In the corner of the garden, Lin Xiaomei gazed at Hua Ping's back, her face full of guilt.
After Qin Shou left that day, Zhao Jing and Yu Zhan were scared out of their wits and proposed returning to the city.
Lin Xiaomei was also aware of her limits, knowing she couldn't possibly face the Black Ape Beast alone, so she naturally didn't object.
She told herself inwardly that only trustworthy teammates like Qin Shou were truly reliable companions for adventures.
But now that they'd returned, Qin Shou was the only one missing.
She wondered how he was doing...
Standing there, Lin Xiaomei found herself in an inner struggle.
She wanted to hide the truth about Qin Shou not returning, but her conscience urged her to speak out.
Otherwise, it might not be the right thing to do for Qin Shou's parents.
Although she hadn't been able to contact Qin Shou so far, given his abilities, the chances of him returning safely were quite high.
Thinking of this, Lin Xiaomei gritted her teeth and walked towards Hua Ping.
"Beep beep…"
She had just taken a step when the communicator on her wrist suddenly began to flash.
Looking down at it, her expression instantly filled with joy.
She connected the communicator, and Qin Shou's voice came through.
"Lin Xiaomei, how are you all doing now?"
Lin Xiaomei said happily, "We've already returned to the city. You should come back quickly too; Aunt must miss you a lot."
In the cave, Qin Shou, who had reverted to his true form, paused slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"I can't return for now, but don't worry. I'm safe here."
Lin Xiaomei's tone grew anxious, "What's wrong over there? Why can't you come back?"
Qin Shou replied, "It's nothing serious. I just don't want to return for now—I want to train and gain some experience outside."
"Alright then, I'll prepare in a couple of days to reassemble a team to head out of the city again. When that time comes, I'll come and meet you.
A bigger group means more strength and safety. You're someone I brought out of the city, and I must ensure I bring you back safely."
Lin Xiaomei declared resolutely.
Qin Shou chuckled, "Alright, alright! I'll make sure you're the one who safely takes me home, is that better?"
Lin Xiaomei: "..."
Who's taking you home?
Don't you have a home yourself?
After exchanging a few casual words, the two ended the call.
Relieved, Lin Xiaomei walked home with lighter steps.
...
In the cave, Qin Shou hesitated for a moment before initiating a video call.
As the image gradually cleared, Hua Ping's somewhat haggard face appeared on the screen.
"Xiao Shou, it looks like you're in a cave over there. Are you sleeping well?"
Hua Ping wiped the redness from the corners of her eyes and pretended to smile casually.
Qin Shou grinned, "Haha, Mom, no need to worry. I'm sleeping like a baby here.
Oh, and I've got good news for you—my Dragon Beast just ate a few Unihorn Saber-Toothed Tigers and recently leveled up to Danger Level 8.
Now, few monsters dare approach Greedy Snake around here.
Your son is practically a king of the mountain now—eating, sleeping, and repeating. I'm sick of monster meat at this point."
Hua Ping rolled her eyes and said, "Don't talk nonsense—be a proper human, not some mountain king."
Qin Shou grinned cheekily, "Mom, don't worry. I'll be back in a few days.
When I do, I'll bring back a few hundred pounds of Barbarian Beef so you can work your culinary magic and make some Barbarian Beef dumplings."
"Alright, alright! Barbarian Beef is wonderful, tender, flavorful, doesn't get stuck in your teeth, and with our Qin Family secret seasoning, it's simply…"
Talking about Barbarian Beef, Hua Ping launched into an excited monologue, leaving Qin Shou speechless.
He vaguely recalled that in his previous life, he had no particular interest in cooking.
But this time around...
Could it be something genetic?
After a while, Qin Shou finished his reassurances, and Hua Ping reluctantly hung up the video call.
"Having a home… is truly wonderful."
He smiled as he held the back of his head, then instructed Rein Jia'er to keep digging deeper into the cave to carve out a simple hidden chamber.
Qin Shou released Big Big Wolf and told it to wait outside the cave to prevent the Sha Po Wolf Group from noticing anything unusual.
Placing another layer of barriers, Qin Shou then directed Rein Jia'er to dig out a pit about twenty square meters in size.
Upon opening System Space, water gushed out.
Moments later, the water filled the pit, forming a small pond.
"Splash!"
The Mermaid Zhi Yin leapt out of the water, her cheerful singing gradually resonating.
"La la la~"
"Master, Zhi Yin has missed you so much!"
Zhi Yin threw herself into Qin Shou's arms, her blue tail gently swaying with glee.
"Haha, Master has missed Zhi Yin as well."
Qin Shou patted Zhi Yin's small head and said, "Zhi Yin, go play in the water. Master will make something delicious for you."
"Okay!"
Zhi Yin nodded quickly, her sparkling eyes brimming with excitement.
"Splash!"
Zhi Yin dove back into the water but kept her little head above the surface, watching Qin Shou's every move attentively.
Today's dish: Dog meat hotpot!
Boil water, slice meat…
Ah!
Why didn't I bring any mint or cilantro?!
Qin Shou sighed dramatically toward the sky.
"Heeheehee… Master looks so funny," Zhi Yin said, covering her mouth as she giggled in the water.
Turning to Zhi Yin's delighted laughter, Qin Shou couldn't help but smile warmly.
If I hadn't had the chance to start over, I might have had such an adorable child in another life!
Suddenly, Big Big Wolf poked its oversized head into the chamber, grinning mischievously. "Master, is it ready to eat yet?"
Qin Shou's smile disappeared instantly as he threw a dog leg at it.
"A real werewolf should eat dog legs—here, no need to thank me."
Big Big Wolf's grin froze.
It glanced at Zhi Yin in the water before silently picking up the dog leg and disappearing from view.
Hmph!
Just because she's cute?
Curse these looks-obsessed people!
"Come, Zhi Yin, open your mouth—Master will feed you…"
Big Big Wolf threw the dog leg down in frustration and howled toward the sky.
"Why!!"
...
Five days later, thanks to an ample supply of Two-headed Dog Meat, Zhi Yin successfully leveled up to Danger Level Six.
Qin Shou also adhered to a strict schedule, breaking through to Newborn Seven Stars with the help of wolf milk.
Over the next three months, barring any unforeseen circumstances and with monster meat in abundant supply, achieving Newborn Eight Stars was almost guaranteed.
With that in mind, Qin Shou didn't feel his training aptitude was all that bad.
Even among certain wealthy families with a constant supply of monster meat, kids his age likely weren't much stronger.
This proved his aptitude certainly wasn't lacking.
Of course, there was still a clear gap compared to top-tier children raised in cities ranked high within the Federation.
"Beep beep…"
At that moment, the communicator on Qin Shou's wrist rang. He glanced at it and accepted the call.
"Hahaha, Lao Qin, bet you didn't expect this—my Killing Wolf reached Danger Level Seven a couple of days ago, and now I can head out of the city!"
Long Xia's booming laughter came through the communicator.
Qin Shou frowned slightly and asked, "Where are you now?"
"I've already left the city! Don't worry, I'm not alone. I begged them for ages before they agreed to let me join."
Qin Shou shook his head, feeling helpless.
Growing up, Long Xia had always been somewhat unreliable.
Leaving the city recklessly this time might lead to trouble.
Thinking of this, Qin Shou asked again, "Who are 'they'?"
"Lin Xiaomei, Ye Ning, Hong Cong—just the four of us."
Ye Ning, Hong Cong, Lin Xiaomei…
Qin Shou's expression shifted slightly. How did they end up grouping together?