Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

"It's not entirely your fault," Chai Xiaomi comforted gently. "After all, no one would feel good watching their companion disappear before their eyes. The saddest thing in the world is separation by death."

Looking at its ashamed and aggrieved expression, the white cat cleared its throat and said, "How about this, after we arrive at Youquan Town, my two disciples and I will imprint protective talismans on each of you, shall we?"

Having seen countless demonic beasts, it naturally knew the Snowball Beast's lifespan, which was as short as one year and as long as three years. And during this short lifespan, it would spend half the time unable to move, only able to stand quietly in front of the door like a real snowman, watching the sunrise and sunset.

Only at night can it come alive.

Only then can they run, jump, and see this world they were destined to leave behind, together with their companions.

When their lives end, they will turn back into real snowmen, melting away little by little in the sunlight, turning into water, seeping into the soil, leaving nothing behind.

Therefore, these kinds of monsters never cause harm to humans. They simply enjoy everything in the world while they have a short lifespan.

They used their limited time to stop the boats, to dress up as ghosts, and to scare those who had bullied them, both to avenge their companions and to protect themselves.

"That's right." Jiang Zhiyu nodded in agreement. "With the talisman, no one will be able to harm you anymore."

"Don't worry, my junior brother's speed in drawing talismans and forming hand seals is extraordinary."

As he spoke, he gestured towards Wu Li with his lip, a hint of pride on his face.

Snowball Beast followed his gaze.

The person being praised simply stood quietly to the side, his thin lips slightly pursed, seemingly lost in thought. He appeared to be looking down at the ground, yet it also seemed he wasn't looking at anything at all.

The snowball beast quickly looked away, unable to believe that this boy, who had just beaten it up and was full of menacing aura, would help them draw amulets.

It sniffed, looked at the others, and said in a muffled voice, "Thank you. We didn't really want to scare anyone, but we didn't know what else to do."

Wu Li was lost in thought when he suddenly felt someone gently tug at his little finger.

It was obvious who it was without even guessing. Apart from her, none of the others dared to touch him, because he hated being touched by others casually, and they all knew that.

There was only one exception.

A few soft fingers, like a few restless little insects, crawled up his little finger, into his palm, scratched him, and then intertwined with his fingers.

He lowered his eyes.

"What are you daydreaming about, Lili?" Her voice was soft, with a hint of amusement. "Yu-ge just praised you. I didn't even have a chance to say anything before he beat me to it."

She tiptoed closer to his ear and whispered, "So you stayed up late to practice with Lao Ji, trying to outdo him, didn't you?"

She first gave him a way out for his unusual behavior in the middle of the night, and then began to gently guide him.

"But you're a human being, not made of iron. You need to eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, and speak up when you're in pain, do you understand?"

"We're husband and wife now, and husband and wife are meant to share joys and sorrows. If you're wronged, tell me; if you're in pain, tell me too. Even if I can't help, at least I can be by your side."

She looked up, her eyes bright, reflecting his image:

"So please don't shoulder this alone, okay?"

"Didn't you say before that I had to be by your side whenever you felt pain? If I couldn't, you even said you'd kill me? Have you forgotten?"

Wu Li lowered her eyes to look at that little face filled with seriousness.

He suddenly felt a fullness in his chest.

The previously empty space seemed to be slowly filled with thick, warm honey.

"Really? You must be mistaken. I never said anything like that." He tried to play dumb. If he could turn back time, he really wanted to go back and give his former self a good beating.

"You—" Chai Xiaomi was speechless with anger, her index finger poking her nose, but she couldn't utter any harsh words. After a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out, "Fine, if you won't talk, then! Starting tonight, you'll be sleeping on the floor, and don't even think about going to bed!"

"snort!"

After saying that, she glared at him fiercely, then turned and left.

The three who were communicating with the Snowball Beast looked up and saw a light pink hem of clothing suddenly disappear outside the door, followed closely by the figure of a boy who hurriedly chased after it.

The two started arguing again for some unknown reason.

White Cat, Jiang Zhiyu, and Song Yueyao looked at each other for a while, then continued to discuss the matter of giving Snowball the Beast Seal Amulet as if nothing had happened.

Snowball Beast, however, pointed to the door with its round, ball-like "hands": "Hey, I say, your family's... boss seems angry, aren't you going to go and talk to him?"

It thought to itself, "When that boy beat me up, he didn't even lift an eyelid, so arrogant and haughty, as if he didn't care about anyone. I never expected that when the big boss got angry, he would be the first to chase after him and fawn over him. I didn't realize he was so good at currying favor."

"Boss?" Jiang Zhiyu was both amused and exasperated. "What boss? Her name is Xiaomi, she's my and Yao Yao's younger sister. The one who chased after her is my junior brother. They're husband and wife."

"It's common for couples to argue, why should we get involved?" He smiled and added, "Besides, they never let their arguments linger overnight, they're fine as soon as they're done arguing."

"Huh?" Snowballmon scratched its head in surprise.

"I can't believe such a ruthless guy could actually get a wife, really—ugh!"

Jiang Zhiyu immediately covered its mouth tightly, and Song Yueyao tacitly stepped forward to close the door, and also glanced outside, where Wu Li and Xiaomi were no longer there.

"Watch your words. Don't say things like that again. If my junior brother hears you, even ten protective spells won't save you!"

The snowball beast shrank back in fear, not daring to utter a sound. It had experienced the boy's terror not long ago. "That was close! Luckily you arrived in time, I almost died at his hands, waaaaaah..."

The white cat's expression was calm, but its tone was confident: "No. If he really wanted to kill you, he wouldn't waste his time playing with you like a ball, and he wouldn't wait for us to arrive."

The snowball beast asked, puzzled, "But he clearly wouldn't listen to you on the dragon-headed ship just now, how can you still believe him?"

The white cat pondered for a moment, then replied, "He is my disciple, and I naturally trust him."

*

The sea breeze at night was chillingly cold, carrying a salty, fishy smell. Chai Xiaomi's hands were already ice-cold after walking just a few steps back from the deck.

Back in her room, the first thing she did was bring out the silver-plated incense burner from under the bed. The burner wasn't large, but it was quite heavy, perfect for drying her hands and feet. She squatted down, lifted the lid, added a few pieces of charcoal, and took out the tinderbox to light it.

However, the sea was very humid, and the tinderbox had somehow absorbed moisture. She tried several times with a "snap snap," but only a few faint sparks appeared before it went out in an instant.

Wu Li leaned against the door.

He watched as his wife squatted on the ground, curled up into a small ball, her black hair hanging down, covering half her face. She didn't care that someone was watching her; she just kept pouting and arguing with herself.

Swipe once, it's gone; swipe again, it's gone again.

Her fair and tender fingers were rubbed until they turned red.

He felt a pang of heartache and strode over, snatching the tinder from her hand: "What are you going to do with this? I can start a fire."

Without waiting for her reaction, he flicked his fingertip lightly.

A cluster of pale blue flames leaped from his fingertips and fell into the stove, obediently igniting the charcoal like a firefly. In a moment, the dark red embers glowed, and warmth spread out in wisps.

The next second, a cup of cold tea was poured over it.