Chapter 174

"Cry—"

This is a sound effect: a crane's cry. The character representing that cry translates as 'Cry—' perhaps with an em dash. Should we keep the quotation marks? The original text uses Chinese quotation marks. According to the instruction to translate faithfully and preserve meaning, we should treat the quotation marks as punctuation; we can replace them with English quotation marks. Typically we would translate the sound effect and keep the quotation marks as part of the text. The original line consists of the crane's cry character enclosed in Chinese quotation marks followed by em dashes. Thus we would output the English equivalent enclosed in English quotation marks: 'Cry—'. However, since the output is English, using English quotation marks is appropriate. In summary, we translate the sound effect as 'Cry—'.

On the azure sky, two pure-white Sea East Greens flew in pairs, circling above.

Translate: "On the azure sky, two pure-white sea east greens flew in pairs, circling above."

Thus line 2: "On the azure sky, two pure-white Sea East Greens flew in pairs, circling above."

But we need to keep the commas and punctuation. We'll produce: "On the azure sky, two pure-white Sea East Greens flew in pairs, circling above."

The nest crisis of the Sea East Green White Jade Claw was suddenly resolved, and moreover, it gained a beautiful girlfriend.

We have the term 'Sea East Green White Jade Claw' as the bird's descriptor/name. We need to translate its meaning? It refers to a specific individual with a white jade claw. We could treat it as 'Sea East Green White Jade Claw'. We will translate the meaning as 'Sea East Green White Jade Claw'. Thus the sentence: 'The nest crisis of the Sea East Green White Jade Claw was suddenly resolved, and moreover, it gained a beautiful girlfriend.'

But note that there is a comma after the word 'furthermore' in the Chinese text.

Ling Yue watched the whole thing, feeling happy for them, but the little yellow immortal beside her had no idea what had happened; in the blink of an eye she discovered that the big bully who had been picking on her now had a wife!

The little yellow immortal asked Ling Yue blankly, "Weren't they just fighting? How did they suddenly… end up together?"

Good heavens, what kind of world is this!

Ling Yue pressed her lips, about to speak, when a huge shadow suddenly covered her; the Sea East Azure Whitejade Claw led its wife over, and upon hearing it speak, she learned its name was Baiyu.

It smiled foolishly and said, "It also bears the surname Bai; it seems we are destined to be a pair."

Ling Yue: "……"

I shouldn't be here; I should be under the car!

Baiyu snorted, "My wings feel a bit chilly."

The Sea East Azure Whitejade Claw hurried over, and the two large birds, each nearly two meters, pressed close together, showing off their affection beautifully before finally returning to the matter at hand.

"Thank you, Yueyue!"

No matter how Ling Yue explained, the Sea East Azure Whitejade Claw refused to listen, insisting that it was because of her that it finally got a dear wife.

Ling Yue said nothing; the whole way it kept chattering, until the Sea East Azure Whitejade Claw said, "Yueyue, I have several pretty little stones in my nest; I'll give them to you."

Ling Yue was startled; before she could answer, the Sea East Azure Whitejade Claw took off, and soon it held a snow‑white pearl in its beak. Ling Yue glanced at it—just one, yet larger than the court beads she had seen in the Palace Museum of the Forbidden City.

The pearl was pure white as snow, round and plump; in the sunlight its luster was glossy and moist, and simply placed there it dazzled the eye and captivated the heart.

Ling Yue: "It's truly beautiful."

The Sea East Azure Whitejade Claw proudly flapped its wings: "My cave still holds several more, but this is the largest. Although I only ventured into human society once, I saw that many people like this kind of little stone."

"Yueyue, I'm giving it to you!"

"Little stone?"

The moment Ling Yue heard it say that, she instinctively covered her face and couldn't help laughing: "This isn't a little stone; it's a Dongzhu, a type of pearl."

Pearls are divided into Nanzhu, Dongzhu, and Nanyangzhu.

Nanzhu comes from the Liangguang region; Nanyangzhu is produced in places like the Philippines, also called Xizhu; Dongzhu is produced in Dongbei, and it is said that the island nation across the sea also has them.

There is a saying in the pearl world: "Dongzhu is inferior to Xizhu, Xizhu inferior to Nanzhu." As the name suggests, Nanzhu is the best, Dongzhu the worst, yet during the Qing dynasty the rulers' favorite was precisely Dongzhu.

Dongzhu is produced in Dongbei—in the Songhua, Heilongjiang, Wusuli, and Yalu rivers; its characteristics are large size and striking color, making it a tribute item for the Qing imperial court.

