Chapter 18: What Should We Do About the Damage Caused by Hatching Too Early?

After a moment of hesitation, the red-bellied pheasant ultimately chose not to cross the bridge. Seeing Gu Xiaomai turn right, it followed suit, flying along the riverbank to a narrower section and landing on the same side as her. Once it confirmed her location, it returned to Mountain No. 1, perching atop the treetops and letting out a piercing cry—“gui—”

The call was sharp and spirited, echoing like a trumpet blast through the sky. Though tinged with a hint of youthful naivety, it was full of power and authority. It was a declaration of sovereignty to all the surrounding creatures: henceforth, Mountain No. 1 would be its home.

In response, the mountain was alive with the sounds of birds and beasts answering back, while Camp E4’s captain, Zhu Xingjie, ordered guards to secure the silver metal bridge and instructed teams to investigate the situation on Mountain No. 1.

Though the pioneering team felt some unease, their previous experience helped them maintain composure.

It was the first time Gu Xiaomai had heard such sounds—a mix of clear birdcalls and rough beastly roars—that stirred an uncontrollable flicker of fear within her.

What was that pheasant up to? Why had it caused such a ruckus? Was it for the special water?

Lying in bed, Gu Xiaomai found herself unusually unable to fall asleep quickly. The details of her two mountain excursions slowly surfaced in her mind. The pained cries she’d heard the first time must have come from the purified astragalus plant—perhaps "heartfelt voice" was a better term?

But do plants even have hearts?

No matter; such profound questions were best left to others—she’d simply assume they did.

Reflecting further, Jiang Chen’an and Yumi had harvested some angelica plants without uprooting them, which made her internally scorn their lack of expertise. Before that, she had encountered a corrupted lop-eared rabbit and been attacked, leading to the sudden appearance of the bone-cutting blade that saved her.

This time, after meeting the pheasant, she instinctively felt it posed a threat, prompting it to attack out of fright.

One was a real crisis; the other a perceived one—but both involved fear and the use of the bone-cutting blade.

Gu Xiaomai touched the bone-cutting blade beneath her pillow, wondering whether the formation of that special water was related to it.

Judging from everything that had happened, she could surmise two effects of this special water: first, it allowed her to hear the inner voices of animals and plants that had consumed it. If harnessed properly, survival here would become effortless.

But there was a downside: this special water exerted a strong attraction on the pheasant—and possibly all animals, maybe even plants. She’d need further observation to confirm.

Such attraction, if mishandled, could incite conflicts, putting her in harm’s way.

Moreover, it was best to keep this matter under wraps; otherwise, the competition wouldn’t just come from animals and plants—people might get involved, too.

…

The following morning, Gu Xiaomai awoke as usual to the sounds of Camp E4 soldiers training and Jiang Chen’an cracking his whip.

Though she had risen at roughly the same time as before, she felt her body had not fully recovered; her energy and stamina were far from optimal.

Her body exhibited the same condition as after the last mountain trip—the “blood pool” was insufficiently replenished.

This made her suspect a strange connection between the special water and her physical state, though she couldn’t yet grasp the specifics.

How was the special water formed, and how did it release from her body? She had no clue.

Growing increasingly frustrated, Gu Xiaomai got up to practice Tai Chi, hoping to calm herself.

After a few rounds, as she prepared to return, Jiang Chen’an and Yumi emerged from the riverbank toward the tent area.

“Finished training? Heading back together?” she asked.

They both nodded.

“Yumi, you practice whip too?”

“I do basic training with sticks. The materials are easy to find—any sturdy branch of the right thickness will do,” Yumi replied with a smile.

He had learned some stick techniques from Sister Xue, but due to his clumsiness, he’d only mastered the basics, showing little improvement despite continued practice.

“Xiaomai, you’re training too? I didn’t see you last time when we returned,” Yumi asked.

Gu Xiaomai smiled. “I started later and left earlier than you, so our paths rarely crossed.”

She had, in fact, practiced twice as much today; otherwise, she wouldn’t have met the two of them.

Compared to their training intensity, hers was mere fitness exercise—how embarrassing!

“Do you think we’ll go back to Mountain No. 1 to find purified plants today?” Yumi asked.

