The Dragon That Loved Eating Talismans

Dragonkind's culinary traditions stretched back through the ages-

Chen Ning had not found any knowledge on the subject in the sect's library, either.

So he had no choice but to try feeding the dragon.

Chen Ning roasted a piece of venison from a deer's leg and set it in front of the little black dragon, only to find that the dragon had no interest in it.

He then tried several different kinds of meat, but the little one ate none of them.

Next came crops. He set several kinds of wheat and grain on the stone table, but the little one did not eat those, either.

"Ling'er, do you know what dragons eat?"

"Hmm... Ling'er doesn't know either."

The little loli stayed well away and shook her head.

She still had not fully grown accustomed to this new member. Even getting a little closer made her heart tremble.

At last, the little one seemed to be starving. The dragon looked at Chen Ning with watery little eyes, begging for something to eat.

"The problem is, you're too picky. How about this? I'll look again."

Chen Ning could not bear to watch the little black dragon go hungry. He took out his spatial bag and tried to find something else the dragon could eat.

But the little black dragon's nostrils twitched. The dragon went over to the spatial bag, picked up a talisman in its mouth, and began eating it.

"Hey! That's my Protective Talisman."

Chen Ning tried to snatch it back, only to find that the dragon had already finished it.

The rampaging primordial power had no effect on the little black dragon whatsoever.

Looking well fed and satisfied, the little black dragon sprawled lazily on the stone table.

Chen Ning sighed. The little black dragon had quite the discerning palate, choosing such an expensive talisman to eat.

If they had been anywhere else, he really would not have been able to afford to raise the dragon.

During his visit to Gold and Iron City a few days ago, Chen Ning had paid attention to the price of talismans. Not only were they expensive, they were also rare.

Several kinds of talismans sold by the Heavenly Ox Chamber of Commerce were not even as good as the seven he had ruined while drawing.

They looked as though they had been drawn offhand.

Then again, it might have been because talismans were scarce in this region. Perhaps higher-grade talismans could be bought elsewhere.

Just then, the system issued a task.

"Ding! New task issued: [Heart-to-Heart]"

"Task description: To become an unparalleled sect master, understanding your sect members is essential. Please find three sect members and have a heart-to-heart with them within 24 hours."

"Task requirement: Please engage in in-depth communication and ensure that at least one member speaks about what is on their mind. (Members must hold senior positions in the sect.)"

"Completing the task will grant the basic reward of three cultivation levels. Perfect completion will grant the rare-grade reward [Divine Artifact: Heaven-Slaying Bow]."

Chen Ning read through it with a calm expression, feeling neither joy nor sorrow.

After several experiences with the system, he had grown accustomed to its ways.

This time, moreover, the divine artifact would only be awarded for perfect completion. Otherwise, the only reward would be cultivation levels.

Chen Ning figured his hidden score must be too high, causing the system to classify him as a task-completion expert and crank up the difficulty.

The task was not particularly difficult, though. The minimum requirement was to get one member to speak about what was on their mind, which could also be understood as a secret.

He could easily have a heart-to-heart with Su Ling'er. The little loli was harmless to humans and animals alike, and she had nearly confessed yesterday. She was the best candidate.

But Chen Ning was greedy...

It was a divine artifact! It sounded mighty powerful just from its name.

And in such a dangerous situation, one more trump card was as good as an extra life.

He had to get the divine artifact. He had to achieve perfect completion. He would give it his all!

Besides, speaking about what was on her mind did not necessarily mean revealing her identity as an undercover agent. He could steer her toward something else-

"Ling'er..."

Chen Ning entered the room and saw the little loli sorting through her spatial bags.

And there was more than one. At a rough glance, there were four or five spatial bags.

Chen Ning was green with envy!

Just how many treasures had this girl stolen on the side during all those years she had spent hidden in the sect?

She was wealthier than he was, even though he was the sect master.

Chen Ning was afraid that if he kept looking, he would be unable to stop himself from saying, "Please spare me a little."

So he sat down beside the little loli and said, "Ling'er, let me tell you a story..."

"Sure, go ahead, Sect Master Brother."

Su Ling'er nodded, ready to listen attentively.

"Once upon a time, there was a child who stole a fountain pen from a classmate..."

"Sect Master Brother, what's a fountain pen?"

"Uh... a writing brush. He really liked this pretty writing brush, but he had no money to buy it, so he stole his classmate's brush when the other child wasn't looking. After he got home, his mother found it and asked him how he'd gotten it. The child told her everything, but his mother didn't scold him. Instead, she encouraged him, and with his mother's encouragement, the child grew even fonder of stealing..."

Chen Ning told the story slowly in his magnetic voice, and the little loli listened with great interest.

Even the little black dragon in his arms listened with bright eyes.

"Finally, one day, the child was taken to the police station. Ah, no, he was thrown into prison. When his mother went to see him, the child was in such deep anguish that he bit down on her hand and said that if she had scolded him when he stole things back then, he wouldn't have ended up in such a state. In the end, his mother shed tears..."

Having finished the story, Chen Ning looked at the little loli with a faint smile and asked, "What lesson did you learn from this story?"

Seeing that the little loli still seemed absorbed in the story, Chen Ning laughed with satisfaction in his heart.

He was a genius to have thought of this way to open Su Ling'er's heart, get her to reflect on the issue, and see herself in the story.

In the end, she would be moved to open her heart and promise never to steal again.

Everything was perfect. This way, he would at least secure the basic reward first.

After a while, the little loli came back to her senses and looked at Chen Ning as though she wanted to say something.

"Ling'er, what did you think of?"

"Ling'er thinks... thinks that person was such a noob. He even got caught. Serves him right!"

Pride filled Su Ling'er's face as she lifted her little chin and said, "Ling'er has even stolen from the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty, and nobody could catch me at all. Hee hee hee..."

Chen Ning turned to stone on the spot, a wry smile appearing on his face.

The inheritor of the God of Thieves truly lived up to her reputation. He had fallen flat this time.

The little black dragon, remarkably humanlike, poked its head out, shaking its head and wagging its tail.

Chen Ning knew the little black dragon was laughing too.

"You dare laugh?"

Chen Ning flicked the little black dragon on the head, making the little one cry out in pain and beg for mercy, then nuzzle against him ingratiatingly.

"But the story Sect Master Brother told was very good. Ling'er liked it a lot."

Su Ling'er seemed to remember something from long ago, and a trace of nostalgia flashed through her eyes.

"When Ling'er was little, Grandpa used to tell Ling'er stories too. Lots of stories, about his travels far and wide, settling scores and repaying kindnesses to his heart's content, carefree and unrestrained, but..."

The little loli's mouth turned down, and she said sadly, "But it's been a long time since anyone told Ling'er a story."

Sensing the little loli's low spirits, Chen Ning rubbed her head and said gently, "From now on, Sect Master Brother will tell you stories, all right?"

"Mm!"

The little loli nodded firmly, her eyes lighting up again.