Chapter 34: Contract Scroll

Li Qingxuan finished washing, changed into clean clothes, pushed the door open and stepped out, steam rising from his head, his hair tips still damp; he vigorously dried his hair with a dry cloth.

The warm, dry clothes clung to his skin, the fort's interior wall furnace's heat gently enveloping him, starkly different from the damp, cold, bloody riverside, and his spirit relaxed accordingly.

He took a deep breath; the air was filled with the fresh fragrance of rice porridge, and his tense nerves gradually loosened.

He looked up and saw Li Feifei standing by the stove, gently stirring the porridge in the pot with a spoon, the rising steam blurring her profile.

Hearing the movement, she quickly turned her head, her strands of hair fluttering lightly with the motion.

"Did you finish washing?" she asked softly, her voice unusually clear in the quiet fort, "The meal will be ready soon, get ready to eat."

Her gaze unconsciously flicked to the two snake eggs on the ground and the golden treasure chest.

"Mm, the bath felt great." Li Qingxuan walked to the table, casually draped the hair‑drying cloth over the chair back. His eyes also fell on the snake eggs and the treasure chest, his fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop, "This trip's haul isn't small—I ran into a huge python by the river."

Li Feifei's heart jumped: "A giant python?"

"A Swallow Heaven Giant Python. I had just finished washing the black goat when it suddenly darted out." Li Qingxuan's tone was calm, but Li Feifei could imagine the danger involved.

He picked up a snake egg; it felt warm and smooth in his hand, the delicate scale pattern on the shell shimmering with a soft glow in the lamp light. "These two eggs are its. As for what's inside…"

He paused, set the egg aside, "We'll know once it hatches. This golden treasure chest—let's open it after we finish eating."

Outside the fort, the wind seemed to have lessened somewhat, yet it still wailed as it swept across the open plain. The black goat's low, resonant breathing, clearly audible, was like a steady black hill lying in the shadow outside the door, resting.

Li Feifei nodded, not asking further. "The porridge will be ready soon—let's eat first. You must be starving."

She turned to fetch bowls and chopsticks, her gaze sweeping over the pile of dirty clothes in the basin still stained with mud and blood, "The clothes are soaking; I'll wash them tomorrow."

The aroma of the food grew richer, the warm scent filling the entire fort space.

Li Qingxuan pulled out a chair and sat down, watching Li Feifei's busy yet quiet back.

This space sealed off the outside world's strangeness, bloodshed, and killing intent, becoming Li Qingxuan's sole haven in his heart.

Li Feifei gently pushed the filled porridge bowl toward him, then turned to serve her own portion.

He picked up the spoon, took a sip, and the warmth of the hot porridge spread from his stomach throughout his body; Li Qingxuan exhaled a satisfied puff of white vapor.

"Is the black goat all right?" she asked as she sat down, recalling the faint wounds visible on the huge silhouette outside the door.

"Just superficial scratches, nothing serious." Li Qingxuan took another big spoonful of porridge, ate a few pieces of meat, "That guy is really tough."

He lifted his gaze to the two snake eggs on the ground; one seemed to tremble imperceptibly again, and Li Feifei's eyes followed to the eggs.

Inside the fort, for a moment the only sounds were the two of them sipping porridge and the crackle of firewood burning in the hearth.

Outside the window, the wind seemed to have completely died down, leaving only the black goat's steady, long breaths, like a lullaby of a guardian.

Li Qingxuan gently set down the empty bowl, casually grabbed the cloth, and haphazardly wiped his mouth.

He glanced back at Li Feifei; she held the bowl with both hands, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, fixed unblinkingly on him and the treasure chest, silently voicing her inner anticipation.

After Li Feifei finished eating and cleaned up, he walked to the golden treasure chest and pushed it toward her.

"Open it." Li Qingxuan's voice rang especially clear in the quiet fort.

