Lin Shanshan felt a pang of nervousness at the thought of facing the mighty Snow Kirin. This Demon Beast was extremely ferocious, and as a Tenth-Level Great Demon, she would be the one to die if it came to a true fight to the death.

She stole a glance at Luo Xiu, then stepped in front of him protectively. Although she couldn't defeat the Snow Kirin, she was confident she could escape if she set her mind to it. The trouble was, she now had to protect this young man named Lin Luo, so she couldn't just flee on her own. She had no idea why she felt compelled to protect this boy she had known for less than a day—a boy she could hardly say she knew at all.

I wonder if I owed him from a past life, or if he owed me from his. Lin Shanshan murmured to herself, casting another sidelong glance at Luo Xiu.

"Dumb Ball, if you don't want to die, you'd better run."

Just then, the Snow Kirin descended from the sky, landing with a thunderous crash!

Lin Shanshan's expression remained unchanged as a powerful aura suddenly erupted from her body. Behind her, a teardrop-shaped Dao Jade quietly manifested in the Void.

Dao Jade First Realm!

Unexpectedly, just as she was about to strike, the Snow Kirin suddenly bent its front legs and knelt, lowering its massive head.

"Master, don't misunderstand! I've come to report for duty!"

Lin Shanshan was speechless, her eyes widening in utter disbelief. "What do you mean?"

The Snow Kirin let out a strange chuckle and stood up. In a shimmer of flowing light, its enormous body transformed into a young woman who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. The girl wore a long white dress that appeared to be woven from countless crystal scales, giving it a dreamlike beauty. Her snow-white hair cascaded to her calves, swaying gently as if in a phantom breeze. Her face was as exquisite as a porcelain doll, almost too beautiful to be real.

Luo Xiu and Lin Shanshan stared at the stunning girl before them, both momentarily dazed. However, the moment the girl spoke, a coarse, gruff voice filled the air, and both of them felt their entire world collapse.

"Ahem... After this venerable one's deep deliberation... you and I, we've come to know each other through conflict. Great minds think alike, and our paths are aligned. Therefore, this venerable one has decided to accept you!"

"Accept me?" Lin Shanshan asked, pointing to her own nose.

The Snow Kirin raised her chin arrogantly. "That's right. This venerable one will accept you… as my master!"

Lin Shanshan was at a loss for words.

The Snow Kirin continued in its domineering tone, "From now on, I am your mount! You are only allowed to ride me. If you dare to ride anything else... this venerable one will never allow it! So, how about it? Aren't you happy?"

Lin Shanshan remained utterly speechless. At this point, she was truly bewildered. How had a Divine Beast mount simply appeared and offered itself to her? Was she dreaming? Or was it as the Snow Kirin claimed—that they had come to an understanding through their fight, a mutual respect between heroes? Regardless, avoiding a fight was certainly a good thing.

Luo Xiu also wore a strange expression, but his concern was different from Lin Shanshan's. He was fixated on the Snow Kirin's voice. She had the appearance of a stunningly beautiful girl but the voice of a middle-aged man. It was the kind of gruff voice one would expect from a man who chain-smoked, chewed betel nuts, and drank beer every day.

To describe it, imagine a beautiful angel meticulously creating a breathtaking masterpiece. Then, a demon leans over for a look and accidentally drips a glob of thick snot onto the artwork. The result was an angel's appearance with a demon's voice.

After a long silence, Lin Shanshan, her expression dark with exasperation, finally asked, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

The Snow Kirin replied, "I'm making you my master! What other ulterior motives could I have? To put it simply, your beauty and temperament have completely captivated me!"

"Enough!" Lin Shanshan quickly held up a hand, a pained look on her face. "Just stop talking. I get it!"

Like Luo Xiu, she was terrified of the Snow Kirin's unearthly voice. The voice of a true beauty was like an angel's kiss, melodic and sweet. The Snow Kirin's voice, however, was as if King Yan had her in a chokehold. It sent shivers down one's spine, made one's toes curl, and caused an inexplicable sense of irritation.

