Return Journey

The heavy ore severely slowed down the team's pace.
While they could cover twenty to thirty miles a day on the way there, they could not manage even twenty miles on the return trip, even without any mishaps.
Despite the slow progress, everyone felt much less fear; holding iron sticks gave them a sense of confidence.
Just as they were leaving the mine, they encountered a few plump hares. Someone casually hurled an iron stick, hitting one in a vital spot, and the hare expired on the spot.
This proved the sharpness of the iron sticks, instantly easing everyone's minds considerably.
In the past, when encountering beast packs, it was not that they dared not fight, but that they lacked sharp weapons, making bare-handed combat utterly useless. Now, what was there to fear?
The gazes they directed at Lin Yan became even more fervent and full of admiration. Her insistence on searching for ore had been right. With sharp weapons, their defensive capabilities were vastly enhanced.
According to what she said, these were merely crude products; after future refined processing, even more items and sharper blades would be forged.
Having witnessed the power of the iron sticks, they believed Lin Yan's words even more and simply waited for her to make more implements from the ore.
The members of the Sixth Team, assigned to protect Lin Yan, each carried thirty pounds of iron ore. Hua Hong carried some tools and took turns holding and carrying Lin Yan along the way.
Walking and stopping alternately, Lin Yan recorded many new species, and her contribution points skyrocketed.
Although they were returning along the same route, they had encountered various accidents on the way there, missing some new species.
Vegetation was lush everywhere, and her spiritual power could not be activated at every single moment, so the recorded species were not entirely complete.
During a break, Hua Hong saw Lin Yan using a small shovel to dig up some grass. The small shovel was genuinely tiny, something she had crafted herself while at the mine.
Back then, everyone else was busy forging tools and extracting ore, while she tinkered on her own. Aside from the small shovel, she had also made a small hoe and a small hammer, which only she could use.
Although small, everyone could see that the little items she crafted were somewhat more exquisite than what they themselves had hammered out.
"What are you digging grass for? What kind of grass is this?"
Lin Yan was digging with intense focus and was startled. "This isn't wild grass; it's a wild vegetable called chives."
She didn't really recognize it either; she had only discovered it just now while standing nearby and observing. This clump of wild chives grew low to the ground, mixed among the weeds, and would be hard to spot without a careful look.
The clump of chives was about ten centimeters tall with thick, plump leaves. Pangbao said they grew better than ordinary chives.
Moreover, chives were very easy to cultivate; planting a single clump could propagate a vast patch. She had eaten chives before, but they were never her favorite.
Now, with no other choices, the prospect of having one more vegetable was immensely thrilling.
Up until now, their diet consisted of nothing besides meat, wild fruits, and eggs, and they had not yet discovered a single edible wild vegetable.
Since she had chanced upon chives, she would transplant them back. Fried eggs with chives sounded like a decent meal.
Hua Hong looked at the short, diminutive chives. "Can this really be eaten?" In her understanding, this was just wild grass, eaten only by beasts.
"Of course it can. Once we get back, Mother will see. Even though greens look like grass, they are plants, but they are different from grass."
Seeing Lin Yan digging away with great effort, Hua Hong took the shovel and, with a few swift motions, dug it out roots and all, intact with soil.
Lin Yan found a bowl, filled it with earth, and planted the chives. Their return timeline was uncertain; what if the plant withered halfway? Planting it with soil should help it hold on until they got back.
Blue Star took a drink of water and, seeing the mother and daughter messing around with something over there, walked over to take a look.
"What are you two doing? Why plant grass in a bowl?"
"It's not grass, it's chives," Lin Yan immediately retorted. "These are wild chives, and they're edible. If you run into any, dig them up and bring them back too."
Blue Star looked skeptically at the so-called chives in the bowl. Not only were they short, but they also looked less lush than ordinary weeds, sitting there all alone. He doubted, "Can this really be eaten?"
"Definitely. Chives reproduce strongly; you can harvest a batch and new ones will grow back. Once planted, you can keep eating them from then on."
"How do you eat them?" Blue Star remained unconvinced.
Hua Hong wasn't entirely sold either, looking eagerly at Lin Yan.
Lin Yan said, "You can stir-fry them with eggs, and there are many other ways. Once we find other ingredients later, you'll understand. Right now, there's only this one clump, which is very precious and can't be given to you to eat."
Seeing her speak with such absolute certainty, Blue Star and Hua Hong reluctantly believed her. Still, doubts lingered as to whether this thing was truly edible.
After that, they searched the surrounding area for chives, but until their break ended and they set off, they failed to find a second clump.
Lin Yan felt deeply regretful. Having only one clump was risky; what if it didn't survive the journey?
By the fourth day, they reached the jungle where they had previously encountered the hyenas. Everyone's body grew tense and highly alert, as the impression left by this place was far too profound.
Those balls of hedgehogs from before had pricked them painfully, though they hadn't actively attacked humans. The pack of hyenas had injured over a dozen people, and although they were eventually surrounded and killed, they had left a lingering mark in everyone's hearts.
Reaching this spot naturally heightened their vigilance, driven by the fear of history repeating itself.
The large troop halted and first dispatched two squads to scout the situation. Nearly a month had passed, so the stench of blood should have long since dissipated, leaving no trace of the hyena carcasses.
Two hours later, the scouting party returned reporting the forest was safe. The site of the past slaughter left behind only some white bones, with no signs of beast activity.
Black Earth looked up at the sky; it was getting late. He ordered the troop to stop and rest so they could recuperate and quickly pass through the forest early the next morning.
The guards immediately selected tall trees to climb up and keep watch—a habit formed along the way. High vantage points allowed for distant views, making sentinels an absolute necessity.
The others followed orders, setting down the transported iron ore, herbs, and other supplies properly.
Lin Yan first checked the chives in her basket. They hadn't withered and were growing quite well, which finally set her mind at ease.
Hua Hong couldn't help saying, "You checked on them three times a day. Are these chives really that important?"
"Of course they're important," Lin Yan said without hesitation. "There's only one clump, extremely rare. If it dies, finding another will be terribly difficult."
"Seeing you treasure it so much, is it even more important than iron ore? You never check on the iron ore like that." Hua Hong failed to comprehend Lin Yan's regard for a single clump of chives.
Lin Yan explained repeatedly, but without tasting the deliciousness of chives, they simply couldn't understand. Just like people who had never personally seen iron ore could not fathom its importance.
She knew well enough herself; once the chives were cultivated and they finally got to taste them, they would naturally understand.
Hua Hong boiled water and cooked meat soup, telling Lin Yan to rest on the side.
Just as Lin Yan was thinking of taking her small shovel to wander around, Blue Star walked over with someone in tow.
"Looking for me?" Lin Yan asked once the person approached.
Blue Star nodded, pointing at the person beside him and saying, "This is Bright. He said he saw a kind of grass he'd never seen before, growing in a whole patch. I just went over to look; it's right over there, definitely something unusual. I wanted to bring you to see if it's of any use."
Ever since witnessing the efficacy of medicinal herbs and learning that Lin Yan had a keen interest in unfamiliar plants, anyone in the team who spotted something unrecognized would come to her for identification.
Lin Yan was more than willing. As long as it was a new species, even if she couldn't use it right away, having the science museum catalog it would earn her contribution points. She excitedly followed them over.