Inside the shabby little hut

"Come on, don't be shy, eat up," the Short Sturdy Man said.

On the wooden table sat a bowl of chicken soup, a plate of pig head meat, and a plate of peanuts.

"We're not hungry, you eat first," Li Xuan politely declined. The cautious habits formed during the apocalypse made him unwilling to eat food offered by others unless it had been verified as non-poisonous.

Shui Lanlan extended her chopsticks, picked up a piece of soft, stewed chicken from the soup, and placed it in Huo Lingling's small bowl. "My dad's stewed chicken is really delicious. I don't get to eat it often in normal times."

Huo Lingling waved her hand. "I'm not hungry either, Lanlan. You eat first, don't keep serving me."

Although Huo Lingling had a craving for tasty food, she knew her boundaries and never ate recklessly. Moreover, she had eaten all kinds of delicacies on the train, and the cooking skill displayed in this stewed chicken was quite ordinary, lacking in appearance, aroma, and flavor.

Despite Shui Lanlan's innocent and naive demeanor, it failed to ease the vigilance of the two. In the apocalypse, people who appeared kind on the surface but were cunning and treacherous underneath were countless.

Never easily trusting strangers was a truth every Survivor in the apocalypse knew well!

Shui Lanlan picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, and a blissful smile appeared on her face.

"We'll eat first. Whenever you get hungry, I'll warm it up for you."

The Short Sturdy Man picked up his gourd, pulled out the stopper, and the aroma of alcohol wafted out. "Want some?"

"No," Li Xuan refused again.

The Short Sturdy Man chuckled cheerfully. "Haha, I'll enjoy it alone then."

He thought to himself, 'They're not very old, so why are they so cautious? Could it be that they encountered disaster outside and fled all the way to Tianniu Island?'

The Short Sturdy Man believed he had deduced Li Xuan and Huo Lingling's background—they came from wealthy families in the outside world, had tasted countless delicacies, and therefore showed no interest in chicken or pig head meat, not even displaying the slightest desire.

Soul King Village worshipped a mountain deity, and most of the meat produced had to be offered to the mountain god. Otherwise, if the mountain god grew angry and stopped protecting Soul King Village, it would start feeding on humans.

As a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist, he could only eat meat once a month, at most half a chicken each time. The sight of meat made him salivate uncontrollably. Yet these two, who weren't even Martial Artists, remained unmoved. They must have eaten better things.

The reason he didn't immediately capture them was his concern that they might carry protective treasures. He had heard from Shui Lanlan that some outsiders carried strange black rods that made other intrusters fearful.

Coupled with Li Xuan's mention of hundreds-of-meters-tall buildings and flying steel giant birds, he became increasingly certain that the outside world had undergone earth-shaking changes and that he needed to proceed with caution.

He absolutely must not capsize in a shallow ditch!

The Short Sturdy Man took a sip of alcohol, then found it strange again. What exactly had happened outside? Could it be that Martial Arts had been lost?

Even the scions of wealthy families outside didn't know about Martial Arts!

Forget it, once he captured Li Xuan, everything would become clear.

At the dining table, the Short Sturdy Man and Shui Lanlan chatted with Li Xuan and the other while eating.

Li Xuan intentionally probed for information about Martial Arts, quietly guiding the conversation.

The Short Sturdy Man drank heavily and seemed drunk, his face flushed, eyes dazed, pointing at Li Xuan. "Let me tell you, don't think our family's inherited Flowing Water Art has an ordinary name, but!"

The Short Sturdy Man slapped his chest hard, making a dull thudding sound. "Flowing Water Art is actually very advanced! There aren't many Martial Arts techniques in the entire Soul King Village that rank higher than Flowing Water Art. Our ancestors changed the Martial Arts technique to the plain-sounding Flowing Water Art to avoid attracting the attention of villains."

Shui Lanlan shook the Short Sturdy Man's arm. "Dad, you're drunk. Stop talking nonsense."

