Chapter 1074 – The Sorrow of the Meng Clan (Part 1)
“Zixiao, what are you holding?”
While Meng Heng and the others were busy, Wei Ci, who usually arrived the earliest, was now running late, seeming to clutch something.
Wei Ci flashed a faint smile and shifted his right hand slightly, revealing a small head peeking timidly from his wide sleeve, black eyes darting around, with tiny paws resting on either side of its head, pink and tender claws glistening like jewels. The little creature let out soft whimpers, reminiscent of a baby’s unconscious cooing, carrying a hint of lazy affection. Paired with its harmless, innocent, and adorably daft appearance, anyone would have a hard heart to resist it.
Meng Heng recognized right away what it was.
“Isn’t this a baby Iron-Eating Beast? Zixiao likes this little thing too?”
Wei Ci didn’t simply like it; he was merely stuck having to bring it along because the Lord didn’t give any instructions on what to do with it, and it was so clingy that he had no choice to avoid leaving it unattended.
Before Wei Ci could explain, Meng Heng said, “Though the baby Iron-Eating Beast looks harmless and amusing, things change when it grows up. Fierce beasts are difficult to tame. Keeping it around Zixiao could be dangerous. It’s manageable now, but it won’t work out when it’s older.”
Wei Ci glanced down at the little fellow, and a smile crept onto his lips.
The little creature was clueless, idly laying there, chewing on his sleeve, gnawing at it for a while before spitting it out.
“Thank you, Ci, for the reminder,” Wei Ci replied.
“I’ve heard baby Iron-Eating Beasts are very fragile and hard to keep alive. If Zixiao likes it, it’s best to find a servant with experience to care for it,” Meng Heng kindly advised, noting that baby Iron-Eating Beasts are not like ordinary pets. This one seemed about two or three months old, and without proper care, it might not survive. “I’ve also heard Iron-Eating Beasts are fiercely protective of their young. Where did Zixiao find this one?”
Wei Ci hesitated to mention last night’s events and could only mumble, “I found it by chance.”
Meng Heng nodded knowingly. “Iron-Eating Beasts are unlike ordinary wild animals, the young are solely cared for by the mother. Mothers are extremely protective, generally impossible for them to abandon their young. If Zixiao found it, it might be that its mother has met with misfortune. Taking care of it is fine; though it’s just a little creature, seeing it so adorable, if it were to perish, it would be a pity—”
Unbeknownst to him, Meng Heng’s words hit the nail on the head.
The black-and-white little ball was found after its mother had already stiffened from death, and the little one had gone hungry for two days.
The person who found the baby couldn’t keep it, which is why it was handed off to Jiang Pengji, eventually landing in Wei Ci’s hands.
Wei Ci was swamped with responsibilities and couldn’t focus on the little creature, only able to prepare a bowl of milk enhanced with fine honey for it.
Meng Heng mentioned that the baby Iron-Eating Beast’s stomach wasn’t as robust as an adult’s and couldn’t be fed normal food.
The little black-and-white ball proved to be clever, burying its whole head into the small bowl, occasionally sticking its tongue out to lick, its tiny paws clinging to the edges without letting go.
Licking and licking, by the time it finished, the bowl was nearly empty, yet it looked unsatisfied.
“When did Zixiao start liking this thing?”
The black-and-white ball burped and was about to crawl towards Wei Ci when a large, unwelcome hand scooped it up.
Feng Zhen pinched the chubby creature, and it let out a couple of discontented squeaks.
Wei Ci helplessly reiterated, “I found it by chance.”
Feng Zhen “teased” the black-and-white ball, and the little creature looked to Wei Ci with pleading, pitiful eyes, extending its little paw for help.
“Hey—looks pretty perceptive—”
“All living things have spirit; it knows who treats it well and who treats it poorly.”
Seeing Feng Zhen being rejected by the little black-and-white ball, Wei Ci’s smile deepened.
“You guys seem pretty idle—”
Just as Wei Ci was about to take the black-and-white ball back, Jiang Pengji’s voice came floating in from outside.
“Lord.”
