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

Chapter 286 Going Their Separate Ways

Tianji looked down on her ignorant attitude. "I told you to level up so you could enter the secret realm, but I think you've been slacking off. You haven't killed a single high-level demon in all this time. You should go train whenever you have time so I can get you some good stuff!"

Ning Xiaoxi bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle. "Yes, sir. I will certainly live up to your expectations. Thank you, sir!"

Ning Xiaoxi adopted a humble attitude, and Tianji was willing to accept it. "I will try my best to dilute you from the affairs of the royal city, so that you don't have to get involved in these pointless struggles. You just need to take back what you can." Tianji's voice was somewhat somber. "It would be good if we could really leave something behind."

Ning Xiaoxi quietly looked at Tianji, this divine beast that was born into the world with auspiciousness. Perhaps this was not its final destination, but rather the place where its birth was meant to be.

After pondering for a while, Tianji finally couldn't help but ask, "Qingli..."

"No, it's just a few eggs," Ning Xiaoxi quickly answered. It was just a coincidence, and she didn't want anything to go wrong; her small frame really couldn't handle it!

Tianji's disappointment was palpable. "Actually, it wouldn't be so bad if it just disappeared like this."

"You're not the person people like anymore, so what are you doing to me like this?" Ning Xiaoxi bit her lip, afraid she might accidentally blurt it out.

Tianji glanced at the thin miasma that had climbed up to his knees, and said, "We'll see each other again in the royal city."

Ning Xiaoxi didn't say anything more. After bowing, she quickly began to use her earth-walking technique, not paying much attention to the direction, only wanting to leave as soon as possible.

"Xiaoxi, do you really want to go along with them?" Tuanzi's soft voice rang out.

"How could that be?" Ning Xiaoxi quickly denied. "One of them is a demon, and the other is a monster. Although you chose them both, they both failed, didn't they? So, their thinking is fundamentally flawed."

However, his decision to devise a method to split the human race is quite ruthless!

The gradual demise of the demon and monster races, and the rise of the human race to dominance, were inevitable. The very existence of the Great Xia Dynasty is a miracle!

It seems they are unaware that Xia Zhiyin's body was taken over by Hou Qing.

Whether he knows or not won't affect what he does next. Right now, whether he's human or demon is no longer important. Let's just wait and see.

Don't forget your responsibilities.

"Slaying demons and monsters!" Ning Xiaoxi said, almost as if it were a reflex. "Don't worry, I only have one goal: to slay demons and monsters and protect my family!"

Tuanzi glared at her. "Are you even a target?"

Ning Xiaoxi didn't care how big its eyes were; this was her goal!

Only after leaving the territory of Jingzhou and arriving in a densely populated town did Ning Xiaoxi feel like she had come back to life.

At the end of October, Qingzhou was still lush and green, and the light drizzle added a touch of poetry to the streets.

Ning Xiaoxi sat by the window of a teahouse, a small stove lit on the table in front of her, and white steam rising from the boiling water in the teapot hanging above her. The gurgling sound of the water mingled with the pattering rain, creating a serene and beautiful scene.

Rarely did Ning Xiaoxi have such a peaceful and beautiful time. Listening to the sound of rain and boiling water, she thought of her grandfather's family. Her father had come from Qingzhou. When she passed through Xuzhou, she didn't think about clan matters because her father said that their branch had already broken away from the nine generations and established their own clan. So the Ning family in Xuzhou was no longer her ancestral family. But her grandfather's family was different; they were also family members connected to her by blood.

She was considering whether to pay them a visit. She was currently in Yancheng, while her grandfather's family lived in Yucheng, a hundred miles south. The climate there was much more pleasant!

I poured myself a cup of hot tea, but the cup was only big enough for one sip.

Actually, her current situation isn't exactly good. Although she can move freely, it's only because no one pays attention to her. She's the least conspicuous person now, making it easy for her to hide and escape, which is why no one notices her. Tianxian did see her, but he has too many things to manage, and she's not important enough for him.

She lowered her gaze to the bracelet on her right wrist. In the gloomy weather, the gemstones lacked their luster, making it appear somewhat dull, yet its effects remained unchanged. The icy blue snowflake that had once graced her left wrist was gone, revealing smooth, delicate skin that looked quite beautiful. Living on the fringes seemed rather pleasant, watching the powerful vie for power, and observing the endless civil war that had erupted among humans once the threat of outsiders was gone.

She wouldn't allow herself to bring any danger to her family, not even the slightest possibility.

After achieving a peaceful state of mind, she always felt a desire to merge into the world. It seemed as if this world was inviting her, yet she could still distinguish between the world and herself. She wondered if one day, there would be no distinction between the world and herself, would she be able to face everything with a better mindset?

The drizzling raindrops began to slant downwards, and the wind picked up.

On the street, a group of pedestrians walked through the rain, their footsteps splashing in the water on the stone slabs, making a continuous "pitter-patter" sound.

Ning Xiaoxi looked up at the group of people, dressed in neat black clothes with white trim, they were government officials.

A small sip of hot tea dispelled the gloom in her heart. If she couldn't go home, so be it. As long as she could live a peaceful life, being together wasn't that important!

In the middle of the procession was a small, exquisite carriage, its wheels creaking as it rolled over the water, the pattering raindrops forming a curtain of water with each sway of the carriage. There were six constables in the first two rows, and another two rows of six constables behind the carriage.

A breeze blew by, and Ning Xiaoxi frowned, holding her water cup and staring intently at the carriage.

The guards weren't particularly strict, but it wasn't a place an ordinary person could just approach. So why didn't they notice?

On a rainy day, most of the shops on both sides of the street were closed, with a few shopkeepers even sitting around a stove, brewing wine. When they saw the group of people approaching, no one seemed to find it strange; they just glanced at them and then went back to what they were doing.

Ning Xiaoxi drank the water in her cup. Everyone was already used to it. Was it because they were used to these people, or to the cars crossing the street?

The convoy drew closer and closer. This was the street corresponding to the city gate. Following the street, they would eventually leave the city.

Amidst the pattering rain, a figure in blue emerged from a dark alleyway and slowly began to walk towards the convoy, holding an oil-paper umbrella.

A faint demonic aura rippled in the rain. Ning Xiaoxi watched the blue figure with amusement. It was quite bold of it to come out and wander around in broad daylight.

When the convoy was ten steps away, the figure in blue stepped directly from the walkway onto the road.

The caravan stopped, and the constables drew their swords, their faces grim beneath their straw hats.

The figure in blue slightly raised the oil-paper umbrella, and a soft, alluring voice drifted through the rain, "Give her back to me."