Chapter 245: New Life Begins with Earth and Timber

Yu Sheng wondered if the Princess with Long Hair was treating him like a wish-granting machine—how could she casually say things like "make the sky dark" without a hint of shame?

But seeing the way her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, he couldn't bring himself to refuse outright, so he asked curiously, "You really think I can pull off something this absurd?"

"I heard from Eileen that everything in this valley obeys you," the Princess with Long Hair said, pointing with one finger at the tiny doll running in circles along the edge of the square (don't ask why it was running), "you moved mountains to clear space for Little Red Riding Hood's dark forest—can't you just turn off daytime too…?"

She stared wide-eyed at Yu Sheng, and Yu Sheng stared wide-eyed back at this super-JK.

The super-JK finally realized: "Wait, you can't?"

"I told you it wouldn't work," Little Red Riding Hood walked over, sighing at the Princess with Long Hair, "you just wouldn't listen."

Seeing both their faces fall with disappointment, Yu Sheng glanced at the bonfire pile already set up on the square, the half-grown kids helping everywhere, and the little dots running in circles along the edge (guess what they were running for), and suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He raised a hand to cut off Little Red Riding Hood. "Wait—maybe it's not completely impossible. Give me a moment to think."

Then he tilted his head back, staring at the sky, lost in thought. Little Red Riding Hood and the Princess with Long Hair didn't dare interrupt, only watched curiously from the side.

After a while, Yu Sheng squinted slightly, his gaze settling on the sky above the dark forest at the valley's end.

Then the clouds began to spread.

At first, only the thin clouds above the dark forest, stained with twilight glow—but soon, clouds formed all around the valley, growing thicker, like a curtain drawn up from the mountains and closing toward the sky's center, like a nightfall shrinking inward.

Gradually, everyone noticed the change in the sky. Children and adults on the square stopped what they were doing, looking up in astonishment at the closing "curtain."

Yu Sheng suddenly felt someone tug at his sleeve—it was Hu Li.

The cloud movement paused. But when Yu Sheng turned, all he saw on Hu Li's face was a slow, spreading smile.

She turned happily, her golden-red eyes gleaming in the dimming light: "Master, you're amazing!"

Yu Sheng smiled too, reaching out to ruffle Hu Li's head. "I just remembered—I can't control the valley's original 'ambient light,' but the fairy-tale-integrated clouds? Those I can control. Occasionally pulling the curtains by hand? Not that hard."

The curtain continued closing, an artificial nightfall gradually descending.

Someone gasped.

The Princess with Long Hair and the crowd on the square shouted: "Don't panic! Don't panic! We're just testing the lights! It's not raining—we're just turning off the sky to check the effect…"

The tense crowd on the square relaxed. Then Yu Sheng heard someone yelling near the bonfire: "Leave a gap! It's too dark—we're still working!"

Yu Sheng quickly looked up at the nearly fully closed cloud layer, then carved a cross-shaped gap in the center, allowing a single beam of "sunlight" to fall onto the square.

Hu Li stretched her neck, staring at the sky for several seconds, then muttered: "Looks kind of like a mushroom…"

Yu Sheng: "..."

Then Hu Li pointed toward the bonfire: "Master, I want to help thread the meat skewers!"

Yu Sheng said nothing, just silently watched the nine-tailed fox whose drool was nearly dripping onto her clothes.

Hu Li's ears instantly drooped: "I—I won't steal any! It's all raw meat, ugh, eating too much raw meat, slurp, is bad."

"I'd believe you if ghosts did! You went to buy a bottle of vinegar and came back with half—do you think I believe you won't steal meat?" Yu Sheng ruffled her ears roughly, "If you really want to help, go play with the kids alongside Eileen—they love you two."

Hu Li thought about it, found it sounded fun, and nodded happily: "Oh, okay~"

Yu Sheng suddenly remembered something and added quickly: "Wait! Don't you dare sling the kids off your tail like projectiles—even low-altitude flight is forbidden! Even if they cry, no exceptions!"

Hu Li's ears and tail both drooped: "Oh…" Once Hu Li walked away, Little Red Riding Hood drifted over: "Suddenly I realize how tired you must be every day…"

"Hu Li lacks basic common sense for living in this world. Lately she's improved—she even goes to the corner convenience store alone now," Yu Sheng sighed. "Before, I wouldn't let her leave the house alone. Last week I had nightmares about her getting lost, then coming back with an elephant spewed from her tail, telling me she'd 'found a spirit beast on her travels,' and I had to lead the elephant to Nancheng Zoo to apologize… Don't laugh—she really would do that."

