Candied Hawthorn

Two and a half months passed, and Feng Baiyu finally stepped into the fifteenth level.

Feng Baiyu had reviewed the cultivation progress charts of other geniuses; his progress after reaching level ten was on par with even Pope Bibi Dong. However, as the rate of spirit power growth slowed, Feng Baiyu still felt a sense of urgency.

Two months ago, his grandfather, Feng Qingluan, finished his duties at the Consecration Hall and set off with Guangling Douluo to the ocean in search of high-level whale glue.

Although Feng Baiyu lacked his grandfather as a sparring partner, his enthusiasm for cultivation remained undiminished.

As for the collateral relatives in his family, no one dared to come looking for trouble.

They knew clearly who the master of the house was, and they understood even better who was backing Feng Baiyu. Furthermore, the young master himself possessed extraordinary talent and progressed rapidly; for anyone else to act out would truly be a death wish.

Over these past two and a half months, Feng Baiyu had not encountered a single clansman who dared to speak sarcastically to him.

As expected, only protagonists were oppressed everywhere, even being mocked and ridiculed by their own relatives. In the household of a "villain" like him, things were always harmonious, and everyone lived in mutual love and affection.

Feng Baiyu finished his cultivation for the day, changed his clothes, and headed out of the family estate.

Feng Baiyu did not spend every day holed up at home in bitter cultivation; he would occasionally go out to get some air. Naturally, whenever Feng Baiyu went out, someone was sure to follow.

Just as he reached the courtyard, Feng Baiyu spoke up, "Water Pipe, come along with this young master for a stroll."

"Very well, Young Master." The steward, Shui Duanliu, responded helplessly, yet he followed along quite obediently.

Shui Duanliu was the steward of the Feng Mansion. His spirit was an Ice Blade, and he possessed the cultivation of a level seventy-nine Spirit Saint.

He had once been a renowned figure in the spirit world, but over a decade ago, while obtaining a spirit ring, he was harassed by other spirit beasts and happened to be saved by Feng Baiyu's father.

Since then, Shui Duanliu had acknowledged Feng Baiyu's father as his elder brother. Several years ago, after Feng's father passed away, Water Pipe voluntarily became Feng Baiyu's guardian.

However, ever since Feng Baiyu learned to speak and realized he was the steward, he began calling him "Water Pipe" directly.

"Water Steward" shortened to "Water Pipe"—it was a logical nickname, though it was a pity for his once-imposing name.

Of course, this was a minor matter. Shui Duanliu was not one to bicker with a child over such things.

Feng Baiyu walked along the road, looking left and right. He didn't have any specific destination; he was simply relaxing his mood.

Before long, Feng Baiyu spotted a shop with a sign that read "Candied Hawthorn."

He did not hesitate and walked straight inside. What met his eyes was a woman in her early thirties, and there wasn't a single sign of any candied hawthorns inside.

"You sell candied hawthorns here? But I don't see anything in front of me," Feng Baiyu asked the woman. "Are they sold out, or does your spirit skill produce them?"

"Little Young Master, my spirit is Candied Hawthorn," the shopkeeper said with a light chuckle. "I have two spirit skills in total. Aside from being delicious, the candied hawthorns produced by my first spirit skill, [Strawberry Candied Hawthorn], can add 5% attack power, while the [Mandarin Orange Candied Hawthorn] from my second spirit skill can add 10% defense."

"No Hawthorn Candied Hawthorn?" Feng Baiyu felt a bit disappointed, but he said, "Give me one of each anyway."

The shopkeeper did not hesitate and immediately activated her spirit skills to produce two skewers of candied hawthorns. She smiled and said, "That will be two gold spirit coins."

Shui Duanliu dropped three gold coins and took the candied hawthorns from her. He had watched the entire process of her making them and found nothing amiss.

Feng Baiyu took the two skewers and took a bite, suddenly finding the taste quite good.

As expected of candied hawthorns produced by a spirit skill, they were far tastier than the real ones sold on the market.

"Not bad." Feng Baiyu nodded and headed outside with Water Pipe in tow.

Just as Feng Baiyu stepped out of the door, a young girl brushed past him. "Auntie Tang, I'm here again."

"Is that you, Nana?" The shopkeeper saw the girl arrive and said with a smile, "Here to support my business again?"

"Hm?"

Feng Baiyu had just stepped out, but he couldn't help but turn his head to look at the girl.

"Does the Young Master have his eye on her?" Shui Duanliu asked with a smile. "Would you like me to bring her back?"

"Water Pipe, am I some kind of dissolute bully?" Feng Baiyu withdrew his gaze and said, "Or do you think she is qualified to be the young mistress of the Feng family?"

After obtaining his first spirit ring, his external spirit bone in his eyes had gained an auxiliary skill called [Fire Phoenix True Sight].

This was a spirit skill for probing information. His cultivation wasn't high enough to probe powerful experts, but he had still managed to check the information of the candied hawthorn seller and the young girl.

Feng Baiyu wouldn't dare eat things randomly when out and about without checking them clearly. The candied hawthorns in his hand were just made by a common food-type spirit skill; their effects weren't strong, but they tasted good.

As for the girl who was slightly older than Feng Baiyu, he hadn't expected her to be Hu Liena, the disciple of Pope Bibi Dong.

Hu Liena was about a year older than Yan, but she already possessed nineteen levels of spirit power. It stood to reason that it wouldn't be long before she stepped into the twentieth level and obtained her second spirit ring.

After such a long time, Bibi Dong should know by now that I possess a method to increase the age of spirit rings, right? Feng Baiyu thought to himself, feeling that Bibi Dong would soon come knocking.

At the very least, she would come to find him when Hu Liena was about to obtain her second spirit ring.

By then, he could extort... no, he could engage in a fair trade.

The seven-thousand-year spirit bone given by the Great Consecrator Qian Daoliu certainly wasn't because the item was worth that much; it was entirely because Feng Qingluan himself had rendered service to Spirit Hall, and it was obtained through the stacking of reward pools.

But Feng Baiyu didn't care about that; if what Bibi Dong offered wasn't valuable enough, he wouldn't agree.

Feng Baiyu ate his candied hawthorn while calculating what else he could trade this information for. He didn't forget to look around to see if there was anything that caught his eye.

Shui Duanliu followed silently behind Feng Baiyu, perfectly embodying the image of a loyal steward.

Before long, Feng Baiyu arrived at a place called the "Treasure Pavilion."

This "Treasure Pavilion" was a relatively large shop in Spirit City, and it was filled with all sorts of strange and curious items. It was said that occasionally, even thousand-year-level spirit bones were sold there.

Yet, in a place where even spirit bones could be sold, no one dared to harbor any designs on him.

That was because he had two peak Douluo backing him.

This "Treasure Pavilion" was the family business of the two elders, Qianjun and Jiangmo, and a Soul Saint powerhouse was usually stationed here to oversee things.

Who among the common folk would be foolish enough to come here and cause trouble?

Just as Feng Baiyu walked inside, a sharp-eyed individual hurried over to greet him: "Young Master Feng, welcome."

As the only direct grandson of the Third Elder, the only person among the younger generation in the entire Spirit City with a more noble status than him was Qian Renxue, who had faked her death to the outside world while actually serving as an undercover agent.

Those with influential family backgrounds all kept his appearance firmly in mind, terrified that some reckless playboy might accidentally offend him and bring disaster upon their own households.

"I'm just here to look around," Feng Baiyu said with a nod and a smile, "to see if there's anything that catches my eye."