Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Ying Yuanxing froze, meeting Mu Ye's gaze. He saw a profound seriousness there, no hint of a joke, and fell silent.

Mu Ye's attitude was polite, but surely he understood what a domain meant to a supernatural being. Was this politeness or rudeness?

Seeing Ying Yuanxing offer no reply, Mu Ye frowned slightly, then, as if remembering something, said, "The chicks aren’t for sale."

He then resumed his steady gaze at Ying Yuanxing.

Ying Yuanxing inexplicably grasped the unspoken message: Mu Ye had answered his question, and now it was his turn.

This kind of innocent demeanor was a bit…

Ying Yuanxing turned his head to glance at Xuan Ying.

Being out, Xuan Ying had put on his old skin. As it was a supernatural being's skin, Ying Yuanxing found it much more acceptable.

Xuan Ying still wore a mask, but through it, his eyes were pure, clear black.

Meeting Ying Yuanxing’s gaze, Xuan Ying blinked, full of confusion.

They really were alike.

But his own companion was still cuter.

Ying Yuanxing reached out, and Xuan Ying swiftly extended a tentacle for him to pet, keeping his current "skin" out of reach.

Ying Yuanxing chuckled, stroking the small tentacle before turning back to Mu Ye. "My domain isn’t for sale either."

"What do you want my domain for?" Ying Yuanxing pressed.

The moment Ying Yuanxing refused, Mu Ye was already battle-ready, having gone through this before. He had even half-drawn his weapon.

But then, faced with Ying Yuanxing’s gentle words, Mu Ye paused. Looking into Ying Yuanxing’s eyes, he realized the other genuinely sought an answer, not just to stall for time.

Wait—why wasn't he following the script?

Mu Ye’s mind stalled, his grip on his weapon tightening and loosening repeatedly.

As Mu Ye moved, Xuan Ying sensed his fighting intent and stepped forward, shielding Ying Yuanxing.

Xuan Ying’s action snapped Mu Ye back to reality. *This* was the familiar response he expected.

Still, Mu Ye decided to answer Ying Yuanxing’s question before engaging.

"Your domain is teeming with vitality. I need it to feed the small animals I raise." Mu Ye waved his hand, and the chick on the ground flapped its wings, scurried a few steps, then flew up to perch on his palm.

He then put the chick away to avoid harming it during the fight.

Vitality?

Ying Yuanxing pondered for a moment and understood: Mu Ye was referring to the plants on the farm.

"How many of these small animals do you have?" Ying Yuanxing asked. "If you’d like to buy some feed for them, perhaps we could consider a partnership."

Ying Yuanxing beamed, and before Mu Ye could react, he had already sat down to discuss the details of their cooperation.

---

Inside Taoxi Village.

Huang Yu pecked absently at the grass seeds on the ground, then glanced back at the pasture. The master had sent back too many animals, and the competition for food had become exceptionally fierce.

He had been assigned to manage them, but conflicts were too frequent to handle every single one. He could only prevent major bloodshed; minor squabbles were unavoidable.

"Big bro, the master just sent word—he’s coming back soon!" Huang Yu was lost in thought when his subordinate spoke up, causing him to flutter his wings excitedly.

"The master’s returning?!" Huang Yu exclaimed joyfully.

The subordinate nodded.

Huang Yu excitedly pawed at the ground. With the master gone, they couldn’t leave freely. Though the pasture was vast, staying too long grew boring. If they could go out, that’d be wonderful.

Most importantly, Huang Yu still yearned for the crops from the farm owner’s place. After being fed some of that pasture grass, other food just didn’t taste as good.

But he had no choice—he couldn’t just go to the farm for more.

If the master returned, though, with him as backup, Huang Yu felt brave enough to approach Ying Yuanxing.

Huang Yu’s excitement soared when he saw the master return, crowing loudly. The other animals, familiar with Mu Ye’s presence, joined in, their cries rising in waves.

Hearing the noise, Ying Yuanxing instinctively tried to identify the types of animals in the pasture. Cows, sheep, and pigs were definitely there. Chickens and ducks were obvious too, but the rest were harder to distinguish.

Ying Yuanxing and Mu Ye had already struck a deal: Mu Ye would lease some animals to him, with feed serving as payment.

Since it was a lease, the price was much cheaper—almost a lifetime lease. As long as Ying Yuanxing didn’t harm the animals, the contract would remain in effect.

Ying Yuanxing wasn't planning to eat them anyway. What he needed were eggs and milk, so a lifetime lease was even more favorable.

He had even considered proposing a domain lease. From what he learned, Mu Ye’s domains were vast, mostly grasslands—far more suitable for grazing than Xuan Ying’s forests. But after some hesitation, he held back.

