Chapter 78: The Earth: “Gulp…”

Compared to the crying ‘Waa waa waa’ of the March Hare under the rubble, the group’s focus had shifted in a strangely inappropriate direction now that the tension had eased.

Lu Lingxi mused, “Can roasted meat even be served cold? I’ve never tried that. Usually, it’s eaten hot right off the grill with the juices sizzling and dripping onto the pan. Pair it with beer or a cold drink, and you eat it while it’s hot…”

Gu Leshan added, “Maybe it’s like sashimi? But I still prefer my meat cooked.”

Wilcox interjected, “It’s chilled, not raw! Haven’t you ever tried chilled spicy rabbit or duck neck? They’re best served cold. Eating them warm ruins the flavor!”

Gu Leshan suddenly understood. “Oh, oh, oh! I get it now. Yeah, served cold like duck neck! It has to be served cold!”

Jing Qizhen could only shake his head in amused disbelief. All the while, the group’s discussion about hot versus cold, raw versus cooked, was clearly audible to the March Hare trapped beneath the rubble.

Within minutes, the March Hare began crying even harder, its sobs so intense it occasionally hiccupped from the ruins.

While the others were still basking in the excitement of successfully subduing the March Hare, Jing Qizhen finally had a moment to carefully examine the perfume bottle he had taken from Williams’ room.

However, the bottle didn’t contain perfume but rather a mysterious and miraculous potion.

[Name: The Witch’s Potion]

[Type: Consumable]

[Quality: Blue]

[Restriction: Mermaids live in the deep sea, not on land. The duration of the transformation effect depends on the dosage consumed. Bottle capacity: 100 ml.]

[Remarks: The Little Mermaid exchanged her beautiful voice with the Witch for a potion that could transform her tail into legs. After the Little Mermaid drank the potion and left the sea, the Witch brewed a second batch. This potion can transform someone into a beautiful mermaid with near-immortality but without a melodious voice. The Witch was confident the Little Mermaid would need it someday…]

Reading the restrictions and notes, especially the mentions of ‘duration of the transformation,’ ‘near-immortality,’ and ‘without a melodious voice,’ Jing Qizhen let out a long breath.

He suddenly had a theory. When Sophia ate the poisoned apple, she likely fell into a coma rather than dying outright. If this potion were given to her, it might save her life.

However, the cost would be that Sophia would lose her voice and be unable to leave the water.

As for Williams dying in the bathtub, he didn’t appear to have transformed into a mermaid. Perhaps he hadn’t had time to drink the potion or he had hesitated due to the restriction of living in the deep sea.

Additionally, the danger the magic mirror had hinted at might have been related to water, making this potion a necessary tool for survival.

Countless plausible and implausible speculations raced through Jing Qizhen’s mind and he dismissed them one by one.

Once the group’s lively discussion about grilled versus chilled food subsided, Jing Qizhen brought out the glass slippers and the potion bottle he had taken from the villa.

So far, three people have died in this erosion area and in each of their rooms, there has been a significant and unique item.

Angelina turned to Jing Qizhen. “What’s your plan?”

Jing Qizhen pointed to the rubble where the March Hare was still crying, “I think we can just ask it directly.”

The March Hare could speak human language, so who else would they ask?

Angelina: “…”

Gu Leshan nodded immediately. “Makes sense to me!”

The maid, trembling and gritting her teeth, said, “I… I just heard that rabbit call itself ‘Sir Rabbit’…”

Lu Lingxi smiled faintly, his eyes still as innocent as Bambi’s. “Don’t worry, we all heard it too.”

Meanwhile, Manman’s wound had been re-bandaged by Si Jiayang. This time, instead of the delicate and neat bandage with a little bow he had tied earlier, it was wrapped tightly and securely, turning Manman’s hand into something resembling a steamed bun. Even if she tried to pull another reckless stunt, the wound would be much harder to reopen.

Manman shrugged. “Not that surprising, right? In Western fairy tales, the societal structure often mirrors their own societies.”

Si Jiayang added, “No matter what other job it has, the March Hare in ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ is probably part of the Red Queen’s faction. So, in a way, it’s a knight or noble of the fairy tale kingdom!”

Lu Lingxi blinked his gentle eyes hesitantly. “Do we need to dig that big rabbit out?”

Old Xiao, who wasn’t the strongest in the group, was particularly cautious. He examined the collapsed ruins of the villa for a long while before speaking, “We can’t dig it all out or it might escape again…”

After all, there wasn’t another villa in a precarious state that Manman could crash a car into to bring down the dangerous and temperamental March Hare.

Jing Qizhen didn’t hesitate. “Let’s just clear a small section and expose the rabbit’s head, okay?”

As he said it, he couldn’t help but think of the scene where Sun Wukong was trapped under the Wuzhi Mountain.

Lu Lingxi’s eyes lit up. “Makes sense!”

Gu Leshan immediately sprang into action. “I’ll head to the villa next door and grab some tools like shovels or crowbars. At least something we can use to pry up the rubble!”

Once the tools were gathered, the group got to work clearing a small gap in the collapsed ruins.

By that time, night had fallen completely.

A crescent moon hung low in the sky, casting a faint, hazy light over the villa courtyard.

With a reluctant sigh, Caroline walked over and turned on a lamp by the roadside outside the villa. Despite the villa being reduced to ruins, the two lights at the entrance were fortunately on a separate circuit and still functional.

As the group worked to clear the rubble, the March Hare continued to sob gloomily beneath it, occasionally crying out.

