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Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Pepper is Hungry
Tian Xinyue really couldn’t understand, in her view, those hardy mountain folks who lived their entire lives without ever leaving their mountains were living just fine, weren’t they? So why was it that Han Jiaojiao’s brother, with plenty of supplies and no worries about food or drink, was actually not doing well?
Staring at the starry sky, Han Jiaojiao slowly said, "Food and ammunition will run out one day, living for three to five years might be fine, but what about ten years, twenty years? One day, we’ll have no choice but to return to the base."
Agriculture, industry, commerce, medical care, education... all these are closely related to life, and we can never do without them.
After thinking for a while, Tian Xinyue seemed to understand and said, "Yeah, when Tiantian grows up, it will be hard for her to find a boyfriend, surrounded by nothing but old geezers."
Unable to help herself, Han Jiaojiao chuckled, "What nonsense are you thinking of!"
Tian Xinyue laughed too and said, "Actually, it’s not bad now, since we’re so awesome! No matter which base we go to, no one dares to mess with us. In the future, when Tiantian wants to choose a son-in-law, people will be breaking down our door."
"Stop it, be careful lest Doctor Hao overhears you," Han Jiaojiao teased with a laugh, flipping over to cover her mouth, "You’re still single, why worry about a five-year-old girl!"
Tian Xinyue’s face turned red, and she retorted, "I’m still young! My mom made me promise not to date until after graduating from college, not everyone’s an early bloomer like you!"
"Ha, you’re actually saying I started dating early! In foreign countries, you can get married at eighteen!"
"But we aren’t foreigners..."
"Don’t you understand globalization? Don’t you know about the global village? The entire earth is just one village!"
My goodness, Jiaojiao, your mouth is just as sharp as Yan Xiao’s!"
"How dare you compare me to Yan Xiao, I’ll show you—" Han Jiaojiao threatened playfully.
"Ah hahaha! Stop, stop, stop! It tickles! Ahaha!..."
As the two were fooling around, Han Jiaojiao looked up and saw Pepper crawling over slowly, followed by Cotton Candy, Xiaogua, and Xiaodou, who appeared to be dragging something, which made their crawling speed quite slow.
Tian Xinyue also quickly saw them and immediately stood up with a start! Despite having seen them many times, Tian Xinyue still found it hard to look directly at Han Jiaojiao’s "cute" pets...
"Eh?" Han Jiaojiao brushed off the grass on her clothes and sat up, "What’s going on..."
Pepper climbed right up to the front, its vines skillfully wrapping around Han Jiaojiao’s arm to pull itself up onto her shoulder, and like a cuddly kitten, it nuzzled her face with its fluffy anemone-like head.
Tickled, Han Jiaojiao laughed ceaselessly, while Tian Xinyue got goosebumps all over her body.
"Gugu, gugu..."
Xiaogua, Xiaodou, and Cotton Candy also gradually made their way over, their vines each coiling around several dead mutant beasts like pheasants, squirrels, rabbits, and even a huge deer.
Seeing this, Tian Xinyue couldn’t help but exclaim in awe, "Wow! They caught these in the mountains, right? That’s amazing..."
Han Jiaojiao was also surprised. Was this... for her to eat?
Why hadn’t she seen them show her such filial piety in her previous life?
Han Jiaojiao patted each of their heads in turn and coaxed them, "You guys eat them yourselves, I’ve already had dinner."
Hearing how Han Jiaojiao talked to them like they were children, Tian Xinyue felt a new layer of goosebumps forming over her already goosebumped skin...
"Gugu!"
Pepper swung on her shoulder and suddenly jumped down, agitatedly moving around the animal corpses on the ground while making gugu noises. Cotton Candy and Xiaogua, Xiaodou joined in with the gugu sounds, with the largest of them all, Cotton Candy, even nudging the carcasses with its head, flipping them belly-up.