“Since there was so much noise from the animals last night, I doubt it,” Gu Xiaomai replied uncertainly.

She had a gut feeling that entering the mountain would mean encountering the pheasant, which would then chase her for the special water she couldn’t provide, leading to a fight and heavy casualties on their side.

Just thinking about it made her reluctant to return soon.

Jiang Chen’an, however, thought the chances were high. “We’ve held Mountain No. 1 for a while now; if we don’t gather all the purified plants soon, it’s a waste of resources. No one can guarantee that these plants will remain purified as they grow. So unless something uncontrollable happens, we’ll definitely continue today.”

“But Mi Tang still hasn’t shown up yet, and there’s been no word to head up,” Gu Xiaomai hoped.

Jiang Chen’an was momentarily speechless; Mi Tang indeed hadn’t returned by the usual time.

“Ah, I’m coming to notify you now!” a voice called from behind.

The three turned to see Mi Tang approaching with a smile.

“Today, we continue the search for purified plants.”

---

Jiang Chen’an and Yumi’s reactions were unknown to Gu Xiaomai at that moment, but she found Mi Tang’s smile somewhat irritating—it dashed her faint hopes completely. She felt like crying.

She silently prayed: “Please, let that pheasant leave, let it leave…”

At the tent area, Mi Tang gathered everyone.

“You all heard the commotion on Mountain No. 1 last night. The camp sent people to investigate and found no signs of corrupted animals or other dangers. You can go with confidence. Search within your assigned areas as before; once you reach the summit, you may descend. Avoid the northern side for now.

“As previously agreed, Captain Jiao Jiaoyang will inspect the purified plants at the collection points from the first two trips.”

After a few safety reminders, Mi Tang signaled everyone to prepare.

As Gu Xiaomai reached the mountain foot, the red-bellied pheasant spotted her and began running downhill.

[Ha ha ha… delicious water, here I come!]

[Good thing I’m clever and claimed this mountain yesterday; otherwise, this woman would have been discovered by other animals. Then, that tasty water wouldn’t be mine!]

The closer to the base, the more people there were; the pheasant had to be cautious, avoiding the crowds.

[Though I’m a divine phoenix, I’m still too young and limited in power. Once I drink more of that delicious water, I’ll no longer fear humans!]

The red-bellied pheasant muttered happily in its mind.

Gu Xiaomai silently hoped not to encounter that pheasant today, wishing for a smooth search for purified plants.

At first, all was well; she didn’t notice the pheasant. But by noon, she began hearing agitated inner voices:

[Why hasn’t this woman left yet?]

[Those two men are such a nuisance!]

[How to lure this woman to a deserted spot?]

[Maybe we should kill those two men?]

Gu Xiaomai shuddered at the murderous intent in those few words.

Her brother Chen’an and Yumi—what had they done to deserve this?

No, this couldn’t happen! She couldn’t afford it!

Thinking quickly, she whispered to Jiang Chen’an and Yumi, who then left.

The pheasant, seeing the two men depart with their gear, assumed they’d gone elsewhere for tasty grass and ambled out confidently.

Seeing it not attack immediately and acting so leisurely, Gu Xiaomai’s heart eased somewhat. They were all civilized beings—no, chickens.

Wait—that sounded like she’d insulted herself. Everyone should live harmoniously!

The red-bellied pheasant strode gracefully toward Gu Xiaomai.

Don’t ask how she could tell it was graceful—she just could!

Those small eyes, that proud chest, that posture—it was the very image of a “noble young master.”

Gu Xiaomai stared in fascination. Had this creature become sentient? Was whatever it ate some potent tonic?

Under Gu Xiaomai’s sparkling gaze, laced with a hidden intent, the noble young master’s confident steps faltered slightly; the bright green feathers on its neck ruffled, and its wings half-spread.

“Gui—” a note of menace!

“Gui—gui—” Who dares threaten me?

“Gui—gui—” Come out! I’ll flap my wings and knock you away!

Seeing it poised to flare its feathers, Gu Xiaomai grew cautious, ready to draw the bone-cutting blade at a moment’s notice.

The noble young master looked around, finding no source of hostility, then fixed its gaze back on Gu Xiaomai and resumed approaching.

Gu Xiaomai quietly stepped backward as it neared.

