Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 358 - 5 Real 4 and Principal 10
Chapter 358: Chapter 5 Real 4 and Principal 10
Chapter 358: Chapter 5 Real 4 and Principal 10
The Fushan Curse is one type of mountain wild spell whose power is triggered in the instant the cursed person loses their fighting spirit or consciousness, releasing green mountain fire in all directions indiscriminately and transporting the cursed person out of the battlefield to a plant-covered area within two hundred kilometers.
However, it requires a significant disparity in magical power between the caster and the cursed; otherwise, not only will it fail to trigger, remaining in the body of the cursed for an extended period can actually be harmful.
Moreover, this kind of mountain spirit magic must rely on a connection between the two parties to be activated, so there’s a drawback that during the curse’s active period, they cannot “share a bed” or rashly exert their vital energy, or else the connection will be severed.
Perhaps unintentionally or perhaps deliberately, Li Yan’s actions during the frigid winter and cheering for love with Wei Dan, were tracked by Lady Dan’s magic.
The next morning
“I’m not mocking you, I run a restaurant, I can handle food and lodging. When we have guests, you help me welcome them, it’s not too much to ask, right?”
With a suppressed laugh and a face twisting with, “Now it’s your turn,” Cha Xiaodao said.
He had been working as a sous chef in a well-known tavern in Jinhai and got involved in a disturbance there, which led to his resignation.
It’s said when Cha Xiaodao resigned, several of the tavern’s master chefs tried hard to retain him, but they couldn’t convince the manager who insisted on his departure.
Thereafter, Xiaodao bought a two-story building a few streets away and turned it into a shop, hiring two girls as waitresses. He cooked, and he was the boss. For others, managing such a large place might be unsustainable, but Cha Xiaodao was no ordinary person, and the restaurant grew busier by the day.
Early in the morning before opening, with the two girls not yet at work, Cha Xiaodao was keen on having Li Yan help with the menu.
Li Yan fished two green radishes from the water tank in the kitchen, chewing on them and said, “I’m telling you, even if I can’t go back now, I wouldn’t necessarily make do just with your place, don’t get carried away.”
“Think it over carefully.”
Cha Xiaodao smiled and said, “Lady Dan only knows me around here. When she calms down and comes looking for you, if you’re not here, wouldn’t that be a mess (bad news)?”
After finishing, Cha Xiaodao draped a towel over Li Yan’s shoulder, “I’ll cook in the kitchen; you just write down the orders and hand them over to me. It’s not that much trouble. When she comes looking and sees how miserably you’re living, her heart will soften, and she’ll call you to move back in, won’t she?”
Li Yan was amused despite himself by Cha Xiaodao’s words, “You bastard, that actually makes some sense.”
As annoyed as he was, just thinking about Lady Dan made Li Yan feel uneasy indeed. He wanted to have a face-to-face chat with Lady Dan, but she simply didn’t want to see him—he couldn’t even get through the door.
“Hey, by the way, you might find this useful.”
Cha Xiaodao fished out a black stone from under a bedside table, dappled with red spots.
[Black Head Blood-Spotted Silver]
Category: Oddity
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
Quality: Special
A treasured object sought after by weapon craftsmen. If heated with flame, it emits a light akin to that of Astral Bulls in battle, and is particularly attractive to skilled weapon craftsmen.
“I got it accidentally during that last incident. You haven’t had a chance to use that Mud of Yazi, so use this as a catalyst, you might get some results.”
Li Yan didn’t stand on ceremony and took the stone. After thinking for a moment, he asked Cha Xiaodao, “How many points do you have on you right now?”
“Just under four thousand, why?”
“Give them all to me, and I’ll trade them for something good for you.”
After pondering for a moment, Cha Xiaodao went ahead and made the point transaction.
Li Yan stood up and walked away, returning shortly with a metal medical case in hand.
[Third-Order Genetic Modification Potion: Hell’s Vanguard]
Now that Li Yan had ample resources on hand, he could afford to buy the potion for Cha Xiaodao, but after some consideration, he decided not to make the gesture.
He could cover the difference for Cha Xiaodao, but spending seven-thousand points to buy a potion for him seemed unreasonable. Doing so often could harm their relationship rather than benefit it.
Unless the one surnamed Cha could find a way to make Lady Dan not angry with him anymore, Li Yan might consider it.
Cha Xiaodao examined one of the potions for a long time, then looked at Li Yan with disbelief, “You know the Ghost Master Su Ling?”
“You don’t need to worry about where it came from. So, this thing is famous?”