Their fervent pursuit of Dongzhu is reflected in official ranks—for example, the finest court beads of Dongzhu grade may be worn only by the emperor, the empress dowager, and the empress.

Getting back on track, the ornaments commonly used by consorts were also Dongzhu, and Ling Yue's certainty that this is Dongzhu stems from the Sea East Azure, since in ancient times Dongzhu was gathered by the Sea East Azure.

One doesn't simply dive headfirst into icy water unless one's brain is rusted; instead, it's done through hunting. Because Dongzhu usually resides in large rivers, only when a swan cracks open a mussel shell to eat the meat does it also swallow the Dongzhu inside.

The Sea East Azure's diet also includes swans; ancient people would tame the Sea East Azure to hunt swans, thereby obtaining the Dongzhu from its body.

Hunting isn't that easy either, for the village bully is the domestic goose; although swans and geese belong to different genera—swans to the swan genus, domestic geese descended from ancient wild geese—there's no doubt their combat power is off the charts!

The Whitejade Claw being able to have these pearls is enough to prove its ability.

Strength.

Who would have thought, after hearing her words, the Whitejade beside her spoke up: "Old lady… cough cough, I also have a Dongzhu, bigger and prettier than its."

Saying that, it didn't wait for anyone to react, flew straight over, and shortly after appeared holding a pearl; seeing it, Ling Yue flashed a hint of surprise in her eyes.

It was a full circle larger than the Sea East Azure Whitejade Claw's, as big as an infant's fist, entirely crimson gold; compared to the snowy white Dongzhu beside it, it had an added touch of mystery and nobility.

"How about it, isn't it especially pretty? This little stone, cough cough, Dongzhu is the most beautiful stone I've ever seen; I've seen many white ones, but this one is gold."

"I'm giving it to you. And I heard it say…" Baiyu said, then suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, lowered her gaze slightly, and her voice softened: "You rescued it; otherwise I wouldn't have met the Whitejade Claw's younger brother……"

Upon hearing this, the Whitejade Claw was instantly moved to tears: "Wife, this is our fate."

The two birds leaned against each other, their affection so intense it was almost unbearable to watch.

Ling Yue waited a moment, then said: "You don't know, but I do—this pearl is too precious; I can't accept it."

Hearing that, the Whitejade Claw hadn't even spoken when Baiyu exclaimed, "No, you must take it! It's just a little stone; keeping it in the nest takes up space, and besides, I still want to have chicks with my younger brother."

As she said that, her eyes brimmed with feeling; even an iron man would become a captive beneath those white feathers, let alone the young Whitejade Claw, who was instantly moved to tears.

"Honey, I support you."

The firm attitude made Ling Yue quite embarrassed; suddenly, as she examined this golden variant Dongzhu, her brow twitched involuntarily, and she sensed another aura.

Ling Yue immediately made up her mind: "I'll take it."

However, she also knew these two pearls were valuable; although to the Sea East Azure couple they were merely nice little stones, Ling Yue had no hesitation, pulling another bag of pet food from her pack.

After the rustling sound, the Sea East Azure Whitejade Claw stared fixedly at her.

Ling Yue: "This is my little gift; I came up the mountain in a hurry, so it's a bit scant."

Besides the Whitejade of the unknown azure, the Whitejade Claw and the little yellow immortal stared wide‑eyed, and upon hearing her say, "If you ever have chicks, I'll also send more; these two pearls can buy lots and lots of pet food, which will also benefit your chicks' health."

"Ah?"

Baiyu exclaimed in surprise, never expecting such a move; regarding Ling Yue's gift, she was half‑believing, half‑doubting, unable to resist her mate, she tore it open, and a rich aroma burst forth, making her involuntarily swallow a mouthful of saliva.

"So, so fragrant."

Beside her, the little yellow immortal clung to its tail, saliva nearly spilling over, nodded involuntarily, thinking, "Isn't that right?"

Animals' intuition far surpasses humans'; they can sense that this brings them many benefits.

After Baiyu took a bite, her eagle eyes lit up instantly; anyone who could provide such delicious food must be a super‑great person!

Well, another captive of cuisine.

However, it still refused Ling Yue's all‑encompassing offer, spreading its beautiful, huge wings: "I'm the strongest female eagle of Changbai Mountain; I can eat this occasionally, but not every meal."

Ling Yue's eyes curved as she nodded; that was indeed her plan—pet food is versatile, but it doesn't have to be eaten at every meal.

They are free creatures, not pets she keeps; moreover, even household animals aren't fed at every meal—not because Ling Yue is stingy, but because she wants these little creatures to have their own abilities.

