Barren Star – Chapter 40

Asking for ten pots, that’s not too much, right?

The conflict between Shi Huaixiang and Ling Shu could be traced back to their kindergarten days when they were both cubs. Furry creatures had a natural aversion and fear towards cold, scaly creatures, so when young Shi Huaixiang didn’t look carefully and pointed at Ling Shu, shouting “snake!” This grudge was formed, and every time they met afterward, they would have a big fight, even continuing into adulthood.

However, at this moment, Shi Huaixiang’s condition was clearly unusual. Usually, she would roar and rage if Ling Shu pulled even one of her hairs, but this time she didn’t react. Instead, she was rolling around unsteadily, persistently rolling towards Feng Yi and the others, making continuous purring sounds as if extremely comfortable.

            

“Has this golden-hair gone crazy?” Ling Shu reached out to lift the small lion who was clinging to Feng Yi’s trouser leg, watching her limbs swinging wildly like a swing.

“I don’t know,” Feng Yi frowned, saying that when she came over, she had only organized some catnip, and hadn’t done anything else, nor did she have any strange smell on her. “Let’s take her to—”

Ling Shu interrupted Feng Yi’s words: “I must record this.”

            

Feng Yi rubbed her forehead, thinking they were acting as young as little Feng Jiu. A moment later, she had a sudden thought and frowned: “Could she have consumed ‘Siren’?” The Lion Clan was one of the main war factions of Beast Star, and it was possible they got controlled substances from the Insect Race through Da Xia. Though Shi Huaixiang was pro-war, she usually kept herself clean and wouldn’t stoop to the level of those old lions.

While Feng Yi was lost in thought, a young woman came running in panic, crying out: “Your Highness, something’s wrong at the greenhouse!” The greenhouse was a place Feng Yi had specially arranged for plants, located outside the Beast Alliance Conference venue. Feng Yi’s expression suddenly changed, and without further thought about Shi Huaixiang, she hurried towards the greenhouse.

Ling Shu shook Shi Huaixiang whom she was holding, her eyes full of disdain, but still didn’t throw her down, instead carrying her in her arms as she followed Feng Yi’s footsteps.

            

The greenhouse’s protective shield was still intact, and no reckless fellows had tried to force their way in.

Feng Yi let out a small sigh of relief, but when she clearly saw the clusters of furry creatures resembling cubs sprawled at the greenhouse door and windows, her heart jumped to her throat. Among the furry ones were lions, leopards, lynxes, cats… all in the same entranced state as Shi Huaixiang. Perhaps hearing the commotion, a small kitten raised its lake-blue eyes and walked towards her with steps like someone who had drunk baijiu [strong Chinese liquor], its two small paws clinging to her trouser leg while frantically rubbing its head against her.

“What’s going on here?” Feng Yi turned toward the Xuanwu Clan girl who was watching the commotion, speaking with a sigh.

            

“Don’t—know—” the Xuanwu Clan member spoke slowly, yawning several times in between.

All the representatives sent to this Beast Alliance Conference were young people. The Qilin Clan representative was impeccably dressed in a suit. He adjusted his priceless watch strap and used his hand adorned with a huge sparkling diamond ring to push through the onlookers, walking to the front and speaking leisurely: “Didn’t they mention that the plants brought back by Feng Jiu couldn’t be trusted, and insisted on seeing for themselves? So I brought them here, planning to show them images of the plants inside, but before I could do anything, they all revealed their original forms and collapsed on the ground. Someone might think we beast clans are breaking the law.”

The young Qilin paused briefly, then added dramatically: “They couldn’t be gathering to consume Siren, could they? I’ve heard they didn’t want to come to this alliance meeting and were planning to establish their own new meeting.”

            

Feng Yi: “…It’s not that serious.” She had a suspicion in her heart. Among the sprawled furry creatures, except for a few comical dogs, they were all felines, and the plant Ning Buyi sent was called “catnip” – could it be a plant specifically affecting feline species? With this thought, Feng Yi ordered, “Let’s carry them all away first.”

Other beast clan members also felt it wasn’t appropriate to leave these furry creatures sprawled about, and they volunteered to help. Just then, Shi Huaixiang jumped out of Ling Shu’s arms. After transforming into human form, her crimson eye corners still retained traces of her previous ecstasy. She hadn’t lost her memory and could recall previous events without Feng Yi’s reminder. Pressing her lips together, she became angry from embarrassment: “What did you do to me?”

