Chapter 1 About Revisiting the Arctic

Hao Ren had long considered revisiting the Arctic. Although the internal strife among the Demon Hunters had ended, and the most important "Goddess Relics" of Corpse had been sampled and analyzed by the data terminal, his departure at the time had been too hasty. With the Demon Hunter situation just stabilizing and trouble brewing among the aliens, Hao Ren hadn't had time for further exploration of Corpse before leaving. Now that everything had settled, a return trip was inevitable.

This Zhao Xi incident provided the perfect opportunity to return and have Bai Huo and Hasson cooperate in an investigation.

Hao Ren's suggestion received support from Vivian and Lily—the former felt it was her responsibility to personally visit the Arctic, while the latter was likely driven by her husky lineage. Hao Ren then looked at the others in the living room: "Anyone else want to come along?"

Elizabeth, wielding a small screwdriver, rushed past Hao Ren: "Uncle Ren, I won't go! I have to stay home and fix things..."

Zhao Xi's outburst the previous night had fried all the circuits in the house, along with several appliances. Elizabeth woke up and had been busy repairing things for two hours. The little girl was no longer the troublemaking kid who broke everything she touched. As befitting an imperial princess raised with the elite education of a demon empire, her learning ability was incredible. Through a year of disassembling and reassembling, she had thoroughly studied modern human appliances. Now she was the resident electrician in Hao Ren's home, responsible for repairing anything that broke.

"I'm not going either," Izhaks said, strolling over with a flowerpot in his hands. "Old Li across the street is out, and he asked me to look after his plants. I've finally built a good relationship with the neighbors, so I have to do a solid job."

Hao Ren looked up at the Nangong family of four, but Nangong Wudi immediately waved his hand: "Our family has to stay and take care of the restaurant, so we won't join in the fun. I was removed from the Demon Hunter organization a hundred years ago. There's no point in going back again and again."

After asking around, everyone else had their own business to attend to. In the end, only "Roll" was enthusiastically eager to join in, along with Dou Dou, who was bouncing around and wanted to go out with her dad. Hao Ren thought about it, realizing that he always found excuses to leave them at home when he went out on business. He felt like he was neglecting them. This trip to Corpse wasn't dangerous, so he could take them along for a change of scenery.

Of course, considering Corpse's location in the frigid Arctic, he had to ensure Dou Dou stayed warm. As a Demon Hunter fish with incredible vitality, she wouldn't freeze, but her "racial talent" for hibernation at low temperatures couldn't be changed.

"You're responsible for taking care of Dou Dou, and then I'll take you," Hao Ren said, pulling "Roll" aside for special instructions. "As long as she's happy, you'll get fish snacks and cat food."

"Roll" tilted her head, successfully equating Dou Dou with her lifelong happiness. She immediately hugged the little mermaid, wearing an expression of sworn protection—as a cat, she had really reached a new level.

So, in the end, Lily and Vivian went out with Hao Ren, plus Dou Dou and "Roll", who were along for the ride. All together, it was a cat, a dog, a fish, and a bat. Hao Ren once again felt like he was moving the zoo when he went out…

The data terminal had left spatial coordinates near the Ice Citadel during their last departure, and Hao Ren had also left his contact information with the Demon Hunter's new council. Therefore, they sent a message to the Ice Citadel before setting off. Then, the data terminal activated the spatial teleportation, transporting the group to the entrance of the ancient castle standing on the Arctic ice cap.

After being directly teleported from the warm and comfortable home to the frigid Arctic ice plains, "Roll" immediately sneezed loudly several times. Even as a cat demon, she could still feel the temperature change. But the stupid cat's attention was quickly drawn to the magnificent walls of the Ice Citadel. She craned her neck to look at the towering ice giant wall, watching as the high walls disappeared into the dark night sky. As a cat, she instinctively began to calculate the difficulty of climbing the wall and was immediately discouraged: "Meow... I can't climb this at all!"

Dou Dou poked her head out of "Roll's" collar, the little mermaid giggling in the cold wind, squirming restlessly: "Big house! Big house!"