For example, treasure-seeking mice, like the Mystic Cat Queen, their abilities come from their own relentless efforts, which is how they achieved today's results.

This is the principle Ling Yue has always followed.

She also saw this in White Jade

, she couldn't help but laugh: "No wonder White Jade, you look so heroic and spirited!"

White Jade's mood instantly improved, and beside it, White Jade's paw let out a silly sound, proudly saying: "My wife is the number one in the world!"

White Jade sweetly moved closer: "Husband, you're really good."

They started getting all lovey-dovey again.

Ling Yue tilted her head, meeting Bai Ze's gaze; he stared at the pearl in her hand, his pair of green eyes somewhat dim.

Ling Yue: "You also felt it?"

Bai Ze's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, and he nodded: "It's a trace of aura, somewhat familiar, but I can't recall it."

Ling Yue: "When you have time, think about it carefully; I always feel this mountain... still has other secrets."

Bai Ze's eyes flickered slightly, surprised by her sharpness, and he grew even more curious about her. An ordinary person, at most having some cultivation, how could they be so perceptive, even unrestricted by the seal?

He suddenly curled the corner of his mouth, a smile flashing and gone.

Ling Yue watched White Jade's paw snatch up the pet food and stuff it into the cave.

She asked White Jade how this mutated pearl was discovered; White Jade tilted his head, thinking: "It seems like an accident."

"'In this mountain, I once went hunting and suddenly saw a plump big swan; its butt twisted and twisted, it was so delicious… cough cough, beautiful.'"

White Jade said, drooling: "Then I just took it as my lunch, never expecting the big fat swan to be so strong; we wrestled for a long time, until it was almost dark, and I still won—this big pearl I found inside the fat swan's body, and it almost chipped my teeth!"

Ling Yue nodded, feeling a bit disappointed; obviously, she got no clues from it.

Suddenly, White Jade said again: "By the way, I still remember where I found it, right at the mountain peak

It recalled the scene back then, shuddering for a moment: "That big waterfall is scary; even in winter the water doesn't freeze, the chill is especially heavy—I flew over there, almost got lost, and slammed into the cliff."

"'Even if I flew, I'd have to fly for a while! If you keep going up, it might take half a day!'"

Ling Yue noted this point: a waterfall that never freezes year-round, mighty and imposing; when she first heard it, she was astonished, because she had never heard of a waterfall on Mount Changbai, but she could ask Jun Jun later.

After saying goodbye to the sea eastern green couple, Ling Yue prepared to continue forward; actually, Jun Jun's den wasn't far away.

Bai Ze was beside her, the little yellow weasel behind, following step for step.

Ling Yue: "Do you want to keep following me?"

The little yellow weasel jumped in fright, suddenly half-raising its body, its two paws clasped, looking at her pitifully: "I… I can?"

Ling Yue shook her head: no, the weasel is a state-protected 'three-haves' animal; private feeding is not allowed, and if done privately, one could be taken to the police station.

"'Orange? Is it a sweet red orange? So delicious!' the little yellow weasel said, unable to help sucking in saliva, greedy and adorable."

Ling Yue rubbed her forehead, smiling helplessly; she figured it out—this little yellow weasel wasn't sincerely wanting to follow her, mainly…

Ling Yue tilted her head, the small half-pack of pet food in her pocket swaying: "You just want to eat it, right?"

The little yellow weasel involuntarily nodded, then after reacting, covered its pounding little heart: "No, no! Absolutely not!"

Ling Yue chuckled: "Even if you did, it wouldn't matter."

Under its bewildered gaze, Ling Yue pursed her lips, not wanting it to develop a notion of getting something for nothing; she casually said: "You can think about what useful abilities you have; if you can help me, I'll cover your pet food from now on!"

She said it so refreshingly; soon the little yellow weasel thought of the sea eastern green couple, spreading its paws—its whole body had only a thick layer of fur, it had nothing QAQ

However, ability—

The little yellow weasel clenched its paws, lying in

outside the protective formation of the sun-fruit plantation, lazily spreading its little belly, wondering what ability it has—does fighting count?

At that moment, Ling Yue had already entered the protective formation; just stepping onto the soft grass, a huge figure lunged at her, yet strangely, she had no reaction.

Instead, she opened her arms, the furry, sturdy limbs scooping her onto the soft grass, the rough tongue licking her cheek; the reason for her earlier indulgence suddenly felt a bit regrettable, and she unconsciously tilted her head: "Jun Jun… Jun Jun… you're suppressing me a little!"

The tiger shook its big head: "No way!"

The soft, fragrant human was held in its embrace; although it previously seemed corporeal, it was actually still a soul, everything simulated by itself.

