Zhao Linchuan steadied himself, dusted the ice shards from his robes, and looked at the two figures before him with a smile as he slowly said:
"Did you two come here for some purpose?"
Ice Empress crossed her arms over her chest, lifted her chin, and gave him a once-over before speaking in a crisp voice:
"What a weak human."
She glanced at the ice cave behind Zhao Linchuan and asked:
"Human, what is your relationship with that Soul Master below who is receiving a Sacrifice?"
"And who is that Soul Beast performing the Sacrifice?"
The smile on Zhao Linchuan's face remained unchanged as he answered frankly:
"The Soul Master receiving the Sacrifice is my wife."
"As for the Soul Beast carrying out the Sacrifice, it is an Ice Silkworm named Tian Meng."
"Ice Silkworm?" Ice Empress burst out laughing. Her emerald eyes curved into crescents as she spoke mockingly. "Can food possess such might? How unusual."
"Maybe it just got lucky."
Zhao Linchuan casually made up an excuse. Not wanting to dwell on the matter, he smoothly steered the conversation in another direction.
"You two did not come here to make enemies of us, did you?"
"Of course not." Ice Empress's tone abruptly shifted. A teasing glint flashed through her emerald eyes, and a somewhat cruel smile tugged at her lips. "We came to eat you."
"Ah?!" Zhao Linchuan took a step back.
He raised both hands defensively before his chest.
"When you put it that way, I really am a little scared."
"Could you not eat me?"
"We could."
Ice Empress nodded solemnly and extended a slender finger toward the white pillar of light behind her, which was gradually dimming.
"Offer your wife to us, and then we will not eat you."
"That is enough, Ice Empress." Snow