"Fellow Daoists, that's all for tonight's livestream. See you next time."
As soon as Chen Beiwu finished speaking, the phone screen went black.
A string of question marks immediately popped up in the blacked-out livestream.
"That guy's so lazy. He only livestreams for an hour every time. He has no work ethic at all," Xu Ziqing complained.
Xu Lingling looked relieved. "Fishing is so boring. It's good that he ended it early."
At that, Xu Ziqing gave her best friend a strange look.
"What is it? Is my makeup smudged?" Xu Lingling touched her face.
"Don't you usually like Chen Beiwu?" Xu Ziqing suddenly asked.
Xu Lingling's face instantly turned red. "Don't talk nonsense. Who would like that annoying guy?"
"So you don't like him." Xu Ziqing smiled and said playfully, "Then I'll pursue him."
Xu Lingling's eyes widened and her mouth fell open, her expression one of utter disbelief.
Then she stammered, "Didn't you say when you were little that you'd form your Golden Core first, then start a family?"
"That was because I was young and didn't know any better." Xu Ziqing rested her chin on her right hand and chuckled. "My mom said that good men are in high demand these days. If you meet someone who makes your heart flutter, you should make a move right away, or you'll definitely regret it later."
At this, she looked solemnly at her best friend and clenched her pale left hand into a fist. "I'm not afraid of missing out on a good match. I'm afraid of leaving a knot in my heart. If cultivating immortality can't let you do as you please, then how can you cultivate eternal life?"
Xu Lingling pressed her lips together, a trace of reluctance and regret welling up inside her.
If she had Xu Ziqing's resolve, she wouldn't have been stuck at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining for a whole year, nor would she have missed out on Chen...
Meanwhile, Chen Beiwu returned to his front door and happened to run into Chen Dong, who was heading out to work.
"How was your catch today?" Chen Dong glanced at the fishing box.
He knew his son had unusual Fortune. He could never catch fish, but often hooked all kinds of strange things instead.
"Hehe, I was lucky today. I caught a fifty-pound wild Black Carp. We can steam it or braise it." Chen Beiwu opened the fishing box and, showing off, pulled out a huge, wriggling fish.
Chen Dong looked at its head and suddenly asked, "How much is this fish per pound?"
"Not much. One cent a pound."
As soon as Chen Beiwu said it, he knew he'd given himself away.
Chen Dong held back a laugh and said with a straight face, "Not bad. Wild fish from the market really are delicious."
Seeing the long-lost smile on his dad's face, Chen Beiwu smiled too.
Not bad, not bad. In ancient times, King You of Zhou lit the beacon fires to make the lords come running, all to win Bao Si's smile. Today, Chen Beiwu bought a fish in the market and pretended he'd caught it, all to win Father's faint smile.
"Catching the Black Carp was only a small haul this time." He deliberately glanced around, then pulled Chen Dong inside. "As for the big haul, I'll tell you once we're indoors."
"Don't fool around. I still have to go to work," Chen Dong said, waving a hand.
It wasn't as though he'd never fished in the Pearl River. What good things could come out of it?
"Dun dun dun dun dun!"
Under Chen Dong's curious gaze, Chen Beiwu solemnly took out an iron box that looked quite old.
As expected, another pile of scrap metal, Chen Dong thought.
Chen Beiwu handed him the iron box. "Dad, open it and take a look."
Chen Dong opened the box casually. When he saw the serrated leaves inside, he froze slightly, and even his arm trembled.
"Where did this come from?" he asked in disbelief.
"Where else? I just fished it out of the Pearl River. It hasn't been out of the water for long. Look, it's still wet inside." Chen Beiwu poked the Bloodface Vine.
Chen Dong froze for a moment, then asked in surprise, "This... you can fish up Second-Tier Spirit Medicine in the Pearl River?"
