Chapter 343

The stone-paved road, built from large rocks, extended across the lake in a narrow curve. At the end of the path, an island shrouded in mist and clouds stood proudly in the middle of the lake.

“Bao Bai!”

On the long bridge, Luo Rong and a few others waved their arms high in greeting.

Standing lazily at the front of the group was Luo Shu, and beside him stood a man and a woman dressed in elegant robes — they were none other than Luo Fu, the City Lord of Qingchi, and Madam Xia.

Madam Xia greeted them with a warm smile: “Welcome, friends from Heiyao.”

Qi Bai smiled and gestured for Hu Xiao and Sou Yu to bring forward a wooden box. “We’ll be troubling you in the coming days. This is a specialty from our city of Heiyao — a small token of our appreciation.”

Luo Shu curiously lifted the lid of the boxes. One contained red sugar, and the other held a piece of muhua fabric. Unlike ordinary fabrics, this muhua cloth was a soft lavender color, and a faint floral scent wafted from the box. It was clearly prepared especially for Madam Xia.

Qi Bai added, “We have a talented tailor in our team. If Madam Xia wishes, she can make you a custom outfit.”

Sure enough, even someone as worldly and experienced as Madam Xia couldn’t hide her surprise and delight upon seeing such a unique fabric.

City Lord Luo Fu laughed heartily and said, “No trouble at all! We were heading to the City of the Beast God anyway. Traveling together with Heiyao will allow us to look out for one another. Please, follow me into the city.”

When the Heiyao delegation approached, Luo Fu had already sensed something extraordinary about them.

He had been a second-tier warrior for ten years. With his strength, it would take no more than five more years to advance to third-tier — a top-tier level among lower cities.

Yet, with just a glance, he could sense several auras from Heiyao’s group that were on par with his own. And this cold and composed Heiyao City Lord before him even gave off a faint sense of danger.

With such a military presence — and backed by their abundant resources — there was no doubt that after the pilgrimage to Sacred Mountain, Heiyao would be elevated to a mid-tier city.

But Luo Fu’s eagerness to befriend Heiyao wasn’t just to cozy up to a mid-tier city. Beyond Qi Bai and Lang Ze’s calm and respectful demeanor, the most important reason was that they made his wife happy.

Qi Bai pursed his lips slightly. As expected, when giving gifts, it’s not about what or how much you give — it’s about giving the right thing to the right person. Now that Madam Xia was pleased, the whole Qingchi family was pleased.

With the Great Assembly drawing near, they wouldn’t be staying in Qingchi long. As they walked, Lang Ze and Luo Fu discussed plans for the next leg of their journey.

Meanwhile, Luo Rong and Luo Shu darted over to Qi Bai’s group, enthusiastically introducing them to Qingchi City.

Luo Rong spoke as they walked, “We're walking on the stone road of the ‘Wood-Stone Path.’ It used to be only wide enough for one beastman at a time. Only in the last two years have we expanded it using stones to make it wide enough for carts.”

Qi Bai looked down and noticed that the stones underfoot were of varying colors. The darker ones had rounder edges, clearly worn smooth by many years of water erosion.

The surface of Lake Ling was crystal clear. Between the shore and the city, the depth probably wasn’t more than four meters. But if one assumed that building a bridge here would be easier than over the deeper tidal waters elsewhere, they’d be dead wrong.

The lake was vast. Just the section of road leading to Qingchi City was at least two or three kilometers long. One could easily imagine the difficulty of widening such a stone bridge.

As they talked, they soon arrived at the island in the center of the lake. Unnoticed before, the bridge had subtly transformed beneath their feet.

“That’s our guardian tree,” Luo Rong pointed proudly at the massive tree towering in the middle of the city. “You’re standing on one of its roots. Long before Qingchi City was built, it was already growing here. Our ancestors once fell into Lake Ling, and it was the divine tree that saved them. It raised an island in the lake and gave them a place to live.”

Seeing the stunned looks on the faces of the Heiyao group, Luo Rong smugly raised an eyebrow: “Tonight, you’ll sleep beneath the divine tree. That’s a privilege many beastmen never get in their entire lives.”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the divine tree. Shu Lin and a few others were practically bouncing with excitement, eager to drop their bags and explore right away.

