Chapter 22: Lu Zhiyuan’s Gift

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Lu Zhiyuan’s Gift

Early the next morning, after finishing his night-long cultivation, Fang Xu washed up briefly before leaving his house and heading straight to the Blood Food Shop in town.

Since the grand opening was scheduled for tomorrow, Lu Zhiyuan and his daughter, Lu Qingluo, stood in front of the shop today, directing the staff to clean up and hang festive lanterns and decorations.

"Land Master," Fang Xu greeted as he arrived, cupping his hands toward Lu Zhiyuan.

"You’re here." Lu Zhiyuan smiled faintly. He pointed at the newly renovated Blood Food Shop and asked, "What do you think?"

Fang Xu looked around, realizing that Lu Zhiyuan must have spent a fortune remodeling the place inside and out. The entire establishment looked far more grand and imposing than before.

"It looks great," Fang Xu replied with a slight smile, cupping his hands again. "Land Master, I have a matter I’d like to discuss with you."

Lu Zhiyuan nodded slightly. "What is it?"

Fang Xu explained, "Wang Ergou and I were quite close when he was alive. Now that he has passed away, Mrs. Wang is left all alone in Fenglin Town without anyone to look after her. Yesterday, Erhu also came to ask me for a favor. We were hoping you might allow Mrs. Wang to work here at your Blood Food Shop."

"Mrs. Wang?" Lu Zhiyuan stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. "The work at the Blood Food Shop is mostly physical labor. I’ve heard that Mrs. Wang is a rather frail woman..."

"Land Master." Before he could finish, Li Yunshan, who was standing nearby, suddenly chimed in. "We are actually short of a clerk to greet the customers. I’ve heard that Mrs. Wang is quite beautiful. She should be more than capable of handling such a role."

Hearing this, Lu Zhiyuan nodded slightly and looked at Fang Xu. "In that case, what do you think?"

Fang Xu quickly cupped his hands. "Thank you, Land Master. I’ll go inform Mrs. Wang right away."

Lu Zhiyuan waved his hand, telling him there was no need for thanks.

"Fang Xu, I’ve noticed that your progress in Refining Viscera has been somewhat rapid lately. Do not be overly eager for quick success and ruin your own foundation," Lu Zhiyuan suddenly said with a frown as he scrutinized the young man.

In the Refining Viscera Realm, even the slightest change would cause one’s aura to become quite noticeably exposed. Lu Zhiyuan could clearly sense that Fang Xu was advancing at an accelerated pace. He was afraid that the boy might neglect the importance of a solid foundation just to become a Martial Disciple as quickly as possible.

"I will keep your teachings in mind, Land Master," Fang Xu replied with a faint smile.

The only reason his Refining Viscera realm was progressing faster than others was entirely due to the Divination God Treasure.

Seeing him say this, Lu Zhiyuan slowly reached out his hand. "May I take a look?"

Fang Xu hesitated for a moment before extending his arm. Lu Zhiyuan grabbed his wrist, and a gentle stream of energy traveled along the meridians of Fang Xu’s arm into his body. It roamed over his internal organs for a brief moment before retreating.

"To think... I never would have imagined it!" After personally inspecting Fang Xu’s Refining Viscera condition, a look of profound astonishment appeared on Lu Zhiyuan’s face.

He stared at Fang Xu’s face, pondering for a long time before taking a delicate little Jade Box out from his sleeve. As the Jade Box slowly opened, it revealed a perfectly round, bright red Elixir resting inside.

"This Elixir is called the Three Elements Pill. I acquired it by chance. It can provide a certain degree of protection to the internal organs during the Refining Viscera Realm. I have no use for it now, so I am gifting it to you."

"Father..." Lu Qingluo’s expression shifted slightly as she looked at the Elixir in Lu Zhiyuan’s hand. She was just about to say something when Lu Zhiyuan interrupted her with a smile.

"The Blood Food business is highly profitable. Since the boy from the Fang Family thought of me first, I owe him a favor."

Lu Qingluo looked at the Elixir with a complex expression, then looked at Fang Xu. In the end, she swallowed the words that had reached the tip of her tongue.

