The Territory of the Zheng

These were all places it had found while traveling around in the past; some of them it had dug out itself. Traveling alongside Fatty turned out to be a very wise decision for Tu Ran. On the first day entering the inner region, at 10 PM Federation time, Tu Ran decided to rest. She wasn't particularly sleepy, and the sky inside the Threshold hadn't darkened. But sleeping at 10 PM and waking at 6 AM was a firm rule she had set for herself. This way, she could recover her strength quickly, stay energized all day, and not let her body break down from too little rest. Fatty led her to a small den it had once lived in. It wasn't big—just enough for one person and one ball to sleep in comfortably. Fatty was tired and fell asleep as soon as its head hit the ground. Tu Ran first made a circuit outside, confirmed the area was safe, placed the machine gun on one side and the dagger on the other, then closed her eyes. She set her alarm for 7 AM the next morning, and when it rang, Tu Ran woke up first. The sky was still bright—bright from yesterday until now. Tu Ran was used to it. The day and night cycles inside the Threshold were always irregular, just like the Threshold's gates—opening and closing purely based on mood. Tu Ran packed her gear first, without waking Fatty. She needed to find some food nearby for their breakfast. If it were just her, she could make do with some compressed biscuits, but now with Fatty and its huge appetite, she couldn't be so casual. Passing by a low shrub, Tu Ran spotted tiny red fruits. Each one was the size of her fist, with a black bump at the top, like a monster's eye. Such fruits were abundant in this thicket. Fatty had said these fruits were amazing—small as they were, eating one would keep you full for a whole day. But they didn't taste very good. For the slightly picky Fatty, it only ate them when it was extremely hungry and couldn't find anything else. Tu Ran casually picked two, put one in her bag, and munched on the other as she walked. Fatty didn't eat them, so she did. Anyway, all food tasted exactly like whatever she imagined it to be. She just had to imagine this fruit tasted like an apple, and it would be crisp and delicious in her mouth. Tu Ran continued searching for food Fatty could eat. Yesterday, as they walked, Fatty had introduced her to all sorts of edible things, and Tu Ran had memorized them carefully. Now, seeing a small flower with three purple petals and one red petal, she stopped immediately. Fatty had said that under these half-purple, half-red flowers, there were sweet fruits buried. Fatty liked sweet melons and fruits. Tu Ran quickly finished the rest of her "apple." Then she took out her dagger and crouched down to dig at the base of the flower. After digging a couple times, half the fruit was exposed. Tu Ran scooped it out with her fingers, patted off the soil, and saw a pale, tender fruit, shaped like a round white radish. She moved to the next flower and dug again. Judging by the size of these fruits, Fatty would need seven or eight per meal. To be safe, Tu Ran dug up fifteen. Then she went to a nearby stream and washed them one by one. The mud washed away, and the white flesh looked very appetizing. Tu Ran picked up a huge leaf that had fallen from a tree, wrapped ten fruits in it, and headed back. As she expected, Fatty was still sleeping. It was lying on its back, legs in the air, in a bizarre sleeping position, and she could even hear a faint snore. A chicken that snores—Tu Ran was speechless. "Get up and eat," she called out. Fatty rolled over, ignoring her. Tu Ran called again, "If you don't get up, I'll eat them all." Still no response. Tu Ran couldn't be bothered to call it again. She sat down nearby, picked the cleanest fruit, and took a bite. It was sweet, fragrant, and juicy. After finishing one, she reached for a second. The fruit's aroma finally reached Fatty's nose. Still in its dreams, it woke up craving the smell. It sat up with a start, stared at the white, tender fruits, and licked its lips. "Eat up; we're leaving soon," Tu Ran urged, pushing the fruits toward it. Fatty immediately pulled the leaf over to itself and buried its head, munching away. It ate fast. By the time Tu Ran had finished converting her medicine pouch into a sling bag, Fatty was done. It wiped the juice from its beak with a feather, then looked curiously at the little bag in Tu Ran's hands. "Boss, what's that?" Tu Ran tossed the bag to it. "Put it on. From now on, whenever you see food you want along the way, you can put it in here." Fatty was thrilled. Seeing the simple sling bag made of a medicine pouch with two strings, its tail feathers burst out. It quickly hopped up and, imitating Tu Ran, slipped the bag over its head and slung it across its side. The bag was just the right size—big enough for an extra-large red-skinned melon. It spun around in joy, flapping its wings. Finally, it had its own little bag, and it could carry its favorite foods. Tu Ran slung her backpack on, glanced at it, and headed out of the den. "Stop showing off. Let's go." "Okay, boss," Fatty said happily, following her. As they went deeper into the dense forest, whenever Fatty spotted a fruit it liked, it would stop and pick a few extra, stuffing them into its bag, eating as it walked, while chattering on. "This place is the territory of the Zheng." "They have five tails and one horn. They're agile, with four legs, and they run very fast. Their calls sound like stones striking together." "Even though they look fierce, they don't actually eat meat, and they're tolerant toward weaker creatures," Fatty said with confidence. Tu Ran looked around. It seemed no different from any other place. She had no idea how Fatty could tell, and she half suspected it was making things up. Just as she thought that, the sound of stones striking rang out. It was getting closer. Tu Ran thought: No need to be so on cue. From behind a thick tree emerged seven creatures that looked like cheetahs, but five times their size. The biggest difference from cheetahs was the slender horns on their heads. They really were exactly as Fatty had described. Fatty nudged her with its wing and whispered, "Boss, don't stare at them. They'll think you're challenging them. Lower your head, and they'll ignore us." Tu Ran lowered her head as told. She actually wanted to see their five tails. As Fatty had said, the herd of Zheng completely ignored them and walked past them with a proud swagger. After ensuring they were well away, Tu Ran raised her head to look at their backs. Each Zheng had five tails behind it. She'd never seen an animal with so many tails before; it was strange beyond words. "They're patrolling their territory. Any creature that dares to lock eyes with them is deemed a challenger, and they'll immediately pounce and tear it to shreds," Fatty explained vividly. As it spoke, it pulled out a purple fruit from its bag and took a bite.