Chapter 35: Chi Tiger Cub

After sitting quietly for a moment, the hot water in the cup gradually lost its heat.

"It's getting late," Li Qingxuan stood up, stretched his stiff neck, "You should rest early; we still have to go out tomorrow."

"Okay," Li Feifei also stood up and began to tidy the water cups on the table.

Her movements were gentle, her gaze sweeping once more over the two snake eggs placed side by side beside the table leg. The firelight flickered, casting shifting light and shadow on the eggshells, and a mix of anticipation and unease quietly spread in her heart.

She held the cup and poured out the remaining water.

As she prepared to return to her room, her eyes lingered one last time on the two snake eggs.

The fireplace firelight danced, shining on the tip of one of the snake eggs; a strange flash of light appeared in the firelight and vanished instantly, so quick it seemed like an illusion.

Li Feifei's steps halted abruptly, her heart jolted; she looked again, and the firelight still quietly illuminated the eggshell, as if what had just happened were merely her illusion.

She took a deep breath, suppressed that moment of unease, and hurried into the room.

Li Qingxuan had already returned to the bedroom; he took off his outer clothes and collapsed heavily onto the bed. Physical fatigue washed over him like a tide, but his spirit remained immersed in the excitement of the riverside battle, unable to calm down for a long time.

Outside the fortress, the wind sound quietly ceased; a deeper stillness, like a heavy curtain, blanketed the wasteland, as if an unknown storm were brewing in the darkness.

He closed his eyes, and in the darkness he seemed to see again the vertical pupils of a giant python, like molten lava, as well as the two snake eggs.

Unconsciously, his mind pondered the Fully Automatic Intelligent Scroll and the greenhouse blueprint… new possibilities unfolded before him.

In this weird world, peace is always temporary.

At this moment, Li Feifei quietly slipped into the blankets; the mattress sank slightly, her cool body leaned against him, and Li Qingxuan instinctively reached out, drawing her cool body into his embrace, using his body heat to dispel her chill.

Finally, fatigue overcame mental excitement, and his heavy eyelids slowly closed.

Just as Li Qingxuan's consciousness was about to sink into darkness, he felt the body of Li Feifei in his arms twitch slightly.

Immediately afterward, a warm sensation came through the thin pajama fabric from his chest pressed against her back.

Almost simultaneously——

"Kak——"

In the silent night, inside one of the two snake eggs in the study, a faint sound came from within.

Li Qingxuan's drowsiness vanished instantly, and he snapped his eyes open.

Li Feifei, like a startled small beast, tensed instantly in his arms, her eyes widened, and she held her breath.

In the darkness, the two remained motionless, all their senses straining to pinpoint the source of the sound.

One of the snake eggs—the very one Li Qingxuan had brought back and Li Feifei had repeatedly noticed showing faint movement—saw a fine crack rapidly spreading across its shell.

"Wu——"

Outside the door, the black goat's previously low and steady breathing suddenly cut off, replaced by a low, wary growl; it seemed to sense the sudden abnormal aura within the fortress.

Outside the window, the sobbing wind had at some point completely ceased, replaced by a heart‑pounding, absolute stillness.

It seemed as if even the air had stopped flowing; all things held their breath.

An invisible, icy pressure, like a heavy lead weight, penetrated the sturdy fortress walls, seeping in silently from all directions, soundlessly squeezing their nerves.

The air inside the fortress seemed to have solidified!

Li Qingxuan lightly rose, and together with Li Feifei they slowly walked into the study, lit a candle, his gaze locked tightly onto the egg whose crack was spreading, and the hand holding Li Feifei's shoulder unconsciously tightened.

The crack on the eggshell spread silently; the next moment, a small fragment of shell fell to the floor, making an even softer "da" sound.

A wet, slender, brown little horn, coated in mucus, pushed open the cracked shell and slowly emerged; Li Qingxuan turned his gaze to the Weird Encyclopedia.

【Weird Creature: Chi Tiger Cub】

【Type: Flesh Type】

【Constitution: 75】

【Spirit: 68】

【Rank: F Rank】

【Abilities: Summon Wind and Rain, Wind and Thunder Ten Thousand Pounds, Ride Clouds and Mist】

【Weak Point: Reverse Scale】

【Description: A serpentine creature with atavistic bloodline, possessing great potential, currently in its juvenile stage】

The young dragon's damp little head completely broke free of the eggshell's restraint, exposed in the dim candlelight.

All that could be seen was a creature with antlers on its head, bright and piercing eyes, a dragon‑like body, sinuous and slender, covered in fine, orderly blue scales, four strong, powerful legs, and five sharp claws that were not menacing.

Viscous egg fluid slid down its fine blue scales, dripping onto the floor with a soft "da‑da" sound.

Those eyes, at first still hazy with newborn innocence, quickly focused in the candlelight, like two ink‑jewels soaked in a deep pool, revealing an innate, icy dignity.

Its tiny nostrils twitched slightly, as if trying to discern the unfamiliar scents in the air—blood, fire, sweat, and the warm, vibrant life force of the two humans.

Li Qingxuan held his breath, his whole body tensed like a bowstring, his other hand instinctively pressed against the weapon at his waist, and the candlelight cast shifting shadows on his tense profile.

Li Feifei involuntarily sucked in a cold breath, her body uncontrollably retreating half a step behind him, only half her head peeking out, her eyes wide and round, fixed unblinkingly on the creature that had broken out of its shell.

The serpentine monster she had imagined did not appear; instead, the creature before her, covered in scales, bearing horns, and possessing four legs and five claws, resembled the ancient legendary dragon more than a snake.

The young dragon seemed to have exhausted its strength breaking the shell; its slender neck supported a still‑somewhat‑heavy head, which swayed slightly, emitting an extremely weak, moisture‑tinged whimper: "Wu——"

This sound, light as a sigh, nevertheless pierced clearly through the stagnant air inside the fortress.

It tried to lift a forefoot; the membranous claw rested on the edge of the broken shell, accompanied by a "kak‑kak" sound as it gnawed the shell away completely, its body seeming to grow a bit larger.

"This looks like a dragon, a Chi Tiger… isn't the Chi Tiger just Fu Xi, one of the Nine Sons of the Dragon?" Li Qingxuan said to Li Feifei.

"Wow, it looks so cute." Li Feifei said, looking at the Chi Tiger.

Candlelight danced on the young dragon's fine blue scales, casting a warm, moist sheen.

It seemed to have adapted a little; its tiny head turned slightly, its ink‑jewel eyes, filled with newborn innocence and curiosity, first fell on Li Qingxuan's tense nearby face, then slowly moved toward Li Feifei hidden behind him.

"Wu——" another weak whimper, a bit clearer than before. Its slender neck strained to rise, the small, antler‑like horns gleaming translucently in the candlelight.

Li Feifei's heart pounded like a drum; her fear of snakes was largely dispelled by this tiny, harmless strange creature, and curiosity mixed with an indescribable fondness quietly sprouted.

"It really doesn't look like a snake; it's more like a cute little dragon." She couldn't help but take another small step forward, almost stepping out of Li Qingxuan's protective circle.

"Be careful." Li Qingxuan's voice was extremely low, his arm still maintaining a defensive posture, his fingers on the Weapon not loosening, his eyes sharp as a hawk, tightly locked onto every move of the Young Dragon, "It just hatched, its instincts are unpredictable."

(PS: Free love-powered electricity, send it, this way the author writes with more motivation, please please.)