Qi Bai gently touched a vine that hung beside him.

Just a single root had become a bridge.

From a distance, the tree had seemed like a mass of mist and clouds. But up close, they realized it was a towering giant that stretched into the heavens. Standing in the heart of the island, its sprawling branches shaded most of the city like a mother cradling her children.

At the moment Qi Bai locked eyes with the divine tree, everything around him suddenly fell silent.

The crowd, the walls, everything vanished. The lake became a green mirror, reflecting the sky so perfectly that Qi Bai couldn’t tell which was up and which was down.

He wasn’t sure if he was rising or the tree was shrinking, but his perspective continued to climb until he could “see” the entire divine tree in full.

A breeze brought a feeling of ease and tranquility. Or perhaps it wasn’t a breeze — perhaps it was the divine tree’s presence.

“Bao Bai! Bao Bai!”

Luo Shu’s voice sounded in the distance, pulling Qi Bai out of the mystical vision.

Luo Shu looked at him, puzzled: “Why’d you stop walking?”

Luo Shu’s voice wasn’t quiet — even Lang Ze at the front turned around to look.

Just as Qi Bai shook his head, thinking he must’ve been hallucinating and was about to move forward—

Splash!

A giant fish, at least ten meters long, suddenly leaped out of the lake. As water sprayed everywhere, a white object arced through the air and landed directly into Qi Bai’s arms.

Before anyone could react, Lang Ze appeared beside Qi Bai.

“Wait.”

Seeing Lang Ze ready to strike, Qi Bai quickly stopped him. He raised his hands, showing him the enormous, star-speckled object he now held… a pearl?

Qi Bai cautiously asked the huge fish still swimming near the surface, “Is this for me?”

“Ying, ying!”

The fish flapped its fins and let out adorable, baby-like sounds, as if waiting for praise.

Qi Bai hugged the giant pearl and chuckled, rubbing the fish’s round head: “I love it. Thank you.”

The fish looked a bit like a white whale. Its cold, round head was soft and pleasant to touch, so Qi Bai couldn't help rubbing it a few more times.

“Ying ying~”

The fish cheerfully wagged its tail fin and circled in the water a few more times. Only when others approached did it reluctantly dive back into the lake and swim toward the center.

“Don’t hurt it!”

Despite her usual elegance, Madam Xia dashed over faster than both Luo Fu and Luo Shu. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of Qi Bai and Lang Ze.

Only after confirming the fish was safe did she relax. She gently touched her forehead with her fingers and began softly singing a prayer.

Qi Bai looked up and winked at Lang Ze.

What was he supposed to do with this pearl? Sure, the fish had given it to him, but this was their territory…

Unexpectedly, not only did the Qingchi people show no sign of trying to take it back, their attitude toward Qi Bai and Lang Ze became even more sincere than before.

Even the usually composed Luo Fu was visibly moved: “Friends from Heiyao, this is a token from the divine tree. You have received its recognition and thus the respect of all Qingchi beastmen!”

What Qi Bai held was a Ling Pearl from Lake Ling.

Ling Pearls themselves weren’t particularly rare — many animals at the lake bottom had them, and Qingchi folk often collected them as home decorations. But no one had ever seen one this large, this round, or one that emitted a soft glow. Luo Fu was certain this was the divine tree’s legendary token.

He struck his chest with his fist: “I vow here and now — any time Heiyao arrives at Qingchi bearing this token, we will give our all to assist you.”

“Hou hou!”

Many beastmen had gathered near the island, originally just hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous Heiyao delegation. But they were now fortunate enough to witness the divine tree’s messenger present a token. Following Luo Fu’s vow, all the beastmen raised their arms and cheered in unison.

No one blamed them for being excited. The last time the divine tree’s messenger appeared was over twenty years ago, when Xia first came to Qingchi. Even then, the fish only did a few flips and created a rainbow, which was already enough to amaze everyone.

But today — it had swum to the city’s edge and even delivered a token. Not even the oldest beastmen in the city had seen such a thing in their lifetimes.

