Landlord in the Arctic-Chapter 84: Gift

In the end, Feng Shan still didn’t get an answer.

Feng Shan didn’t refuse Frank’s request. He had a vague suspicion it had to do with his grand-uncle, and since Frank was unwilling to talk about it, there was no need to pry.

A night passed.

The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, Frank announced he was leaving. Tom, who had hoped to mooch for another day of free food and drink, had no choice but to go with him.

The reindeer and gray wolf pelts were loaded into the plane. In the end, Feng Shan decided to let Tom take the Black Wolf pelt too. Tanning hides in the winter was just too time-consuming, and with a pile of other chores, he really couldn’t spare the time.

Before they left,

Feng Shan pulled the still-recovering Frank into a hug.

"My promise still stands. There’s always a place for you on the bus. Chin up. You’re Frank, the sharp tongue of Fairbanks. Nothing can get you down."

"Is that so? If you ever find out the answer, you’ll probably want to shoot me."

Frank forced a smile, hugged Feng Shan back, then turned and ducked into the plane’s cabin.

"Pal, Tom Airlines is at your service 24/7!" Tom gave a salute and, with a 2,000 US Dollar cashier’s check in hand, happily started the plane and ascended slowly into the sky.

Feng Shan waved goodbye.

He watched as the plane grew smaller and smaller, until it vanished completely into the gloomy sea of clouds.

Back at the camp,

he saw that those two troublemakers had scurried off somewhere again.

Stepping into the bus, he was surprised to find a cardboard box sitting quietly in a corner of the living area.

’Where did this box come from?’

Feng Shan walked over, puzzled. The box had no decoration, just some simple markings and the sender’s information.

He saw the familiar names on the shipping label.

It was from Hu Zi and his friends.

’Why didn’t Frank mention it?’

He took out his new knife, slit the tape, and unwrapped three layers of cardboard. Inside were items individually wrapped in bubble wrap.

He grabbed one at random and unwrapped it to reveal a tightly sealed glass jar. The moment he twisted off the lid, a thick stench instantly filled the air.

The pungent odor rapidly filled the entire space. Anyone else would have instinctively covered their nose and mouth, desperate to get away.

This stench was different from that of dried shark meat; it was a stink laced with the aroma of beans.

Feng Shan’s expression, however, lit up with delight.

He stared excitedly at the glass jar, his eyes filled with joy. It was the stinky bean paste he had been craving.

For Feng Shan, this unique stench was a familiar and comforting aroma.

When he was a child, wandering the streets with his younger siblings, the food they ate most often was stinky bean paste in white steamed buns.

You’d take a freshly steamed white bun, break it in half, scoop in a big spoonful of stinky bean paste, and press the two halves back together.

One bite was pure bliss. Even though life was hard back then, in that moment, a simple steamed bun with stinky bean paste was the greatest happiness imaginable.

Feng Shan eagerly rushed back to the kitchen area. He heated his leftover noodles from breakfast on the fireplace, then carefully used his chopsticks to mix in some of the stinky bean paste.

The white noodles, mixed with the stinky bean paste, gave off a rich and unique aroma.

The smell alone made Feng Shan’s mouth water. He picked up his chopsticks and began slurping the noodles down.

Just then,

Coca-Cola and Prince snuck furtively into the bus.

Upon smelling the stinky bean paste,

Coca-Cola turned to sniff its own rear. Finding nothing, it angrily slapped Prince across the face with its paw.

’That’s what you get for pooping everywhere!’

Prince, having been slapped for no reason, blinked innocently.

The smell of the stinky bean paste, however, awakened a different instinct in its bloodline.

It sidled up to Feng Shan, wagging its tail and whining with its head held high, begging for a taste. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Scram! What, you think this is poop?" Feng Shan said, noticing Prince’s muddy paws. "Where have you two been? I haven’t seen you since last night."

The words had barely left his mouth when Coca-Cola shot over, chasing Prince out of the bus with a flurry of paws and claws.

’Seeing how those two troublemakers are acting, they must have been secretly up to no good.’