What was this chicken’s intention? Was it coming closer to strike?

Should she preemptively attack?

But she knew she couldn’t win alone—and Jiang Chen’an and Yumi’s readiness was unknown.

Why not just speak up inside its mind so she could prepare?

Gu Xiaomai kept a sharp eye on every move the noble young master made.

“Gui—gui—” Woman, I command you to give me delicious water!

Seeing no response, it spoke again.

“Gui—gui—” Give it to me now, or I’ll attack!

“Gui—gui—” I really will hit you—I can flap you away with one wing!

It spread its wings wide as a demonstration.

Though Gu Xiaomai couldn’t understand the words, the wing sweep cut through the grass on the ground, severing it entirely.

She gasped—was that wing like a blade?

She understood: this was a threat.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. How about you think it over in your mind first, make your call simpler, and maybe I can guess?” Gu Xiaomai said, gesturing in case it didn’t get her.

The pheasant’s wings paused mid-flap.

[Ah, all that noble talk was wasted!]

[Damn it! This woman is useless! She can’t understand my noble voice.]

[But since she has the delicious water, I’ll forgive her!]

Gu Xiaomai rolled her eyes, feeling her ears polluted by this absurd ancient drama hero script.

[How can I say it so this woman understands I want delicious water?]

“Gui—” Water! I want delicious water.

The red-bellied pheasant called once more, wings no longer cutting grass, and mimicked Gu Xiaomai’s earlier thirsty drinking gestures.

After the pantomime, it looked at Gu Xiaomai expectantly.

[This woman should understand now, right?]

Gu Xiaomai feigned ignorance, poured some drinking water given by the camp into a bottle cap, placed it on the ground, and gestured for it to drink.

In her mind, she wondered about the pheasant’s intelligence—it seemed far higher than the purified giant catfish they had encountered before.

Were all purified animals in this world that smart, or was this pheasant special?

Could it really be a phoenix?

She shook her head, dismissing the fanciful thought.

The pheasant approached the bottle cap, pecked at the water lightly, but immediately spat it out.

“Ptooey! This isn’t the water from before! Is this woman fooling me?”

Kicking over the bottle cap, it angrily scolded Gu Xiaomai with loud “gui—gui—” sounds, flapping and pointing accusingly.

Though Gu Xiaomai didn’t understand, the tone was clearly harsh and profane.

Feigning ignorance, she looked sympathetically at the spilled water—it was at least half a mouthful, which, according to Yumi, cost several points to purchase. Wasting it was extravagant!

The red-bellied pheasant, having exhausted its scolding, resumed gesturing to Gu Xiaomai.

“Gui—gui—” Delicious water! Delicious water! I want delicious water! Don’t try to fool me with this stuff!

“Gui—gui—” If you don’t give it, I’ll have to use my wings!

Gu Xiaomai didn’t need to understand the exact words to grasp the meaning.

After hearing three knocks on a tree, she sincerely said to the pheasant, “I don’t have the water you want!”

The pheasant glared at her in disbelief.

[This woman dares lie to me!]

[She smells like it—I’m not mistaken!]

Gu Xiaomai’s expression grew even more earnest. “I really don’t have it! My technique isn’t fully mastered yet. Yesterday’s was an accident!”

Seeing this, the pheasant finally realized she was telling the truth and instantly wilted.

[Ahhh—what about the damage from hatching early? Boohoo!]

[Boohoo—I want to get better and find my mother!]

[All because of that damned thieving seagull who stole me and forced me to hatch early! My body isn’t strong enough!]

…

To Gu Xiaomai’s ears, this childish voice had lost its earlier pride, replaced by tearful innocence and pitiful tones. She almost wanted to comfort it but held back.

From this crying, she discovered another effect of the special water—it repaired internal injuries.

She understood why she’d felt energetic and rejuvenated each morning before, her body recovering and even improving daily—the special water inside her was healing her.

This special water was truly marvelous!

She resolved to quickly master its formation method to prevent accidental overflow from her body, which could attract danger.

Considering the pheasant hadn’t harmed her and had revealed the third benefit of the special water, Gu Xiaomai quietly warned it, “Before I master my technique, I won’t have that water. You should leave now. My companions will be back soon, and if they see you, they might capture you immediately!”