The initial impression of the woman who approached was one of striking beauty, but the next impression was a chill, a cold so profound it felt suffocating!
A strange thought struck Cherie: this woman walking toward them resembled both Angelia and Leng Xiangxue—all three radiated an aura that warned strangers to keep their distance!
Truly worthy of the moniker "Ice Rose." She lived up to her name; even from this distance, the cold radiating from her was palpable.
As Cherie assessed the woman, Zhong Shenxiu and the others also noticed the "Ice Rose"!
Leng Xiangxue, seeing Ajixinya looking quite curious about the approaching woman, couldn't help but remark, "She must be mixed-blood, the descendant of an Elf and a human!" Angelia started, quickly turning to Leng Xiangxue.
Leng Xiangxue clearly enjoyed Angelia's focused gaze and continued, "She probably uses ice magic too. I can sense the fluctuations of water elements around her!"
Angelia withdrew her gaze and looked back at the woman.
It was then that Zhong Shenxiu’s voice cut in, "Hey, girl, how do you know she’s a descendant of an Elf and a human?"
Leng Xiangxue loved it when Zhong Shenxiu addressed her that way, as he called Angelia the same thing. It made her feel as if she and Angelia were kindred spirits!
"Because the descendants of Elves and humans have a very distinct marker: one of their eyes is sky-blue, and the other is light purple," Leng Xiangxue replied.
Her hometown wasn't far from the Elven sanctuary, so she often saw Elves and thus understood some of their features quite well.
"Oh?" Zhong Shenxiu became interested. He had long wanted to study the so-called Elves. Rumor had it they possessed a natural affinity for magical elements, excelled at magic archery, and some even wielded an exceedingly rare magic—the magic of plant life!
Zhong Shenxiu didn't know if the woman approaching had inherited these advantages, but one thing was certain: her ice magic must be potent, judging by how she could draw upon the surrounding air.
The "Ice Rose" walked closer and closer. Her snow-white skin and flower-like beauty were a dazzling sight. They say one glance can topple a city, a second can ruin a kingdom—these words fit her perfectly!
This Ice Rose seemed utterly accustomed to the gazes of those around her, walking straight ahead without acknowledging them. Perhaps in her eyes, there was nothing but the path ahead!
Yet, curiously, as the Ice Rose was about to pass Zhong Shenxiu and his group, she paused to examine Angelia and Leng Xiangxue with a glance or two.
Perhaps it was the mutual attraction between those of the same kind!
When the Ice Rose finally moved past, Zhong Shenxiu made no move to stop her or speak further, instead adopting a thoughtful expression.
Meanwhile, Cherie was also struck by the "Ice Rose’s" beauty, but she quickly regained her composure. After all, the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' was certainly not lacking in beautiful women; Angelia and Leng Xiangxue alone could rival this newcomer!
Beside her, Norwen seemed momentarily dazed as the "Ice Rose" passed, as if his very soul had followed her away.
"Second Brother!" Cherie snapped, tapping Norwen’s arm with an unusual tone.
Norwen snapped back to attention, looking at Cherie with confusion.
"Second Brother, I advise you to give up. She is not right for you!" Cherie advised sincerely.
As a woman, she knew that someone like the "Ice Rose" must possess an arrogant disposition, one that ordinary men could never subdue. People of her caliber surely had extremely stringent requirements for a partner, and he would absolutely need to surpass them in strength!
These women appeared icy on the surface, but their hearts were like fire—it depended on who could melt that initial layer of frost!
Cherie clearly understood that with her Second Brother's current standing, melting that ice was a lost cause. It was better to seek another bloom than to cling desperately to this one!
Norwen stared at Cherie, feeling frustrated. He hadn't expected Cherie to be so blunt, making it sound as if he were shamelessly pursuing her.
He certainly held favorable feelings for the "Ice Rose," but it wasn't as exaggerated as his troublesome friends claimed—he hadn't been pursuing her for over a year; he had only asked her out a few times, only to be rejected each time. He was nowhere near the stage of 'I will marry no one but her'!
Norwen was self-aware. He knew he had no chance. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but her strength was among the top tier at the 'Yamei Magic and Martial Arts Academy.' She had achieved remarkable success in the previous 'Royal Competition'!
And him? Apart from having a bit of family money, his strength was decent, but he didn't even qualify to participate in the 'Royal Competition'!
And that was just part of the gap between them!
"Right, Cherie, you still haven't told me why you're here?" Norwen quickly changed the subject. His real intention was to find out why Zhong Shenxiu and Robin were present.
"Nothing much, just strolling around, and maybe scouting the competition a bit, hee hee," Cherie made a silly face at her brother.
