The Ten Thousand Ways to Hug the Female Protagonist’s Thigh - Chapter 28.1

Wen Shu’s mind had absorbed too much information. After consuming a drop of her heart’s essence blood, she finally felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. This fatigue was spiritual in nature, something that couldn’t be alleviated through meditation or pills.

Under the flickering stars, a campfire burned brightly, casting dancing shadows around them. The shadows occasionally shifted, but none dared to approach under the deterrent effect of the beast-mimicking array Wen Xuening had set up.

Wen Shu gently rested her head on Wen Xuening’s shoulder and soon drifted into a light sleep. Wen Xuening’s body stiffened for a moment, but she quickly relaxed. The soft rhythm of Wen Shu’s breathing brushed against her arm, tickling her slightly. She turned to look at the girl.

Unlike her usual serious and diligent self, always tense and focused on cultivation, Wen Shu now looked peaceful and unguarded, her youthful face finally resembling a true ten-year-old child. Seeing her trust her so completely, Wen Xuening felt deeply moved.

She glanced at the campfire, which seemed ordinary at first glance. But as if sensing her gaze, the flames trembled imperceptibly and dimmed by half as if trying not to disturb Wen Shu’s rest.

When dawn broke, Wen Shu let out a small yawn. She hadn’t slept so soundly in a long time. Opening her eyes, she realized she had been leaning on Wen Xuening’s arm all night and felt slightly embarrassed.

“Ah, I must have been exhausted last night,” she thought.

Wen Xuening noticed she was awake and smiled. “Shu Shu, you’re up? How do you feel? Is there any discomfort?”

“Much better,” Wen Shu replied, surveying their surroundings. The sky was pale, and the ground covered a blinding white expanse. She could now clearly see that they were in a stone valley surrounded by jagged rocks. Thick layers of snow softened the sharp edges of the stone pillars, giving the place an oddly serene appearance.

The campfire was replaced by a Firethorn Beast, a high-tier King Beast equivalent to a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. The beast crouched pitifully in a corner, its hind legs upright and its front paws tucked in like a farmer’s. Its large eyes stared pleadingly at Wen Xuening, its tongue occasionally licking its lips as it swallowed nervously.

Wen Xuening took an apple irrigated with spatial spring water from her Storage Bag and tossed it to the beast. The Firethorn Beast happily caught the apple as big as its head and began munching on it with gusto.

“…”

Wen Shu glanced at the beast, then at Wen Xuening, who was calmly feeding it. “Only the almighty protagonist could tame a King Beast and use it as a campfire,” she mused.

Noticing Wen Shu’s curious gaze, Wen Xuening quickly explained, “It’s just useful for now. Otherwise, I might have considered making it part of our meal.”

“Squeak squeak?”

The Firethorn Beast seemed to understand and let out fear and annoyance. But since it couldn’t win a fight and still relied on this two-legged creature for food, it didn’t dare to act out. It continued munching on the apple, occasionally baring its teeth at Wen Xuening and making noises that sounded like a sparrow in heat.

Wen Shu, “…”

Cultivators absorbed spiritual energy from heaven and earth, and after reaching the Foundation Establishment, they could essentially achieve fasting, a state in which they no longer needed food or drink. For example, Wen Xuening could go years without eating or drinking without any adverse effects on her body. But Wen Shu was still at the Qi Refining stage and needed to eat.