"Don't move around," "Roll" carefully adjusted the clothes around her collar to prevent the cold wind from entering. "If you move around, I won't get fish snacks!"

"Why do you insist on having a cat take care of your fish daughter?" Vivian asked Hao Ren curiously. "Just because of your weird tastes?"

Hao Ren chuckled: "Because cats have a higher body temperature than humans. Roll is much warmer than I am. This is the Arctic, and Dou Dou prefers to be with Roll."

Vivian thought for a moment, then exclaimed in shock: "How do you know Roll is warmer!?

Hao Ren covered his forehead: "What are you thinking—every cat owner knows that!"

Vivian awkwardly turned her head away: "Oh… It's just that the Great Dog's howl last time left a deep impression on me…"

Hao Ren: "…"

While Hao Ren and Vivian were chatting idly, a creaking sound came from deep within the millennia-old ice gate of the Ice Citadel. Driven by powerful magic, the heavy giant ice block slowly rose, and a small team of Demon Hunter warriors in black uniforms emerged from the gate to welcome the visitors.

"Back then, I was fighting fiercely with the Demon Hunters. Now, when I come here, they line up to welcome me," Vivian muttered softly. "If only I knew we were all family, what were we fighting for back then… Half of my poverty over the years is thanks to these bastards."

Lily also muttered: "What's the point of mentioning the past all the time? You killed me once in a previous life, but did I say anything?"

As they spoke, the small team of Demon Hunter warriors arrived in front of Hao Ren. The leader was a familiar face: Claude, the former close attendant of the Saint, the chief messenger of the Saint Group.

Claude approached Hao Ren and his group, bowed, and greeted them warmly: "It's a pleasure to see you again so soon. The elders have received the message and ordered me to receive you."

Lily puffed out her chest and took two steps forward, swishing her tail back and forth, pretending to be a big bad wolf (although her tail was indeed very large): "Ahem, your former emperor has come to inspect the work!"

Hao Ren coughed twice: "Cough, cough, is that how you talk about yourself?"

Lily twitched her ears: "Then, the late emperor?"

Hao Ren: "…"

Claude: "…"

"Just ignore them," Vivian said helplessly, pinching her forehead, and waving to Claude. "Lead the way, and we'll talk as we go."

Compared to their last visit, the Ice Citadel seemed much more lively. Black-clad Demon Hunter warriors could be seen walking around everywhere on the layered ramparts and stepped walkways, reminiscent of a military fortress. Inside the fortress, they could hear the shouts of warriors training and the clashing of weapons. Vivian casually said, "After a great battle, this place seems more lively than before."

Claude explained the recent situation: "When you came last time, the Holy Land was in the midst of a war. Almost all the warriors were fighting in the Corpse space. Only a third of the garrison was stationed in the Ice Citadel. Now, the Corpse space is being rebuilt, and many places are temporarily uninhabitable. So, the surviving Elder Council and some ordinary soldiers can only move to the Ice Citadel, making it feel more crowded."

After hearing this, Hao Ren muttered softly: "…Most people have temporarily left Corpse. That's a good thing."

"What?" Claude didn't hear clearly.

"It's nothing," Hao Ren waved his hand. "By the way, don't you have to guard the Spirit Realm Clock Tower now? I remember Bai Huo said that 'First Attendant Officers' like you had to swear never to leave Corpse for life."

"The Saint Group is gone, so the attendant officer sequence has naturally been dissolved," Claude said, spreading his hands. "The Demon Hunters are now led by the Elder Council, and we former attendant officers have been dissolved and reorganized into the Elder Council and various battle groups. I joined the Elder Council and am now the council's secretary—I have the knowledge inheritance of a dozen generations of attendant officers in my head, and this knowledge is now coming in handy."

Lily immediately chimed in excitedly: "Hey, hey, I also have ancient knowledge in my head!"

However, no one paid any attention to her.

"We need to find your highest-ranking leaders," Hao Ren said, getting straight to the point after a brief exchange. "Go find Grigory and Hasson. We have important matters to discuss."