The Ice and Snow Maiden and the Silent Vow

The air solidified in this moment.

The temperature inside the cave continued to plummet.

Li Hao, however, felt no cold at all.

He could clearly perceive an invisible, incredibly tough bond that had firmly connected his soul to the young girl before him.

Soul Contract.

Loyalty: MAX.

These five words were branded into his perception the instant the contract was forged.

Therefore, he could understand.

He could understand what lay beneath those cold, slit pupils.

It was not hostility, nor was it resistance.

It was a kind of... bewilderment and helplessness that arose after surrendering everything she possessed.

She was like a fledgling bird that had just broken its shell, seeing Li Hao as the very first thing in its sight.

Thus, he became her entire world.

But she did not know how to express herself, nor did she know how to draw near.

She could only use her most primitive instincts to bristle with thorns, carefully wrapping up that deep-seated vulnerability and dependence that was nearly overflowing.

This realization caused Li Hao's heart to soften for no reason.

Tsundere?

No, this was more extreme than that.

This was simply the dream cat of every social anxiety sufferer!

"Daddy, who... who is she?"

A timid, childish voice filled with intense curiosity broke the silence within the cave.

Xiao Wu poked her little head out from behind Li Hao, blinking her large eyes as she cautiously sized up the girl in black.

She could feel that this big sister was very cold, but... she was also very beautiful.

She hesitated for a moment, then leaned into Li Hao's ear and asked in an even smaller voice.

"Is she... a little kitty?"

This innocent and naive question caused the cold atmosphere in the cave to melt away in an instant.

Li Hao nearly failed to hold back his laughter.

As expected of you, Xiao Wu, the eternal god of the atmosphere.

The girl's golden slit pupils finally moved.

Her gaze swept across Xiao Wu's curious little face without lingering, then immediately returned to Li Hao.

It was as if, in this entire world, only Li Hao was worthy of her attention.

She did not answer Xiao Wu's question.

She simply, silently, moved.

Barefoot, she took a step forward from the pool of congealed blood.

Her movements were light to the extreme, landing without a sound, elegant as if she were not of this world.

Every step carried a rhythm unique to felines.

She walked up to Li Hao and stopped.

Then, under the gazes of Li Hao, Xiao Wu, and Medusa, she suddenly vanished.

A dense black mist flashed across her body!

In the next instant, the girl's slender figure disappeared.

Replacing her was a robust Hell Spirit Cat with sleek, jet-black fur, radiating the majesty of royalty!

The injuries on its body had long since vanished without a trace.

Every strand of fur shimmered with a healthy yet dangerous luster.

Those golden slit pupils remained cold, yet they held a bit more daunting intelligence and dignity than before.

It raised its head and, with its noggin, gently and tentatively rubbed against Li Hao's pant leg.

"Wow!"

Xiao Wu let out a small exclamation, her eyes lighting up.

It really was a little kitty!

And it could transform!

Before Xiao Wu could lean in to pet it, the Hell Spirit Cat's body was once again enveloped by black mist.

Light and shadow shifted.

She switched back to the form of a black-clad girl with a fiery figure and a cold, glamorous face.

The entire process was fluid and seamless, dazzlingly fast.

This was the special ability of the Soul Beast Girl.

The free switching between human form and beast form.

Li Hao looked at her and attempted to communicate.

"What... is your name?"

The girl looked at him, her long eyelashes fluttering.

She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something.

But in the end, she only shook her head gently.

Then, a very soft, slightly confused low hum escaped her throat.

"Mm... meow?"

The sound was very light and soft, not at all like her cold exterior.

Instead, it carried a sweetness that made one's heart itch.

Li Hao was stunned.

Was this... a language system that hadn't updated yet? Or was she unwilling to speak?

He could feel through the soul contract that she understood his meaning; she was simply unaccustomed to it, or perhaps, she didn't see the need for communication.

Everything about her already belonged to him.

Language was superfluous.

The girl seemed to notice her own lapse; a faint blush flashed across her fair cheeks before she returned to her icy demeanor.

She no longer tried to speak.

She simply stepped back half a pace in silence.

Then she turned and walked behind Li Hao.

She stood shoulder to shoulder with Medusa, who had remained silent but kept a vigilant posture throughout.

One was as cold and glamorous as an ice queen.

The other was as aloof as a night elf.

Two peerless beauties, one on the left and one on the right, stood like the most loyal guards, shielding Li Hao in the center.

This positioning said everything.

She had accepted her new identity.

She had found her place.

Li Hao watched this scene, the satisfaction of a collector in his heart nearly bursting.

It was worth it!

The one-third of his soul power he had consumed, and that source which sounded so high-level—it was worth every bit!

This was prestige!

He turned around, looking at the girl's side profile, which was so perfect it lacked a single flaw, and his heart stirred.

The system prompt had mentioned her name.

Then, he would be the one to bestow this new identity upon her.

"From today on."

Li Hao's voice was clear and firm, echoing through the cave.

"Your name shall be Zhu Zhuqing."

Zhu Zhuqing.

The moment those three words fell into her ears, the girl's tense body relaxed imperceptibly.

In her cold, golden vertical pupils, something seemed to fluctuate violently.

Confusion, bewilderment, struggle...

In the end, all emotions returned to calm.

It was as if a wandering soul had finally found its name and its home.

She did not nod, nor did she make a sound.

But the gaze she kept fixed on Li Hao became more focused, and more... dependent.

Her heart was at peace as never before.

Is this... my name?

"Is this the first brand bestowed upon me after my rebirth?"

"Bestowed by him, with his own lips."

Just as Li Hao was savoring the sense of accomplishment from this "naming," Medusa, standing beside him, suddenly spoke in a low voice.

Her gaze lingered on Zhu Zhuqing for a moment, her emerald snake eyes flickering with a complex and sharp light.

"Master."

Her voice was kept very low, carrying a unique gravity.

"She is strong."

"Not strong in potential, but strong right now."

"The Nether Power within her is pure to the extreme, carrying the laws of death and severance."

Medusa paused, seemingly searching for the most appropriate word to describe it.

In the end, she reached a conclusion.

"She has completely surrendered to you."

"She is not a pet, nor is she a handmaiden."

"She is a sword."

"A peerless, lethal weapon born for you, ready to be unsheathed at any moment to cut down all your enemies."