Chapter 3: The Cold Beauty and the Panda Shadow

Mo Jin was wearing a khaki windbreaker and black cargo pants, her aura as cold as ever. She was focused, using a sharp military knife to sharpen a wooden stick.

Lin Mo’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected to meet Mo Jin here, let alone that Mo Jin would be her teammate.

She felt a bit cowardly, wanting to approach but fearing she would be frozen stiff by Mo Jin’s icy presence.

For a moment, Lin Mo stood rooted to the spot in a daze.

At some point, Mo Jin looked up, her gaze meeting Lin Mo’s face.

Unlike the biting coldness of the daytime, Mo Jin’s face seemed a fraction softer in the night. Her eyes looked like melting ice and snow, revealing a trace of warmth.

Lin Mo thought she was hallucinating and shook her head vigorously.

Mo Jin’s expression immediately reverted to that of the familiar icy beauty.

Lin Mo’s face instantly flushed. She felt restless and didn’t know how to greet her.

Mo Jin turned the roasting meat skewered on the wooden stick and said calmly, “Come here.”

Lin Mo blanked for a second before quickly running to Mo Jin’s side and sitting down, tucking her limbs in.

Mo Jin didn’t speak again. Lin Mo kept her head down, her eyes involuntarily darting around until they landed on their shadows.

One was a large panda head, and the other was a stalk of bamboo.

Lin Mo was shocked. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

It was still a large panda head and a stalk of bamboo.

Lin Mo immediately looked up. Mo Jin’s profile was as exquisite as a painting, yet the shadow on the ground was a panda.

Is Mo Jin… not human?

Wait, she wasn’t exactly human either.

After all, she could grow something as unscientific as a bamboo shoot out of her head. It wasn’t that strange if Mo Jin wasn’t human.

The adorable panda head paired with Mo Jin’s cold, refined face was strangely cute.

Lin Mo cupped her face with both hands, her lips curving up uncontrollably. As she thought about it, she couldn’t help but let out a muffled giggle.

Mo Jin swept a cold glance over at her.

Lin Mo immediately covered her mouth. Fine, she shouldn’t be secretly laughing at Mo Jin.

Mo Jin handed the stick with the roasted meat to Lin Mo.

“Eat.”

Lin Mo waved her hands hurriedly.

“No thanks, you roasted it so you should eat it. I’m not hungry.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Lin Mo’s stomach let out a loud growl.

Lin Mo clutched her traitorous stomach, feeling embarrassed.

Mo Jin frowned slightly.

“Eat. I’m not hungry yet.”

Panicking slightly, Lin Mo took the roasted meat.

It was roasted perfectly. A layer of golden oil seeped from the thin skin, and the aroma was fragrant and enticing.

The skin was crispy and charred, while the meat inside was tender and delicious. Lin Mo took a bite, her mouth filled with the savory flavor.

As Lin Mo ate, she realized Mo Jin wasn’t roasting another portion. Since hunting at night wouldn’t be easy, Mo Jin must have given her the portion she intended for herself.

Mo Jin was truly a “cold-faced but warm-hearted” giant panda.

Ignoring the heat, Lin Mo tore off a piece of meat with her hand, her gaze sincere.

“Are you sure you won’t eat? I can’t finish this all by myself.”

Mo Jin continued whittling the wood without looking up.

“You eat. I have no appetite.”

‘A person with no appetite spends the night roasting meat this fragrant?’

Lin Mo had no choice but to stuff the meat into her mouth, chewing vigorously. With her cheeks puffed out, she asked, “Then why did you roast it?”

A layer of grease coated Lin Mo’s lips, making them look shiny, red, and plump.

Mo Jin moved her eyes away inconspicuously and said casually, “Boredom.”

Lin Mo gave a muffled “Oh” in response. She didn’t think Mo Jin was the type to be that bored.

As Lin Mo continued gnawing on the meat, she scanned the surroundings. Suddenly, she spotted a pair of emerald-green eyes not far away, staring so intensely it made her skin crawl.

Lin Mo’s heart tightened. She slowly lowered the roasted meat and gripped her wooden stick. She poked Mo Jin’s side and whispered, “There seems to be something over there.”

Mo Jin glanced over. The emerald eyes immediately narrowed, the creature’s fur standing on end as it let out a low, suppressed growl.

The growl lasted only a second before being suppressed by some powerful force, turning into intermittent whimpers.

“Just a small creature.”

Mo Jin’s voice was calm as she looked helplessly at Lin Mo, who was shivering and clutching her leg.

Mo Jin pulled a burning piece of wood from the fire.

“Take this and go look.”

Lin Mo shook her head frantically, piteously grabbing the hem of Mo Jin’s coat.

Mo Jin stood up, lifting the torch.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

Lin Mo had to follow. When they walked up to the emerald eyes, she realized it was a little monster.

Its fur was yellowish-brown with black spots. It had long, tufted ears standing upright, and its amber eyes looked fierce. A ruff of fur circled its face like a collar of beads. Its four claws dug into the ground, and its tail stood straight as it let out soft whimpers.

Despite its fierce appearance, Lin Mo felt the little monster looked so aggrieved it was about to cry.

The little monster was indeed aggrieved. It just wanted to find something to eat, smelled the fragrance while passing by, and stopped. It hadn’t expected to be pinned to the spot by a Great Demon.

