Zhou You found this amusing. The boy wore a disgruntled expression and had a relentless determination in his eyes. Once something enters another's possession, it's not easily relinquished.

"Triple the price. Give me the spirit water," the young boy said arrogantly.

"Do we look like we need money?" Miao Miao taunted, making a face at the boy.

The boy pointed at her and retorted, "Do you even know who I am? Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty!"

Zhou You leaned over to the store manager, whispering, "Whose kid is this? Who's his father?"

The manager was initially planning to mediate, considering the importance of his customers. He didn't want to unintentionally offend someone.

Hearing Zhou You's inquiry, he candidly replied, "He's the young master of the Zhou family. They say he's a prodigy of his generation. Last year, he achieved the status of an intermediate martial artist. Experts predict he'll reach the martial general level by eighteen."

Zhou You hadn't been paying attention to the newer generation of martial artists, so he wasn't sure what constituted as a prodigy. However, reaching martial general status at eighteen was indeed remarkable. When he was at the Jiangnan base, the highest-ranking officers were only of the martial general level.

"But the spirit water they're fighting over is a gem. It's said that just ten milliliters can elevate a martial artist's physical prowess by a significant margin. It greatly aids internal energy cultivation too. This rare commodity rarely appears in the market. It's either luck or misfortune that they've encountered it today."

Even though he whispered, everyone overheard. Miao Miao laughed sarcastically, "The kids of Yang City sure are arrogant. Relying on their parents' accomplishments to throw their weight around. If the future generation all act like this, our nation is doomed."

"By the way, his father is a senior judge in the High Court," the manager added.

Although the three pillars of public prosecution, investigation, and judicial power have undergone reforms, they still wield significant authority. Nowadays, many cases have an added clause for discretionary handling, with the power to decide resting in the hands of the Chief Justice.

Happy Goddess Day!

Chapter 118: Recognizing Kinship (Part I)

"Will you trade or not?" The young boy asked, brandishing a ticket with an air of confidence. "I've saved these high-quality materials over the years to trade with you. Their value far surpasses that of the Spirit Water. It's not much use to adults like you, better to hand it over to me."

Surprisingly, voices from the crowd chimed in, "That's right. Young Master Zhou isn't wrong. He's a prodigy, with immense potential ahead. He represents the next generation of the Yang City Base. I've heard this Spirit Water can transform one's constitution. It's better given to him than to adults."

Miao Miao had met many prodigies in her time and replied with a cold smile, "I don't care if he's a prodigy or not. I got to this first, so it's mine, and I'm not giving it to anyone."

Miao Miao was quite wealthy, but she had spent all her savings on this bottle of Spirit Water, indicating how much she truly wanted it.

Zhou You was extremely curious about the Spirit Water. What made it so special that everyone was fighting over it?

"May I have a look?" Zhou You asked, approaching Miao Miao.

Miao Miao carefully handed over a small jade bottle to him. It contained roughly 20 milliliters of liquid, cold to the touch, and of a thick green hue. Upon opening, a refreshing scent of herbs filled the air.

Miao Miao explained, "The Nurturing Spirit Tree grows in tropical rainforests. Few dare venture there due to its high mortality rate. The tree astounded the world when it was first discovered. Later, scientists cultivated saplings using its branches and found its sap could enhance physical constitution. After a seriously ill five-year-old boy consumed the Spirit Water, he not only recovered but also developed an incredible talent for martial arts. That's why it's so precious."

"What's so special about the Nurturing Spirit Tree? If the tropical rainforests are so dangerous, who managed to bring it out?"

"It's said that the Nurturing Spirit Tree is vast, its canopy obscuring the skies. Western countries refer to it as the 'Divine Tree'. The person who originally retrieved a branch from it has since passed away. We only found out about it through recordings on his phone."

Zhou You remained skeptical, "From what you've said, this should be a rare treasure, causing a sensation whenever it appears. How did you buy it so easily?"

Everyone paused. Shao Qi approached, inspected the water in the bottle, and asked, "The last appearance of Spirit Water was a year ago, auctioned for a million credits per 10 milliliters. How much did you pay for yours?"

"I have some savings but not millions. I paid 450,000 for 20 milliliters. Could it be a counterfeit? But I bought it from Lan Ji."

Lan Ji's reputation would be ruined if they sold counterfeit products.

Shao Qi took a closer look, sniffed it, even tasted a drop, and remarked, "It might not be fake, but it doesn't have the pure energy of the Spirit Water. It feels diluted, or maybe the Nurturing Spirit Tree it came from was too young. We'd need an expert's opinion."

Miao Miao was on the verge of storming into the store for a refund. She then looked at Young Master Zhou and said, "See? It's not that great. You shouldn't be eager to buy. Luckily, I got it first. Otherwise, you'd be the one getting the short end of the stick."

Young Master Zhou suspected a con and retorted, "I don't believe you. Let me see."

"Would you even understand?" Miao Miao questioned, somewhat condescendingly, doubting that such a young boy had ever ventured beyond the base.

"The best way to know is to try it. Lan Ji wouldn't dare sell poisoned water as Spirit Water."

Miao Miao responded logically, "If this is a counterfeit, there must be others in the market. Go buy another. I'm keeping this one."

The more she refused, the more Young Master Zhou suspected the water's authenticity. He rationalized that the price might have decreased because of improved extraction methods, increasing its availability.