Storage Bag

Don't be fooled by how lightly Zhou Qiankun spoke of it—Zhou Changwang knew all too well how dangerous it had been.

With the slightest misstep, his father could have died in that wolf den.

Even if he had escaped by luck, his scent would inevitably have remained in the nest. When that happened, it was still uncertain whom the Icefire Two-Headed Wolf would track down first.

"That was why we encountered the Icefire Two-Headed Wolf along the way.

And because I left both Zhang Fenghua's and my own scent in its cave, it abandoned Zhao Heng and the others and came directly after us."

At this point, Zhou Qiankun paused before continuing, "But I have to admit, Zhang Fenghua's methods were indeed extraordinary. He had countless trump cards and even mastered the Talisman Formation Method. He truly managed to grievously wound that Icefire Two-Headed Wolf.

Still, that Icefire Two-Headed Wolf was ultimately one of the strongest mid-grade demon beasts, and its strength was a notch higher. In the end, it used an Icefire Combined Strike to smash Zhang Fenghua's talisman formation apart. In just a few leaps and bounds, it escaped.

And as the Icefire Two-Headed Wolf fled, I struck at once, launching a sneak attack on Zhang Fenghua, who was already at the end of his tether.

Though I succeeded, his deathbed counterattack left me gravely wounded as well.

Then, fearing that Zhao Heng and the others would return to search the area and discover something amiss, I forced myself to hide.

While recovering from my injuries, I also racked my brains to evade other demon beasts... Only last night did I return to the vicinity of Phoenix-Cry Cove Market. I hid in an underground hole for the night, then entered the outskirts of the market early this morning and came back here..."

Listening to his father's account, Zhou Changwang's feelings were incomparably complicated.

He had never imagined that his father had carried so much upon his back.

Not only did he have to avenge his mother, but he also had to watch over him and protect him as he grew.

Step by step, he had paved the way for him—learning spirit planting techniques, spending Spirit Stones to rent three mu of spirit fields, helping him become a spirit farmer so that he could have a stable livelihood and support himself in the world of cultivation...

Even after discovering his enemy, he had never thought to let him know. He had simply endured it all in silence, drawing closer to his enemy step by step before personally cutting him down.

Perhaps it was precisely because his great vengeance had finally been avenged that he seemed to have let go of an obsession he had carried for years, opening his heart to his son.

But if he had failed this time, or died out in the wilderness...

Then he would probably have treated all of it as a secret, burying it deep within his heart, letting it vanish into the river of time along with his death.

He would rather suffer through it himself than let his son bear even the slightest part of it.

Zhou Changwang fell silent at that moment.

Before, he had not known what love was.

Whether in his previous life or this one, he had only experienced his parents' kindness toward him and had never thought of repaying it.

Only now did he understand.

Love might not be grand, but it was incomparably deep.

"Oh, right.

This is something I found on Zhang Fenghua's body.

It is something cultivators like you use, and only cultivators can open it. I have no use for it, so I'm giving it to you.

There was originally a magic artifact as well, but it was destroyed by the Icefire Two-Headed Wolf during the battle."

Immediately afterward, Zhou Qiankun spoke again.

Before he had even finished speaking, he casually tossed a black cloth pouch before Zhou Changwang.

"This is?"

Zhou Changwang took a closer look, then abruptly rose to his feet and cried out, "A Storage Bag?

This is a Storage Bag?"

"That's right.

It's a Storage Bag.

There should be some things inside as well, all for cultivators like you. I can neither take them out nor use them, so they're all yours."

Zhou Qiankun said with a smile.

"This..."

Zhou Changwang silently accepted the Storage Bag. He simply could not refuse it.

This was a Storage Bag.

It was a treasure coveted in dreams by countless low-level cultivators. Every single one cost at least a thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Yet he had obtained one so easily.

He stroked the Storage Bag fondly.

Its exterior was silky smooth, as though it had been sewn from the finest silk, yet it differed from ordinary silk. Clearly, it was made from a far more high-grade material.

It felt light as a feather in his hand, making it impossible to tell that it might contain anything inside.

With a slight stirring of his mind, he hurriedly extended his spiritual awareness toward the Storage Bag. At once, he felt a special force rebound and block it.

He knew that this was the Storage Bag's unique rune-based defense. Only after thoroughly wearing away and erasing the spiritual power mark left by its former owner could he control and use it freely.

Judging by the strength of the mark inside the Storage Bag, he estimated that it would take him one or two hours to erase it.

So he could only carefully put it away, keeping it close against his body.

"But Changwang, remember this: wealth must not be flaunted.

You must absolutely, absolutely never reveal this Storage Bag in ordinary times.

Otherwise, you may bring about a fatal disaster."

Zhou Qiankun warned him afterward.

"I know."

No one understood the importance of keeping a low profile better than he did.

If anyone learned that he possessed a Storage Bag, they would probably go mad at once and make him their first target for robbery and murder.

A cultivator at Qi Refining, Third Layer could not withstand the secret covetous gazes of so many bandit cultivators.

"Now tell me about yourself.

What's going on with this Spirit Hound?"

At last, Zhou Qiankun could not help asking Zhou Changwang.

If he remembered correctly, he had not left behind any Spirit Stones when he departed.

But look at Zhou Changwang now.

Not only was he raising a Spirit Hound, but when Zhou Qiankun lifted the bowl before him and saw the plump grains in the porridge, releasing a rich fragrance, his stomach churned.

Spirit Rice porridge.

Since when had their household become so extravagant that they could eat Spirit Rice porridge?

Most importantly, he saw that there was even half a spoonful in the Spirit Hound's bowl... If not for the sake of his dignity, he would have dearly loved to pour the porridge back out of its bowl.

Woof! Woof!

Little Spirit Hound had no idea that the person it was meeting for the first time harbored such sinister intentions and actually wanted to snatch food from a dog.

Seeing him stare at it, it barked affectionately twice and wagged its tail madly. From its master's attitude, it already knew that this was someone it could grow close to.

Only after seeing that he showed no reaction did it begin licking the Spirit Rice porridge.

"Some time ago, the spirit fields were hit by an insect plague.

Didn't I master the Geng Metal Finger? I've practiced it to a fairly decent level by now.

I helped Old Xu and Xu Zhong in the neighboring spirit fields get rid of the insects and earned a little Spirit Stone."

Zhou Changwang explained with a smile.

"But this is too much.

I just looked at the rice jar. There must be nearly fifty jin of Spirit Rice inside, and it's even Crescent Rice..."

Zhou Qiankun said in disbelief.

"And also because I ran into bandit cultivators a few days ago."

Zhou Changwang spoke softly afterward.

"What?"

Zhou Qiankun slammed a hand onto the table and could not help rising to his feet.

Bang!

With a thunderous sound, a palm print half an inch deep appeared on the wooden table.

However, after that strike, Zhou Qiankun's face instantly turned pale. As his blood and qi surged, a trace of blood spilled from his mouth.

Even now, his injuries had not fully healed.

The moment he became agitated, they flared up at once.