Why did you provoke me?

Jing Ancheng glanced at Yu Meng and then looked down at Niannian.

He heard everything they said, but didn't understand it. But it seemed he understood a little bit; Teacher Yu seemed to know what was going on.

So, following his principle of asking questions when he didn't understand, he asked, "Teacher Yu, do you know what happened?"

"It's just a guess," Yu Meng said, not keeping anyone in suspense.

"Xiao Hong's lines were planted with a celestial pet by someone else. If you don't know what a celestial pet is, to put it bluntly, it's a kind of small insect."

Niannian chuckled, "Fourth Sister, is it really okay for you to just blurt out someone else's secret like that?"

Jing Ancheng immediately understood what Niannian meant. "I guarantee, on behalf of the Jing family's reputation, that this will never be revealed to outsiders."

Yu Meng waved her hand. "Given the Jing family's reputation, publicly giving up on a high-level bone-drawing master is no longer a secret."

Jing Ancheng nodded. "The family knows that her lines are infected, but there is no way to remove them. The only way is to destroy those lines, but this will cause permanent damage to the bone painter, which is tantamount to ruining his future."

"She didn't agree, right?" Niannian asked again.

"Yes, she disagrees. She says she wants to find a way out on her own."

"Has the research been completed yet?"

"No." These were the words Yu Meng said.

"Fourth Sister, how did you know?"

"Because she is dead."

Not only was Nian Nian surprised, but Jing Ancheng also stared intently at Yu Meng.

"Don't look at me like that. I met her when I went to the research institute, and we almost became friends."

"I know that. But my family didn't send me any message saying she was dead."

"Maybe it's already been sent, but you just haven't received it here," Yu Meng said earnestly.

"Then, Fourth Sister, do you know how she got that magical pet implanted in her?"

"I didn't know about the fairy pet when I was at the research institute. But I knew there was something wrong with her features back then, but she avoided talking about it, so I didn't press her for details."

Niannian sighed. "Fourth Sister, do you think she's unlucky?"

"How would I know?"

Yu Meng and Niannian entered the tent, and Jing Ancheng also left; he stayed in the tent not far away.

But his heart wasn't as calm as his face suggested. Although he didn't understand part of what Yu Meng and the others said, he generally understood that Yu Meng seemed to have a way to stop those celestial pets. Should he notify his family?

Inside Yu Meng's tent, neither of the sisters showed any sign of wanting to sleep.

"Fourth Sister, did you say that on purpose? Aren't you afraid Jing Ancheng will tell his family?"

"It's a bit deliberate; Xiao Hao's father was also implanted with this magical pet. This organization is much larger than I imagined; we can't handle it on our own."

"You're trying to bring in outside help, but we know nothing about the Jing family. What if they're also a bad bunch?"

"I'm taking a gamble here. Haven't you noticed that there have been more and more people like this around us in the past six months? Danger is approaching, and I can't protect everyone by myself. I need outside help, and I need you all to become stronger."

Niannian's voice trailed off, "It's all my fault for being useless and unable to help."

"What's the use of that? Once you become stronger, you can protect our home. As long as our home is safe, I'm not afraid of anything." Yu Meng spoke her mind for the first time.

"Then I'll take care of the house from now on and keep a close watch on it," Nian Nian said softly.

"I will also protect my home tightly, and no one can destroy it," Yu Meng replied softly.

……

As dawn broke, the entire camp came alive. All of Hua Shulang's teammates surrounded him, thanking him profusely. "Captain, we really owe you a debt of gratitude this time. Without the communication bell in your hand, we would all be dead."

"Captain, who gave you this? Do you have any more? I want to buy one too."

The young woman also moved closer to Hua Shulang, "Brother Hua, I have to go. I don't know if we'll ever see each other again."

Her tone was gentle, her head slightly lowered, and she didn't look at Hua Shulang.

Upon hearing her speak, the others consciously fell silent.

"Who were the people who came to pick you up?" Hua Shulang's lips twitched slightly, then relaxed again.

"Yes, they have a handwritten letter from their father and a keepsake from their mother."

"That's good, this way we won't have to live a life of hardship with you anymore."

"But I don't want to go with them. I don't know anyone there." She looked up, tears welling in her eyes. "I still want to stay with you."

Hua Shulang clenched her hands tightly inside her sleeves. "Haven't you always wanted to find your father? Now that he's sent someone to pick you up, you should be happy."

"I'm happy, but I'll miss you, and them too." After saying that, she glanced at everyone.

"Hey, what's the big deal? Even if you're reluctant to leave, you can always come back. We'd love for you to come back!" Someone shouted.

This is like turning on a switch.

"Yeah, our captain treats you so well, it's normal to feel reluctant to part with you, right?" another person joked.

Hua Shulang glared at the man and said, "You're a fool. Why don't you enjoy your good fortune instead of suffering here?"

The woman blushed and tugged at her floral sleeve. "I just wanted to be able to talk to you if I missed you."

Hua Shulang loosened his clenched fist. "I'm just a peasant, uneducated and from humble beginnings. Given your father's status, he wouldn't want us to have any further contact."

"No, Mother said I am his only child. If I beg him, he will agree."

Just then, several people came in. They looked at the woman and said, "The car has arrived. You are in poor health and need to receive treatment as soon as possible. Can we leave now?"

The woman ignored them and continued to stare stubbornly at Hua Shulang.

"Then we'll keep in touch," Hua Shulang replied helplessly.

The woman remained motionless, this time staring intently at Hua Shulang's hand. "Could you give me one of those?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at Hua Shulang.

Hua Shulang's last thought was completely extinguished.

"This really won't do." Hua Shulang refused without even thinking.

"Why? I only want this little thing, and you can't even part with it?" The woman's eyes reddened again, and she looked very aggrieved.

Hua Shulang gripped the communication bell tightly. This belonged to Yu Meng; if he dared to give it away casually, Aunt Qing and Uncle Wu would break his legs.

"Don't all you bone carvers make these little things? Give me a list, and I'll prepare the materials for you. Make a few extra, and give one to each of the brothers." Hua Shulang joked, "Mine was a gift from an elder, so it's not appropriate to give it away."

He regretted it as soon as he said it; now Yu Mengcheng was his elder. He'd dug himself a hole, and it was he who had gotten himself into it.

The people standing there urged them again.

The woman gave Hua Shulang a resentful look, wiped away her tears, and said, "Then remember to contact me."

"Definitely, definitely." Hua Shulang and everyone else stood up. "We'll see you off."

"Thank you everyone." As the woman walked out, she asked again, "Brother Hua, are you sure you can't give it to me?"

Hua Shulang looked at her with a half-smile, "You know my temper. I've given you everything I could, but this really won't do."

"Hmph, who knows which woman gave it to you, and you claim it was from an elder? Do you even have any elders?"

The woman's voice was soft, but anyone who could be active on the alien battlefield was no weakling, so everyone heard what she said.

They looked at Hua Shulang, but Hua Shulang pretended not to hear or see them and went straight out of the tent.