Immortality

Legend had it that Snow Demons from another world had frozen over the Dragon Sleep Continent, plunging all living things into deathly silence.

Until the dragons awakened, tearing through the Icefield's blockade across the land and creating oasis after oasis where humanity could thrive.

Guangguang River Valley was one such tiny oasis.

Of course, it had sprung forth through the power of Clay Dragon Ross, but ultimately, it still relied on the Shadowflame Dragon's influence over the land.

The Shadowflame Dragon's power continuously radiated outward, sheltering the entire Shadowflame Grand Duchy. Clay Dragon Ross condensed a portion of that power, creating Guangguang River Valley, warm as spring throughout all four seasons, and making it the ancestral territory of the Fluorite Mushroom Family.

"As for Snow Ghosts..."

In the kitchen, the manservant Ram vividly recounted an ancient legend. "The Icefield seals away the Snow Demons' dark power. Once someone is killed by a Snow Demon, they will be eroded by that dark power, rise from the dead, and become a Snow Ghost!"

"Are Snow Ghosts black or white?" Barbara, one of the kitchen maids, asked foolishly.

"Well..." Ram had never seen a Snow Ghost himself, but he had to maintain his image as a learned man before the maids. "Of course they're white. Otherwise, why would they be called Snow Ghosts?"

"I thought they were called Snow Ghosts because they became ghosts in the snow," Olivia said.

"That's possible too." Ram was not sure either, so he hurriedly brushed it aside. "That isn't important. What matters is that the master killed a whole group of Snow Ghosts this time, including a Great Snow Ghost three meters tall!"

"Three meters? How tall is that?" Barbara gestured at her own height of just over one and a half meters, utterly astonished.

Olivia could not understand. "But how could Snow Ghosts transformed from people be so tall? I've never seen anyone that tall."

Ram thought for a moment. "Maybe people from other territories grow three meters tall."

"Wow, I really want to see someone three meters tall. If only I could leave this place once in my life," Barbara prayed.

Just then, Mrs. Moore, the cook, entered from outside carrying a basket of vegetables and barked, "You still want to go elsewhere? You wouldn't even need Snow Ghosts—Ghost Beasts would eat you, and the wild wolves on the Icefield would gnaw you down to a pile of bones! Hurry up and wash the vegetables! All you know how to do is slack off!"

"Sorry, I'll go right away." Barbara took the vegetable basket and dashed toward the washing basin.

Mrs. Moore looked at Ram with displeasure. "Oh, the master's probationary personal manservant. If you have so much free time, you should think harder about how to serve the master instead of coming into the kitchen to fool little maids. William has his eye on your position!"

"William is no match for me. He's all thumbs," Ram retorted, though he did not dare remain in the kitchen any longer.

"What a bunch of troublemakers," Mrs. Moore muttered.

Olivia did not leave. She was not a kitchen maid and was not under Mrs. Moore's authority, so she had no reason to fear her. Instead, she asked with great interest, "Mrs. Moore, do you know about Snow Ghosts? The ones the master killed?"

"Who among people my age doesn't know about Snow Ghosts? I've seen them more than once."

"Ah, you've seen those white ghosts?"

"White? Who told you Snow Ghosts are white? Those Snow Ghosts revived from the dead are all bluish-green."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Damn it, I knew Ram was talking nonsense."

"Never trust a man's mouth, dear."

"I heard that a Snow Ghost is a human soul imprisoned within a corpse. Once a Snow Ghost is killed, that person's soul scatters away like smoke."

"I don't know. They're all damned things, anyway." Mrs. Moore had long lost any curiosity about Snow Ghosts. "But I do know that when Snow Ghosts are killed, they leave behind Hail Beads. Those things can make people immortal."

"Immortal? Oh heavens, will the master become immortal?"

"Of course not!"

"But the master killed Snow Ghosts. He must have Hail Beads too."

"Silly girl, Hail Beads are just Hail Beads. To achieve immortality, you have to give them to an alchemist, who uses countless Hail Beads in alchemy to brew an immortal Magic Potion." Mrs. Moore had only heard it from others, after all.

But that was already enough to leave Olivia gasping in amazement.

Then Mrs. Moore added, "You only need to understand this: in many places, Hail Beads can be used as Gold Coins, dear."

The servants in the kitchen discussed Snow Ghosts and Hail Beads.

Meanwhile, in the study on the second floor of the manor's annex, Russell and the others, having finished lunch and drunk themselves tipsy, were enjoying afternoon tea.

Pinching the high-grade Hail Bead left behind by the Great Snow Ghost between his thumb and forefinger, Russell remarked with a trace of drunkenness, "It's hard to imagine that such a tiny bead could seal away all the power of a knight."

"Yes, it's quite amazing, isn't it?" Charles chuckled drunkenly. "Suppose Eric died on the Icefield. In the end, all his Battle Aura would condense into a tiny ice bead like this."

Eric rolled his eyes. "If I were about to die, I'd chop off my own head!"

Knight Captain Chris said, "Chopping off your head would be useless. The Snow Demon's power would make your corpse move again, then reattach its own head. Only by crushing the head can you completely erase the Snow Demon's influence."

After a pause, he added, "But you must also keep your corpse from finding another head. Otherwise, the Icefield might produce a dog-headed Snow Ghost, or a pig-headed Snow Ghost, or a bull-headed Snow Ghost."

"Hahahaha!" Charles burst out laughing.

Russell laughed as well. The Snow Demons' power truly was extraordinary.

Only Eric did not laugh, and his expression was especially solemn. He silently swore that if he truly died on the Icefield, he would make sure to instruct others beforehand to chop his corpse into a pile of pulp, leaving the Snow Demons no opening to exploit.

Especially not a change of heads.

If his head absolutely had to be replaced, then it could never be a pig's head or a bull's head. A dog's head, though, he could reluctantly accept.

After the laughter subsided, everyone casually chatted and drank tea.

Russell raised the high-grade Hail Bead above his head and carefully peered into it through the light shining in from outside the window. Within it, he could see wisps as fine as smoke, sealed inside.

Those wisps were likely the power a knight had cultivated throughout his life.

Snow Ghosts had once been humans, and they had to be humans who had cultivated Battle Aura while alive. After death, they were eroded and affected by the Snow Demons' power.

The Battle Aura in their bodies would then transform into another kind of power, reviving their corpses as Snow Ghosts. This power was called hail.

After a Snow Ghost was killed, its hail would condense into a Hail Bead.

According to market prices, even an ordinary Hail Bead could be used as one Gold Coin, while a high-grade Hail Bead could fetch more than ten or even over twenty Gold Coins.

In other words, killing Snow Ghosts could drop Gold Coins.

"By the way, is it true that Hail Beads can be refined through alchemy to extract the Snow Demons' power and grant people long life?" Russell asked, setting down the high-grade Hail Bead in his hand.

Charles spread his hands and burped. "No idea."

Knight Captain Chris had heard a little about it. "I don't think it's likely. Although Snow Ghosts are transformed by the Snow Demons' power, there is an essential gap between them and the Snow Demons' true power. No amount of quantity can make up for that difference."

"But Hail Beads are valuable. Someone is buying them in secret, aren't they?"

"Perhaps you could ask Baron Lord."

"All right." Russell stopped dwelling on the Hail Bead in his hand and temporarily treated it as a Gold Coin. His gentle smile faded as he said in a deep voice, "This Snow Ghost invasion has been dealt with, but how should we deal with Lone Wolf Lisbon, who lured the Snow Ghosts here?"