After the two had left.
Kitten had listened from the sidelines the entire time, but had only half understood.
She had not understood much, but she had caught one important piece of information.
"Are we leaving this place?"
Kitten asked.
"Yes," Li Ping'an said.
Kitten happily licked her paws.
She seemed utterly delighted at the prospect of leaving.
It was freezing here, and there were no mice to eat.
Big Ping'an and Niu Niu were both busy with their own affairs.
Kitten was bored out of her mind.
Li Ping'an stroked her head.
Three months later, the situation in this land had largely stabilized.
Someone had finally come to take over, too.
After weighing the various considerations, every faction had sent people.
Now that Small Town had been destroyed, there was no point in saying anything more.
Present interests took priority.
Still, their leader remained somewhat uneasy and decided to speak with Li Ping'an again.
But Li Ping'an had already disappeared.
Li Ping'an stood atop a mountain, gazing in all directions.
Lush woods and towering peaks stretched before him.
In less than half a year, it already looked like this.
Although most places were still steep cliffs and treacherous slopes, covered in white ice and snow.
It was only a matter of time before they melted.
The snow on the sunward slopes had already begun to melt, slowly exposing the black earth beneath.
Snowmelt moistened the soil.
Watching this wondrous sight, Kitten suddenly stuck out her little pink tongue.
An osmanthus leaf rested on it.
Li Ping'an narrowed his eyes slightly.
This was the fortuitous gift the Osmanthus Tree had left Kitten. He remembered her eating it at the time.
"Didn't you eat it, Fairy?"
Kitten said solemnly, "Fairy tricked you. Fairy is going to exchange it for money.