Since her spiritual roots were repaired, A You became more confident. With her innate top-grade wood spiritual root, planting fruits and spiritual plants was a breeze!
Ye Ju handed all the seeds she bought to A You, instructing her to clear and divide the area within a hundred meters around the bamboo house into zones for vegetables, spiritual plants, fruit trees, and flowers. She also gave A You seeds of rare and special medicinal herbs, seeds that no one had reportedly succeeded in growing.
Xiao Bai and Xiao Wangyou were responsible for felling the surrounding trees. Xiao Wangyou, with his fire spiritual root, would simply burn away weeds. Xiao Bai would handle the watering. The Fire Qilin was also enlisted to help.
Ye Ju’s earth spiritual power was used for tilling the soil. Xiao Mo and the water spiders couldn't escape the work either. Xiao Mo, with his great strength, was tasked with pulling out tree roots, while Water Spider Chizu and Zhi Meng collected stones. The division of labor was clear!
Chao Yangzi, the noble young master, was assigned the most crucial task: identifying spiritual plants and herbs before the land clearing began. Of course, there were benefits. He could take one-third of any spiritual plant he fancied, with the rest left as seeds or for transplanting. A You followed behind Chao Yangzi, digging up suitable spiritual herbs for transplanting and leaving the rest in place.
Everyone and every beast worked with great enthusiasm.
However, in the beginning, there was chaos. The spiritual beasts, having no prior experience with farm work, created a mess. It was either Xiao Mo pulling tree roots too forcefully and crashing into the Fire Qilin carrying wood, or the water spiders missing their targets when throwing stones, showering everyone with them.
Ye Ju got angry and released the Guard to supervise, wielding a stick to discipline anyone not working diligently or seriously.
After taking two whacks, the Fire Qilin and Xiao Mo slowly learned to control their strength. The water spiders, Chizu and Zhi Meng, had it tougher. Although they had many limbs, their coordination failed when picking up stones. After enduring seven or eight blows, they learned to use their silk to drag the stones instead.
Seeing his two subordinates suffer so much, Xiao Bai, with a head full of bandages, gave them spiritual fruits as comfort.
Finally, all the beasts worked in an orderly fashion without any incidents for a full day, achieving remarkable efficiency. The land clearing was completed.
The next step was for A You to sow the seeds.
Ye Ju took some time to dig up a Zhu Li fruit tree from the wild fruit forest and planted it near the spiritual spring pond.
She poured two large pots of spiritual spring water before the Zhu Li fruit tree blossomed and bore two unripe fruits. These spiritual fruits, capable of transforming spiritual beasts, were truly extraordinary! They required such immense energy; other spiritual plants would have become lush and green in an instant. The tree’s leaves became fuller, but its height remained unchanged. Ye Ju poured another pot of spiritual spring water, and the Zhu Li fruit finally ripened, a pleasing bright red.
Xiao Mo had already eaten the transformation grass. When Ye Ju gave the Zhu Li fruit to Xiao Mo, the water spider couple, with their sixteen eyes, gazed at Ye Ju. Xiao Bai looked at her subordinates; they had been quite obedient recently, so she helped them plead with Ye Ju.
“Sister, are there more Zhu Li fruits? You said you disliked how ugly they were, but they won’t be ugly after transforming!”
Ye Ju was speechless…
Although she had thought that, there was no need to say it out loud…
She took out two more fruits and handed them to Xiao Bai, deliberately saying:
“Your master begged for these for you, so you must listen to Xiao Bai obediently…”
Xiao Bai was still young, and this helped her establish authority, making the water spiders grateful to Xiao Bai!
Xiao Mo ate the Zhu Li fruit and retreated into his room on the second floor. Ye Ju watched the room door expectantly. She didn’t know how spiritual beasts transformed, but Xiao Mo’s choice to enter the room indicated he didn’t want them to witness it.
