When the Edelweiss plants fluffed up into spiky sea-urchin shapes, they quickly gathered into small whirlwinds to defend against their predator, forming a powerful storm.
But the rabbit seemed to know their abilities well. It started burrowing underground before the whirlwind could fully form, digging with remarkable speed, a natural burrowing expert. It managed to dive underground just in time to avoid the storm’s damage.
The Edelweiss plants fluffed up again, bristling with defensive spikes.
Once the whirlwind subsided, the snow rabbit emerged from its burrow, determined to capture the Edelweiss puffs once more.
Ruan Shu watched anxiously, helpless as her combat skills were nearly nonexistent.
Thinking quickly, she remembered the narrow cliff wall they’d passed on their way in.
“Meow meow meow!”
‘Everyone, come this way!’
Worried they might not understand her meowing, she bit down on one of the Edelweiss puffs, expecting a prickly sensation but finding it soft in her mouth.
Setting aside her surprise, Ruan Shu ran toward the narrow cliff wall entrance, carrying the puff in her mouth. The Edelweiss puffs followed her, but the small whirlwinds around them didn’t stop.
The rabbit, cautious of a direct confrontation with the Edelweiss plants, periodically dug and burrowed, wary of their united front.
To Ruan Shu’s relief, the Edelweiss plants obediently followed her lead, all streaming toward the narrow passage.
Once inside the confined space, their whirlwind formation became faster and more powerful. Ruan Shu continued feeding them energy, which made them even more vigorous. Whirlwind after whirlwind struck the rabbit, as if they had boundless energy to release.
The snow rabbit, trying to emerge from its burrow, was instantly battered by the fierce winds each time it poked its head out. Eventually, when it tried to follow them into the narrow gap, it was blown back by the intense gusts.
The Edelweiss winds were anything but gentle; sharp blade-like edges spun within the hurricane. When the snow rabbit got caught, it endured the painful feeling of being cut from all directions.
A normal creature might have been shredded, but although the snow rabbit sustained injuries, none were fatal. Nevertheless, the pain made it hesitant to act rashly.
The rabbit let out a sharp cry, unwilling to back down from its meal as Ruan Shu led the Edelweiss puffs toward the exit. The rabbit, unwilling to give up, began digging to pursue them again.
Though it was slower, the method was surprisingly effective.
After a few more Edelweiss puffs fell prey to the rabbit’s attacks, they finally reached the narrowest part of the passage.
Ruan Shu, in her cat form, easily slipped through, and the Edelweiss puffs followed without issue. But the snow rabbit was too large.
The rocks below were too solid for the rabbit to dig through, so it tried to squeeze through the narrow gap to get out. However, like most low-level beasts, its intelligence was limited.
The rabbit clearly underestimated its own size and… got stuck.
Wedged firmly in the crevice, it couldn’t move forward or backward, helplessly thrashing and letting out pitiful shrieks.
Ruan Shu turned back to look, deciding she didn’t need to run anymore.
“Meow meow meow!”
‘Attack it!’
The Edelweiss puffs fluffed up, forming small whirlwinds that gathered and blasted straight into the crevice.
Seeing the impending storm laden with hostile energy, the rabbit panicked, frantically kicking its legs to retreat.
But there was no escape—it was caught in the whirlwind.
This storm was much more powerful than the previous ones. The rabbit was swept up, spinning through the air, experiencing the full brunt of the raging winds and feeling the sharp, cutting pain as the air currents slashed across its body.
Ruan Shu tilted her head up, listening to the rabbit’s tortured, piercing cries.
Serves it right!
This encounter had cost nearly two hundred Edelweiss puffs, a number that made Ruan Shu’s heart ache.
After all, Ruan Shu was already growing quite possessive, regarding these Edelweiss as her private property!
Just as she was nursing her loss, she felt herself lifted off the ground, suddenly grasped by a firm hand.
Shushu: “!!!”
She was about to fluff up in protest, but a familiar voice stopped her. The little cat meekly tucked her paws and tail in.
“Quite the runner, aren’t you?”
It was none other than Almer, his tone carrying a hint of irritation.
Seeing Ruan Shu in Almer’s grip, the Edelweiss puffs fluffed up again, forming small whirlwinds that began gathering around them.
“Meow!”
‘Stop!’
At Ruan Shu’s command, the budding storm dispersed.
Almer raised a brow at this. “Impressive. You’ve got these Edelweiss listening to you now.”
Ruan Fengsi walked over and took the little cat into his arms. “Don’t scare her. Shushu is easily frightened.”
Almer: “…”
He was pretty sure someone had mentioned wanting to teach her a lesson earlier.
“What happened just now? Did you run into a beast?”
They had arrived just as the battle ended, and by that time, the rabbit had already been tossed out of sight, unable to be seen.
“Are you hurt?”
They carefully examined Ruan Shu, turning her this way and that, only relaxing when they confirmed she was unharmed.
But the incident had been dangerous.
Even the usually easygoing Ruan Qingran spoke to her seriously, “No more acting on your own next time!”
Ruan Xinglan added, “You’re so small, you wouldn’t even be a mouthful for those beasts.”
Ruan Shu: …… Enough, enough, I get it. I know I was wrong.
But, honestly, this time the harvest was worth it.
With Ruan Shu around, capturing the Edelweiss puffs was a breeze.
In fact, they didn’t even have to capture them—the Edelweiss puffs, following her command, obediently hopped into the container they had prepared.
The container was a box with spatial-folding technology, lined with ice to keep the Edelweiss fresh.
Watching the puffs obediently file in, everyone felt a bit speechless, yet couldn’t hide a touch of pride.
Sure, their little sister might lack combat skills, but she had a knack for bonding with mutated plants.
Just look—over a thousand Edelweiss puffs, collected effortlessly. Could any other family do the same? Even if the Li family showed up, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
While it was uncertain exactly how many Edelweiss plants the Li family maintained, this collection of a thousand was enough to produce the inhibitors needed for several military legion each month.
Most importantly, from now on, they wouldn’t be under the Li family’s control anymore!
The most stunned of all was Almer.
Despite knowing Ruan Shu for a while, he had no idea she had this kind of talent.
Getting mutated plants to willingly follow her—if the vine and that mutated mushroom had seemed like chance encounters, then gathering this many Edelweiss made it clear to even the densest observer that there was something special about her.
Previously, Almer hadn’t thought much of it, but now…
“A bloodline ability?”
The idea struck him immediately.
The three Ruan brothers exchanged a glance, then nodded.
They weren’t planning to hide Shushu’s unique ability, especially since Almer already knew she could cultivate mutated plants.
“That’s right. Maybe we should find her some more aggressive plants to work with. I’ve got a mutated carnivorous one back at the palace—want it?”
That particular carnivorous plant belonged to his mother, and it had always looked at him with disdain, sneakily trying to eat him whenever it could.
When he was little, that plant had almost devoured him a few times; if he hadn’t been so tough-skinned, he might’ve been dragon fodder by now!