Chapter 137: The Strange Fire Rabbit

After being startled awake in the night, Tang Wei struggled to fall back asleep for a long time. Yet, by the next morning, she was back to her usual self, as if the fright from the night before had been nothing more than a passing dream—a dream that vanished the moment she woke. As for the current state of Zixuan, no one knew for sure.

Although the dream had been a warning, Tang Wei dismissed it as mere imagination. There was no need for everyone to worry; after all, Tang Wei and Zixuan shared a connected fate. Since Tang Wei was perfectly fine, Zixuan was definitely not in any immediate mortal danger. One couldn't really blame Tang Wei for being so thick-skinned—she had always been a bit oblivious—and everyone just had to be understanding. Besides, she was currently trapped by circumstances in Sang Village, unable to leave or stay, and was desperately trying to find a food source to sustain the villagers so she could eventually make her escape.

Wanwan had been trailing Tang Wei through the forest like her shadow. Over the time they had spent together, they had developed an unspoken rapport, becoming as familiar as old friends. Apart from the mystery of their respective origins, they shared everything. Wanwan knew that Tang Wei wanted to leave the village but felt pity for the elderly, weak, women, and children who had no one else to care for them, so she was wholeheartedly helping her find a solution.

"Tang Wei, you want to find a food substitute in this forest that is both high-yielding and easy to grow. We've been searching for so long, and we haven't found a thing. I think your plan is going to be very difficult to pull off!" Wanwan wasn't trying to be discouraging, but the long search had left her feeling somewhat defeated, and she couldn't help but sigh in Tang Wei’s own tone. She had even picked up the word "thingy" from Tang Wei.

"Don't be impatient. I refuse to believe that in a forest this vast, I can't find a substitute for food." If Tang Wei had to rely on her own faith, she would rather trust in Earth’s technology. While this planet was far superior in martial arts, Earth held the edge in high-tech solutions. The high-yield crops on Earth, like corn or sweet potatoes, didn't just appear out of thin air; they were discovered and then widely cultivated. She believed similar plants must exist here. Just two days ago, she had found something similar to a chili pepper—different in appearance, but identical in taste—which had bolstered her confidence significantly.

"Fine! Since you're so sure we'll find it, let’s keep looking slowly. I have nothing better to do anyway. I'll just treat trekking up the mountains with you as exercise." Wanwan sat down on the grass, unbothered, and plucked a blade of grass to chew on, looking every bit like a female ruffian. It was hard to imagine why Tang Wei had initially thought she resembled Yaya and Yunqian. Considering that her name, "Wanwan," usually implied grace and elegance, the person in question was certainly wasting the lovely name her father had given her.

"Enjoy your swaggering while you can! Who told you to insist on following me?" The more she spent time with her, the more Tang Wei realized that Wanwan possessed a free-spirited, unconstrained nature. She was carefree, open, and acted on impulse—definitely possessing the same authentic character as Yaya and Yunqian. Because of this, Tang Wei felt comfortable engaging with her sincerely.

"If I weren't worried about you being bored on the mountain alone, I wouldn't have bothered to tag along! In exchange for me being so good to you, why don't you roast another one of those fire-rabbits for me?" Tang Wei’s only real talents were eating and sleeping, though she was admittedly excellent at cooking—a skill she owed entirely to her own gluttony.

"You still want to eat that? Didn't your tongue go numb from the spice yesterday? You called me a 'poisonous woman' and swore you'd never touch the stuff again. Why are you looking for trouble today?" Tang Wei chuckled at the memory of Wanwan’s first encounter with chili peppers—tears and snot streaming down her face. It was the same for everyone who tried them for the first time: absolute agony, wishing they could throw the food a hundred thousand miles away. But once the initial shock faded, the aftertaste proved addictive—more habit-forming than poppy seeds.

"That was just because I was ignorant! A magnanimous person like you shouldn't hold a grudge against a little girl like me. You have to admit, after eating it, you feel refreshed and energized. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water." As she imagined the roasted fire-rabbit, Wanwan drooled, willing to act a bit shameless if it meant getting another taste.

