Chapter 147: Fire Cotton

The caravan set off once again, journeying deep into the vast grasslands.

Because the wild grass grew with astonishing vigor, almost rivaling small saplings, the convoy had to clear a path through the overgrown wilderness as they advanced, sprinkling medicinal powder along the way to drive away venomous bugs hiding underground and amongst the blades of grass.

*Buzz, buzz, buzz!* Swarms of venomous insects were startled by the powder, leaping and flying out of the grass in dense clouds.

"It's blood-sucking mosquitoes! Quickly apply the insect-repelling powder to the carriages and the elephants as well," Young Master Ji frowned and shouted the moment he saw the thick swarms of mosquitoes dancing across the sky. "There are simply too many blood-sucking mosquitoes here. Also, notify the rear caravan; if any of them are out of powder, they need to come over and buy some immediately."

"Understood."

An Elephant clansman immediately ran toward the rear to pass along the message.

Upon hearing this, the human caravan quickly paid to purchase the insect-repelling powder, generously dusting every single riding beast and human.

"Blood-sucking mosquitoes... this is terrifying! Exactly which route are we taking? Why are there blood-sucking mosquitoes all along the way?" someone cried out in alarm.

"This is definitely the Blood-Bone Grassland route."

"Good heavens, it's actually the Blood-Bone Grassland! Is this a restricted danger zone?"

"Those Gray Elephants are out of their minds! They actually plan to plow right across the Blood-Bone Grassland? Have they got a death wish?"

"Shut your trap. If the Gray Elephants dare to take this path, it naturally means they have the ability to lead us safely through it."

"Are the Gray Elephants really that formidable?"

"Hurry up and apply the powder! What are you daydreaming about? We're about to enter the primary habitat of the blood-sucking mosquitoes."

Because of the medicinal powder, whether in the sky or within the surrounding grasslands, massive swarms of blood-sucking mosquitoes numbering in the hundreds of millions fluttered continuously in midair. Catching the scent of fresh blood, they desperately wanted to indulge in a grand feast, but the insect-repelling powder possessed miraculous potency.

The pungent odor was completely unbearable for the mosquitoes.

The moment they drew near, they would retreat in disarray, overwhelmed by the intense irritation.

The rich scent of the powder also heavily assaulted the small groups trailing behind the Gray Elephant caravan.

The odor was so choking on the human side that everyone had to wrap white cloth around their heads and faces.

Oh heavens, this smell is intensely overpowering!

Zhou Kangzai’s two young apprentices were practically rolling their eyes from the fumes. This was utterly agonizing.

"This powder smells like something not even humans can endure..." the young boy complained.

"Indeed, it wasn't made for human noses; it's meant for the bugs," Xie Wu said with a smile. "Just look at the mosquitoes flying in the sky outside, and you'll understand why they had to use such a potent powder."

Upon hearing this, the young boy pushed open the carriage window and took a look outside. He immediately gasped in fright, "Good heavens, Master, look outside—it's completely choked with blood-sucking mosquitoes!"

"I saw them long ago, or do you think your master would be sitting this calmly inside the carriage?" Zhou Kangzai chuckled softly. "The wilderness of the Eastern Wastelands is far too dangerous, which is why I brought you along with the trading caravan. Without a sufficiently large and capable group, it would be impossible to traverse such perilous and desolate dead zones."

The entire Blood-Bone Grassland was simply too vast, and the sheer volume of mosquitoes was enough to induce despair.

"Master, why are there such blood-sucking mosquitoes in this grassland?" the young boy asked again.

"It is said that beneath the soil of this Blood-Bone Grassland, there grows a tiny red larva called the Blood Bud Worm. Their numbers are so vast they defy counting. All the blood-sucking mosquitoes on the Blood-Bone Grassland are nurtured and sustained by these Blood Bud Worms," Zhou Kangzai explained.

"Then, Master, how many days will we be traveling through this grassland?"

"About ten days or so," Zhou Kangzai replied, sounding somewhat uncertain.

"Ten days? With so many blood-sucking mosquitoes outside, do we even have enough insect-repelling powder?" the young boy asked with concern.

