Bulbasaur's Worries!

Seeing Bulbasaur like this, Lin Xia smiled and said:

"Come on, Bulbasaur. I'll take you to eat something good!"

The rich aroma still lingered on his tongue as Lin Xia contentedly patted his slightly bulging stomach.

Bulbasaur lay nearby as well, its little belly round and full. Satisfied, it let out a burp that carried the scent of fresh grass—

"Bulba~"

"Full and fed, time to head home!"

Lin Xia stood, tossed down a few silver soul coins to pay the bill, and called Bulbasaur away from the bustling restaurant.

The noisy chatter inside the establishment was like a thick layer of background noise.

Lin Xia paid it no mind. His thoughts were entirely on the lens he had just bought and the Sun-Gathering Mirror that would soon be ready.

However, as they passed a nearby table crowded with several sharply dressed young men wearing capable, hardened expressions, a few deliberately lowered words pierced his leisurely thoughts like icy needles.

"...His Highness the Eldest Prince has already made arrangements... We must interfere with the Zhu Family's second young lady's cultivation..."

"...Hell Spirit Cat martial soul... We need to seize the right moment..."

"...That brat Dai Mubai... just in time... set him up... force him away..."

Several key phrases struck Lin Xia's ears like raindrops.

Eldest Prince, the Zhu Family's second young lady, Hell Spirit Cat, framing Dai Mubai, forcing him away...

Lin Xia's steps paused almost imperceptibly.

His gaze instinctively flicked toward that table. The men exchanged knowing looks, their expressions cold and calculating.

Lin Xia quickly looked away. A vortex of succession struggles?

Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing?

Bulbasaur keenly sensed that something was off with Lin Xia's mood and gave a low cry.

"Bulba?"

Lin Xia smiled. Without the slightest hesitation, he did not even dare look at that table again.

"Let's go, let's go!"

What did any of this have to do with him?

He was merely a little deacon who had just turned seven, possessed sixteenth-rank Soul Power, and had only just managed to find a sliver of respite in Spirit Hall.

The shadow of Yue Hongsheng's pursuit still hung before his eyes. He already had more than enough trouble on his hands.

The power struggle at the top of the Star Luo Empire?

That was a terrifying wheel capable of crushing someone like him into powder in an instant.

No matter how tragic the fate of Zhu Zhuqing, the Zhu Family's second young lady, might be, he could do nothing about it.

Getting involved rashly?

Forget saving anyone—he and Bulbasaur would probably be treated like stray dogs blocking the roadside, casually kicked aside, or perhaps not even needing a kick. A single glance would be enough to silently crush them to death in this grand yet icy Star Luo City.

Lin Xia did not want trouble!

Lin Xia practically dragged Bulbasaur along, lowered his head, quickened his pace, and swiftly merged into the bustling crowd, hurrying toward Spirit Hall without looking back.

The sense of security he had just gained seemed to have become a little more fragile after overhearing those cold words.

Two days passed quickly as Lin Xia methodically familiarized himself with Spirit Hall's affairs and cultivated his Soul Power.

Lin Xia cast the fragments he had overheard at the restaurant to the back of his mind and focused on his current life—collecting mission scrolls, familiarizing himself with the archives' location, and even using that scrap piece of crystal he had bought for practice in his assigned little room, experimenting with it in the sunlight outside the window.

Sunlight passed through the crude lens and barely gathered into a somewhat faint spot of light on the floor.

When he brought his fingertip close, he could feel a trace of warmth.

Bulbasaur stared curiously at the spot of light, sniffing it with its little nose as though tempted.

"Bulba?"

It looked up at Lin Xia.

"That's right. Once we get the Sun-Gathering Mirror that old craftsman made, it'll work a hundred times better than this."

Expectation gleamed in Lin Xia's eyes.

"Our sunlight cheat depends on it! If there aren't any poisons for you to absorb in the future, we'll level up by basking in the sun!"

"Of course, that doesn't mean we won't look for poisons for you to absorb. We're Awakening Deacons, after all. We have to travel to many places to help children awaken their martial souls, and maybe we can collect some along the way!"

Bulbasaur was clearly delighted by Lin Xia's words.

