The First Night, Greedy Human Nature

Cao Xing was, of course, lying. The Ice Armor Technique was one of the basic skills for mages in the early stages. Although it was a bit of a chicken rib, it was still quite valuable.

Cao Xing replied directly, "Believe it or not."

Malthus listened and said helplessly, "Forget it, 3 Snake Meat it is. If we eat sparingly, it'll be enough for my family to last another day."

Hearing the last sentence, Cao Xing's eyes flickered.

After a moment of thought, he sent a message: "How about this, change it to 20 Food, and I'll add 5 Bread."

Malthus on the other end was stunned but still said, "Okay."

Cao Xing: "Then directly go to the market and modify the trade information. I'll buy it immediately."

Soon, the price of the skill book on the market changed to Food * 20.

Cao Xing immediately bought it.

Transaction successful, you obtained Ice Armor Technique Skill Book * 1, you lost Fresh Snake Meat * 3, you lost Bread * 5.

Ice Armor Technique: Consumes a certain amount of Spirit Power to increase your or an ally's (Spirit * 0.6) Armor for 30 seconds, with a 60-second cooldown.

Cao Xing's eyes lit up, this was it.

His current Spirit strength was 5, plus the boost from the Acolyte's Staff, making it 8 Spirit.

This meant Cao Xing could permanently increase his Armor value by 5 points!

He directly clicked to learn.

[Successfully learned Ice Armor Technique...]

After the system prompt, Cao Xing secretly rejoiced.

Then, he was the first to cast Ice Armor Technique on himself.

"Stack armor! Pass!"

[Successfully cast Ice Armor Technique, Armor +5, Talent Eternal Power activated, this skill has become permanent.]

The next moment, Cao Xing felt a layer of invisible frost armor wrap around him.

A sense of security surged in his heart.

The effect of Ice Armor Technique was similar to Scale Armor, both being an invisible means of defense that only appeared when attacked.

His Armor had now reached 15 points. Attacks from monsters below level 3 wouldn't even be able to damage him!

Simply put, they couldn't break through his defense!

Cao Xing nodded with satisfaction.

After waiting for 60 seconds, Cao Xing cast Ice Armor Technique on Liu Muxue.

As the tank of the team, he naturally had to maximize her defense.

Sister-in-law can break through the mage's defense.

At this moment, the two were in the same room.

Liu Muxue had also learned about the situation of other survivors through the chat channel.

Only now did she realize that not everyone was like her, already living in a warm Lord's Hut.

More survivors were still living a life of hunger and cold.

If she hadn't been with Cao Xing, she, Liu Muxue, might have suffered the same fate, or even worse.

And then at night, experience that bone-chilling, icy hell.

Liu Muxue looked at Cao Xing with gratitude, "Thank you, A Xing. If it weren't for you, I might have frozen to death outside."

Cao Xing shook his head, "It's nothing, Sister-in-law. Since the two of us were assigned to the same group, we have to cooperate and survive better in this world."

"Helping you is also helping myself."

Liu Muxue nodded solemnly, "I will adapt to this world as quickly as possible and won't drag you down!"

Cao Xing nodded.

Then, the two fell into a relative silence.

The atmosphere seemed a bit awkward.

At this moment, Liu Muxue seemed to think of something, her pretty face suddenly flushed, and her body trembled slightly.

After a moment, she took off her Snow Boots and retreated to the small wooden bed.

Liu Muxue, wrapped in a Wolf Fur Coat, buried her bright red face deep inside, only revealing a pair of tender, small feet.

And between the two of them was a warm Stove.

A moment later, Cao Xing said, "Let's sleep, Sister-in-law."

Night fell.

The Coal in the Stove was burning fiercely.

Through the Lord's Hut, the sound of the wind could be heard from outside.

At this time, both of them were wrapped in wolf fur, using it as a blanket.

Liu Muxue watched Cao Xing's retreating figure, lost in thought.

Just then, Liu Muxue received a video call. The caller ID showed Bi Yunlan.

It was her mother.

A grave expression flickered across Liu Muxue's face.

After a moment of thought, she clicked to answer.

"Xiao Xue, how are things over there?"

As soon as the video connected, a woman's voice came from the other end.

Liu Muxue was a little surprised that the other person would actually care about her.

However, before Liu Muxue could speak, Bi Yunlan continued, "Oh, Xiao Xue! Our family has suddenly come to this world, we're really down on our luck!"

"You have no idea how miserable your two younger brothers, your father, and I are!"

"That box only had a little bit of food, not even enough for Dabao and Xiaobao to eat in one meal."

