Li Luo looked puzzled as he took the box Na'er handed him.
He opened it. Inside were Federation Coins in every color.
Na'er smiled, revealing two crescent-moon dimples.
She had saved them up by delivering takeout for three months.
Every last Federation Coin she had earned.
There were twenty-three thousand seven hundred and three in total.
Na'er counted her Federation Coins every day, so she knew exactly how many were in the box.
And then there was what she had earned today.
Na'er took the 240 Federation Coins she had made today from her undershirt.
That brought the total to twenty-three thousand nine hundred and forty-three.
Federation Coins were Na'er's most treasured possession, the apple of her eye, but she was willing to give them all to Li Luo.
It still wasn't enough to buy even an ordinary ten-year Soul Spirit.
But it was everything she had.
"Big Brother should buy the best Soul Spirit and become the greatest Soul Master." Na'er beamed.
Li Luo had no idea how Na'er had earned all these Federation Coins, but judging by the mix of denominations, he knew she must have worked terribly hard for them.
All this time, he had never once stopped to wonder what Na'er had done to earn so many Federation Coins.
Guilt welled up inside Li Luo. His voice was gentle as he asked, "Can you tell Big Brother how you earned all these Federation Coins?"
After Na'er brought out her savings, she decided she wouldn't hide it from Li Luo anymore. Every day after he went to school, she had gone out to work.
Na'er held nothing back as she told Li Luo about her job.
She didn't dwell on how hard it had been.
Instead, she shared the things she thought were fun.
When she got excited, her voice bubbled with joy. "Big Brother, did you know? There was this customer with the surname Su. He was such a simp."
Na'er lived with Li Luo.
Living by his side, she'd picked up a few Blue Star expressions.
"Simp" was one she'd learned from him.
Na'er continued, "Do you remember the pizza we ate last time?"
She said proudly, "Actually, I didn't spend a single Federation Coin on that pizza."
"Hehe, the simp Su ordered it for his girlfriend, but she didn't want it and threw it out. Na'er thought it was a shame, so she brought it home."
Na'er chattered on and on.
Li Luo didn't find it annoying.
His heart held nothing but guilt and affection for her.
Li Luo said, "I know a simp too. He also has the surname Su, and he works at the Spirit Pagoda."
"Ah, what a coincidence, Big Brother! The simp I was talking about works at the Spirit Pagoda too. I think his name was Su Xiaotao." Na'er exclaimed in surprise.
At work in the Spirit Pagoda, Su Xiaotao sneezed twice, the second louder than the first.
"Could Qianqian be thinking about me?"
"Probably not."
"I ordered Qianqian snow-honey milk tea today, but she didn't drink it. She gave it to the delivery rider instead."
"If it wasn't Qianqian, could it be Shanshan?"
Su Xiaotao wondered to himself. He was a pure soul: if chasing one girl made him a simp, then chasing a hundred made him a playboy.
Na'er proudly lifted her chin. "Big Brother, aren't I amazing? I earned so many Federation Coins."
Then she remembered that Li Luo had earned over a million Federation Coins a few days ago, and her little face drooped.
She said dejectedly, "Big Brother, am I useless? I only earned a little over twenty thousand Federation Coins in three months."
Li Luo affectionately rubbed Na'er's head. "In Big Brother's heart, Na'er is the best."
"Giggle." Na'er smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Big Brother."
"Even though Na'er is amazing, delivering takeout is exhausting and a little dangerous. Can you promise Big Brother you'll stop doing it?"
Li Luo didn't want Na'er to work so hard.
He was more than capable of supporting her.
Na'er readily agreed. "Sure, I promise, Big Brother."
Li Luo was relieved.
Na'er was such a good girl, after all.
But the very next moment—
"I won't deliver takeout anymore. From now on, I'll just work at the forge," Na'er said earnestly.
A thousand black question marks whirled over Li Luo's head.
Once he figured it out, he was left nearly in tears. He had only meant that he didn't want Na'er to work.
But Na'er had turned around and taken up blacksmithing instead.
At the mention of blacksmithing, Na'er's eyes lit up. She eagerly told Li Luo, "Big Brother, blacksmithing pays really well. Na'er loves it."
"Na'er works at the Mang Di Workshop now."
"Boss Mang is really nice."
"He pays me 30 Federation Coins an hour."
"He even signed me up for the Forging Competition."
"Double pay."
"All the prize money goes to me."
Watching Na'er gesticulate excitedly, Li Luo couldn't bring himself to interrupt her.
Dragons loved gold and silver treasures.
Shiny things.
It seemed only natural that Na'er, the Silver Dragon King, would love making money.
"Big Brother, will you come watch my competition?"
Na'er asked hopefully, but before Li Luo could answer, her spirits sank.
"Never mind. You shouldn't come, Big Brother. You have school the day after tomorrow."
Li Luo froze. As if in a daze, he said, "Na'er, why are you so good to me?"
"Because Big Brother is Big Brother! Do I need a reason?" Na'er replied with a happy smile.
That's right!
There didn't need to be a reason.
Li Luo repeated it to himself. Just as Na'er was his little sister and he was good to her without needing a reason.
Night gradually deepened.
Na'er slept soundly.
In her Soul Sea of Consciousness, Gu Yue appeared as promised.
But this time, Gu Yue looked a little different from before. She had two enormous dark circles under her eyes.
Na'er was startled. "Hey, what happened to you?"
Na'er thought the Gu Yue who appeared in her Soul Sea of Consciousness was part of a dream.
Na'er was three-tenths of the Silver Dragon King.
Gu Yue was seven-tenths of the Silver Dragon King.
That was what happened when the incomparably wise Silver Dragon King made a certain decision.
You could say Gu Yue had made her own bed and now had to lie in it.
Na'er's sense of self was far too strong.
So Gu Yue couldn't read Na'er's memories the way she could her own.
All she could do was glimpse them.
Like someone wearing glasses with an 8,000-degree prescription.
But Gu Yue didn't care anymore.
She had come back today to tell Na'er that she was about to succeed, and Na'er would eventually have to leave.
Gu Yue began, "Na'er, sooner or later, you'll..."
But before she could finish, Na'er swiped at her again, scattering her into nothing.
Na'er said fiercely, "I'm not leaving Big Brother."
Gu Yue's figure reappeared deep within Na'er's Soul Sea of Consciousness.
She wasn't angry.
She didn't mind Na'er's swipe either.
Because she had finally confirmed the incantation for the communication secret art.
She thought of how she'd stayed up for three whole days and nights to confirm it.
She was finally going to succeed.
"Ahahaha!"
Gu Yue's demonic laughter echoed through the depths of the empty Soul Sea of Consciousness.
Then she realized something was wrong.
She couldn't laugh like that.
Even if she was only seven-tenths of the Silver Dragon King, she still had to mind her image.
With that thought, Gu Yue instantly became solemn.
Her expression turned grave.
The noble Silver Dragon intoned slowly, "Goo-ga, goo-ga."
"Goo-goo, ga-ga!"
"Dou Re, open the door!"
"Open!"
Before you continue