26: Cup of Life

It lay quietly on the velvet, its pupil exhibiting a non-human, dark golden hue that seemed to contain a starry sky, while the white of the eye was covered in fine, silver, vessel-like patterns. Most bizarrely, it seemed to retain a certain vitality, giving one the illusion that it might rotate and gaze at everyone at any moment.

"Ahem," the Antique Merchant seemed used to everyone's reaction and cleared his throat. "Lastly, this is a 'Thousand-Mile Divine Eye.' Through it, one can see scenes from a thousand miles away and project the observed images into the Void Realm like a Water Mirror Technique. If a wisp of someone's Qi is obtained and infused beforehand, one can even directly spy on what that person is currently doing." He paused, adding a key limitation, "Of course, this kind of spying is not without a trace and can easily be detected by those with keen spiritual senses or by the targets themselves. Regardless, it is a very practical treasure, whether for reconnaissance, tracking, or... satisfying some special curiosities."

Having finished the introduction, he looked at Lin Luo with ease, a smile in his lone eye. "Well? Which one is Mr. Lin Luo more interested in? The Unicorn Horn is good, but its value might far exceed that damaged ring; the cup of vitality is a pity since it's damaged, better than nothing; as for this 'Divine Eye,' its function is unique, but it carries some risks. Of course, if you want all three, we can talk further—for instance, that cicada song collection you recently acquired might..."

Lin Luo's gaze swept over the three items, and without any hesitation, he pointed to the emerald-like cup in the middle.

"I'll choose this, the 'cup of vitality'."

This choice clearly exceeded the expectations of most people present. Even the Antique Merchant, who had maintained his merchant's smile, had a faint, imperceptible flash of surprise in his lone eye. Kuga Akine even let out an "Eh?", and the painter Fukase Akira raised an eyebrow, clearly thinking this choice was unwise.

"Mr. Lin Luo," Akine couldn't help but remind him, "that 'Divine Eye' is so cool! Even if that Unicorn Horn sounds a bit far-fetched, it's still better than this cup that can only cure a cold, right?"

Indeed, everyone present knew full well that among these three items, the bizarrely powerful "Thousand-Mile Divine Eye" was undoubtedly the most valuable, whether for reconnaissance or other purposes; it could be called a Divine Artifact (despite the risk of being detected).

Next was the section of Unicorn Horn; the dense light and life force contained within made it a Peerless Grade material for crafting an Advanced Magical Artifact or a medicinal catalyst.

Only this "cup of vitality" had a damaged core, its effects so weak that for people like them who were successful in cultivation and long immune to all diseases, it was almost no different from an exquisite craft piece.

Mr. Long drank his tea calmly, looking like he was saying, "Do as you please, I don't care."

The Antique Merchant regained his shrewd expression and confirmed, "Is Mr. Lin Luo certain? The current effect of this 'cup of vitality' is probably..."

Lin Luo smiled and reached out to pick up the emerald cup. The cup felt warm to the touch; even though its efficacy was greatly reduced, he could still feel an extremely faint trace of vitality flowing within its walls. He explained in a calm tone:

"The ring wasn't mine to begin with; this cup is just right for the owner of the ring."

He said this casually, but it allowed those with sharp ears to instantly capture the key information—Lin Luo intended to give this cup to someone else! And from the sounds of it, it was for the owner of that original sinister ring?

He said this casually, but it allowed those with sharp ears to instantly capture the key information—Lin Luo intended to give this cup to someone else! And from the sounds of it, it was for the owner of that original sinister ring?

Before Lin Luo could say more, Mariko "whooshed" to his side, almost pressing against his face. That incredibly beautiful face wore an extremely out-of-character "pervert" smile, full of gossip and teasing, as she asked in a drawn-out tone:

"Is—it—a—gi—rl—?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Isshiki Reimei and Fukase Akira, who had produced wine glasses from somewhere, immediately clinked them in unison, making a crisp sound. Fukase Akira, with a cigarette in his mouth, cheered vaguely, "Yo!" Isshiki Reimei's eyes narrowed into slits as he sighed with the tone of someone who had seen it all, "Youth, it's so wonderful!"

