Chapter 43

Chapter 43

This was the first time Xuan Ying had been so wrongly accused by a Weird. His mind went blank for a moment, but he quickly defended himself: "This fish is definitely not my clone, Yuan Xing. I wouldn't lie to you."

The little blue fish blew bubbles in the water tank and wagged its tail. "Master, the main body isn’t lying to you. He just forgot about me, his clone, because of his previous injuries."

Between the little blue fish and Xuan Ying, Ying Yuanxing still trusted Xuan Ying more. After all, Xuan Ying had already confessed so much—why bother hiding one more clone?

If this clone had some important identity, that would be one thing. But in Ying Yuanxing’s eyes, the little blue fish was just a pet, just like Xiao Hei, his pet cat. Their roles overlapped, so there was no need to hide it.

Even with the little blue fish’s claim, Ying Yuanxing remained skeptical.

However, the little blue fish’s words made Xuan Ying hesitate. He had once fought a Weird and was injured, falling unconscious for a while. Could he have created a clone during that time? But why couldn’t he sense its memories or reclaim it?

Seeing Xuan Ying’s silence, the little blue fish knew he might have succeeded in planting doubt. He smirked inwardly—this Shadow Weird was such a pushover, falling for such a simple trick.

The little blue fish wanted to impersonate Xuan Ying because he wanted better perks.

At first, the little blue fish had no intention of becoming Ying Yuanxing’s pet and was determined to escape at the first opportunity. But after tasting the farm grass and realizing it could keep him alive, he decided to stay.

However, after settling in, he noticed that Xiao Hei Cat, as another pet, received far better treatment—more Weird Food every day. The disparity made the little blue fish jealous, and he wanted to curry favor to improve his own conditions.

To win favor, he had to observe Ying Yuanxing’s preferences. But his observations crushed his hopes—Ying Yuanxing clearly preferred fluffy creatures. Fish weren’t something he liked to touch; he only looked at them, making it impossible to build affection.

Regarding the food disparity, the little blue fish misunderstood Ying Yuanxing. Ying Yuanxing had little experience raising fish but had heard that fish have terrible memories and shouldn’t be overfed, or they might stuff themselves to death.

The little blue fish always looked scrawny and frail, appearing unhealthy, so Ying Yuanxing was even more cautious about feeding him too much—what if he died from overeating?

However, the little blue fish’s second observation wasn’t wrong. Ying Yuanxing did prefer fluffy creatures over fish, though not entirely because fish weren’t as pleasant to touch. Petting fluffy animals was harmless and could strengthen bonds, but frequently touching fish might harm them. Ying Yuanxing wouldn’t prioritize his own whims at the expense of his pets.

But to the little blue fish, this differential treatment meant Ying Yuanxing disliked his true form and only valued him for his looks.

This realization left the little blue fish devastated. Though he had the ability to morph, as a fish, he could only mimic other aquatic Weirds. Asking a fish to transform into something fluffy was simply too much.

After discovering Xuan Ying’s clone ability, the little blue fish came up with a plan. He had heard the saying, "Love me, love my dog."

And Xuan Ying was arguably the Weird closest to Ying Yuanxing. Could he impersonate Xuan Ying’s clone?

Even though he had lived in the ocean, he had heard of Xuan Ying’s reputation, including his battle with a Great Weird.

At the time, Xuan Ying had disappeared for a while, leading some Weirds to believe he was severely injured and easy prey. Those who went after him never returned. But even after devouring so many Weirds, Xuan Ying hadn’t fully recovered, showing how grave his injuries were. This gave the little blue fish an idea.

"If you’re my clone, why can’t we merge?" Xuan Ying asked.

"Because I’m trapped in this body and can’t leave anymore," the little blue fish replied, having had this excuse ready. He was only pretending—he had no intention of being devoured by Xuan Ying.

As he spoke, the little blue fish flicked his tail, and a swirl of black mist appeared around him.

