"Hmmm?" Mira turned her head to look out the window while the kids enjoyed their meal.
There, across the road at one of the many shops, stood a cute woman. Her hair was black near the roots and tapered to a white at the other end. She had long legs, a cute face, and a form-fitting outfit that wasn't normal among cultivators. She got a few stares from others, but nobody bothered her.
The woman was walking around, looking normal, but occasionally, she'd take a few glances at Mira.
Normally, Mira would've just ignored that, as at least 95% of the people around the restaurant had taken multiple glances in her direction.
Still, this one felt different. The weight behind it was much different compared to everyone else's.
'A rabbit?' Mira narrowed her eyes as she stared at the woman. Under an illusory barrier, Mira saw a white, puffy, round tail and two giant bunny ears on the woman.
'What's a rabbit doing here, and why is she watching me?' Mira wondered, but the answer didn't matter.
It was okay if people wanted to look at her; after all, she was beautiful. However, spying on her was a no.
She secretly created a minuscule ice needle in her hand and flicked it toward the rabbit's head. It didn't even make a sound as it flew through the air, but somehow, the rabbit caught on.
All the hairs on the rabbit's body stood up, and she stared at Mira in horror before hopping away, dodging the attack. The people around her only felt a gush of cold air brush past them as she disappeared into the distance.
Mira thought about getting up and chasing her but decided not to. If she really wanted to kill the rabbit, she wouldn't have attacked.
Instead, she wanted to avoid as much bloodshed today as possible so as not to ruin the mood. Today, she was going to spend quality time with Dominique without interruptions!
"Mother?" Dominique noticed that Mira was staring out the window for a while now and spoke up.
"It's nothing. Someone was just staring a bit too much, so I had to scare them away."
"Mmhm! Mother is super beautiful, after all! Like a goddess!" Dominique smiled and nodded.
Mira didn't show any reaction on the outside, but inwardly, it would be a lie to say she didn't like those words coming out of Dominique's mouth.
"Alright. Enough about that. Hurry up and finish your food. The day is almost over." Mira waved her hand and began eating. But at the same time, she spread her Soul Sense just in case there were any more creepers around.
"Yes, Ma'am!" Dominique giggled and saluted, diving back into her food.
***
Meanwhile, the rabbit Mira had just attacked had dashed her little tail out of the city. She didn't want anything to do with Mira now that she was caught. The faint hint of killing intent she felt when Mira sent that ice needle at her was enough to tell her she'd be dead if she stuck around any longer.
Her name was Linara, and she was part of the Veilbreeze Rabbit Clan, one of the many subspecies of rabbits that live in the Ancient Beast Mountain Range. While they weren't all that strong, their cute, innocent faces, combined with their speed, agility, and concealment abilities, made them excellent spies.
As with most rabbits, they also had a keen sense of danger.
They may not be apex predators, but in terms of survivability, few could stack up against them.
Linara was out in Snow Maiden City, primarily to keep an eye on the Battle Maiden Sect but also to scout out anyone who looked particularly dangerous. Her job was to gather all relevant information and relay it back to the Clan, where they would sell this information to the other beast Clans.
The Beast Clans were about to enter a sensitive time period where mistakes weren't allowed. Although the Beast Clans often saw humans as weak or incompetent, they still had to be wary of the top Sects.
Divine Sea Realm masters aren't just any random pebble one can find on the side of the road. They represented the peak of the continent!
So, if there were anybody that could possibly cause trouble for the Beast Clans as a whole, it would be them. Everyone else was nothing more than fodder or pests in their eyes.
That being said, the Battle Maiden Sect ranked first for the most unpredictable at the moment.
Aelina had revealed a bit of her power, fighting and defeating two Divine Sea Realm masters, and was in the middle of raising an elite, battle-hardened army! There were also many wildcards in the Sect, aside from Aelina, that had to be taken seriously.
If there was one Sect that needed to be watched right now, it was the Battle Maiden Sect.
Naturally, as one of the more popular beings to make their stage on the continent in the last few months, Mira was a big hit. Anything about her, especially the rumors surrounding her being a nine-tailed fox, held immense value.