Kuga Akine's chestnut eyes widened even more, filled with pure curiosity and concern, as she leaned in and asked, "Mr. Lin Luo! Do you have a girlfriend? Is she a normal person? Does she know about your..."

Seeing the topic galloping in an uncontrollable direction, Lin Luo felt his scalp tingle. He quickly raised both hands in surrender:

"Stop, stop, stop! Hold it! It's not what you think!"

He looked helplessly at the warm cup in his hand and tried to explain:

"It's just a normal friend who was caught up by that ring and might have some physical depletion. This cup is perfect for nourishing the body now, so it's like... returning it to the original owner as compensation."

However, this explanation seemed to the others like he was only making it more suspicious.

"A normal friend?" Mariko tilted her head, her smile becoming increasingly suggestive. "Would a normal friend be so thoughtful about giving a treasure to nourish the body?"

"Exactly," Fukase Akira blew a smoke ring and grinned. "You don't look like the type who would care so much about a normal friend."

"It's great to be young," Isshiki Reimei said, shaking his head as he sipped his wine. "Even caring for someone is so roundabout."

Although Akine didn't ask further, her large eyes, sparkling with curiosity, clearly said "I don't believe it."

Lin Luo opened his mouth, wanting to explain a few more words, but found that the more he described it, the worse it became. Finally, he could only sigh helplessly, supporting his forehead. He realized that in this apartment, once you were labeled as "having something going on," you could forget about peeling it off easily.

"Think what you want," he waved his hand as if giving up the struggle, carefully put away the cup of vitality, and turned to the Antique Merchant. "Then the transaction is settled."

The Antique Merchant maintained a professional smile and bowed slightly. "Of course, since it is your own decision, I naturally respect it." He reached out and shook hands with Lin Luo. "A pleasure doing business. I look forward to working with you again."

The matter was concluded for now.

Lin Luo chatted with Mr. Long and the others for a few more minutes before getting up to leave. Stepping out of the gates of Longevity Manor, which were shrouded in warm yellow light, and into the deep night, the city's neon lights flickered in the distance, seeming like a different world from the tranquility here.

Back in his comfortable apartment, the slight sound of the key turning in the lock was exceptionally clear in the silent foyer.

Pushing the door open, warm light flowed out, accompanied by the slightly noisy background sound of a variety show from the television. Lin Luo immediately saw the figure curled up on the living room sofa.

Lin Luo pushed open the door, and the warm light and the clamor of the TV rushed toward him. He saw Kirisu Mafuyu curled up on the sofa at a glance, wrapped in that familiar gray blanket, holding a cup of instant noodles in her hands.

Her smooth cherry-colored long hair was scattered casually, and she wore that common red school tracksuit. The rising steam made her eyes squint slightly as she focused on the variety show on TV, a faint smile on her lips.

Seeing this scene, Lin Luo finally realized and muttered to himself, "I felt like I forgot something... I forgot to bring her dinner."

He had originally been thinking about how to explain his long absence, but he found that Kirisu Mafuyu didn't seem to care at all. Hearing the door open, she just lazily turned her head and asked casually, "You're back?" Without waiting for Lin Luo's answer, she went back to eating her noodles, her attention quickly returning to the TV.

Seeing her leisurely and comfortable appearance, the explanation at the tip of Lin Luo's tongue was swallowed back. He walked to the coffee table and gently set down the box containing the cup.

"Instant noodles aren't very nutritious," he said naturally. "I brought you a small gift."

Mafuyu's eyes were still fixed on the TV plot, only glancing at the box on the table out of the corner of her eye as she asked casually, "What is it?"

Lin Luo sat on the armrest of the sofa next to her and explained, "A little thing I got in exchange for that ring of yours." He opened the lid, revealing the warm emerald cup inside. "Use this for your daily water; it's good for your body."

