Chapter 3318: The Flute-Playing Witch

Xia De listened to the flute music without immediately approaching Claire, instead standing behind her, watching her back as she stood beneath the sun at the peak of the snowy mountain.

Only after the music ended did he continue to step forward. Claire had clearly heard Xia De's footsteps, but she did not turn around nor did she immediately leave.

She put the flute away. When Xia De stood beside her and turned his head with the cat to look at her, she was standing with her hands behind her back, watching the snowy mountain scenery beneath her feet:

"How did you find me?"

She was not only expressionless, but her voice also carried no tone.

"We talked about this not long ago—if I came to the island as an ordinary tourist, how would I encounter you? I gave two hypotheses at the time: one was meeting in the town, and the other was this current situation. (Chapter 3312)"

Xia De paused for a moment:

"Of course, if not for your flute music, I'm afraid I would have had to search the vicinity for quite a while."

In his heart, he thought that after returning tonight, he must prepare a grand feast to reward the cat. If Little Mia hadn't pointed out the approximate area, Xia De likely wouldn't have heard the flute music even if it were playing.

The platinum-haired girl pursed her lips and finally turned slightly to look at him:

"Then, what exactly am I to you?"

【Lover.】

"She" suddenly said with a smile, causing Xia De to almost repeat the word:

"Lover."

Her pale golden eyes met Xia De's for two seconds, as if trying to confirm whether he was lying, and then Claire suddenly opened her arms and hugged him. The witch buried her head in Xia De's chest, and Xia De heard her sobbing:

"Why did it take you so long to find me? I stood here by myself all morning, thinking you weren't coming to find me. The snowy mountain, the snowy mountain... the snowy mountain is really so cold."

All her grievances and unwillingness erupted at this moment, and the dissatisfied meows of the cat being squeezed were completely drowned out by the sobs of the girl blessed by the snowy mountain.

Xia De knew her grievances and understood her thoughts, so at this moment, he simply held her tightly, letting her crying echo at the peak of the snowy mountain.

He felt a bit of luck that his fortune was good today, but immediately felt guilty that all of this was caused by his own greed.

But he did not let go, continuing to hold Claire just like that. It was a long while before the young lady finally calmed her explosive emotions. After looking up at him with teary eyes from within Xia De's embrace, she suddenly kissed him.

This was also their first formal and passionate kiss.

The snow seemed to fall even harder, and the cat stood on Xia De's shoulder, boredly watching the rolling mountain range. It wasn't until she heard Little Mia's meow again that Claire pushed Xia De away once more.

She wanted to struggle out of Xia De's embrace, but Xia De wouldn't let go at this moment. She hammered Xia De twice with her fists with red eyes, then resignedly leaned into his chest:

"You are all so bad."

She said this, then repeated it again, and finally asked:

"In your eyes, do I look like a silly rabbit that actively ran into your trap?"

"No, you are a cute golden cat that actively attracted me."

"Meow?"

She squirmed twice in Xia De's arms and then stopped moving altogether:

"After you all went back last night, I thought for a long time, and then ran home to talk to my mother for a long time. I didn't tell my mother exactly what happened, but after you left, the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. How could they treat me like that?"

She didn't say she was angry at Xia De; similar to Miss Larson's thoughts, she knew Xia De indeed had the necessity to hide his identity:

"A full eight people, two years of time, and they didn't say anything at all. After I met you, they still looked like they wanted to watch me make a fool of myself... I thought I had given my heart, but it turned out everything was just a play in the eyes of others."

Xia De stroked her hair:

"I will make them apologize to you later... I will also apologize to you; after all, this is something I should have told you long ago."

"No, there are indeed some things that don't need to be said in their entirety. Especially for me, who already knows the whole truth now. Xia De, I only listened to your story roughly once last night, but having walked all the way here from two years ago, you must be very tired, right?"

She raised her head to look at Xia De:

"Although I regret not being the first to meet you... that lucky fellow Miss Jia Lin Na. But after you have walked so far, you are still willing to hold my hand; fate is already favoring me. You don't need to apologize to me, you don't need to.

I have also considered my own future, and I have also longed for an embrace on lonely nights, and now, all my wishes have been satisfied."

Pale golden eyes stared into Xia De's eyes:

"Xia De Sulun Hamilton, on the Holy Mountain—Fatumontest Snowy Mountain, I will give you this promise: as long as you do not let go of my hand, I will not let go of yours either."

Xia De nodded and pulled her back into his arms. The girl, whose eyes were still slightly red, revealed a smile:

"To be honest, I was really worried that you wouldn't come to find me today; after all, I know you have many things to do."

