☆, Chapter 30: Use Map Weapons with Caution
However, Stone's fears ultimately did not materialize. As the only daughter of the King and Queen of the Dwarf Kingdom, there was no way she would become a nun. And the temple was not what Stone had imagined.
It was an ordinary stone house, only slightly spacious, with furnishings that were neither luxurious nor exquisite, consisting of only very simple decorations, and even the tables and chairs were just a few pieces.
Stone and her stroller were placed in a secluded corner of the temple by Steel Hammer Papa. As Steel Hammer Papa left, he didn't forget to slip a baby bottle into Stone's hand. Stone's mournful gaze followed Steel Hammer Papa's retreating figure.
She'd always been curious about the duties of the King and Queen of the Dwarf Kingdom. But the strangest of all was Fat Mama. Stone had initially thought that after this incident, she'd definitely be handed over to Fat Mama, but instead, she ended up being packaged up and given to Steel Hammer Daddy. Isn't that odd? Stone was most curious about Fat Mama's daily work because she couldn't figure out what she was busy with every day. However, she wouldn't have the chance to find out for now.
Now, her only object of observation is Steel Hammer Daddy.
Steel Hammer Bap sat down in his designated seat, pulled over a pile of banknotes, and began to scribble and draw. A short while later, an old dwarf walked in, his back hunched.
The dwarf looked incredibly old; his hair, beard, and even his eyebrows were completely white. His beard was extremely long, so long that he wrapped it around his waist as a belt. When he opened his mouth, Stone could only see darkness. Stone reassured himself, "Tsk tsk, so I still have quite a lot of teeth!"
"Your Majesty Steelhammer." The old dwarf had barely uttered a sound when Steelhammer stood up in awe.
"Elder Redstone, what brings you here?" Steel Hammer Papa stood up and helped the old dwarf to a chair beside him. "Is something the matter?"
Stone's eyes widened. This old dwarf was suspicious! You see, Steel Hammer was very approachable, but he had his own kind of imposing presence. People might not kneel and bow to him like in human society, but no one had ever made Steel Hammer offer him his seat with such trepidation.
Just as Stone was pondering this serious question, the old dwarf named Red Stone suddenly turned around and glanced at her, startling her so much that she trembled. Not knowing how to react, Stone was about to feign tears when the old dwarf turned away as if nothing had happened.
“Your Majesty Steelhammer, your little princess…” The old dwarf hesitated for a moment, as if he didn’t know how to say it.
Steel Hammer Daddy was also surprised that Elder Redstone had come for the stone. After a moment of surprise, he still kindly replied, "Elder Redstone, you are the most senior elder in our Dwarf Kingdom. Please speak frankly if you have anything to say."
Youyou casually grabbed the milk bottle and put it in her mouth, squinting as if she was enjoying drinking the milk. In fact, her mind was already focused on the conversation between the two.
"Alas, the ancient books say that debts must always be repaid. That's absolutely true!" Elder Chishi sighed.
Pfft! Stone, quite unceremoniously, sprayed out milk. What kind of ancient book is this? How could it say such things!
"Has Elder Redstone discovered something?" Steel Hammer Daddy frowned, quite puzzled. Actually, not to mention recently, nothing unusual had happened even five hundred years ago. Ever since the entire Dwarf Kingdom moved to this underground place, which was 300 dwarves long underground, nothing special had occurred.
To everyone's surprise, Elder Chishi actually nodded and pointed a finger at the stone not far away: "Your Majesty Steel Hammer, there's something I've always wanted to ask you. Who exactly is Princess Stone?"
Instantly, Stone choked on his milk, freezing completely. After finally catching his breath, Stone was horrified to find Steel Hammer's face deathly pale. Could it be…?
"Elder Redstone, I respect you as the Grand Elder of the Dwarf Kingdom, please show some respect!" For Steel Hammer Daddy, these words were already quite harsh, but Elder Redstone seemed to completely fail to understand.
“If this is truly Your Majesty’s family matter, then it is indeed inappropriate for Redstone to ask such a question. However, Your Majesty should know that six hundred years ago, when the entire Dwarf Kingdom was forced to leave their homeland and move to this underground place where the sun no longer shines, our ancestor, your grandfather, the great Emperor Bronze Hammer, once warned all the dwarves…” Elder Redstone looked deeply at the stone and said expressionlessly:
"The Dwarf Kingdom does not welcome any humans!"
