Chapter 102: Reward

Next day.

The girls sat in a loose crescent before Kian on the farm island, legs folded, eyes closed. Feimei, Mia, Jiao Yin, Xiao Cui—all breathing slow.

It was a moment for meditation.

The other girls were all properly meditating, but Jia’s eyes kept flicking open, then darting away whenever Kian looked back at her.

Kian finally leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Why do you keep peeking at me instead of meditating?"

Jia’s eyes twitched. "Because it’s time. The frost grass competition. Remember?"

"Indeed."

He nodded.

She climbed to her feet, already brushing off her robe.

Kian grinned and stood.

The other girls abandoned their meditation without a second thought.

Only Feimei stayed seated, her red eyes half-lidded, stirring a cup of tea. She didn’t even glance toward the plots.

It was clear that Feimei already knew the answer.

"Let’s go," Kian said, grabbing Jia’s hand.

They walked toward the garden rows, with Mia, Xiao Cui, and Jiao Yin trailing close behind.

Feimei took a slow sip and murmured, "The blind leading the blind."

No one heard her over the giggling.

They came up the last rise and stopped.

"What the fuck?" Mia exclaimed.

Jia gasped.

Jiao Yin was also shook.

Xiao Cui was dumbfounded at the sight.

Kian was just as shocked!

What was infront of them?

"No way!"

The garden plots lay in neat rows, but the corner where Kian’s frost grass should have been had been replaced by a giant, glossy pumpkin.

It was as wide as a barrel.

Beside it, Jia’s plot overflowed with thick, pale-green stalks that caught the morning light and shivered like they were proud of themselves.

Clean frost grass!

A pumpkin vs frost grass.

Xiao Cui covered her mouth. Mia whispered something under her breath. Jiao Yin just stared.

Even Kian blinked twice.

"What the hell is this?" Kian walked a circle around the pumpkin, then pointed at the empty space where his grass should have been. "Where is my plant? Did it turn into a damn pumpkin?"

Jia’s shock broke into a wide, slow grin.

She planted both hands on her hips and swung one leg forward like she had just won a duel.

"Whatever that is, I do not know. But. Oh, O...h, this?" She gestured at her own plot with a little flourish. "This is called skill. Dedication. Waking up early while some people were busy turning farm work into a date spot."

She reached down and stroked one of the pale-green stalks with exaggerated tenderness. "You should take notes, boys and girls."

Kian ignored her and was already moving while fuming. He crossed the rows and stopped in front of Feimei, who had not looked up from her tea.

"Hey Feimei," he said, too fuming. "What’s going on? My plant is gone. There is a pumpkin in its place. Did I do something wrong?"

Feimei took a slow sip, then closed her eyes as if the tea were much more interesting than his frustration.

Kian’s annoyance rose.

She said: "In rare cases, a young spirit plant will form a protective shell that mimics another plant around it. It happens when the seed is stressed, or when the soil disagrees with it. Or when the person who planted it feels threatening to it." She set the cup down with a soft click. "Your plant has gone nowhere. Break the shell. You will find your real plant inside."

"Oh!"

Kian smiled at Jia, and the smile was not kind. "You heard the expert."

Jia scoffed.

He was already walking back, Qi coiling around his knuckles.

Jia’s gloating dimmed. "Wait—maybe you should not break it. What if she’s wrong? I am not giving you a baby if you win."

Kian didn’t answer.

He gripped the pumpkin’s side and squeezed.

"A bet is a bet!"

The shell gave way with a dry, cracking sound, splitting down the middle like a baked gourd.

He pulled the halves apart in excitement.

Gasp!

"Wow!"

"Shit."

"Hahaha!"

Kian’s face fell.

Inside, there was nothing.

No frost grass. No growth. No glow. Just a hollow, fibrous shell and a faint puff of dust that smelled like rot. There were some roots as well.

Kian stood there, arms still holding the broken halves. His jaw tightened.

"A dud. Pwahahahaha!" Jia laughed, rolling around the floor.

The words came out so funny she couldn’t breath.

He dropped the pieces and they crumbled into chunks at his feet. "Fuck off."

He turned toward Feimei, but she only tilted her head and went back to her tea.

Xiao Cui whispered, "The pumpkin looked real though."

