Almost Time

"Perhaps that's what they came for?"

The group started discussing again.

Maria simply lowered her eyes.

I don't know how much time has passed again.

The discussion gradually subsided.

Meanwhile, Zuo Xing, who had been eager to report the incident, was already bound hand and foot and hung on the rooftop, struggling like a live pig.

The others nodded in thought.

"So... the current anomalies in the paddy fields are not just due to the surge of Daemon power, but also to human factors... What exactly are they trying to do?"

Xi turned her head slightly, her expression hesitant.

Ling, however, had already anticipated the outcome.

"That's not something we need to worry about... Since they dared to do such a thing, it means they have ill intentions. If nothing unexpected happens, they're probably after the Daemon underground."

"What we need to do is get rid of them!"

When Ling opened his mouth, although he was smiling, his words revealed a chilling intent!

Clearly, she was genuinely angry about this action.

Although there were always some frictions between their Sui Family and the Yan, they were not actually at the point of being mortal enemies.

On the contrary, most of the Sui Family consider themselves members of the Yan.

If someone wants to harm the Yan, it will naturally arouse everyone's anger.

Only...

"We don't even know where they are, how can we solve this?"

Xi then raised another question.

The one who answered this question was Maria, who had been quiet all along.

"Barecloth..."

She suddenly spoke, drawing everyone's attention to herself.

"Use an opening to deliberately attract their attention."

"When the time comes, they will take action themselves."

"But..."

Hearing everyone's conversation, Zuo Xing struggled to free his mouth as well.

"They're not stupid, they can't just fall for it like that, can they?"

He didn't deny that Maria's plan was indeed quite feasible, but... the other side wasn't stupid either; they wouldn't just fall for it so easily, would they?

"So... we need to prepare in advance."

Maria tilted her head back, her gaze calm.

Several more days passed.

Soon, news spread Great Wilderness City.

The modern-day Shennong, that legendary figure, is now seriously ill and bedridden.

When people first heard about this, they thought it was just another unfounded rumor spread by some anxious person, and they didn't take it seriously.

But soon, people gradually discovered that the area around the Shu Family, which was previously accessible, was also gradually being sealed off.

For the first time ever, many guards entered the farmland area and cordoned off the surrounding environment.

Those who already lived there became even more reclusive.

This made everyone vaguely aware of a sense of unease.

At the same time, the Red Water Fields, whose imagination had been suppressed, began to relapse.

Events Daemon, which were originally extremely rare, have gradually become more frequent.

This made everyone hesitate and feel uneasy once again.

They asked more than once what had happened to the millet.

But each time, the answer I received was the same: a formulaic "no comment"...

This made them uneasy and irritable.

All of this was within Maria and the others' expectations.

Millet, of course, won't get sick.

After all, even a fragment of Great Beast's body possesses a strength far beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

For women like these, even the slightest weakness, let alone illness, would be considered a highly abnormal event.

The reason for doing this was entirely for Maria's plan.

"The frequent occurrence of the Red Blood Field Incidents these days is probably a test from them..."

"But it might take a few more days to really lure them out."

These are Maria's exact words.

But time waits for no one.

As the days went by, the group still couldn't figure out who had thrown those special stones, and they couldn't help but grow anxious.

"We don't have much time left."

In the dimly lit room, several of the Sui Family's companions gathered together.

This time, neither Maria nor Zuo Xing were present; it was simply a family meeting.

Shu spoke first, his expression somewhat conflicted.

Although Maria said that they would have to wait a while longer before the other party came out.

But as the harvest day draws ever closer, continuing this stalemate is simply not a viable option.

"If all else fails, how about we expose more weaknesses?"

Xi wasn't very clear about matters concerning farmland.

She simply looked at Shu's anxious expression and offered her own idea.

If you're really in a hurry, why not leave a huge opening to lure others into the trap?

"Not really."

Shu remained silent for a few moments, then shook his head slightly.

"I asked Maria before, and she told me very seriously that the current situation is already the best-case scenario. If there is any further expansion or destruction, it could lead to very serious consequences..."

Shu's tone was calm, and Reiwa and Ji nodded in agreement.

But Xi tilted her head at that moment.

"So... why did you believe that woman so much?"

"Huh?"

Everyone turned their heads in surprise, seemingly not expecting Xi to ask such a question at this moment.

Is there a problem with trusting Maria?

No... I don't believe Maria must have a problem.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Xi, who is raising this question now, is the one who is more peculiar.

"No... that's not what I meant!"

Seeing everyone's expressions, Xi was also filled with embarrassment.

But more than embarrassment, another emotion welled up inside her.

It's a question.

"Ultimately... are you really that familiar with her?"

Although Xi still hated the experience of being beaten up by Maria, she was clearly more puzzled by her family's attitude than by that incident.

In the past, most of us weren't particularly shrewd or intelligent.

At least in Xi's eyes, everyone was a fairly normal type.

But now, after Maria appeared, the high level of trust they showed in Maria surprised Xi Du.

When they are thinking, they subconsciously choose to believe Maria's words, and when making decisions, they also listen to Maria's opinions...

If Maria were someone of high moral standing or a close friend, then Xi could understand it to some extent.

But she had already asked about it before.

Actually, none of us are very familiar with Maria, right?

So what's with this apparent trust?

What kind of spell has she cast on you all?

"This..."

Upon hearing Xi's words, everyone seemed to awaken from a long dream.

They looked at each other, somewhat taken aback.

Yes.

Why did they...?

How could they trust Maria so much?

Who exactly is she?

For a moment, everyone looked at each other in silence.

The only one who knew something about Maria's identity remained silent.

It wasn't that she was unwilling to talk about it; it was simply that Maria's identity was indeed too special.

An ancient person from seven hundred years ago suddenly appeared before them.

It sounds like a dream, a wonderful feeling.

A normal person, let alone believing it, would just think it's some kind of story just by hearing it.

It's pointless to say anything.

However, compared to that, Xi's words did indeed give them a reminder.

"Not all of her decisions were correct."

"Perhaps..."

"We can speed up the operation..."

328

Chapter 328 That's about it.

Night falls.

Maria sat on a deckchair, quietly reading a book written by Shu Shu about farming, her gaze thoughtful.

Beside her, Zuo Xing was processing official documents.

Although he is currently on missions outside the area, he still needs to submit weekly reports to his superiors.

Especially recently, the Great Wilderness City has gathered four Beast Fragments for the first time ever, which has obviously put a lot of pressure on him.

He looked completely listless.

Even so, he would still glance at Maria beside him from time to time.