A Brief Separation

"Xia Lun, you've been looking a bit weird lately." Liyana cast a suspicious glance at Xia Lun.

"Have I?"

"You have... Hmm... How should I put it? It feels like you've been overindulging in your desires?" Liyana scratched her head. She never thought there would come a day when she would use such a phrase to describe Xia Lun.

"What are you talking about? How could Xia Lun possibly... ahem, overindulge? What desires does he even have to indulge?" Moke interrupted Liyana.

"But I feel like Xia Lun's footsteps are a bit floaty, not as steady as before..." Liyana narrowed her eyes; her eyesight was excellent, after all.

"Are you an idiot? We are in a snowfield, and we are walking on snow... Isn't it completely normal to walk with a lighter step?" Moke looked at Liyana as if she were a fool.

"Oh!" Liyana was instantly convinced by this reasoning.

Listening to their conversation, Xia Lun wore a faint smile on his lips and did not say a word.

He needed to get Aina to restrain herself a bit.

Ever since he let her suck his blood that one time, Aina seemed to have developed a taste for it. Every night, after their companions fell asleep, she would come over for a midnight snack.

The affection between the two of them was also rapidly heating up. Last night, when Xia Lun cautiously tried to touch Aina's front... she didn't react with disgust or slap his hand away.

However, he still had to discuss this with Aina. If she continued to feed so unrestrainedly, it might affect his daily condition.

"Is that so? Then from now on, I will come to you every other night," Aina replied nonchalantly.

"Uh... every other night still seems a bit too frequent," Xia Lun said rather weakly.

Aina slightly furrowed her brows. "Then how often?"

Xia Lun tentatively suggested, "Maybe... once a month?"

"That is far too long." Aina was clearly very dissatisfied with this answer. "At most, once a week."

After pondering for a moment, Xia Lun finally agreed.

However, his condition was that Aina had to try and drink as little as possible each time. Aina accepted this compromise.

An ordinary person wouldn't be able to withstand having their blood sucked like this, but Xia Lun was clearly no ordinary person.

At worst, he could just eat more nutritious food to make up for it, and the lost vitality could be replenished.

Xia Lun himself did not dislike the feeling of Aina sucking his blood. The tingling sensation was actually quite comfortable... More importantly, he got to admire Aina's side profile while she was in his embrace.

Furthermore, every time Aina opened her mouth, Xia Lun felt a sense of taboo excitement.

He was human too, with normal desires... but he could control his desires well. Xia Lun couldn't possibly let Aina suck him dry into a mummy.

"When are we leaving here?" Aina asked Xia Lun.

They had been in the snowfield for nearly a week. In reality, they had completed their commission on the very first day, but the hospitality of the Snow Spirits seemed a bit hard to resist.

Everyone's sense of novelty regarding this place had also passed. Looking at the pure white snowfield had grown a bit tiresome, and life within the Snow Spirit tribe was far too peaceful. As adventurers, they should be exploring a vaster world.

"Let's leave tomorrow," Xia Lun sighed.

Aina nodded.

"Right," Aina suddenly added. "I will still come tonight... The seven-day rule starts tomorrow."

...

"Are you leaving? Human adventurers."

The leading elder of the Snow Spirit tribe was a white-haired old man leaning on a cane. He looked no different from a human elder... When Snow Spirits aged, their hair color would also turn white.

The middle-aged man Xia Lun and the others had first encountered was his son, who was currently standing behind the Snow Spirit elder.

"Please stay for a few more days... Let us fulfill our duties as hosts a little longer..." The cane in the old Snow Spirit's hand trembled, making one instinctively want to support him. His son also seemed to be standing guard behind him just in case.

"No, we have had a very happy time these past few days, and we are very grateful for your generous hospitality." Xia Lun shook his head; he had already made up his mind to leave today.

"But today really isn't a good time to go out... I have a premonition that the weather these next few days will be very strange, and you might encounter a terrifying blizzard." The old Snow Spirit's voice was a bit hoarse. "Stay just one more day, human adventurers..."

"Is there something else on your mind, Elder?" Xia Lun obviously noticed the strange behavior of the surrounding Snow Spirits at this moment.

The Snow Spirit elder's voice choked.

"Please speak. If there is anything we can help with, we will lend a hand as we see fit," Xia Lun said calmly.

The Snow Spirit elder sighed.

"Actually, I heard that a group of highly skilled poachers has recently arrived in the snowfield again. They capture us Snow Spirits, take us to the human territories, and sell us as slaves... Several tribes have already been looted, so I was hoping you all could stay..."

"We can't stay here forever." After a moment of silence, Xia Lun replied, "Besides, we are humans too."

If news spread that they helped Snow Spirits fight against humans, it could cause quite a negative impact.

The Snow Spirit elder's face stiffened, and then he let out another heavy sigh. "You are right, Mr. Xia Lun."

"I'm sorry, I cannot solve this problem. We don't know where that group is, nor can we be certain if they will come to attack your tribe..." Xia Lun glanced behind the Snow Spirit elder. "Your tribe also has hot-blooded men. You should take up weapons yourselves to defend your homeland."

"Thank you... Mr. Xia Lun. We will do our best. You are welcome to visit us again next time," the elder's son said in a muffled voice.

Xia Lun and the others ultimately left, embarking on their journey back.

The harvest this time was very good, but everyone was not very happy in their hearts. Even Liyana looked a bit depressed.

After spending these past few days together, they knew that those hospitable Snow Spirits were not bad people.

They only had a transactional relationship based on the commission beforehand.

Although they had no obligation to help and it would be difficult for them to intervene, they still felt a bit conflicted inside.

"I am leaving the party," Aina suddenly said.

"What?!" Xia Lun's pupils shrank slightly, and the others were also extremely shocked.

Only then did Aina realize there was a problem with her phrasing, and she quickly explained, "I have some matters to attend to back home for a bit... I will be back very soon. I probably just need to leave for a few days. Just consider it as me... taking a leave of absence."

Everyone then slowly relaxed.

"You scared me to death, Aina." Liyana patted her chest. "If you left, who knows what this guy Xia Lun would turn into."

Aina shifted her gaze toward Xia Lun.

"Go ahead, stay safe, and come back as soon as possible... We will wait for you in the previous city." Xia Lun smiled gently and reached out to stroke the silver hair by Aina's ear.

Aina leaned in close and said softly, in a voice only Xia Lun could hear:

"Before I come back next time... wash your neck clean."