Their relationship wasn’t at that level yet. Better to get closer first.

Huang Yu craned his neck expectantly, watching as Mu Ye returned to the pasture. But before he could cheer, he spotted Ying Yuanxing walking alongside Mu Ye, chatting amiably.

"Mu Ye, I’ll need twenty-four chickens, twenty-four ducks, twenty-four cows, and twenty-four sheep, please," Ying Yuanxing said. He didn’t want to take too many—animal pens took up too much room.

Besides, this was his first time raising them. He wasn't sure how it would work yet, so he shouldn’t rush.

Mu Ye nodded. As they’d agreed, the more animals Ying Yuanxing leased, the less strain on the pasture would be.

In fact, if the animals thrived on Ying Yuanxing’s farm, Mu Ye would happily send them all over.

As Ying Yuanxing passed the pasture, he glanced inside and spotted Huang Yu. But as a chicken-like anomaly, Huang Yu barely registered with him.

Adult chickens weren’t as cute as chicks. If he’d raised it from childhood and formed a bond, maybe. But without that, one look was enough.

After seeing Ying Yuanxing off, Mu Ye returned to the pasture to select the animals for him.

Seizing the chance, Huang Yu inquired and learned of the deal—sending chickens, ducks, cows and sheep to the farm for food, with no risk. The farm only needed their eggs and milk.

What? This was an amazing deal!

Huang Yu’s pulse quickened. Watching Mu Ye pick out the animals, he couldn’t help but nudge Mu Ye’s leg and plead, "Master, can I go too?"

Mu Ye eyed Huang Yu hesitantly. Looks-wise, Huang Yu was truly impressive—a majestic rooster. But he recalled Ying Yuanxing needed egg-laying hens, and roosters couldn’t lay eggs.

"But he never said he didn’t want roosters, Master. Let me go. I can also check how they’re doing on the farm and report back to you," Huang Yu pleaded, dead set on getting that food.

Mu Ye gave Huang Yu a look but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to pass off a rooster as a hen. After all, that would be pulling a fast one on Ying Yuanxing.

However, seeing how dead-set Huang Yu was, Mu Ye finally agreed to his request.

"Is this rooster a bonus?" Ying Yuanxing asked, eyeing the single rooster among the twenty-four hens, hesitating for a moment.

"He can help herd the others," Mu Ye replied, blinking at Huang Yu.

His sheepishness was hard to hide.

Ying Yuanxing looked Huang Yu over but said nothing. He suspected Huang Yu was Mu Ye’s favorite pet who wanted to visit his farm. It was just another mouth to feed—as long as the rooster didn’t eat too much, Ying Yuanxing could manage.

Besides, letting Mu Ye feel a bit indebted might open the door to discussing the lease of his Weird Domain later.

Ying Yuanxing herded the livestock back to his farm, taking the path behind the forest to avoid the large planting area in front.

After settling the animals in their respective coops and pens, Ying Yuanxing made sure there was hay. As for water, they could find their own water outside.

Closing the gate, Ying Yuanxing took the time to give each animal some pets—after all, the more they liked him, the better the quality of animal products. He couldn’t afford to skip even a single day.

Though Huang Yu was a rooster, Ying Yuanxing still gave him some good pets too, raising his affection level.

Huang Yu barely noticed, only finding Ying Yuanxing slightly more likable and in a better mood.

Once Ying Yuanxing left, Huang Yu dug into the feed.

The taste of the hay was something even regular Weirds went crazy for, let alone Huang Yu. He ate so eagerly he couldn't even look up.

Still, Huang Yu remembered Mu Ye’s words before he left—to mind his manners and not bother the other animals.

After finishing his share, Huang Yu stopped and watched the other chickens and ducks continue eating.

His gaze wandered among the flock before settling on a scrawny-looking hen.

The hen seemed to feel his gaze and looked up warily. Seeing it was someone she knew, she clucked twice before resuming her meal.

Huang Yu sighed and moved closer, chasing off the other chickens that tried to bully her.

Suddenly, footsteps made Huang Yu look toward the entrance. He sensed not only Ying Yuanxing’s presence but also his master’s.

"Mu Ye, look at this—think you could expand the coops and pens? It’s kind of a pain to raise animals with such limited space," Ying Yuanxing said, feeling the enclosures were too large for the small number of animals they housed.

Then he remembered Li An could expand the fishpond’s capacity. As a ranch owner, maybe Mu Ye could do the same for him.

Mu Ye had never tried this before, but at Ying Yuanxing’s suggestion, he followed along to give it a try.

Yet, staring at the coops and pens, Mu Ye frowned. He felt he should have the ability to expand them, but when it came to actually making changes, he just couldn't manage it.

