Chai Xiaomi opened her eyes and spit out a flower petal that had stuck to the tip of her tongue.
Through their time together, she had long since become familiar with every subtle flicker of expression on Wu Li’s face. When he handed her the petal just now, his face was perfectly calm, but she still caught a trace of something off.
She had no idea what swallowing the petal would do, but seeing Old Ji, Brother Yu, and Sister Yao collapse one after another, she immediately decided to play along and pretend to faint.
She didn’t know what Wu Li was up to, so she figured she’d just go with it.
It wasn’t until she overheard his conversation with the Snow King and the cold, merciless killing that she realized how serious things were.
If her guess was right, the person the Snow King had mentioned was none other than the High Priest.
As Chai Xiaomi was lost in thought, a shower of ice shards suddenly rained down in front of her.
She was startled and raised her hand to block them.
A thick layer of crushed ice had settled on the white cat’s back. It was standing on tiptoe, frantically shaking its fur, ice chips falling off in a flurry.
“This heartless little brat!” it cursed as it shook. “Knows to shield his own girl, but can’t bother to shield his master!”
When its eyes met Chai Xiaomi’s, its fur instantly bristled.
“Oh dear, you frightened me!” It hopped backward. “How are you awake too, Xiaomi girl?”
Its cat pupils swiveled, catching sight of the petal still in her hand, and it instantly understood.
“So you didn’t eat the petal.” It turned its head to glance at the unconscious Jiang Zhiyu and Song Yueyao nearby and clicked its tongue. “Two older brains really are less sharp than two younger ones.”
Chai Xiaomi didn’t take the bait. Instead, she asked, “Old Ji, how come you ate it and you’re fine?”
“I’ve been around for years—if I couldn’t see through or neutralize a simple little charm like that, I’d have been wasting my time.”
The two traded words back and forth, neither noticing the snake head that had lifted nearby.
Hongjiao twisted its head, looking from one to the other, its serpent eyes filled with astonishment.
The charm its master had cast was supposed to last an entire incense stick’s burn before they woke up.
Who would have thought these two would break the rules, pretending to sleep so convincingly?
It was already worried about how to explain why they had fainted, scrambling to come up with an excuse in its head, when both of them turned to look at it and asked in unison:
“Where did Lili go?”
“Where did that brat go?”
Hongjiao: “......”
Its stiff snake head twisted left, then right, unsure which question to answer first.
Just then, a reminder flashed through Chai Xiaomi’s mind from Youtiao: “Host, the system has detected the appearance of a key supporting character in this map: the High Priest.”
Youtiao’s tone was tense. “According to the original story, this character’s appearance signals that an important plot point is about to unfold—”
A pause.
Then, in unison.
Youtiao: “The massacre of the tribe!”
Chai Xiaomi: “The massacre of the tribe!”
The two voices almost overlapped, but only Chai Xiaomi’s fell on the white cat’s ears.
“Massacre of the tribe...” The white cat froze.
It looked up and saw the girl’s face drain of all color, turning pale and dreadful.
Those two words drove into Chai Xiaomi’s mind like an ice spike.
She remembered this part from the original story. It was the moment Wu Li truly defied the High Priest. He slaughtered the entire witch clan, completely turning against the High Priest.
But the price was cruel.
It might have had something to do with the malevolent energy he carried.
From that point on, he walked the path of self-destruction.
She recalled the words he had whispered in her ear: I’ll go take care of the trouble. Wait for me.
So that was what he meant.
“Lili...” Chai Xiaomi’s heart clenched. Without a second thought, she turned and rushed out.
Hongjiao hurried after her, its tail lashing out to hook onto her shoulder.
The white cat’s pupils darkened, and it quickly figured out what was happening.
Little brat. Said he wouldn’t go slaughter the entire witch clan, but broke his word.
But at this point, it knew full well that if he didn’t strike first, the other side would suppress him instead.
Step forward, and it was a cliff.
Step back, and it was the same.
The boy had been backed into this corner step by step.
The white cat closed its eyes. When it opened them again, they were clear and resolute.
It quickly muttered a spell, and two streaks of light shot into Jiang Zhiyu and Song Yueyao’s brows. A moment later, their lashes fluttered, and signs of waking appeared.
It looked toward the pile of debris on the ground in the distance. After all, that beast had only been trying to protect itself. The white cat murmured a short requiem, sending the snow beast away, while also trying to soften the karmic stain of yet another kill on Wu Li’s hands.
“Huh?”
A sound came from behind.
Jiang Zhiyu and Song Yueyao woke up one after another, finding themselves covered in a layer of ice chips. Before they could get their bearings, the white cat urged them: “Don’t just stand there!”
“Follow me—Wu Li might be in trouble!”
Their faces shifted instantly. Without asking further, they scrambled to their feet and charged after the white figure out of the cave.
Outside, the wind and snow were so fierce it was almost impossible to keep their eyes open.
This was completely different from when they had arrived.
Squinting against the gale, they pressed forward, running several dozen paces before suddenly stopping.
In the distance, on a snowy slope, someone was kneeling.
Alone, small and thin, like a lone ink dot abandoned in the vast expanse of white.
Her adorable tiger-head hat had been blown off, tumbling twice before burying into the snow. Her hair bun had come undone, stray strands wildly whipping across her face in the wind. Her cloak billowed out, making her look even more fragile.
“Xiaomi...”
Song Yueyao's voice trembled.
They rushed over.
As they got closer, they saw clearly.
She was holding a pile of snow in her hands.
A pile of red snow.
Chai Xiaomi had followed the footprints to this spot. Even though the small pool of blood had been covered by snow, she had still spotted that suspicious little bump.
She crouched down, carefully brushed the snow away, and scooped it up.
Then she never got up again.
They had never seen Xiaomi like this.
That girl who was always smiling, that little sun who was so bright—was now kneeling in the snow, her lashes thick with frost, her eyes hollow as two dried-up wells.
The tear tracks on her face had quickly frozen into ice.
Her tangled hair lashed against her face, and she barely noticed.
“What do I do...”
Her voice scraped out from her throat, hoarse and unfamiliar.
“I can’t reach him... I can’t reach Lili anymore...”
She looked up at the familiar faces around her, as if begging for help, or questioning herself.
She had tried.
Called his name in her heart over and over.
Once, twice, many, many times—but there was nothing.
The little bell around her ankle hung silent, not a single sound.