Hearing that it was exchanged for the ring, Mafuyu remembered those embarrassing images. Her pretty face turned slightly red, and she said softly, "That wasn't my item anyway... you should use it yourself."

Lin Luo's gaze naturally fell on her. From his high angle, he could see her tracksuit collar slightly open, faintly revealing the black underwear she wore inside. He shifted his gaze imperceptibly and pushed the cup toward her again.

"This is useless for cultivators, so you keep it." He added in a relaxed tone, "Even ordinary water put in this cup will have a sweet taste."

Kirisu Mafuyu rolled her eyes in annoyance and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "I'm not a child anymore, I'm not clamoring for sweet water."

Lin Luo didn't argue, just chuckled and took the cup to the water dispenser to fill it with half a cup of fresh water. Miraculously, shortly after the clear water was poured into the cup, it gradually took on a shimmering light green hue, while a fresh and elegant fragrance of plants drifted through the air.

He handed the cup to her. "Try it? If you don't like it, we'll talk."

Mafuyu looked hesitantly at the cup of water with the strange luster, then looked up at Lin Luo's smiling eyes. Finally, she took the cup and carefully took a sip.

"How is it?" Lin Luo asked.

She gently set the cup down and turned her face away to continue watching TV, only the tips of her ears turning slightly red as she responded vaguely, "It's... it's okay..."

Although she said that, the hand holding the cup never let go.

Seeing her duplicitous behavior, the smile in Lin Luo's eyes deepened, but he didn't tease her further. He sat down beside her and casually picked up the remote to lower the TV volume.

Mafuyu looked down at the light green shimmering water cup in her hand, then quietly glanced at the side of his face. He was focused on the TV screen, the warm light casting soft shadows on his well-defined profile. Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the warm wall of the cup, feeling the faint, almost non-existent fragrance of plants lingering around her nose.

"Actually..." she suddenly spoke softly, her voice so quiet it was almost drowned out by the dialogue on the TV, "it tastes pretty good."

Lin Luo turned his head and met her somewhat evasive gaze, the corners of his lips curving up. "That's good."

The two were silent for a moment, with only the slight sounds from the TV in the living room. Mafuyu took small sips of the water in the cup, the sweet taste making her relax unconsciously. She peeked sideways and found that although Lin Luo was staring at the TV screen, his brow was slightly furrowed, as if he were entangled in some troublesome matter that hadn't eased for a long time.

Thinking that he had disappeared mysteriously for a long time today and now looked so preoccupied, Mafuyu hesitated for a moment but still asked softly in an exploratory way:

"Did you..." Her voice was gentle, carrying a hint of imperceptible concern, "run into some trouble today?"

Lin Luo was slightly stunned, seemingly not expecting her to ask that. He turned his head and met her searching gaze. Habitually, he wanted to pull a relaxed smile, but the crease between his brows didn't fully smooth out.

"It's nothing," he said, keeping his tone as steady as possible. "Just some things that need to be handled, a bit mentally taxing."

Mafuyu looked at the lingering traces of fatigue and thought in his brow, knowing in her heart that it was definitely not just "a bit mentally taxing." But since he was unwilling to say more, she couldn't press further. She was silent for a moment, then just silently handed the cup in her hand toward him a bit more, her voice even softer and gentler than before:

"This... do you want some too? I feel... it might make you feel a bit better after drinking it."

Lin Luo looked at the pure concern in her eyes and the careful action of handing over the cup; something in the depths of his heart seemed to be lightly touched. A flash of genuine warmth crossed his eyes as he took the cup and took a sip as requested. The sweet taste, accompanied by the gentle vitality, dissolved in his mouth, indeed making his tense nerves relax slightly.

"Thank you," he said in a low voice, handing the cup back. Their fingertips lightly and accidentally touched at the junction of the cup wall. Mafuyu quickly retracted her hand as if a weak current had passed through her, her ears uncontrollably flushing crimson as she hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to focus on the pattern of the blanket in her lap.