"How about it?" Ying Yuanxing looked at Mu Ye expectantly.

"No, my ability isn’t enough," Mu Ye shook his head.

Ying Yuanxing was let down, but not too badly. During their chat, he had managed to get the measurements of Mu Ye’s Weird Domain.

If he could lease it, the coop size would be the least of his worries.

…

After setting up the livestock area, Ying Yuanxing temporarily shifted his focus elsewhere—keeping track of the time left.

Three months had passed since he entered the Weird World, meaning he got a one-day pass back to Earth.

Though 1666 kept him updated on everything, even updates about Xia State, Ying Yuanxing still got antsy about the trip back in person. The thought of returning made him weirdly on edge.

Fortunately, his original self had no surviving family or close friends, so there were no awkward reunions to worry about.

Ying Yuanxing repeatedly checked his backpack, making sure he wasn't forgetting anything to bring back.

Most of what Xia State needed could be sent via the JoyBuy app, but this time, Ying Yuanxing wasn't thinking of it as business and more as a gift.

After reviewing the items one last time, he relaxed a little.

Then he noticed Xuan Ying had gone suspiciously quiet. He looked up.

"What’s wrong?" Ying Yuanxing said. "It's just one day. I’ll be back tomorrow."

Xuan Ying shook his head, but one tentacle kept its death grip around Ying Yuanxing.

"Relax, it’s just one day. Hold down the fort, and I’ll be back before you know it," Ying Yuanxing reassured him.

"Can’t I come with you?" Xuan Ying grumbled.

"If you go, you can’t return," Ying Yuanxing said. The rifts in the Weird World allowed Weirds to leave, but once out, they couldn’t come back.

Xuan Ying fell silent. He knew it was too much to ask, but he still wanted to follow.

Since arriving at the farm, the two had never been apart. This time was no different.

Though Xuan Ying said nothing, his depressed expression got to Ying Yuanxing. He finally understood why Mu Ye had let Huang Yu come, even knowing it wasn’t ideal.

Logic was one thing, emotions another.

"1666, can I ‘mail’ Xuan Ying to Earth?" Ying Yuanxing began brainstorming.

He immediately thought of the Weird Trash Cans that traveled freely between worlds. If they could go, maybe Xuan Ying could be sent as a "package."

As for returning, they could treat it as a "return shipment."

As for Xuan Ying’s safety in the hands of the Weird Trash Cans, Ying Yuanxing wasn’t worried—if anything, the trash cans should be worried.

1666 hadn’t expected Ying Yuanxing to come up with such a wild idea. Glancing at Xuan Ying, it shook its head hard—no, impossible. They couldn’t ship living things, and living Weirds counted.

This was a rule set by the Salvation Game, and they couldn’t break it.

What about a temporary courier for the day?

Ying Yuanxing considered it but didn’t ask. It probably wouldn’t work anyway. Besides, forcing Xuan Ying to negotiate with the Salvation Game to become an employee was something Ying Yuanxing couldn’t bear.

Judging by the Weird Trash Cans’ behavior, many didn’t want to be couriers but had no choice.

"Alright, just one day. Wait for me," Ying Yuanxing said, patting Xuan Ying before letting the Salvation Game’s power pull him out of the Weird World.

If asked to describe the sensation of crossing worlds, Ying Yuanxing would call it surreal. Compared to the bubble-like transition between Weird Domains, this felt like being pulled from one whirlpool and sucked into another.

Of course, there was supposed to be a barrier between the two whirlpools, keeping them separate. But the Weird World’s vortex seemed smaller, unable to resist Earth’s pull.

If that's the case, then Earth shared some blame for the Anomalous Flora descending upon it.

However, Ying Yuanxing only managed to think this far before blacking out. When he came to again, he found himself standing in a place both unfamiliar and familiar.

Familiar because he had seen photos of it, yet unfamiliar because the difference between reality and photos was still quite stark.

"Ying Yuanxing, welcome back to Earth." Zhao Zhangyan had been waiting for Ying Yuanxing's arrival. Seeing him come to, he eagerly extended his hand.

Ying Yuanxing instinctively shook it.

The reason only Zhao Zhangyan and his team were present was that Ying Yuanxing had expressed his dislike for unnecessary interruptions. If high-ranking officials were to come, there would inevitably be small talk and formalities. So, Ying Yuanxing had requested in advance to keep things as simple as possible—he wanted to make the most of his time here by getting things done.

The first task was the strawberry seedlings Ying Yuanxing had prepared ahead of time.

There were so many strawberry seedlings that they filled all ten of Ying Yuanxing's storage slots, each containing 999 plants. This was his most valuable contribution.

The reason for bringing so many was that Ying Yuanxing had discovered that even strawberries grown from strawberry seeds had the effect of enhancing strength, albeit weaker.

