Chapter 389 - 385: A Surprise

Chapter 389: Chapter 385: A Surprise

"Could it be that they simply don’t know these things are edible?" Cao Cao voiced the same doubt Gu Nuan Nuan had, tilting its small head as it asked.

"Who knows?"

Gu Nuan Nuan shook her head. The Alliance had an old saying: live off the mountain if you’re by a mountain, live off the water if you’re by the water. During a famine, people would eat anything—wild vegetables, weeds, even tree bark or dirt—as long as it wasn’t poisonous. That was why she found it so unbelievable that the people of Nan’an Country could be starving while guarding such a resource-rich mountain forest. Every one of them looked sallow and emaciated.

As she scanned her surroundings, a gray rabbit darted past in her peripheral vision. She casually picked up a pebble and flicked it, piercing the back of the rabbit’s head. The poor creature died instantly, without so much as a squeak. After casually stowing the rabbit away, Gu Nuan Nuan suddenly said, "Wait. That’s not right. Even if they don’t recognize wild vegetables and fruits, surely they’d recognize the pheasants and rabbits on this mountain, right? Don’t they know they’re edible?"

"Could it be they’re actually forbidden from entering the mountains?" Seeing the unfortunate rabbit, Cao Cao was suddenly reminded of the patrols at the foot of the mountain.

"That would explain a few things... Right! Cao Cao, do you remember the people we saw when we passed through those villages...?" Her voice trailed off as she recalled that most of them were the old, weak, sick, and disabled; there were hardly any able-bodied men. Lost in thought, Gu Nuan Nuan mentally replayed her memories, and her expression grew grave.

’Before, I was so caught up in pitying them that I only glanced at them quickly. But now that I think back, I realize what I saw was almost entirely women, children, and the elderly. The few men I did see were either decrepit or disabled. And the strong, able-bodied men and older boys... it wasn’t that there were just a few of them. I didn’t see a single one...’

She couldn’t help but think of the encampment that had blocked her and Cao Cao’s path, forcing them to detour over the mountain. A realization dawned on her. ’No wonder. Those villages are probably the recruitment grounds for that camp. Anyone fit for service was likely sent there, leaving only those who can’t contribute, or at least, can’t contribute yet.’

’Oh, great. Did I accidentally wander into the rear support area for one of Nan’an Country’s armed forces?’ She sighed inwardly. This was a topic best dropped, so she fell silent again. Her renewed silence immediately clued Cao Cao in that its master did not want to discuss the subject.

Naturally, Cao Cao disliked whatever its master disliked. It thoughtfully decided to change the subject. Its eyes darted around, and it stopped focusing solely on scouting the path ahead. Instead, it dedicated half its attention to scanning the surroundings, hoping to spot some rare medicinal ingredients or even some common but useful medicinal herbs to bring up.

One look was all it took to find a surprise. And it was a huge one. Cao Cao’s voice cracked with excitement as it shouted, "Master, quick! There’s a gold mine! Over there, over there, let’s go—"

It shot into the air, darting a great distance in that direction. Then it turned back, looking disdainfully at how slow Gu Nuan Nuan was. "Master, faster, faster!" it urged.

"It’s just a gold mine. Why are you so excited?"

’Cao Cao wasn’t even this excited about the jade we found yesterday.’ A smile played on Gu Nuan Nuan’s lips. She quickened her pace as she teased, "Is it because this gold mine is just that big? I thought you looked down on all this mortal stuff. When did you have a change of heart and become such a little money-grubber?"

"There are Spirit Stones! It’s not... It’s not just a gold mine! There are Spirit Stones, Gold Attribute ones! Master, I just looked closely! The gold mine is huge, and there are companion Spirit Stones inside!" Cao Cao’s face was flushed with excitement as it bounced around, its words tumbling out. "I can feel so much Spiritual Energy! The Spirit Stones are either top quality, or there’s a huge number of them—High, mid, and low-level ones are all possible!"

Gu Nuan Nuan’s heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She murmured, "I guess you really can’t just shut yourself away from the world. The surprises you find by getting out and exploring are much better than anything you’d find staying in one place."

"Of course!" Cao Cao said, shaking its head sagely. "Even in the Cultivation World, the most powerful and talented people can’t just hole up in one spot and cultivate blindly. Everyone hits bottlenecks in their Cultivation. The only way to keep breaking through is to go out and gain real-world experience. Doesn’t the Mortal World have a saying too? ’Traveling a thousand miles is better than reading a thousand books.’"

"The more I look at you, the more you seem like a little old scholar," Gu Nuan Nuan said with a wide smile. "Too bad you’re a little kid scholar who’ll never grow up."

"Master... you don’t like me being like this?" Cao Cao instantly forgot all about the Gold Attribute Spirit Stones and the gold mine. It tilted its head and asked Gu Nuan Nuan apprehensively. It was a Plant Pet; once a form was chosen after reaching the Transformation stage, it could never be changed. It had always thought its master liked its child-like appearance, which was why it had chosen this form in the first place.

’It was confused. Had it been wrong this whole time?’

’What should I do now?’

Cao Cao felt like crying.

"Who said I don’t like it? This is my favorite look for you!" Seeing how much it mattered to Cao Cao, Gu Nuan Nuan was startled and quickly reassured it. She wasn’t just saying it to be nice, either—it was the truth. She really did like how Cao Cao looked. With a mischievous grin, she added, "Especially since you often look so adorably clueless. It’s really cute."

"Really?" Not minding Gu Nuan Nuan’s playful jab in the slightest, Cao Cao did a happy little spin on the spot.

"Why would I lie to you?" Seeing Cao Cao’s pure, contented happiness, Gu Nuan Nuan’s expression softened. The two of them laughed for a moment before Gu Nuan Nuan, a hint of confusion returning, brought the topic back to the discovered gold mine. "So, Spirit Stones can form as companion deposits in gold mines?"

"Mhm! And not just gold mines. It can happen with Jade Mines and other types of mines, too. Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth... Spirit Stones have attributes, you see. They can form their own dedicated veins, or they can be companion deposits like this one. It’s just that companion deposits are extremely rare. Most of the time, even if you find one, the Rank of the Spirit Stones won’t be high. It’s considered a great find if they’re mid or High Level. The quantity is usually small, too—finding even ten is a good haul. But this one we found today... I have a feeling we’ll be able to dig up at least a hundred Spirit Stones!"