On the Ark.

……

Green left, and a mocking voice sounded behind Goldman.

“You really do revere your gods, don’t you?” Gollin turned around and saw a white-haired man with a cane walking toward him with a smile.

“Mephisto,” Goldman called out the other’s name. “I need your help this time. I can’t use my own men. Even a routine mobilization would definitely attract the attention of Ensiodis.”

Mephisto walked up to Gorvin and tilted his head: "You're really afraid of that man named Ensiodis, aren't you?"

"What a joke! Why would I be afraid of him? I wiped out his entire family. What trouble could he possibly cause?" Goldman was somewhat agitated.

“I know, I know, I was just saying.” Mephisto tapped the ground with his cane, making a crisp sound that calmed the excited Gorvin down a bit. Then he continued with a smile, “Of course we’ll take action. That’s exactly why we’re here. A pleasant… deal.”

“I can agree to any conditions you set,” Gorvin nodded slightly. “As long as you can bring the Saintess and Encia to me and then help me bring Enciaodis into submission and take over the Kalan trade.”

"Don't worry, we're professionals at this kind of thing." Mephistopheles shrugged. "My men are itching for it."

After meeting Mephistopheles' men, Goldman felt somewhat more at ease, but he still instructed them, "Don't make too much of a commotion."

Mephistopheles said calmly, "Deep in the snow-capped mountains, it doesn't matter how much noise we make, does it?"

Gollvin thought about it and it seemed to make sense, but he was unwilling to admit defeat, so he stubbornly said, "What I mean is, don't let others see that this is a man-made disaster. Make them think that it is a natural disaster, that it was a natural disaster that took away the saintess, not a man-made disaster. The people of Sherag will weep for a month for the saintess's death in the natural disaster, and they will also go crazy because the saintess died in a man-made disaster."

“I understand. People in religious countries have this kind of power.” Mephistopheles nodded with a smile. “For them, God is everything, and so are God’s messengers.”

“You know that’s good,” Goldman said. “However, I only want the Saintess and Encia. The rest can be killed directly. But as I said before, don’t let the people know that this was done by humans. You can bury them in the snow mountain. Even if their bodies are dug up, the people will only think that the Saintess and her party really encountered a natural disaster.”

“Don’t worry, like I said, we’re professionals.” Mephisto extended his hand to Goldman, tilting his head. “Pleasure doing business with you?”

Gollon looked down at Mephistopheles' outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out to return the gesture.

Their hands clasped together.

“It’s a pleasure working with you,” Goldman said.

……

Lin Ye couldn't understand where Lappland got so much energy.

Yesterday, I went crazy all night and even rolled down the mountain, looking so disheveled. But after only a few hours of rest, I was back to full strength. When I heard the news of the upcoming trip, I was so excited that I couldn't wait to run out of the house and embrace the snow-capped mountains.

Seeing this, Lin Ye couldn't help but sigh. With such a crazy woman around, he felt this long journey wouldn't be easy.

In stark contrast to Lappland, Sussuruo was not excited at all; in fact, she was rather nervous. When asked why, Sussuruo hesitated for a moment before replying, "This is the first time I've seen snow, and I always feel that the depths of snow-capped mountains are terrifying places."

Is that so?

"Hmm... are you mocking me with that expression?" Su Sulu looked at Lin Ye, somewhat annoyed. "Weren't you like this when you first met Xue?"

Lin Ye originally wanted to say of course not. Most southerners like him would be overjoyed when they first saw snow, just like Lappland. However, just as he was about to say that, a memory suddenly flooded his mind. He remembered how he looked when he first saw snow.

It seems like a long time ago, he found a thin cat in the snow.

Chapter 239 The Girl Wearing a Scarf

Lin Ye didn't know what he was thinking, but he brought up this matter with Su Suluo.

"You found a cat in the snow?" Sussuro turned to look at Lin Ye and asked, "Is it in Chernobog? I remember it rarely snows in Chernobog."

“It’s not Chernobog, it’s another place,” Lin Ye said vaguely. “It’s in the countryside. I used to live in the countryside, and then I went to Chernobog. But it rarely snows there either. I didn’t see snow for the first time until much later.”

"And then you found a cat? A stray cat?"

“Yes, I dug it out of the snowdrift.” Lin Ye said as he recalled, “It was about three or four months old, very thin, and looked quite pitiful. When I dug it out, it was almost frozen solid.”