Ling Shu crossed her arms, saying unhappily: “How dare you turn this around? You inappropriately touched Feng Yi, I haven’t even settled that score with you!”

            

Shi Huaixiang raised her voice: “Nonsense!” Her head was still dizzy, her stumbling steps like those of a drunk person. Her gaze shifted, catching sight of her unfortunate brother, and her face darkened immediately, forgetting about arguing with Ling Shu. “Are you using the Beast Alliance Conference to catch us all at once?”

Ling Shu spoke seriously: “Don’t be so dark-minded as a beast. Haven’t you seen how elated they all are?”

Shi Huaixiang didn’t want to deal with the crude Ling Shu. Her eyes fixed on the greenhouse as she spoke with hatred: “What’s inside?”

            

Feng Yi didn’t hide anything and said with a smile: “A plant brought back from outside, catnip.”

Shi Huaixiang’s eyes showed even more astonishment, her body trembling: “What?”

“Catnip,” Feng Yi repeated, looking at Shi Huaixiang, “Do you know this plant?” After the Great Plant Extinction, knowledge about plants could only be obtained from data and images. Feng Yi wasn’t very interested in these “plants” that couldn’t be eaten, so she hadn’t particularly memorized them.

            

Confusion and struggle flashed in Shi Huaixiang’s eyes. After a moment, she shook her sleeves, trying to cover up as she spoke: “You’re lying, it’s impossible.”

Feng Yi smiled warmly and peacefully: “Then let’s go in and see.”

“This… this—” Shi Huaixiang hesitated. The Lion Clan was carnivorous and didn’t pay much attention to vegetation, but their interest in catnip was rooted in their nature. Lion cubs were taught from a very young age that there once existed a plant they called “happy grass”, and in the distant past, many cubs had been tricked by this happy grass… Now Feng Yi suddenly said she had “catnip” from the Great Extinction.

            

Feng Yi had known Shi Huaixiang for a long time and knew that when she refused something, she would be very direct. When she showed hesitation, it meant she was already tempted but couldn’t lower her pride. Feng Yi gave Ling Shu a meaningful look, and Ling Shu stepped forward to open the protective shield and greenhouse door. Seeing Shi Huaixiang enter with half-hearted resistance, her smile grew deeper.

There were five pots of catnip in the greenhouse, with the other half in the Feng Jiu Clan’s territory.

Originally, Feng Yi only had grass residue and scent on her, and Shi Huaixiang couldn’t resist even that, let alone now with three pots? She couldn’t control herself at all, and as electricity seemed to course through her brain, she had already transformed into a small lion and pounced toward the flowerpot.

            

Ling Shu moved quickly, grabbing the blissfully intoxicated Shi Huaixiang and following Feng Yi’s steps out of the greenhouse. After a few minutes, Feng Yi looked at the dazed Shi Huaixiang with a smile and raised her eyebrows: “How was it?”

At the Beast Alliance Conference venue, the furry creatures emerged from their catnip-induced frenzy and transformed into human form, crowding together. Though they appeared as “furry cubs” earlier, several of them were actually over a hundred years old, well-experienced and knowledgeable, making it easy for them to guess about the “catnip.” They had originally intended to question Feng Jiu’s relationship with Da Xia, but had forgotten about it now, constantly badgering the Qilin Clan representative with questions.

To the side, the Xuanwu Clan girl held her thermos cup, eyes narrowed contentedly.

            

These anxious ones must have been desperate to ask the leisurely Xuanwu Clan member.

The Qilin Clan wasn’t well-informed either, only knowing bits from Feng Yi, and couldn’t handle these enthusiastic fellows. Fortunately, Feng Yi and Ling Shu appeared in the venue soon after. The young Qilin tapped his sparkling ring on the table and sighed in relief: “Her Highness Feng Yi of the Feng Jiu Clan is here, go ask her.”