"Enough!" Steel Hammer Daddy finally snapped, turning abruptly towards Stone. Stone was so startled she nearly dropped her bottle, but Steel Hammer Daddy pulled her and the bottle into his arms: "Stone is my daughter!"
Holding Steel Hammer tightly, Stone shifted uncomfortably and struggled to look up at Steel Hammer. Could it be that what Elder Red Stone said was true?
“Alas, Your Majesty, we have all heard about what happened back then. Everything you encountered in the Crimson Forest is no secret to us elders. However, at the time, we all thought you had adopted a child from another dwarf family, so no one said anything. But…” Elder Redstone paused noticeably here, as if considering how to continue.
But Steel Hammer Daddy wouldn't listen to him at all. While hugging Stone, he glared fiercely at Elder Red Stone: "Elder, I've already said that Stone is my daughter, my biological daughter with Hami!"
Elder Redstone sighed again, his voice filled with helplessness and age: "Your Majesty, do you really think this can be kept secret forever? If Princess Stone were the child of another dwarf family, that would be one thing, but she is human! Don't you really know how different humans are from dwarves? Or do you think all dwarves are blind?" Elder Redstone became more and more agitated as he spoke, and couldn't help but cough: "Cough cough, Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Stone lay nestled in Steelhammer's arms, completely unable to move, but he no longer cared. Human?! Stone, who had already accepted his dwarfhood, was now in a state of utter shock. If he was human, then why was he born in a dwarf kingdom? Was he adopted by Steelhammer, or was Steelhammer cuckolding him?!
Even the stone was stunned by its own absurd idea. What is this? Making the best of a bad situation?!
"Enough! Enough! I said that's enough!" Steel Hammer Daddy was truly enraged, abandoning all politeness and growling through gritted teeth, "I'll say it again, Stone is my daughter! She's not some hypocritical, cunning, despicable, shameless human being!"
Splash!
A large bead of cold sweat slid down Stone's forehead. Steel Hammer Daddy, be careful when using map-based weapons, be careful!
Chapter 31: Heir of the Ancient Eastern Clan
"Your Majesty, no matter what, I must ask you to send Princess Stone to the human kingdom." In contrast to Steel Hammer's exasperation, Elder Redstone appeared calm and composed, earnestly persuading, "The Dwarf Kingdom does not welcome any humans!"
Stone's eyes widened as she looked around, her calm face masking a turbulent inner turmoil! Good heavens! What on earth is going on? What did she do wrong? Can't she just have a few days of peace?
"Elder Chishi! I'll say it again, for the last time! Shitou is my daughter, my own daughter!" Steel Hammer Papa used his Lion's Roar this time, and Elder Chishi was showered with spittle, his long beard fluttering in the wind, and he took several steps back.
Faced with Steelhammer's unwavering resolve, Elder Redstone finally sighed helplessly, stroked his long beard, and gave the stone in Steelhammer's arms a deep look: "Alas, why did it have to be a human? Even if she wasn't a dwarf, but a short dwarf, perhaps Your Majesty could have concealed the Stone Princess's identity. But a human..."
A dwarf?! Stone froze. Well, well, even being a human that all the dwarves call hypocritical, cunning, despicable, and shameless is better than being a dwarf, right? Watching the hunched-back Elder Redstone walk out of the temple, turning back to look at him every step of the way, Stone finally let out a long sigh of relief.
But Steel Hammer Daddy still held Stone tightly in his arms, as if afraid that if he let go, Stone would disappear. Sensing that Steel Hammer Daddy seemed a little off, Stone raised his little head and quickly called out, "Daddy?"
"What's wrong?" Steel Hammer Daddy snapped out of his daze when he heard Stone's soft voice, but his words immediately made Stone so angry he almost fell over: "My dear Stone, are you hungry?"
So, in your eyes, I'm just a glutton?! Get lost! I'm not some dead steamed bun who does nothing but eat and poop!
Speaking of Baozi, Shitou immediately gets angry. Yesterday, she went to great lengths to get Baozi to eat the "poop" it produced itself. Then, to find a safe place for Baozi to "poop," Shitou had to go through a lot of trouble coaxing the twins, almost exhausting herself!