If she was a genuine Nine-tailed fox allied with the humans, then the whole Mountain Range might see a power shift.
So, imagine her surprise when she saw Mira eating at a restaurant with two kids and a wolf! It was as if the Heavens were rewarding her for her hard work!
Linara was in her human form, using an artifact to hide her beast characteristics; she was confident she wouldn't get caught.
Unfortunately, she only got to look for a few seconds before Mira turned and looked into her eyes. It was then that Linara felt this suffocating pressure, despite Mira not doing anything.
It was as if her mind went to another plane of existence, one teeming with blood, death, and the anguished wails of tormented souls. As soon as she felt that, she knew that something terrible would happen if she stayed.
So, without hesitation, she dashed away, only looking back once she made it safely out of the city.
"Haa… Haa… W-What the hell was that?!" Linara collapsed on the ground and murmured. "S-She merely looked at me for a second, but it felt like I was dissected multiple times over…"
'I didn't even get a chance to confirm whether she was a nine-tailed fox or not!' She exclaimed inwardly.
Of course, she noticed the nine tails surrounding Mira, but the aura she released wasn't similar to that of a beast. It was like a mixture between man and beast, yet at the same time, neither.
Linara wasn't sure what to make of it.
'She could be a real nine-tailed fox that's adept at aura concealment. Or some weird hybrid. Hell, that might not even be her true form!' There were too many missing pieces of information for her to come to any conclusions.
'At most, I can say that she has Nine tails and resembles the mythical beast.' Linara began thinking of ways she could still profit from this encounter.
'Though, her beauty certainly is on another level.' Looking back on it, even she couldn't help but drool at Mira's face.
'If only she were a man… To be dominated by such a person… Uhehehehe~ Our descendants would be so strong!' Her imagination began to run wild, and her body started to heat up, but circulating Qi helped her calm down a bit.
Shaking her head, she ran off in another direction, choosing to wait until Mira left the city before making any moves.
'I'll report back tomorrow.'
***
Mira knew almost nothing about Linara or her plans, but even if she did, she wouldn't care.
The sun began its descent, and the air started to cool. It was time for the last activity of the day: ice skating. Thanks to its climate, Snow Maiden City had a large frozen pond in its center, a popular spot for residents and visitors alike.
With the restaurant now behind them, Mira led her little group toward the heart of the city. The enchanting landscape glittered in the twilight as the rays of the setting sun reflected off the frosted rooftops and cobbled streets.
Once they arrived at the pond, they found it bustling with people of all ages enjoying the frozen delight. The laughter and chatter added a touch of warmth to the crisp, cold air.
"Wow!" Dominique gasped, her eyes wide with excitement as she looked at the countless people skating around the ice. Although the whole activity was rather benign for cultivators, people still seemed to enjoy it despite that.
"I want to try!" She exclaimed.
"Alright. Let's go," Mira said, patting Dominique's head.
Mira stepped onto the ice gracefully, her form flowing like a river. She turned back towards Dominique, who was standing by the edge of the rink, looking nervous but excited.
"Come on, child," Mira coaxed, extending her hand.
With a deep breath, Dominique stepped onto the ice, her hands tightly clutching Mira's. She wobbled and slipped, but Mira held her steady, guiding her movements.
Rhydian and Hana joined in as well, although they were clumsy on the ice. Their falls caused hearty laughter among them, and even though the cold was nipping at their noses, the joy they shared kept them warm.
As the night fell and the stars began to twinkle, Mira decided it was time to wrap up the day. The night air was becoming colder, and it wouldn't be good if Dominique caught a cold.
"Alright, that's enough for today. It's time to head back." Mira announced, helping Dominique out of her skates.
The kids protested but ultimately followed Mira's decision, too tired to argue.
The trip back to the sect was a peaceful one, with both kids nestled in her tails as Mira made her way up the mountain alongside Rhydian.
Once at the Sect, Mira carried Dominique and Hana to their bed while Rhydian also jumped onto the bed. Mira almost instinctively kicked her off but held back, letting her do what she wanted for today.
With a sigh of contentment, she crawled into bed with them.
The events of the day ran through her mind as she drifted to sleep, her arms and tails protectively wrapped around the little ones.
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