44: Chapter 44: Tomiaki Trading Company, Tenmei Fruit! Tomoko is a father!

In the busiest district of Ningan City.

A hundred-story high-rise stood there, overlooking the entirety of Ningan.

At the very top of the high-rise, four gilded characters were prominently branded, written with the fluid strokes of a dragon, majestic and imposing. A soaring martial intent was condensed within them, making one dare not look at them for long.

Fuming Chamber of Commerce, a behemoth spanning fields such as medicine, pills, fierce beast materials, technology, and more!

Inside a luxurious office on the top floor, however, came waves of wailing, causing those outside to wear expressions of curiosity, wondering what the Second Young Master of their own chamber of commerce was doing again.

"Dad!! Dad!!!"

"Your son almost died in that so-called Tianjiao Camp! If it weren't for the brother I made being righteous enough, I really wouldn't have made it back!!"

"Now, just for a trivial fruit, you're actually reluctant to part with it! Could it be that your son's life isn't even worth as much as a disgusting, terrible-tasting fruit?"

Dong Dajin was currently sitting on the pure white fierce beast fur carpet without a shred of dignity, tears swirling in his eyes, his voice already somewhat hoarse from wailing.

Opposite him, Dong Dafu looked at the son he had doted on since childhood, keeping his mouth tightly shut and not giving in.

Because this kid wanted not just some ordinary resource, but a special spiritual fruit that was extremely scarce and could enhance a martial artist's foundation—the tianming fruit!

The tianming fruit had a harsh growing environment.

Even though he had started searching for it since Dong Dajin was born, he had only found three so far.

This was the last one; as for the first two...

"Dajin, it's not that Dad is reluctant to part with a spiritual fruit. I've already learned about the matter at Tianjiao Camp. Regardless of who instigated that instructor, I will make the person behind him pay dearly! As for the student who saved you, we will, of course, prepare generous gifts to thank him properly."

"It's just that this tianming fruit is truly too hard to find! A single one can turn an ordinary person into a martial arts genius! Therefore, every time one appears, countless forces are eyeing it. As for when we might obtain the next one... who knows how long we'd have to wait."

"So, you must consume this tianming fruit yourself! Even if this one is like the previous two and has no effect at all, there is still, after all, a glimmer of hope."

Dong Dafu's gaze became extremely sharp, and his aura suddenly surged!

He looked at Dong Dajin with a very complex expression, filled with both love and guilt.

He had single-handedly founded the Fuming Chamber of Commerce.

Spanning multiple fields, the wealth he had accumulated was enough to move even the authorities, who took the initiative to seek cooperation. What glory that was!

But in reality, only he, the person involved, knew that all of this was merely superficial prosperity.

In this world where strength is respected, no matter how much wealth one accumulates, without the strength to protect it, one is merely working for others for nothing.

Nowadays, he could only rely on providing massive amounts of funds to the authorities to barely drape himself in their protective skin.

But back then, it was not that he had no hope of reversing all of this!

His son, Dong Dajin, had displayed astonishing talent at birth!

A natural Awakened!

His qi and blood were naturally unimpeded; he was a martial artist from birth!

With such talent, once he grew up, he would absolutely be a top-tier powerhouse capable of suppressing a region!

But heaven did not follow human wishes; although he had tried his best to seal the information, Dong Dajin's talent was still discovered by others.

No one would be willing to let a piece of fat that could be consumed at any time have the qualification to grow legs and run away.

It was unknown which force had made the move, but they had poisoned the still-babbling Dong Dajin with a strange toxin, turning him into a half-crippled person.

This was the pain of his life!

It was precisely because of this that he would desperately seek spiritual fruits and rare treasures, attempting to obtain even the slightest possibility of recovery.

Under the accumulation of medicinal power over the years, Dong Dajin's entire body was filled with medicinal energy, which had forcibly pushed him into the Aperture-Opening Realm through sheer medicinal potency.

His physique had also continued to grow, becoming truly prosperous in appearance.

Dong Dajin naturally knew all of this, but although the naturally optimistic he felt it was a pity, he didn't feel any pain at all.

To him, if his talent could be restored and he could leap to become a peerless genius, that would naturally be something to be happy about.

But if it didn't work, well, he had already made it through all these years; he was still the young master of the Fuming Chamber of Commerce, and being a wealthy man without much strength meant a life without worries!

He rolled his eyes, then climbed up from the floor.

After patting the non-existent dust off his body, his expression turned serious, as if he had realized the gravity of the situation.

"I know, Dad."

"Since the tianming fruit can't be given, then the other rewards can't be too shabby!"

Hearing this, Dong Dafu smiled with relief: "That goes without saying! Saving the son of me, Dong Dafu, makes him a benefactor of the entire Fuming Chamber of Commerce! We certainly won't treat him poorly."

"Come, hurry and try the effect of this tianming fruit. I heard that this red-skinned tianming fruit has stronger medicinal effects; perhaps it can completely restore your foundation!"

From a hidden compartment, Dong Dafu took out a wooden box with the words "Shengshou Auction House" engraved on it.

Upon opening it, a thumb-sized red fruit lay in its groove. Its surface emitted a faint glow, resembling the glimmer of dawn as the night fades—hence the name 'tianming' (heaven's dawn).

Dong Dajin stepped forward, pinched the fruit, tossed it into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and then swallowed it with a movement of his throat.

"Do you feel anything? How is it?"

"Yes."

Dong Dajin's words brought joy to Dong Dafu's face.

"This thing is so bitter, it's not even as tasty as those tooth-achingly sour ones from before."

Dong Dajin's expression was painful; he even stuck out his tongue and wiped it a few times, attempting to alleviate the bitterness in this way.

But as for other reactions... his complexion had just become a bit more rosy.

It seemed there was an effect, but not much.

"Dad, in my opinion, let's stop wasting this effort. Instead of trying to fix me, why not just find me dozens of marriages right now? With our Old Dong family's genes, we could give birth to dozens of them, and maybe they'd all be natural Awakened—that would be so much easier."

Seeing a flicker of disappointment in his father's eyes, Dong Dajin immediately said with a cheeky grin.

"Get lost, get lost! You're just a kid and you're already thinking about getting a wife. Wait until you enter the Xiantian Realm and undergo marrow cleansing and bone cutting before you think about that."

Dong Dafu waved his hand, unwilling to pay him any more attention.

Dong Dajin didn't make a fool of himself either. He immediately picked up the teapot nearby, opened the lid, downed it in one gulp, and just as Dong Dafu's palm was about to reach his forehead, he nimbly slipped out of the office.

Finally, he didn't forget to leave one sentence behind.

"Old man, next time add more sugar to the tea. What's so good about drinking something that's bitter as death?"

After Dong Dajin left, Dong Dafu brewed another pot of tea.

His expression became very calm, and a faint smile remained hidden in his eyes.

"This kid still can't break the bad habit of his face turning red whenever he lies."

No one knows a son better than his father; how could he not see through the truth or falsehood of his own son's actions?

The tea water boiled, bubbling and emitting a humming sound.

Dong Dafu sat in his chair, a hint of relief and powerful self-confidence appearing in his eyes!

"Forget it, this is destined by heaven and cannot be forced."

"If he has no talent, then he has no talent. I, Dong Dafu, was able to start from scratch and fight my way to this point; protecting this kid for a lifetime naturally won't be a problem!"

He poured a cup of tea and took a light sip.

Then, he thought for a moment.

He stood up and walked to the cabinet on the side.

He rummaged through the cabinet, found a bag of white sugar, and poured it in.