"Now that the food is almost gone, your father and I haven't eaten anything tonight, and we're cold and hungry."

"Xiao Xue, do you have any extra food? Could you send some over!"

A wry smile touched Liu Muxue's lips.

So it's like this after all?

Without even saying a word, they've revealed their true nature.

They don't care if I live or die, they just want food from me.

Liu Muxue remembered that things seemed to be the same on Earth.

She was always strictly controlled, her income managed by them, and they even interfered in her life.

To the point where she was forced to marry a man she detested.

Liu Muxue took a deep breath, mustering some kind of courage.

She shook her head, "Mom, I don't have any extra food either."

Hearing this, Mother Liu immediately sounded confused, "Really, not a single bit? Xiao Xue, your two brothers have been hungry all day!"

"You know, Dabao and Xiaobao can eat a lot. They used to eat four or five meals a day. Now that we're in this world, they've only had one meal. Your dad and I only ate half a piece of bread."

Mother Liu spoke while glancing around, as if trying to check Liu Muxue's surroundings.

Liu Muxue said firmly, "No."

Just then, another middle-aged man's face appeared in the video feed.

He looked at Liu Muxue's background and asked, "Xiao Xue, are you lying to us?"

"You've already moved into a house, and you're saying you have no food?"

"Also, where did you get that fur coat you're wearing?"

Two children's voices sounded from the side. They pointed at the screen and said, "Mom and Dad, I recognize the fur on sister's clothes, it's wolf fur!"

"Sister has already killed a wolf, sister has meat!"

Hearing this, Mother Liu became furious, "Good for you, you ungrateful wretch! You dare to lie to your own mother!"

"You have meat and you're not even willing to share it with your family? You ungrateful child, I raised you for nothing!"

At this moment, Father Liu also began to criticize, with the noisy voices of the two children in the background.

"Xiao Xue, what are you trying to do? Your mom and I are starving to death, and you're not willing to share a bit of food. Have you been eaten by dogs, your conscience?"

Facing her family's accusations, Liu Muxue bit her lower lip, tears welling up in her eyes, appearing flustered for a moment.

Mother Liu on the other end escalated, "You're feeling wronged now?"

"We've been hungry all day and we're not complaining, Liu Muxue, I see your wings have really hardened!"

Liu Muxue's eyes turned red, on the verge of tears.

Just then, a figure squeezed into the frame.

"You two old fools, what are you squawking about like dogs?"

Hearing the insult, the voices on the other end fell silent.

Then, they saw a young man appear beside Liu Muxue.

Father Liu saw Cao Xing on the screen and questioned, "Xiao Xue, who are you with? Who is this man?"

Before Liu Muxue could speak, Cao Xing replied first, "You don't need to know who I am."

"If you want food, go find it in the snow yourself."

The middle-aged man on the other end said, "I'm talking to my daughter, what right do you have to interrupt?"

Cao Xing chuckled, "What right do I have?"

"Just because I killed the wolf, and the meat is mine, what about it?"

The middle-aged man said angrily, "Then I won't ask you, I'll ask Little Xue, she's my daughter!"

Cao Xing sneered, "You won't get anything even if you ask her. I'm in charge of the food. As long as I'm here, not a single crumb of bread will go to you."

"You have hands and feet yourself, don't you know how to get food? You come to your daughter to leech off her, have you no shame?"

"You!"

"What do you mean, 'you'? You're so old, and you still shamelessly pester me. You're not even as good as a woman, you're useless."

After Cao Xing's barrage of insults, the middle-aged man opposite him turned beet red.

Nearby, the crying of two children could also be heard.

Mother Liu, standing beside him, seemed to want to help her husband by verbally attacking Cao Xing.

However, at Cao Xing's signal, Liu Muxue directly hung up the video call.

Beep--

The world suddenly fell silent.

Liu Muxue huddled on the bed, her shoulders trembling, seemingly unable to control her emotions.

Cao Xing heard faint sobbing sounds.

A moment later, when the sobbing stopped.

Cao Xing comforted her, "It's okay, Sister-in-law."

Liu Muxue raised her head, her eyes red and swollen, and looked at Cao Xing gratefully, saying, "A Xing, thank you for getting me out of that situation."

Cao Xing shook his head, "It's nothing. These people want to get resources from me without working for them. No way!"

"You must also remember, no matter who asks you for food or other resources, absolutely do not give it to them."

"If there's a first time, there will be a second. They will endlessly demand things later, understand?"

Liu Muxue's eyes flashed with a hint of bitterness upon hearing this.