114: Chapter 114 Your Family's Specialty: Spirit Stones?

A one-meter-long giant syringe.

The needle glinted coldly, and the barrel was as thick as an arm. It didn't look like it was for giving injections to people, but rather for elephants.

"Little brother, big sister is going to give you some treatment~" Tong Yizhen held the syringe, smiling as she walked toward Xiao Yan. Her smile was as gentle as a spring flower, but the syringe in her hand glinted with a cold light, filled with Killing Intent.

"You—don't come over!" Xiao Yan stood up abruptly, his face pale as he retreated several steps. "I'm fine! I'm not injured! I'm really fine! Dad—stop her quickly!"

"Alright, alright," Xiao Ye waved his hand, interrupting the farce of Tong Yizhen chasing his son with the giant syringe. "My son's minor injury doesn't need you to worry about it. Let's talk business—you don't have any Spirit Stones?"

Tong Yizhen stopped in her tracks and lowered her head sheepishly, her voice as small as a mosquito's buzz. "I have... but only ten thousand."

"Ten thousand?" The smile on Xiao Ye's face vanished instantly, and he raised an eyebrow. "My appearance fee is five hundred thousand per person. Didn't you hear? Zi Youqian just gave five hundred thousand; that's the standard price."

Tong Yizhen's face turned pale as she looked at Xiao Ye pitifully. "Ah? Then... what should I do?"

Dian Shao, who had been silent on the side, suddenly leaned in and whispered a few words into her ear. After hearing them, Tong Yizhen's face turned bright red, both ashamed and annoyed. "What? Marry him? How could that be! I've always been the one giving injections to others; how can I let someone else give me an injection!"

Dian Shao spread his hands with an expression that said, "Then there's nothing I can do."

Xiao Ye leaned against the tripod, slowly took a sip of tea, and set the cup down. His tone was as casual as if they were chatting about family matters. "How about this? You stay by my side as a maid. When you've paid back the five hundred thousand, you'll be free. You... understand?"

Xiao Ye's purpose, of course, wasn't for Spirit Stones. Looking at her status panel, she was so suitable for having children:

Name: Tong Yizhen

Cultivation: Seventh Layer of Core Formation

Age: 26

Aptitude: Top-grade Spiritual Root, Medicine Spirit Body.

Rating: 92

Xiao Ye planned to let feelings develop over time.

Tong Yizhen bit her lip, looking at Xiao Ye's smiling face, then at Zi Youqian's "just accept your fate" expression, and finally at Dian Shao's helpless "I can't save you either" face.

"I... I understand." Tong Yizhen responded dejectedly and silently put away the one-meter-long giant syringe.

Xiao Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and wiped away cold sweat—he finally didn't have to get an injection.

What about you? Dian Shao.

Xiao Ye looked at him to see what kind of wealth he could produce.

Dian Shao took a step forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Senior, I am untalented but have some knowledge of Alchemy. I see that the Young Master is about to Breakthrough to Core Formation. Why don't I refine a cauldron of dust-descending pills for him as a way of repaying you?"

It wasn't that Dian Shao didn't want to please Xiao Ye; it was just that as a Third-rank Alchemist, he didn't even count as a dish in front of a Nascent Soul powerhouse. Third-rank Medicinal Pills? Xiao Ye probably wouldn't even bother to look at them.

Rather than wasting effort and not being appreciated, it was better to take an indirect route and please Xiao Yan.

Xiao Ye glanced at him, then at his son, and nodded. "Fine, then please start your performance."

He could also see that these two really didn't have many Spirit Stones and could only rely on their skills to pay off the debt.

Dian Shao breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to take off the large pot on his back.

Xiao Ye had always been curious why Dian Shao, an alchemist, would carry an iron pot on his back.

The next moment, he understood—

He saw Dian Shao start a fire, put the pot on it, grab a handful of Spirit Medicine and throw it in, pull out a spatula from his waist, and start tossing the ingredients.

"Clang—Clang—Clang—"

The spatula flew, and the Spirit Medicine drew graceful arcs in the air. The flames rose high. Throughout the process, Dian Shao was focused, his spatula moving with the force of a gale—that posture, that rhythm, that intensity—

He was more professional than a chef in a restaurant.

"Holy... crap?" Xiao Ye's mouth formed a perfect circle, and his eyes almost popped out. "This... this is Alchemy? Brother, did you learn your Alchemy at New Oriental?"

Dian Shao looked back while tossing the pot, his face full of confusion. "Senior, what is... New Oriental?"

Xiao Yan was also stunned, his teacup suspended in mid-air, not reaching his mouth for a long time.

Zi Youqian and Tong Yizhen, however, were used to it and silently took two steps back to avoid being burned by flying sparks.

Copper Needle muttered in a low voice, "Every time I see Dian Shao refining pills, it's like watching an acrobatics show..."

Xiao Ye snapped out of it, slapped his thigh, and said with emotion, "Good grief, you've taken Alchemy to a new level. Others rely on a Pill Furnace, you rely on a large pot. Others sit still while refining, you toss the ingredients. Creative, promising."

Dian Shao stared intently at the Spirit Medicine in the pot, sweat on his forehead, and said modestly, "Senior, you flatter me. It's an ancestral skill, an ancestral skill."

Xiao Yan silently put down his teacup, leaned in toward Xiao Ye, and whispered, "Dad, can this batch of pills... be eaten?"

Xiao Ye whispered back, "It looks a bit scary, but he's a Third-rank Alchemist after all. It shouldn't... kill anyone, right?"

Xiao Yan: "...What you said makes me even more uneasy."

"If you don't want to eat them, you can sell them. When you Breakthrough, I'll personally refine a batch for you." Xiao Ye patted his son's shoulder, his tone full of fatherly love.

"Thanks, Dad!" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, and his grin reached his ears.

While the father and son were showing off their deep bond, Dian Shao had already finished tossing the batch of dust-descending pills.

Believe it or not, this chef's Alchemy skills were actually quite good. This batch yielded four pills, each with ninety percent efficacy, full appearance, and a fragrant aroma.

Xiao Ye picked one up, looked at it, and couldn't help but sigh, "This world is truly amazing. Sometimes, the one who beats you isn't necessarily a peer, but could be a chef."

Dian Shao smiled sheepishly and scratched his head, not daring to respond.

These four dust-descending pills had a market price of about 80,000 Spirit Stones, which was enough for the reward!

Xiao Ye clapped his hands and stood up. "Alright, the matter is settled. Get on the eagle."

Tong Yizhen stood on A-Diao's back reluctantly, holding her one-meter-long giant syringe, looking dejected.

Zi Youqian was startled. "Senior, where are you going?"

"Looking for treasure, of course. Since I'm already here, should I go back empty-handed?" Xiao Ye said righteously.

Zi Youqian and Dian Shao looked at each other. The little fat man summoned his courage and spoke, "Senior, can... can we follow you?"

"Follow me?" Xiao Ye saw through his little scheme at a glance and asked with a smile, "You want me to be your bodyguard?"

"How could that be!" Zi Youqian waved his hands hurriedly, looking sincere. "I just want to be friends with you, Senior."

"By the way, Senior, I have some local specialties here. I hope you like them." As he spoke, the little fat man pulled out a Gold Card from his robes and handed it to Xiao Ye with both hands.

The movement was so practiced and the expression so natural that it seemed as if he were truly just giving a bag of local specialties.

The other three were dumbfounded, and the same thought appeared in their minds—Shameless! Is your local specialty Spirit Stones?