Chapter 28: Spiritual Food

Qin Bi felt restless and wanted to explode.

With no other choice, she took out an elixir and swallowed it.

Rong Yan hesitated before saying, "To speak presumptuously, I should address you as my cousin's wife."

Qin Bi glanced at the cautious Rong Yan; she had guessed long ago. "I know."

Rong Yan was shocked. "Did the Young Master tell you?"

No, that couldn't be right. Judging by the Young Master's demeanor, he did not intend for the Young Master's Wife to know. Rong Yan had been selected by Rong Juan from the younger generation of the clan; he was clever and reliable. He was given benefits to protect Qin Bi during the trial.

"I guessed it." Qin Bi was not without brains. "Your name is Rong Yan. In the Great Yan Kingdom, the surname Rong belongs either to the direct line of the Rong Wang Fu or to collateral branches. How could it be such a coincidence that you are following us on this trial and are in the same squad?"

Rong Yan was surprised. In his impression, the Young Master's Wife should not be like this.

"Don't mind what others say." Rong Yan spoke carefully. "You will gain status through your son. Once you have a child, you will be no worse than some people. Those unrelated know nothing and just gossip behind your back."

If he hadn't said that, it would have been better. Qin Bi had been fine, but suddenly grief overwhelmed her.

It was too late. Qin Bi couldn't hold it back and could only let the tears fall.

Back then, He Yan had been reluctant to marry, yet she hadn't been desperate to marry the Young Master of a Guogong Fu. But why did they bully her so shamelessly that she couldn't even break off the engagement? Since He Yan and Qin He loved each other, what was there to fear about the curse of killing a wife?

If she had been the one forcing herself to marry He Yan, and he had taken a parallel wife at the same time, it would have been her own fault.

But she hadn't been forced to marry!

No, Qin Bi felt she was about to explode with anger.

This was a sickness of the heart. Qin Bi was not a person with a good temper; she had only restrained herself because she was a concubine-born daughter. Now, recalling the two marriage negotiations with He Yan, her heart still burned with fire, and she hated them so much she wanted to hit someone.

Qin Bi cried. Even though Qin He had successfully transmigrated, she couldn't use Qin Bi as a control group.

What on earth was this!

Qin Tang and his brothers felt bad hearing her cry. Qin Lang carefully moved closer to Qin Bi and coaxed her. "Sister, don't cry. When my cousins and I become powerful, we will avenge you."

That was worse than saying nothing. Qin Bi was on the verge of crying loudly.

Others didn't know what was happening. They thought the woman was weak, crying because she feared the hardship and fatigue of the trial. Mou Jun felt very sorry for Qin Tang and the others. What gains could they make carrying a burden? This trial was likely a failure.

She was just a concubine-born daughter; there was truly no need to care for her.

"Truly useless," Mou Meng'er sneered. "With this, you want to cultivate immortality? Dream on!"

In a squad not far away, Zhang Zhang Sunrao showed a contemptuous smile.

Qin Bi knew her eyes would feel uncomfortable after such a loud cry. Qin Lang fetched water, soaked a cloth, and wiped her face. Qin Bi touched the sandy soil, sensing the spiritual energy within the beast realm's small space. Before leaving, she would plant something there as a return gift.

As for what spiritual energy was, Qin Bi had not yet entered the path and did not know.

She dozed fitfully until morning. As soon as the sky began to lighten, Qin Bi had not a shred of sleepiness left. She simply called Qin Tang and the others to leave, seeking beasts to hunt. Becoming stronger would take time.

The small space of the beast realm was vast, filled with cracked, hard-packed sandy ground and withered, sun-browned small plants.

After walking a distance, their throats went dry. The bamboo flasks were filled with water. Qin Lang drank very sparingly, worried it wouldn't last. If they didn't meet someone with a water-attributed summoning magic treasure, once the water ran out, they would have to suffer thirst.

Qin Bi looked at the sky. "Won't it rain?"

Qin Lang put away the bamboo flask and smiled. "What are you thinking? How could it possibly rain? Do you think it's like..."

