In her sleep, Bai Luxin felt an itch on her leg. She subconsciously rubbed her legs together and reached down to scratch.
Nuobai, startled by her movement, intercepted her hand.
“Awake?”
“Mhm, itchy.”
After a month, the scabs on her wounds had already fallen off, leaving a crisscrossing network of glaring red marks on her legs.
“Itchiness means the wounds are healing. You can’t scratch them with your nails right now.”
“Mhm.”
“Want to watch me carve?”
“Yes.”
Bai Luxin’s answer was muffled, a puff of air held in her mouth. Her hand subconsciously started reaching down again.
Nuobai wrapped her tail around Bai Luxin’s hand, binding it securely against her own chest.
Bai Luxin gently rubbed her legs together, but the motion only intensified the itching.
She could only force herself to stop and try to distract herself.
“Give me your tail.”
Nuobai understood. She placed the tip of her tail in Bai Luxin’s hand for her to play with.
The sensitive tail was kneaded and shaped into various forms in Bai Luxin’s grasp.
Nuobai’s hand trembled slightly, and a piece of the stone she was carving chipped off.
“Hehehe…”
Having succeeded in her mischief, Bai Luxin stopped tormenting the little tail. She watched as Nuobai picked up a new piece of stone.
Her tail twitched rhythmically in Bai Luxin’s hand, and for some reason, the tips of Bai Luxin’s ears felt strangely warm.
Nuobai was now wearing Bai Luxin’s combat suit. Her own dress was far too ill-fitting, especially around the chest area.
I should have brought a few dresses myself, Bai Luxin thought.
Watching as Nuobai easily sliced through the stone with her claws, Bai Luxin could finally appreciate just how sharp those claws were.
And yet, she got to hold and rub those very claws every single day.
Their “home” had been expanded several times over by Nuobai. Since wood carvings were harder to preserve, Nuobai had switched to carving stone.
The walls of the stone cave were now adorned with all sorts of small stone sculptures. There was Sister Qin, the Moon Wheel Bird, the Flying Squirrel…
But the most numerous were sculptures of Bai Luxin herself. She never imagined she could be carved in so many different poses.
Nuobai finished carving the new sculpture. It was of Bai Luxin walking, with Nuobai standing on her shoulder, tail wrapped around her neck.
“Hungry, Nuonuo?”
Bai Luxin shook her bound hand. In the next moment, the situation reversed. Bai Luxin took hold of Nuobai’s hand, and they began preparing food together.
The finest Snow Velvet Flowers often required only the simplest preparation.
Today, it was soup. The unique texture of the Snow Velvet Flower, paired with mountain spring water, created a warm broth that spread comforting warmth through the body while leaving the mind clear and bright.
“Quick, Teacher Nuonuo, let’s go study.”
The “study” Bai Luxin referred to was carving. In the very center of the stone cave, she had proposed carving a statue of the two of them together.
The cat-girl Nuobai and her Beast Master, Bai Luxin. This was to be their shared creation.
So she insisted on participating in every carving session. Nuobai indulged her, wrapping one arm around Bai Luxin’s waist from behind as they carved together.
Nuobai carved slowly, with great care.
Bai Luxin secretly stole glances at her, distracted from the task. Nuobai’s focused expression was captivating, like a magnet Bai Luxin couldn’t tear her eyes away from.
Nuobai was taller than her now. When they stood together, it somehow felt like Nuobai was the older sister.
Perhaps it was because Bai Luxin hadn’t walked on her own feet for a whole month. Wherever she needed to go, Nuobai carried her.
It’s just a minor leg injury, not an amputation, she thought.
“Tired?”
“Huh?”
“No.”
Caught being distracted, Bai Luxin blushed slightly.
“Nuonuo, are we almost finished with the carving?”
“Mhm, just about done.”
That meant it was time to leave this place…
Bai Luxin felt a pang of reluctance. This place was truly wonderful. Every day, Nuobai was by her side, never leaving her for a moment.
If they could just stay here forever, she’d want it to go on like this indefinitely.
Cooking every day, leaning against her while learning to carve, bathing and playing together in the hot spring.
Nuobai probably finds this kind of life utterly boring, Bai Luxin thought. Her dreams aren’t here.
Sensing her low spirits, Nuobai carried her outside. The open space would help alleviate her mood.
“Sister, reluctant to leave here?”
“Can we come back?”
“Of course. We can come back anytime you want.”
Sister’s injuries were basically healed. After leaving the Secret Realm, they could find a Healer to repair the scars.
Once the statue was finished, there would be nothing left to linger for on the mountain peak.
