The Wicked Female Is Wild and Scheming, Living in a Love Battlefield Every Day-Chapter 318 - 261: They’re Here (Part 2)

"Several years?"

Lyle’s hand trembled, nearly toppling the bowl. "Then wouldn’t the cold season..."

She nodded. "Exactly. If we could grow it on a large scale, the tribe would never have to worry about running out of food during the cold season again."

The Priest’s whiskers twitched in excitement. "Plant it, we must plant it, this is far more reliable than hunting."

With few prey active during the cold season, it was nearly impossible to catch anything. The extreme cold left countless elderly, infants, and females starved or frozen to death every year.

Even many beastmen died.

If the rice could indeed be stored for such a long time, then food shortages would no longer be an issue in the future.

"But there’s no time to plant now."

Lyle frowned, looking out from the shed. "It’s more urgent to build the city wall and houses first, as the harvest season is nearing its end, and the cold season is upon us. We need to construct city walls and houses and store enough game for the winter. Planting rice will have to wait until next spring."

Corbin elegantly swallowed the last bite of rice, his silver eyes narrowing slightly. "The leader is right. However..."

He glanced at Kian Sterling. "I suggest reserving enough farmland when planning the city wall."

Kian offered a slight smile. "I’ve considered this already, but I plan to reserve the farmland outside the city wall. Besides rice, we also need to plant hemp. These are large crops, and it’s unrealistic to plant them inside the city wall."

Luna Sutton nodded slightly. "Kian is right; planting inside the city walls is indeed unrealistic, and there’s not enough space. As for the problem of animals causing damage, the beastmen can take turns guarding it when the time comes."

Lyle and the Priest also expressed their agreement.

Corbin had nothing more to say. Whether the crops were inside or outside the city, it made no difference to him as long as there was enough farmland. "Is there enough rice seed?"

"I’ve kept a portion for seeds."

Luna Sutton replied calmly. "It should be enough to plant over ten acres."

Rhys Blackwood suddenly spoke up. "There should be more rice in other places. I can go and check with Corbin."

Luna Sutton acknowledged with a soft hum. "Then go take a look."

As if recalling something, she added, "When you’re out there, if you see any plants or stones you don’t recognize, feel free to bring them back for me to examine."

Wheat, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, ores — she needed to find these.

Unable to describe them all, she could only let them bring things back for her to identify. Who knows? They might be useful.

Rhys gave her a deep look and nodded in agreement.

After the meal, Lyle left with the Priest and the witch doctor.

The men took turns cleaning up the dishes and utensils.

......

In the dead of night, Mael Valerius transformed into his dragon form and flew Luna Sutton to the plateau at the canyon’s highest point.

Faint cold snorts resonated in the air.

But she couldn’t care; the Torch Dragon flew swiftly, carrying her to the canyon’s highest platform in the blink of an eye.

"Luna, I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time."

Mael transitioned back into his human form, gently setting her down, his fingertips brushing her cheeks, his voice raspy and filled with suppressed longing.

Luna Sutton’s heart raced, her cheeks warming under his intense gaze. "You... you’re pressing on me..."

Mael relaxed slightly, his nose gently grazing her collarbone. "Luna, tonight the moonlight is beautiful, but in my eyes, you surpass the moon’s beauty."

The bright moonlight spilled like water, casting two hazy silhouettes.

"Luna...."

He whispered in her ear, the hoarseness in his voice inviting, "Say my name."

"Mael... Mael Valerius..."

Luna Sutton’s eyes were already misted with tears, watery and her voice fragile.

"No, that’s not it."

He bent down, biting her gently in a teasing punishment, eliciting a shocked cry from her. "What did you used to call me when you were little?"

Suddenly, a memory flashed back—her younger self cradling the injured "Little Black Snake," softly comforting, "Little Mael, be good, it doesn’t hurt anymore..."

"Little Mael..."

The term, one that existed solely in her memory, felt awkward and unfamiliar.

But she said it anyway.

That utterance of "Little Mael" seemed to flip a switch, sending Mael Valerius spiraling out of control.

The night was long...

From afar, Corbin Crowley stood atop a tree branch, his silver eyes shining coldly in the dark.

He far-off watched Mael Valerius on the high platform, who was overcome with red eyes and madness, and Luna, who was wildly screaming and trembling. His lips pressed into a thin line.

He didn’t keep watching, turning away and vanishing into the night, a hint of gloom passing through his silver gaze.

In the following days, the tribespeople began to busy themselves.

Constructing the city wall and houses required vast amounts of manpower and resources. The beastmen organized themselves, dividing tasks and cooperating.

Some went into the forest to chop wood, others carried stones from the river, while others mixed mortar and assembled structures.

Kian Sterling did not return to The Royal City; instead, he chose to stay.

If he returned to The Royal City, how could he spend time intimately with Luna?

As for the affairs in The Royal City, he ordered the beastmen to send them to him for handling.

This rendered Luna Sutton amused and exasperated but she said nothing.

The news of Kian Sterling working in The Wolf Tribe quickly traveled back to The Royal City, causing an uproar.

The Old Priest of The Royal City stomped his foot, clutching the Beast Skin Scroll. "What kind of love potion has the new Beast King been given by that female?"

The Great Elder stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I’ve heard that the female has made two Tenth Rank Tributors of The Phoenix Clan bow to her. Perhaps she has exceptional abilities."

Second Prince Silas Sterling hid in the corner, sneering—he wished Kian would never return.

...

In Sky-mist Canyon, the morning mist had yet to lift.

Luna Sutton crouched beside the planned foundation, her finger pointing at the building blueprint Kian had drawn. "The wall needs to be at least three meters thick, the height..."

"Is ten meters high enough?"

Corbin bent down to measure, his silver eyes sweeping over the surrounding terrain. "The canyon entrance is narrow, building a wall here makes it easy to defend and hard to attack."

Rhys glanced over it. "Using granite for the base and clay to fill the gaps will be sturdier than just piling earth walls."

Zeke Veridian’s emerald eyes narrowed suddenly. "Someone’s coming."

Everyone looked up alertly to see fiery red wings slicing through the morning mist, followed by Soren Phoenix’s flamboyant voice—

"Luna~ the Young Master is here to join you!"

The fiery figure landed, feather robe fluttering, and behind Soren were a dozen giant-horned beasts laden with supplies.

The most eye-catching was the figure at the end of the line, Chloe Callahan, with a pitiful expression.

Luna Sutton was bewildered—if Soren Phoenix was coming, he was coming, but why did he bring Chloe Callahan along?