Normally, when a woman tells you that she is willing to pay any price, the only price she usually wants to pay is a single thing. However, the Snow Empress is not a human being. She is a powerful Spirit Beast.
She truly wanted to give everything she had in exchange for the safety of the Extreme North Land and a way for the Ice Empress to survive her upcoming Heavenly Tribulation. Kong Mingan looked at the Snow Empress quietly. He saw her standing there with a posture that suggested she was ready to sacrifice her life for her people at any second.
A hint of surprise grew in his heart because he did not expect this from her. There was no doubt that the ruler of the Extreme North Land was strong, but her personality was a bit too simple and direct. This unguarded trust made him feel as if he could easily take complete control of her and toy with her however he liked.
He wondered to himself if she was really that easy to trick. It seemed that compared to humans, Spirit Beasts were much purer. This purity could be seen as a good thing or a bad thing depending on the situation. However, he looked at her and spoke firmly. I refuse.
Under the gaze of the Snow Empress, which was filled with hope and determination, Kong Mingan calmly rejected the deal she proposed. Those three simple words were like an ice pick piercing through her heart. Her heart had just started to feel hope, but now it was gone. A look of shock flashed across her beautiful face, and then the light in her ice blue eyes faded away very quickly.
Her long eyelashes lowered slightly as she looked down. The Snow Empress pressed her lips together. Her eyes showed a deep disappointment, but she did not show any anger or resentment toward him. After all, she knew that the value of everything she owned was not enough to pay for two big things.
She wanted the promise of protecting the Extreme North Land and the method for the Ice Empress to survive the Heavenly Tribulation. Her offer to give her all was just a gamble she was trying to take.
It was clear that the man in front of her would not lower the price just because she was trying her hardest. Seeing that the Snow Empress looked very sad and emotional, Kong Mingan smiled a little bit. His voice became much softer as he spoke to her. Are you disappointed already?
The Snow Empress said nothing at all. She simply raised her ice blue eyes to look at him again. Those eyes were still cold and pure, but the light inside them was clearly gone. It made her look like she was broken inside. Kong Mingan kept his gaze calm, but he actively leaned toward her a little bit. His voice was gentle as he continued to speak.
Actually, you can have enough value to pay for everything I mentioned. The Snow Empress murmured quietly, her eyes filled with confusion. I can? There was no doubt that she was a Spirit King among beasts and very powerful, but in these kinds of deals, she seemed very clumsy and simple.
Kong Mingan thought to himself that she seemed even easier to deceive than before. He felt a strange sense of guilt for a moment. He felt a bit of strangeness in his heart, but he quickly pushed that feeling away. He met her eyes with a calm look and spoke with a serious tone. Snow Empress, my refusal is not because I think you have no value. It is also not because I do not want to make a deal with you.
Your current value in my eyes is only enough to pay for my promise to protect your land. But that is only what you are worth right now. If you want to get more, you have to do more. If you want the Ice Empress to safely survive her Tribulation in addition to the safety of the Extreme North Land, then you need to show me more value that matches those goals.
The eyes of the Snow Empress brightened a little bit when she heard this. More value? Kong Mingan explained things to her patiently, just like a teacher guiding a student. Yes, value. It could be you becoming much stronger so you can be a more reliable helper for me. It could also be the special knowledge that only you have or the help you can give me in the future. All of these things can be turned into the value you need to trade for the things you want. The eyes of the Snow Empress became very bright now.
She quickly understood what Kong Mingan was trying to say. If her value right now was not enough, she would work hard to improve herself until it was enough. At that time, by giving her all, she would finally be able to get what she wanted. She looked at Kong Mingan and a trace of real gratitude appeared in her cold eyes. She whispered a thank you to him.
Kong Mingan smiled and told her there was no need for thanks because it was just a deal that helped both of them. He extended his right hand with the palm facing up. It was an inviting gesture and his tone was much gentler. So, are you willing to make a trade like that?
The Snow Empress looked at his hand. She was surprised for a moment, but then she felt a strange impulse. She raised her own hand and gently placed it into the palm of Kong Mingan. Just as she was about to say yes, she noticed something very strange. She looked down at her hand which was resting in his palm.
Usually, when she touched a human, they would feel her natural coldness and pull away. She expected this young man to be affected by her freezing temperature. However, she did not see any discomfort on his face. Instead, she felt a warmth coming from his hand.
It was not a normal heat that felt dry. It was a peaceful and inclusive temperature that felt very nice. The extremely pure ice and snow energy inside her body did not try to push him away. Usually, her energy would react to others, but now it felt like it was in harmony with him.
Her ultimate ice energy did not hate the young man. In fact, it seemed to like him very much. The expression on her face changed. She had only felt this kind of harmony before when she was with the Ice Empress. That was because they both had the same kind of energy. But she did not understand why she felt this way toward a human. The young man was not even an ice attribute Spirit Master.
The Snow Empress started to think deeply while looking at their joined hands. There was a hint of curiosity in her eyes. Kong Mingan did not notice that she was thinking so hard. At this moment, his attention was on her hand.
When he first touched it, her hand was cool but it did not feel like biting ice. It felt very unique, like smooth jade that was soft and delicate. It felt even softer and cooler than the hand of Miss Meng. But that was not why he was looking so closely.
He was a Spirit Scholar of high talent, and he could feel the perfect energy structure of her body. Because their hands were touching, their energies were mixing slightly. He could see things from an energy perspective very clearly. He was mesmerized by what he saw. To him, her energy was like a beautiful work of art. His eyes showed pure admiration and interest.
But to the Snow Empress, his look seemed to mean something else. She suddenly thought of a possibility and her eyes lit up. She looked at Kong Mingan very seriously and asked a question to test him. You... are you a Spirit Beast who has started to cultivate as a human again?
Kong Mingan was busy looking at the beautiful energy structure when he heard this sudden question. He was startled and made a small sound of surprise. He subconsciously tried to let go of her hand and step back, but the Snow Empress did not let him go. She grabbed his hand and pulled him closer as she took a step toward him. She had a look of joy on her face as if she had found someone just like her.
Her tone was a bit aggressive as she asked him again. I just asked you if you are a Spirit Beast who is cultivating as a human. Kong Mingan heard her clearly this time and blinked his eyes. He wondered if he did not look like a human at all. He also wondered why the Snow Empress was acting so differently all of a sudden.
He stayed silent for a moment, trying to think of how to answer her. The silence between them grew as she waited for him to confirm her suspicion. He realized that his unique energy might have confused her into thinking he was not human. He looked at her beautiful face and saw the hope there, but he knew he had to be honest about his identity.