The Short Sturdy Man shook off Shui Lanlan and angrily slapped the table. "What nonsense am I spouting! Everything I said is true! Back in the day, our ancestors were among the first group of Martial Arts experts to set foot on Tianniu Island! The fact that you developed such a strong physique right after mastering Flowing Water Art is the best proof!

Flowing Water Art isn't weak—we are the weak ones. It's a pity our family is small and hasn't produced any geniuses, burying the potential of Flowing Water Art."

Shui Lanlan looked apologetically at Li Xuan and scratched her head. "My dad gets like this when he's drunk. Please don't mind him."

The Short Sturdy Man suddenly interjected, "How about you join our family? I'll pass on Flowing Water Art to you. I see you don't have training marks, but your physiques are good. Although you're a bit older, there's still hope for you to enter the ranks."

Shui Lanlan's face turned bright red, and she punched the Short Sturdy Man. "Dad! What are you saying!"

"Since ancient times, parents' orders and matchmakers' words have decided marriages. I am the head of the family, so I have the final say in everything," the Short Sturdy Man said stubbornly, his neck stiff.

"Hmph! I don't want you controlling me!"

Shui Lanlan covered her face and ran out of the room. The sound of her footsteps quickly faded, but she hadn't gone far.

The Short Sturdy Man picked up the gourd, filled a wine cup, and pushed it to the center of the table. "If you're willing to marry Shui Lanlan, drink this cup of wine. If not, push it back."

The air seemed to freeze. The Short Sturdy Man stared intently at Li Xuan, while Shui Lanlan eavesdropped outside.

Huo Lingling waited indifferently. She understood what marriage meant but didn't see any problem with Li Xuan marrying Shui Lanlan.

Yun Xiuzhi had only told her that she couldn't let other men see her body or get too close to other men, but hadn't taught her that she couldn't share one Li Xuan with other women.

Thinking Li Xuan was concerned about Huo Lingling, the Short Sturdy Man spoke to her, "Young lady, don't worry. Shui Lanlan won't compete with you for position. She can be the secondary wife. Just don't bully her."

"She can be the primary wife too," Huo Lingling said.

The Short Sturdy Man was stunned. Could there really be such an understanding woman in the world?

She was wasted on Li Xuan, and deserved to encounter his family.

"Will you drink?" Huo Lingling asked Li Xuan blankly.

"I have no romantic feelings for Shui Lanlan," Li Xuan said as he pushed the wine cup back toward the Short Sturdy Man.

The Short Sturdy Man frowned deeply, not expecting Li Xuan to make such a decision. Huo Lingling didn't mind, Shui Lanlan was willing to be the secondary wife, and he was offering to teach Li Xuan his family's Martial Arts—yet Li Xuan still refused?

"Don't you want to learn Flowing Water Art?"

"I do," Li Xuan answered truthfully.

"Then why refuse? Isn't it enough for Lanlan to be the secondary wife? Do you expect to get our family's inherited Martial Arts for free?" The Short Sturdy Man's tone grew heavy.

"We haven't spent enough time together. I don't have those kinds of feelings for Shui Lanlan," Li Xuan said.

Shui Lanlan's appearance wasn't bad—on Blue Star, she would be considered above average. Her skin was firm, full of vitality. If she changed into modern clothes and applied makeup, her looks could reach the next level.

The Short Sturdy Man picked up the wine cup, downed it in one gulp, and shook his head. "Forget it. Since you have no feelings for Lanlan, I won't force you. I'll pass on Flowing Water Art to you, but only the first volume. I won't teach you personally—take the manual and practice on your own. If you can't master it, then think carefully about whether you truly don't want to marry my daughter."

"Lanlan! Bring the manual for your lifesaver! With this, our debt is cleared, and we owe each other nothing!"

Shui Lanlan, her eyes slightly red, walked in holding a yellowed manual. "Here."

Just as Li Xuan's attention was on the manual, the Short Sturdy Man suddenly made his move, swift as a Falcon diving down.