Shen He remained silent in response to Feng Yi's question.
This silence, however, conveyed a great deal.
Feng Yi decided to take this opportunity to have a heart-to-heart with Shen He.
Having compassion was a good thing, and Feng Yi supported it.
However, she needed to understand the boundaries of compassion and avoid becoming an accomplice to disaster by being overly lenient.
Compassion was only reasonable when exercised while objectively understanding the laws of development of things and maintaining rationality.
"Shen He, let me tell you a story!"
To be considerate of Shen He's feelings, Feng Yi decided to explain the logic of the matter in the form of a story.
"Once upon a time, there was a person who really liked rabbits. He thought they were very cute, so he kept many rabbits at home..."
"To protect these cute rabbits, he drove away all their natural predators like wolves, snakes, and foxes, which liked to eat rabbits..."
"Rabbits breed at a terrifying rate. They can produce 5 to 6 litters per year, with each litter containing about 6 to 10 offspring.
Furthermore, they can conceive again immediately after giving birth. Thus, without the threat of predators, the rabbit population surged by over two thousand in just two years..."
"The rabbits ate all the grass and bark in the vicinity, and even devoured the man's plantation. But he refused to kill the rabbits and eventually starved to death..."
"His death was not the only problem; he brought this disaster upon the entire nation!"
"The rabbits began to migrate to other areas. After years of breeding, their population exceeded ten billion. Wherever the rabbits went, nothing grew..."
"At this point, the predation speed of natural predators like wolves and foxes could not keep up with the rabbits' reproduction rate. The consequences severely threatened the development of the local livestock industry..."
"Moreover, the rabbits' habit of burrowing caused soil erosion, and many herbivores could not compete with the vast rabbit population..."
"It's not that people didn't realize the danger. They began to build fences, but for rabbits skilled at burrowing, the fences were as good as useless. The entire country fell victim to the gnawing of the rabbit army..."
"Shen He, let me ask you a question: If the person who kept the rabbits were still alive and witnessed firsthand the rampant rabbit population devouring the vegetables and fruits painstakingly planted by the people, causing them to suffer famine and even starvation, what do you think that person would feel?"
As the rabbit roasted, Feng Yi sprinkled it with spices, took a large bite, and posed the question to Shen He.
Shen He was not unintelligent. On the contrary, since she could comprehend the profound logic of immortal cultivation, she could easily grasp the simple logic presented in the story.
Were the common people more important? Or were the rabbits more important?
The answer to this question was obvious: No matter how cute the rabbits were, the common people were more important!
Her master was indeed right; she could learn a great deal by following Feng Yi.
"The rabbits were brought to the Serenitea Pot by me, so I have the responsibility to maintain the ecological balance of the Serenitea Pot..."
Feng Yi placed another roasted rabbit, propped on a branch, in front of Shen He.
After such a long delay, it was time to get down to business.
Feng Yi left Shen He to ponder alone and walked towards the volcano.
Shen He picked up the roasted rabbit in front of her. The glistening oil made her frown, but she eventually tore off a small piece and put it in her mouth.
Hmm... it smelled so good!
The flavor was surprisingly good. She wondered what spices Feng Yi had used. The aroma was rich and alluring, combined with the crispy exterior and tender interior of the succulent and flavorful rabbit leg, it was truly amazing.
This was the first time Shen He had tasted meat.
'Although eating meat deposits impurities and can affect cultivation speed, eating just a little bit should be fine, right!?'
Shen He thought to herself, and if necessary, she could spend some time refining the impurities that resulted.
'Right? Where did Feng Yi go?'
'That direction seems to be the volcano. What is Feng Yi doing there?'
Shen He disliked hot temperatures and environments rich in Pyro elemental energy.
However, she also worried that Feng Yi might encounter danger. After much hesitation, she decided to follow him.
Feng Yi arrived inside the volcano and approached the golden giant egg.
Using the River God's Eye, he checked the incubation status of the golden giant egg. After confirming that everything was normal, he felt relieved.
The current primordial energy concentration of the golden giant egg had been repaired to 67%. It should hatch successfully soon!
"Little one, how about I give you a name?"
Feng Yi had a sudden impulse and spoke to the golden giant egg before him.
Feng Yi said it casually, but the golden giant egg unexpectedly swayed slightly, as if responding to his words.
"You're shining golden, big, and round. How about I call you Jin Yuan Bao (Golden Ingot)!"
In Feng Yi's previous life, the older generation often said that giving a humble name would ensure a child's health. Therefore, children in the village were all named things like Zhuzi (Pillar), Tiedan (Iron Egg), and Ergou (Second Dog).
Due to the lower medical technology at the time, the possibility of children dying was higher. Coupled with the superstitious beliefs of the older generation, giving a humble name was meant to ensure the baby would be strong and live a long life.
Feng Yi held the same idea, hoping the golden giant egg would hatch smoothly and grow up healthy.
Speaking of which, the name he chose wasn't that humble; it was quite fitting.
See, the golden giant egg was happily swaying.
Plop, plop~
The suspended high platform trembled slightly, and the magma below seemed to be affected by the golden giant egg's emotions, churning restlessly. Magma bubbles constantly formed and then burst.
Feng Yi: See, the golden giant egg is happily bubbling!
Golden Giant Egg: You call this happiness?!
"Alright, alright. I chose this name hoping for your successful hatching. I promise you, once you hatch successfully, I'll give you a nice name, okay?"
Feng Yi gently comforted it. He was just being flippant, not insensitive; he could sense the golden giant egg's displeasure.
Crack~
Hearing Feng Yi's promise, a thin crack appeared on the golden giant egg the next moment.
Crack, crack, crack~
More and more fine cracks appeared, like tributaries, eventually merging to form a thick fissure.
Feng Yi: No way? I just said it casually, and you hate this name that much?
Golden Giant Egg: I'm cracking!
Crack~
A dazzling golden light shot out from the thick fissure, illuminating the entire space and turning it into a golden sea.
Feng Yi quickly closed his eyes. The golden light was too blinding; he might go blind if he kept looking.
Shen He, who had found her way there, was just reaching the cave entrance when a sudden burst of golden light flashed into her eyes.
'This golden light is not simple. Feng Yi might be in danger! Feng Yi, please hold on!'
Shen He closed her eyes, felt her way along the cave walls, and slowly moved deeper into the cave.
"Daddy, you promised me that once I come out, you'll give me a nice name! You can't go back on your word!"
Feng Yi, with his eyes closed, suddenly heard a clear and melodious childish voice.