"Alright, seeing as you've worked so hard, I'll let you try it once more. But don't accuse me of poisoning you this time!" Tang Wei teased, wanting to see Wanwan’s reaction.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Wanwan didn't care at all; she just wanted to eat. She sprawled out on the ground, waiting expectantly.

Tang Wei tossed a stick at her and laughed, "You’re just going to sit there and wait? Get up and help me catch the fire-rabbit! You’re the first person I’ve met who’s even lazier than I am."

"Oh! With your skills, surely you can catch one easily. Why do you need me?" Wanwan muttered, but she reluctantly stood up to help.

"Little brat! My skills might be good, but that’s for my own meal. If you want to eat, you have to work for it. I agreed to roast it for you, but you still have to do your part—or were you hoping for a free handout?" Tang Wei ignored her sighing, shot her a sidelong glance, and headed straight into the depths of the forest.

"We're friends, aren't we? Do we really need to be so calculating? You’re so unromantic." Wanwan complained with mock grievance.

"Hey! If you don't know how to use words, don't use them randomly. 'Unromantic' has nothing to do with us. And please, don't talk to me in that disgusting tone; it gives me goosebumps." Tang Wei shuddered, unable to stand it. The two continued to bicker as they trekked deeper into the mountains.

"Wanwan, there's a fire-rabbit less than a hundred meters ahead to the left. Go catch it!" Tang Wei’s spiritual sense was more effective, and she spotted their lunch first.

"You're the best!" Wanwan didn't hesitate and dashed in the direction Tang Wei pointed.

Although Tang Wei had sent Wanwan to catch the rabbit, she kept an eye on the situation. To her surprise, this fire-rabbit was different—it was faster than the others, and the fireballs it spat seemed larger. Wanwan almost got hit by one, and only a quick reaction saved her. She tumbled awkwardly into a pile of grass, with dry stalks sticking out of her hair, looking a mess that made Tang Wei want to laugh.

Tang Wei didn't have time to tease her, as she was busy wondering why this rabbit was so unusual. She had been careless earlier and hadn't looked closely. She had been here before and hadn't noticed anything special. Tang Wei frowned, unable to figure it out.

Wanwan was furious. She had never been so humiliated in her life, and now she had been outplayed by a small rabbit. It was a blow to her pride; she wouldn't be satisfied until she caught it and skinned it alive! She lunged at the rabbit, but the creature dodged with ease. Infuriated, Wanwan drew her rarely-used short sword and struck, only to miss again. The creature didn't flee like a normal animal; it stood there with its head held high, looking at her with what seemed like mockery. If Wanwan didn't realize something was wrong by now, she truly would be a fool.

This little creature was definitely extraordinary. Wanwan was considered a high-level martial artist; only the old masters of this planet could give her trouble, and even they usually treated her with deference. She had never expected to be bested by such a small thing.

Now, Wanwan didn't dare act rashly. Like Tang Wei, she began to wonder about its origin. "Where did such a strange little thing come from?"

As she pondered, Tang Wei approached, suppressing her spiritual energy to avoid scaring the creature away. She moved with extreme caution. In her view, the rabbit was similar to the white fox she had encountered in China—it had awakened its spiritual intelligence. She was curious about what circumstances had triggered this. If she could find the key, she might stumble upon a treasure.

With her Golden Core cultivation, catching the creature would be effortless, but her goal wasn't to capture it—it was to understand how it had awakened its intelligence. To solve that, she had to observe its environment, habits, and diet, which meant tracking it. Since such a small creature could easily vanish, Tang Wei decided to cast a tracking spell on it.

She owed this skill to the time Yaya had been kidnapped; otherwise, with Tang Wei’s natural laziness, she probably never would have mastered such a technique. Compared to the ordeal Zixuan had faced in the Fifth Star System, her life here was a paradise. Perhaps it was true that heaven really did look after the lazy.