A long quarter of an hour passed… A light emanated from Xiao Mo’s room. When the light faded, a handsome young man emerged, appearing to be eighteen years old. It made sense; beasts that often fought with Xiao Bai were likely still in their cub stage.
He was six feet tall, with narrow phoenix eyes, a high-bridged nose, and thin lips. When he looked at people, he was indifferent and self-possessed.
“Master, I am Qi Mo!” he said, stepping forward and bowing to Ye Ju.
Handsome! Ye Ju suddenly felt awkward calling him Xiao Mo. She had almost forgotten Xiao Mo’s full name. Indeed, his name suited him. Ye Ju admitted she was a sucker for good looks and could hardly resist seeing many handsome men.
“Um, Qi Mo…” Ye Ju was interrupted before she could say anything else.
“Master, please continue calling me Xiao Mo!” Qi Mo’s voice was clear and cool, with a hint of familiarity.
Xiao Bai circled Qi Mo:
“Stinky fish, you look quite good in human form.”
Xiao Mo glanced at Xiao Bai, then measured his height relative to Xiao Bai’s head against his own body, turning away from her. Xiao Bai only reached his armpit when standing beside Xiao Mo.
Xiao Bai immediately understood; he was calling her short… She became angry.
“Stinky fish, I will still grow…”
Ye Ju, afraid the two would start fighting, quickly changed the subject.
“Xiao Bai, where are your two subordinates?” Ye Ju asked where the water spiders were.
Before Xiao Bai could reply, two voices were heard:
“Greetings, Master, Nine-tailed Fox Lord!” A man and a woman appeared from a distance, drawing spider silk. It was like the Spider-Man of the cultivation world! So cool!
As soon as the two landed, they respectfully bowed to Ye Ju and Xiao Bai.
The water spiders, transformed into human form, were older, around thirty years old. Chizu had the appearance of a muscular man, with regular and handsome features, looking honest and simple. Zhi Meng, although petite and with delicate features, large eyes, and a small cherry mouth, possessed an excellent figure, with a full chest and a shapely behind, making one’s blood surge. Ye Ju secretly glanced at her own chest, unable to envy it…
Truly a demon!
Xiao Bai examined Zhi Meng carefully and blurted out:
“Your mouth is indeed small, and your bottom is indeed big. Chizu didn’t believe me when he said it!” Xiao Bai said, nodding at Chizu.
Zhi Meng’s face turned crimson. She turned and gave Chizu a sound beating. How dare the Nine-tailed Fox Lord say such embarrassing words to her when she was so young.
Chizu dared not dodge, begging for mercy and admitting his mistakes.
“Wife, I was wrong, ow, be gentle, stop hitting, I really know I was wrong…” The two fought and moved further away.
Ye Ju was also stunned by Xiao Bai’s words and quickly pulled her back for further education.
Xiao Bai didn’t understand what she had said wrong and wondered why the two had started fighting.
“Sister, why are they fighting?”
“Bad mouth! You must never say someone has a big bottom to their face in the future…” Ye Ju lectured Xiao Bai at length, jabbering on…
Xiao Bai nodded vaguely, agreeing with whatever her sister said.
Today, to celebrate Xiao Mo and the two spiders’ successful transformation, Ye Ju decided to prepare a feast.
Darkness had already fallen.
Xiao Wangyou and A You both came to help. Xiao Bai went to catch Blue Scale Fish, planning to make soup from their skeletons. For Xiao Bai, night and day made no difference, and there was no time for anything else today. They were preparing for a hot pot, with beef, fish slices, spiritual pig meat, and young chicken meat. When Pearl had seen this young chicken before, Ye Ju thought the chicken was truly beautiful; in Huaxia, it would be a protected animal. But the meat was truly delicious. So, after the butcher processed it, she couldn’t resist buying a lot.
There were both meat and vegetable dishes, but unfortunately, no offal, tripe, or intestines, which were the soul of hot pot. However, these dishes still made the group eat like a storm of scattered remnants… Not a drop of soup was left…