Ying Yuanxing was floored. He recognized that mist—it was Xuan Ying’s ability. Had he been wrong? Was the little blue fish really Xuan Ying’s clone?

Seeing Ying Yuanxing’s expression change, the little blue fish quickly reined in the spreading black mist.

He knew that as long as Ying Yuanxing believed him, Xuan Ying wouldn’t press further, even if he had doubts. Xuan Ying would quietly dig around for clues, but the little blue fish didn’t expect the deception to last forever. He just wanted to milk the perks while he could before considering escape.

Xuan Ying did sense something off, but the little blue fish had pulled back the mist too fast for him to pinpoint the issue.

"Then why didn't you before..." Ying Yuanxing started to ask, then remembered he had only learned about Xuan Ying's clone technique yesterday, so naturally the other wouldn't have mentioned it. He changed his question, "Why can't you get out?"

The little blue fish felt confident this time and replied, "This outer membrane is too tough and stuck right to me. I'm too weak to tear it off."

"What if Xuan Ying transfers some energy to you?" Ying Yuanxing asked.

"B-but this membrane has hydrokinesis. Direct energy infusion might rupture it. It's better to replenish through food," the little blue fish panicked inwardly, realizing he'd forgotten this detail.

Glancing at Xuan Ying, the little blue fish shivered. He dared not accept energy from Xuan Ying—one transfer would expose his deception. Being absorbed by Xuan Ying would be worse than being caught by abyssal creatures. At least with the latter, he'd only have to expend energy cultivating Weird Plants, not lose his life.

Water-control ability?

Ying Yuanxing instinctively looked at his unwatered farmland. An idea struck him—if the control was precise enough, maybe it could serve as a living irrigation system.

When his farm was small, irrigation was barely a chore. But now, even with only part of the land planted using collected seeds, the labor ate into his time.

Ying Yuanxing had long possessed sprinkler blueprints but lacked metal. With no mines or quarries in Taoxi Village, his only metal sources were scrap piles. So far, he'd barely gathered enough copper and iron ore, let alone gold. Crafting a sprinkler that watered just four plots seemed wasteful, forcing him to water manually.

To make matters worse, he'd amassed a cache of strawberry seeds. Excited when selecting them, he now shrank from the watering duty for the vast strawberry field. While his skills could water them, it drained too much stamina—these were ordinary seeds without accelerated growth. His skills only ensured proper watering, avoiding over- or under-watering.

The strawberry field was enormous, with seeds still unplanted. Initially planning to sow them all, Ying Yuanxing stopped halfway, realizing future seeds would have no space. Even so, the field's size meant his perfunctory irrigation, while not yet killing seedlings, clearly stunted the sprouts' development and future yield.

But Ying Yuanxing had no choice—too many tasks left no leisure for meticulous irrigation. If the little blue fish could control water... could he handle irrigation?

First, he needed to understand the ability's limits to avoid false hope.

"How exactly does this water control work? Can you moisten this untilled plot?" Ying Yuanxing pointed to bare ground ahead.

Hearing this, the little blue fish relaxed. Ying Yuanxing seemed genuinely interested—if he could impress him, he'd pass this test.

Strangely, the little blue fish had expected Ying Yuanxing to ask about combat prowess first, a priority for most Weirds. But observing the farm and Ying Yuanxing's habits, this focus fit his character. Without his farming obsession, where would the pasture the little blue fish ate come from?

The little blue fish manipulated water from a storage barrel, dampening the empty plot.

"Can you adjust the amount? For example..." Ying Yuanxing scanned the area, watering one plot manually. "Can you match this volume? Just water this one."

He pointed to an adjacent plot with identical crops planted simultaneously, requiring identical moisture.

A stream coalesced above the field, dissolving into a gentle shower that distributed the exact required amount.

This control alone impressed Ying Yuanxing, but he wanted to test the little blue fish's potential further. He had him water multiple same-crop, same-age plots; same-crop, different-age plots; and finally, different crops of varying ages.

