Wish Fulfilled (First Update)

"...San Zong didn't mention this place. The Blood Kirin San Zong pointed out to him was the one guarded by that big fellow..."

San Zong lowered his head somewhat sheepishly and fiddled with his fingers.

"Why?"

"San Zong wanted him to fight that big fellow." San Zong still kept his head lowered, not daring to look Xia Chujian in the eye.

Xia Chujian knew that the "big fellow" San Zong meant was the one guarded by the Griffon Sea Eagle.

It seemed this Pig-head Humanoid was not entirely incapable of resisting.

At the very least, in his heart, he still used his own methods to resist those who forced him.

But could she trust him? Xia Chujian did not lower her guard. Instead, her finger tightened on the trigger as she continued asking, "There are more Blood Kirin here. Could there be an even more powerful creature guarding them?"

San Zong shook his head and said uncertainly, "San Zong thought so at first too, but after sniffing again and again, San Zong didn't sense any powerful big fellows here."

Xia Chujian found that unreasonable.

Holding her gun, she used her helmet's eyepiece to search the area around the Blood Kirin over and over.

There really were no Ferocious Beasts like the Griffon Sea Eagle.

And no matter how closely she looked or searched, she did not see any plants resembling orchids.

Forget orchids—even hardy wild grass that could be found everywhere was nowhere to be seen.

Just as San Zong had said, Blood Kirin probably needed exceptionally fertile soil to grow.

Nine Blood Kirin plants grew here, so there was most likely not enough fertility left to support other plants growing nearby.

Then could Kongsang still be growing near this cluster of Blood Kirin? Finding nothing in the clearing, Xia Chujian's gaze could not help drifting deeper into the woods.

But the trees here were taller and denser than elsewhere.

She could not see the end of them at a glance. Where was she supposed to search?

Xia Chujian's excitement immediately vanished.

She frowned and sighed softly.

San Zong looked up at her and hurriedly said, "Female Sire, don't worry. These Blood Kirin will ripen soon! San Zong can dig them up roots and all!"

As long as fully mature Blood Kirin were dug up with their roots intact, they would not wither from contamination.

Xia Chujian nodded casually. "Then watch this place. I'll take a look around."

San Zong glanced toward the shadowy woods and said quietly, "Female Sire, be careful. There are lots of Fierce Beasts in forests like this..."

Xia Chujian patted the Submachine Gun on her chest and said carelessly, "Not afraid. My Submachine Gun will protect me."

San Zong: "..."

His little pig face wrinkled as he watched Xia Chujian walk step by step into the woods.

At that moment, Small Dog barked, "Wu Er Fu, Wu Er Fu," jumped from San Zong's arms, and chased after Xia Chujian.

San Zong wanted to follow too, but after looking at the nine Blood Kirin plants that were about to ripen, he decided to wait there instead.

With such unease, San Zong watched Xia Chujian disappear into the dense forest.

Deep in the woods, the trees were so thick that even moonlight could not penetrate. It was complete darkness.

But Xia Chujian's helmet eyepiece had night vision, so she was not afraid of the dark at all.

Still, after walking for a while, she felt as if she had gotten lost.

Or perhaps all the trees looked alike, and she simply could not tell one from another.

But she was not afraid.

No matter how formidable the Fierce Beasts here were, none could be more formidable than her sniper rifle and Submachine Gun.

Just then, Small Dog barked "Wu Er Fu, Wu Er Fu" twice, scampered ahead, came to Xia Chujian's feet, and bit the hem of her coat, which reached her ankles.

Xia Chujian stopped and lowered her head to look at the little dog, which looked perfectly normal yet was utterly abnormal. "Small Si Xi, what's wrong? Is something the matter?"

It bit her coat as if trying to pull her in a certain direction.

But it was too small, with strength so negligible it could be ignored.

Since Xia Chujian did not know which way to go anyway, she simply followed the little dog.

Small Dog released the hem of Xia Chujian's coat and waddled ahead, swaying its little butt as it led the way.

It seemed very familiar with this place, scrambling and tumbling through the pitch-black woods.

Before long, the darkness among the trees gradually faded. It was no longer pure black; scattered specks of moonlight filtered down.

This clearing was much smaller than the one where the Blood Kirin grew, only about fifty square meters.

Piles of snow remained in the clearing, but one spot seemed twenty or thirty centimeters higher than the rest.

It was a small Mound covered with thatch, about as tall as Small Dog.

"Wu Er Fu!"

Small Dog gave a delighted bark and dashed into the clearing, frolicking toward the little thatch-covered Mound.

Then it plunged in headfirst and vanished from her sight.

Xia Chujian's pupils abruptly contracted.

This place looked even more familiar...

She remembered.

The first time she had seen this little dog in the visual image converted from the Radar, it had been here!

Xia Chujian looked around. Only after confirming that no other animals were nearby did she walk over step by step.

When she reached the little Mound, Xia Chujian cautiously used the Life Detector built into her helmet to scan the surroundings first.

