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-Life is not easy- Wangxue sighs.

Wangxue didn't know how these two women negotiated, but they somehow concluded that a little deer should carry three people while flying.

-Is this reasonable?-

-Even if I am a divine deer, I shouldn't be treated like a workhorse!-

In mid-air, Yino held one of Wangxue's hooves with one hand, while Jinyue and Yunjin clung to his other arm on either side.

By the time they landed at the foot of Northern Luo Snow Mountain, both Yino and Wangxue were panting heavily from exhaustion.

Wangxue was tired from flying.

Previously imprisoned in the Mountain Temple, she was already severely weakened, and hadn't fully recovered yet. So carrying three people while flying was truly strenuous.

Yino was tired from being held.

Hanging in mid-air while holding onto the deer, with Jinyue and Yunjin's full body weight clinging to him, Yino felt like both his arms had gone numb.

But there was no choice. Jinyue neither wanted to squeeze onto the small boat nor stay with Yunjin. She just clung to Yino, refusing to let go even for a step, as if afraid of losing her prize catch.

Yunjin was initially quite accommodating, thinking that if worst came to worst, she could let Jinyue ride the blue crane with her.

However, Yunjin hadn't expected Jinyue to be so shameless. Not only did she complain about the small boat being crowded, but she even refused to ride Yunjin's blue crane!

In the end, Yunjin gave up too, dismissing her blue crane and running over to join Jinyue in clinging to Yino.

Finally, with no other option, they ended up in this current situation.

"Wangxue, the road ahead is still long. Come back and rest for a while."

On the snow-covered mountain trail, Yino paused to pet the panting deer alongside him.

Snow Village was at the peak of Northern Luo Snow Mountain.

After the incident with the evil cult's genocide, the entire Northern Luo Peak had been protected by a barrier set up by the Immortal Alliance.

So, Yino and the others could only land halfway up the mountain, have their tokens checked by the stationed Immortal Alliance members, and then Jinyue used her illusion technique to hypnotize them, disguising the stone in Yino's hand as a token. Only then were they allowed to enter the barrier and climb Northern Luo Snow Mountain.

The climb had been extremely tiring for Wangxue. She had only persevered this far out of sheer determination.

Yino knew that Wangxue just wanted to see her homeland with her own eyes.

But when they finally reached the steps leading to Snow Village's entrance, Yino couldn't bear it anymore. He walked forward and covered the deer's eyes with his hands.

"Don't look. It will bring back bad memories..."

Yino gazed at the worn-out signboard atop the hundred-meter staircase with a gentle voic.

This was the site of Snow Village, located at the peak of Northern Luo Mountain.

Originally, this place should have been as described in Yunjin's childhood stories - A secluded paradise protected by the nine-colored divine deer, with beautiful scenery and villagers laughing every day. Even the divine deer residing at the mountain peak would often come down to play with the children.

But now... This small happiness that once belonged to the people of Northern Luo Mountain had been completely wiped out by Gu Wanglan and the Full Moon Sect.

As a reincarnator, Yino had witnessed the tragic state of Snow Village on screen in his previous life. He just never imagined that one day he would bring the nine-colored divine deer back to this now-abandoned homeland.

"MEH..."

Wangxue let out a soft whine but didn't struggle. She just silently pleaded with Yino.

Yino finally softened.

"Alright, I'll let you see just a little bit..."

"Mm." The little deer nodded.

Yino slightly parted his fingers, allowing the blindfolded deer to see the distant ruins of Snow Village.

"Meh...Meh..."

"That's enough, come back and rest. It shouldn't be more than a few days before I avenge you."

Hearing the deer's silent cries, Yino hugged her again.

In his warm embrace, the nine-colored deer's figure gradually faded, finally transforming into a golden light that returned to the spirit mark engraved on the back of his hand.

"This place..."

"How did it become like this? There's not a single person in the village..."

Not far away, Yunjin's face was also pale as she gazed sadly at the snow-covered village ruins.

Although she wasn't a villager from Snow Village, Yunjin's hometown was at the foot of this mountain. Moreover, ever since the nine-colored deer saved Yunjin's grandparents, she had believed the nine-colored deer as her inner guardian deity.

But... In just a few years since she left home, such a tragedy had occurred at the peak of Northern Luo Mountain.

"It's getting late. Let's go into the village and see what's going on!"

Yino glanced at the setting sun and said calmly.

The ruins of Snow Village were actually even higher up. They needed to climb a very long staircase covered in snow.

