Chapter 243: Three Little Sheep
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Qiao Mai snorted. Would she let the northern gate fall?
It was impossible, for if the northern gate fell, County She would be in trouble. What would happen to her tens of thousands of acres of pine forests, her family, and her friends?
As long as she was around, nothing would happen to the northern gate.
She decided to let them try to attack first. Otherwise, everything would be left for her to deal with. The emperor had never shown her any favor.
She might be just a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator now, but when dealing with invaders on her territory, she had more than enough confidence.
Thinking about forming her nascent soul, she decided that after this batch of pine trees was harvested, she would spend some time in seclusion to focus on her cultivation.
Her days were busy. Qiao Mai needed someone to look after things outside.
So, after Yuan Jiaqi returned to County She, she entered her space.
Every time she entered the space, she had a different experience, whether it was adding something new or improving its beauty. The space was becoming more organized and beautiful.
Greeny thought of everything she did not. When Qiao Mai entered her space, the place she lived in had transformed into a garden. Various types of flowers were in full bloom, creating a beautiful sight.
She used her mind to examine the land, and to her astonishment, Greeny had planted vast fields of flowers.
There were peonies, peony flowers, chrysanthemums, roses, carnations, lilies, plum blossoms, azaleas, and different flowers and plants. This fellow was truly capable.
Delighted, she said, “Greeny?”
“I’m here. What can I do for you, Master?”
She reached out to pat Greeny on the head. It playfully dodged her, flying into the air with a blush.
“Master, you’re so naughty.”
“You’re just too cute; I adore you.”
She even made a heart-shaped gesture to emphasize her affection, making Greeny even more embarrassed.
“This is what Greeny should do.”
“Let’s go and look on the platform to see if there are any suitable spirit beasts for me to form contracts with.’
At the mention of her wanting to raise pets, Greeny was upset. It couldn’t allow it because it was supposed to be her only one.
“Master, why do you need other beasts when you have me?”
“I’m going to form the nascent soul and cultivate in the space. I need animals to help protect my family and come to the space to call for me in case of an emergency. ”
“So, your minions, Master.”
“Yes.”
Hearing this explanation, Greeny became happier. “I will help you choose; I know what kind of beasts are suitable for you and are strong in combat.” “To deal with ordinary people outside, combat strength doesn’t matter much. Grass-eating spirit beasts will do just fine; otherwise, I would have to buy meat to feed them, which would be too wasteful. Fortunately, there’s so much grass in the space, so there’s no need to buy more.” “Master, you’re so frugal.”
“I’m just making good use of the space.”
They searched on the platform for spirit beasts she could form contracts with, nearly getting into a fight over the ones they wanted.
The practical ones are not good-looking, but the good-looking ones are carnivores.
Since her cultivation level was high, good contract spirit beasts were rare to come by, and they were pretty expensive.
Therefore, Qiao Mai could only buy spirit beasts of the fifth rank or lower. If she wanted good looks, she should choose spirit beasts; if she wanted to show off, she should choose orcs. Reluctantly, she picked a herbivore, a creature that resembled a sheep.
This way, there would be no suspicion about the sudden appearance of the animals. No one would suspect a thing, as they would think that she had begun to raise sheep.
After buying three, she decided to form contracts with them. It was not her first time making contracts, and she was more experienced, so she quickly established the bond.
“Master, master, baa.”
It turns out that contracted spirit beasts communicate this way. “That’s right, Master. Although we can’t speak directly, we can communicate with you through our thoughts.”
“Got it. I need three helpers. Can you help me protect my family and let me know if there’s anything wrong?”
“We’re herbivores, Master.”
“Don’t worry; you only need to deal with ordinary people.”
“That’s no problem, but when we are outside, we can’t cultivate. Our cultivation will degrade.”
“I’ll make alchemical pills for you; that will ensure you don’t run into any issues.”
“Thank you, Master.”
So, Qiao Mai appeared in her courtyard with three sheep. When they smelled the air, they were displeased.
Qiao Mai bought them a storage bag, hung it around their necks, and put the pills she had prepared for their cultivation in it.
Once they entered the courtyard, they felt at ease. “Go ahead and check out the surroundings and get familiar with my family members. As long as you are here, I can’t let anything happen to them.”
“Yes, Master.”
The three little sheep frolicked around Lucky Garden, exploring every nook and cranny, familiarizing themselves with the surroundings and recognizing people.
Their presence created quite a sensation. The family marveled at these snow-white, immaculate little creatures with not a single messy hair on them. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and followed the sheep around, watching their every move.
After their exploration, the sheep returned to Qiao Mai’s courtyard. She was sitting there sipping tea when she saw a crowd at her gate.
She chuckled in embarrassment and said, “Hehe, they’re adorable, aren’t they? That’s why I bought three of them.”
“You bought sheep for what, to eat mutton?”
The sheep shivered all over. Qiao Mai hurriedly explained, “No, I just bought them for fun. I love how they look, but I don’t eat their meat.”
The sheep were relieved. As they were bound by a contract to serve their master, the idea of them ending up as mutton wasn’t a concern anymore.
Old Master and Mistress Wang came over, and Qiao Mai poured tea for them. The children also loved the sheep. Even Ling’er, who liked badass animals, held them and didn’t want to let them go.
“You got these from overseas?”
“No, I got them from the mountains in the northwest. They won’t cause any harm.”
“You always come up with these strange things.”
At this moment, the two cats in Old Mistress Wang’s arms were staring at the three sheep, constantly making whimpering sounds.
Qiao Mai glared at the sheep, and they immediately restrained their aura. The cats also quieted down.
Animals are the most sensitive. When there’s something unusual, they’re the first to sense it, especially cats that roam at night.
Sometimes, they can sense spirits, so many people say they’re guardian spirits of the underworld.
In any case, since these three sheep came to the house, there was nothing unusual.
People wondered why Qiao Mai let these sheep run around instead of keeping them fenced like the deer.
Fortunately, the servants had never seen the sheep leaving droppings. Every time they saw them, it was like seeing three fluffy clouds floating around.
Occasionally, people would also see them eating from the deer’s trough. As soon as they approached, the deer would run away, seeming quite afraid of them.
In the blink of an eye, it was July. The rain kept pouring down.
Every night, Qiao Mai would hear official carriages’ wheels rolling endlessly. It seemed that the commoners were unaware of the war.
Fortunately, the generals leading the troops were disciplined and didn’t allow their soldiers to harass the commoners. Otherwise, the Tianshui Town would be in chaos, and the Imperial City would be in turmoil.
Nobody wanted war. The moment it started, everyone was concerned about the waste and suffering it would bring.
Not to mention the heavy taxes paid by the commoners. The nation was poor, and many coveted the Ming Dynasty even more.
Nevertheless, the commoners were observant. After all, the rain-soaked earth of the official road was soft, and the marks of the grain carts could not be concealed.
Some people with free time pointed at the marks left by the two large wheels and discussed.
“What are they transporting that’s flattening the official road like this?”
“It’s either iron or grain. There must be at least a thousand catties in that cart.”
“Why do they always transport it at night?” “Exactly! Let’s go and take a peek tonight.”
“Good idea.”
After this observation, it turned out that it was all soldiers and grain carts. Some people were horrified, realizing that when such things happened, it meant a war was imminent.
Good Lord, after so many years without war, it was starting again. The Ming Dynasty was going broke.
The next day, the commoners spread the news, and the grain stores and grocery shops were crowded with people.
Every household wanted to stock up on grain because nobody knew how high the grain prices would rise with the war looming..
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