Five days later, at dawn.
The Rock Turtle wound around a blocking hill and over low stones, inching steadily forward.
In the courtyard on its shell, the Bunny-Eared Girl labored through her physical training.
"One, two, three—thirty more. Keep going." Mu Liang stood sternly at her side, urging her push-ups.
"All right." Mino gritted her teeth. Sweat beaded across her face, staining the ground beneath her chin.
Her arms shook as she lowered herself again.
This regimen had run for five days, with a few more reps added each session.
Li Yue emerged from the plantation, having checked on the Angel's Wing. She leaned toward Mu Liang. "She's been training all morning—should we let her rest?"
Each day Li Yue visited the plantation—either to inspect the Angel's Wing or sit under the starlight tea tree lost in thought.
"Not until she finishes these thirty," Mu Liang replied gravely. As a former special forces soldier, he knew human limits. Mino still had reserves; he pushed her just to her edge.
"Does this training even help?" Li Yue asked again. In her experience, it seemed too mild. The Bunny-Eared Girl had trained before—and this felt gentle.
"It's foundational work," Mu Liang said mildly. He'd noticed Li Yue's careful posture and the cries she gave in sleep, signs of a harsh childhood.
"And time, too—we have time." Li Yue realized, wryly, "Sorry. I'm too impatient."
"How's the Angel's Tear?" Mu Liang shifted topic.
"It's formed a drop already—I didn't expect it in under ten days. It's incredible."
At most, the Angel's Wing had been revived for seven days. To yield a Tear so soon was beyond belief.
"Maybe thanks to the Starlight Tea Tree," Mu Liang said with a hint of a smile. The Starlight Domain's boost accelerated the Tear's formation by three days.
"I suspect so." Li Yue still marveled at the bioluminescent tea tree. Then her brow furrowed. "But we have no container for the Tear."
The Angel's Tear's potency would dissipate in an ordinary vessel.
"We'll look at the Moon Lake Tribe—maybe they have something suitable." Mu Liang frowned. Stone or wood wouldn't work; crafting glass required sand and time-consuming experimentation. For now, they'd leave it.
"All right." Li Yue nodded.
"Don't worry—you said we'll reach the Moon Lake Tribe tomorrow?" Mu Liang looked toward the distant mountains but saw none.
"At our pace, we'll be near their mountains by tomorrow morning." Li Yue sighed. She'd tried for days to dissuade him, but Mu Liang insisted on going straight to the Moon Lake Tribe.
"I've got your back," Mu Liang patted her shoulder. Then he returned to counting Mino's reps with a teasing drawl: "Twenty-nine, twenty-nine point five, twenty-nine point six… thirty."
Mino gasped and collapsed to the ground.
"Don't just lie there—sit up." Mu Liang tugged her up by the collar like a pet.
"Okay." Mino panted, slumping to the earth.
"Your endurance is still weak—you need weeks more training." Mu Liang massaged her arm's acupoints.
"All right." Mino nodded, her rabbit ears drooping.
"Remember the assassination techniques I taught yesterday? Do you recall the targets?" Mu Liang bunched her arm gently.
He'd also given her anatomy lessons: how to incapacitate with a single strike.
"Target the throat… the heart…" Mino broke into an excited demonstration—then winced as her arm ached.
"Told you not to flail." Mu Liang scolded. "After breakfast, you drill those moves."
"Got it." Mino agreed cheerfully. She relished the structure and Mu Liang's patient teaching—it beat her former aimless chores.
"Enough daydreaming—go wash up and eat." Mu Liang reached to tug her ears.
"Ouch! You'll stretch them!" Mino protested, dodging deftly. Their playful chase over her ears had become a daily game.
"If you don't resist, they'd stay the right length." Mu Liang finally caught an ear.
"Hmph! Someday I'll evade you." Mino huffed and staggered toward the hut.
"Use warm water." Mu Liang called after her.
"Got it." came her crisp reply.
"You two are close," Li Yue observed softly, a hint of envy in her tone.
"Want me to teach you push-ups? I can massage you afterward." Mu Liang glanced at her in surprise. "Or do you want to be the one having your ears tugged?"
"I'm not letting you tug my ears." Li Yue's cheeks flamed as she fled inside.
"I could massage your thighs." Mu Liang's tone was teasing.
"You… shameless!" Li Yue tripped but caught herself, cheeks burning.
Mu Liang laughed freely. Teasing the cool, silver-haired girl brightened his day.
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