Northern Luo Peak was already steep, and now it was the season of heavy snow and closed mountains. The cold wind mixed with large snowflakes blew against the girls' faces, feeling particularly harsh and biting in this scene.

Yunjin trudged up the stairs against the cold wind.

With each step she took, she flattened a layer of fine snow on the steps, revealing the black bloodstains that had been buried beneath the white snow.

Undoubtedly, these hundred steps leading to Snow Village had once witnessed a brutal battle.

Due to the extremely cold snowfall, even after such a long time, the blood frozen on the steps was still clearly visible.

"Ah!"

At some point, Yunjin felt her foot step on something hard that seemed to be shaped like a bone.

She yelled out in horror, suddenly feeling weak in her knees and unable to remain still, about to collapse forward.

But at that moment, the young man in front of her suddenly turned around and grabbed her arm.

"Don't scare yourself. It's just a stone you stepped on. Don't always focus on the path beneath your feet."

"Look ahead. That way you won't fall."

Yino's expression softened as he spoke gently.

Yunjin looked up, momentarily lost in the young man's gentel eyes.

At some point, her vision had become blurred with tears, but she still bravely gritted her teeth, gripped tightly, and took Yino's hand as she strode forward.

"See, it's much easier now..."

"My aunt once told me that no matter how strong the snow and wind outside, as long as we hold onto each other's hands tightly and don't let go, we'll never get lost."

Yino held her hand and said with a faint smile.

Yunjin listened silently, wiping away the tears on her cheeks with her hand. Her cute little face, blue from the cold wind, still showed a faint blush.

Her voice was hoarse as she just hummed in response, then obediently nodded and held Yino's hand even tighter.

"It's really amazing..."

"Holding hands, I don't feel cold at all, and even the stairs don't seem so high anymore."

After a moment of climbing, Yunjin reached the last step and couldn't help but marvel softly in disbelief.

Yino glanced at her, then looked towards the depths of Snow Village:

"Indeed. But don't space out now. Snow Village is too cold, and our supplies are limited. We need to quickly investigate the truth behind Snow Village's destruction and leave here in two days."

"Yino, wait for me!"

Seeing Yino about to walk away, Yunjin forgot about her sadness for Snow Village and quickly ran to catch up.

This time, she took the initiative to reach out and firmly grasp Yino's hand.

"?"

Yino turned back curiously.

Her face was already frozen from the cold wind, but she still managed to make a charming smile her cheeks crimson as she gleefully exclaimed, "Didn't your aunty say: No matter how strong the wind and snow, as long as we hold each other's hands, we'll never get lost?"

"But now the wind isn't strong anymore, and the village road is flat ground..."

Yino's gaze at her calmly.

But before he could finish speaking, the ahoge girl wrapped in a thick cotton jacket exclaimed and then turned her head away with a red face, changing the subject:

"By the way, have you noticed that Junior Sister Jinyue has been missing since earlier?"

"She... she couldn't have run into trouble while climbing the stairs, could she?"

...

...

...

"Yino, you bastard! Climbing so fast without even calling out to me!"

On the hundred-meter staircase in front of Snow Village, the fox demon girl struggled against the cold wind.

She had been crouching halfway up the mountain, admiring the scenery, observing the terrain, gathering information, and looking for the landing spot of the small flying boat carrying Chen Jianxin.

As a result, while Jinyue was engrossed in her observations, she suddenly felt it was too quiet. When she turned her head, she found that Yino and Yunjin were already halfway up the hundred-meter staircase!

With no choice, Jinyue had to chase after them quickly.

She had only yelled once, attempting to call the two, but her voice was like a stone dropping into the water without a trace in this roaring storm.

Jinyue raised her head, vaguely seeing the white-haired girl at the top of the steep slope stumbling and about to fall.

But at the critical moment, the young man walking in front extended a helping hand - he grabbed the falling girl's wrist and said something to her with gentle eyes. Then they smiled at each other, held hands, and continued forward, gradually disappearing into the snowy mist at the edge of Jinyue's vision.

"Yino! you—?!" Dive deeper into the story on Lokepub

Jinyue inexplicably felt upset at the sight and couldn't help but shout again.

But this time, before the foxgirl could finish her words, a fair jade hand engraved with golden sword patterns suddenly covered her mouth from behind.

"Help— mmph! Help mmph mmph!"

...

...

In the blizzard, a woman in a black dress unceremoniously dragged the foxgirl into the depths of the forest.