Jade Box and Delusion

"Aren't you afraid of being disciplined when you go back, since you aren't replying to Senior Sister's messages?" Xu Xing asked.

"If I'm going to be afraid, that's a problem for the me who has already returned."

Besides, I'd get disciplined even if I didn't do this, Chi Jiuyu silently added to herself.

"Let's not talk about that. Uncle-Master, I checked the Spirit Net on the way here; there's a very interesting performance further up the mountain. They say it involves interacting with Iron-Tooth Crocodiles."

Iron-Tooth Crocodiles are a type of exotic beast with astonishing bite force, capable of crushing iron and chewing through gold. Even a Foundation Establishment body cultivator might not be able to withstand those iron teeth and copper fangs.

Continuing upward to the mountainside, they saw a spacious and orderly area carved into the belly of the mountain, reinforced with formations to prevent collapse.

[Iron-Tooth Crocodile Park]

The surroundings and the ground were paved with layers of white tiles, making the whole place look quite bright. In the very center was a shallow, fenced-in pool where a several-meter-long, ferocious-looking crocodile-like beast lay, its body covered in pitch-black, gleaming scales.

As it opened its mouth, one could see the sharp, menacing teeth inside, flickering with a metallic luster.

This was an Iron-Tooth Crocodile.

Since it was a weekday, there weren't many tourists, so the two of them easily found a spot perfect for watching the performance.

The show was currently halfway through.

A staff member in a light blue uniform was half-crouching, slowly lowering an arm into the Iron-Tooth Crocodile's gaping maw.

That staff member's cultivation was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage; if the beast were to bite down, his entire arm would be chewed to pieces.

The surrounding tourists stared intently, subconsciously holding their breath.

Indeed, no matter the world, there are always people who chase thrills.

Chi Jiuyu ate a piece of cotton candy, her gaze also fixed tightly on the Iron-Tooth Crocodile's mouth. She didn't find it thrilling, just thought this kind of death-defying behavior was quite interesting.

Suddenly, the staff member seemed to sense something amiss and quickly pulled his arm out.

Sure enough, the Iron-Tooth Crocodile's massive jaws slammed shut the very next instant, iron teeth clashing and sending sparks flying.

"Whoa!!"

Many tourists gasped in surprise. Not far away, a middle-aged man touched his own right hand, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

After standing up, the staff member subconsciously clutched his hand, clearly shaken.

He then looked at the Iron-Tooth Crocodile, his expression complex.

Man and beast stared at each other in silence.

"The Holy Emperor once said it well: 'If you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet.'"

Chi Jiuyu turned her head to look at the middle-aged man nearby: "Mister, you seem quite moved."

"You bet I am. I used to do this job myself," the man was clearly a talkative one. "This young lad got off easy. Back in my day, I lost an entire arm."

Fortunately, he had saved up some money and paid a medical cultivator to work with medicinal pills to regrow the limb.

"What happened to the Iron-Tooth Crocodile that bit you?" Chi Jiuyu asked, curious.

How was the crocodile that bit him handled?

"It's right here." The man took out a leather wallet—though cultivators rarely used such things. "Since its mouth likes to snap shut so much, I kept it by my side so it could snap to its heart's content."

He had fashioned its teeth into a pair of bone-cleaving knives, and he now specialized in the business of selling Iron-Tooth Crocodile meat.

Chi Jiuyu stared blankly at the wallet in his hand, smacking her lips after a long moment.

It seemed... quite reasonable, actually.

At this moment, another staff member walked out and conferred with the one who had nearly become a one-armed hero.

"Dear tourists, we are terribly sorry, but the performance ends here for today. Please exit in an orderly fashion!"

A hint of innocence seemed to flicker in the Iron-Tooth Crocodile's bean-sized eyes.

Although the tourists still wanted to watch, they understood the situation and began to file out.

Chi Jiuyu and Xu Xing followed the flow of the crowd toward the exit.

She suddenly remembered what the middle-aged man had said: "Uncle-Master, do you think that Iron-Tooth Crocodile will ever perform with the people in there again?"

"Hmm... those three things probably won't come to pass."

Eh?

Didn't she only ask one question?

Why were there three things?

On the other side of the viewing park, a cartoonish Blazing Feather descended from the sky, landing in a secluded corner.

Xiao Fan took off his mask and reached out to catch his flying sword, which had lost its spiritual glow.

"Phew~"

He let out a long breath. After flying all morning, his true essence was nearly exhausted.

In truth, after the spell-casting test, he had already processed his withdrawal from the academy. After all, he was a man who had lost his future; there was no point in continuing his studies.

The dean and the principal knew his situation was special, so they did not blame him, for which he was very grateful.

Fortunately, his elder brother's treatment had been successful; his injuries were stable, and although his cultivation had dropped somewhat, his foundation had been repaired.

With his brother's talent, it surely wouldn't take long for him to regain his full cultivation.

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Xiao Fan's face.

As he walked into the staff lounge, someone wearing the same mascot costume as him walked out.

"Go take a break, Xiao Fan. Eat something and drink plenty of Essence Recovery Liquid."

"Understood, Brother Li."

The man Xiao Fan called Brother Li nodded, walked past him, put on his headpiece, and then used a telekinetic technique to fly into the sky.

At this moment in the sky, besides Blazing Feather, there were many other cartoonish exotic beasts.

This was the job he had found: dressing up as an exotic beast to add popularity to the viewing park, mainly to attract young children.

It was not only relatively easy, but the pay wasn't too low either.

In truth, there were quite a few jobs available after reaching Foundation Establishment, but he hadn't found a suitable one yet, so he had to make do with this for now.

Walking into the staff lounge, a gentle breeze blew away some of his fatigue.

Xiao Fan took off the bulky mascot suit, set it aside, and reached out to grab a vial of Essence Recovery Liquid from the shelf.

He downed it in one gulp, then walked over to the table at the back, where many boxed meals were neatly arranged; a constant-temperature array was carved into the tabletop, so there was no need to worry about the food getting cold.

Grabbing one at random, he turned and walked to the doorway, sat down on the steps, and opened the lid of the meal box.

The box contained both meat and vegetables, quite rich, and even the rice was a type of spirit rice that could replenish vital energy to a certain extent.

After shoveling down a few mouthfuls, he looked up into the distance and happened to see two children, around seven or eight years old, holding wooden swords and shouting things like, "When I grow up, I'm going to be the Sect Master of the Sword Sect."

The children's parents followed behind them, chatting and laughing.

"..."

He, too, had wanted to become a sword cultivator when he was young, but it was only after his brother joined the Dragon-Elephant Heaven-Supporting Sect that he gradually developed a yearning for body cultivation.

People are like this; when busy, they forget many unpleasant things, but when sitting alone to rest, they become sentimental.

After a long while, he set the meal box aside and reached into his robes to take out a jade box.

The jade box was the size of a palm, its surface smooth and rounded.

Although it was uncomfortable to carry around all the time, he didn't know why he still kept it on his person.

"Heh..."

Xiao Fan gave a self-deprecating laugh, knowing in his heart why.

It was nothing more than holding onto an unrealistic delusion regarding that salesperson's words, or perhaps regarding his own current predicament.

The reason he hadn't opened it yet was also out of fear that this sliver of delusion would turn into a cruel joke.

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