Chapter 41: Eight Immortal Mountains

Chapter 41: Eight Immortal Mountains

The next day, Gu Nan spent the afternoon playing with Big Lin Zi. Brother Nan really liked her family's simple and honest boy, buying him quite a few clothes. Xiong Zhaozhao didn’t hold back with her, unlike before when she wouldn’t have accepted even if their relationship was good; over time, debts of gratitude would pile up. Now, it was much easier – she could just return the favor by giving some medicinal pills she had concocted to his family’s elder.

When Big Lin Zi went into the fitting room, Brother Nan started to belittle her own sister for being stingy, an billionaire buying her brother clothes that cost only two hundred yuan, which were almost fraying at the edges.

Xiong Zhaozhao rolled her eyes, "Me, stingy? He used to wear shirts that cost fifteen yuan each. Luckily, these stores don’t display the prices outside, or else he’d be shocked."

At the previous trendy brand store, the jacket Gu Nan bought for Big Lin Zi started from five digits in price, "When he finds out the clothes cost five digits, he won’t know where to put his hands when wearing them."

Gu Nan, the Rich Lady, flipped through the catalog in her hands indifferently and said, "Then don't tell him. What's the point if he's not comfortable? He'll get used to it over time. Our brother here is like a tall, white poplar, his aura perfectly suits this brand. Look how well this outfit fits him. Hey you, find this set in my brother's size and send it for him to try."

Big Lin Zi emerged from the fitting room, wearing an athletic-style jacket with a fresh green as its main color, exuding a strong sense of design. Underneath was a white T-shirt, and the black cargo pants had a green belt that matched the jacket, indicating they were a set. This was the new model from GF's autumn and winter runway show this year.

"This set looks great! So cool~" Xiong Zhaozhao liked this set, and Gu Nan was also very satisfied, urging him to continue trying on clothes.

Big Lin Zi was numb. He could see that the store wasn't cheap, and no one was listening to him. Just take the service for example, when he tried on the jeans, the salesperson knelt down to help him fold up the pant legs and explained two ways to wear them. There was no way this place could be affordable.

Xiong Zhaozhao would definitely educate her silly brother upon hearing this. The correct term was "sales associate," not "waiter" or "waitress"...

Big Lin Zi had truly experienced the terror of accompanying a woman on a shopping spree; he was dragged to try on shoes even when he was too hungry to walk. His sister, Gu Nan, with her obsessive-compulsive tendencies, insisted on matching four pairs of shoes with four outfits before she let him off the hook.

It wasn't until eight in the evening that they finally sat down for a meal. Throughout the dinner, Big Lin Zi kept glancing at the sneakers they bought later. He recognized them as a top sports brand, and the price tag read 1200. Although he liked them very much, he found them to be exorbitantly expensive. This was the first time he had been to such a large mall, and it was even more surreal that someone else was footing the bill... After ogling the shoes, he started eyeing his sister. His face was an open book, and Gu Nan couldn't help but laugh at his blatant expressions. Xiong Zhaozhao, however, was speechless, knowing these were the cheapest shoes among their purchases.

Home.

The next evening, they returned to Jinshi Island. Even before the boat docked, they could see the bustling crowd at the pier.

Family members had come to greet the returning sailors, and many islanders had also gathered out of curiosity. The small pier was experiencing a rare commotion, a scene unseen for quite some time.

Xiong Zhaozhao spotted Xiong Haitao and Qin Yunmei in the crowd, while Big Lin Zi was energetically waving from the bow of the boat.

Relieved, Xiong Haitao remarked, "Just by looking at him, you can tell he hasn't been overworked..." Qin Yunmei waved back to her son, adding, "He never calls me, I wonder how much he sold for. Yesterday, when he said he was eating out, he hung up on me right away!"

"Zhaozhao wouldn't shortchange him on his wages; it's whatever it should be. Why do you care about how much he sells?"

"I don't have the energy to argue with you. Why is Big Lin Zi still carrying so many bags? Did he go shopping? He couldn't have spent all his money, could he?" Qin Yunmei was deeply concerned.

Xiong Zhaozhao had already instructed him to consolidate the packaging, but Big Lin Zi found each garment's wrapping too exquisite and the bags too appealing to discard. He insisted they would still be useful back home, hence his current appearance: holding dozens of high-end fashion brand bags in both hands, as if he'd just ransacked a shopping mall.

When the ship docked, it became even livelier; cries of "Dad" and "Son," laughter and chatter filled the air.

It had been a long time since she felt this familiar warmth of human life.

Many must have told their families about the haul from the trip yesterday, for the people at the dock greeted her with unprecedented enthusiasm. Xiong Zhaozhao, not one to handle such scenes well, only managed to escape the throng after her face had frozen into a smile.

She parted ways with Big Lin Zi's family of three at the crossroads, returning to the small inn with Brother Roll. The construction site next door was still bustling with activity; she took a look around and saw that the underground level was already complete. They were now working on the two floors above ground, which were starting to take shape. Simultaneously, the three rooms on the right side were also under construction. The site was a hive of activity, with the clamor of voices and machinery. Xiong Zhaozhao circled the area but found no issues, yes, as long as the funds were in place, progress was indeed swift.

The small inn was really too close to the construction site, the noise was unbearable. Upon returning, she locked the door and retreated into the space with Brother Roll.