The March Hare: “Those cruel humans are digging through the ruins. Poor Sir Rabbit is about to meet his doom…”

The March Hare: “Sir Rabbit doesn’t even taste good! QAQ”

During this time, Si Jiayang finally managed to calm himself from the frustration of Manman getting hurt again. With a touch of nostalgia, he shared his experience sailing with Manman on the Aegean Sea.

“Don’t believe that nonsense about the Aegean being the calmest sea!”

Recalling the sandy beaches, the waves, the sailboat, and the journey, Si Jiayang still seemed a little traumatized.

“Even the famously calm Aegean has waves that can make your heart skip a beat. When the wind picked up at sea, we had to adjust the sails by pulling on the ropes. It wasn’t just about strength. Even our body weight wasn’t even enough! I was gripping the ropes with both hands and feet, getting flung across the sailboat. One moment I was slammed onto the deck, the next I was thrown toward the stern. I was like a ball being tossed around and completely dazed by the end of it!”

Lu Lingxi imagined the scene of a human body going ‘thud’ ‘thud’ ‘thud’ as it held to the ropes while getting flung on the boat. Actually, he didn’t have to imagine too much, considering they had just been flung around the villa by the netted March Hare. He shuddered involuntarily. “That sounds painful.”

Si Jiayang nodded gravely, clearly still traumatized. “We were only sailing for about two hours but aside from the boat’s crew, all of us ended up hanging over the side of the boat, feeling so sick we nearly vomited our guts out. By the time we got off, we could barely walk. Back at the hotel, when I took off my clothes, my body was covered in bruises. Ugh!”

Manman laughed and raised her uninjured hand. “I just clung to the mast. I was so dizzy! I never want to go sailing again!”

About an hour later, they finally cleared a small gap in the villa’s rubble. It was just enough to reveal the March Hare’s head.

Jing Qizhen held a powerful flashlight and shone it through the gap directly at the March Hare. With a smile, he greeted it, “Hello!”

The sudden beam of light caused the March Hare, who had been trying to lift its head, to squint and mutter, “Oh no! Don’t shine that light on Sir Rabbit’s beautiful red eyes.”

Despite the striking crimson eyes, like blood-red gemstones, the group’s attention was drawn to the rabbit’s head. One ear was flopped over from being hit and the noble Sir Rabbit was sporting several massive lumps on its head, each about the size of a tennis ball.

The scene grew awkwardly silent as everyone struggled to hold back laughter.

After all, seeing the massive rabbit stuck in a net, trapped under rubble, and covered in lumps was a sight none of them had prepared for.

Thanks to its white ruffled collar, Jing Qizhen and the others could only see its head with one drooping ear and the lumps, not its little red dress vest.

Joyce, leaning close to his cousin Wilcox, tilted his head to look. Seeing the March Hare’s head full of lumps, he clicked his tongue in amazement. “So many rocks, and they only managed to flatten one ear!”

The Earth burst out laughing. “Ahahahahaha—hic!”

Jing Qizhen: “…?”

For a moment, he imagined a giant blue-and-green Earth rolling through space while laughing uncontrollably.

The Earth said, “The bunny is so cute! Why would you bash its head in?! 0.0”

Jing Qizhen replied calmly, “The villa did that, not us. It wasn’t intentional.”

The March Hare’s strength was overwhelming and apart from Gu Leshan or Lu Lingxi, who might have eked out a win with sheer skill, no one else could defeat it in a direct fight.

Moreover, their goal was to capture the March Hare to ask questions, not to hit it on the head. If the March Hare hadn’t been sturdy enough, the villa’s collapse could have given it a concussion or worse.

Standing above the rubble, Jing Qizhen smiled down at the March Hare and said, “Come now, Sir Rabbit, let’s talk about your situation.”

Still wary and with lumps on its head, the March Hare replied defensively, “What do you want to talk about? The noble Sir Rabbit is not someone you lowly humans can humiliate!”

Jing Qizhen raised an eyebrow.

He turned to Si Jiayang and said, “Jiayang, you’re familiar with where the kitchen supplies are, right?”

Si Jiayang immediately understood Jing Qizhen’s implication. “Of course, I remember. After all, I’ve cooked a meal there. I’ll go grab some salt, pepper, cumin powder, black pepper sauce, chili powder, and other barbecue seasonings!”

Judging by the March Hare’s constant wailing, the sight of seasonings might be far more intimidating than a kitchen knife.

The March Hare: “…”

The foreigners, except Wilcox: “…”

After experiencing the insanity of Jing Qizhen and Manman, the foreigners already had a good understanding of just how deranged these ‘rescue experts’ could be.

Angelina hesitantly asked, “You’re not seriously going to eat it, are you?”

Jing Qizhen chuckled, “Of course not!”

Before the foreigners or the March Hare could breathe a sigh of relief, Jing Qizhen continued, “If we were to eat it, we’d have to skin it, clean out the guts, and then stew the rabbit meat.”

The March Hare: “!!!”

Although Manman didn’t know how to cook, she understood the process. “You can’t just stew it like that. Meat usually needs to be blanched in hot water to remove the blood before cooking.”

Jing Qizhen blinked. “Ah? My bad.”

By that time, Si Jiayang had returned with a plate full of seasonings, and not just that. He had also managed to find a barbecue grill, some charcoal, and two large bags of fresh meat slices from the kitchen!

The group stared in astonishment.

Si Jiayang grinned. “Let’s talk while we eat. I’ll grill some meat for you. Even though these haven’t been marinated, they’ll taste great with a generous brushing of sauce while grilling.”

The Earth: “Gulp…”

Jing Qizhen stayed silent for a moment. “Are… are drools falling uncontrollably from your mouth? Should I toss a couple of slices on the ground for you later?”

The Earth: “Wah!”