Under everyone’s envious gaze, Qi Bai calmly wrapped up the *Ling

Pearl*.

Such a flawless natural pearl would be priceless whether in the Beastmen Continent or back on Blue Star. Qi Bai stroked its smooth surface with satisfaction — at this moment, he was absolutely certain: money can indeed buy happiness.

Though the Qingchi folk revered the divine tree, that didn’t mean they feared touching it. The fact that they used its roots as bridge extensions showed how deeply the tree was integrated into their daily lives.

Still, Qi Bai hadn’t expected it to be this integrated.

Swings made of vines, dugouts beneath roots, even tents built in the branches.

You could say — it was Qingchi’s blessing to have the divine tree, and the divine tree’s blessing to have Qingchi.

Shu Lin and Lang Ji were taken to their accommodations by Luo Rong, while Qi Bai and Lang Ze were invited by Luo Fu and Madam Xia to dinner.

They climbed up a winding vine path and stopped on a broad treetop platform.

In the center was a table and chairs formed from coiled vines. Several slaves, carrying pottery and giant seashells, respectfully set food on the table.

Living by a lake, Qingchi’s diet naturally revolved around lake delicacies.

Perhaps thanks to Luo Shu — who had once been obsessed with gourmet food — Qingchi’s culinary skills were impressive. They had grilled, fried, stewed, and braised dishes just for fish, and many dishes showed Heiyao influences. Clearly, the young lord had done his homework.

Luo Shu hadn’t fully calmed down yet, but he hadn’t forgotten to host his guests. He pointed to a large fish in the center of the table: “This is fanglin fish, found only in Lake Ling. They live in the lake’s center and are hard to hunt, especially in winter. Only the best swimmers can catch them. You must try it.”

Qi Bai tasted a bite. The fish had only a few fruits as seasoning, yet its flavor was extraordinarily rich — far beyond that of ordinary freshwater fish.

From the platform, one could clearly see the dark green lake in the distance. Though Lake Ling was rich in resources, beastmen still had to reach them.

Qi Bai thought for a moment, then pulled out a small notebook from his pocket, tore out a sheet, and began folding it with full concentration.

Paper folding was a childhood game every Huaguo kid knew. The steps were etched into Qi Bai’s memory — his hands knew what to do without his mind needing to think.

Soon, he pushed the finished folded item toward the Qingchi trio. “Here, a small gift from me to Qingchi.”

The three leaned in to study the fragile paper, then looked at each other in confusion.

Madam Xia, who had worked in the central temple for years, had never seen paper before — much less objects folded from it. “What is it?”

“It’s a boat,” Qi Bai said. “Could I have a container of water, please?”

Luo Fu waved his hand, and a slave quickly brought over a large shell filled with water.

Qi Bai placed the paper boat in. It wobbled slightly, then floated steadily on the surface.

Luo Shu looked left and right but couldn’t see the trick. Madam Xia, however, showed a glimmer of realization.

“If these are beastmen,” Qi Bai said, placing a few chunks of dried meat into the boat, “then by rowing with paddles, they could go wherever they want.”

When he compared the meat to beastmen, Luo Shu instinctively reached out to support the boat — but to everyone’s surprise, the flimsy-looking paper boat held up the heavier meat with only a bit of swaying.

“A... boat…” Luo Shu gaped, stunned. “A boat can let beastmen float into the lake…”

Qi Bai nodded with a smile: “With a boat, your people don’t need to worry about getting hurt in the water anymore.”

He’d noticed some floating logs near the shore earlier — Qingchi’s people had clearly started experimenting with tools to access the lake. They just hadn’t figured out how to build boats yet.

Qi Bai had always dreamed of building boats and sailing to catch seafood. But Heiyao’s technology couldn’t produce seaworthy vessels. Lake Ling, however, was calm and close to the city. They didn’t need ships — small rafts and fishing boats were more than doable.

Since he’d accepted a gift from the divine tree, it was only right to help a little. How far Qingchi could go from here would depend on them.

Thinking this, Qi Bai looked up at the divine tree.

This old fellow probably knew he could help — and paid him in advance.