Yao Guang, hanging on the Earth Vein Tree, saw her and deliberately asked, "Is Lazy Zhaozhao here to work hard?"

"No, she's here for the food!"

She and her dog son rushed into the spirit field to pick fruits. The cherries were ripe, and so were the rambutans. How blissful was this!

Well, it was a bit too vegetarian. She had to hurry up and buy some meat to raise there. What was that particularly delicious sheep from Yun Province called again?

"Lord Yao Guang, how about we buy some cattle and sheep to raise in that mountain range? I see it's all Spirit Wheat Grass over there; it would be a shame not to raise cows." She pointed to a mountain range in the west.

Yao Guang: ...

"Wasting the gifts of heaven, that mountain range was for rearing herbivorous spirit beasts..."

"Since spirit beasts are extinct anyway, I don't have any. I reckon it'd work to raise cows and sheep on spirit wheat grass; the meat would be so delicious! Spirit beef tomahawk chops, spirit beef Wellington, roasted spirit lamb... I can't think about it anymore, I'm drooling!"

Unable to bear it, Yao Guang retorts, "How low your aspirations are!"

"But anything raised there would still be better than what's available outside. Even a faint spiritual energy is still spiritual energy, think about it!"

"You take care of them then! Right, can you even slaughter a cow? Didn't you just learn how to gut a fish?" Yaoguang was quite dismissive; he had only just grasped the art of killing fish, let alone taking a human life. It was a source of distress!

Thus, like fruits, some fish had to be raised in the murky waters outside.

"There's so much to do, it seems I'll have to lease a mountain nearby for meat production, perhaps the closest one behind us. Surround it with Nine-section Thorns and bury two Earth Vein Nuclei within the mountain, that should work. Unlike the arrays isolating our courtyard, this time we'll give back to Golden Rock Island. Let's help it flourish sooner, fulfilling my dream."

Curious, Yaoguang asked, "Your dream has changed again?"

Xiong Zhaozhao replied, "Who said dreams can only be singular? One of my dreams is for Golden Rock Island to become a paradise beyond the world, a place everyone yearns for, a mystical Penglai Immortal Island in the East Sea."

"Are you not afraid that reclusive cultivators might come to leech off the spiritual energy, causing trouble? The geode core can optimize plants on the surface over time, turning them into spirit plants that leak spiritual energy." Yaoguang asked.

"Let them leech. It's better for them to leech off the spiritual energy at the base of the mountain than squatting in front of our doorstep. Honey, you don't understand this. We've already entered the world, and we'll just have to deal with whatever comes our way. Now that I have you, if I still can't live freely and do as I please, then it would be a waste of this great opportunity. Besides, whether there are any other cultivators in the world besides me is another question. Even if there are, it would be quite difficult for them to detect that bit of spiritual energy." Xiong Zhaozhao wanted Jinshidao to benefit from the spiritual energy, otherwise, how could they attract tourists? What haven't people experienced these days? They're not easy to fool.

Yaoguang, dragged down by Lazy Zhaozhao, was almost driven to despair, but what she said made sense.

The Yaoguang Realm was also a legendary divine artifact thousands of years ago, which is why it has been preserved until now. It had always worried that in Zhaozhao's hands, it was like a child carrying gold through a crowded market, potentially bringing danger to her when she wasn't strong enough. Perhaps it really didn't need to worry too much. In this era of declining magic, if it couldn't live in the present, that would be a bit excessive?

Lazy Zhaozhao had always been very talented, perhaps it should trust her.

Yao Guang had come to terms with it, but he wouldn't admit it, still huffing, "Hmph! Suit yourself!"

He tossed the Coiling Dragon Cauldron to Xiong Zhaozhao's feet. "This is the Coiling Dragon Medicinal Cauldron, a first-grade spirit artifact. You can use it to brew medicines. Teach Big Lin Zi well, so there'll be another person to protect Lord Yao Guang when the time comes."

Xiong Zhaozhao gleefully picked up the palm-sized medicinal cauldron. It was a verdigris green, three-legged bronze tripod, its body coiled with nine lifelike dragons, each majestic and awe-inspiring.

She exclaimed joyfully, "What a treasure! It looks valuable! Do you have more, Lord Yao Guang? I just want to take a look."

The large parrot instantly bristled, "You're thinking of selling it? This is a first-grade spirit artifact, my most prized possession! For someone without a fire spirit root, this Coiling Dragon Medicinal Cauldron is an invaluable treasure. With it, even common tree branches from the mortal world can be used to refine top-grade medicines. How many do you want? First grade! Do you understand what that means!"

"Not thinking of selling it, I'm not stupid, how do you even use this thing?" Quickly changing the subject, the beauty who couldn't recognize its value trembled.

"Claim ownership, infuse spiritual energy, change its size as you wish, throw in the herbs, and stew."

"Huh? That simple? What about Big Lin Zi's medicinal soup?"

"Just add water!"

"...And what about the pills?"

"Keep heating it up; once the medicine is done, it'll stop automatically. How else could it be called a first-class spiritual artifact?"

"When the medicine is ready, will several pills with halos around them fly out?" The Lord of Yaoguang Realm, lacking in experience, said hopefully.

"Where did you hear such nonsense? Can't you make your own pills?"

"Cultivation novels have misled me! Isn't this just an automatic power-off rice cooker?"

"Get out of here! Now!!!"

The unappreciative beauty was ejected, but fortunately, the construction site next door had ceased operations.