In short, Stone didn't give a single kind look to that big, useless bun that only caused her trouble. But it was her pet, and she actually couldn't bear to throw it away, as if it deserved to be abused!
"Alright, alright, if Shitou is hungry, drink your milk first. In a little while, Daddy will take Shitou home and ask Mommy to make Shitou some milk porridge, okay?" Seeing that his precious daughter hadn't said anything, Steel Hammer Daddy thought she was really hungry and felt even more heartbroken.
Stone, on the other hand, looked embarrassed. Well, he really had been mistaken for a foodie.
Being mistaken for a foodie isn't a big deal, it's just a little embarrassing. But seriously, what's her background? What kind of species is she? Stuck in her own past, Stone unconsciously snuggled into Steel Hammer's arms and started drinking milk. Note, it's milk from a bottle, not Steel Hammer's milk! Smacking her lips, Stone remembered a few strange things.
First, there's the issue of personality. Among the dwarves, not to mention other dwarves, even within our own family, the seven older brothers, while having different personalities, are all generally honest and simple-minded. Even the second brother, who thinks a bit too much, isn't exactly cunning. But Stone, of course, is an exception. Okay, let's just say she's not the original owner of this body; anyway, her being an exception is a certainty.
Secondly, there's the issue of height. Dwarfs, as the name suggests, are people who are very short! It's not that dwarfs don't grow taller, but rather that their growth rate is extremely slow. They basically stop growing around the age of 7 or 8. For example, Big Brother Flame is already fifteen years old and is only a little over a meter tall. Steel Hammer Dad and Fat Mom aren't much taller than Flame either. Stone, on the other hand, seems to grow taller almost every day; at least her clothes seem to shrink considerably every month.
Secondly, there's the issue of language. No matter how mature a child's mind is, physical development is the most unavoidable factor. Shitou is only a year and a half old, but his language development is already quite complete; at least he won't have the short tongue that makes sounds like Qige and Huoqian.
Okay, Stone, just admit it, you're actually a human being!
With a pout, Stone felt utterly unhappy. Humans, in this land of dwarves, were nothing but an anomaly.
"Stone, sit still, we're going home." After a while, Steel Hammer Daddy saw Stone's listless appearance and decided to take him home first. He knew that bringing Stone to the temple wasn't a long-term solution, but he couldn't think of any better ideas. Sigh, what can he do when he doesn't have a daughter!
Wait, daughter?! Steel Hammer Dad suddenly had a flash of inspiration. That's right, how could I have forgotten about her?
Sitting in her private car, Youyou sadly put the black diamond in her pocket to her lips and whispered, "Baozi, I'm actually a human..." In fact, Shitou knew that saying this to Baozi was meaningless, but at this moment she really wanted to find someone to confide in, and Baozi seemed to be the only one.
Although it is not a person.
"Hehe, of course the master is a person!"
What does that mean? Stone pondered the sentence Baozi had transmitted to his mind, his heart filled with doubt and unease. What did it mean that she was, of course, human? Baozi…
Back home, it seemed early, and Fat Mom wasn't home. Steel Hammer Dad couldn't cook, so he had to leave Stone at home and go find Fat Mom. As soon as Stone saw Steel Hammer Dad close the door, he impatiently yelled at Black Diamond, "Turn into a steamed bun!"
"Hehe, Master's words aren't fancy at all!" Black Diamond turned into a big steamed bun, but his tone was still just as irritating.
Stone rolled his eyes: "My less-than-elegant speech is better than your less-than-elegant appearance, right?" Seeing Baozi puff out his cheeks and about to wail again, Stone quickly interrupted: "Baozi, what's with you saying I'm of course human?"
Baozi hesitated for a moment, probably thinking that it would be better to answer the question first and then cry. So after jumping around a couple of times, she said, "Hehe, Master has forgotten everything! But Baozi remembers that Master is the heir of the ancient Eastern clan!"
Chapter 32 Is God NetEase?
The heir of an ancient Eastern clan?!
What kind of world is this?!
Stone stared at Big Bun with a look of utter disbelief, his face contorted as if he were about to vomit blood. "Bun, didn't you say you'd forgotten everything from before? How come you still remember this?" Was this little rascal just making up a story to fool her?