“Yes, cats aren’t exactly cold-resistant animals.” Sussuruo nodded. “But it was still pretty lucky to meet you. Did you adopt it later? After all, you used to be… oh, you didn’t have a job back then?”

“Yes, I really wanted to adopt it, even though I already had quite a few cats at that time, but unfortunately…” Lin Ye said softly, “It didn’t make it. When I took it to the vet, it was already dead.”

Susuluo was stunned: "Dead?"

"Well, I don't know if it froze to death or starved to death, or maybe both. I found it too late. Even though I wrapped its body in a scarf and tried to feed it sausages, it didn't work. It only barked at me twice and then didn't react. It didn't eat the sausages either."

It happened quite a long time ago, but recalling it still brings a pang of sadness. It was the first time he had ever seen snow. For southerners, seeing snow is a rare treat, especially since his city hadn't seen snow for over a decade. But on that winter night, the snow suddenly fell. While other children his age were immersed in the joy and excitement of seeing snow, Lin Ye stood alone in the vet, holding a cat that was beyond saving, lost in thought.

Outside the pet hospital, a barrage of firecrackers went off, and colorful fireworks lit up the night sky, illuminating Lin Ye's bewildered face.

Whether it was influenced by Lin Ye's words or not, even though it was a topic about how she reacted when she first met Xue, Su Suluo felt a tightness in her chest, as if something was blocking it.

"And then?" Susuluo couldn't help but ask.

"Later? What later?" Lin Ye shrugged. "We could only bury that cat. We even buried it with a sausage and a protective bell, oh, and my scarf too."

Susuluo was a little confused: "Why put in ham sausage?"

"If it starved to death, then let's hope it will always have food in its next life."

"...What is that protective bell?"

“I’ve never been very healthy since I was a child. My mom prayed to gods and Buddhas, and even bought a protective bell from a master named Taobao... uh, I mean, a master named Taobao, and told me to carry it with me to protect me.” Lin Ye coughed twice. “But that bell was obviously useless to me. I still encountered all the bad things that were going to happen to me, so carrying it around would be like being an idiot. So I gave the bell to that cat and saw if it could protect it.”

"But that cat is dead."

"Then let's bless it in its next life."

Susulu felt that Lin Ye's ideas were strange. In her opinion, no matter what kind of creature it was, once it died, it was dead. Death meant that it had completely severed ties with this world. How could there be any concept of an afterlife? And even if there were, what could those things buried in the ground possibly do? It was all just wishful thinking.

However, despite finding the idea absurd, she was surprised to find that it was actually quite alright.

"What about that scarf?" Sussuro asked. "Do you hope it won't freeze to death in its next life?"

What do you mean by "you won't freeze to death again"? That's a rather strange statement, although that's the general idea.

Lin Ye didn't know how to explain. After all, Su Suluo and he were from different worlds, and she couldn't understand the expectations that parents in his hometown had for their children: that they "wouldn't suffer from cold or hunger, and would live a peaceful and safe life." Especially for a child like Lin Ye whose health wasn't very good, while other parents hoped their sons would become dragons and their daughters phoenixes, Lin Ye's parents simply hoped he could live a long and peaceful life. Unfortunately, he didn't live up to their expectations and still died young.

So that night, Lin Ye shared the same thought as his parents, hoping that this unlucky cat would be able to survive in its next life... if it had a next life, it wouldn't suffer from hunger and cold and would live a peaceful life. Looking back now, it seems pretty silly. Anyway, when he got home that night, he was scolded half to death by his mother for losing his protective bell and scarf.

"Dr. Lin, Dr. Lin! We're about to leave."

Ya Xin's voice pulled Lin Ye out of the vortex of memories. He turned around and found Ya Xin, "fully armed," standing at the gate waving at him.

"So fast, this is too exciting!"

Lin Ye said this, but in reality he had already prepared. When Ya Xin called him, he stopped discussing the silly things he did as a child with Su Suluo and went straight over. Su Suluo followed behind him like a little follower. Often, for every step Lin Ye took, she had to run two or three steps to keep up.

Horn Peak and First Snow arrived as well. Horn Peak carried the largest bag and still looked very serious. When Lin Ye walked over, he said to Lin Ye earnestly, "Doctor Lin, the Holy Road is not so easy to walk. After we enter the mountains, I need you to follow my instructions in everything you do and not wander off."

Lin Ye nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, don't worry, I understand these things."