Meanwhile, Fang Xu stared at the Elixir in front of him, feeling somewhat hesitant.

"Land Master, I wouldn’t dare accept such a precious item."

Lu Zhiyuan chuckled. "Do you not dare to accept it, or are you afraid that my Elixir is poisonous?"

Hearing this, Fang Xu quickly waved his hands. "You must be joking, Land Master. I am just a nobody. What do I have that would make it worth your effort to poison me?" With that, he reached out and took the Elixir, bowing slightly with cupped hands toward Lu Zhiyuan. "Thank you for the Elixir, Land Master."

Lu Zhiyuan nodded slightly. "Alright, go back and cultivate. Don’t forget to attend the ceremony tomorrow."

Upon returning home from the Blood Food Shop, Fang Xu immediately took out the Elixir that Lu Zhiyuan had given him. He carefully scraped off some powder, dabbed it onto his finger, and brought it to his lips for a taste.

Although he had claimed he had nothing worth Lu Zhiyuan scheming over, Lu Qingluo’s reaction was proof enough that this Elixir was far from ordinary. He and Lu Zhiyuan had no real relationship, and selling the Blood Food Shop was just a standard business transaction. Given Lu Zhiyuan’s usually harsh and stingy reputation, there was absolutely no way he would give away such an expensive Elixir for no reason.

As the tip of his tongue tasted the Elixir’s powder, a faint medicinal fragrance filled his mouth. Shortly after, a trace of extremely gentle energy entered his stomach. Fang Xu could distinctly feel that this sliver of energy did not cause any harm to his body.

"Am I really just being overly suspicious?" Fang Xu wondered in surprise.

Looking at the Elixir in front of him, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to try again tonight.

After putting away the Jade Box containing the Elixir, Fang Xu went straight to the Wang Family home. Once he briefly explained the job opportunity at the Blood Food Shop, Mrs. Wang did not hesitate and agreed immediately. Wang Ergou was dead, and the couple had no children. The bond between her and Erhu would inevitably fade, meaning she would receive much less support in the future. She understood that if she didn’t find a job to support herself, relying on Erhu simply wouldn’t work.

"Fang, Erhu came to say goodbye to me this morning. He said he is heading into the mountains," Mrs. Wang said softly. "Perhaps once his business there is finished, he will never return to Fenglin Town."

Fang Xu remained silent. He knew full well that Erhu’s journey would likely end in disaster; naturally, it was impossible for him to ever return to Fenglin Town.

"Don’t overthink it, Mrs. Wang. Just pack up nicely and report to the Blood Food Shop first thing tomorrow morning." After comforting Mrs. Wang with a few more words, Fang Xu returned home.

After a session of cultivation, it was soon 7 p.m.

He got up and went out to the courtyard, practiced the fist and kick routines of the Coiling Dragon Force once, took a shower using well water, and ate some Blood Food. Then, he set to work digging up the Divination God Treasure. Burying and digging it up every single day was a bit troublesome, but for the sake of safety, he didn’t dare to be careless.

Taking out the Divination God Treasure, Fang Xu didn’t take a Qi Blood Pill. Instead, he directly brought out the Three Elements Pill that Lu Zhiyuan had given him earlier that day. He held it between his fingers, studying it for a long time. A flash of resolve passed through his eyes, and he tossed the Elixir into his mouth and swallowed it.

Using the Divination God Treasure to swiftly enter the Realm of Inner Observation, Fang Xu instantly saw the Elixir dissolve rapidly in his stomach. It then transformed into a bizarre surge of energy that rushed toward his internal organs. Once that energy flowed into his internal organs, it acted as if it had a life of its own, slowly wrapping around them before falling completely still.

Fang Xu observed all of this with some tension. Only when he realized there was no discomfort did he relax slightly, preparing to examine the energy closer up.

HUH!?

As soon as his consciousness drew near, he was horrified to discover that the energy enshrouding his internal organs actually emitted a faint trace of spiritual fluctuation!

This thing was a living organism!

Sensing that subtle, almost imperceptible spiritual fluctuation, Fang Xu shuddered. He immediately tried to channel his Qi Blood Power to forcefully peel this eerie entity out of his body!