In truth, the Gray Elephant alien tribe was also worried that their supply of powder might run short. Therefore, they offered their apologies to Qinghu and her companions, announcing that they would travel through the night as well.

Once they crossed this grassland, they would arrive directly at a large tribe, where they would halt for a single day to rest and recuperate.

Qingjin and his siblings had no objections to this arrangement.

To everyone's surprise, the Gray Elephant trading caravan crossed the Blood-Bone Grassland in a mere four days. This speed was quite astonishing.

At this pace, the entire convoy would likely return to human territory in just two or three months.

While the speed was certainly fast, the psychological toll was almost too much to bear.

No matter who it was, having to march without sleep while being relentlessly tormented by a sky full of blood-sucking mosquitoes would drive anyone to the brink of a mental breakdown.

Having finally charged their way out of the vast Blood-Bone Grassland, their caravan safely approached the Fire-Tail Pheasant tribe. The Fire-Tail Pheasant tribe was neither particularly massive nor small.

The crux of the matter was that while half of the blood-sucking mosquitoes in the adjacent Blood-Bone Grassland bred naturally, the other half were intentionally farmed and released by this very tribe.

***

Once their wings were clipped, the blood-sucking mosquitoes were still as large as a fist and full of meat. Whether roasted or deep-fried, they were exceptionally fragrant.

The Fire-Tail Pheasants relied entirely on these creatures for sustenance.

Moreover, cultivating a vast population of blood-sucking mosquitoes not only provided them with a food source, but also served to deter and ward off many other dangers from their territory.

As for whether it was dangerous for a trading caravan to pass through here—what did that have to do with the Fire-Tail Pheasant tribe? If you find it dangerous, don't enter.

Although the large trading caravan of the Gray Elephant tribe frequently roamed the wilderness of the Eastern Wastelands, in the past they would never have been so brazen as to plow straight across the Blood-Bone Grassland. The sheer number of blood-sucking mosquitoes on the grassland inevitably attracted all sorts of bizarre entities.

Those creatures were far more dangerous than the blood-sucking mosquitoes.

However, the caravan had divine descendants watching over them. Unless those entities had truly lost their minds and gone completely insane, they would never dare to target this group.

You would have to be crazy to oppose a divine descendant; isn't living life well a much better option?

And so, the Gray Elephant trading caravan swaggered right through the Blood-Bone Grassland.

When the chieftain of the Fire-Tail Pheasants saw such a massive caravan passing by their tribe, he grinned broadly. The caravan intended to rest at their tribe for a single day—and that single day would be more than enough for these outsiders to buy out their entire tribe's inventory.

The old man's prediction was indeed correct.

After a night of solid sleep, everyone rose early the next morning, eagerly heading out to tour the legendary Fire-Tail Pheasant tribe.

The humans in the group were particularly excited, as they had never set foot inside an alien tribe before.

In the past, outsiders were simply not permitted. They were only allowed to camp and rest in designated areas near the outskirts of the tribe.

Naturally, the locals were wary of them, fearing they might use trade as a pretext to launch a surprise attack from behind.

As for why the Gray Elephants were allowed to camp at the edge of the tribe and even enter the settlement to purchase local specialties—that was entirely because they had boldly marched straight through the entire Blood-Bone Grassland from the outside. That feat would have been utterly impossible without powerful figures presiding over the caravan.

The stronger the experts they brought with them, the more the Fire-Tail Pheasants felt compelled to act with utmost courtesy and openness. They could not give the visitors any pretext or excuse to strike. Without an excuse, even powerful experts could not casually slaughter an entire tribe.

Qinghu dragged her two older brothers to a specialty restaurant run by the Fire-Tail Pheasant tribe, intending to sample some novel dishes.

A wide array of crispy-fried, dry-fried, five-spiced, and stir-fried blood-sucking mosquito eggs were meticulously listed on the menu.

"This, this, and the ones below—mmm, yes, we'll take all ten or so of these dishes. Should we settle the bill with spiritual stones or purple gold coins? We have both, just get the food served quickly!"