Ruo Nu (Norwen’s elder brother, implied) knew his sister would participate in the 'Royal Competition,' but he had no idea why Zhong Shenxiu and these others were grouped together.
"Cherie, who are they?" Norwen asked quietly, seemingly not wanting any third party to overhear.
"They are all my teammates," Cherie looked towards Kaynie and the others.
"Teammates?" Norwen was confused. Did those old men count as teammates too?
"I've joined a mercenary group now. They are all in the same group as me!" Cherie realized Norwen had misunderstood and quickly explained.
"What? You joined a mercenary group? How come I didn't know? Did you ask Dad's opinion? Being a mercenary is dangerous! Why did you suddenly decide to do that? How long has it been?" Norwen burst out a string of questions in his agitation, leaving Cherie unsure how to answer them all.
"Second Brother, I have to go now; they are waiting for me. I'll come to see you next time!" Without waiting for Norwen to speak, Cherie ran off. This was the most direct and effective way to answer all of Norwen’s inquiries!
Norwen had intended to chase after her, but when he noticed Zhong Shenxiu and Robin looking at him, he hesitated.
In that moment of hesitation, Cherie had already left with Zhong Shenxiu and the others!
"Hey, Norwen, who exactly are those people with your sister? There seem to be a lot of beauties among them; why don't you introduce us?" one of his troublesome friends piped up again, newly energized.
Norwen shot them a glare and said irritably, "Don't ask me about this; I'm not familiar with them!"
"Are they your sister's classmates? Why don't you have your sister arrange a social gathering between our class and theirs—no, just between us a few guys? There won't be enough girls to go around!"
"I'm warning you all: stay far away from those people. They are not people you can afford to provoke. Especially those two kids. Don't say I didn't warn you later!" Norwen cautioned with a serious expression.
He had witnessed Robin unleash his power, and the memory still made his hair stand on end!
"Hey, Norwen, you're not joking with us, are you?"
"I am not joking. If you don't listen to me, you won't even know how you died!" After saying this, Norwen ignored them and walked away.
Meanwhile, Zhong Shenxiu and his group hadn't left the 'Yamei Magic and Martial Arts Academy'; they were still exploring the campus. Whether by coincidence or by Zhong Shenxiu's deliberate design, they encountered the "Ice Rose" again!
The environment here was quiet and serene: a pond lay ahead, and next to it was a lawn where the "Ice Rose" was currently sitting, reading a book.
Perhaps sensing the approach of Zhong Shenxiu’s group, the "Ice Rose" quickly looked up. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes; clearly, she hadn't expected to run into this group again in this place. Her gaze finally settled on Angelia and Leng Xiangxue, as if those two held some strange attraction for her!
At the same time, Angelia and Leng Xiangxue were also appraising her, engaging in what seemed to be a silent exchange of glances.
Just then, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin started walking toward the "Ice Rose."
The "Ice Rose" finally shifted her focus from the girls to Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, looking at Robin slightly more than Zhong Shenxiu!
Perhaps because the ones approaching were two children, her sense of repulsion was minimal. Her expression was placid now, like the clear water in the nearby pond. Had any ordinary adult approached her, she would have already put on a cold face!
Zhong Shenxiu stopped about a meter in front of her, tilting his head up to look at her. That gaze was less like looking and more like observing!
Just as Leng Xiangxue had mentioned, one of her eyes was water-blue, and the other was light purple. Although the colors differed, they gave an impression of being naturally complementary, causing no awkwardness—instead, they added a layer of beauty!
Being stared at so directly made the "Ice Rose" frown slightly, but she still didn't show anger. She simply closed her book and stood up, intending to leave. "Hey, girl!" Zhong Shenxiu called out suddenly.
Girl?
The "Ice Rose" clearly faltered. Perhaps in her entire life, this was the first time someone had addressed her that way, and she turned back to look at Zhong Shenxiu.
"Are you researching the restrictions on your body?" Zhong Shenxiu asked this question with a knowing, intriguing smile playing on his lips.
Upon hearing Zhong Shenxiu’s words, the "Ice Rose’s" expression drastically changed. Although she tried hard to conceal it, the shock and panic in her eyes were easily discernible!
"Interested in making a deal with me?" Zhong Shenxiu inquired, his smile widening.
However, to Zhong Shenxiu's considerable surprise, the "Ice Rose" still remained silent. She simply turned around and walked away, not treating Zhong Shenxiu's proposal as anything important!
Angelia and the others, watching from a distance, saw Zhong Shenxiu being rebuffed for the first time and felt an urge to laugh. Yet, what happened next made it impossible for them to smile...