"What Second-Tier Spirit Medicine? What kind of dream are you having this late at night? Why aren't you off at work yet?" Huang Xiaoling came out after hearing the commotion in the living room.
"Dear, you're more knowledgeable. Help me check if this is real," Chen Dong said solemnly.
Huang Xiaoling stepped forward and took a look. A trace of surprise appeared on her face. "A Second-Tier Spirit Medicine, Bloodface Vine, over a hundred years old!"
"Impressive, right? I caught it!" Chen Beiwu pretended to look proud.
"Bloodface Vine is an Upper-Grade Second-Tier water-type Spirit Medicine. It only grows in the habitat of Third-Tier Treasure Beasts, though it can occasionally be found where Second-Tier Spirit Beasts have perished. It's one of the more valuable Second-Tier Spirit Medicines.
"This special Spirit Medicine can't be refined into a pill, nor can cultivators refine it to increase their cultivation realm. But it can purify the Bloodline and Dao Practice of water-type Companion Beasts. Its usual market purchase price is five hundred Spirit Stones.
"Bloodface Vine that's over a hundred years old has dense medicinal power, equivalent to an Upper-Grade Second-Tier pill, and can fetch as much as nine hundred Spirit Stones."
After explaining, Huang Xiaoling furrowed her brows slightly and scrutinized her son.
"What is it? Is there something wrong with the quality of this Spirit Medicine?" Chen Beiwu pretended to be curious.
He'd originally planned to save this Bloodface Vine for the Companion Beast he hadn't met yet.
But the atmosphere at home had been rather strange lately. Even his dad had taken up brickmaking, a job that traded physical labor for money, which made it clear they were badly short of Spirit Stones.
Since Bloodface Vine liked water, blood, and rust, and could remain in water without rotting or losing its medicinal properties, he'd thought of using fishing-a slightly risky method-to give it a plausible cover.
"The quality is excellent," Huang Xiaoling said seriously.
At that, Chen Dong looked eagerly at his wife.
There was hope!
Bloodface Vine could fetch nine hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones on the market. Even if a medicine shop offered one or two tenths less than the market price, it would still be worth at least seven hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, more than enough to cover the treatment and surgery fees.
"This Bloodface Vine matches your Spirit Root attribute. It'll be just right for your future Companion Beast," Huang Xiaoling said with a smile.
Hearing this, Chen Dong hesitated to speak. He tried several times, but his wife stopped him with a look each time.
Chen Beiwu said firmly, "We're short on money at home. We should exchange it for Spirit Stones first. I'll definitely catch better Spirit Medicine later."
With that, he turned and left, not giving his parents a chance to refuse.
Watching their son disappear from sight, Huang Xiaoling and Chen Dong looked at each other.
It would already count as Fortune's favor for Beiwu to come across a stroke of luck like this once. There was no way it could happen again.
"Let's sell the Bloodface Vine."
"Let's quit the brickmaking job."
Huang Xiaoling and Chen Dong spoke at the same time.
Then they looked at each other and smiled, the weariness they'd built up in their hearts gone.
On the second floor, Chen Beiwu looked solemnly at Iron Egg.
"Do you want to cultivate with me?"
"Woof."
"Good. Then do you know what matters most when cultivating with me?"
"Woof, woof!"
"Good answer. Loyalty is what matters most." Chen Beiwu nodded slightly and reminded him, "As the saying goes, if your loyalty isn't absolute, then you're absolutely disloyal!"
Hearing this, Iron Egg's ears tilted back as he wagged his tail, making a thudding sound. It left red marks on Chen Beiwu's lower leg.
"Don't try that on me." Chen Beiwu grabbed Iron Egg's tail.
Besides the talent to command flames, Iron Egg also possessed terrifying physical strength.
Puppy-dog eyes were one thing, but if Iron Egg ever got serious, his tail could shatter solid rock in an instant. Its destructive power could rival the First-Grade, Middle-Grade Variant Art, "Sharp Gold Art."
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