The Snow Kirin giggled, then shot a covert glance at Luo Xiu, pursing her lips into a sweet, intoxicating smile. But just as she was about to speak again, Luo Xiu frantically signaled with his eyes for her to shut up.

In truth, when Lin Shanshan had "rescued" him earlier, Luo Xiu had already explained everything to the Snow Kirin via Divine Sense Communication. The gist of it was that she was to come and acknowledge Lin Shanshan as her master and serve as her mount.

The alternative was to be killed and eaten. It was just that simple.

「For the next few days.」

Lin Shanshan remained in the cave dwelling, focusing on deciphering the runes on the stele to find a path to the Upper Realm. Luo Xiu kept himself busy as well, taking care of all her daily needs as a way to make up for the years of neglect. He prepared three meals for her every day and would even set up her tent before she went to bed at night.

His attentiveness made Lin Shanshan a little embarrassed. But as she observed him, she realized he had no ulterior motives; his kindness was simple and pure.

「One day.」

Lin Shanshan was sitting before the stele, engrossed in her work, when the familiar aroma of cooked food wafted over to her. She got up and walked into the adjacent stone chamber, where she found Luo Xiu stir-frying some dishes. The Snow Kirin was squatting beside him like a husky, biting her fingers as drool nearly dripped from her mouth.

"Dumb Ball, what are you cooking?"

Luo Xiu looked up and smiled. "Stir-fried pork with green peppers and smoked bamboo shoots with cured meat. I sliced it off the pork leg."

Hearing this, Lin Shanshan's eyes lit up. She glanced at the pot of white rice steaming nearby. "This is the South Pole. Where did you get ingredients like these?"

"From my Storage Magical Treasure, of course," Luo Xiu said. "You have to bring these essentials when you're traveling. Besides," he added, "we've been eating stews for days. It's time for some stir-fry to switch things up."

"Yes, yes! Brother Lin is absolutely right! That makes so much sense!" the gourmand Snow Kirin at her side nodded vigorously.

She had lived alone in the Ice and Snow Secret Realm for centuries and had never tasted such delicious cooked food. Luo Xiu's culinary skills had long since conquered her.

Luo Xiu and Lin Shanshan glared at her in unison. "You, be quiet!"

The Snow Kirin stuck out her little pink tongue and obediently fell silent.

Lin Shanshan walked over and patted Luo Xiu's shoulder. "Not bad, Dumb Ball. So young and already such a good cook, and you even vary the menu. If I get the chance, I'll introduce you to a pretty girlfriend."

Luo Xiu chuckled. "Then I'll thank you in advance."

A moment later, Luo Xiu placed the freshly cooked dishes on the stone table and served Lin Shanshan a large bowl of white rice.

"I was a bit worried Miss Lin might not enjoy these simple, home-cooked dishes, being used to gourmet food and all."

"Nonsense! Do I look like that kind of person? What hardship haven't I endured?"

However, when Lin Shanshan took her first bite, she suddenly froze.

Seeing her reaction, Luo Xiu paused, asking cautiously, "What's wrong? Is it not good?"

"No, it's not that. It's delicious." Lin Shanshan gently shook her head, quickly scooped several helpings of the dishes into her bowl, and devoured them with the fluffy white rice. "This flavor... it's so familiar. It's delicious. It reminds me of my dad."

Seeing her eyes begin to redden, Luo Xiu felt a sharp pang in his heart. "Can you tell me about your dad?"

Lin Shanshan put down her chopsticks. "There's not much to tell. I don't actually have many memories of him. He left when I was just a few years old, and the time we spent together couldn't have been more than a month. But that was the happiest time of my life. Even now, I can't forget it. My parents were both there, and my dad played with me every day... and he would cook for me."

She turned her back to Luo Xiu, her voice choked with emotion. "Let's not talk about this. By the way, Dumb Ball, I should be able to finish deciphering the runes today. After we eat, you should get ready. It's time for us to leave."

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