Xiao Cha saw their posture while jumping in mid-air.
Although it had been discussed openly before, her gaze was still filled with murderous intent as she slashed at Lu Li's thieving hand.
The air seemed to have turned a few degrees colder. Lu Li reluctantly let go of the pomelo, Wan Qing, her face flushed, said:
"I'll go make lunch..."
Just as she was about to leave, Xiao Cha darted forward and angrily began to knead the pomelo:
"You little brat, trying to seduce me in broad daylight! I'll catch you red-handed!"
"Ah~ it was Young Master Lu who wanted it done..."
Wan Qing's clothes were almost torn open, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't resist. All she could do was wail pitifully.
Lu Li quickly came to the rescue. "I got my hands on something good this time! Look!"
He used his mind to summon the jade box containing the "spiritual dates" and opened it.
In an instant, a light and clear fluctuation filled the surroundings, and the two girls instinctively shivered.
"Spirit Fruit!"
Wan Qing recognized it immediately by the smell, touched it lightly with her hand, then licked her fingers and said in a trembling voice:
"It has a sweet taste and warm properties, nourishes the spleen and stomach, replenishes qi and blood, and calms the mind... Even those at the Innate Realm will find it highly nourishing! It is truly a rare and precious spiritual object!"
Clinging to a sliver of hope, Lu Li asked, "Can I plant it myself as a seed?"
The two girls shook their heads together, and Xiao Cha said:
"Such a divine object can only grow in places where spiritual energy is abundant."
Wan Qing added:
"The effects of spirit dates are even greater than those of Spirit Tea, so their growth requirements must be much higher, perhaps even growing on a [Spiritual Vein]. It's only thanks to Xie Junbai being a member of the Ministry of Ministry of Punishment that he was able to obtain such a good thing."
"Spiritual Vein ..." Lu Li asked, "I heard you mention last time that the [Jiu Shan Sect] has Spiritual Vein?"
"That's right," Wan Qing nodded.
According to the "Tianjin City Annals", the [Jiu Shan Sect] was founded at the end of the previous dynasty, and its founder was a subordinate of the notorious traitor Fan Wencheng.
When this man followed the Jin army into the pass to burn, kill, and plunder, he inadvertently discovered that this small hill actually had Spiritual Vein. He then resigned from his official post and cultivated there, founding the Jiu Shan Sect.
The girl's gentle tone was full of regret:
"Heaven has no eyes; it has allowed the [Jiu Shan Sect] to grow stronger day by day by taking advantage of the Spiritual Vein, becoming the strongest sect in the vicinity of Jinmen."
After listening, Lu Li said solemnly, "Very good, another reason to wipe out an entire clan. I can't wait!"
"You haven't forgotten about this yet!" Xiao Cha exclaimed in surprise.
"Their sect leader is at the Out-of-Body stage, and they have over a hundred elders at the Embryonic Breathing and disciples at the Thoughtless Meditation, plus Mountain Protecting Great Array and a private army!"
Even in the late Qing Dynasty, it was felt that Lu Li's goals were too high, and he gently advised:
"This is a force that no individual can contend with; Young Master, you would be wise to consider this carefully."
Lu Li smiled and said, "What, you don't have confidence in me?"
The two women were slightly taken aback, suddenly remembering the man's extraordinary abilities. Could he really have the power to destroy the Jiu Shan Sect!?
Lu Li held up the jade box containing the spirit dates and said:
"We still need to accumulate some resources, so let's put this aside for now and divide these dates among ourselves."
Upon hearing this, the two women were shocked, and Xiao Cha called out in a sweet voice, "You big fool."
These spiritual dates are highly nourishing even for those at the Innate Realm; anyone would want to swallow them whole.
But this big idiot actually defied his body's instinct to devour things and brought them back to share with others...
At this moment, Wan Qing spoke first:
"I'm only at the Bone Forging; the Spirit Tea and essential oils are enough for me. Eating this would be a complete waste."
This stuff will only have benefits if you eat it; Wan Qing is just saying that to get rid of it.
Lu Li added, "Me too, the benefits are enough, not to mention Wan Qing's back massage..."
He handed the box to Xiao Cha and said with a smile, "You should eat it; you'll maximize your benefits if you eat it~"
Xiao Cha picked up the spirit dates, opened her mouth wide, and said, "Then I won't be polite!"
"Eat up!"
Both of them had the eager look of parents watching their children eat.