"Rest assured, honored guests, we already have a few dishes freshly prepared. Purple gold coins will do nicely," the proprietress of the small restaurant said with a smile. Spiritual stones were too troublesome; if the great ones in the tribe saw them, they would just try to snatch them away. Purple gold coins were the most practical!

"Alright, Eldest Brother, settle the bill. We'll wait for the food."

"Very well." Qing瑾 gestured to Jiushuan to pay. Shortly after, accompanied by the owner and proprietress, several large platters brimming with various styles of fried and stir-fried mosquito meat, as well as mosquito eggs, were brought to the table.

Before Qinghu and her group had even taken a few bites, they saw Ning七 and Xie Wu walk in as well.

"Goodness, did you follow your nose guided by the scent? How is it that every time we eat, you two manage to show up?" Qinglu bluntly blurted out what Qinghu was thinking, prompting Qinghu to immediately nod in enthusiastic agreement.

Hearing this, Xie Wu looked thoroughly embarrassed.

Ning七, however, was thick-skinned enough not to mind in the least. "You guessed it, I did follow the scent. More importantly, I guessed that you folks would come here to try the new dishes."

"Stop fooling around and come sit down to eat." Qing瑾 signaled the restaurant staff to set out extra bowls and chopsticks for Ning七 and Xie Wu.

"What kind of fried meat is this? It's actually quite delicious. Soft and fluffy with a great texture." As soon as he sat down, Ning七 picked up a piece of the aromatic fried meat with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth.

"Blood-sucking mosquito meat."

*Gasp!*

*Bleh! Blargh!*

Ning七’s stomach immediately churned. He wanted to retch, but under Qinghu’s chilling gaze, he forced it back down.

"Are you all out of your minds? How can you eat bugs?!" *Bleh, bleh, bleh.* Thinking about the origin of the food he had just swallowed made him dry heave all over again.

"Such delicious meat, and if you don't care for it, you can leave. Don't ruin my appetite," Qinghu said irritably, resuming her hearty bites of meat.

Qinglu and Qing瑾 also ate without the slightest psychological barrier.

In the past, they had eaten deep-fried green moths and silkworms, too. The flavors were quite good, and they were rich in nutrients.

"That's a blood-sucking mosquito! Just a few of those things can suck a living human completely dry of blood in a matter of breaths!" Ning七 cried out.

"So it feeds on other living creatures, and I feed on it—isn't that only fair?" Qing瑾 picked up another pair of chopsticks loaded with crispy fried insect eggs and placed them in his younger sister's bowl. The flavor of these eggs was genuinely wonderful and went exceptionally well with rice.

Ning七: "..."

He had finally figured it out: whenever Qing瑾 was around his younger siblings, he immediately stopped acting normal.

***

"Actually, I think it's quite delicious, too." Xie Wu had already served herself some meat chunks and eggs. The taste truly was wonderful. Furthermore, the moment the meat—especially the insect eggs—touched her tongue, she could sense a restorative warmth flowing through her body, nourishing her blood, strengthening her physique, and soothing her internal organs.

"But those are the meat and eggs of blood-sucking mosquitoes, which look so ferocious and hideous!" Ning七 felt that his Senior Sister had been completely corrupted by the Shen siblings. *Sigh, how on earth can anyone eat bug meat with such genuine joy?*

"This is exceptionally delicious," Qinghu muttered, giving Ning七 a look of utter disdain. What was wrong with bugs? Weren't bugs edible?

"All right, eat up," Qing瑾 urged his younger siblings and Xie Wu.

As for Ning七, he could eat if he wanted to or leave it be.

Ning七: *Fine, I'll eat it too.*

After taking a few bites, he let go of his reservations and swiftly cleared the plates in front of him.

Qinghu rolled her eyes once more. He had just been complaining about bugs a moment ago, and now he was eating more fiercely than any of them.

Seeing this, Qing瑾 simply called the proprietor over and ordered several more dishes.

By the time they finished their meal, everyone's bellies were distended, stuffed to the point where they could barely walk.