The little blue fish succeeded each time—a feat demanding not just water control but precise recall to remember each crop's water needs at different growth stages and deliver precise amounts.

Though currently limited to four plots at once, Ying Yuanxing remembered Xuan Ying mentioning abilities could level up. Once upgraded, the little blue fish might water eight, twenty-four, or even more plots simultaneously.

Maintaining his facade, the little blue fish's consciousness swam with fatigue. Growing Weird Plants in the sea had physically drained him; now, while his body felt fine, his spirit strained. Which strain was worse?

Fortunately, despite Ying Yuanxing's many demands, he'd succeeded. Blissfully ignorant of coming trials, the little blue fish saw Ying Yuanxing's approving grin and reckoned he'd cleared the hurdle.

Ying Yuanxing's gaze toward the little blue fish was different now, as if he had discovered a treasure.

His suspicion that the little blue fish might be Xuan Ying's clone had lessened considerably, as the other's learning speed was indeed remarkably fast—almost on par with Xuan Ying's.

However, this suspicion wasn't entirely dispelled. Still, Ying Yuanxing figured that since the other had a need for the farm's food, the truth could be uncovered gradually.

If he openly expressed doubt now, it might discourage the little blue fish from working. But if he pretended to trust him, the little blue fish would surely work hard—just like in some undercover movies he'd seen. Ordinary employees might slack off, but undercover agents usually became hard workers.

"Then should I call you Xuan Ying or..." Ying Yuanxing asked, unaware that Xuan Ying beside him was practically bristling, glaring at the little blue fish with hostility.

If the little blue fish dared to suggest that Ying Yuanxing call him by that name, Xuan Ying would make sure he learned what it meant for disaster from above.

Though he had promised Ying Yuanxing not to devour other Weirds, he didn’t need to consume them to take their forms—killing them and seizing their skins worked just as well.

Noticing the murderous intent radiating from Xuan Ying, the little blue fish's eagerness instantly cooled. Not daring to stir trouble, he said, "Master, just call me Xiao Lan. Otherwise, it might be hard to distinguish me from the original."

"But 'Xiao Lan' sounds like a pet's name. You... How about Lan Ying?" Ying Yuanxing glanced at Xuan Ying, suddenly recalling how Xuan Ying had first introduced his name. Back then, he had thought Xuan Ying was just making it up, but now it seemed he had genuinely chosen it.

And "Xuan" meant black—but what did "Ying" mean?

Ying Yuanxing was a little puzzled and planned to ask Xuan Ying later. For now, the most important task was assigning Lan Ying to watering duty.

"Do you need to be in water to control it, or just near water to water the crops?" Ying Yuanxing noticed that the water in the tank had significantly decreased, with only enough left to barely cover the little blue fish—clearly, he had just used it for watering.

"It's best if I stay in water. Moving on land is rather inconvenient." Lan Ying flicked his tail. He was a fish, after all. Though he could take human form, he didn’t dare do so now—that would be exposing himself.

As a fish, he naturally felt more comfortable in water.

"But as long as there's a water source within ten meters of me, I can draw from it," Lan Ying added, afraid Ying Yuanxing might find him too troublesome.

Ten meters?

Ying Yuanxing surveyed the farm and realized that radius was still a bit small for its size. The farm didn’t have many water sources—just a pond near the wooden house, which could only cover the fields nearby. Anything farther would be out of reach.

"Then... you can stay in this watering can for now." Ying Yuanxing filled the can from the pond and hesitated, unsure whether to scoop Lan Ying up or let him jump in himself.

Lan Ying eyed the watering can. He knew this was one of Ying Yuanxing's peculiar Weird Artifacts—small in appearance but capable of holding far more than it seemed, enough to water forty plots at once, far exceeding the capacity of the tank he had been in.

After all, the tank had only managed about a dozen plots before running low, while this can could handle forty. The difference was huge.