Wan Qing, in particular, vaguely knew about Xiao Cha's physical condition. However, without Internal Breath, her knowledge was incomplete.
Xiao Cha smiled and said, "You two are so sweet!"
Before she could finish speaking, she ripped off Wan Qing's shirt!
Amidst screams, two large white grapefruit bullets sprang out, and Lu Li stared wide-eyed in disbelief...
In that instant, Xiao Cha swiftly reached out and stuffed the jujube into her man's mouth.
Lu Li looking at the pomelo, completely unaware and unprepared.
The body instinctively and impatiently seized the spiritual object into its belly.
"Vomit..."
Lu Li tried to vomit by sticking his fingers down his throat, but as soon as the date went down his throat, it turned into a cloud of pure energy that enveloped his entire body.
He felt a surge of lightheadedness, dizzy and drunk, and mumbled, "You ambushed me..."
Xiao Cha said with a smile, "If you don't eat these dates, you won't be able to cleanse your marrow next year. Alright, that's settled then~"
Wan Qing covered the pomelo and punched her friend a few times, then looked worried.
"Why aren't you eating? Lu Li really wants you to eat."
Xiao Cha said, "In our family, only when he eats is the benefit truly maximized!"
Wan Qing thought about it and realized it was true.
All the changes and all the benefits were brought about by Lu Li.
It's no exaggeration to say that a strong man can bring the greatest benefits!
But at this moment, the family's hopes were too fuzzy to speak.
Wan Qing took his pulse and smiled:
"The spiritual object's power is too strong; it needs time to be absorbed. Young Master will soon advance to the Marrow Cleansing realm!"
Xiao Cha helped Lu Li inside the house and said:
"I also need to tell you about what happened at the Azure Dragon Festival today. The Governor is ill..."
~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in the Governor's Mansion, with its carved beams and painted rafters, and its extreme luxury,...
Jiang Haiyan walked quickly into his father's study with a cold face.
In the study, a man and a woman were enjoying tea.
The man was about forty years old, gentle and refined, and bore a resemblance to Jiang Haiyan in his features; he was none other than Jiang Shixiang, the Governor of Jinmen.
However, Jiang Haiyan bowed to the woman first, saying, "Disciple greets Master."
This person was none other than Jiang Haiyan's master.
She had a beautiful face and wore a blue cheongsam with gold patterns; her figure and temperament were excellent.
He smiled gently and said, "You still can't keep your temper in the face of trouble."
"Isn't it because those thieves have gone too far!"
Jiang Haiyan flew into a rage and said:
"Two more officials have been killed! One of them was a special Divine Constable by the Ministry of Ministry of Punishment! Although the methods were different, it must have been the work of those [Four Spirits]!"
Jiang Shixiang looked at his daughter, who was jumping up and down, and said with a light smile, "Qiu Yan is right, you should control your temper."
Seeing that he was still smiling, Jiang Haiyan couldn't hold back any longer and shouted loudly in rapid succession:
"Why does Father keep giving in? It only emboldens Li Yuanzhong! You don't even need to lift a finger. Just have Master help me, and I guarantee we'll find the thief in three days!"
"And then what?"
Jiang Shixiang took a sip of the Spirit Tea and said calmly:
"Li Yuanzhong came to our door and fought us, letting everyone watch the show. What benefit do we get from that?"
Jiang Haiyan's expression froze. "But your reputation..."
"Famous reputation?" Jiang Shixiang shook his head.
"Just because a few fish and shrimp died, and they were even fish and shrimp belonging to the imperial court, you're going to fight them to the death? That's not prestige, it's foolishness."
At this moment, the woman named "Qiu Yan" also spoke gently:
"Jinmen's location is strategically important. For now, it's better to remain still and let all sides fight it out to the death before we can make our move."
Jiang Haiyan took a deep breath, lowered his head and bowed respectfully, saying, "I understand."
Qiu Yan stood up, patted her disciple on the shoulder, and said:
"Come out for a walk with me, it's been a while since I've been to Jinmen."
Jiang Haiyan's expression shifted. "Master, you can now appear at will?"
"With the Treaty of Amity about to be signed, we [Innate] beings no longer need to report our travels to various trading ports, which makes things much easier for us."
Qiu Yan reminded:
"It won't be long before Izumo and the foreigners' innate combat power can freely travel to all parts of the Divine Continent. You must be careful."