Feng Yi was actually surprised by this scene, as before seeing the group of furry creatures collectively consuming “catnip,” she had thought these stubborn fellows would be the biggest obstacle to opening the Beast Star market. She gestured for everyone to quiet down, projected plant images from her light brain for everyone to see, and after hearing a collective gasp, she smoothed her bangs and said with a gentle smile: “We’ve already negotiated with Base One, and will trade with them under the Beast Alliance Conference’s name, opening up the Beast Star market.”

            

When Feng Yi finished speaking, the venue fell silent for a moment, then questions began flying, becoming increasingly noisy.

“Base One? Is it the Base One from the Starlight Platform?”

“Are they Da Xia officials?”

            

“Are there really plants? Why haven’t I seen any radishes?”

“I heard Starlight has purchase limits and everything depends on grabbing quickly, can we really get any?”

“Could this be a lie?”

            

“I want the happy grass!”

“What kind of facility is this mysterious Base One? We can’t use things when the situation is unclear.”

…

            

“Sorry, the details about Base One cannot be disclosed publicly, but our Feng Jiu Clan can guarantee the plants are free from harmful contamination. Of course, if you’re really concerned, you don’t have to participate in the trade. We won’t force any clan,” Feng Yi spoke, her gaze sweeping through the crowd before continuing leisurely, “This time, we only brought back ten pots of catnip, a gift from that Lord to our Beast Star. However, the Feng Jiu Clan isn’t interested in catnip…”

“Give them to our Leopard Clan!” Before Feng Yi could finish, a heart-wrenching shout rang out.

“Don’t give it to them. These leopards were just saying they’d kick the Feng Jiu Clan around like a ball,” the Tiger Clan representative roared.

            

The Leopard Clan representative: “???”

Feng Yi showed hesitation: “These plants are very delicate, not really suitable for bloodthirsty species.”

The Leopard Clan representative: “We are the most peace-loving!”

            

While everyone was arguing endlessly, an elegant and proud cat jumped onto the table, rubbing against Feng Yi’s arm: “Our Cat Clan will always stand with Her Highness Feng Yi. Asking for ten pots isn’t too much, right?”

There were many feline-related clans, and it was impossible to give one pot to each tribe. Feng Yi couldn’t distribute them based on preference either, so she could only adopt the fairest policy of drawing lots. After the meeting dispersed, Feng Yi rubbed her throbbing temples and sighed: “The noise gave me a headache, no wonder mother doesn’t like coming here.”

“Are you planning to win over those stubborn old ones with those few pots?” the young Qilin spoke. He was somewhat unhappy, not because he had issues with Feng Yi, but because the Qilin Clan couldn’t get the biggest profit, which he deeply regretted. Moreover, regarding this mysterious Base One, their Qilin Clan couldn’t contact them independently.

            

Feng Yi glanced at the young Qilin and said slowly: “This is just the beginning.”

“Is this mysterious Base One really that impressive?” the young Qilin asked curiously.

Feng Yi pondered for a moment and pulled up another set of images. The young Qilin glanced at them and immediately lost composure, exclaiming in shock: “Baize?!”

            

“Yes,” Feng Yi pressed her brow, “It’s being raised by that Lord.”

“Where did it come from?” The young Qilin’s heart pounded wildly, his voice changing pitch.

“A gift from the Supreme One, perhaps.” Feng Yi said slowly, tapping the dozing Xuanwu Clan girl, “Didn’t the Xuanwu Clan divine a prophecy saying Baize would appear and the Beast Ancestor would resurrect? Whether it’s true or not, we must maintain good relations with them.”

            

The young Qilin clutched his chest, unable to calm his emotions: “What about Da Xia? Are they just watching this happen?”

With the Qilin Clan, Feng Yi had nothing to hide, she spoke directly: “Though they’re humans, they show no signs of being close to Da Xia. As for the Star Court—”

The young Qilin eagerly asked: “What about the Star Court?”

            

“We can’t really say it’s the Star Court.” Feng Yi thought of Ning Mo’s situation; though both were Star Court judges, she was completely different from Hua Zhuoyu. She quickly corrected herself, “We can only say they have deep connections with the Chief Judge. Fortunately, that Chief Judge doesn’t take things to heart.”

The young Qilin rubbed his face hard and drawled: “Your two clans have really gained a huge advantage this time.”

Feng Yi and Ling Shu thought of their countless bills and remained silent.