Surely, jumping into such a Weird Artifact wouldn’t be dangerous, right?

Lan Ying hesitated briefly, but remembering Ying Yuanxing's high regard for him, he gritted his teeth and jumped in. Though the opening seemed tiny, his fish body slid in easily.

Once inside, he found the interior surprisingly spacious.

From his perspective, the tank had been decently roomy, but he had once roamed rivers and oceans. Even when confined in the sea, his range had been far larger than the tank. Now, after being restricted, entering this spacious watering can left him feeling refreshed.

Ying Yuanxing led Lan Ying around the fields, mainly teaching him the varying water requirements for each crop at different growth stages. Fortunately, he had planted a diverse mix—otherwise, there wouldn’t have been enough examples to teach with.

At first, Lan Ying managed to memorize everything, but eventually he couldn't keep up. In one trial, he accidentally watered a plot incorrectly.

Lan Ying panicked and looked at Ying Yuanxing. He knew how much Ying Yuanxing cared about these crops—and how high their Weird Qi content was.

And Weird Plants were notoriously fragile. The smallest mistake could kill them. He...

"It's fine. I'll handle it." Ying Yuanxing said casually, lifting the watering can to correct the mistake.

He wasn't mad?

Lan Ying was bewildered, even in disbelief. Back in the sea, even though he was the only one who could cultivate the rarest Weird Plants, any mistake that harmed them would still earn him severe punishment.

He had assumed Ying Yuanxing, who cared so much about his crops, would be the same. But now...

Lan Ying's mistake also snapped Ying Yuanxing out of his teaching fervor. He realized that even with Lan Ying's strong learning ability, excessive pressure would only lead to more errors.

Moreover, Lan Ying seemed terrified of making mistakes. In this state, forcing him to continue would only worsen things. They had covered enough for today—time to call it a day.

Better to let him practice and reinforce what he’d learned.

"That’s enough for today," Ying Yuanxing said, refilling the can from the pond before calling out, "Xiao Hei, come here."

Hearing his voice, Xiao Hei came running. Xuan Ying had considered recalling his clone, but he remembered Xiao Hei still had work—driving away the insects and birds attracted by the Weird Plants. So he left both Xiao Hei and the big black horse behind.

"Xiao Hei will guide you through the fields. Use the pond water for the front plots, and the watering can for the ones farther back," Ying Yuanxing instructed.

"But some of them, I..." Lan Ying worried.

"Leave the ones you're unsure about to me. Just water the ones you know first," Ying Yuanxing reassured.

Lan Ying, relieved, was about to promise his best when Ying Yuanxing pulled out a strawberry. Its sweet smell made his mouth water. Though he preferred meat, here on the farm, he didn't mind other treats.

"Here, have this strawberry to replenish your energy. Do you want to eat it now, or do you have somewhere to store it?" Ying Yuanxing remembered that using abilities consumed energy. Lan Ying already looked weak—if watering tired him out more, it’d be troublesome. Better to let him eat something restorative.

"I... I can save it for later." Lan Ying couldn’t look away from the strawberry.

Ying Yuanxing dropped it into the watering can, and Lan Ying quickly put it away, his tiredness fading slightly by excitement.

"You take Lan Ying to water the fields. If the can runs empty, refill it at the pond," Ying Yuanxing instructed, hanging the can on Xiao Hei.

Xiao Hei glanced at Lan Ying inside the can and nodded.

Seeing how obedient Xiao Hei was, even knowing the feline guise hid Xuan Ying, Ying Yuanxing couldn’t help rubbing its head and squeezing its soft paws.

Xiao Hei froze at the touch. After his identity was exposed, he thought this kindness was gone forever—and he thought he could accept that.

After all, Ying Yuanxing let him stay despite knowing the truth, which was rare, especially since Ying Yuanxing might be human.

