Anyone who had ever fallen asleep standing knew that when exhaustion reached its limit, people lost control of their bodies.
Fast asleep, Qin Chao's knees buckled and his body swayed, nearly sending him straight into the medicinal liquid to drown.
A white figure flashed over, extending a fair hand to gently support Qin Chao's little head.
Soft snores drifted from Qin Chao's nose. An entire day of high-intensity training had finally overwhelmed him, sending him into such a deep sleep that even having his head lifted failed to wake him.
"Looks like the little fellow really is exhausted..." Bibi Dong murmured, watching Qin Chao sleep so soundly.
Gui Mei had paid no heed to the rule about never striking someone in the face, so Qin Chao's handsome little face had already been beaten beyond recognition.
During training, Qin Chao had even entertained a mischievous thought: Is this teacher of mine, who never shows his true face, jealous of my exquisite looks and taking revenge on purpose...?
It had only been a private joke, yet Bibi Dong unexpectedly found herself thinking along the same lines.
"Could that old fellow Gui Mei be jealous of this little fellow's handsome face? Why else would he keep aiming his blows right at it...?" Bibi Dong gently touched the injuries on Qin Chao's face, her eyes full of heartache.
"Little Qin Chao, look what delicious food your teacher brought you!" Yue Guan's voice arrived before he did, leaving Bibi Dong no time to stop him...
"Food?!" Qin Chao's stomach had long been pounding like a war drum. The moment he heard that Yue Guan had brought food, he perked right up.
"Ahem... greetings, Your Holiness..." Yue Guan swung the meal box in his hand, only to hastily compose himself the instant he spotted Bibi Dong...
"Pretty big sister? What brings you here?" Qin Chao greeted Bibi Dong excitedly, completely forgetting his current state...
It was hardly surprising that both master and disciple were startled.
Spirit Hall's rules had always been strict. Boys and girls over three years old had to sleep in separate quarters-a rule Bibi Dong herself had established, only for the Pope herself to break it now...
As though this had occurred to her, a suspicious blush appeared on Bibi Dong's face. Not wanting to dwell on the subject, she hurriedly changed it.
"There should be quite a few Healing Soul Masters in Spirit Hall, shouldn't there? Why not have them come treat Qin Chao instead of using medicinal herbs?"
Apparently having anticipated Bibi Dong's question, Yue Guan immediately explained the reasoning.
"Your Holiness, Healing Soul Masters do heal injuries very quickly, but ultimately, they merely repair the damage. Medicinal herbs are different. Each herb has its own unique properties and effects, and as Qin Chao soaks, their medicinal power slowly seeps into his body..."
"Although this slows the healing process, the lingering medicinal power will subtly improve Qin Chao's constitution over time. For him, it offers a hundred benefits without a single harm..."
At this point, a hint of heartache appeared on Yue Guan's face.
"As you know, Qin Chao is an orphan, and he has suffered certain deficiencies since infancy. Replenishing them through dietary therapy alone would take too long. Medicinal baths will help, though the little fellow will have to suffer a bit more..."
Although Qin Chao's injuries looked alarming, they were no more than a single Soul Skill's worth of trouble for a Healing Soul Master. Treating them with herbs was a somewhat roundabout approach, but the results were much better.
Remembering his miserable infancy, Qin Chao could not help heaving a long sigh inwardly.
Old Jack had never married and naturally had no children or grandchildren. How could he have known that babies needed tender care? Even Tang Hao had known to find animal milk to supplement Tang San's nutrition, while Qin Chao had been left to fill his belly with rice water at every meal.
Although Qin Chao had still grown up without incident, the nutrients he had missed during his most rapid period of growth had ultimately affected his cultivation to some degree...
"I see..." Bibi Dong nodded. "In that case, I can rest easy. Carry on, you two. Remember to be on time for training tomorrow morning..."
Leaving them with those lightly spoken words, Bibi Dong turned and departed.
Watching Bibi Dong's almost fleeing figure, Qin Chao finally realized, belatedly, what was going on.
I'm still naked, aren't I...?
He lowered his head to look at the medicinal liquid in the wooden tub. With its medicinal power absorbed, the once dark-brown liquid had become much paler. Looking down, Qin Chao could even see the bottom of the tub...
Holy shit! Did she... see everything?!
Qin Chao nearly died of mortification.
Seeing Qin Chao's dazed expression, Yue Guan assumed the boy was utterly exhausted. After giving him a few brief reminders, he turned and left, intending to let him rest a little longer, little knowing that rest was not what Qin Chao needed now...
Qin Chao finished his meal numbly, all sleepiness gone. He desperately tried to distract himself, hoping to forget that moment of social death...
"Deficiencies, malnutrition... am I really that weak right now?" Qin Chao muttered. "It won't affect my physical development later, will it...?"
As a certain possibility occurred to him, panic fluttered through Qin Chao's chest.
"Right, the system!"
Qin Chao had earned quite a bit of luck value during his trip to the Soul Hunting Forest. Before he knew it, he had amassed the princely sum of fifty points.
After a moment's consideration, Qin Chao opened the Silver Prize Pool, which he had never used before.
Like the bronze prize pool, the Silver Prize Pool also offered three types of prizes: weapons, growth-type soul rings with customized attributes, and Body Enhancement.
Qin Chao had no need for a growth-type soul ring at present, and weapons were something he could take or leave. Only the final option, Body Enhancement, had him practically drooling.
Qin Chao did not dare use Immortal Herbs recklessly yet. He understood that a weakened body could not withstand excessive nourishment. If he ended up exploding and dying, that would be far too great a loss. After turning it over in his mind, his only choice was to gamble on that one-in-three chance...
Taking a deep breath, Qin Chao instructed the system to draw a prize.
The selection pointer spun rapidly around the Silver Prize Pool's wheel. Those few short seconds seemed extraordinarily long to Qin Chao.
As the pointer gradually slowed, Qin Chao grew increasingly nervous. The system's draws were completely random, and all he could do now was pray that the god of the Unlucky One would stop favoring him so much...
Congratulations, host. You have obtained the Body Enhancement skill—Golden Eyes (I).
The system's notification rang out in Qin Chao's mind.
The good news was that Qin Chao had finally gotten lucky and drawn the Body Enhancement option.
The bad news was that this so-called Body Enhancement did not improve his whole body, but only one part!
After carefully counting the many organs in his body, Qin Chao felt a faint despair well up inside him.
If Qin Chao wanted to enhance his entire body, the luck value required would be a truly terrifying number. Days of effort had vanished in a single draw. With his funds back at zero, Qin Chao wanted to cry but had no tears.
"I wonder if any of these Body Enhancement skills can strengthen the kidneys..."
Forced to accept reality, Qin Chao could only console himself in true Ah Q fashion. What he did not know, however, was that the principle of getting what you paid for still very much applied to the system...
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