The Bed Beam Cracked

When Zhou Hao saw Murong staring fixedly at him, he subconsciously touched his face and asked, "What is it?"

Murong rolled her eyes slightly, extended her jade-like hand, and softly spoke two words: "The gift."

Zhou Hao froze for a moment, then suddenly understood. "Oh, of course I prepared one."

As he spoke, he gently placed a "Guan Yin who bestows children," two fingers wide and two knuckles tall, into Murong's hand.

Feeling the coolness of the jade, Murong knew at a glance that it was nothing valuable. But she did not need anything valuable—she only needed the thought behind it.

She looked at the "Guan Yin who bestows children" and asked, "What is this?"

"This is the 'Guan Yin who bestows children' from my hometown. Many people who can't have children worship her. I saw that you really wanted a child, so I thought I'd give this to you." Zhou Hao explained with a smile.

Murong was somewhat touched. Looking at the "Guan Yin who bestows children" holding a child, she nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. I like it very much."

She took out a thin red string, threaded the Guan Yin who bestows children onto it, and wore it around her left wrist.

"How is it?" She shook her wrist and asked with a smile.

Zhou Hao nodded. "It looks good."

He secretly felt pleased with himself. I knew you'd like it.

Murong smiled, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, and asked while cracking them open, "Have you been doing well these past two days?"

It sounded like a greeting between old friends.

Zhou Hao looked at her awkwardly. What kind of question was that?

He nodded and replied, "Pretty well."

He suddenly paused. He remembered that Murong had not even known what sunflower seeds were before. How did she suddenly have so many high-quality sunflower seeds? Had they always been there, or...

This abruptly gave him a thought he himself could hardly believe.

Could these sunflower seeds have all been grown over the past three days?

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Hao asked, "By the way, these sunflower seeds weren't just planted, were they?"

Murong replied blandly, "They were planted only these past two days."

Her answer confirmed Zhou Hao's suspicion.

Zhou Hao opened his mouth in astonishment and asked, "How did you grow sunflowers and have them ripen in such a short time?"

Murong glanced at him and said casually, "We have people specifically responsible for farming. Plants of this level can flower, bear fruit, and mature in less than a day."

Zhou Hao's mouth hung slightly open, and he did not know what to say. All right—it was just that he had not yet adapted to this fantasy world. Anything could happen here.

Murong suddenly remembered something and reminded him, "By the way, don't eat too many of these sunflower seeds. If you can't digest the energy, your body will explode."

Zhou Hao had just brought a sunflower seed to his mouth. Hearing Murong's words, he silently put it back and complained, "You brought me something this dangerous to eat?"

Murong smiled and waved her hand. "It's fine. Eating one or two jin won't be a problem. Just don't eat too much."

Zhou Hao shot her a look. How could he still dare eat any now? He did not want to risk his body exploding just from eating something.

Murong looked at his cowardly appearance with amusement and teased, "Too scared to eat?"

Zhou Hao curled his lip. "I'd rather eat my ordinary sunflower seeds."

As he spoke, he grabbed a handful from his Ring of Holding.

Murong said with a beaming smile, "You're actually quite cute like this."

Yes, she finally struck back.

At those words, Zhou Hao's mouth twitched. What a grudge-holding woman.

How could he not know that Murong was deliberately retaliating for when he had called her cute last time?

Just then, they heard a crack from beneath the bed.

Zhou Hao and Murong were both stunned.

Zhou Hao went over to take a look and found that the bed beam had broken.

The two exchanged a glance, and each saw the embarrassment in the other's eyes.

The bed must have been unable to bear the burden from how intense they had been earlier, finally causing the beam to snap.

"Ahem." Zhou Hao coughed twice to ease the awkward atmosphere, then said, "I'll patch it up."

Murong also smiled awkwardly as she watched Zhou Hao repair the bed from the side.

She had not expected that she and Zhou Hao had been so fierce that they had nearly collapsed a perfectly good bed.

Zhou Hao flipped the bed over, intending to fix it, but there was no wood.

At that moment, Murong raised her hand and handed him a piece of wood. "Use this to patch it up!"

Zhou Hao did not inspect it closely. He pressed the wood against the broken part of the bed beam, tied it up carelessly, and was done.

There was no need to be too meticulous. He would probably leave in a couple of days anyway. When the time came, he could have Ma Hongyun replace the bed directly, or he could keep it himself. Since he was going out into the world, bringing along a bed would be rather convenient.

Zhou Hao was probably the only person in this world who thought carrying a bed around was convenient.

Seeing that it was about time, Murong said a word to Zhou Hao and returned.

Zhou Hao looked at the high-grade sunflower seeds on the table, hesitated for a moment, then ultimately put them away. If he ate them slowly, he would not need to worry about his body exploding.

Afterward, he brought Zhou Yuanbao and the others to see Ma Hongyun.

"My lord, what can I do for you?" Ma Hongyun asked fawningly.

Zhou Hao said, "I came this time to tell you that we should be leaving within the next day or two. Thank you for taking us in these past few days."

"Ah? My lord, you're leaving?" Ma Hongyun asked in surprise.

He had not even managed to establish any connection with them yet!

Zhou Hao nodded lightly. "We've stayed for several days. It's time to go. All right, enough of that—this crystal stone is for you."

He set down a Top-grade Crystal Stone, then left.

Ma Hongyun stared blankly at the Top-grade Crystal Stone for a long time, unable to come back to his senses.

By the time he snapped out of it, Zhou Hao had already left. He hurriedly put away the Top-grade Crystal Stone, as though afraid someone might snatch it from him.

After seeing Ma Hongyun, Zhou Hao went to find Yezi. After exchanging a few parting words with Yezi, he prepared to return.

He did not give Yezi any crystal stones. After all, he did not possess Murong's means of disguise, and he understood the truth that a man could be condemned for possessing a jade treasure.

"Uncle, we'll meet again in the world outside!" Yezi suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs while looking at Zhou Hao's back.

Zhou Hao's steps paused. Then he smiled and waved, saying nothing and not turning back. Everything that needed to be said was left unspoken.

In Shilpo Mountain Stronghold, the only people Zhou Hao knew well were Yezi and Ma Hongyun, so saying farewell to the two of them was enough.

Zhou Hao would leave once he broke through to the Spiritual Consciousness Fifth Stage. He already had a feeling that he would break through within these next two days.

So if he broke through tomorrow, he would leave tomorrow. If he broke through the day after tomorrow, he would leave the day after tomorrow.

Tonight, Zhou Hao needed to cultivate through the night once more.

Ice and Snow Divine Realm

Murong returned to her study and sat before her desk. Her slender fingers caressed the "Guan Yin who bestows children" on her left wrist, and an astonishing smile unconsciously appeared on her face.

Through this gift, she had genuinely felt Zhou Hao's feelings.

Murong smiled and shook her head, then began handling her official duties.

As the Empress, she was not that idle. After all, many matters in the Divine Realm required her decisions before they could proceed.