Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 304 - 197: Mediating a Fight and Lulling Him to Sleep
The flames of war were rekindling between the two men. The air was thick with the suffocating smell of gunpowder, and not even the heavy snowfall could extinguish their mounting fury.
Xi glanced from one to the other and suddenly decided that staying out of it was for the best. After all, he couldn’t win a fight against either of them.
An Jin steeled herself and stepped forward. She took Ling Hong’s hand, enveloping it with her own. "Gu Yin took great care of me," she said gently. "You don’t need to worry. I’m fine."
Ling Hong let out a soft snort, his anger finally subsiding as he relaxed.
Gu Yin’s icy gaze landed on their joined hands. The hands at his sides clenched into tight fists, his expression growing colder and more dangerous.
"You’ve worked so hard, Gu Yin," An Jin said, using her free hand to take his. "We never would have completed the mission without you. Let’s go home, get something to eat, and rest for a bit, okay?"
Her slender, pale fingers gently hooked around his, and she gave his hand a light, cajoling shake, full of a charm unique to females.
Gu Yin’s expression softened slightly. Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he looked up at her worried and concerned face, only then realizing the cold had made her look even more pale and frail.
He couldn’t resist reaching out to touch her cheek.
’So cold.’
A memory from that other time flashed through his mind without warning. Every nerve in his serpentine body tensed, and a pang of pain flared in his heart.
Without a second thought, he scooped her up and rushed toward the city.
"We’ll talk when we get back," Gu Yin said.
Ling Hong and Xi followed closely behind.
Upon returning to Sheng’an City, the Beastmen already had food prepared. After the three of them ate, they didn’t rush back to their wooden cabin.
An Jin told the others to go back and rest while she stayed behind to listen to the Beastmen report on various matters that had occurred during her absence—
A while ago, the coastal tides grew higher and higher, flooding the shore. The sudden deluge destroyed the homes of many small tribes built in low-lying areas.
The Beastmen of Sheng’an City followed the orders she had left before her departure. They gathered the refugees from the flood and moved them into the shelter caves they had prepared and cleaned out in advance.
Sheng’an City now had a food surplus, so they also took it upon themselves to provide food for the refugees.
This charitable act of providing aid moved many of the tribal Beastmen. As a result, those who had been displaced by the disaster began asking to join Sheng’an City.
Even the native Beastmen of Sheng’an City were preparing to evacuate to the shelter caves as planned, but then something unexpected happened.
Just two days ago! The floodwaters suddenly receded?!
All anyone remembered was suddenly feeling a powerful wave of Energy. Immediately after, the overwhelming floodwaters that had breached the coastline instantly withdrew.
Such a strange phenomenon was simply unheard of.
Most of the Beastmen, who didn’t know what had really happened, believed the Beast God had worked a miracle!
Upon hearing this, An Jin couldn’t help but smile. The Beastman giving the report quickly added, eager to please, "Ling Hong already told us! It was all thanks to you, Lord City Lord, and your mates. After they heard the truth, all the Beastmen from those other tribes wanted to join Sheng’an City!"
"Is that so?" ’I didn’t expect it to cause such a chain reaction,’ she thought.
The Beastmen nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Lord City Lord! You might not know this, but everyone has been secretly calling you the Goddess sent by the Beast God!"
"Many of the outside tribes are telling legendary tales about you. You’ve become a figure of faith, like a totem!"
"There’s no need to deify me like that. They might be disappointed when they meet me in person." An Jin smiled, then asked, "Is there anything else?"
’If there’s nothing else, I’m going back to sleep,’ An Jin thought, suppressing the urge to yawn.
’I’m no legendary Goddess. After traveling for so many days, a mere mortal like me needs a proper rest!’
Noticing the exhaustion in her eyes, the Beastman wasted no more words. "The last thing is the matter of settling those other Beastmen."
"Some of the Beastmen had their tribes or homes completely destroyed. They want to stay in Sheng’an City. Should we take all of them in? Although we have enough food in the city, but..."
’But many of them are old, young, sick, or disabled. Only a small portion of them are strong, young laborers. If we take them all in... won’t that be a drain on the city’s resources?’
"Of course we’ll take them in. Why wouldn’t we?"
An Jin saw their hesitation but just chuckled. "Sheng’an City already supports several thousand Beastmen," she said, unconcerned. "A few hundred more won’t be a problem. And as for the old, young, sick, and disabled you mentioned... rest assured, no Beastman who stays in this city gets to be idle."
’The young and strong can hunt. Those who can’t hunt can work on construction. The weaker ones can raise livestock. Those who can’t do that can farm... And if worse comes to worst, they can always gather wild vegetables and fruits, right?’
As long as they lived in her city, the true cold-blooded capitalist, An Jin, would exploit everyone’s labor equally. She harvested her leeks, wave after wave.
"The flood is over. Should we still keep the caves we dug? And some of them aren’t even finished. Should we keep digging?" the Beastman asked.
"Of course we’re keeping them. And keep digging the ones that aren’t finished!" ’The flood might be over, but the plan must continue.’
’What if another flood happens in the future?’
’After all, no one can be sure if there will be torrential rains or floods in the future, especially during the long rainy season. Better safe than sorry.’
...
Back inside the cabin, she shut the door, instantly cutting off the frigid wind that howled like a banshee.
The warmth of the heated floors was so comforting it almost brought tears to her eyes.
’An Jin swore she would not step outside again for the rest of this brutal winter!’
"Why are you sleeping here?" Catching a glimpse of a black-and-red serpentine shadow in the corner, An Jin smiled and walked over. She crouched down and stroked the python’s sleek body.
’He’s had a rough time lately.’
’Gu Yin was supposed to be hibernating through the harsh winter, but I dragged him along on this mission. Now that he’s back, he’s just collapsed here, completely still.’
"HISS~" *Waiting for you.*
The python shifted its body, seemingly awake now, and nuzzled its head against her palm.
Its blood-red, serpentine eyes gazed at her quietly, as if waiting for its reward.
She placed a kiss on its head.
"Good boy. Don’t sleep out here. Go sleep in the bedroom." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
An Jin tried to lift him, but it was no use. He was too heavy; she couldn’t move him at all.
A soft chuckle reached her ears. She felt a cold, hard chest press against her back. The man’s cool, long, ink-black hair brushed against her face. Then, an arm tightened around her waist, and Gu Yin lifted her into his arms.
"Come back to bed with me," he said, his voice laced with pleasure. ’He seems to have forgotten his spat with Ling Hong already,’ she mused.
An Jin blinked and tactfully chose not to say anything.
Once back in the room, Gu Yin shifted back into his snake form and coiled himself completely around her. He wrapped around her a full three times before resting his head contentedly on her soft thigh.
His tail stretched out and relaxed, occasionally giving her a light rub. This was a sign that both a snake’s mind and body were simultaneously at ease.
Only after Gu Yin was sound asleep did An Jin carefully and quietly climb out from within his coils. She tiptoed to the door and opened it just as silently, slipping out.
As soon as she stepped outside, she ran right into Ling Hong.
He seemed to have something to say.
