Chapter 225: Chapter 170 New Year’s Eve Dinner_2
The Wine Gourd had been restraining herself, but the Phonograph could still see through her desire. "Sister, do you want to eat? Since you only eat flesh and blood, wait until I’m done, then come and have a bite. Only after sharing a meal can we truly be considered family, so don’t be shy about it."
The Wine Gourd was very nervous, unsure whether the Phonograph’s invitation was sincere or a test. She rubbed against Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng smiled and said, "Eat. Treat it as the New Year’s Eve dinner."
Seeing how the Gourd always sought Li Banfeng’s approval for everything, the wife paused for a moment before continuing to suck on the locust’s head. All the magical treasures surrounded them, waiting for the wife and Red Lotus to take a break from their meal so they could come forward and have a share of the spoils.
Faintly, Li Banfeng heard a weak voice. "Give me a bite, just one bite..."
Who was speaking? Li Banfeng followed the sound for a long time before he finally found its source: The Judge’s Pen. The Lazy Cultivator’s Judge’s Pen.
It had been eager for a bite when it encountered Pan Dehai’s favorite morsel and had wanted a taste when it faced the dripping monster. But it had been too lazy to speak up. This time, facing the head of the Insect Leader, it couldn’t resist the urge and finally spoke.
Even the Judge’s Pen had spoken. Was there any magical treasure left out? Li Banfeng remembered. The Folding Fan given by Pan Dehai hadn’t spoken, and it couldn’t, as it had been refined by the Copper Lotus Flower. After such a long refinement, why was there still no sign of activity? If Pan Dehai’s cherished item and the dripping monster were hard to digest, refining a magical treasure shouldn’t take this long.
Li Banfeng asked the Copper Lotus Flower, which couldn’t speak directly to him, so the Phonograph explained while eating, "It’s not Red Lotus’s fault. She already cleaned up the Folding Fan, but the Spirit Attribute within was difficult to deal with. The spirit in that fan was fiercely loyal to Pan Dehai. It verbally agreed to follow our Husband but harbored other intentions. Pan Dehai must have used some trick; even if it were re-refined, it would still be a bad seed with a rebellious nature. Red Lotus doesn’t consume raw spirits, and for high-level magical treasures like that, the spirit inside is considered a living being. Red Lotus handed this spirit over to Little Servant, and Little Servant ate it!"
"Eaten?" Li Banfeng frowned. "Doesn’t that render the magical treasure useless?"
"Not necessarily useless; the materials are still there. The materials of high-level magical treasures are very precious. If Husband finds an obedient spirit later on, you can just refine it again. Gourd Girl, do you think this handling is appropriate?"
"You handled it well, Sister. It should have been dealt with just like this," another layer of cold sweat formed on the Gourd.
The wife continued to absorb the Spirit Attribute, and Red Lotus stirred up a whirlwind that blew over the Insect Leader’s head. The Clock Pendulum and Tang Sword also quietly moved closer to the head.
The wife got angry. "What’s going on today? Why is everyone so unruly? Are you all possessed by hungry ghosts?"
GURGLE, GURGLE. The water tank of the Phonograph also made a strange sound, very much like a hungry stomach.
"Oh dear! Why is Little Servant still feeling hungry? This is too abnormal. Husband, did you bring something back?"
Li Banfeng took the Worms from his pocket. "This is from Pan Dehai."
"Intestinal Wheelworm!" the wife exclaimed. "That old dog Pan Dehai, why did he give you this thing! No wonder the whole family has become so ravenous. It’s this worm causing trouble!"
Li Banfeng said, "This thing is also a treasure."
"It’s a treasure, alright, but aside from Food Cultivators, it’s pretty useless to anyone else!"
"It can’t be completely useless, right? If push comes to shove, we could let Red Lotus turn it into a magical treasure."
"This is a unique creature from Hai Chi Ridge. A magical treasure refined from it probably won’t be very useful, and it would cost a fortune. Plus, carrying it around will make you constantly want to eat—it’s a real burden."
"Then refine it into an Elixir."
"This thing can’t be refined into any decent Elixirs. After consuming it, one might turn into a hungry ghost. It’ll still end up being sold to a Food Cultivator. Besides, Red Lotus doesn’t eat raw food, so the soul of this worm would have to be dealt with separately."
"Then let the wife eat it to replenish her strength."
"You’re too kind, Sir Xie," the Phonograph said. "But if Little Servant eats it, when I get hungry, I won’t be so demure. I’m afraid I’d want to eat whatever I see."
That makes it sound like you’re usually demure. Li Banfeng opened a can of food. "In your opinion, how should we handle this thing?"
"Husband, don’t bring it back home again. If you keep it for too long, it might cause chaos! Better sell it quickly. You should be able to get a good price from a Food Cultivator." The Phonograph wasn’t being alarmist. Given the situation today, several magical treasures seemed somewhat out of control; even the Lazy Cultivator’s Judge’s Pen had started talking.
Li Banfeng, eating from the can, said, "I can’t keep this thing with me all the time either. My supply of canned food at home is almost gone."
The Phonograph emitted a puff of steam, enveloping the Intestinal Wheelworm. "I’ll trap it for now, but it won’t last long. Husband, sell it as soon as you can."
The atmosphere inside the Portable Residence was still lively. Even with the Intestinal Wheelworm under control, the allure of the Insect Leader’s head remained.
The wife had consumed the Spirit Attribute and appeared tired. The other magical treasures had their share of the spoils. The Lotus Flower took possession of the Insect Leader’s head and radiated layers of Light Halo.
Li Banfeng left the Portable Residence, opened the map, and retraced his steps toward Medicine King Valley, following Elder Yao’s route.
The Wine Gourd expressed some concern. "Little Brother, I promise I won’t blab to Elder Yao once we return. If you really don’t trust me, we don’t have to go to Medicine King Valley. But I still carry the Contract Book, and it’s best to have some resolution for it."
Li Banfeng patted the Gourd. "I trust you, and I trust Elder Yao, too."
「Inside the Portable Residence」
Red Lotus asked, "That Gourd seems unable to grasp the madman’s intentions."
HUFF. "She indeed can’t grasp them," the Phonograph yawned. "Sometimes, even I can’t grasp what that madman is thinking."
HISS... Red Lotus whispered, "Wicked Woman, are you about to recover? You’ve eaten quite a bit of good stuff these past two days."
HUFF. "Wretch," the Phonograph retorted, "haven’t you eaten just as many good things as I have? You gave the Elixir to the madman, but didn’t you keep the best parts for yourself? You’ve been chewing for so long this time; you must have saved up quite a bit of strength."
Red Lotus laughed coldly. "I’m just picking up scraps from your mouth. If, one day, you can leave this place, don’t forget to take me with you."
TCH. The Phonograph said, "The day you decide to leave, you’d better inform me in advance. Otherwise, don’t blame me for ruining your plans."
"Wicked Woman," Red Lotus stirred up a whirlwind, opening the door to the outer room and seemingly staring at the main door of the main building, "do you think we could find a way out ourselves?"
"Haven’t you tried before?" the Phonograph yawned again and fell into a deep sleep. "This is the madman’s residence. Without the madman’s intervention, no one can leave. If you refuse to accept that, you can try again."
Red Lotus emitted a Light Halo, diligently refining Elixirs.
I need to make more Elixirs for this madman. Red Lotus sensed that Li Banfeng’s Home Cultivation was about to advance. If his Traveling Cultivator realm didn’t keep pace, the madman might die.
While refining Elixirs, Red Lotus occasionally glanced at the doorway.
Before leaving this place, it’s essential to keep the madman alive.