694: It Will Be Decided By Me

It Will Be Decided By Me

"That's... still a lot and I haven't recovered enough. Doing it under this harsh weather is certainly not the best idea."2

Muttering to herself, Ming Yue tried to think of a better way of doing things. Then she turned to Hei Yue and Xiao Yin, looking at them intently. 

"Did you two see any place to hide in? Or maybe to keep warm? Like a cave or something?" she asked the pair. 

The two beasts shared a look before facing her, Xiao Yin chirped as if to say yes. 

"Mm, is it close? could you lead the way?"

There was a happy chirp coming from the owl and Ming Yue felt reassured. 

"Alright, let me just finish this and we can get going."

Saying this, she quickly moved, dispatching the Frostflame Bears and placing them into her spatial ring. There had to have been dozens of corpses, enough to form a small hill.

Ming Yue glanced over at the inky black pond, checking to see if there were more shards of Abyssal Ice. Much to her disappointment, there was nothing left for her to take. 

"To think that, Elder Wo Long's hunch was right. The Mountain's Ink is not the only pond of its kind. Ah, if I cultivated the Ice Dao this would've been a great treasure." 

There was slight regret but it wasn't as if she could do anything about it. Once she finished up, the cultivator turned to the owl and fox, who then led the way to shelter. She didn't realize a crow watching her from the top of a nearby tree. 

Moving along the mountain path, a cave soon came into view, a rather large one in fact. 

Ming Yue looked at it. 

There was a strong aura coming from within. It wasn't threatening but there was dense cold energy emanating from it. 

"This must be the Frostflame Bear's lair. Where they hibernate perhaps?" she thought to herself.

Spreading her senses outward, she made sure that the cave was empty before walking in. The deeper she went, the warmer it became until she reached the center where a surprise awaited her.

However, it wasn't a very welcome surprise. 

"Oh... oh my... these... all of these are treasures, medicinal herbs brimming with cold energy. Perfect for the Ice Dao..." 

Ming Yue's words were practically dripping in disappointment.

"More for the glass jar but... nothing that I can really use, I suppose." 

Just as she said, nothing here was suitable for her cultivation. If she were to use them, it would bring more negative effects than positive ones. She just sighed and looked for a place to sit. 

"At least it's warm inside", she muttered to herself. And so Ming Yue took this time to recuperate, butcher the rest of the Frostflame Bears, and feed all the treasures to the glass jar. 

Outside of this, there was a group of people gathered in a large room at the Xing Clan. 

A rectangular table stood at the center, paired with dozens of chairs. On the surface was a map of the Xue Mountains, specifically of the Frostflame Bear's territory. 

Seated at the front was none other than the king of the Endless Peak Kingdom, the father of Xing Juren and Xing Hou, Xing Long. Standing beside him was his wife, Xing Huang. And then the grandfather, who stood alongside all of the other warriors around the table, Xing Pangde. 

The king took a deep breath before gazing at all of the faces around him. Those seated at the tables were none other than the elders of the other clans. Among them, those belonging to the five Noble Clans sat closest to him. 

"I'm sure that you all know why we're gathered here. The lookouts for the Frostflame Bears have spotted a Frostflame Bear King, a beast that has not appeared in hundreds of years. This is a matter of grave importance", he told them. 

They all nodded, murmuring in agreement. 

"Now then, apart from the elders, we have now formed a subjugation force specifically for this beast."

He looked up at them as he said this, eyeing his father in particular. 

"All of you are outstanding warriors, each one has defeated a Frostflame Bear so I am not worried for you. I do not doubt any of your skills. But someone will have to lead you all. You are welcome to nominate yourselves or determine this through a test of strength and skill. Either way works. Of course, if one of you elders chooses to vouch for them, that will be taken into consideration."

His gaze turned to the old men and women, all of which seemed to have e pleasant smiles on their faces. Seeing neither group say a word, he sighed before smiling as well.

"In that case, a test of strength, we'll hold that on another day. In the meantime, all of our warriors are welcome to rest and explore, enjoy your time in the Xing Clan." 

Despite the smile on his face, the aura around him said something else, it was firm and heavy. 

A warning to not go too far. 

Those standing nodded and left the room while the king, his wife, and the elders stayed back. 

"Now then, there are still a few matters regarding the Frostflame Bear King that we have to go over. Importantly, what we should do with its corpse. Now, I propose that we turn it all int-"

One of the elders coughed out loud, interrupting his words. 

"We can always discuss that when they succeed. Rather, I'm sure that we'd all like to talk about your daughter, well her suitor actually."

Xing Long stopped and looked at them. 

"What of it? I believe that her answer has been clear, she'd like to go through the Ten-Year Trial first", he replied. 

Another elder spoke up. 

"Yes, well, you already have your son who's nearly finished with it. Why have your daughter go through it as well? I mean, I'm sure that once she finds the right person, her mind will change, no?" 

The king raised a brow. 

"She is my daughter and I will respect her choice. Even if she doesn't want to get married, I am more than happy seeing her continue the royal tradition."

Suddenly, they all began to protest. 

"But still, won't she find it more bearable with someone by her side?" 

"Didn't getting married to the queen enrich both of your lives?" 

"I do know someone that your daughter may like."

"Yes! The warrior I brought with me is my sister's grandson! He's a powerful man and handsome to boot!"

"Mine is both a warrior and a blacksmith!"

"Mine is a teacher at our local school! You wouldn't want someone who isn't good with children, right?"

In an instant, it devolved into a chaotic discussion of prospective suitors and reasons for marriage. Xing Long just stared blankly into space, both overwhelmed and trying to endure it. 

But then a sharp clap silenced the room as everyone looked at his wife. The tall, muscular woman had a similarly pleasant smile on her face as she grabbed their attention. But her imposing stature gave off a fearsome aura, like a tiger protecting her children. 

"I understand that you are all so excited to see our daughter grow up. And marriage is a very important issue to bring up. As I recall, she rejected all of her previous suitors no?" she said. 

One of the elders nodded. 

"Yes, she did, and with no reason at all!"

"Mm, I see, I see. In that case, the decision to choose her an appropriate partner is no longer up to her."

There was very short-lived joy before she said her next words. 

"Yes, her suitor will be decided by me, under the same circumstances as when I picked my husband. They have to best me in strength."

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