"I'm laughing because I know she'd do exactly that," Little Red Riding Hood grinned. "Reminds me of when the 'King' first arrived—we were terrified he'd send troops to raid the pet food shop next to the orphanage for cat treats. Luckily we found out he was reasonable. Honestly, that trait's rare in cats."

They chatted in the square—about how a nine-tailed fox from another world slowly learned to survive in the Borderland, about the absurd yet amusing incidents at the orphanage, about the strange legends of LC City and which parts were true or false, about the homework and exams they'd face tomorrow after tonight's party—this time, none of the kids could use "we don't have to graduate anyway" as an excuse to slack off…

As they talked, Yu Sheng noticed another caravan approaching near the "town." It was a convoy escorted by a dozen soldiers and knights; the lead carriage flew a kingdom banner with a cat's head, and the flatbeds behind carried all sorts of things—elegant, antique tables and benches, doors and windows ripped from somewhere, complete sets of beds and bedding, wardrobes, sofas, chairs, beds…

One cart after another passed through the valley, arriving at the "town," and rolled down the streets under the dim twilight.

Yu Sheng stared, dumbfounded, then turned to Little Red Riding Hood: "What's going on?"

"Didn't we say we're building a new home?" Little Red Riding Hood smiled. "The orphanage's gone, and we couldn't bring most of our stuff. We didn't want to keep asking the Special Tasks Bureau for everything, so the King suggested sourcing from the various 'subsets.' The convoy you just saw? They just came back from looting Princess Bai Xue's castle…"

Yu Sheng blinked, stunned—especially after hearing "didn't want to keep asking the Special Tasks Bureau." He guiltily exchanged a glance with the Princess with Long Hair beside him—he couldn't bring himself to tell Little Red Riding Hood that the Princess with Long Hair had suggested stealing the orphanage's "relocation funds" from the Special Tasks Bureau…

Of course, he couldn't even admit he'd doubled the amount, and ended up stealing funds for two orphanages, splitting the loot with the guesthouse and the orphanage…

Though this would probably be exposed soon.

No mistake! One word, one sentence, one detail—all visible!

"By the way, I originally thought some of you might choose to live in certain fairy-tale 'subsets,'" Yu Sheng awkwardly changed the subject. "After all, those subsets are all neutralized now, and the castles and palaces look so grand—once you get past the psychological barrier, it'd be pretty cool."

But the moment he said it, Little Red Riding Hood gave him a strange look.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Little Red Riding Hood sighed helplessly: "You didn't look at the details when you fused the fairy tales, did you?"

Yu Sheng: "... Actually no. The situation was too urgent—I just ripped the 'stages' connected to Ankaela off and welded them into the valley, then ran for my life."

"Just take a look—you'll see those 'story stages' were built only for the story," Little Red Riding Hood explained, sighing. "The scenery might be lavish, but it's not livable. Weird inconsistencies are everywhere. Can you imagine? Half of Princess Bai Xue's castle rooms are solid stone. Seventy percent of the Princess with Long Hair's tower stairs are misaligned. The entire Land of Oz has three toilets—all built by Dorothy herself. Of course, they're great for exploration, tourism, or training new recruits—just needs a lot of renovation."

Yu Sheng: "..."

He'd never even considered these details!

"The good news is, even though these 'stages' are weird and unsuitable for living, many of their contents are usable," Little Red Riding Hood continued. "The King and I checked everything—we've already moved in a batch of urgent furniture and bedding, and stockpiled some construction materials. In a couple days, Dorothy plans to build a logging camp right in the dark forest. Princess Bai Xue intends to send the Titans back to dismantle her castle, aiming to turn it into a tourist ruin within two months—I think there's some personal spite involved, but she denies it…"

The girl chattered on, not realizing how much she'd said.

After a while, she finally noticed, embarrassed, that Yu Sheng was watching her with a faint smile. "Why are you staring at me like that…"

"Nothing," Yu Sheng smiled. "It just sounds great. When you start building, call me to help—tomorrow, the construction crew leaves. Their job's done."

Little Red Riding Hood: "Sure! Then you help us reinforce the foundations—we're not just building houses, we're building classrooms and a playground too!"

"I can help you build houses…"

"You help us reinforce the foundations!"

"Uh, I meant I can also…"

"You help us reinforce the foundations!"

Yu Sheng sighed: "... Fine."

(End of Chapter)