“I know you understand, but I need more than just your understanding.” Horn turned to the side, pointed at Lappland who was running wildly at the door, and said seriously, “I want you to make her understand that St. Paths is not a fun place.”

Lin Ye's lips twitched slightly.

At that moment, the first snow rang the sacred bell.

Amidst the sacred ringing of the bell, Chuxue clasped her hands together, faced the direction of the holy path, and slowly closed her eyes.

"Mount Kalan," the first snow whispered, "please bless us."

……

Mount Karan, the sacred temple.

A cold wind swept by, and a series of bells hanging in the temple rang simultaneously, their sounds clear and melodious.

When the bell stopped ringing, the young girl put down her hot tea, walked out of the temple, and stepped into the snow.

She looked up, and the not-so-bright sun was reflected in her eyes.

The wind rises again.

The girl's gray scarf fluttered in the wind.

……

……

Author's Note: My grades plummeted as soon as I started writing the Kjerag arc... Of course, it could also be due to the start of the school year, but seeing this low subscription rate still breaks my heart. Thinking back, I realized most people still prefer Skadi; ​​the highest subscription rates were basically during Skadi's appearances. However, I can't just focus on Skadi. Actually, I was a bit hesitant before writing the Kjerag arc, since the background information there hasn't been fully developed, and the popularity of the Snowfield siblings isn't as high as many other operators (I'm talking about Skadi!). But since I've already started, I might as well do my best. Some people have said that it's best not to touch on gods when writing about Kjerag, but I did anyway. Thinking about it carefully, I guess I'm a master of self-destruction.

Chapter 240 This is just the beginning.

The cry of an eagle rang out.

SilverAsh stopped and looked up. He saw a small black dot under the sky, which then rapidly expanded. He raised his hand, and soon a black eagle landed on his arm.

Then, a voice exclaimed from beside him, "Tenzin is really amazing, boss. No matter where you are, it can find you."

SilverAsh grunted in acknowledgment, then noticed the letter strapped to Tenzin's claws. He took it off, unfolded it, and after reading the words, his brow furrowed slightly. The person standing next to him noticed this and asked curiously, "What's wrong, boss? Is there news from the border guards?"

“No.” SilverAsh rolled up the letter and said, “It came from Horn Peak.”

"Uncle Cliffheart?" The young man standing next to SilverAsh was somewhat surprised. "Uncle Cliffheart? I know he's back, but what does he want with you?"

SilverAsh didn't hide anything and said directly, "Encia is preparing to enter the Holy Road."

"The Path to Sainthood?" The young man was quite surprised. "At a time like this?"

“Yes, at a time like this.” SilverAsh recalled Lin Ye’s argument with him last night and said softly, “Is it because of him?”

The young man didn't hear the second half of SilverAsh's sentence. Instead, he said anxiously to SilverAsh, "Isn't it a bit inappropriate to let Miss Encia enter the Holy Road at this time? The Three-Seat Conference is about to convene, and now that you have the support of the Border Guards, you're bound to be seen as a thorn in the side by the other two major families! I believe they wouldn't dare to make a move against you, but Miss Encia..."

“I know.” SilverAsh leaned on his cane with one hand and gently stroked Tenzin’s feathers with the other, sneering, “Despicable people always do despicable things. They called Encia back in my name, weren’t they just plotting this? Trying to force me to submit with Encia? They underestimate me, Enciaos.”

“Then let Uncle Horn Peak keep an eye on Miss Encia,” the young man said. “As long as she doesn’t leave the mansion, the two families can’t do anything, right?”

SilverAsh was silent for a moment, then said, "Enchia isn't a problem; Cliffheart can certainly keep an eye on her, but..."

Although SilverAsh didn't explain it clearly, the young man guessed what he meant and tentatively asked, "Is it because of... the Holy Maiden?"

SilverAsh didn't give a clear answer, but simply turned around and said, "Let's go back. Put the border guard matter aside."

"Okay." The young man followed SilverAsh, but after only a few steps, he saw SilverAsh stop again, and couldn't help but wonder, "Boss?"

Silver Gray lowered his head and spread his hands.

There was a small piece of ice in my palm, with white frost marks inside.

The piece of ice had just fallen into his hand. He initially intended to throw it away, but he quickly realized that it was different from other pieces of ice.

He closed his eyes and exerted a slight force.

The ice cubes remained completely still, showing no signs of breaking.

He immediately understood, and turned his head to look in the direction of the holy mountain.