"Giggle, Baozi has forgotten most things! But how could Baozi forget some important things? For example, Baozi is cute, charming, kind, and beautiful..."
"Stop! Stop!" Stone quickly called for a halt. If Baozi continued talking like this, it would take days and nights to finish. "Baozi, get to the point. How much do you actually remember about your master... that is, me?"
This is the most crucial thing! We need to find out the real owner of the steamed buns as soon as possible, lest we accidentally reveal the truth later.
"Giggle, about Master's business!" Big Bun was clearly unhappy that Stone had interrupted him, so when faced with Stone's question, he reluctantly cracked his folds and said, "I've forgotten all about it!"
That damn steamed bun!
Stone began grinding his teeth fiercely, recalling the ten cruel tortures of the Qing Dynasty he had seen in his previous life, pondering how some of them could be applied to Baozi: "You don't remember anything, right? Okay, I remember the meat rats in the backyard are still hungry, tsk tsk, I wonder if my mother fed them today."
Big Bun visibly shuddered. For a big bun with ideals, ambitions, and a fastidious nature, entering the stomach of a meat rat again was clearly not a pleasant journey, and this time, Stone might not come to its rescue. Actually, there was one thing Stone didn't know: although Big Bun could freely change its form, this was only possible with Stone present. Once separated from Stone, Big Bun could only undergo one final form change.
In other words, if the stone really does lose the bun, after leaving the stone, the bun can choose to transform into one of three forms, and then it can only maintain that form without moving or opening its mouth until the stone reappears in front of it.
Of course, Baozi would never tell Shitou any of this!
"Gaga, Master, Baozi loves you so much! Master, you can't throw Baozi away!" Having figured it out, Baozi immediately jumped up and threw itself into Shitou's arms, crying for a while: "Whatever Master wants to know, Baozi will tell you everything!"
Stone looked at Baozi with disgust as it threw itself into its arms and cried bitterly. You see, Baozi's crying was real tears. If it were just tears, that would be fine, but the problem was that if it cried so hard, the filling would leak out!
"Alright, alright, stop crying." Stone pulled the steamed bun from his arms and put it aside. "I'm just asking you, how much do you remember about your master... about my past? Tell me everything, I want to hear it all!"
Baozi sobbed twice, sucking up the filling that had accidentally spilled out: "Hehe, I've really forgotten almost everything about Master! No, no, I remember, I remember!" Seeing the fierce look in Shitou's eyes, Baozi decisively changed his tune.
“Gaga, Master is the heir of the ancient Eastern clan! Master used to be so powerful! And Master used to be so good to Baozi…” Baozi’s voice trailed off at the last sentence, as if accusing Shitou of his current behavior.
If it were someone else, they might actually feel a little guilty, but who is Shi Tou? His skin is as thick as a city wall!
"The heir of the Eastern Ancient Clan? Then tell me, what exactly is the heir of the Eastern Ancient Clan? What is the Eastern Ancient Clan? And where exactly is this so-called Eastern Clan?" After hearing Baozi's words, Shi Tou's eyebrows furrowed deeply. Although she had been in this world for almost two years, Shi Tou's life had only been confined to the Dwarf Kingdom, and even within the Dwarf Kingdom, there were many places she hadn't visited.
"Hehe, isn't the heir of the Eastern Ancient Clan the master? The Eastern Ancient Clan is of course a very ancient race that lives in the East!" Baozi obviously didn't expect Shitou to ask this question, and after a long pause, he finally managed to give an answer: "Hehe, where is the East? The East is right here, right here in the East! Right, right, Baozi remembers, the East is where the sun rises!"
Stone glared at Baozi with a long face and said irritably, "What you're saying is all nonsense!"
Baozi twisted its body in grievance: "Hehe, Baozi has never been to the ancient Eastern tribe, Baozi doesn't know anything about it!"
Suddenly, Shi Tou had a thought, as if he had remembered something: "Baozi, why haven't you been to the East? Didn't you say you... I used to be so good to you, taking you everywhere I went?"
"Gaga, but Master has never gone back! Baozi has been with Master since he was born, and Master has never returned to the tribe's settlement! But Master once said that the settlement of the ancient Eastern tribe is where the sun rises."