Seventh Elder said, “Some are children the sect originally adopted, but most of the others are refugees.”
Song Yao asked in confusion, “Refugees?”
“Yes.”
Seventh Elder reached out to pat a child's head, shaking his head with a heavy sigh. “Not long ago, a massive demon realm popped up out of nowhere in the Frost City region. It came without warning. The cultivators stationed in the city couldn't hold it off, and many lives were lost. These children happened to be playing in the mountain forests outside the city at the time, so they luckily avoided being dragged into the demon realm. After a long, difficult journey, they fled here to seek shelter at Nine Saints Hall.”
He Yu finished serving the children their food and frowned. “Didn't Fourth Elder and Fifth Elder take a group of people to handle that demon realm a while ago? Why hasn't there been any word from them yet?”
“I don't know if they're trapped in the demon realm, or if they heard about what happened to Nine Saints Hall and are hiding out somewhere.”
Seventh Elder looked increasingly worried. “A demon realm of that scale is truly rare. But with the current situation, even if they sent a transmission talisman for help, no one would be able to assist.”
Song Yao paused her spoon slightly, lowering her gaze to blow on the hot steam rising from her bowl.
This was indeed a bit of a mess.
With internal troubles and external threats tangled up in a mess, Nine Saints Hall was on the verge of collapse. No wonder everyone in the spatial realm was so tightly wound.
Seventh Elder was about to say more when he noticed several of the younger children turning pale. They clutched their small bowls, shoulders trembling timidly. Two of them already had red eyes, murmuring about their parents as tears began to well up. He quickly stopped himself and softened his tone to comfort them, “Alright, alright, don't overthink it. With the elders of Nine Saints Hall around, the demon realm in Frost City will be suppressed sooner or later. Your parents will definitely be safe and sound.”
Song Yao nodded along and chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, those demons are nothing to be afraid of. They're not nearly as scary as Ye Chongguang and Feng Qing outside. Those two actually eat people! We'll probably die way before your parents do.”
Before she could even finish, the little girl with pigtails sitting next to her puckered her lips and burst into tears. “I don't want to be eaten!”
“I want to go home!”
“I want my mommy and daddy!”
This cry was like opening a floodgate. The other young ones followed suit, tears splashing into their bowls. The scene instantly descended into chaos.
Seventh Elder: “...”
He Yu: “...”
The two of them had barely finished cooking and hoped to catch their breath, but now they had to immediately start coaxing the children without a moment's rest.
Right next to Song Yao, the two older children—a boy and a girl who looked to be around thirteen or fourteen—suddenly slammed their bowls and chopsticks down, stood up, and shouted, “Enough! Stop crying, all of you!”
Song Yao, who was happily chewing on a chicken wing, was sitting so close that the sudden shout startled her, nearly sending her chicken wing flying.
The crying at the table came to an abrupt halt, and the children sobbed as they looked toward the two.
The girl said with utmost seriousness, “Nine Saints Hall took us in, and Elder Grandpa and Daoist Brother even cooked for us. None of you are allowed to make trouble and cause problems for everyone! Whoever makes noise won't get to eat!”
The boy added, “That's right. No talking while eating, no talking while sleeping. If you behave and follow the rules, your parents will be safe.”
Song Yao picked up another chicken wing, suddenly feeling a bit guilty.
It seemed like she was the reason these kids started crying.
In comparison, she seemed like the one who was being immature.
She thought about it, grabbed a meat bun, and stuffed it into the girl's mouth. Pressing her back down into her seat, she tried to smooth things over. “Alright, alright, let's all eat. Maybe Ye Chongguang and Feng Qing don't like eating people that much after all.”
Seventh Elder: “...Please stop talking about eating people.”
This ancestor of theirs really loved stirring up trouble just to watch the show.
He walked over helplessly and gave the boy and girl a warm, gentle smile. “Nine Saints Hall doesn't have that many rules, so don't be so tense. Since you're here, treat this place like your own home. Just like Little Wood, you're all still children, so there's no need to restrict yourselves so much.”
With her mouth stuffed full, the girl couldn't speak and could only nod. The boy beside her said respectfully, “Even so, we shouldn't cause trouble for you and everyone...”
As he spoke, he urged the younger children to hurry up and eat.
Looking at the three tables of children, Seventh Elder felt a wave of helplessness.
There were so many of them, yet combined, they weren't even as talkative as Little Wood on her own.
He told them to take their time eating, then left for the elixir room with He Yu.
The Ming family children finally relaxed a little and began to whisper among themselves.
The children on this side remained very well-behaved, though a few of the younger ones silently wiped away tears as they ate, clearly missing their parents.
Song Yao felt curious and asked the girl and boy beside her, “Are you all part of the same group? Why do they listen to you so much?”
The girl: “...”
The boy: “...”
Being called a "group" sounded a bit strange. It made them sound like bandits.
When the girl turned to face her, her demeanor became noticeably gentler and more polite. “My mother is the Young Mistress of Frost City. My brother and I are twins. I'm Shuang Xi, and my brother is Shuang Ming. These are all children with spiritual roots from the city, sent by their families to the City Lord's manor to learn cultivation techniques. That's why they tend to listen to my brother and me.”
They were indeed well-educated; even in a crisis like this, they could still manage to maintain their composure.
Song Yao asked again, “What did the demon that invaded Frost City look like?”
Shuang Xi's eyes dimmed slightly, and she shook her head. “We don't know. At the time, I took them out for a walk, hoping to see if we could find any minor demons. By the time we wanted to go back, the entire Frost City was gone.”
Song Yao was taken aback. “Gone?”
Shuang Xi looked dejected. “Yes, the entire Frost City was shrouded in black mist. We couldn't see anything at all. Shuang Ming and I tried to break in, but we failed. He was even injured by something inside the black mist and almost died. We had no choice but to flee first.”
Frost City was no ordinary small town; its territory was vast, and it was said that a Deity Transformation expert with an ice spiritual root had once emerged from there. Its strength and heritage were not to be underestimated.
A demon capable of swallowing such a place was definitely no ordinary great demon.
It might even be the most powerful demon to appear in the Tianshu Realm in thousands of years.
Song Yao pondered for a moment. “Frost City is so far from Nine Saints Hall, but it's actually closer to Beiyao Sect. Why didn't you go to Beiyao Sect for help?”
Shuang Ming and Shuang Xi exchanged a glance, their voices softening. “We heard... we heard that if Beiyao Sect helps, they charge a massive fee. We were afraid... afraid that if Frost City really met with disaster, we wouldn't be able to pay...”
Song Yao hadn't expected this reason. She asked in confusion, “Doesn't Nine Saints Hall charge as well?”
If a destitute family was attacked by demons and came for help, Nine Saints Hall would naturally send people to hunt the demons for free. But if other sects or clans needed assistance, the mission would be assigned to the hall's disciples and cultivators based on the level of danger, and a certain commission fee would be charged.
Rate on N.U.
