Early morning.
The rain fell heavier than yesterday, as if a hole had been torn in the sky, pouring down in torrents.
The teams from the neighboring Qin and Du families remained stationed in their places.
Feng Ci’s original plan to return today was also postponed, waiting only for the rain to lessen before heading back.
Qin Ye paid a visit, pulling a box from his storage ring with a slightly disdainful expression. “Has the esteemed Fourth Young Master Feng now become a turtle hiding in its shell? So what if it’s the Li Family? Just gather your men and fight back!”
Feng Ci lowered his brows and replied calmly, “Yesterday, it was my lack of strength to blame, no one else.” Since ancient times, it had been the survival of the fittest; without absolute martial power, there was no reasoning to be had. The effects of the green medicinal liquid were gradually becoming apparent, and his Spirit Abode was still slowly repairing itself. When the time came…
A sharp glint flashed through Feng Ci’s otherwise placid eyes.
“You… never mind.”
Qin Ye understood Feng Ci’s concerns all too well. His Spirit Abode was injured, his Spirit Power had dropped to the fourth rank, and now that he had been separated from the main branch of the Feng family, even if he confronted the Li Family, the Feng main residence would not step in. For now, he could only swallow his anger.
Though furious, Qin Ye knew that the Li Family, like theirs, was one of the ten great families of the south. Even as the young master of the Qin family, he couldn’t intervene on Feng Ci’s behalf.
For now, all he could do was offer some spirit replenishing pills to help Feng Ci’s team hold out a few more days.
As close friends, Feng Ci accepted the pills and said, “Thank you.”
Song Liuhua watched with curiosity, thinking that although this fellow’s character wasn’t great, he was quite loyal as a friend. Her impression of him improved slightly.
She took three small bowls she had crafted yesterday from her storage bracelet and shoved them at Qin Ye. “Here, since you’re so loyal, I’m giving you a few bowls I made myself.”
Qin Ye glanced at her disdainfully. “What use are a few ordinary bowls?”
Song Liuhua rolled her eyes. This guy was as annoying as ever. “Take them or leave them!”
Qin Ye tossed the bowls back. “Keep them for your own meals.”
Song Liuhua wasn’t angered. Her eyes sparkled as a meaningful smile crossed her lips. “I was giving them to you because you helped us. Since you don’t want them, forget it.”
Qin Ye scoffed. As a low-talented good-for-nothing, what could she possibly craft that was any good? “No, keep them for your own amusement.”
Song Liuhua shrugged and put the items away.
A hint of amusement flickered in Feng Ci’s eyes.
He had a strong intuition that Qin Ye would regret this.
Although his wife had low talent, the things she occasionally crafted could still catch one’s eye—the green medicinal liquid was one, the flying Spirit Sword another. Though he couldn’t discern the intricacies of these small bowls, based on his understanding of her over this time, they were likely not as simple as they seemed.
With Qin Ye’s help, Feng Ci’s team decided to wait until they had exhausted the spirit replenishing pills before returning to Yanqing City.
In the afternoon, the heavy rain abruptly stopped.
After these days of expansion, the teams from various major families and mercenary groups had pushed their frontlines to the edge of the West River.
The West River wasn’t a single river but a cluster of disconnected lakes, large and small, stretching vast and wide into the distance.
It was the Warm Season, and the aquatic plants in the lakes were lush and green. Occasionally, flocks of gray-spotted ducks could be seen swimming in groups on the water’s surface. Suddenly, one would be struck by a water ball, disappearing beneath the water with a splash, leaving only a gray feather floating on the surface.
Song Liuhua tilted her head. The seemingly calm surface of the lake appeared quite dangerous.
Women and children carried small wooden buckets, gathering shellfish and water vegetables on the beach.
Feng Ci’s team selected a moderately sized lake and set up an elixir crafting room on the sandy shore above.
Feng Xuan brought out the completed fishing nets, and Feng Shan arranged for people to cast them into the water. A group of Martial Spirit Masters gathered along the shore, bustling with activity.
Feng Li and Feng Su were busy with elixir crafting, while Feng Rou, Feng Liu, and Feng Xuan focused on artifact crafting.
Following the crowd, Song Liuhua wandered the beach with a small bucket. The Feng family’s Martial Spirit Masters took out spirit nets, added bait, and cast them into the river. In no time, the center of the lake churned with splashes, as if something were about to leap out of the water.
On the neighboring beach, a child gathering water vegetables wandered too close to the river’s edge. Suddenly pulled by something unseen, the child plunged into the water with a splash.
Screams from women and children’s cries drew a crowd. Song Liuhua stood on tiptoe to see a Martial Spirit Master leap forward, swiftly pulling the child back to shore.
Feng Ci set aside his usual smile and solemnly warned, “The water is dangerous. Do not go near the edge.”
Song Liuhua nodded vigorously. “Don’t worry, I won’t go near the water.”
Feng Ci handed her a few Spirit Fruits, patted her head, and left.
Martial Spirit Masters possessed keen eyesight. Qin Ye, observing from the opposite lake, couldn’t help but twitch his lips at the scene.
He couldn’t help but wonder, was this still the Feng Ci he knew?
In the future, if he were to marry, he definitely wouldn’t spoil his wife like that.
Song Liuhua was obedient. True to her word, she stayed away from the lake, not even picking water vegetables, and simply wandered the beach. The sunlight was just right—neither too cool nor too hot—feeling pleasant on her skin.
Tired from walking, she sat on the sand and idly dug with her shovel, playing in the sand.
It was as if she had discovered the joy children found in shoveling sand.
Occasionally, palm-sized shellfish were mixed in the sand, and Song Liuhua tossed them into her bucket.
She continued digging and digging on the beach.
Suddenly, a fiery red corner appeared before her eyes—a smooth, rounded piece protruding from the sand, resembling some kind of eggshell.
“What’s this?”
Song Liuhua dug a little more with her shovel, and a large cluster of bright red eggs came into view, each the size of a palm, noticeably larger than the Seven-Colored Wild Chicken Eggs she had found last time.
Song Liuhua was astonished.
She cautiously glanced around. This was the Feng family’s territory, and no outsiders came here to dig for shellfish. Reassured, she used her foot to cover the eggs back with sand.
At that moment, the battle in the lake intensified. The Feng family’s Martial Spirit Masters stood on the shore, straining to pull the spirit net ropes, trying to haul the net from the water. Plate-sized blue shrimp and crabs leaped from the surface, shooting water spikes at the Martial Spirit Masters on the bank.
One Martial Spirit Master was struck, instantly turning pale as blood dripped from his shoulder onto the sand, where it was absorbed.
The Martial Spirit Master quickly swallowed a spirit replenishing pill, and his complexion improved almost immediately as he resumed struggling with the plate-sized shrimp and crabs in the water.
Similar scenes played out everywhere. Song Liuhua watched with fascination. Truly, this was the Ten Winds Continent, where survival depended on hunting—even the most unimaginable existences became plausible.
Spotting Feng Yi passing by not far away, Song Liuhua waved him over.
Feng Yi jogged over with a grin. “Madam, you called for me?”
Song Liuhua led him to the spot where the unidentified giant egg had been unearthed. Using her toes, she scraped away the surface layer of sand, revealing densely packed red eggs.
“Look, what kind of eggs are these?”