"What’s happening..." Han Jiaojiao stood up, puzzled, then after a moment, she realized, "Oh! I get it now! Do these mutant beasts have crystal cores in their bodies? Did you leave them for me?!"
"Gulu gulu gulu..."
Han Jiaojiao drew out her dagger and walked over.
Tian Xinyue was also very curious and wanted to take a closer look, but the Space-Time Beasts made threatening gulu noises at her, especially Cotton Candy whose anger was most apparent. Its entire body’s white fur would puff up, and a golden crown of feathers would even extend from its head.
Scared, Tian Xinyue quickly stopped in her tracks, her legs feeling a bit wobbly. She momentarily forgot that the Space-Time Beasts were not yet accustomed to her, a teammate who had joined partway.
Prodding a few Mutant Beast corpses with the tip of her knife, Han Jiaojiao soon dug out several Crystal Cores. She immediately hugged them tightly and kissed them fiercely!
"You guys are amazing! Truly my precious darlings!"
The corner of Tian Xinyue’s mouth twitched.
Holding the pile of Crystal Cores, Han Jiaojiao, unconcerned about the blood on her hands, ran towards Han Yi—
"Brother, brother! Look! Look what Pepper and the others gave me!"
Tian Xinyue watched Han Jiaojiao’s receding figure speechlessly, her heart filled with melancholy: Jiaojiao, at least get your pets to move away first...
Xiaogua, Xiaodou, and Cotton Candy had already begun to eat. These Mutant Beasts were clearly freshly dead and still very fresh. They each grabbed one and ate in silence, only Pepper didn’t eat but instead stared intently at Tian Xinyue as if observing a delicious dish.
Tian Xinyue cautiously stepped back.
Pepper gradually moved forward.
As Tian Xinyue retreated, Pepper advanced.
Tian Xinyue didn’t dare to move anymore and stood off against Pepper for a moment. The psychological pressure became unbearable, and she turned and ran as fast as her legs could carry her!—If the back of her head had eyes, she would definitely see the purple vine tentacle that shot out towards her legs like lightning!
"Pepper!"
Han Jiaojiao suddenly shouted from a distance, and Pepper, reluctantly, withdrew its tentacles and let out a series of low gulu calls in frustration.
Tian Xinyue didn’t realize she had just narrowly escaped death.
Han Jiaojiao watched Pepper intently for a while until it sulkily left and its purple figure disappeared into the darkness. Only then did Han Jiaojiao look away.
Han Yi brought some hot water for Han Jiaojiao to wash the blood off her hands and glanced carelessly into the distance, asking, "Did it want to eat a Superpower User?"
Han Jiaojiao felt like a parent who couldn’t control her unruly child. She nodded her head somewhat embarrassedly and said softly, "Pepper likes to eat Superpower Users and Alien Species with Abilities. If it really gets too hungry... it will also eat those Mutant Beasts with Crystal Cores."
Han Yi shook his head, smiling silently, "Pretty picky, aren’t we?"
Han Jiaojiao, anxious that Han Yi might dislike Pepper, hurriedly explained, "It’s growing right now, so it always feels hungry. It’ll settle down after this phase. I’ll keep an eye on it and not let it hurt everyone..."
"It’s fine, this is good," Han Yi replied softly, taking a soft dry towel to wipe Han Jiaojiao’s hands.
"...Eh?" Han Jiaojiao widened her eyes in surprise at Han Yi.
Han Yi just smiled and said, "Brother will figure out how to feed Pepper well, don’t worry."
"Okay," Han Jiaojiao nodded.
Han Yi had a new hypothesis. He was almost certain now that Pepper was an existence akin to a natural enemy for Alien Species. Its presence made Alien Species involuntarily stay clear, which could explain the unusual occurrences they had encountered on the road.
It was just unfortunate that Pepper was still young and didn’t know how to conceal its aura, so it couldn’t hunt prey that suited its taste. It seemed it needed someone to lend a hand.
