Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Grandma! Let me out, quickly!" Lu Chuan slammed his fists against the wooden door.

He wanted to rush straight to Yuezhu's house. No matter what, he couldn't allow Yue Feiyan to be married off to someone from the Thousand Tree Tribe.

Grandma Lu coaxed him with a motherly tone, "My dear child, just stay home. Don't interfere with your grandfather's matters."

"I won't get in Grandpa's way—but Yue Feiyan can't marry anyone else! She can only be mine!"

Lu Chuan roared, unwilling to accept the truth.

"You should choose another girl," Grandma Lu advised, her voice carrying the tone of someone who had seen more of the world. "That little Yue Feiyan is too wild and unruly, she's not suitable for you. Elder Ze's daughter is a much better match—she's big and strong, healthy too."

"No! I only want Yue Feiyan!" Lu Chuan shouted stubbornly.

"But that girl doesn't like you," Grandma Lu scolded harshly, glaring at him as though he were a useless piece of iron. "She doesn't even look at you! Why keep forcing yourself onto her?"

"She'll be mine sooner or later!" Lu Chuan bellowed arrogantly. "Only I'm worthy of her!"

Grandma Lu sighed deeply. "Ah, you fool… it's already too late. Your grandfather has made arrangements with the Thousand Tree Tribe. Soon, our Moon Lake Tribe will merge with them. Both Yue Feiyan and even the Moon Lord will be married off to their chief."

"What?! Impossible!" Lu Chuan slammed against the door in disbelief.

Boom!

"I don't believe it! Didn't Grandpa promise me?! He said I would marry Yue Feiyan!"

"My child, don't make trouble. With the merging of the tribes, we might even be able to build a city."

"Lies! You're lying to me! I want Yue Feiyan!"

Lu Chuan's unwilling screams echoed through the house.

Meanwhile, the four intruders—Luciel and his companions—hid quietly in the shadows, listening to everything.

"So that's it…" Luciel's eyes narrowed in realization. "The missing piece—the Elder's faction wants to merge the Moon Lake Tribe into another tribe."

Suddenly, everything made sense.

No wonder the hunting teams hadn't resisted. If they joined a powerful tribe, they wouldn't need to depend on a Moon Lord to produce water. Their future would be secure.

Which meant…the Moon Lord was no longer important. She, along with Yue Feiyan, had become nothing more than bargaining chips in a political marriage.

Like pets—prized only for their ability to produce water.

"What now?" Liyue asked coldly.

"Next, we look for valuables. A Great Elder must have plenty of good things hidden away," Luciel ordered in a hushed voice.

Even the Bloodbeard bandit leader had a breeding chamber. Surely a Great Elder of the Moon Lake Tribe wouldn't be worse.

"Alright, I'll handle the old woman. She'll take us to the treasures," Liyue said, standing up and moving toward Grandma Lu.

After some "persuasion", Grandma Lu begrudgingly led them to the backyard, where they entered a massive shed.

A brazier glowed within, warming the air.

Luciel stopped in awe. "I didn't expect the Elder to have such a huge greenhouse."

The interior was astonishing—spacious as two football fields. The structure was built entirely of wood, with animal hides stretched as curtains along the sides.

"You… who are you people?! My husband is the Great Elder of the Moon Lake Tribe, he'll be back soon—!" Grandma Lu tried to raise her voice, but before she could finish, her mouth was sealed.

Thwip!

Luciel fired spider silk, binding her to a chair.

"How much water did it take to grow all of this?" Liyue asked in shock, staring at rows of lush vegetables and fruit trees. The soil was damp, drenched with water.

"Quite a lot, I'd say," Luciel murmured, shaking his head.

He hadn't expected the Elder to cultivate such a massive greenhouse filled with greenery.

No wonder people in the tribe were deprived of water—the Elder had hoarded it all here to sustain his private garden.

"Wow! There's more growing here than in our whole home!" Mino exclaimed, her blue eyes widening as she touched the leaves of an unfamiliar tree.

"This one's medicinal… and so is this," Yu Fei'er said, crouching on the ground and carefully examining the plants. She was already identifying the herbs spread throughout the greenhouse.

"Luciel, which ones should we take?" Liyue asked.

"Which ones?" Luciel smirked, spreading his hands. "All of them. We're taking everything."

They had the tricolor lizard, as strong as a truck. A couple of trips would be enough to move it all.

"You're joking, right?" Liyue's silver-white eyes widened in disbelief.

"I'm completely serious. We can handle it." Luciel's tone was calm. "Don't you want to see greenery back at home?"

If he transplanted these plants into his territory, especially with the evolved Starlight Tea Tree expanding the growth range, they could restore vitality and prosperity to the land.

"…Of course I want that," Liyue admitted softly, a spark of hope flickering in her eyes.

Who wouldn't? To see green plants outside their home—such a dream was almost impossible.

"But the Elder could return at any moment," Riyue reminded them anxiously.

"That's why we move fast." Luciel knelt, pressing both palms to the ground.

"Earth—Rock Control!"

The soil rippled like water, and the plants rose up as though being lifted by invisible hands, roots intact, like peas being squeezed out of their pods.

"This… what the…?"

The three girls struggled to keep their balance, dumbfounded by the sight.

"This is insane!" Mino gasped, tugging at her ears in disbelief.

"He's incredible," Yu Fei'er whispered, golden eyes glowing as she watched the plants float free.

Luciel's power left them breathless.

"He's definitely at least a sixth-order awakened one… maybe even close to the seventh," Liyue thought secretly in shock.

Seventh-order awakened beings were legends—found only in the greatest cities.

Meanwhile, Grandma Lu trembled, eyes wide in sheer horror.

"Don't just stand there—start moving the plants to Xiao Cai," Luciel commanded, his face pale with effort as he wiped sweat from his brow.

Controlling such a vast area so precisely, without damaging a single root, drained enormous energy.

Rip!

The curtain of the greenhouse tore open. The massive tricolor lizard crawled inside, its presence saving them manpower. With it here, there was no need to worry about secrecy—they were moving everything straight from the Elder's house.

"You rest. Leave the heavy lifting to us," Liyue said firmly, hauling a fruit tree toward the lizard.

Yu Fei'er carefully collected rare herbs into a bag, ensuring they wouldn't be crushed in transit.

"Luciel, are you alright?" Mino rushed over, holding two plants.

"I'm fine—just a little tired," Luciel chuckled, waving her concern away. His body wasn't strained—it was his mind that was exhausted.

"Are you really okay?" Mino pressed, worried as she looked at his pale face.

"Really. I'll recover quickly," Luciel assured her with a serious nod. Already, his complexion was returning to normal.

"That's good." Mino finally sighed in relief and hurried off to load more plants.

"Mino, wait. Show me what you're holding."

Luciel's eyes caught the plants in her arms—they seemed strangely familiar.

"Sure." Mino returned and handed them over.

The moment Luciel touched the vine and its tubers, he froze. His eyes widened, disbelief flashing across his face.

Mino didn't disturb him and went back to moving more plants.

Luciel stared at the reddish tubers in his hand, then slowly broke into a grin.

"I never expected to find this here…" he whispered, his voice filled with excitement.

It was a crop he recognized—sweet potatoes.

This discovery alone made the risk worthwhile.

With plant-based food, the food crisis could finally be addressed.

After all, relying on meat alone was unsustainable. Meat could fill stomachs for now, but long-term survival demanded something more stable.

"This… this is one of the true foundations for building a lasting force."

Luciel's eyes gleamed with excitement as he clutched the sweet potatoes tightly.

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