Qin Lang wanted to say, "Do you think it's like Qin He giving birth, when a heavy snow fell?" But before the words left his mouth, he stopped in time. Qin Bi pretended not to understand, and Qin Lang felt a small sense of relief.

Jiang Xu leaned close to Rong Yan and asked in a low voice, "So this is the Young Master's Wife of your Rong Wang Fu?"

Rong Yan nodded without looking aside. "Yes. Be careful with your words from now on."

Jiang Xu knew how heartbroken Qin Bi had been. He sighed. Previously, not knowing her, he had stood with Qin He from the bottom of his heart. Now, undergoing the trial together, Jiang Xu found himself leaning toward Qin Bi's side.

But what could be done? Unless a concubine-born daughter had great fortune, she could only become a concubine for a great noble family or marry a merchant. Qin Bi's fate had always been that of a Young Master's Wife.

Jiang Xu pondered for a moment and said to Rong Yan, "Now I understand why you suddenly invited me to join this trial."

It turned out the Rong Young Master had approached Rong Yan, and naturally, Rong Yan could not refuse.

Working for the Rong Young Master meant no loss.

"I'm glad I called you along," Rong Yan said without fear. "Otherwise, how could you have such great fortune? Buying a Spirit Condensing Elixir to awaken your spiritual root would have been enough. If you hadn't come on this trial, you would only receive a share of the family estate and be sent out of the manor."

Jiang Xu was a concubine-born son and would receive very little.

After walking for about half an hour, they spotted more than ten beasts. Their fur was fine, and their pelts were adorned with brilliant gemstones. Qin Lang and Rong Yan's eyes lit up, and Qin Bi wanted them too.

Qin Tang looked and saw they were Lan-grade High-level beasts. In this small space, they were considered high-level beasts. There were eleven of them, which was quite a lot, so Qin Tang planned to lead the group away.

Qin Bi, full of anger, picked up a tea bowl, summoned fireballs and lightning, and coolly smashed them down.

The beasts squealed and cried out in chaos, trying to run, but Qin Bi struck them back down.

Qin Lang's mouth hung open. This combat power value meant she was fighting above her level.

Qin Bi had just entered the path of cultivation and had not been assessed by an immortal sect, but everyone knew that entry began at the novice level. With the way Qin Bi was slaughtering beasts so fiercely, she was definitely not at the novice cultivation combat power level.

With a high combat power value and a powerful magic treasure, one could kill beasts above one's level.

Jiang Xu and Rong Yan were startled. Seeing that Qin Bi was venting her anger, Rong Yan quickly stopped her. "The beasts are already dead."

Qin Bi was not so foolish as to waste her magic treasure. She put away the tea bowl and stepped into the battlefield where she had dug out a pit. Qin Bi first glanced at the beasts, and Qin Lang began shouting with joy.

Hmm?

Qin Bi picked up a round object, peeled off the outer skin, and her eyes widened. A sweet potato? This was a sweet potato growing in the beast realm's small space, considered a spiritual food. Rong Juan liked to eat them.

Qin Bi hurriedly gathered them. She hadn't intended to speak up, but as she dug into the soil, she found the sweet potatoes grew in clusters. There were more to dig, and more after that. If she stayed silent, others would think she was blind.

"Rong Yan." Qin Bi held up a sweet potato and asked, "Is this spiritual food?"

Rong Yan was busy dragging the beasts. Hearing this, he stared at the sweet potato in Qin Bi's hand, his eyes widening further until he stuttered, "Y-yes, yes. Most crops in the beast realm's small space are spiritual food."

Qin Bi would not be polite. She said, "I'll dig these sweet potatoes up to feed my child."

Rong Yan and the others did not argue. They looked as if they had never seen the world before, digging up sweet potatoes and examining them again and again. Yesterday they had dug up ordinary plants; today they had found spiritual food.

Qin Lang dug up sweet potatoes, pulling out a pile. He selected one the size of a child's fist and asked Qin Bi, "Sister, may I eat a small one? I have never eaten spiritual food since I was young."

Qin Bi looked at that sweet potato and nodded. "Eat it. Later, I'll give each of you a sweet potato."