Back inside, Lin He eagerly found a battered wooden basin, lined it with dry grass, and carefully placed the red egg inside, settling it in the safest spot beside the bed.
Lin He took a deep breath and pulled the emerald-green jade gourd from his clothes.
After yesterday's absorption, a little more pure, golden Essence of the Sun had accumulated inside the jade gourd.
"Honey, step back a bit. If this egg explodes or some monster pops out, I don't want you getting hurt," Lin He warned.
Su Qiuran wheeled herself back to the doorway, still gripping the sharp woodcutting saber, ready for battle.
Lin He carefully controlled the jade gourd, drawing out a little Essence of the Sun and slowly dripping it onto the dark red eggshell.
"Drip."
The instant the golden liquid touched the eggshell, it neither produced the violent reaction it had when it landed on Lin He's hand nor unleashed a powerful burst of vitality as it had when ripening the Green Spike Grass.
That drop of Essence of the Sun instantly seeped into the shell and vanished, like water soaking into a sponge.
"Huh... no reaction?" Lin He froze.
His words had barely fallen when the previously quiet red egg suddenly began trembling violently.
The black markings on the shell seemed to come alive, beginning to give off a faint red glow. Even the temperature of the room seemed to rise a little.
"Crack..."
A crisp cracking sound rang through the quiet room.
A tiny crack appeared on the dark red shell.
"Holy shit, it's coming out! Get ready to fight!" Lin He leaped back, snatched up the black python sinew bow, nocked a refined-steel wolf-fang arrow, and aimed squarely at the wooden basin.
Su Qiuran also tightened her grip on the woodcutting saber, staring tensely at the crack.
"Crack... crack, crack..."
The cracks spread rapidly, soon covering the entire shell.
With a soft pop, a piece at the top of the shell was pushed open.
A small, furry, soaking-wet head struggled out through the opening.
Lin He held his breath and drew the bowstring all the way back, ready to loose at any moment.
However, when he got a clear look at the head poking out, his entire body froze.
That head, that flat bill, those mung-bean-sized eyes-no matter how he fucking looked at it... why did it look like a duck?!
"Quack?"
The ducklike head turned, its tiny eyes surveying its surroundings in confusion as it let out an extremely faint cry.
Then it struggled hard, squeezing its entire body out of the shell.
Lin He and Su Qiuran stared dumbfounded.
The creature's head was indeed a duck's, but its body was covered in yellow-and-black down, with four short, thick legs and a tail that kept wagging.
It was literally a duck's head stuck onto a dog's body!
"What... what the hell is this thing?" Lin He relaxed his bowstring, his face full of disbelief.
Su Qiuran wheeled closer, staring at the strange creature wobbling in the basin and licking the slime off its body. The corners of her mouth twitched violently several times.
"Lin He... this is the ferocious beast from High Antiquity you were talking about? A divine dragon of the Nine Heavens?"
The little monster seemed to notice their gazes. It turned its duck head, wagged its tail at Lin He, and opened its flat bill.
"Quack?"
It looked as though its brain didn't work particularly well.
Su Qiuran sighed helplessly and put away the woodcutting saber. "All right, never mind what sort of divine beast it is."
"Now that it's hatched, it's a living creature. Looking at how silly it is, it probably won't pose much of a threat. Let's give it a name."
"A dog hatched from an egg. Let's call it Goudan," Lin He said irritably.
"Quack, quack!" The little monster seemed to understand. Wagging its tail, it clambered unsteadily out of the wooden basin and rubbed its furry head against Lin He's trouser leg.
Lin He and Su Qiuran exchanged a look, each seeing a deep sense of helplessness in the other's eyes.
With the egg dealt with, the two carried the sack to the backyard.
Lin He emptied out the better part of a sack of Green Spike Grass seeds and scattered them evenly over the abandoned vegetable patch behind the house. This time, the area was much larger than before, taking up nearly half the yard.
With practiced ease, he watered them all with Essence of the Sun.
"All right, job done!" Lin He dusted the dirt off his hands, straightened up, and gave a long stretch.
Su Qiuran wheeled over and nodded in satisfaction at the newly sown plot. "Not bad. Once this batch matures, our cash flow should loosen up a little."
"Of course. Just look who planted it." Lin He raised his eyebrows smugly. "What's next, Chief Instructor Su? Isn't it time for some practical training?"
Su Qiuran glanced at him. "What, fifty full draws weren't enough for you?"
"Hey, listen to yourself. I just think drawing a bow without shooting any arrows is a bit like discussing warfare on paper."
Lin He casually picked up the black python sinew bow leaning in the corner and hefted it. "Besides, with all these deep mountains and old forests nearby, wouldn't it be a shame not to hunt? What's wrong with improving our meals?"
Su Qiuran considered it for a moment and found it reasonable. "Fine. Today, you'll practice on moving targets. Go around the outskirts of the mountain behind the village, but don't go deep. If you see pheasants or wild rabbits, use them as live targets to practice."
"You got it!" Lin He readily agreed, slipping the refined-steel wolf-fang arrows into his quiver and slinging it onto his back, then tucking the woodcutting saber into his waistband.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt something tugging at his trouser leg.
He looked down. It was Goudan.
Goudan had its duck bill clamped onto Lin He's trouser leg, quacking as its tail spun like a propeller.
"Shoo, shoo. Go play somewhere else." Lin He nudged it aside with his foot in distaste. "Looking that ugly, you still want to tag along with me? Stay home and keep your Sister Su company."
"Quack..." Goudan gave an aggrieved cry, let go, and turned to rub against Su Qiuran's wheelchair.
Watching the man and beast, Su Qiuran couldn't help the corners of her mouth lifting. "All right, stop dawdling. Be careful, and come back soon. If you run into danger, don't try to show off. Just run."
"Relax. Your husband's a man who's tempered his body!" Lin He struck a flashy pose, then turned and headed toward the mountain behind the village.
After leaving the village, Lin He followed the path toward the mountain, pondering how he should shoot his arrows later.
Drawing this powerful bow felt great, but his aim still needed work. Of those two arrows last night, the first had gone all the way to his grandma's house, and though the second had hit the target, that had just been a blind cat stumbling onto a dead mouse.
As he was thinking, an old man carrying a bow and arrows appeared ahead.
Lin He knew this old man. He was an old hunter from the village whom everyone called Old Man Sun. Usually quiet and sparing with words, he rarely struck up conversations, but his hunting skills were acknowledged throughout the village as exceptional.
"Elder Sun, heading out hunting?" Lin He took the initiative to greet him.