Only after confirming there were no other animals did she kneel on one leg before the Mound and lower her head to look.

The little Mound turned out to be a crude little nest made of branches and grass—a little grass nest for Small Dog.

Who knew who had built it for it.

Judging by how crude it was, it might have been thrown together randomly by the little dog itself...

But could such a tiny dog build a little grass nest like this? Even such a crude one...

The inside of the little grass nest was pitch-black. Even with her helmet's night vision, she could only see the little dog turning in circles inside.

After circling for a while, Small Dog poked its head out, barked twice at Xia Chujian, then withdrew again and continued circling inside.

It was like a child who had finally brought a new friend home and was showing off their favorite toy.

The corners of Xia Chujian's lips lifted slightly as she was about to stand up.

Unexpectedly, Small Dog pounced out again and bit her hand.

Feeling the slight pressure of its tiny milk teeth against her glove, Xia Chujian was baffled.

What was this supposed to mean? Looking at Small Dog, she thought for a moment, removed her Helmet, and turned on the headlamp attached to it.

In the dim forest, a silvery-white light immediately lit up.

Small Dog squeezed its eyes shut at the sudden glare of the Helmet lamp and hurriedly turned back toward the little grass nest.

Using the Helmet as a light source, Xia Chujian also took a look into the pitch-black little grass nest.

With just that one glance, she froze.

Inside Small Dog's pitch-black little grass nest, under the silvery-white beam of the headlamp, she saw it clearly: a plant like an orchid, so delicate that it seemed a gust of wind could blow it over! Kongsang!

Was this Kongsang?!

Xia Chujian felt all the blood in her body rush backward into her brain, her face burning terribly hot.

If not for the last shred of reason left in her, she would have run through the forest shouting! Such a difficult thing to find, such low odds, and she had encountered it?! At that moment, Xia Chujian even wondered whether none of this was real, whether it was all just a dream!

Maybe she was still asleep in that Civilian Flying Vehicle. San Zong had not sneaked out in the middle of the night, and Small Dog had not tugged her pant leg to lead her here! Yet deep down, she hoped—even knew—that it was real! It was simply too beautiful and dreamlike, filled with the unreal sensation of having every wish fulfilled.

During her seventeen years, having struggled on the edge of hunger and survival, she had once considered getting a full meal a wish fulfilled.

But now, an enormous and unexpected prize had fallen right into her lap!

It was practically no less incredible than winning the grand prize of the Interstellar Network Lottery Grand Prize, something she had dreamed of every day!

Xia Chujian's breathing became noticeably hurried, and even her heartbeat seemed to skip several beats.

Her reaction was so obvious that Small Dog, which had been happily circling in the little grass nest, seemed to notice something.

It stared blankly at Xia Chujian, blinked its black crystal-bead eyes, then suddenly stood in front of the plant and bared its teeth at her.

Its "Wu Er Fu, Wu Er Fu" growls were incredibly low, carrying a faint note of warning.

Had it sensed Xia Chujian's covetousness toward this plant?

Xia Chujian slowly came back to her senses. She was still kneeling on one leg, and her bent body was nearly pressed to the ground.

Even without looking in a mirror, Xia Chujian knew that her expression probably carried a trace of ferocity beneath her delight.

Those eyes that had once been so bright and clear were probably now bloodshot, even slightly clouded.

Because she wanted this Kongsang. She longed to possess this Kongsang, desperately enough to pay any price—even... to become enemies with this innocent, harmless little dog!

Xia Chujian took a deep breath and reached her hand toward Small Dog in the little grass nest. "Small Si Xi, come here. I'm going to dig out this plant."

Small Dog cocked its head at her as if it did not understand what she was saying.

But after looking at her for a while, it still tottered out and licked Xia Chujian's outstretched hand.

Xia Chujian grabbed Small Dog by the scruff of its neck, set it aside, then raised her hand and flipped open its little grass nest in one go!

She needed to clearly assess the condition of the Kongsang and find the best way to take it away.

"Wu Er Fu!" Small Dog was startled and did not understand at all why Xia Chujian had done that.

It let out soft, babyish whimpers, ran back, rushed into the little grass nest Xia Chujian had already overturned, lay on the ground, and looked up at her with wet black eyes.

Xia Chujian moved it away Once Again and continued examining the Kongsang, even tentatively reaching out to touch it.

But before her hand could touch the Kongsang, Small Dog scrambled back again and stood in front of it.

It completely understood Xia Chujian's intentions now. Staring at her as if facing a great enemy, it kept growling softly, tucked its little tail between its legs, bared what it believed was its fiercest expression, and tried desperately to stop her.

Xia Chujian moved it away again, and it immediately ran back.

After several rounds, Xia Chujian decided to carry Small Dog over to San Zong so it would stop coming back to cause trouble.

Small Dog became anxious too.

It rushed back into its little grass nest, opened its mouth wide, and bit down at the delicate plant that seemed as if a single gust of wind could blow it away!

Second Update at 1 p.m. (#^.^#)