Three days later, the statue of the two of them was completed.
Bai Luxin took one last look at it, then climbed onto Nuobai’s back. She used a cheerful tone to mask the reluctance in her eyes.
“Let’s go, Nuonuo.”
“We’re going home. When Sister Qin sees you, she’s going to be so surprised.”
Along the way, Nuobai carried her, stopping and starting frequently to prevent Bai Luxin from feeling unwell.
On the mountainside of Never-See-Lord Mountain, a middle-aged man with messy hair, a stubbled face, and an air of utter exhaustion leaned against a snow pine tree, a cloak draped over him.
Seeing Bai Luxin riding Nuobai down the mountain, he rubbed his eyes and slapped his own head hard.
Confirming it wasn’t an illusion, he stood up and blocked their path.
“Snow Joy Cat, Nuobai?”
“Who are you?”
Faced with an inexplicable roadblock, Nuobai’s guard went up.
“Hahaha!”
“I finally waited for you!”
“A whole month! Do you have any idea how I’ve spent this month!”
“Were you having a baby up there?!”
“Why did it take so long!”
The disheveled man roared his frantic questions, simultaneously crushing a piece of wood in his hand.
Wood shavings instantly scattered across the snowy mountain.
Having vented his displeasure, he took a mask from his waist and put it on, his tone shifting to one of elegant calm.
“Order of Deity Slayers, Earth Armor. Hired to take your life.”
A fourth-tier late-stage Beast Pet—a Ghost-Faced Mountain Ape—was summoned beside him.
Nuobai was only at the second-tier late-stage. This Beast Pet exerted immense pressure on her. Immediately, she tapped Bai Luxin’s wrist with her tail.
Bai Luxin understood and secretly activated the Transmission Jade Pendant.
The pendant flickered twice, then fell still.
“Nuobai, it’s not working.”
Hearing this answer, Nuobai was momentarily distracted. At that very moment, a warning stirred through the snowflakes in the air.
A streak of white light sliced towards Nuobai’s neck. The instant she received the warning, Nuobai jerked her head aside, but still suffered a cut.
Racial talent, Protection?
Earth Armor commanded his two Beast Pets to attack, cautioning them not to harm the human.
There are two Beast Pets?! This invisible one is also fourth-tier late-stage!
Who wants me dead?
There was no time to think. The enemy’s attack was already upon her. Blood flowing from her neck wound coiled around Nuobai’s body, forming a faint red mist.
[Bloodthirsty Berserker] My own blood will do.
Under the skill’s enhancement, Nuobai narrowly dodged a rock hurled by the Ghost-Faced Mountain Ape.
Then, relying on the warning from her innate talent [Snow Joy], she evaded a fatal strike from the hidden enemy.
The Ghost-Faced Mountain Ape prepared to throw another rock, but Earth Armor hastily stopped it.
What if you hit Bai Luxin?! Get up there and fight hand-to-claw!
What the hell is the intel department doing? Weren’t they saying Nuobai had just reached second-tier early-stage? The one in front of me is clearly second-tier late-stage.
That’s bad enough, but what is this red mist surrounding her?
Wasn’t she only supposed to know [Sharp Claw], [Silent Step], [Light Arrow], [Shadow Bolt], and that one-second near-death counter skill?
When I get back, I’m filing a complaint with the boss!
“Sister, hold on tight.”
[Shadow Bolt] transformed into a black silk ribbon, securing Bai Luxin in place.
Nuobai used [Instant Kill Step], kicking up snow from the ground to disrupt the Ghost-Faced Mountain Ape’s senses.
Then, she executed consecutive [Instant Kill Step]s. To capture the bandits, first capture the king.
There were no rules against attacking the Beast Master in a life-or-death struggle.
Another skill not in the intel reports. And it can break through the boss’s restriction? That’s outrageous.
A red light flashed before Earth Armor as a creature materialized, blocking Nuobai’s attack.
Shared Perception, Instant Summoning.
An advanced Beast Tamer technique. Sharing the Beast Pet’s perception, instantly recalling the Beast Pet, then summoning it again to block an attack.
Nuobai was sent flying. Only then did she get a clear look at the Beast Pet—a black mantis.
After blocking the attack, it slowly turned transparent and vanished.
“Impressive. If not for the Phantom Scythe, I’d be dead.”
Earth Armor touched his neck and made a proposal.
“With the Phantom Scythe here, you can’t escape.”
“However, the buyer only paid for one life. Nuobai, I won’t kill your Beast Master.”
“You can let her leave this place.”
As he spoke, he moved aside, clearing the path down the mountain.
…