It extended two Vine Whips to wrap around Lin Xia's calves, then pressed its goofy little head against him.

Seeing Bulbasaur like this, Lin Xia scooped it up and joked:

"Bulbasaur, you've gotten heavier again!"

After hearing that, Bulbasaur was not angry in the slightest. Instead, it proudly lifted its head.

"Bulba! Bulba!"

"Alright, alright, I know you've gotten stronger. Let's go pick up our things from that old craftsman. It's time for our appointment!"

Bulbasaur nodded, but it did not climb down. Instead, it clung to Lin Xia, insisting that he carry it.

Seeing Bulbasaur's unusual behavior, Lin Xia clearly guessed something.

To a Pokémon, its Trainer was its entire world. That alone surpassed any other kind of bond a hundredfold.

After all, Pokémon were such pure and wonderful creatures.

Seeing Bulbasaur act this way, Lin Xia guessed that perhaps Bulbasaur could sense it was about to evolve and would no longer be able to let Lin Xia carry it around so casually.

That was why it had become so dependent on him.

However, Lin Xia did not point it out. After Bulbasaur evolved, its body would grow larger too, and he truly would not be able to keep carrying it.

It was a small regret, perhaps.

With a silent sigh, Lin Xia brought Bulbasaur once more to that quiet side alley and pushed open the old door of the mirror shop.

"Customer, you're here!"

The old craftsman sat at his workbench, carefully wiping down a metal stand with an intricate structure. His face was full of the satisfaction and pride of having completed a masterpiece.

Hearing the sound, he immediately stood and solemnly took something out from beside him.

"Take a look! This old man put a lot of effort into it!"

Lin Xia's gaze was instantly drawn to it.

It was a convex lens polished so finely it seemed almost nonexistent, smooth as though droplets of water had frozen upon its surface.

It possessed the most perfect curve, an even thickness, and crystal-clear material. Even in the somewhat dim shop, it faintly emitted a soft, pure glow.

It was securely set within a purple copper frame that was itself practically a work of art.

The frame had an exquisite structure, composed of multiple movable thin rings. Precise markings were engraved on the rings, and a miniature gear adjustment knob sat at the front.

"Bulbasaur!"

Lin Xia gestured, and Bulbasaur immediately stepped forward.

The old craftsman gently fitted the exquisite Sun-Gathering Mirror into the slot at the front of the purple copper frame.

With a soft click, the lens was fixed perfectly in place.

The entire device was designed with extraordinary ingenuity. The base of the stand had legs that could rest steadily on the ground, while the section connecting the main body of the stand to the slotted lens featured a cleverly designed ball joint and a precise focusing knob.

"Look!"

The old craftsman carefully placed the device beside Bulbasaur and pointed at the strange seed.

"I specifically observed the curve of the seed on this little fellow's back. Look here."

He pointed to a slightly concave padded section on the stand where it would touch the seed.

"This ensures a stable fit without pressing against it. If it grows bigger later, you can adjust the size at any time. You only need to do this..."

The old craftsman gently turned the focusing knob. Amid the faint sound of tiny gears meshing, the lens angle shifted with precision until it pointed directly at the center of the seed on Bulbasaur's back!

Delight burst from Lin Xia's eyes!

The design and craftsmanship far exceeded his expectations!

It was practically a sunlight amplifier custom-made for Bulbasaur!

"This is wonderful! It's perfect!"

Lin Xia praised it sincerely as he accepted the Sun-Gathering Mirror, which embodied the old craftsman's painstaking effort. It felt weighty in his hands, with an extraordinary texture.

Lin Xia tried making slight adjustments with the knob, and the spot of light reflected by the lens moved clearly across the surrounding walls.

Such precision and adjustability filled him with anticipation for Bulbasaur's future cultivation.

"And here are the spare pieces of pure crystal you asked for."

The old craftsman took out a small cloth pouch from beneath the counter and handed it to Lin Xia.

Lin Xia readily paid the remaining balance and thanked the old craftsman profusely.

The old craftsman was clearly exceptionally happy to have created such an ingenious piece, and he personally saw them all the way to the door.