He put the plate, licked clean down to the last drop of sauce, back in the kitchen area and went back to unpacking his surprise package.

There were three jars of stinky bean paste, two jars of chopped chili peppers, and a few packets of vegetable seeds from back home. There weren’t many varieties—just cilantro, sweet corn, eggplant, and cowpeas.

The rest of the items were a sweater, a scarf, and socks, all hand-knitted by Xiaohua.

He put on the scarf and instantly felt a wave of warmth.

As he was putting on the new sweater, Feng Shan saw Nash walk in from outside the camp, a worried look on his face.

"Khilla, the flame is getting smaller!"

’The flame is getting smaller!’

’Of course it would. It has no Soul Power to fuel it.’

’The Witchcraft Bone Ring has been well-fed recently with the Soul Power from the reindeer, the gray wolves, and the Kivalina whitefish. This is the perfect time to add some to the tribe’s Fire Seed.’

Feng Shan grabbed his hide coat and put it on. "Let’s go. To the riverbank."

Nash’s face lit up, and he hurried to the workshop to grab a pair of snowshoes.

The two of them left the camp on their snowshoes and crossed the Melted Snow River Valley. After the blizzard a few days prior, the riverbank was a vast, white expanse.

With every step, their snowshoes sank into the drifts with a CRUNCHING sound.

They arrived at the fire pit that held the tribe’s Fire Seed.

His gaze fell upon the circular patch of mossy ground.

After the last infusion of Soul Power, the light from the Fire Seed had expanded to cover an area about half the size of a basketball court, which was now teeming with life.

Now, however, the vegetation at the very edge of the circle had clearly withered.

The withered yellow stood out, a jarring sight against the surrounding green moss.

Feng Shan knew why. ’The Fire Seed must be lacking Soul Power, causing the flame to shrink.’

The firelight could no longer reach that area, so the moss had lost the Fire Seed’s protection and frozen to death. He crouched down, gently touching the withered plants, a sense of helplessness and regret welling up inside him.

He then walked over to the fire pit, stopping before the Fire Seed.

The Fire Seed, once as tall as a chopstick, had now shrunk back to a tiny flicker. The weak flame danced in the wind as if it might go out at any moment.

Feng Shan reached his hand toward the Fire Seed and poured the Soul Power stored in his Witchcraft Bone Ring into it.

The next moment.

The Fire Seed erupted, shooting more than a meter into the air and instantly becoming a raging inferno. The blazing light illuminated their surroundings as waves of scorching heat rolled outward.

Feng Shan was temporarily blinded by the sudden flare of light.

Nash had already fallen to his knees, his forehead pressed to the ground, chanting prayers in a language Feng Shan couldn’t understand.

As the Fire Seed’s flames surged, Feng Shan, shielding his eyes, felt an endless stream of life force radiating rapidly outward from the fire.

Wherever the light touched, the snow melted in an instant, and water flowed freely over the barren soil.

When his vision returned and he saw what was happening, his expression changed dramatically.

’This rapid expansion isn’t a good thing.’

’This expansion consumes the Fire Seed’s energy, and burning that energy requires Soul Power as fuel. Without a continuous supply of Soul Power, the final result will be the same: it will wither away.’

At this thought, Feng Shan subconsciously tried to communicate with the Fire Seed. He silently prayed for it to hear him and stop its near-uncontrollable expansion.

Incredibly, a miracle occurred.

As if it had heard Feng Shan’s silent plea, the Fire Seed actually responded.

The flame, which had been surging and expanding wantonly, began to gradually recede.

The fire drew back bit by bit, its growth slowing, transforming from its initial wildness into something gentle.

The brilliant light was no longer so blinding, and the intense heat began to subside.

Throughout the process, Feng Shan watched the Fire Seed without blinking. He watched until it had completely stabilized, slowly retracting its flames and returning to a relatively gentle state.

It was only then that Feng Shan realized something.

’The Fire Seed has a consciousness of its own, but it needs to be given a command before it will react.’

Immediately, Feng Shan communicated with the Fire Seed, issuing a command.

"Use half of the infused Soul Power to expand the area, and the other half to sustain the flame."

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