The Four-Eyed Lynx Eagle? A Money Delivery Boy!

Xiao Wu stood beside him, dumbstruck. She tugged at Jiang Hao's sleeve and whispered, "Where did you get so much money!?"

Three hundred Gold Soul Coins! How many Radish Cakes could that buy?

"Found it by the roadside."

Without batting an eye, Jiang Hao counted out three hundred Gold Soul Coins and pushed them across. "I'll take this one."

Xiao Wu watched them exchange money for goods, her eyes wide.

Once outside, Jiang Hao turned the Whale Rubber over in his hand. Something about it still felt lacking.

Five hundred years might be just right for Xiao Wu, but it was a little too low for him.

Just then, a gentle voice sounded beside his ear.

"Young master, I've found a piece of Whale Rubber that's much older. If you want it, I'll go and get it at once."

Jiang Hao's spirits lifted.

He had just been worrying that the five-hundred-year Whale Rubber wouldn't be enough. Bai Qian's news came at the perfect time.

An older piece? I have to get it!

Jiang Hao immediately sent back a message. "Go ahead. Don't worry about me."

At this stage, the continent was still fairly safe.

As long as Jiang Hao didn't go looking for trouble, he faced little danger.

"Yes, young master. I'll do my best to return today."

Suotuo City, in a secluded corner of an alley.

Flender adjusted his Square-Framed Glasses and raised a piece of rubbery material from his arms. Red-gold light played across it, and it looked as smooth as jade.

He examined it closely in the last rays of sunset, grinning almost from ear to ear.

"Heh. Treasure belongs to those strong enough to take it. What right does a mere Soul King have to five-thousand-year Whale Rubber?"

He stroked the Whale Rubber, reluctant to put it down. It felt warm to the touch, and the energy within startled even a Soul Sage like him.

At auction, selling it for ten times that price would still be giving it away!

Especially with those wealthy fools who loved dabbling in things they didn't understand. They would pay a fortune for it!

Suddenly, an even voice spoke behind him without warning.

"Boss, is that Whale Rubber for sale?"

Flender jolted and spun around, instinctively circulating his Soul Power.

A man in white stood silently three paces away. Flender had no idea when he had appeared. With his refined features and gentle bearing, he looked like a harmless scholar.

But cold sweat instantly broke out across Flender's back.

Anyone who could approach a Soul Sage like him without making a sound was far stronger than he was.

"Who are you?" Flender's grin vanished.

Bai Qian gave a soft laugh. "You don't need to know who I am. Name your price for the Whale Rubber."

Flender's eyes darted. His instincts as a merchant took over.

He cleared his throat, straightened his back, and flashed his trademark crooked-merchant smile.

"You have a fine eye, my friend! This is premium five-thousand-year Whale Rubber. You can't buy it just anywhere! I can see you know your goods, so how about this..."

He held up five fingers and gave them a shake. "Five thousand Gold Soul Coins. A special price for a friend!"

Bai Qian's expression did not change. "Money isn't a problem. But I need to know it was obtained legitimately."

Flender's smile froze. His heart sank.

He isn't here to buy anything. The bastard's here to rob me!

That look is exactly the one I wear when I rob someone!

Flender wasted no time. He surged his Soul Power, and a pair of broad wings spread from his back.

He shot into the sky, putting several hundred meters between himself and Bai Qian in an instant.

"Rob the Four-Eyed Lynx Eagle? Maybe in your next life!"

Flender glanced back smugly. Bai Qian was no more than a white speck, and Flender gave a contemptuous chuckle.

Just as he prepared to fly faster, his vision abruptly went black.

Bang!

With a sharp crack, Flender fell straight from the sky like a kite with its string cut. He hit the ground and sent up a cloud of dust.

The Whale Rubber had vanished from his hand. Only a single Silver Soul Coin remained, standing upright in his palm.

Night deepened, and the Faculty Dormitory Area of Notting Academy lay quiet.

Moonlight spilled through the window and spread a sheet of silver across the floor.

Jiang Hao lay in bed, deep in a pleasant dream, when a weight suddenly settled on his chest. Breathing became difficult.

He opened his eyes groggily and looked down.

Xiao Wu had wrapped herself around him like an octopus again. Her long, fair legs gripped his waist, her face was buried in his chest, and a glistening thread of drool clung to the corner of her mouth.

"..."

Jiang Hao took a deep breath and, without a trace of expression, pushed her head off his chest.

Then he got out of bed, pulled on a coat, and headed for the balcony.

He opened the balcony door. A cool night breeze brushed his face.

No sooner had he stopped than a white figure appeared silently beside him and knelt on one knee.

"Young master."

It was Bai Qian.

"Did you get it?"

"Yes."

Bai Qian raised his hand. In his palm rested a fist-sized piece of rubbery material, translucent and red-gold throughout.

Under the moonlight, a gentle glow played across the Whale Rubber. A rich medicinal fragrance spread through the air, invigorating Jiang Hao with a single breath.

"Five-thousand-year Whale Rubber. I've had it tempered with fire, young master. You can consume it directly."

Jiang Hao's eyes lit up as he took it.

It felt warm and smooth. The energy within was pure and abundant, many times stronger than that of the five-hundred-year piece he had bought that day.

"Nicely done."

Jiang Hao nodded in satisfaction. As he turned the Whale Rubber over in his hand, he asked casually, "Where did this come from?"

Bai Qian paused. "I bought it from a Soul Sage."

"How much?"

Bai Qian smiled faintly. "I left him one Silver Soul Coin. That counts as buying it."

"..."

Wow. One Silver Soul Coin for five-thousand-year Whale Rubber. That's worse than robbery.

Jiang Hao silently pitied the unlucky Soul Sage, then tucked the Whale Rubber into his robe without a shred of guilt.

"That's all. Go get some rest."

"Yes, young master."

Bai Qian inclined his head. In a flash, he vanished into the night as though he had never been there.

Jiang Hao stood on the balcony and examined the Whale Rubber a little longer. He couldn't help smiling.

He hesitated no longer and swallowed it whole.

It melted in his mouth. A warm current slid down his throat into his belly, then quickly spread through every part of his body.

Jiang Hao closed his eyes and circulated his Soul Power to refine it.

His Five Elements Qilin Spirit appeared on its own. A five-colored halo swirled behind him, bathing him in auspicious light.

The Whale Rubber's medicinal power became a surging heat that rushed through his meridians, scouring every inch of muscle and bone.

The five-thousand-year Whale Rubber was far more potent than he had expected.

But the formidable healing power of his Auspicious Beast Body went to work at the same time, rapidly mending torn muscles.

Damaged bones swiftly repaired themselves. The cycle repeated, and each rebuilding left them stronger than before.

About half an hour later.

Jiang Hao let out a long breath of stale air and slowly opened his eyes.

He looked down at his hands. A thin layer of gray grime coated his skin, giving off a fishy stench.

These were the impurities the Whale Rubber had purged from his body.