In the frigid lands, after my exile, I began to slay demons and monsters.

Chapter 101

Soon, a small white figure emerged from behind the snow hare. Its body was elegant and agile, its movements light and graceful, as if it had blended into the icy landscape. Its fur was as if it had been carefully covered by the first snow, pure white and flawless, shimmering with tiny sparkles in the sunlight. Each hair seemed to be meticulously sculpted from an icicle, exuding a chilling aura.

Most striking of all is its lithe tail, at the tip of which leaps a ghostly blue flame. The flame flickers like a will-o'-the-wisp, yet remains undying, seemingly a mysterious fire born from the depths of the icy plains. As the flame dances, the surrounding air hisses and crackles, rising in a thin layer of icy mist. Its eyes, like two translucent sapphires, are deep and cunning, occasionally flashing with a ghostly light that reveals its intelligence and alertness. Its pointed ears stand erect, constantly sensing the slightest movement on the icy plains; even the faintest wind or the sound of falling snow cannot escape its detection.

"What is this?" Ning Xiaoxi stared blankly at the little thing. She suddenly realized that the demons and monsters on the snowfield were all very beautiful, exuding a crystal-clear beauty.

"Frostflame Demon Fox!"

"Demon?"

"A demon that hasn't yet formed its demon core!"

"Then it's not a demon yet." Ning Xiaoxi said somewhat awkwardly. No matter what, if it's not a demon, it's not a demon. It doesn't matter whether it can take human form or not.

He held out the rabbit leg he had just torn off to the little guy.

Its big, blue eyes stared at the rabbit leg for a long time, then it secretly peeked at Ning Xiaoxi a few times. Seeing that she was still smiling and her outstretched hand hadn't moved, it walked over gracefully and slowly, step by step.

The warmth from the rabbit's leg had dissipated in the cold air, but its sense of smell allowed it to still clearly smell the lingering aroma in the air—an enticing, alluring aroma.

The crackling of the flames mingled with the sizzling of oil dripping from the roasting rabbit, but Kuiwei Shanyue and Ning Xiaoxi remained motionless, sitting quietly.

The Frostflame Fox walked over to the rabbit's leg, sniffed it with its little nose, glanced cautiously at Ning Xiaoxi with its blue eyes, then snatched the rabbit's leg in its mouth and ran away quickly.

I glanced at the rabbit that the Frostflame Fox had brought over; it was already frozen stiff.

“These creatures are very wary and cannot be tamed and raised like reindeer. Therefore, my people usually make them into specimens and sell them to the royal city or the south.” Kuiwei Shanyue picked up a roasted rabbit and began to eat it heartily. “They cultivate very quickly, which is a natural advantage over humans. Judging from its appearance, it should be close to forming its core. Once it forms its core, it must be hunted down. In fact, that was the best opportunity to kill it.”

Ning Xiaoxi took small bites of the rabbit meat; it was a bit tough and not as delicious as she had imagined.

Kuiwei Shanyue continued, "There are many demon species in the polar ice plains, and the bloodlines inherited from ancient times always have their unique characteristics. The mutual protection that my clan and the Xia royal family agreed upon is not just a mere slogan. However, after a thousand years, how many people still remember the oath they once made?"

Soon, Ning Xiaoxi ate a rabbit missing a leg. Looking at the rabbit still roasting by the fire, she lost her appetite for eating it.

She has a hard heart, and can accept Tuanzi's arrangement to start slaying demons in this unfamiliar world. But she also has a soft heart; the deep sorrow she felt when Lord Di'an and the strategist were killed is a regret she cannot erase.

Humans and other races alike are all fighting for a place to live. Demons and monsters are all struggling to survive.

Humans have emotions, but do demons not? Aren't demons also products of desire?

"Susu!"

Ning Xiaoxi turned her head, and the little guy brought her another rabbit, then hid behind the rabbit and secretly watched Ning Xiaoxi.

Ning Xiaoxi picked up a rabbit that was roasting thoroughly by the fire and handed it over, her eyes widening as she looked at the little creature.

The little guy's big blue eyes blinked brightly, clear and sparkling.

"This is the only one left, there aren't any more."

With a "whoosh!" the rabbit in his hand was gone, and the white shadow disappeared into the distance.

After lunch, the two continued their journey. The reindeer moved quickly, but Kuiwei Shanyue was able to maintain a parallel stance, demonstrating excellent stamina.

The chill in the air grew clearer, and the distant, continuous mountain ranges gradually came into view. They varied in height and width, yet were all covered in snow, like white-headed old men.

Ning Xiaoxi suddenly stopped, pulled open her left wrist, and looked at the ice-blue snowflakes on it. The blue had a kind of bone-clear clarity, and the blue mist that had been lingering on it had become thicker.

"What's wrong?" Kuiwei Shanyue leaned closer and looked at the snowflakes on her wrist. They had a dazzling beauty, and he couldn't help but reach out his finger to touch them.

"Bang!" A burst of cold air erupted from the snowflakes and shot straight at Kuiwei Shanyue's fingers.

"Snap!" Ning Xiaoxi quickly grabbed her left wrist and looked at Kuiwei Shanyue's finger.

"I'm fine." Kuiwei Shanyue shook his hand, and the clear ice crystal on his right index finger was shaken off, only to be covered by another layer of ice crystal. He shook it off again, and it covered again, until the third time, when the ice crystal no longer appeared. "How are you?"

Ning Xiaoxi saw that his finger was really okay before she gradually released his wrist. The snowflakes seemed to float up, lifelike, surrounded by mist.

"There is no more demonic energy."

"what?"

"I can no longer sense the demonic energy on your wrist." Kuiwei Shanyue's brows gradually furrowed. "When I first saw you, the demonic energy on your wrist was dense, and I thought you possessed a demonic artifact. Even just the Snow Maiden's soul trace, its density was like that of a demon about to break through to a higher level. After spending the night under the Three Mulberry Tree last night, this morning, the demonic energy has become much weaker. Logically, it should be denser closer to its source. Just now, the moment the snowflakes started to fall, not a trace of demonic energy remained."

Listening to Kuiwei Shanyue's words, Ning Xiaoxi felt the snowflakes on her wrist. The cold air was actually much clearer and stronger than usual. Shouldn't it be easier to feel? Why couldn't Kuiwei Shanyue feel it?

Ning Xiaoxi's heart stirred, and she activated her spiritual power to surround the floating snowflakes. After circulating her spiritual power once, the snowflakes fell down and landed on her wrist.

“It’s appeared.” Kuiwei Shanyue had been watching her movements. “The demonic energy has reappeared.”

Ning Xiaoxi looked up at the tallest mountain in the distance, "Kongsang Mountain?"

Kuiwei Shanyue took out a water bag from his bosom and handed it to Ning Xiaoxi, "Can you confirm that it's in the direction of Kongsang Mountain?"

Ning Xiaoxi subconsciously took the water bag and took a sip. "It's mulberry sap."

“Kongsang Mountain is a forbidden area.” Kuiwei Shanyue’s expression was somewhat strange.

"What do you mean?" Ning Xiaoxi didn't hear clearly. She turned to look at Kuiwei Shanyue, but suddenly found that Kuiwei Shanyue's face was a little blurry. She shook her head, feeling a little dizzy and her eyelids were heavy.

"Xiaoxi, I'm sorry."

Before Ning Xiaoxi fainted, Kuiwei Shanyue's words came from afar.