“What kind of monster is this? It’s actually quite cute.”

Lin Mo didn’t dare get too close, using her stick to poke the little monster’s paw.

The little monster bared its teeth and let out an extra-fierce roar.

“Meow!”

Lin Mo had a sudden realization.

“Oh, so it’s a cat.”

The little monster became even more furious, its four claws scratching the ground wildly.

“You’re the cat! Your whole family are cats!”

Lin Mo was stunned.

“A talking cat?”

The monster roared, “Awoo!”

Mo Jin lightly flicked her finger in the air. The little monster fainted onto the ground, its pink tongue lolling out of its mouth.

“A bit noisy,” Mo Jin said, her brow furrowing slightly. “That isn’t a cat; it’s a lynx. Lynxes are rarely seen now, and they look similar to cats, so many people mistake them.”

“Oh, okay. No wonder the little monster was so angry just now.”

Lin Mo realized a bit late that Mo Jin was actually scarier than the monster; the creature didn’t even have time to struggle in her hands.

Mo Jin seemed to sense what Lin Mo was thinking.

“I’ve studied at the academy; you can do this too.”

Realizing Mo Jin was comforting her, Lin Mo felt flattered.

“Thank you.”

Mo Jin nodded. “Let’s go back.”

Lin Mo looked down at the fainted monster on the ground, hesitating. “What about him?”

“Bring him.”

Mo Jin turned and walked away. The lynx was encased in a milky-white sphere of spiritual energy, floating slowly behind Mo Jin at a steady distance.

The late-night wind whistled through the dead branches. The surroundings were pitch black and exceptionally eerie. Lin Mo hugged her arms, taking small, quick steps to stay right behind Mo Jin, terrified of being left behind.

Mo Jin’s footsteps suddenly stopped.

Not paying attention, Lin Mo bumped right into Mo Jin’s back with a thud. She rubbed the tip of her nose, her eyes filled with confusion.

“What happened?”

Mo Jin turned around. “Are you cold?”

“Huh?” Lin Mo nodded quickly. “A little.”

Mo Jin frowned slightly, took off her windbreaker, and draped it over Lin Mo, wrapping it tightly around her.

“Are you still cold?”

The windbreaker that fit Mo Jin perfectly was a size too large for Lin Mo, wrapping her body up completely.

The clothes carried a refreshing, cold fragrance that made Lin Mo’s head feel a bit dizzy.

“Thank you, I’m not cold anymore. But if I’m wearing your coat, what will you wear?”

Mo Jin unbuttoned her cuffs and said indifferently, “I’m not cold.”

Mo Jin was tall with long, straight legs and a graceful waistline. Faint muscle definition was visible on her arms, the kind of tight, smooth tone that comes from long-term exercise.

The simple white shirt and black pants seemed to glow on Mo Jin, accentuating her extreme beauty. Standing there with her sleeves rolled up, her wrists fair as frost, she gave off an air of both elegance and laziness.

Lin Mo was dazed by the sight, frantically cheering for Mo Jin in her heart. Mo Jin was truly the ultimate “Elder Sister” type!

Mo Jin pursed her lips, inwardly pleased by Lin Mo’s expression.

She glanced down at the lynx in the spiritual sphere. It was scrawny, its fur was coarse and covered in spots—not cute at all. Her own beast form was much taller than this lynx, and her fur was glossy and smooth; she was definitely cuter than this lynx.

Mo Jin turned and walked forward without a word, with Lin Mo following closely beside her.

When they returned to the fire, Lin Mo took the initiative to clear a neat patch of ground. She then gathered some hay and laid down a thick layer.

Watching Lin Mo bustle around like a little bee, Mo Jin couldn’t help but say, “We need to find a water source tomorrow.”

Lin Mo stopped, her eyes widening like a little hamster.

Mo Jin said calmly, “This place is too far from water; it isn’t suitable for long-term living.”

Lin Mo felt a bit conflicted, the little bamboo leaves on her head drooping.

“But it’s so cold here at night, and there are all sorts of bugs. If I don’t sleep well, how will I have energy tomorrow?”

Mo Jin fell silent and turned back to add wood to the fire.

Lin Mo was instantly revitalized. In this world, sleep was the top priority. She intended to gather even more hay to make the bed thick and warm.

Once she finished, Lin Mo gave a big smile, walked over to Mo Jin, and squatted down, cupping her face.

“The bed is ready, you can go to sleep now~”

Mo Jin looked down at Lin Mo. She felt that Lin Mo’s courage had suddenly grown.

Mo Jin’s tone remained indifferent. “You sleep. I need to keep watch.”

Lin Mo blinked her bright eyes. “You’ve been busy all day; you need to rest too.”

Seeing Mo Jin remain silent, Lin Mo added, “How about you take the first half of the night, and I’ll take the second half?”

Mo Jin’s gaze landed on the bamboo shoot on Lin Mo’s head. The shoot had put forth a tender green new leaf, which was emitting a faint green glow in the darkness. Translucent wood-element energy from the forest was leaping joyfully toward the shoot, plunging into it like children.

Lin Mo was like a radiant little sun. Because of her energy fluctuations, the surrounding plants were secretly growing taller.

And because Mo Jin was closest to Lin Mo, she was absorbing the most energy. The spiritual power in her body was becoming more condensed, and she could feel her cultivation clearly strengthening.