But now, feeling Ying Yuanxing’s affection again, Xiao Hei realized all his earlier resignation had just been him trying to cope. Otherwise, it would've hurt too much. Only Ying Yuanxing’s touch could truly soothe him.

Without thinking, Xiao Hei rubbed against Ying Yuanxing’s leg. Staring at the fingers before him, he even felt an urge to lick them—not out of hunger, just wanted a taste.

But just before acting on it, he remembered Ying Yuanxing’s past words. He stopped mid-lick, and he instinctively looked up, meeting Ying Yuanxing’s gaze. Embarrassed, he quickly lowered his head and licked his own paw—the one Ying Yuanxing was holding.

He didn't mean to lick Ying Yuanxing. He was just cleaning his paw.

"Silly cat!" Ying Yuanxing sighed, amused. His fingers moved to where Xiao Hei had been licking, finding the fur slightly damp. Before the cat could retreat, a little tongue brushed his finger.

It felt like fine sandpaper—kind of rough but ticklish. Not as pleasant as he’d imagined, but not bad either.

Realizing what he’d done, Xiao Hei froze, watching Ying Yuanxing with worry.

"This time, I let you do it. Doesn't count as you doing it yourself," Ying Yuanxing said, tapping Xiao Hei’s head. Glancing at the sky, he urged them to hurry off to water the fields.

Watching their interaction, Lan Ying clutched his strawberry, feeling conflicted. Since he was impersonating Xuan Ying, did he have to treat Ying Yuanxing the same way the other clones did?

But he wasn't real. And Xuan Ying’s possessiveness...

Lan Ying looked ahead, where Xuan Ying stood, glaring daggers at Xiao Hei. Even at his own clone, he burned with jealousy.

If he really did that, before his identity was exposed, he would be viewed with hostility by Xuan Ying. And if his identity was exposed, it would be even worse.

But if he didn’t act affectionately toward Ying Yuanxing, wouldn’t that make it easier for his identity to be exposed?

Lan Ying suddenly regretted impersonating Xuan Ying. As a doppelgänger, he was in a dilemma—whether to compete for favor or not.

If he hadn’t impersonated Xuan Ying, given how much Ying Yuanxing valued his water-control ability, he might still have gotten good treatment and wouldn’t be tangled in these troubles now.

Deep in thought, Lan Ying didn’t notice the unfriendly gazes from Xuan Ying and Xiao Hei Cat.

Though Xuan Ying could chop wood and quarry stones for Ying Yuanxing, doing plenty of work, and Xiao Hei Cat helped drive away insects, birds, and other supernatural pests, watering had always been Ying Yuanxing’s task—one that had troubled him for a long time. Now, there was a supernatural creature, suspected to be his own doppelgänger, who could help Ying Yuanxing with watering.

That meant this person’s status in Ying Yuanxing’s eyes would undoubtedly rise sharply.

The thought that they might no longer be the first or second most important supernatural creatures in Ying Yuanxing’s heart made it hard for Xuan Ying and Xiao Hei Cat to be friendly toward Lan Ying.

When Lan Ying came back to reality, he was met with two pairs of unfriendly eyes. The reason it wasn’t three was that Ying Yuanxing had ridden the big black horse out.

Actually, Ying Yuanxing had hesitated about riding the horse—after all, this wasn’t just riding a horse; it was riding Xuan Ying.

If he hadn’t known, it would’ve been fine, but knowing made it feel a bit awkward.

However, after walking around the farm, Ying Yuanxing realized that relying on his own speed would waste about a third of his time. Why waste that time on the road when he could use it for something else?

After hesitating for three seconds, Ying Yuanxing decided to temporarily set aside some moral qualms and just ride the horse.

Even so, the two pairs of hostile eyes put immense pressure on Lan Ying, who also felt somewhat confused. He hadn’t done anything yet, nor had he gotten particularly close to Ying Yuanxing—so why did Xuan Ying and Xiao Hei Cat already seem displeased?

