CHAPTER 392: CHAPTER 383: SWEET SWEET IMPERATA NEEDLE (THREE MORE UPDATES, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE)

Apart from that, the loot contained an ancient item.

[Ironhead Doll: Said to be the favorite of Ironhead and Dullhead]

"Hah, aren’t those two big heads afraid of me?" Han Qiwu glanced at the alley entrance in the distance, where the metal big heads were still persistently chasing him, and sighed.

Indeed, it’s Ironhead Doll.

The Flame Iron Essence looked somewhat like half a bottle of strawberry jam, with some crystals mixed in. It was fiery red all over, appearing unstable and occasionally sparking.

"An unstable high-temperature substance?" Han Qiwu had a thought, pocketed the loot, turned around, and swung his ice stick to start fighting those two metal big heads again.

The same cripple-the-legs tactic as before.

Within minutes, the two metal big heads were beaten to the brink of despair by Han Qiwu.

"Buzz buzz buzz!!"

The two metal big heads exchanged a look and suddenly rammed into each other at high speed, merging into a single Metal Two-Headed Monster.

What puzzled Han Qiwu was that the two heads were positioned one above the other, connected together, resembling a capsule.

"Gulugulu!"

The fallen Metal Two-Headed Monster rolled quickly toward Han Qiwu, its momentum intimidating.

In the narrow alley, there was no room to dodge!

If it hit him, there’d be no escape from severe injury.

Luckily, Han Qiwu still had an ace up his sleeve.

[Phoenix Shield]!

"Thanks for the nice big gift, Ice Cicada!" Han Qiwu remembered his benefactor even while activating the skill.

Withstanding the rolling damage from the Metal Two-Headed Monster, Han Qiwu jumped onto it, shoved his ice sword into the gap, and stirred it around.

Two minutes later, the Metal Two-Headed Monster split back into two metal big heads, which then dissolved into two white flashes and disappeared completely.

[Flame Iron Ore] ×4.

The Flame Iron Ore looked purer than ordinary iron ore, with much fewer impurities. It was deep red and felt heavy.

"When upgrading my pickaxe later, maybe I can try adding some Flame Iron Ingots. Perhaps it’ll grant a property that explodes mining nodes upon excavation." Han Qiwu joyfully pocketed the ore, casually twisting the hem of his half sleeve.

Sweat everywhere.

"Been down here a while now, and I’ve used up my invincibility skills. Better make a run for it and prep at home." Han Qiwu quickly ran to the cable car nearby and left the area.

Metal big heads, I’ll come back to settle scores with you!

Back on the first level of the mine, Han Qiwu felt like he had returned to civilization, his heart brimming with a sense of happiness.

Sometimes lying around feels uncomfortable, but going out for a trip and coming back to lie down is especially satisfying.

It’s the same principle.

As he approached Little Spark, Han Qiwu spotted a pile of dark stuff nearby, chuckled, and bent down to collect it.

Little Spark’s growing up—knows how to help out at home now.

[Coal] ×8

"Chirp chirp!"

Little Spark proudly flapped its cloth-wrapped wings, sneakily stretched out a leg, and kicked Xiao Lai to the side, signaling that it was all its doing!

Xiao Lai looked utterly innocent—"I don’t even have legs, coal doesn’t taste good, why would I compete with you for credit?"

"Great job, I’ll give you two big pinecones when we get back." Squatting down, Han Qiwu carefully unwrapped the bandages to check.

Probably thanks to those pine nuts, Little Spark was recovering quickly; its small wounds had already scabbed over.

Just, its feathers hadn’t regrown yet.

Bald bird.

Get on the bike, time to go home!

Leaving the mine, the fields bathed in bright moonlight exuded a dreamlike beauty.

"So relaxing," Han Qiwu murmured as he lazily pedaled the bike home, relishing the night breeze.

Reaching the doorstep, he spotted Little Prince and Little Shui dragging a net full of water plants as they entered the house.

Upon spotting their master, Little Shui chirped excitedly, leaping off Little Prince and directly onto Han Qiwu’s arm.

Han Qiwu stumbled under the impact, nearly knocked over by Little Shui’s strength.

Thinking it had caused trouble, Little Shui hurriedly jumped down and let out a worried chirp: "Eeek!"

Han Qiwu smiled lightly, parked the bike, bent down, and picked up Little Shui, saying, "My Little Shui’s all grown up, turning into a young lady... so heavy, I’m struggling to carry you now."

Hearing this, Little Shui anxiously extended a paw to cover Han Qiwu’s mouth.

Don’t you know you shouldn’t call a girl heavy!

"Yes, yes—developed wonderfully," Han Qiwu quickly corrected, stroking Little Shui’s silky fur as he spoke.

Under the moonlight, Little Shui’s fur truly shimmered like water—with faint strands of gold weaving through, making her look incredibly exquisite.

Seeing Little Shui get picked up so effortlessly, the nearby Little Prince began showing signs of restlessness.

Noticing the budding situation, Han Qiwu mercilessly raised his hand to stop him: "Hold it! Not happening."

You’ve got to be kidding—if you jumped on me, I’d end up in the hospital.

Everyone inside, let’s go!

Entering the courtyard, Han Qiwu received a notification.

[Foraging Pet: Little Prince has returned, satiety increased by 96]

[Foraging Harvest: Wood ×80, Cassia Wood ×11, Cassia Sapling ×3, White Reed Thorns ×3]

[Satisfied with the foraging, Little Prince feels content]

[Fishing Pet: Little Shui has returned, satiety increased by 146]

[Fishing Harvest: A net full of fish and water plants]

[Satisfied with the fishing, Little Shui feels calm]

"Little Prince’s haul looks fantastic today," Han Qiwu exclaimed in surprise, especially noticing a new item.

White Reed Thorns.

Where did Little Prince find these?

Taking one out of his bag, Han Qiwu inspected its attributes.

[White Reed Thorn]

[Stamina +20]

[Health +20]

[Note: Picking White Reed Thorns requires skill and patience]

The White Reed Thorns resembled tender green blades of grass with a touch of whiteness at the base.

Frankly, they weren’t particularly mysterious. White Reed Thorns were simply the juvenile inflorescences of white reeds, with a crisp texture, sweet flavor, and mild cooling effect. Village kids who stumbled on a patch would patiently pick them one by one and stuff them into their pockets as snacks.

Compared to the White Reed Thorns, Han Qiwu was more intrigued by where the white reeds grew—he wanted to dig up some roots and brew them into water for the next time he ventured into the lava mine layer to combat the heat.

White Reed Roots resembled the roots of fish mint—white and tender, segmented—but their scent made them easy to distinguish. Fish mint smelled fishy, while reed roots smelled lightly sweet and were far more palatable for brewing.

Chewing two stalks of white reed grass, Han Qiwu curiously asked Little Prince how he’d gotten them.

After a bout of animated gestures from Little Prince, Han Qiwu understood.

He’d found them in the wetland garden. However, there were other creatures guarding them, and it had been tough for him and Little Shui to grab a few. They’d saved some to eat and brought some back for Han Qiwu.

Han Qiwu felt delighted.

Little Prince hadn’t let him down!

Reward time!

Han Qiwu grabbed a jar of canola honey and one of vetch honey, handing them to Little Prince.

Eat up!

Little Prince’s eyes lit up instantly!

The meat chicken speaks the truth—bringing goodies for the master means you’ll get even better goodies in return!