“Of course it’s famous; this kind of genetic potion comes from one of the Four Realities, the Ghost of the Frigid Winter. Those in Yan Fu with the means and the foundation will, before competing to become a Proxy Traveler, find a way to get their hands on a Frigid Winter genetic modification potion to increase their chances of becoming a Proxy Traveler,”
After pausing, Cha Xiaodao continued, “However, the requirements of the Ghost Master are quite strict. He set the precedent for harvesting the fruits, and those who want to enter after his harvest must have someone of the Ten Masters’ caliber to introduce them, plus 5,000 Yan Fu points for an entry ticket, with a time limit of twenty days. The purchase rights are fixed, and the potions included are quite expensive.”
“What do you mean by ‘the Four Realities’?”
Li Yan caught onto a point that interested him.
“The Ghost of the Frigid Winter, Scale of True Martial, and Jie of the Seven Kingdoms—what these three have in common is that they each possess a secret treasure that can skyrocket a Yan Fu traveler’s strength in a very short time, although they generally don’t open to outsiders. As for who holds them, you don’t need me to tell you; you can guess from their names. The fourth reality is known as ‘Eight Sufferings Life Realm.’ Some say it’s a place that exists outside the reach of the fruit trees, Sifan’s stronghold,”
Cha Xiaodao had been in Yan Fu a year longer than Li Yan and, therefore, had access to more information than him.
“Listening to you, it seems that even for the Ten Masters, harvesting these fruits is not an easy task. Only three out of ten can do it.”
“Not exactly.”
Cha Xiaodao shook her head, “I only found out recently that among the Ten Masters, the Heavenly Master and the Divine Master are not independent entities, but titles shared by a dozen or even dozens of people. Those who exercise the rights of these two ‘Masters of Heaven and Divinity’ aren’t even top-tier among the Proxy Travelers. However, each of them holds a fragment of the Heavenly Master’s and Divine Master’s powers, putting them in an extraordinary position. Besides, the Fur Master’s post has been vacant for many years, and the remaining seven are the true pinnacle of Yan Fu.”
“Moreover, the methods of harvesting the fruits vary, some are violent while others are gentler; hence, holding one of the Four Realities doesn’t necessarily mean being the strongest among the Ten Masters. The exact situation is not very clear to me. Anyway, thanks,”
Cha Xiaodao knew very well that even with her contribution of Black Head Blood-Spotted Silver, it was far from enough to afford Hell’s Vanguard. Even if Li Yan had some special connections, he must have sacrificed a lot of points to obtain that potion.
Li Yan raised his hand, “Don’t rush to thank me, do me a favor and make some vegetarian dishes, pack them in a thermal box.”
…
This was a trendy bar, and at just past two in the afternoon, there naturally weren’t many customers. The bartender, dressed in jeans, was cleaning glasses when a long shadow entered.
The bartender nodded to the newcomer, then carried on with his work, clearly familiar with the person.
Lady Dan, wearing an oversized duckbill cap and carrying a deep blue backpack, greeted the bartender and then turned to go upstairs.
The person living upstairs was the bar’s owner, Zhong Shili, whose English name was Oran, nearly fifty years old. In her youth, she was a jazz drummer who, although not famous, had shared the stage with renowned drummers from the 80s like Ye Shirong and Shen Baozhang, making her a senior in the industry.
Li Yan had asked many people before he found her address.
He had sent Lady Dan to learn to play the drums here for roughly three months, practicing four hours every day.
Zhong Shili’s temperament wasn’t great, and coupled with Lady Dan’s lack of any foundation at first, she didn’t mince her words.
Yet, Lady Dan was serene by nature and wasn’t bothered by the occasional difficulties from her teacher, regularly arriving an hour before the scheduled time to practice on her own, and making rapid progress. Although Mrs. Zhong still wasn’t pleasant-faced, she didn’t hold back in teaching.
People like Zhong Shili usually aren’t ill-intentioned—sharp-tongued with a soft heart. Besides, as Zhao Jianzhong had said, wild gods like Lady Dan who hail from the spirits of mountains and forests have a clear and bright spirit that naturally endears them to people. Thus, Lady Dan never had a bad relationship with anyone.
“Why did you come so late today?”
The owner, draping a white towel around her shoulders, was adjusting the drums and asked without looking up.
To say it was late was actually ten minutes earlier than the scheduled time.
“Sorry, Oran, I haven’t been feeling well these past few days.”
“Your boyfriend came over at lunchtime. He brought food for you and even prepared Xiaozheng’s portion downstairs.”
As she spoke, Zhong Shili sat up, her tone brusque, “Is he cheating on you?”
This question was so abrupt that Lady Dan was taken aback, “No, it’s not really like that. We’re not… in that sort of relationship.”
“…”
Lady Dan fell silent for a moment before asking, “Oran, what did he say to you?”
“He didn’t say anything, but I’m not blind. Can’t I see for myself?”
With a casual lift of her eyebrows, the owner retorted, “Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged men are everywhere. Break up with him!”
Lady Dan placed her bag on the chair, took out drumsticks from inside, and gave Zhong Shili a gentle smile.