But if they were to keep growing on the farm, it wouldn’t be worthwhile. So, seizing the harvest window, Ying Yuanxing uprooted them all, ready to transplant them to Earth.

After some time of research, the Dawn Bureau had gained some experience in cultivating Anomalous Flora. They found that mature plants were more resilient, and if the Anomalous Flora were in good condition, their survival rate after transplantation would be higher.

They also discovered something else—the waters of the Anomalous Zones weren’t entirely harmful.

Although the water contained impurities, once those were removed, it became the best source for irrigating Anomalous Flora, greatly alleviating their transplant shock.

It was based on this knowledge that Ying Yuanxing chose this moment to bring the strawberry seedlings. If sent via Courier 1666, even with its speed, the plants would begin to wither as soon as they were uprooted—unless stored in Ying Yuanxing’s backpack.

This had been agreed upon beforehand, so after brief greetings, Zhao Zhangyan quickly led Ying Yuanxing to the experimental plots for Anomalous Flora cultivation.

Under the expectant gazes of the researchers, Ying Yuanxing smiled, surveyed the fields, glanced at the nearby Anomalous Zone waters, and silently took out his hoe.

The researchers' eyes immediately locked onto the hoe. They were all too familiar with this tool—almost all the farmland in Ying Yuanxing’s farm had been tilled by it. Though it looked ordinary-looking…

No, perhaps not entirely ordinary-looking. Ying Yuanxing had upgraded the hoe with ores, and now it could be called a golden hoe.

Under the sunlight, the golden hoe flashed as it struck the ground, instantly tilling nine farm plots.

The researchers looked at their own carefully prepared fields, then at Ying Yuanxing’s, and fell into silence.

They had consulted agricultural experts to till the land, even curating the soil composition. Every inch of this land was essentially investment-heavy—all to ensure the Anomalous Flora could grow comfortably.

Without Ying Yuanxing’s fields for comparison, theirs had seemed decent. But now, the difference was glaring.

Ying Yuanxing tilled hundreds of plots without pause, finally finishing the land for the strawberry seedlings before planting them all. Despite having been uprooted once, the seedlings looked as if they had always grown there the moment Ying Yuanxing planted them.

But he wasn’t done yet. After inspecting the strawberries, he took out a notebook, made some adjustments, and handed it to the researchers.

"This is a guide for growing strawberries. Take a look—any questions you have should be answered here," Ying Yuanxing said.

The researchers thanked him profusely. In their eyes, even if Ying Yuanxing had skills aiding him, his ability to cultivate so many Anomalous Flora meant he must have deep knowledge of these crops.

For the rest of the day, Ying Yuanxing went to chop wood.

This was to be used for making tranquilizing audio, as the audio from the livestream couldn’t be captured. The Dawn Bureau had been eagerly awaiting this for a long time.

Ying Yuanxing didn’t rest the entire day, constantly shuttling from one task to another.

Zhao Zhangyan even felt a little guilty, wondering if they were imposing too much on Ying Yuanxing. But since Ying Yuanxing insisted, they couldn’t—and didn’t want to—refuse.

By evening, Zhao Zhangyan arranged a lavish spread in Ying Yuanxing’s honor.

Compared to the meals Ying Yuanxing had on the farm, this was an exceptionally high standard—so much so that if posted online pre-Anomaly, it might have been criticized as excessive. But now, it was the best way Zhao Zhangyan could express his gratitude.

After all, aside from food, Ying Yuanxing didn’t need anything else from Earth—he lived in the Weird World long-term.

Apart from the dangers and some food scarcity, the Weird World offered more than Earth did.

Looking at the feast, Ying Yuanxing also brought out the meals he had prepared in advance, adding them to the table.

However, everyone present knew the effects of these dishes. Ying Yuanxing didn’t eat them, nor did anyone else touch them. Instead, they were carefully stored after the banquet to be used as therapeutic reserves.

With smiles, Ying Yuanxing returned to his bedroom—also arranged by the Dawn Bureau.

Closing the door, his smile faded unconsciously. After taking off his coat, he zoned out for a moment before instinctively calling out, "Xuan Ying."

Only when no response came did he remember—he was in Earth now.

Ying Yuanxing didn’t understand why. Even though he clicked with everyone, and the Xia people welcomed him warmly, he still felt an unshakable solitude.

During the day, he could lose himself in work—hence his constant busywork. He didn’t want his emotions to affect others. The people around him were perceptive; they’d notice even the slightest whiff of unease. Ying Yuanxing knew that given his importance to Xia State, any hint of discomfort would make them wonder whether they had done something wrong. But it wasn’t their fault—no need to burden them with false guilt.