Li Feifei lifted her hand and pushed it open; a flash of white light passed, and in her hand appeared two scrolls and a sheet of blueprint.

【Item: Fully Automatic Intelligent Scroll】

【Effect: Can perform intelligent adaptation on a designated building】

【Description: A scroll that increases comfort and frees the hands】

【Item: Contract Scroll】

【Effect: Can form a contract with a person or a weird creature】

【Description: After forming a contract, both parties become partners who cannot harm each other】

【Blueprint: Greenhouse】

【Construction Requirements: Manufacturing Table, 200 units of Iron Block, 500 units of Plastic, 100 units of Cotton】

【Description: Can build a greenhouse 50 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 4.5 meters high】

"Intelligent adaptation? A greenhouse? This perfectly solves our trouble!" She handed the scrolls and blueprint to Li Qingxuan.

Li Qingxuan's gaze slowly settled on the blueprint, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the tabletop.

The hearth fire leapt cheerfully; he picked up the blueprint, brow slightly furrowed: "The material requirements are quite a lot—behind the house we could probably fit two greenhouses. Iron Block reserves are sufficient, but Cotton is low, only 38 units, and Plastic is even scarcer, less than 20 units."

"I'll pay attention to these materials when I trade later." Then he asked again: "What about the Intelligent Adaptation Scroll—should we use it on the fort now or save it for later?"

Hearing Li Feifei's words, Li Qingxuan pondered and said, "I think it's more appropriate to first apply the intelligent adaptation to the greenhouse."

"The fort itself doesn't require much work; after adapting the greenhouse, you just need to accelerate plant growth, and the rest can be left alone. Once they hatch, you can use the Contract Scroll to bind one—how does that sound?" Li Qingxuan asked her.

"The scroll is feasible, hmm… but as for the contract, we should wait until they hatch before deciding." Li Feifei replied.

"Never mind—then after we build the city wall we'll start constructing the greenhouse." Seeing Li Feifei some resistance, Li Qingxuan handed both scrolls to Li Feifei, letting her keep them for now.

Li Feifei took the scrolls and put them away, following behind Li Qingxuan as she watched him record the blueprint into the manufacturing table.

Li Qingxuan returned to sit beside the table; Li Feifei poured a cup of hot water and placed it on the table, white steam rising from the rim, dispelling some of the cold seeping in from outside the fort.

"The city wall doesn't even have a rough outline yet, and the things we need to build keep piling up—really a headache." Li Qingxuan sighed.

"What about that Contract Scroll… give it some thought!" Li Qingxuan brought it up again, his tone casual but his eyes inquisitive, "Being able to contract a powerful partner is always a good thing, especially in a place like this."

He recalled the black goat's fearless charge and iron‑like defense by the river; having such a partner to share the burden would undoubtedly greatly increase their chances of survival.

Li Feifei fell silent for a few seconds, staring at the hot water swaying in the cup. "I know…" her voice trembled, dropping a little, "But after all, they're snake eggs—I get scared just seeing snakes."

She lifted her head, a flicker of instinctive rejection in her eyes; Li Qingxuan thought of the giant python's lava‑like vertical pupils and foul‑smelling bloody maw, then imagined that a future companion they'd have to live with might be similar, and a sense of discomfort welled up inside him.

Li Qingxuan understood her concern; weird creatures come in myriad forms, not all like the black goat—though large and fierce, it is loyal, reliable, and easy to accept.

He set the cup down, without pressure, and joked, "Then let's wait until they hatch—maybe they'll turn out to be gentle little critters." He tried to ease the mood with humor: "When the time comes, we'll see how it goes; if not, we can just contract another creature."

Li Feifei's tense shoulders eased slightly; she looked gratefully at Li Qingxuan, nodded, and whispered, "Mm."

The topic was temporarily set aside; the empty fort fell back into silence, save for the occasional soft sounds of the two drinking water and the black goat's long, steady breathing outside the door.

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