Cai'er spoke softly, but her voice grew louder and louder.
"I've already looked around."
"There are berries in the grove to the east. Xuan Ye used to like them, and there are plenty. I remember Mom used to make jam with them. I could try... making some for Xuan Ye."
"Animals often come to the stream in the west, so we can hunt."
"There are several kinds of herbs for seasoning on the nearby hillside, and three clean springs where we can get water... Even if I can't see, it'll be okay."
"I can still take good care of Xuan Ye."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
Long Xuanye froze.
He hadn't expected Cai'er to wake up so early just to... do all this?
For a moment, Long Xuanye didn't know what to say. His heart just felt achingly tender...
He looked at Cai'er. The little girl's eyes were a little gray and blurry, but it seemed she could still make out Long Xuanye's reflection...
Cai'er wasn't finished. She usually wasn't one to ramble, but now she was getting more and more excited.
"We can clear a little plot of land in front of the house. Maybe we could grow some vegetables ourselves."
"I also know a little Disguise Technique. Once things have settled down, I can disguise us, and then we can go to Odin Town together to buy some new furniture and quilts."
"Oh, right! There's a beautiful flower garden behind the mountain, too. We can go for walks there together at night."
"And then..."
She continued planning, then suddenly grew a little embarrassed.
"Xuan Ye, I might not be able to see you for a while."
"If we need to travel far, I'll have to rely on you to guide me."
"But that feels a little... selfish."
"Selfish?"
Long Xuanye was taken aback.
Cai'er leaned against his shoulder. Her breath warmed him as she spoke.
"We're supposed to be furnishing this home together."
"If I can't see, I'll have to rely on you even more."
"And you're so good at getting things done. By the time my sight comes back... it might be months, or even a year or two."
"Everything in the house will probably be all set up by then."
"I think when my sight comes back, I'll see a home we've already furnished..."
"Sorry, Xuan Ye..."
"I'll be putting you through a lot."
Cai'er gently stroked Long Xuanye's head. Her touch was so soft and light that it tickled.
"Hmm? Xuan Ye, what's wrong?"
When he didn't answer for a long time, she tilted her head and asked.
Sigh...
My Cai'er really is so adorable.
It took a long while for Long Xuanye to force a single word from his throat.
"Okay."
"Cai'er, I will. Before your sight comes back, I'll..."
He didn't get to finish.
"Ah!" Saint Cai'er suddenly cried out, wriggled free of his embrace, and hurried into the house. "The porridge for breakfast is going to burn!"
At dusk, they did indeed go to see the flower garden behind the mountain.
"What do you think of this place, Xuan Ye?" Cai'er asked.
Long Xuanye gazed at her profile and murmured, "It's beautiful."
In the dead of night, Long Xuanye's eyes snapped open.
[God-Tier Choice System triggered—Fixed Mission Mode] [Choice One: Flee immediately with Cai'er] [Reward: 2 points of External Spirit Power] [Choice Two: Wipe out the Demon Race Squad] [Reward: 0.5 points of Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power] [God-Tier Choice System triggered—Fixed Mission Mode] [Choice One: Flee immediately with Cai'er] [Reward: 2 points of External Spirit Power] [Choice Two: Wipe out the Demon Race Squad] [Reward: 0.5 points of Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power]
Hmm?
Two prompts?
That meant...
Two squads.
He glanced at Cai'er sleeping beside him, then quietly rose, picked up his Short Blade, and melted into the night like a ghost.
The battle in the woods was over quickly.
[System notification: Choice "Wipe out the Demon Race" completed.] [Reward: Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power +1.]
Long Xuanye didn't linger. He quietly returned to the little house.
He didn't lie down right away. Instead, he rummaged through his pack, pulled out a clean long-sleeved shirt, and quickly changed.
The fresh clothes completely covered the new, jagged wounds on his arms, the backs of his hands, and his chest.
He didn't want her to see them.
At least...
"Cai'er probably can't see very well now, anyway."
Long Xuanye lay down beside Cai'er again. Listening to her steady breathing, he sighed softly.
Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink. Beside him, Cai'er's breathing was even and unbroken.
But Long Xuanye couldn't sleep at all.
Beneath his fresh shirt, his new wounds burned with pain. But something else troubled him more.
Something wasn't right.
Since when had the Demon Race's patrols become so extreme?
He'd lived in this border region for years and knew the Demon Race's ways well. This kind of sweeping search, with no regard for casualties, was anything but ordinary.
He remembered how Cai'er's eyes had shone in the daytime as she excitedly planned their home and the brilliant wildflower garden.
A bitter smile touched Long Xuanye's lips.
He couldn't give up.
He couldn't abandon this home that was only just beginning to take shape, much less everything Cai'er had been so happy to imagine.
The problem was, he was only at the third rank.
Although his mastery of combat techniques had reached perfection, the gap in raw strength was an impassable chasm.
Last night, if he hadn't been forced to use Chaos Begins to forcibly convert dark Spiritual Power for his own use, the outcome against those fearless demons would have been uncertain.
If the enemy grew any stronger...
Long Xuanye slowly closed his eyes, pushing his worries down.
He'd just have to hold on for now.
The next day.
Just as dawn was breaking, a gentle voice called beside his ear.
"Xuan Ye, wake up!"
"Xuan Ye!"
Long Xuanye opened his eyes.
The first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the broken window lattice, falling just right on Saint Cai'er and outlining her in a warm golden glow. She bent over him, her hair falling loose, a smile on her face.
She looked so happy.
In an instant, the heaviness and bloodshed of the previous night were washed away by the sight.
Long Xuanye felt warmth bloom in his heart.
Sigh...
Cai'er is so darn cute.
The Demon Race...
Forget it. What was there to fear?
He was a man with a cheat!
He sat up.
"Sure. Let's eat first, then cultivate together."
The third day.
"Xuan Ye, I found a cellar!"
Saint Cai'er was like a little squirrel who'd discovered buried treasure. She took his hand and exclaimed excitedly, "There's lots of furniture inside that we can still use, and some food that's been stored away! Let's go take a look!"
Long Xuanye nodded and followed her.
The things in the cellar really came in handy.
At dusk, Long Xuanye used the ingredients they'd found to roast two sweet potatoes in the fire.
The rich, smoky aroma filled the little house.
"Mmm, yummy!"
Saint Cai'er ate in tiny bites, puffing from the heat. A little black soot had smeared the corners of her mouth and her cheeks, and with that satisfied look on her face...
Ah... she really was adorably cute.
Long Xuanye looked at her, his gaze softening without him even realizing it.
"Take your time. No one's going to steal it."
He started eating his sweet potato, too.
It tasted all right... Eating it while looking at Cai'er made it taste pretty good.
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