"He really came..."
Lolia's heart was pounding in her throat, and she nervously covered her mouth.
Subconsciously, she wanted to hide, but Wu Liang had quickly arrived in front of her.
"Lolia, it's so late, why are you still here?"
Wu Liang's voice was as calm as ever, betraying no emotion.
"I... I..."
Lolia lowered her head, afraid to meet Wu Liang's eyes.
"I... couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk..."
"Is that so?"
Wu Liang's gaze fell on her thin cheeks, and he asked with concern:
"Lolia, I see you've gotten quite thin recently. Are you troubled by something?"
His tone was gentle, just like an older brother.
But it was this simple, ordinary sentence that suddenly caused Lolia's emotions to break down.
She could no longer hold back her tears and began to sob.
"Leader Wu Liang..."
Lolia choked out the words, her voice thick with tears.
Wu Liang did not speak, merely watching her cry quietly.
Some emotions needed to be vented by herself.
Just then, a drizzle began to fall from the sky.
"Why..."
Lolia raised her small face, tear-streaked like pear blossoms after rain, and looked directly into Wu Liang's eyes.
"Why... Sister Ignis, Sister Suina..."
"They all... they all managed to become your women."
"They all received your acknowledgment... only me..."
"Leader Wu Liang, do you think I'm the most useless, which is why you've always ignored me..."
Lolia shouted out all the grievances in her heart in one breath.
Wu Liang looked at her, reaching out to gently wipe the tears and rain from her face.
His movements were very gentle.
"You little fool."
His voice was especially clear in the rainy night.
"Did you think I forgot about you?"
Lolia froze, looking at him confusedly.
"You are wrong."
Wu Liang's hand slid down her cheek and grasped her small chin.
"I didn't forget you; I was waiting for you."
"Wait... waiting for me?"
Lolia was even more confused.
"That's right, waiting for you."
Wu Liang smiled gently, his fingers lightly stroking her cheek.
"I have always been waiting for you to come to me on your own initiative."
"Because I believed you would come."
"Leader Wu Liang..."
Lolia was surprised, mixed with a hint of delight.
So... so he didn't hate me after all.
He didn't look down on me... he was waiting for me... A massive wave of joy and happiness instantly filled her heart, making her feel almost dizzy.
"Leader..."
She gazed at Wu Liang raptly.
"Don't call me Leader."
Wu Liang lowered his head, his hot breath fanning her face.
"Call me by my name."
"Wu... Wu Liang..."
Lolia's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, her cheeks flushed crimson.
"Mhm."
"But... you... you bad egg..."
Lolia was happy, shy, and angry all at once, weakly punching his chest with her small fists.
"I am a bad egg."
Wu Liang grabbed her mischievous little hand, yanked her fiercely into his arms, and held her tightly.
"A bad egg who is only bad to you."
He lowered his head and accurately kissed her small, chattering mouth.
"Mmm..."
All of Lolia's protests and words were swallowed back.
Her mind went blank, and she could only passively endure the man's domineering and passionate kiss.
The rain grew heavier.
The rainwater soaked their clothes, clinging tightly to their bodies and outlining their figures.
When the kiss ended, Lolia melted into Wu Liang's embrace.
"Now, do you still think I don't want you?"
Wu Liang whispered into her ear, his warm breath tickling her.
Lolia was too shy to speak, burying her face in his chest and shaking her head vigorously.
"That's good."
Wu Liang picked Lolia up in a bridal carry and, ignoring her surprised cries, strode toward the shed piled high with hay deep inside the ranch.
"Leader Wu Liang... what are you doing..."
Lolia asked in panic.
"What am I doing?"
Wu Liang looked down at her, a big grey wolf-like grin appearing on his face.
"Of course... I'm going to eat this little white rabbit who delivered herself right to my door."
"No... not here..."
Lolia voiced one last faint protest.
Wu Liang ignored her protest, kicked open the shed's crude wooden door, and carried Lolia inside.
"Do you want me to..."
"Hit?"
"Hit it!"
Outside, the drizzle lingered.
Inside the shed, the hay pile was soft and warm.
The rain pattered outside, and inside the shed, the hay rustled.
Accompanied by a suppressed gasp, the little white rabbit was completely devoured by the big grey wolf.
The next morning.
When the first ray of sunlight shone through the gaps in the shed, the heavy rain had just stopped.
To his surprise, although the little white rabbit was timid, she was the most capable of 'tossing and turning'.
Soon, the long-awaited System Notification Sound rang in his mind.
[Ding! Detected Host has completed the first Bloodline Linkage with high-potential target 'Lolia', triggering the 'Conquest Return' reward!]
[Mission Evaluation: Perfect!]
[Issuing Mission Reward...]
[Reward 1: Double return of Host's consumed stamina!]
[Reward 2: Acquire double the target's Racial Talent. Congratulations to the Host on obtaining 'Myriad Beast Affinity LV12'!]
[Reward 3: Acquire Special Skill 'Heart of Nature' (allows deep communication with animals, soothing their emotions, and slightly promoting their growth)!]
[Reward 4: 'Agricultural Technology Tree' Secondary Module: Advanced Animal Husbandry! Unlocking related branches: 'Livestock Genetic Optimization' and 'Large-scale Ranches'!]
The system's rewards arrived as expected.
Wu Liang felt a warm current spread throughout his limbs and bones, and the fatigue from last night vanished completely.
Even more miraculously, he felt an unprecedented sense of closeness with the surrounding natural environment.
He could even vaguely "hear" the indistinct emotions of the cattle and sheep outside the shed—satisfaction, laziness, hunger... This was the magical ability brought by "Myriad Beast Affinity" and "Heart of Nature."
The unlocking of the Advanced Animal Husbandry technology tree provided a huge boost to the Tribe's animal husbandry development.
Genetic Optimization means they can breed livestock that yields more meat, better milk, and stronger reproductive capabilities.
Large-scale Ranches can solve a series of problems like sanitation, feed, and management.
Meat, eggs, and milk in the Black Rock Tribe will no longer be luxuries.
Wu Liang smiled contentedly.
Lolia was still asleep, curled up like an obedient lamb.
Yet the corner of her mouth was slightly upturned, bearing a sweet smile.
It seemed the knot in this little girl's heart was completely untied.
Wu Liang leaned down and gently kissed her smooth forehead, then quietly got up, put on his clothes, and left the shed.
In the following days, Lolia seemed like a changed person.
She no longer frowned or worried about gains and losses all day long.
She had returned to being the innocent, vibrant young girl she once was.
A sweet smile was always on her face, and the look in her eyes when she saw Wu Liang was filled with undisguised admiration and devotion.
Under the guidance of the Advanced Animal Husbandry knowledge provided by Wu Liang, she threw herself into the ranch work with great enthusiasm.
Selecting fine breeds, planning breeding areas, mixing feed... Seeing their Leader fully recovered, the members of the Muge Tribe were also full of drive.
At this point, all eight major Tribes of the Great Desolate Mountain were integrated.
All the Female Leaders of Black Rock, Bloodfang, Ember, Hammerstone, Windchase, Moon Spring, Salt Marsh, and Muge became Wu Liang's women.
With the complete submission of these Female Leaders, the Tribes they represented truly integrated into the great Black Rock family from the bottom of their hearts.
Wu Liang seized this opportunity to carry out a far-reaching reform.
He officially announced the revocation of the designations of the original major Tribes.