CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 44: NIGHT WATCH (BONUS CHAPTER FOR GOING LIVE)

The Qianyuan Continent has a plant coverage rate of 84 percent, with countless varieties of plants. Yet, the grains, fruits, and vegetables permitted to be sold on the market have remained limited to just a few dozen types for centuries.

Why? Because most plants have the potential to mutate and are difficult to control.

The same plant, grown in different environments, can be either toxic or non-toxic. Only Wood Element Spirit people, who can communicate with plants, have the ability to differentiate, which is also why Healing Masters must have an Elemental Spirit Attribute restriction.

Li Xing, as if she hadn’t heard Cui Tianxiao’s roar, continued eating her meal.

Sharing food was never her virtue. She was just being polite to him, and he even questioned her for that. Serves him right! He should go without.

Ye Qingting walked over and sat beside Li Xing. Seeing her eat with gusto, he suddenly said, "Give me a bowl!"

Cui Tianxiao was scared to death: "Qingting, are you crazy?"

Ye Qingting admitted, in certain matters, some people just have a talent that others could never match.

As they traveled, all they needed to do was deal with Star Beasts, without worrying about the disturbances of poisonous flowers, grasses, and carnivorous plants, because Li Xing would lead them away before the plants attacked. He didn’t believe someone like her would lack the wilderness survival knowledge and brew a pot of poison soup for herself.

Considering that Young Master Qingting let her pilot the flying device, and she got airsick while flying it, Li Xing willingly served Ye Qingting a full bowl of hotpot. Ye Qingting unceremoniously started eating.

"Qingting, don’t..." Cui Tianxiao’s words weren’t finished before he saw Ye Qingting’s eyes suddenly light up, then he started devouring his meal rapidly.

Cui Tianxiao felt half hopeless: It’s over, eating so much, if it’s really poisonous, even a high-level Antidote couldn’t save him!

Screw it, as brothers, they should stick together, just go all out!

Cui Tianxiao looked at his own bowl, picked up a small piece, and put it in his mouth.

Whoa—!

The stars in the sky exploded like fireworks. Cui Tianxiao thought he had wasted half his life, how could there be such delicious food in the world?

Cui Tianxiao gobbled it up like a starving pig, and after finishing, he held out his empty bowl to Li Xing, saying: "Another bowl!"

Li Xing rolled her eyes; just now, who was yelling at her for randomly adding wild vegetables!

"The first bowl is free, each refill is five hundred star coins!"

"What?" Cui Tianxiao got anxious: "Why don’t you just rob me? If I remember correctly, the level five tusked sheep in the pot was killed by me."

"The mutton smells gamey; it must be seasoned with specific vegetables and spices to taste good. Pairing with wild herbs is my exclusive secret recipe, charging you five hundred is practically charity. If you think it’s expensive, don’t eat it."

Li Xing was right. In the wild where Star Beasts abound, people prefer to consume nutrient solutions over fresh beast meat mainly because most beast meat, if improperly handled, tastes gamey and is hard to swallow. Instead of making time-consuming, unpalatable meals, it’s more convenient to drink a nutrient solution.

A crisp "clink" came from the light brain on Li Xing’s wrist, followed by a gentle male voice prompt: "You have received a transfer from Qingting, five hundred star coins."

See, even among people, there are those who can recognize value and those who can’t.

With a wide smile, she served Ye Qingting another full bowl. Li Xing looked at Cui Tianxiao and said, "Hesitate any longer, and there’ll only be soup left."

"Hmph, you’re ruthless!" He transferred five hundred, and Cui Tianxiao helped himself, piling the bowl high, finally feeling satisfied.

After eating, Li Xing volunteered to take the first night watch; Ye Qingting didn’t argue, dragging Cui Tianxiao into the tent.

As Cui Tianxiao clambered into his sleeping bag, he mumbled: "She’s on watch? Are you kidding! With her small frame, if a Star Beast really came, wouldn’t she have to call us?"

Ye Qingting: "Knowing that, shouldn’t you sleep while you still can!"

Cui Tianxiao, used to recognizing a bed and being a cleanliness freak, expected to take only a nap at most. Surprisingly, he quickly fell asleep, Ye Qingting experiencing much the same.

Hearing the long breaths of the tent’s occupants, Li Xing sat cross-legged, posing with her palms upturned, and began her meditation.