"This blood-sucking mosquito meat and the eggs are absolute culinary masterpieces. If only we could raise some ourselves! Once we leave, who knows when we'll ever get to eat this again," Qinglu said, a look of lingering fondness on his face.

"While the meat and eggs are delicious, they have a heating nature; eating too much is bad for the body. They should only be consumed occasionally. Besides, blood-sucking mosquitoes aren't nearly as nutritious as blood-sucking bees, and they don't produce blood-honey. There isn't much point in farming them. If we happen to encounter blood-sucking bees in the future, we might consider raising a few," Qing瑾 remarked.

"Blood-sucking bees went extinct in the Eastern Wastelands ages ago. Where on earth would you even find them?" Ning七 interjected upon hearing this. "Besides, blood-honey is far too conspicuous. The moment you start raising them, you're bound to attract unwanted attention."

"Even if we don't raise them, we're already attracting attention. Once we head back this time, I suspect there will be even more eyes on us," Qing瑾 said indifferently.

Ning七: "..."

"Young Master Shen, earlier I saw a Gray Elephant tribesman spot us walking together. I'm afraid our association with you is going to be discovered by the Gray Elephant tribe," Xie Wu said with a trace of worry as she watched a distant Gray Elephant tribesman retreating into the distance.

"It's fine. Let them find out if they want to," Qing瑾 said calmly. "We previously asked Young Master Ji to look after you, so he already knew we had friends in the human caravan."

"No wonder our human caravan somehow secured the number five spot this time," Ning七 said in surprise. "So it was thanks to your favor."

"What's wrong with being fifth?" Qing瑾 asked, puzzled.

"It is said that when human caravans travel alongside alien tribes, no matter how much wealth they spend, it's exceptionally difficult for them to secure a spot in the top ten," Ning七 explained. "Turns out we were basking in your light once again."

"We were also basking in someone else's light. If Bali had not helped us, we wouldn't have been able to secure a spot with the Gray Elephant caravan in the first place," Qing瑾 smiled and said. "Speaking of which, Bali's connections within the caravan are truly remarkable. We merely mentioned it to him, and he helped introduce us to the entire Gray Elephant convoy. Originally, this caravan wasn't scheduled to depart for another ten days, but goodness knows how Bali negotiated with them—no sooner had the talks concluded than the departure date was set."

"Come to think of it, does that Bali fellow hold some status within the Ba tribe?" Ning七 asked.

"Not quite sure," Qing瑾 replied. "He didn't mention it, and we didn't ask."

Mainly, little Qinghu simply couldn't be bothered to ask. Bali had set out a few days ahead of them, and even after arriving, he hadn't left; instead, he had specifically waited for them to emerge so he could finalize arrangements for their return caravan before departing.

Aside from sampling the new dishes, the three Shen siblings also purchased a large quantity of fire-cotton, which was widely cultivated by the Fire-Tail Pheasant tribe. Each stalk of the giant fire-cotton bore long, crimson fibers and fluffy bolls, with many seeds still left unpicked within each flower.

The moment Qing瑾 laid eyes on it, he took a fancy to this fire-cotton.

He immediately procured a massive batch from the locals.

The winter in the Eastern Wastelands was far too cold. Having these fire-cotton supplies would allow their household to spend the winter in warmth.

All the goods were packed away into Qinghu's little seashell. Because the procurement volume of the cotton was quite substantial, it took up quite a bit of space. A large portion of the small dirt mound piled inside Qinghu's seashell was now completely covered and packed with bales of cotton.

Ning七 and Xie Wu also wanted to purchase some to take back for personal use, but the locals were reluctant to sell when the quantities were too small.

Seeing this, Qing瑾 simply helped them purchase a batch of fire-cotton along with his own, then split off a small portion for them.

When they returned to their own camp, Ning七 and Xie Wu carried several large packages of fire-cotton—these were brought back specifically as a filial tribute to their master's uncle.

As for the portions for their own use, they had already stashed them away inside their storage rings.

"What is all this?" Zhou Kangzai asked, watching as Ning七 and Xie Wu dumped a pile of packages right in front of him.