159: The Spirit of Nature Who Freeloads

Shen Xiaochuan leaned back, sitting more comfortably.

His hands rested on the armrests, but he wasn't completely relaxed.

A warm current was running through his body; it was the newly acquired power.

He closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing, keeping his heartbeat in sync with the growth of his faith points—+1 per second, very steady.

Footsteps sounded, and Lilia entered carrying a wooden tray.

On it were a clean towel and a new set of clothes.

"Hot water is ready in the side hall bathroom," she said. "Would you like to take a bath first? You smell like sand and wind."

Shen Xiaochuan opened his eyes and nodded: "Okay, I was just thinking of washing up."

He stood up, and the copper gear pendant on his workwear cuff brushed against the chair, making a small sound.

He was very familiar with this sound; he had heard it every day at the steel mill when he was a child.

The bathroom was at the end of the corridor next to the Main Hall.

Once the door closed, heat rushed toward his face.

The water in the large copper basin was steaming, and next to it were coarse salt and a bag of herbs.

He took off his clothes, revealing several old scars on his shoulders.

Warm water poured over him; his skin flinched at first, then slowly relaxed.

He crouched down, buried his head in the steam, and rubbed his hair with his hands; his mind felt less tense.

After washing, he came out and changed into dry linen clothes, feeling much more relaxed.

He walked back along the corridor to the Main Hall, his steps steadier than when he arrived.

As soon as he entered the door, he smelled something delicious.

The long table was already set with three dishes and a soup, all steaming hot.

The main dish was a large plate of stewed meat, sauce-red in color and glistening with oil; it was clearly slow-cooked using meat from a beast.

Beside it were two dishes of green vegetables, a dish of pickled radishes, and a milky white bone soup with chopped green onions floating on top.

Lilia stood by the table, holding a spoon: "Lilith and I made it together."

"She said you like this stewed tiger leg, so she cooked it for an extra half hour."

Shen Xiaochuan sat down; he was indeed a bit hungry.

He had been outside for five days, eating only dry rations and energy paste; his mouth had long since lost its taste for food.

"Thank you for your hard work," he said. "The city's affairs during this time have all depended on you."

"It's our duty," Lilia said, handing him a bowl and chopsticks. "We're relieved that you've returned safely."

He picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth; the skin was a bit crispy, the inside tender, chewy, and with a hint of herbal fragrance.

He nodded: "Delicious, even more fragrant than before."

Lilia smiled and turned to go to the kitchen for tea.

Shen Xiaochuan didn't rush to take a second bite.

He closed his eyes and opened the God's Kingdom panel.

[God's Kingdom Name]: Skydome City

[Total faith points]: 2,874,513 (Daily increase: 864,219)

[Number of Believers]: 127,321 (Awakening accounts for 8.3%)

[Building Rank]:

Market x2 (Rank 3)

Residential Area x5 (Rank 2)

Library (Completed)

Skill Training Area (Completed)

[Defense System]: Qiao Yao Barrier (Can resist perfect grade beast tides)

He read through them one by one, feeling assured.

The population had increased, faith points were growing steadily, and most importantly, Qiao Yao had truly upgraded the barrier to a level capable of blocking perfect grade monsters.

This was not easy; many gods could not do it.

He opened his eyes and was about to pick up some food when a flash appeared before him.

The air shimmered, and a person appeared beside the dining table.

She wore a gray-white robe, her hair tied behind her head, with a smile on her face.

"Yo, eating?" Qiao Yao clapped her hands. "The smell of food drifted all the way to my place."

Shen Xiaochuan paused his chopsticks and looked up at her: "How come there was no sound when you teleported? Not even a notification."

"Of course," Qiao Yao pulled out a chair and sat down. "I specifically chose the moment you were about to move your chopsticks; it's the best time to free-load a meal."

Lilia came out of the kitchen, not surprised to see her, and only asked: "Should I add a set of bowl and chopsticks?"

"No need, I brought my own." Qiao Yao pulled a small cloth bag from her bosom, shaking out a pair of bamboo chopsticks and a small porcelain dish. "A veteran free-loader is always fully equipped."

Shen Xiaochuan shook his head: "You helped us guard the city for five days; not to mention one meal, I should treat you to ten."

