is my command, I’m hungry too."
Having said that, Qin Tian stood up, took the Dragon Blood Dagger, and walked outside, bracing the chilly wind, and said, "I’ll leave the pistol by your side for self-defense. Remember, stay here and don’t move, I’ll look around for something to eat."