Mia shook her head. "Truly a consolation price."

Jia backed up a step, her mouth slightly open, but when Kian’s glare found her, she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

She burst out laughing again. "S-Sorry. Your face. It’s just— I have never seen you so wrong before."

Kian’s eye twitched.

His temper flared like a match against stone. Jia wiggled one finger in front of his face, still grinning. "Give me the reward right now."

Kian scoffed. "Don’t worry. I pay my debts."

He grabbed her by the waist and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of spirit grain.

She yelped once, then went limp with a huff.

He turned to the others. "You lot enjoy the farm for a while. We’ll be back."

They nodded, already drifting toward the fruit trees.

Jia drummed her fists against his back. "I’m not in the mood for ’that’ right now, Kian. I just woke up. Give me something real, not fun rewards."

Kian scoffed and vanished with her. "My pumpkin is still better than your stupid grass."

The world snapped.

They landed in the hut. He set her down on a woven mat and crossed his arms.

"Sit. Meditate."

Jia scowled but folded her legs.

Feimei stood beside them.

"What’s going on?" she asked, curious.

Kian sighed, stretching. "I had a heavenly technique I planned to give her anyway, so might as well give it to her as a reward."

Jia’s eyes twitched. "That’s cheating!"

He ignored her.

Feimei’s voice came a bit intrigued. "A heavenly technique?"

Kian rubbed his jaw as Feimei stepped inside, tea still in hand, red eyes glinting with interest.

Jia’s eyes popped open, curiosity breaking through her glare. "What’s a heavenly technique? Is it something good?"

"It is," Feimei said softly. "Which one are you giving her?"

He stared at Jia for a long beat, then at his own hand, then back at her stubborn, sun-warm face. Something clicked behind his eyes. "I have to give her something that suits her."

He sat down in front of her and pressed two fingers to her forehead.

He already had the answer.

"So I’m giving you this."

[Ding]

[You have four Heavenly Techniques available. Claimed techniques can be stored and granted to others at any time.]

[Would you like to grand a technique to Jia?]

[Yes]

"Jia, close your eyes."

Qi surged through his fingertips, hot and tight as a drawn bowstring.

Jia’s breath caught.

Feimei leaned forward.

Jia’s body went rigid as the technique surged into her spirit, her back arching once before she caught herself. Her eyes turned glassy for a heartbeat, then snapped wide, and the air around her shimmered with a faint, smoky heat.

Kian withdrew his hand and sat back, jaw annoyed and tight but eyes soft.

"You gave me something that feels like... fire," she whispered, touching her own chest. "Like a stove I swallowed whole."

Kian nodded slowly. "It’s called the Valiant King technique. I thought this ability matches your style quite a bit, so I believe it should be useful."

"What is it like?"

Kian rubbed the back of his neck and let the echo of the technique settle in the air before he spoke.

"Valiant King is a domain art, basically. The way I understand it, every piece of land you claim, every inch you conquer and hold, feeds your battle strength."

"Hm?"

"The more land you conquer, the stronger you become. It maps it all to your cultivation and body, I think. Your muscles, your stamina, your durability. But it starts small. A room. A field. A plot of frost grass."

He paused, then smiled at her. "For starters, I’ll give you some money to buy land in the city."

Jia sat up straighter, eyes burning. "Wait, so if I claim the whole city, I’d be stronger than I am right now? Stronger than maybe even you? Isn’t this a path without any annoying bottlenecks?"

"Yeah," Feimei said. "That’s the benefit of a technique like this.

She grabbed his wrist. "And if I claim more, even more?"

Feimei set her tea down with a quiet clink. "Do not be greedy, Jia. You are holding a weapon of inheritance, not a toy. Every bit of land you conquer links to your spirit. If someone seizes that land from you, you will feel it here."

She touched two fingers to her own ribs.

"Losing territory will wound you. Weakens you. And the more land you own, the more trouble you could bring." Her red eyes narrowed. "So, be peaceful and calm about it."

Jia’s smile faded just a little at the edges, but her chin stayed up. "I’ll be careful. Old me, new me, it’s the same. I am bold, not stupid."

Kian laughed under his breath and offered her his hand. "Don’t worry, I won’t let her be reckless."