The Enfield whimpered and rubbed its head against Four Eyes' face in a gesture of farewell, its eyes filled with gratitude and sorrow.

Chatty translated the message for Four Eyes: "The beast says it wishes you well and a great journey in your cultivation. It also said it will be forever thankful to you and that you will be its only Master for the rest of its life." Chatty's voice was filled with emotion as he conveyed the beast's words.

Four Eyes patted the Enfield's head gently. "You can go back," he said softly, his voice filled with warmth.

Ling Li turned to Chatty, her expression softening. "Chatty, you are very impressive. You are half-steps to the true origin, and you have gained a special animal telepathy. Congratulations," she said, her voice filled with pride.

"Thank you, Madam," Chatty replied smugly, a proud smile spreading across his face.

Shi Min clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, you must all be hungry. Grab some food while it's still hot. I know you are all famished," he announced, tapping Shun's shoulder. "You all did well," he added, his voice filled with genuine admiration.

Ling Li's eyes filled with affection as she looked at Four Eyes. "Honey, I'm glad you're fine. And you did great! Your advancement is quite fast and impressive!" she said, her voice filled with love and pride.

Four Eyes embraced Ling Li tightly. "I miss you," he whispered, his voice filled with emotion.

"I miss you too," Ling Li replied, her voice trembling with emotion as she returned the embrace. She almost choked on her words as she remembered she was pregnant. "Honey, the twins are learning to walk; they can already take one step at a time!" she informed Four Eyes excitedly.

"Really? Let's go home quickly!" Four Eyes exclaimed, his excitement palpable.

"We will go home straight from here. You eat first with the rest; you must be hungry," Ling Li said, guiding Four Eyes toward the food.

"But I would rather eat you now," Four Eyes whispered playfully in Ling Li's ear, causing her face to flush red with embarrassment.

"Alright, Mother and Paps, don't let us singletons here eat too much dog food. Come and eat with us," Shi Min joked, his voice filled with playful humor.

"You! It's your fault!" Ling Li scolded Four Eyes in a low voice, making him chuckle as he took her hand. As he held her hand, Four Eyes couldn't ignore the familiar sensation reminiscent of when Otako had held his hand. 'They truly feel the same,' he thought, glancing at Ling Li.

"What's wrong? Why are you staring at me? Do I have dirt on my face?" Ling Li asked, noticing his gaze.

Four Eyes shook his head silently. "Your hand feels exactly the same as Otako's," he uttered, causing Ling Li's heart to skip a beat before she quickly recovered.

"Otako held your hand? When? Where? Why did he hold your hand?" Ling Li asked innocently, her voice filled with curiosity.

Four Eyes squinted his eyes, sensing that Ling Li was hiding something. He decided not to press her, opting to wait until she was ready to tell him the truth.

"When he gave me the scarlet fruit to eat," Four Eyes replied, watching her intently.

"I was wondering why your cultivation jumped to the fourth level; did Shun also eat the scarlet fruit?" Ling Li asked, her eyes filled with understanding.

Four Eyes nodded.

"Leveling up from the third to the fourth level of cultivation is especially hard; some take years, while others are not even lucky enough. Scarlet fruit is one of the secrets to doing it, but as you can see, it is extremely hard to obtain, and the process of breaking through is extremely painful. It was very painful, right?" Ling Li looked up at Four Eyes, who had started to eat.

Four Eyes nodded again.

"Scarlet fruit improves the whole body by enhancing the vitality of your blood and strengthening your muscles and bones by destroying and reconstructing every single one of them to a new level. This process is why the breakthrough is truly painful," Ling Li explained. Her voice carried a tone of both wisdom and concern. However, as Ling Li finished speaking, she felt her stomach churning violently. The potent smell of the food in the camp made her nauseous. She wanted to vomit but was afraid that Four Eyes would discover her pregnancy.

Four Eyes noticed her sudden paleness and panicked, his face draining of color. "Honey, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice full of concern and his eyes wide with worry as he reached out to steady her.

Four Eyes' worried tone caught Shi Min's attention. The young warrior, with a sharp eye for detail, immediately sensed something amiss and quickly walked over to them. His gaze alternated between his mother's ashen face and his stepfather's anxious expression.

"Paps, Mom has been very tired; we recovered the camp in China, and it was a big endeavor. Why don't we go home ahead? Let's leave Little Jack with the rest of the group," Shi Min suggested, his voice calm but firm, knowing his mom's intention to hide her pregnancy from his stepfather and give him the big news on their wedding day as a surprise.

"I'm okay, son. Maybe it's also the weather here; it's too humid," Ling Li retorted, trying to downplay her discomfort. Her voice was strained, and she forced a weak smile, hoping to convince them.

Shi Min's eyes filled with a questioning look, silently communicating with Ling Li, 'How could you not block your sense of smell to avoid being found out by Paps?'

Understanding Shi Min's silent question, Ling Li glanced at him apologetically, her eyes saying, 'I forgot, sorry.'

Four Eyes looked between them, sensing the unspoken conversation but not understanding it. Four Eyes placed a protective arm around Ling Li's shoulders, his voice becoming firmer. "Let's go," he said, already standing up and giving Shi Min a look that said they should leave now.

"Leave everything to me, Grand Master. You should go home with the Supreme Commander. I'll take care of the rest here," Jack enunciated clearly. He stepped forward with determination, knowing the Supreme Master wasn't feeling well. His confident tone and steady gaze reassured the group.

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