Translator: CinderTL
Xu Sanyan's heart skipped a beat. Why did he suddenly feel like he'd been caught cheating by his wife?
Xun Ancai eyed him suspiciously, looking like a wary young bride.
"Umm... we're just friends," Xu Sanyan stammered, trying to sound convincing.
"Oh..."
Fortunately, Xun Ancai didn't dwell on it. She simply pulled him close, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Only when she confirmed he was unharmed did she relax.
"Where have you been? You haven't been back for days! I missed you so much, I thought I'd die!" Xun Ancai's emotions were always direct; she spoke exactly what was on her mind.
"But I'm back now. Come here, let me see how much you really missed me." Xu Sanyan wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close with a gentle tug.
Xun Ancai's cheeks flushed crimson. She pointed toward the bed. "Let's go over there..."
"Alright..."
Xu Sanyan, like a diligent ox, plowed another fertile field.
The three-headed dog whimpered, turned away, and curled up, its usually erect ears drooping.
As dawn broke, Xun Ancai, her cheeks flushed, rose from bed and began preparing breakfast.
Upon entering the Secret Realm World, Xu Sanyan had once again lost all his spiritual power, forcing him to rely on food for sustenance, just like the native inhabitants.
After their meal, the pair set off toward the clan chief's cave.
The Dog Clan occupied a low mountain, sparsely wooded. Xun Ancai's house was situated halfway up the slope, while the clan chief's cave was perched at the summit.
A narrow path snaked up the mountain, lined with occasional wooden huts. Xun Ancai pointed to a nearby hut and said, "That's where my Father and Mother live. I lived there until I was fourteen."
Xu Sanyan followed her gaze to the dilapidated wooden hut. Though dilapidated, it at least had walls to block the wind, unlike Xun Ancai's drafty home.
"Fourteen... that's so young. How did you survive?" Xu Sanyan asked, genuinely curious.
"Thanks to him," Xun Ancai replied, gesturing to the three-headed dog. "He hunts. Sometimes he catches small game, which we share. We also gather fruits and whatever else we can find."
"There were days when we went without food. My Father would occasionally bring us some."
"Tsk, no wonder your clan is so small," Xu Sanyan shook his head. "It's a miracle you didn't starve to death. You're lucky to be alive."
As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at the entrance of the mountain cave.
Xun Ancai shouted inside, "Clan Chief, I'm here!"
"Come in," the clan chief's aged voice echoed from within the cave.
The two entered the cave. The old woman was already awake, standing before a collection of jars and pots, tinkering with them. She glanced back at Xu Sanyan and nodded slightly. "You've come."
"Greetings, Clan Chief," Xu Sanyan said respectfully, bowing. He knew that despite her frail appearance, the old woman's true strength likely far exceeded imagination.
"Sit down. Wait for me a moment."
"Yes, ma'am."
Before long, the Old Clan Chief tidied herself up, leaned on her cane, and settled into a chair. Her cloudy gaze scrutinized Xu Sanyan for a moment before she nodded slightly. "You've recovered well. We'll begin the second blessing tomorrow."
"Mm-hmm," Xu Sanyan nodded.
The Old Clan Chief then turned to Xun Ancai. "You should prepare as well. It's the season for Pack Beasts to give birth. You'll join the hunting party tomorrow."
"Oh..." Xun Ancai nodded.
The Old Clan Chief waved her hand dismissively. "If there's nothing else, you may leave."
"Mm-hmm."
Xun Ancai rose to leave, but noticed Xu Sanyan still sitting motionless. She reached out and tugged at his arm. "Let's go."
Xu Sanyan looked at her and said, "You should go now. I need to discuss something with the clan chief."
Xun Ancai pouted. "I want to hear too..."
"You should leave first," the Old Clan Chief interjected.
"Oh, alright then," Xun Ancai replied, unwilling to defy the Old Clan Chief. She left with a disappointed expression.
As she departed, only Xu Sanyan, the Old Clan Chief, and the Seven-Headed Dog remained in the cave. The dog lay at the Old Clan Chief's feet, its eyelids drooping, looking listless.
"What is it? Speak," the Old Clan Chief said, her cloudy eyes fixed on him.
Xu Sanyan remained silent, instead pulling a short sword from his storage pouch and handing it to her. This was a common magic artifact from the outside world, one he had long forgotten which enemy he had taken it from.
The Old Clan Chief accepted the sword with her withered hand. Her fingertips traced the blade's razor-sharp edge, feeling the bone-chilling sharpness against her skin. She nodded in satisfaction. Outsiders always brought unexpected treasures.
The forging process for such weapons was complex, beyond the capabilities of their world. Moreover, they rarely used weapons, finding them ill-suited to their hands.
Take Xun Ancai, for example. After three blessings, her strength was such that she could tear apart tigers and leopards with her bare hands. Ordinary wooden weapons, even stone knives and axes, were too fragile for her, no match for her own fists.
Magic artifacts, however, were different. Though the limitations of spiritual energy made many mystical arts difficult to cast, their durability remained undiminished.
The Old Clan Chief handed him the short blade, already guessing Xu Sanyan's intentions.
"How do you propose we cooperate?" she asked, looking up at him.
A faint smile curved Xu Sanyan's lips. Dealing with intelligent people was always so much easier.
"One weapon for one Earth Vein Stone."
The Old Clan Chief's head snapped up, her cloudy eyes widening in disbelief. "Are you mad?" she nearly shouted, wondering if she had misheard.
Though the weapon was valuable, it was still just a weapon, far less precious than an Earth Vein Stone.
The Earth Vein Stone was the cornerstone of the tribe. Everything they had—their strength, their survival—was built upon it. Without it, they would lose the Dog God's blessings, their source of power, and their ability to survive in this world.
In other words, they could do without weapons, but they could not do without the Earth Vein Stone.
Xu Sanyan knew his proposal was unreasonable, but business was all about negotiation. He had to start high and gradually lower his demands.
"Then how do you propose we trade?" Xu Sanyan countered, throwing the question back at her.
The Old Clan Chief pondered for a moment. "One more blessing in exchange for a weapon for every member of the tribe."
"Two," Xu Sanyan countered, shaking his head.
The Old Clan Chief slowly rose to her feet. "You have no idea how precious Earth Vein Stones are. I've already granted you three blessings. This would make four."
"The fourth blessing marks a qualitative shift. You've seen it yourself in the tribe—many have received three blessings, but those with four are exceedingly rare. Why do you think that is?"
"Do you truly believe I'm hoarding Earth Vein Stones? How could I not want my tribe to grow stronger?"
The Old Clan Chief explained the difficulty. "The first blessing requires two Earth Vein Stones, the second four, and the third eight. But from the fourth blessing onward, it's no longer just about the stones. It also requires the essence blood of the Dog God."
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow. "Essence blood of the Dog God?"
"Exactly. This is the true treasure. Heroic Soul Mountain can cultivate Earth Vein Stones, but it cannot produce the Dog God's essence blood. Every drop used is a drop lost forever..."
(End of the Chapter)
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