Chapter 158 Rainstorm

Hearing the system’s words, Qiao Suluo suddenly remembered that she could also awaken a superpower for Yue Hanzheng.

“But can I trust Yue Hanzheng?” she asked.

Actually, Qiao Suluo didn’t even know if she could trust him. Helping someone awaken a superpower was still an act of defying the natural order in the current Beast World. If others found out, it would bring her danger. She wasn’t actually afraid of this, but she didn’t want to bring danger to the people around her. What had happened to Qin Siyan before was a cautionary tale.

She could trust Que Hongjin and the others because she had truly formed a Contract with them. She could genuinely feel their affection and protectiveness toward her. But as for Yue Hanzheng, they hadn’t interacted much.

The system said, “Of course you can trust him. Yue Hanzheng’s character is impeccable; he is incredibly upright.

“Even when your predecessor treated him that way, he never thought about harming her.

“Even when he harbored so much hatred back then, he merely gave up on himself and said a few harsh words; he never laid a hand on you.

“Moreover, you know very well how he treated the commoners and his soldiers at the border. He is highly trustworthy.

“Host, you need to trust my judgment.”

Qiao Suluo’s expression shifted. That was indeed the case.

According to her predecessor’s memories, Yue Hanzheng’s reputation in Capital City was excellent, and the common people spoke very highly of him. If Yue Hanzheng hadn’t been injured, it would never have been her turn to be his wife under any circumstances. He was the lofty Heir of Duke Dingguo, born into a founding meritorious family. He was skilled in both pen and sword, and without a doubt, he would have held real power and inherited the family estate in the future.

And she was just a fake heiress who had been driven back to the countryside with a ruined reputation. Normally, someone like her wouldn’t even be able to come into contact with someone of Yue Hanzheng’s caliber. Her predecessor truly had a screw loose, treating each of these men so terribly.

“My predecessor was truly awful to them,” Qiao Suluo murmured.

The system replied, “Your predecessor thought they were all trash who had been abandoned by their respective families and were completely useless. She felt that when the Shen Family kicked her out and shoved these ‘useless’ men onto her, it was purely to humiliate her. Filled with resentment and hatred, compounded by the poison in her system, she would uncontrollably lash out at them.

“Fortunately, they are all doing well now. Needless to say, they are deeply grateful to you.

“I can see that Yue Hanzheng also genuinely appreciates you.”

Qiao Suluo fell silent for a moment before saying, “Let me think about it some more.”

She needed to think it through clearly before deciding whether to awaken a superpower for Yue Hanzheng.

“But does he have any superpower talents?” she asked.

The system answered, “Definitely. Those few males possess powerful fortune in this Beast World, deeply intertwined with the entire world itself. Their talents are absolutely the strongest, without a doubt.”

“In that case, I can help him awaken an Abnormal Power,” Qiao Suluo said.

However, she still had to consider it carefully; this was no trivial matter. She didn’t want to expose her abilities at all.

Over the following period, Qiao Suluo was busy with the food stall and scouted the nearby storefronts, hoping to purchase one. However, places in slightly better locations cost more than one hundred taels of silver. She had taken the time to view quite a few shops recently. Finally, she found a spacious, well-lit two-story storefront in a good location. Yet, the thought of spending more than one hundred taels of silver to buy it made her hesitate.

Before Tushan Feishang left, he had handed the Nanfeng Building over to her and given her a token to withdraw silver from the Money Shop. But that was hard-earned money he had painstakingly saved, and she didn’t want to touch it. Most of the silver in her own hands came from the tofu workshop’s dividends.

“Wife, if you want to buy a storefront, just buy it. I will make a trip back to the Sea Clan later and bring back some undersea treasures to sell. We will have plenty of silver on hand,” Bai Qianluo said. He felt deeply for Qiao Suluo’s exhaustion and wished he could immediately return to the Sea Clan to do this.

Chu Moyuan chimed in, “I remember that when you were injured and stripped of your Sea Clan talent power, it was the Sea Clan who did it. Are you still going back? I can take on escort agency missions instead. Running a single escort mission can earn a lot of silver.”

A cold glint flashed across Bai Qianluo’s aloof eyes. He said calmly, “I was merely schemed against by my clansmen. With my current abilities, I will definitely be able to seek justice for myself if I return.”

Now, not only had he recovered all his Sea Clan power, but he had also gained a Water Ability, making his manipulation of seawater even more effortless. Moreover, in the Sea Clan, the stronger one’s manipulation of seawater, the more support they would receive. After his recent intensive cultivation, Bai Qianluo’s Water Ability was already two-level.

RUMBLE!

As they were speaking, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, followed by roaring thunder. Looking up at the sky, Qiao Suluo said, “It’s going to rain.”

The early summer weather could turn to rain at a moment’s notice, especially in the southern regions where rainfall was exceptionally heavy. Moving at lightning speed, Bai Qianluo and Chu Moyuan rushed into the courtyard to carry the playing Da Bao and Second Treasure into the house. They also brought in the clothes drying in the yard and covered the haystacks tightly with oiled paper, weighing them down securely.

Once everything was packed away, a series of RUMBLES echoed as lightning tore across the horizon. Soon after, raindrops fell with a PITTER-PATTER, rattling against the window lattices.

By midnight, the rain was still pouring heavier and heavier, showing no signs of stopping or letting up. Watching the torrential downpour, an inexplicable sense of unease crept into Qiao Suluo’s heart.

That night, it was Bai Qianluo who kept Qiao Suluo company. He held her in his arms, gently rubbing her back as he coaxed, “Go to sleep first. Since it’s raining, you won’t need to set up the stall early tomorrow morning. Get a good night’s rest.”

Lately, Qiao Suluo had been waking up at the crack of dawn every day to prepare wonton fillings and head out early to set up her stall. Bai Qianluo felt deeply for her exhaustion, but he couldn’t convince her otherwise. When Que Hongjin had first left, Qiao Suluo had been the exact same way. He knew she just wanted to keep herself busy so she wouldn’t overthink things.

Lulled by Bai Qianluo’s soothing voice, Qiao Suluo leaned against his chest and fell asleep.

But in her slumber, she had a nightmare. She dreamt that this torrential rain fell for several days without stopping, triggering severe flooding that washed away the surrounding houses. Many beastmen who couldn’t swim drowned in the floodwaters.

Some beastmen, who had hidden in the mountains according to their usual habits, were caught in landslides and perished on the mountainsides. This rainstorm was ferociously aggressive, with floodwaters fiercer than any previous deluge. But the crucial breaking point was when the river dikes collapsed.

The only beastmen in their county who managed to survive were those who naturally knew how to swim. However, due to a lack of food, many of these swimming beastmen eventually died on the water’s surface as well.

As for the Cat Clan beastmen, they hid in their old hillside caves, but the fierce waters, combined with landslides and mountain collapses, resulted in countless Cat Clan beastmen dying on the mountain. And then there were her parents and older brothers.

“No… don’t!” Qiao Suluo cried out in terror and bolted awake.

Hearing her voice, Bai Qianluo hurriedly sat up. With a flick of his finger, he lit the candle by the bed, instantly illuminating the room.

“Wife, did you have a nightmare? Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

Reaching out, Bai Qianluo gently pulled Qiao Suluo into his embrace, lightly patting her back to soothe her. Qiao Suluo hadn’t fully snapped out of the dream yet, her heart still racing with lingering fear.