"Uh, we should hurry and do the watering, right? Otherwise, when the master returns..." Lan Ying broke the awkward silence. Xuan Ying withdrew his gaze and turned to clear new land, while Xiao Hei Cat licked the paw Ying Yuanxing had just touched, absorbing all traces of his scent, before leading Lan Ying to do the watering.

Lan Ying let out a relieved sigh, feeling more convinced than ever that he needed to master his water-control ability. It seemed this skill would be his ticket to staying on the farm—and might even save him if his identity was exposed.

With this in mind, Lan Ying watered the fields with even greater effort.

Meanwhile, Ying Yuanxing made his way to Yuan Qing’s house—also because of Lan Ying.

Yuan Qing had originally planned to go to Ying Yuanxing’s farm today to repair the stable, but Yuan Xiu stopped her, telling her not to go yet because Ying Yuanxing had more important matters to attend to. When she asked what those matters were, Yuan Xiu refused to say, his face stormy—an expression Yuan Qing had never seen before, making her too afraid to push for details.

But since Ying Yuanxing had come over, the important matter must have been resolved.

Strangely, though, Yuan Xiu, who had been here just moments ago, had now disappeared. She didn’t know why.

However, these thoughts vanished from Yuan Qing’s mind the moment she heard Ying Yuanxing’s words, leaving only his earnest expression in her sight.

"You want to build a well… and preferably make it movable?" Yuan Qing wondered if she was hearing things—how else could such an absurd idea exist?

Truthfully, Ying Yuanxing hadn’t considered this before. In the game, once a well’s location was set, only a carpenter could move farm buildings.

But this was reality, not a game. Yuan Qing likely had special powers—what if it was possible? Then Lan Ying could carry the well to water the fields, doing away with the need to upgrade the watering can and saving materials.

After all, what did it cost to build a well compared to the effort needed to upgrade a watering can? Especially now, with the blacksmith’s shop closed and short on ore, upgrades would be even harder.

Ying Yuanxing nodded excitedly, looking at Yuan Qing with hope.

"What do you want this for?" Yuan Qing was curious about why Ying Yuanxing would think of such a thing.

"If you carry the well, you wouldn’t need to run to the water source to refill the watering can," Ying Yuanxing explained.

"That’s not—" Yuan Qing shook her head, about to refuse, when she suddenly sensed something strange. She seemed to have gained a strange new power—one that could help rearrange the farm’s layout. Would moving the well count as carrying it to water the fields?

Yuan Qing stared at Ying Yuanxing in astonishment. She knew he was powerful, but how did he manifest such reality-altering powers?

From Yuan Qing’s expression, Ying Yuanxing saw a spark of possibility and perked up.

"It’s possible, but..." Yuan Qing hesitated. To use this ability, she and Ying Yuanxing had to stay together. But how could she remain by his side all the time? She had her own responsibilities.

After carefully examining the new power, Yuan Qing realized it could be transferred—or copied—to another supernatural creature, but only if they had carpentry skills.

If it had been any other requirement, she might have had trouble finding anyone. But as it happened, Xuan Ying had previously learned carpentry from her. Though he wasn’t particularly skilled, he met the condition.

"But what?" Ying Yuanxing asked impatiently.

If Lan Ying’s movement problem while watering could be solved, Xiao Hei Cat could be available for other tasks—after all, the cat was really good at catching insects and driving away birds.

"However, Xuan Ying needs to come here. He can help you achieve this," Yuan Qing said.

Xuan Ying?

Though puzzled, Ying Yuanxing didn’t think too much about it and immediately called Xuan Ying over.

When Xuan Ying hurried over, Yuan Qing filled him in. Seeing the joy in Ying Yuanxing’s eyes, he nodded—of course he was willing to accept this ability. If he had it, he’d become even more valuable to Ying Yuanxing.

But still, not unique.

Xuan Ying shot a look at Yuan Qing but suppressed all his thoughts. He knew Ying Yuanxing wouldn’t like him acting that way.