Jun Jun didn't tell any animal or Yue Yue.

This was its first contact with a girl's warm body; its big tiger head drooped onto her neck, fragrant.

Jun Jun was like a little dog, constantly sniffing.

Ling Yue gripped its front paw; the thick fur gave a top-notch feel, the glossy fur even more satisfying,

It was this enthusiastic attitude that really left Ling Yue a bit overwhelmed, making her ears blush.

Her skin was delicate, and as everyone knows, feline tongues have barbs; soon some red marks appeared on her neck, which would fade tomorrow, but it didn't ease Ling Yue's embarrassment.

"'Don't lick.' She said, watery mist rising in her eyes, both hands cupping the tiger's big head, which looked like a big drum, its heavy weight pressing down."

Ling Yue freed herself from Jun Jun's paw, finally breathed a sigh of relief, then glanced aside—Bai Ze had left at some point.

She felt a bit relieved, then poked Jun Jun's head: "You're also too enthusiastic."

Ling Yue first realized that Jun Jun imposed such great pressure on her; Jun Jun was a bit puzzled, yet obediently lowered his head: "I, I… you."

Its voice was too soft for Ling Yue to hear, so she involuntarily asked: "What?"

Da Lao Hu Junjun: '…I miss you.'

A direct hit came; Ling Yue couldn't fend it off: "If you miss me, just say it—why shout so loud?"

She swayed as she stood up; hearing this, Jun Jun felt even more wronged—she was the one who made him say it out loud, and now his loud voice was bothering him QWQ

Jun Jun felt wronged, Jun Jun not speaking. JPG

Seeing her walk away, Jun Jun immediately chased after her: "Yue Yue, I'll take you to tour my den!"

This place can be big, big indeed—after all, as the mountain lord, the whole mountain is its territory; the most beautiful flowers everywhere are planted here, and Ling Yue also got an eyeful.

Moreover, those spirit fruits—upon learning she wanted to transplant them, Jun Jun waved his big paw: "Not enough, there's more!"

Seeing this, Ling Yue couldn't help but laugh, and she helped reinforce the formation; obviously, Jun Jun is a half-baked expert—such a formation, in Ling Yue's eyes now, is full of holes.

Jun Jun didn't mind at all, standing beside her, big eyes full of her reflection.

When Ling Yue met Bai Ze, her first reaction was worry, worrying that the two would cause a commotion; Jun Jun, however, acted out of character and said nothing.

After returning to its body, it also received the previous memories; although it is half‑bodied, it and the other party being incompatible is only natural—who let him do so many bad things?

If Jun Jun is the benevolent thought he split off, then Bai Ze is all his malicious thoughts gathered within himself.

Moreover, they were originally a split soul; although Jun Jun is independent, at bottom it is still part of his; if it were before, it might have returned, but now—

Jun Jun looked at the girl beside them, shook their head, and suddenly did not want to merge.

Afterwards, Ling Yue asked Jun Jun about the waterfall's location; it pondered and said, "That strange, strange waterfall?"

"I know, it's right on the mountain peak where Hu Hu is really annoying."

It shook its head, its eyes sparkling, and said: "

"Yueyue, if you want to go, I'll take you now."

Ling Yue glanced at her watch, then shook her head and said, "No thanks."

"My livestream time is coming up; we can come again tomorrow."

Ling Yue wasn't in a hurry.

Originally, her purpose today was to fetch Jun Jun home, but many things happened on the way, and Ling Yue finally met Jun Jun in a clumsy way.

Hearing her words, Jun Jun's heart felt sweet, and unconsciously it flicked its big white fluffy tail, then said, "Yueyue, sit on my back; I'll carry you down the mountain."

It lowered its body, its strong and beautiful form like a small mountain collapsing; its usually proud head, because of her, gradually drooped, willingly bowing its head in submission.

Ling Yue nodded, not hesitating; upon coming out, she glanced near the sun fruit—the withered‑yellow little yellow immortal was gone; it must have gone home.

Ling Yue thought, and slowly went down the mountain.

Jun Jun stepped on the cool snow; in the winter Long White Mountain forest, everywhere was a expanse of white, the fresh snow scent making Ling Yue very comfortable.

Suddenly, she heard a cry.

On the treetop of the old forest, the delighted red‑bellied squirrel shuddered, almost throwing the pine cone it was holding!

The little squirrel's pair of perky ears instantly stood up; looking left and right on the branch, it glanced about, asking, "What's up? What's happening?"

"Wow, it's a big bad guy!" Recently the garbled text is severe, giving us more motivation to update faster; trouble you to move your little hand to exit the mode. Thanks:,,.