"Don't speak too soon," Qiao Yao picked up a piece of meat, put it in her dish, and blew on it. "The money for guarding the city hasn't been calculated yet."

"I heard the beast meat Lilith makes is especially fragrant, so I came to free-load a meal and settle the bill at the same time."

Shen Xiaochuan bit his chopsticks and laughed: "You really know how to plan."

"Truth," Qiao Yao ate slowly. "We usually focus on saving people, but we also take on some guard missions."

"Your order this time wasn't small; two perfect grade beast tides, and I had the barrier on the whole time, which took a lot of effort."

"I can tell," Shen Xiaochuan nodded. "The barrier didn't break at all, which shows you controlled it well."

"That's right," Qiao Yao took a sip of soup. "If someone else had come, they wouldn't have held out."

"If I had stopped early, the city would have fallen into chaos."

"I'll remember this favor," Shen Xiaochuan put down his chopsticks and looked at her seriously. "Name your price; as long as I can afford it, I won't delay."

Qiao Yao blinked: "Why spoil the mood by talking about money now? Eat first, I'll give you the list when we're done."

The three of them continued to eat.

The dishes were hot, and they talked a lot.

Qiao Yao talked about the situation outside the city over the last two days, where the wind was off, where beast footprints were found—she explained it very clearly.

Shen Xiaochuan listened, nodding from time to time.

He knew this information was useful.

When she was seventy percent full, Qiao Yao put down her bowl and wiped her mouth: "Alright, I'm full, time to get to work."

She took a piece of paper from her bosom, placed it on the table, and said with a smile: "Here is the bill, clearly priced, take a look."

Shen Xiaochuan took it and opened it to look.

The writing was very neat:

[Service Items]:

perfect grade Black Bear Spirit beast tide defense (First time) — Six hours, used Intermediate barrier array, consumed about 40% of spiritual power.

perfect grade Black Bear Spirit beast tide defense (Second time) — Eight hours, upgraded to composite barrier, consumed about 55% of spiritual power.

Patrol and vigilance outside the city (Three times a day, five days in total) — Twelve times, covering a thirty-mile radius.

One temporary emergency support (Beast herd approaching) — Activated Rank 2 warning.

[Settlement Method]: Can be paid with faith points or exchanged for equivalent resources (negotiable).

Below, no amount was written, just a blank space with "Pending Confirmation" written in it.

Shen Xiaochuan finished reading and didn't speak, tapping his finger twice on the corner of the paper.

Qiao Yao leaned back on the chair, arms crossed: "I know you're not very rich right now."

"Just finished a war and need to expand the city; everything costs money."

"But I'm not helping for free; I have a team to support."

"I understand." Shen Xiaochuan folded the paper and put it into his bosom. "I acknowledge this bill."

"After I finish checking the inventory, I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

"No rush." Qiao Yao stood up and stretched. "I'm staying at the West District barrier watchtower; you can find me anytime."

She walked to the door, turned back, and smiled: "By the way, remember to tell me in advance next time you go out."

"Don't suddenly disappear for five days again; I wouldn't know how long I'd have to guard for."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded: "I'll remember."

The door closed, and the footsteps faded away.

Lilia came over to clear the table, her movements light.

She glanced at the bill in Shen Xiaochuan's bosom, didn't ask, but whispered: "Lady Qiao Yao has it hard, guarding such a large area all by herself."

"It is hard." Shen Xiaochuan leaned back in his chair, his hand touching the copper gear pendant. "But we have it hard too."

"Every single faith point must be spent in the most important places."

He looked down at the table; the remaining food was still steaming.

The tiger leg meat was half-eaten, the bones set aside.

He reached out and pushed the bowl to the side.

Then he sat up straight, opened the storage grid, and began to check the resources item by item.

faith points balance, quantity of Materials, skill books, things that can be exchanged...

He read through them one by one, his eyes becoming increasingly heavy.

It was dark outside the window, and the children in the square had long since gone home.

A kite hung under the eaves, swaying gently in the wind.

Only he was left in the Main Hall; the light flickered, and his shadow cast on the wall looked like a silent adult.

He flipped to the last page and stopped.

His finger hovered over the "Faith Mall" entrance, hesitating to click.