When Xiao Yi handed over the skewer with the suckling pig, Mo Qi reached out and took it.
However, Mo Qi then passed the skewer to Sun Qian.
Sun Qian glanced at it, then extended her delicate hand, gently tore off a piece, parted her red lips, and chewed slowly.
"Oh my," Xiao Yi looked at Sun Qian. "People from your Black Water Tribe don't eat like this. How are you so different? Is it because my brother is here, and you can't relax?"
"What are you talking about?" Sun Qian blushed. "I always eat like this."
At this moment, Mo Qi began to eat heartily, his mouth slick with grease.
To be honest, apart from elixirs and spirit stones, he hadn't eaten anything in a long time. His mouth had become utterly bland.
Suddenly having the richness of oil and fat to nourish it, the taste was indescribably satisfying.
Seeing how much he enjoyed it, Xiao Yi couldn't resist. She pounced forward and bit off a large piece with her mouth.
Mo Qi frowned. "I say, can you have some ladylike demeanor? Look at Miss Sun, she's a model of ladylikeness. You should learn from her."
"I can't learn, and I don't want to learn. I'm a tomboy."
After finishing the meat, she sat down next to Mo Qi, gazing across at Sun Qian. "Sister Qian, why don't you come with us? I'll protect you along the way."
Sun Qian glanced at Mo Qi, then at Xiao Yi. "I think I'll pass. I'm afraid I'll be a burden to you."
Mo Qi suddenly felt that perhaps after leaving here, he wouldn't return. So he tentatively asked, "How about you come with us? It's dangerous, but it's worth the risk."
"What makes it worth the risk?" Sun Qian asked.
"Because the place you reach might be a warm home for the rest of your life."
"..."
"Did you use this method to trick many girls into coming home?"
"No, you're the first. They all refused to come home with me."
"You..."
"Just kidding. I haven't been back to that so-called home in a long time. I don't know what it looks like, or even its exact location."
"Hearing you say that, it does sound quite dangerous."
"Then are you going or not?"
"I like adventure. But I need to inform my grandfather first and ask if he agrees."
"He'll definitely agree. He gave you the Yin-nourishing and Yang-strengthening elixirs, doesn't that make it clear?"
"Can you please not mention that matter again?"
"Alright, but I've calculated that he'll be coming to give you that kind of elixir again shortly."
"What?" Sun Qian was so startled that she stood up abruptly. "Is there any way to avoid it?"
"Alas. What's the big deal? Just take it when he gives it to you. What bad intentions could an old man have? He wouldn't harm you."
"No, I won't eat it. Hurry and think of a way to avoid it," Sun Qian said with some urgency.
Mo Qi pretended to count on his fingers, closed his eyes, and chanted a spell. After a while, he opened his eyes and said profoundly, "It's karma, karma!"
"What is it?"
"There is a way to avoid it, which is, if you leave with me now, he won't be able to catch up to you."
"I understand. You're trying to trick me again." Sun Qian sat down. "You bad person, you're not honest at all."
"Fine, if you don't believe me when I show you the right path, then don't blame me," Mo Qi said.
Xiao Yi chimed in, "My brother is a good person. You should trust him."
"I don't believe it."
Just then, a figure rapidly descended from the mountain and soon arrived before the three of them.
Sun Qian stood up abruptly, her face flushing to her ears. "Grandfather, what are you doing here?"
Sun Xingwang winked and said, "Come here for a moment."
"I'm not coming." Sun Qian wanted to run away, but thought it would be impolite, so she refrained.
"This child, she's grown up, her wings have hardened, haven't they?" Sun Xingwang said indignantly.
"No," Sun Qian said innocently.
"No what? No? It's clearly yes," Sun Xingwang said angrily. He strode over and shoved something into Sun Qian's hand before turning to leave.
Sun Qian knew what it was without looking. Blushing, she quickly tucked it into her pocket.
Looking at Sun Xingwang from a distance, she said, "Grandfather, I'm leaving tomorrow. May I?"
"You've grown up. You are free to go wherever you please." Her grandfather's slightly excited voice echoed through the air.
Xiao Yi stepped forward gently. "Sister, what did Grandpa give you?"
"Nothing, nothing," Sun Qian clutched her pocket tightly, afraid Xiao Yi would find the item.
Mo Qi feigned regret and shook his head. "Alas, it seems I miscalculated again. My divination skills still need practice!"
Sun Qian stood there blankly. "You can continue practicing!"
The next day, Mo Qi and the other two bid farewell to Sun Xingwang and the tribe members and embarked on their journey.
Adjacent to the Black Water Tribe was the Liang Kingdom. Arriving at the capital city of Liang that day, Mo Qi, finding that his alchemy ingredients were almost depleted, decided to replenish them. Thus, he entered the Capital's Elixir Pavilion.
To his surprise, the ingredients here were quite complete. Mo Qi could purchase the raw materials for the elixirs he needed to refine.
However, when he prepared to pay, the shopkeeper said, "You need to pay fifty million meteorite coins."
Meteorite coins? What were those?
Mo Qi was instantly bewildered.
