The Fox Spirit took a deep breath and said, "Cultivators of our kind can only bathe in the moonlight and use the Power of the Moon to nourish the soul once they reach the realm of Night Travel. I’ve never heard of directly absorbing moonlight with the body. How could such a power exist in this world? Doesn’t that mean you could stand in the moonlight and absorb it without facing the dangers of the world? Without fearing the collision of living beings, the fierce wind of heaven and earth, or the wind and rain?"
The Fox Spirit’s eyes showed a hint of disbelief, and suddenly, her heart felt sour!
Halfway through the sourness, she realized something was wrong: "Isn’t this an underground cave? How did you escape through dozens of meters of limestone?"
The Fox Spirit looked at Zhang Chen with disbelief, finding too many mysteries about him, as if he was shrouded in mist, which she, Fox Fairy Nannan, couldn’t see through.
Zhang Chen ignored Fox Fairy Nannan’s questions and said, "Hurry up and break down the Sika Deer for me, I’m starving."
Seeing Zhang Chen had no intention of answering, Fox Fairy Nannan showed a look of disappointment in her eyes. She knew that since Zhang Chen had a way to escape the ancient tomb, her freedom seemed a distant dream.
Facing Zhang Chen’s commanding pressure, the Fox Spirit gritted her teeth in anger but could only comply.
After the Fox Spirit dealt with the Sika Deer, the two headed towards the cave.
In the distance, they saw a figure slowly walking under the moonlight, with a floating Sika Deer following behind Zhang Chen.
In the cave, with pots and pans around, the Fox Spirit started cooking while Zhang Chen stood on the rock outside, quietly bathing in the moonlight. Although he didn’t know the benefits of moonlight, it surely had some valuable use for the body.
Once the Fox Spirit finished stewing the meat, Zhang Chen ate, and the sky brightened as the sun rose from the east, while yellowjackets began their activity.
Detecting Zhang Chen’s presence, a swarm of yellowjackets immediately flew over, expressing their friendliness.
"The number of yellowjackets has increased; aren’t there over five thousand of them now? How is it possible to have so many yellowjackets?" Zhang Chen was eating a bone while observing the yellowjackets in the cave, showing a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"Unless all the yellowjackets nearby have come here! There’s a severe drought now, and such small creatures find it hard to survive outside. Here, they have my honey water and a steady supply of meat, which makes it the perfect survival spot for yellowjackets. Moreover, the fact that they coexist peacefully without fighting is strange. Could it be due to the Dragon Qi I left in the cave?"
Zhang Chen observed the yellowjackets while his gaze landed on their nest.
"It’s not a good idea for yellowjackets to nest here; if I leave this place in the future, I can’t take their nest with me." Raising his head to look at the hive hanging in the cave, Zhang Chen thought for a moment and made up his mind to move the hive into a basket with the help of the Fox Spirit.
"Why are you breeding so many yellowjackets?" Fox Fairy Nannan shivered, listening to the buzzing sound as she watched the overwhelming swarm of yellowjackets.
"The world is in chaos; I need some means of self-defense." Zhang Chen replied.
Zhang Chen picked up the hive from the basket, noticing it was already plate-sized. He applied honey from a honey jar on the hive and then placed it in a backup basket. He cut several sizable holes in the basket, enough for the yellowjackets to crawl out quickly, before stopping.
"By migrating the yellowjackets to the basket, I can take them with me even if I move in the future. Although I’ve changed the hive’s position, with Dragon Qi to appease them, it’s uncertain whether the yellowjackets will comply." Zhang Chen looked expectantly, knowing that if the yellowjackets didn’t comply, they could always rebuild the nest, as he used honey as bait to prevent them from leaving.
Sure enough, Zhang Chen was not disappointed. After the yellowjackets finished eating the meat, they followed the scent of honey in the air and crawled directly into the box Zhang Chen had prepared. One by one, the yellowjackets went in and started making their hive, working busily in and out.
"It’s done!"
Zhang Chen was delighted watching the busy yellowjackets, hanging the basket in the cave and adding fresh water to keep it moist. In this drought-stricken world, the survival of yellowjackets wasn’t easy, and he worried they might die of thirst.
The current drought worked in Zhang Chen’s favor. As long as there was a water source, there was no fear of the yellowjackets flying away.
"I’ll call you Beehive from now on! Once the yellowjackets fill the entire basket with their nest, you’ll be a proper beehive." Zhang Chen captured a yellowjacket crawling on him.
Looking at the yellowjacket in his hand, Zhang Chen grew more pleased; it was his insurance in chaotic times.
With the yellowjackets, even if a group of five hundred people came, he could easily repel them.
"Also, with the yellowjackets guarding this place, the entrance to the tomb is much safer, even though it’s located in a deep pit over fifty meters underground covered by a pond. A little extra protection is always good."
After packing up the cave, Zhang Chen, leaving only a few items like the long knife, took the Sika Deer down the mountain.
The explosion would undoubtedly alert the authorities, and they would come for him.
He considered staying on the mountain to avoid the limelight and excavating the ancient tomb, then finding an opportunity to move south, but realized this wasn’t feasible. If he didn’t show himself, his younger siblings and stepmother would suffer.
In this era of collective punishment, one person’s crime burdens the whole family. If he hid away, his stepmother and siblings would be punished.
Though Zhang Chen was heading down, he was prepared with two plans: First, he had an alibi to try and distance himself, failing which he’d go with the second plan—feigning death!
If the authorities pressed on by threatening his siblings, he could fake his death and hide in the wilderness, excavating the ancient tomb while exonerating his siblings through his pretend demise.
Of course, he hoped his first plan would work. It would allow him to sell water amidst the drought, accruing a fortune to fund his southward move.
"Selling water isn’t honorable, but I have no choice! The ancient tomb may not contain worldly riches, and even if it does, I dare not sell them. If any suspicion arises about its origins, I might invite greater trouble." Zhang Chen’s mind was in turmoil.
The Fox Spirit, struggling with the Sika Deer, followed Zhang Chen with a face full of turmoil. After some hesitation, she murmured, "I say...what do you plan to do with that poor scholar?"
"That scholar has already lost an ear and had his face ruined by you. For my sake, spare his life! Without my support, he’s no match for you, and you can toy with him as you wish." The Fox Spirit looked at Zhang Chen expectantly.
"I suspect that boy might have already reported me to the authorities. If you can make him withdraw the complaint and take the blame, thus saving me a lot of trouble, I wouldn’t mind letting him off this time." Zhang Chen replied leisurely.
He had no intentions of letting him go, but if it could relieve the trouble from the authorities, he’d consider dealing with the scholar properly once everything settled down.
Upon hearing this, the Fox Spirit dropped the Sika Deer meat, disappearing from sight, leaving only a voice in the air: "Wait, I’ll give him a dream!"