Wei Ci and Feng Zhen both saluted simultaneously.
Feng Zhen was trying to stuff the black-and-white ball into his sleeve, intending to erase any “evidence” of slacking off during work hours.
The audience in the live stream had sharp eyes and quickly noticed the black-and-white ball.
【Phoenix Perches on Paulownia】: Streamer—exposing a thief stealing a panda!
【Veiled Mistalker】: Feng the Slacker, put down the national treasure! Holding it like that, the national treasure Panda will feel very uncomfortable!
【Delicate Clad in Simple Attire】: The streamer has released the pandas of the Gaoyue Tribe back into the wild; I thought I’d never see a panda in the stream again—didn’t realize you’re like this, secretly taking the smallest and cutest while we weren’t looking—
【Little Thief Wu Shuang】: Streamer, today’s live stream is for petting cats. Even if you do nothing, just watching the panda is enough to make me happy.
Jiang Pengji smiled and asked, “Zisheng, who told you to hide my daughter?”
Feng Zhen was momentarily bewildered; when did he hide the Young Master?
Pft!
When did he even have a Young Master?
After a moment of daze, it finally dawned on him that “daughter” referred to the chubby creature in his grasp.
“Is this being raised by the Lord?”
“Not raised by me; could it be you are?” Jiang Pengji took the black-and-white ball back, and the little creature nestled obediently in her arms, covering its eyes with its little paws, appearing to be fast asleep while secretly peeking out with one paw to observe Feng Zhen.
Feng Zhen glanced at Wei Ci and then back at Jiang Pengji, a knowing look crossed his eyes.
He sensibly stepped away, giving Wei Ci and Jiang Pengji some space to interact.
The audience quickly picked up on the unusual vibe—
Their streamer and the charming beauty, the atmosphere between them was far too harmonious!
【Peach with Mushrooms Growing】: No way—our single dog streamer is finally abandoning us?
【Flitting Butterfly Dance】: I cried out loud; even watching a live stream now comes with emotional trauma, where can single dogs find solace in this world?
In truth, it proved the audience’s worries were somewhat unnecessary.
Neither Jiang Pengji nor Wei Ci was the type to get swept away by matters of the heart, and most of their conversation related to business.
No romance, just dry political matters.
“Any news from Baigao?”
While stroking the little creature’s fur, Jiang Pengji inquired of Wei Ci.
Wei Ci sighed and set down his pen, speaking seriously, “The Huang Province Governor is using the Gorge River as a base, sending troops north into Cangzhou. Given the timeline, news should be coming from the Huang Province Governor soon as well. However—there’s something I’m worried about—”
“What’s that?”
Wei Ci continued, “I’m worried about the Meng Clan’s patriarch—Meng Zhan.”
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow, chuckling, “What’s there to worry about with that old fellow?”
Wei Ci replied, “Ever since the Lord wiped out the Gaoyue Tribe, the Meng Clan seems to have given up the fight. Our army has been attacking Qianyan County and has faced almost no resistance along the way. However, the more it is like this, the more uneasy I feel—Meng Zhan is a ruthless character; he’s not someone to underestimate.”
Wei Ci was worried that Meng Zhan was brewing something big.
As a reborn individual, Wei Ci’s “prophetic advantage” was dwindling, but the nature of certain people hadn’t changed, and he could still pick up on some clues. From what Wei Ci knew, Meng Zhan was not someone who would easily admit defeat; his ambitions surpassed that of the clan.
In the previous life, Meng Zhan had married off his legitimate daughter to Huang Song, interlinking their families and calculating against one another.
Unfortunately, Meng Zhan’s strategy fell short, and he didn’t swallow Huang Song’s foundation but instead ended up being blackmailed by Huang Song.
In dire straits, guess what Meng Zhan did?
One Cangzhou, promising both families.
One was the Yi Clan of Beiyuan, and the other was the Nie Clan of Zhong Zhao.
He relinquished Zhan River Pass and Yumen Pass, opening a convenient path for the two families eyeing Dongqing’s territory.
Wei Ci worried that this time, pressed into a corner, Meng Zhan would act similarly.