He then placed a large bag of spirit stones on the counter. "Shopkeeper, how many meteorite coins can this exchange for?"
The shopkeeper glanced at the spirit stones, and his face instantly turned ashen. "Customer, are you here to toy with me? I don't have time to play games with you."
Mo Qi was petrified. He had been a rich man in the Earth Star world, but here, he had become a pauper.
The shopkeeper, Jin Runtu, stared at him fiercely. "Do you have money or not? If not, get lost. You're wasting my time."
"Are we going to fight?" Xiao Yi rushed forward from behind and said.
Mo Qi immediately pulled her back. "It's not necessary, not necessary."
Then he took out a handful of elixirs from his storage bag. "Elixirs should be universally accepted, right? See how much these elixirs of mine are worth, and exchange them for some meteorite coins."
Jin Runtu picked up an elixir, took a look, and immediately showed a look of disdain, placing it back in Mo Qi's hand. "What is this? You call this an elixir? Don't joke with me. Hurry up and get lost, don't obstruct us here. We still have to put these ingredients back. I won't bother with this trouble. Just get lost, as far away as possible."
Mo Qi was enraged. He instantly lifted Jin Runtu from behind the counter, threw him to the ground, and proceeded to beat him.
Seeing how satisfying the fight was, Xiao Yi was not to be outdone. She also joined in with a barrage of punches and kicks, even using her spiritual energy, instantly beating the shopkeeper until he was covered in bruises and moaning incessantly.
Sun Qian frowned repeatedly. "Too violent. I shouldn't have followed you."
Others in the Elixir Pavilion were drawn by the commotion. Many, seeing the shopkeeper being beaten, attacked Mo Qi and Xiao Yi without question. These were all minor figures, and they were quickly subdued by Mo Qi and Xiao Yi. However, the Elixir Pavilion had too many servants, alchemists, and thugs. Seeing their own people being bullied, they surged forward continuously. Mo Qi and Xiao Yi, unfazed, unleashed their divine abilities to counterattack. Sun Qian, forced by the situation, had no choice but to join in.
The grand hall was filled with swirling energy and flashing lights, and the sounds of booming explosions were incessant.
Powerful air currents surged through the hall, almost collapsing it.
At this moment, a voice descended from nowhere. "Stop!"
Both sides stopped simultaneously and looked in the direction of the voice.
An old man with a graying beard descended from upstairs, glaring at Mo Qi. "Esteemed guest, you are fighting with the personnel of my pavilion? Do you have any grievances?"
Mo Qi said in a deep voice, "No grievances."
"If there are no grievances, why did you fight?"
"Of course, we had to fight. He said my elixirs were no good. If I didn't injure him, how could I prove the miraculous efficacy of my elixirs?"
What a logical argument!
The old man was stunned for a moment, then took a deep breath, trying hard to control his anger.
"Hitting people is wrong," the old man said.
"His belittling of my elixirs is also wrong," Mo Qi countered.
"But this way of hitting won't prove anything."
"It will prove it," Mo Qi said.
"It will indeed prove it," Sun Qian added.
Although she did not approve of Mo Qi's actions, she had to speak up for him at this moment.
The old man glanced at Jin Runtu. "You've almost beaten him to death. How can you prove it? You're not going to tell me that with this, you can save him with a healing elixir, are you? That would require a life-reviving elixir, but I've never seen such an elixir. Our Elixir Pavilion is the most famous alchemy establishment in Liang, gathering all sorts of talented alchemists, but we cannot concoct such an elixir. I think you just want him dead."
"Then I apologize," Mo Qi said, taking out the healing elixir again. "This kind of elixir can achieve the miracle you've never witnessed. But it is precisely this elixir that this man despised, saying it was nothing."
As he finished speaking, he kicked Jin Runtu on the ground again. Jin Runtu didn't even cry out and lay there, barely alive.
"You speak as if it's true. If you can truly do it, I will let bygones be bygones. I will not hold you responsible for any losses incurred here," the old man said.
Mo Qi immediately stuffed the elixir into Jin Runtu's mouth.
The wounds on Jin Runtu's body healed at a visible rate. Moments later, he stood up.
He himself felt utterly bewildered!
The old man's eyes were about to pop out in astonishment.
Jin Runtu felt he had misjudged. Although he had been beaten, he dared not harbor any resentment and scurried away shamefacedly.
The other injured individuals also stood up, all looking at Mo Qi with anticipation.
Mo Qi naturally understood their intentions and smiled faintly. "There are plenty of elixirs. Fifty million spirit stones each."
Everyone's spirits sank.
They felt the price was fair, but they were simply too poor.
What to do if they couldn't afford it?
They could only endure it.
"This old man's name is Wei Xiyuan, and I am the pavilion master of this Elixir Pavilion. Your elixirs' miraculousness has opened my eyes. Could you tell me who refined this elixir?" the old man said.
"Of course, I refined it," Mo Qi replied.
"You refined it?" Wei Xiyuan scrutinized Mo Qi from head to toe, his doubt evident.
After looking for a while, he found it increasingly unlikely. He then said, "How about this? I'll buy all the elixirs of this kind you have, at the price you just mentioned."