"Those things can all be postponed, but your matter is the most urgent... Next time, it would be best if you could leave me some clues. This time, I relied on Little Mia's luck to find you."

She smiled sweetly:

"I want to try and see if the snowy mountain and fate are willing to acknowledge the bond between you and me. I want to know if you can find me according to the guidance in your heart, even if I don't leave any clues.

Xia De, now I understand, you really are a gift sent to me by fate. Although this gift was a bit late and had been unwrapped by others, I am still happy."

Then Claire added:

"But I won't forget the matter of Vanessa and the others teasing me; they are very good at making up stories. Xia De, can you promise me one thing?"

Xia De thought she wanted revenge:

"What is it?"

She broke free from his embrace, looking at him with a smile through red-rimmed eyes:

"At least until you leave this island, can you stay by my side?"

Xia De felt as if someone had poked his heart. This time, he took the initiative to kiss Claire. The girl, whose passion was like the sun, responded just as fervently, and felt that Xia De was perhaps a bit too practiced—but she didn't hate it.

The cat continued to boredly watch the snowy mountain scenery, thinking about how lunch would be eaten today.

Lunch was eaten in the snowy mountain hall. After soothing Claire, the two went down the mountain together. They first went to visit the unicorn Ai Li, and only then went to eat.

Elder Harald and Elder Ursa saw Xia De and Claire sitting together and knew the "conflict" had been resolved. The elders were also very happy about this result and mentioned during lunch that the church was trying to investigate the origin of the "Ice-Sealed Castle" on the snowy mountain, but unfortunately, as local indigenous Fatu people, they really didn't know.

"And what you mentioned yesterday, the people who left that castle. The church said three of them are Fatu people. Once their specific identity information is confirmed, they will be arranged to return to live."

Xia De asked curiously:

"Are you not worried that they will talk nonsense after returning?"

"Talk nonsense about what? There have always been herbalists entering the mountains to pick herbs, and stories of people returning to find that a hundred years had passed; local people have a high degree of acceptance for this kind of thing. In the words of city people, Fatu people are quite superstitious."

Elder Ursa said nonchalantly, and Claire also asked:

"Since everyone who survived is from within the last fifty years, then Grandfather, Elder Ursa, do you recognize those three?"

"The photos have already been sent. One is from the town, and the other two are villagers from other villages. People in the villages have already been asked to identify them."

Elder Harald sighed with emotion:

"For them, after waking up from losing their way in a blizzard, everything they were familiar with has changed. Just thinking about this kind of thing feels terrifying... Will this kind of thing happen again in the future?"

He asked Xia De, and Xia De shook his head:

"I don't know. I will visit that castle again later. But even if the castle isn't there, people lost in the snowy mountain will still be lost. It's just that this time, it wasn't being frozen, but dying directly."

"The snowy mountain is like this; it has both a gentle side and a cruel side. The Holy Mountain is sacred because of this, and Fatu people all understand this truth, so everyone never resents the Holy Mountain."

Elder Ursa said to Xia De again:

"The secrets hidden in those unknown corners of the snowy mountain are probably not just that castle. The more you understand this mountain, the more you will feel that you know less about the Holy Mountain. You must explore the secrets here with reverence, so that the snowy mountain will be willing to help you."

Claire rubbed Xia De's leg under the table. Actually, Xia De understood even without her saying it:

"I understand, Elder."

Elder Ursa then looked at the cat Xia De brought. The old man thought for a moment and asked Elder Harald:

"Let Mr. Watson open the spring eye on the mountainside; he can take his cat."

"What spring eye?"

Xia De asked curiously again, and it was Claire who gave the explanation:

"You have seen me use eagles to deliver messages; we Fatu people have unique methods for training eagles. But the most critical point is that we discovered a spring eye on the mountainside that has the effect of making intelligent life smarter. Although it won't make them learn to speak or write, it can certainly make them more spiritual."

"The effect of that spring eye is useless for humans, unicorns, and other life forms that are already highly intelligent, but it has a fairly outstanding effect on animals like eagles and horses. You can take your cat to try it... but you have to go tomorrow. The spring eye is near the route where I will perform the 'Crown of Glory' trial, so it's best not to approach it now."

Claire's "Crown of Glory" trial starts at nine tomorrow morning, and as long as she reaches the summit finish line before sunset, she passes. According to the previously discussed method, she will wear an artifact to suppress her level to the four or five-ring level, and she is allowed to perform specific spellcasting on the journey, but is not allowed to use spellcasting to take shortcuts.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 3319 =====