Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

Liu Mei cradled the limp snakes with reverence, then shoved them into Alice's hands.

Alice didn't flinch. She simply smiled as she cradled the snakes like they were nothing out of the ordinary.

Then, with a spark of energy, she signed a few swift gestures to Liu Mei.

Liu Mei blinked, then turned toward their designated translator. "Betty?"

Betty pinched the bridge of her nose with the weight of a thousand headaches.

"She says…" Betty muttered. "Bring her some firewood. She'll start the fire."

Liu Mei clapped her hands. "Excellent! That's my disciple! Everyone, assist the chef!"

Icehart muttered under his breath, "We're seriously cooking snakes now…?"

Zhao Yun gave him a sideways glance.

"…I'll gather the firewood," he said, already walking off.

Within minutes, a modest campfire had been built.

Zhao Yun stacked the last bit of firewood with surprising grace, brushing her palms together. "Firewood's set."

Alice knelt beside it, her small frame moving with quiet efficiency.

She clapped her hands once, gathered a bit of soul energy in her palm, and gently tapped the wood.

Fwoosh.

A small flame came to life, crackling cheerfully in the jungle's otherwise wild hum.

Liu Mei leaned over Alice's shoulder like a curious child. "Nice, nice. Oh! Don't forget the glands. I heard if you eat snake meat without taking them out, you will hallucinate for weeks or even months."

Alice blinked, then nodded solemnly.

Liu Mei watched proudly as Alice skinned the snakes with clean precision, her hands swift but gentle.

She cut away the inedible bits and coiled the meat neatly.

"She's definitely my disciple," Liu Mei said smugly. "So talented. So composed. And probably not a personal chef."

"Probably?" Yuu echoed.

As Alice dropped the seasoned meat onto a heated pan conjured with spirit energy, the aroma filled the clearing, earthy, spicy, and oddly mouth-watering.

Even Icehart sniffed the air, unwillingly intrigued.

"…Okay. That smells good," he admitted, clearly pained to say it.

Just as the meat began to sizzle and brown, Betty suddenly tilted her head.

"…Hold up. Anyone hear that?"

The jungle rustled.

Zhao Yun rose first, eyes narrowing. "Something's coming."

Alice calmly flipped the meat, unfazed.

Liu Mei cracked her knuckles. "Whatever it is, better not ruin dinner."

Yuu drew her blade with an exasperated sigh, casting Liu Mei a sideways glance.

"Maybe the heavens specifically told you not to eat snake meat, and this is their way of doubling down."

The trees in front of them began to sway unnaturally, parting with groans and cracks.

Then came the rumble, soft at first, like distant thunder which was followed by the unmistakable tremor of heavy steps.

"What… is that?" Yuu murmured, blade already half-drawn.

The ground ahead bulged, rising like a slow, deliberate wave. At first glance, it looked like a hill was lumbering toward them.

But then the "hill" raised its head.

A moss-covered snout pushed through the treeline, followed by a massive, craggy shell that shimmered faintly with protective runes.

Liu Mei blinked in excitement. "Wait… is that the tortoise Alice was chatting with earlier?"

Sure enough, it was.

The Ancient Tortoise, eyes half-lidded in the way of all extremely old, extremely tired creatures, emerged from the jungle like a forgotten god going for a walk.

It blinked once, its gaze sweeping over the group, then slowly opened its mouth.

And let out a slow, guttural yawn.

"…He's back," Betty said, deadpan.

"Maybe he smelled the food," Yuu added.

Liu Mei held up a plate. "Hey, big guy! You want a bite?"

The tortoise blinked again… then took a single, monumental step forward, causing a few birds to flee from nearby trees.

Zhao Mei didn't speak but her hand was still on her weapon, just in case.

The tortoise lumbered to a stop just a few meters from the fire. The heat from its breath made the flames flicker.

Alice dusted her hands, rose from beside the fire, and quietly approached the giant tortoise.

The massive beast watched her with eyes half-lidded.

Standing just before its mossy beak, she raised her small hands and began signing.

The tortoise tilted its head slightly, and then

Grunnnnnt.

A deep, earthen rumble rolled from its throat. The sound alone sent a vibration through the ground, shaking stray leaves loose from the canopy above.

Hrunnnnnnnt.

Betty's brows furrowed as her eyes scanned Alice's movements.

The rest of the group was frozen, silent.

Zhao Mei and Zhao Yun had stopped mid-watch, leaning ever so slightly forward.

Yuu's blade was half-raised, just in case, but her eyes were locked on Alice.

Betty's lips moved silently as she tried to decode the signs.

Her expression shifted, confused, then wide-eyed, then slightly horrified.

Suddenly, Liu Mei froze mid-bite, eyes narrowing as if something deeply important had just struck her.

"Wait…" she said, slowly turning around. "Where's the monkey?"

Yuu blinked. "You mean… money?"

"No! The monkey! The ice monkey!" Liu Mei snapped, scanning the area frantically.

Her gaze swept past the group and landed on the now-empty spot where Icehart had been sitting.

Her brows furrowed.

The others turned as well, even Yuu included and then he realized the truth at the same time.

He was gone.

"…You mean to tell me he slipped away?" Yuu muttered.

Liu Mei gasped, dramatically clutching her chest. "Our billion taels of gold has dissapeared!"

"Yuu!" she barked, "Can you find the monkey?"

Yuu exhaled through her nose, lips twitching into a smile. "Luckily… I injected a tracker into his blood."

She raised one hand, tracing a glowing sigil in the air with practiced ease.

A pulse of energy flickered, and a small portal bloomed open, showing a swirling image on the other side.

But just as quickly as it appeared, it snapped shut with a sharp crack.

Yuu's smile dropped.

"…The portal rejected the link."

Liu Mei gasped again. "You mean, he broke it?!"

Yuu's expression darkened. "No. He didn't break it, he's not strong enough for that. It's likely Something—or someone—is interfering with the portal key.."