            

Thanks to the catnip’s existence, those troublesome warmongers were at least outwardly pacified. When Feng Yi had a free moment, she sent a communication request to Ning Buyi, wanting to express her gratitude personally.

In the base.

Ning Buyi hadn’t expected those furry ones to be settled so quickly. She replied with “No need to thank me,” paused, then added: “There’s still some more catnip, should I keep it for you?”

            

Feng Yi: “Keep it!” Though she didn’t need it herself, those big cats couldn’t go without it for a moment. After thinking for a while, she continued, “Isn’t Barren Star Base on a points system? I’d like to use this kind of points system in free trade as well. This way, more beast clans would be willing to help at Barren Star.” She had her own motives in doing this, wanting to strengthen relations between Beast Star and Barren Star. Otherwise, if the Da Xia government intervened, it would become cooperation between two major civilizations, far more complicated than now. However, looking at Ning Buyi’s attitude, Barren Star might never be taken over by the government.

Ning Buyi: “But when they come to Barren Star, they might not be able to keep their points.”

Feng Yi: “We’ll only look at the total points value, using a different expenditure calculation method on Beast Star.”

            

Ning Buyi thought there was no harm in it, and she also wanted to make Feng Yi an ally, so she immediately agreed: “Whatever you decide is fine.”

To the side, Hua Zhuoyu lounged lazily, listening to the conversation between Ning Buyi and Feng Yi. A strange light flashed in her eyes as she smiled and said: “She moves quite quickly.” Seeing Ning Buyi turn to look at her, she added, “Decided to tie yourself to Beast Star?”

“It’s just cooperation, why think so much about it?” Ning Buyi snorted lightly, then continued, “Just looking at how the humans and beast clans who’ve landed on Barren Star behave, I prefer the beast clans. Though those violent beast clan members like to cause destruction, they’re very practical, treating plants like treasures, being extremely careful. In contrast, those people from Aurora City who damaged the plants were simply inconsiderate!” Ning Buyi grew angry thinking about the damaged branches.

            

Fearing Ning Buyi would get too angry, Hua Zhuoyu wisely changed the subject: “The ten perfume gift boxes for the lottery have been sent out, right? Do they need to complete their reviews before October 3rd to build momentum?”

“That would be ideal,” Ning Buyi spoke honestly, “but if they don’t take action, we’ll have Jin Feifei do it herself.”

Hua Zhuoyu laughed lightly: “Let me do it.”

            

Ning Buyi: “…” Had she heard something wrong? After a long pause, she came back to her senses, “You want to show your face in public?”

Hua Zhuoyu curved her lips in a bold and charming smile: “What, can’t bear to let me go?”

“Can’t bear my foot!” Ning Buyi glared at Hua Zhuoyu. After their “constant companionship,” she had finally built up resistance to Hua Zhuoyu’s flirtatious eyes, at least enough to not have her heart flutter like an electric shock. Throwing a cushion into Hua Zhuoyu’s arms, Ning Buyi frowned, “If you show your face, won’t Xia Tu start clinging to you again?” Regarding this couple that interstellar residents shipped, she now just wanted to say “bah bah bah.”

            

Hua Zhuoyu said: “I’m returning to Da Xia in November anyway, they’ll see me eventually.”

Ning Buyi blurted out: “But it’s not even October yet.” Her brows furrowed together, her heart inexplicably trembling. September was almost over, time passed quickly, and November would come in the blink of an eye. After Hua Zhuoyu returned to the Civilized Star, who knew if she would come back?

Hua Zhuoyu caught a fleeting look of reluctance in Ning Buyi’s eyes. She released the cushion and walked toward Ning Buyi, who sat with a straight back, placing her hand on Ning Buyi’s shoulder, saying cheerfully: “Let me tell you some news.”

            

“What?” Ning Buyi turned her head, her expression dazed.

Hua Zhuoyu spoke in a light, lively tone: “Xia Tu is getting engaged to Li Ziyan.”

Ning Buyi was confused: “Li Ziyan? Who’s that?”

            

Hua Zhuoyu: “She’s General Li Liyuan’s daughter. Xia Tu has been trying to win over military personnel to oppose the Supervisory Department. The Marshal’s mansion is loyal to Da Xia for life, so even though he’s the crown prince, he can’t win them over. He can only turn to the second and third in command of the military.”