Though she lacked Crystal Stone assistance, being in the depths of Datang Forest, the concentration of Chaos Qi was much greater than in the city.

Li Xing resembled a large purification formation. The pure spiritual power emanating from her body transformed into a mist, quickly filling the temporary camp.

Unbeknownst to the sleeping Ye Qingting and Cui Tianxiao, they both benefited from Li Xing’s power, with their bodies passively receiving purification from the Elemental Power.

Upon waking, Ye Qingting felt refreshed and comfortable all over, but something seemed to be overlooked.

"Oh no!"

Ye Qingting sprang out of the tent; outside, the sun was bright, and he ran into Li Xing who just returned from washing.

"Morning, Young Master Qingting!" Li Xing smiled openly, revealing two dimples.

"...Morning."

Ye Qingting’s face flushed crimson; he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

They had agreed to take turns on watch, yet he slept through the morning, leaving the young girl to stay up all night. What a mess!

"Snore—"

Cui Tianxiao’s snores rang out inopportunely, causing a vein to throb on Ye Qingting’s forehead as he rushed in and kicked him awake.

"What’s happening, what’s happening, are Star Beasts coming?" Cui Tianxiao scrambled up, looking quite foolish with his hair all sticking up.

"Your head! Hurry up and pack your things and get out here!"

Within moments, the tent and sleeping bags were stashed in the space button. Ye Qingting, equally embarrassed, along with Cui Tianxiao, apologized to Li Xing:

"Sorry, we didn’t mean to..."

"It’s okay, everything was quiet last night. By the early morning, I also dozed off for a bit."

The Chaos Qi in the air was far thinner than in Crystal Stones, but the density in the forest’s depths was acceptable, allowing for a full cycle overnight.

The cultivation gained from this cycle was negligible, but the demanding bone age requirement of the Eternal Green Technique loomed over her like the Sword of Damocles. With such pressure, cultivating had become her habit and instinct. Any progress, no matter how small, was welcome to her.

Ye Qingting was baffled. Usually, he was an insomniac, especially in dangerous places like the wilderness, even with nerve-soothing, sleep-inducing medicine, falling asleep was hard enough. So why did last night go against the norm?

Feeling himself carefully, there were no abnormalities in his body, and even the chronic old injury on his left shoulder hurt less than usual, how strange.

If he were the only one to oversleep, Ye Qingting might assume it was just negligence. But with Cui Tianxiao experiencing the same, he had to suspect that someone was playing tricks.

The problem must have been with what they ate last night, yet there were also many inconsistencies.

As top-tier Heavenly Armor people, their physical fitness far surpassed that of ordinary people. Regular medicines had no effect on them; only medicines concocted by Healing Masters could work quickly.

Could the randomness of the Little White Flower’s stew really combine beast meat, wild vegetables, and roots into something comparable to a Healing Master’s medicine? Is that even possible?

Even assuming they were drugged, what was the purpose of making them sleep deeply?

For money? Their space buttons were locked by spiritual power, inaccessible to anyone but themselves.

For seduction? They were both dark-skinned and quite attractive, no need to take advantage of them.

Perhaps just because their snores were pleasant? Or maybe so she could bogart the night-watch burden?

The more he thought about it, the more absurd Ye Qingting found it.

"Tonight, the two of us will take the watch, while you get some rest."

Li Xing: "There’s no need. I’ve grown accustomed to being alone in the forest. Not letting me watch instead makes me uneasy, you needn’t worry."

Li Xing’s hotpot did have issues. It had been spiked with a calming, sleep-inducing Spirit Grass. The aim was to allow them a deep sleep early on so she could practice in peace.

Cui Tianxiao: "Then, how about this, I’ll throw in five hundred more. From now on, we’ll leave all the night watches to you."

This time, Cui Tianxiao was clever, knowing to use his newly learned bargaining skills, he offered Li Xing five thousand more. To show her appreciation for this newfound wisdom, Li Xing offered Cui Tianxiao another piece of crispy and savory jerky: "Here, this one’s on the house."

Smiling wider than the morning sun, she dished up another full bowl for Ye Qingting. To Cui Tianxiao, she said, "Hesitate any longer, and you’ll only get soup left."

"Hmph, you win!" He transferred five hundred, then piled his bowl high, finally feeling satisfied.