Ning Buyi asked in surprise: “Has he given up on the Supervisory Department?” In the original text, there was still a “honeymoon period.” Marriage alliances were the best way to maintain surface harmony.

Hua Zhuoyu smiled mockingly, saying carelessly: “Military support is substantial, and he’ll be heading to the battlefield soon.”

            

Ning Buyi frowned: “The Giant Sickle Star?”

Hua Zhuoyu nodded: “Yes.” The Insect Race’s crazy queen had been triggered by something, no longer satisfied with “minor skirmishes.” Countless insect warriors were sent to the battlefield by her, intending to turn Giant Sickle Star into Insect Race territory. Appearing on the battlefield was the duty of royal family members, and Xia Tu wouldn’t give up this opportunity to establish merit.

Ning Buyi blinked: “He and the Insect Queen—”

            

Hua Zhuoyu looked surprised: “How could you think that?”

Ning Buyi felt embarrassed under Hua Zhuoyu’s gaze, as if her thoughts were quite vulgar – all because of that novel.

Hua Zhuoyu continued: “In the Insect Queen’s eyes, males are lowly, despicable slaves. She looks down on Xia Tu.”

            

Ning Buyi couldn’t help asking: “But what if it’s beyond their control?”

Hua Zhuoyu’s expression was strange, but she didn’t ask why Ning Buyi would think this way, just shrugged and said: “Who knows?”

At Tianhan Construction Star.

            

He Chao was waiting for a delivery at home.

She was a loyal fan of “Mystery No. 1,” trying to grab every fruit and vegetable they put up for sale. This time, seeing Mystery No. 1 switch to releasing perfume, she complained about them “neglecting their duties,” but still rushed to share it on the first day. Perhaps twenty-plus years of accumulated luck was finally exploding now, as she miraculously won the prize. After receiving the platform’s notification, she showed off in the group chat, promising to do a live review stream when she received the item.

But before He Chao could receive the delivery, she got a text message saying “Delivery Confirmed.”

            

He Chao: “???” Just as she was about to contact the delivery platform to inquire, she saw a photo of an “Iris Gift Box” in the family group chat.

Mother: “Darling, which brand made this replica fragrance? Is it real wood?”

Mother: “It smells like being in a sea of flowers, pure and substantial.”

            

He Chao: “…” Some mother she was! Looking at the opened box, her heart ached unbearably. She sent a message with tears, “It’s the new perfume from Mystery No. 1, not even released yet. I used up all my luck winning this in a draw! I promised my group friends I’d do a live review today.”

“Which Mystery No. 1? The platform that supplies fresh produce?”

He Chao nodded: “Yes. It’s made from real iris flowers.”

            

“My daughter has grown so thoughtful, knowing how to show respect to her elders.”

What else could He Chao say? Her original intention was to get the perfume gift box back from her mother! But at this point, her plans were ruined. She dejectedly logged into her streaming platform account and took down the live review announcement. The next moment, the group chat exploded with mentions of He Chao.

He Chao responded listlessly: “My mom took it.” Not only could she not review it, she couldn’t even touch the exquisite gift box. She could only watch enviously as the other nine lucky winners showed off their good fortune.

            

Meanwhile, Madam Li, He Chao’s mother, went out happily after spraying “Wood God”. Though the He family wasn’t prominent in all of Da Xia, they were considered wealthy on Tianhan Star, associating with other wealthy ladies. In the past, they discussed “luxury goods,” but recently, getting products from “Mystery No. 1” became a source of pride. Last time, the Wang family’s wife showed off the flower tea her son sent, so now that she got the perfume, she had to even the score. This led to a bunch of wealthy ladies visiting a high-end perfume counter the next day, asking if they would stock “Wood God.”

At the “True Wood” Building.

After receiving the news, Sai Yong laughed coldly: “Tell those managers that if they stock ‘Wood God,’ it’s equivalent to terminating their contract with ‘True Wood.'”

            

“But if we do that, we’ll be breaching contracts. The amount could be astronomical.”

Sai Yong’s face darkened, and he immediately berated the manager: “Are you suggesting they would choose this so-called ‘Wood God’? How dare they call something divine when it’s made by amateurs?”

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