The crowd dispersed gradually as the old man slowly closed his folding fan and hid the wooden block in his sleeves.
As everyone intersected, Su Zimo blinked and the old man disappeared by the time he looked back!
He frowned and pondered for a while before heading back to his residence.
Right after Su Zimo left Yongxing City, the storyteller popped out of nowhere and wobbled towards a deserted corner.
Lin Xuanji stood there, bored.
When he saw the old man approaching, Lin Xuanji hurried forth and whispered expectantly, “How was it, old man? Did you manage to see anything?”
“No. The fate of that lad has been changed and the trajectory is completely messed up,” The old man shook his head.
Lin Xuanji asked again, “What about that black dog? Can you tell what race it is?”
“That shouldn’t be a dog,” The old man frowned.
“No shit! I know it isn’t a dog too!”
Lin Xuanji rolled his eyes. “Old man, even with your experience, you can’t tell its origins?”
The old man narrowed his eyes in deep thought before shaking his head. “I can’t think of anything, but that black dog is truly not simple. I can sense a unique and pure aura emanating from it.”
“What kind of aura?”
“The aura of slaughter!”
The old man said, “Although you lost the chance to nurture a divine dragon this time round, if you manage to get your hands on that black dog, you will probably not do too badly in the future.”
Lin Xuanji rubbed his chin, his eyes darting around as he made up his mind.
The old man seemed to have thought of something. Frowning in thought, he murmured, “That girl…”
…
Along the way, Su Zimo could sense the little girl following him.
After a long time, when he arrived at his rented residence, Su Zimo suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned back.
The little girl was caught off guard as a look of panic flashed in her eyes.
Su Zimo strode towards the little girl.
She seemed a little fearful and wanted to retreat, but held strong.
“Why are you following me?” Su Zimo approached and asked softly.
“It’s the first time someone gave me clothes to wear,” The little girl blinked her big, bright eyes and said timidly.
Su Zimo’s heart softened. “You have no place to go?”
The little girl nodded.
“Alright. From today onwards, you can stay here.”
Pointing to the residence behind him, Su Zimo smiled and said, “However, I’ve only rented it for a year so I can only guarantee a year of accommodation for you.”
“Thank you,” A smile finally appeared on the little girl’s face.
Su Zimo led the little girl inside and asked casually, “I’m Su Zimo. What’s your name?”
“Nian Qi,” Less guarded towards Su Zimo, the little girl’s voice sounded livelier as well.
The house was located in the south and faced the north with its back towards Jishui River. Quite large, it had many rooms and Nian Qi chose a random one to stay in.
Su Zimo left the house to buy some clothes for Nian Qi before bringing some food and placing it in front of her room.
After that was done, he came to the courtyard and took out a wooden block from his storage bag.
Since he wanted to open a weapon workshop, he had to give it a name.
Looking at Night Spirit patrolling the courtyard, Su Zimo smiled and muttered to himself, “Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop then.”
Using his finger like a sword, he inscribed the four words on the wooden block.
Right then, with a creak, the door to the room behind him opened.
Turning back, Su Zimo saw a fair-skinned young girl standing at the entrance. Slim and elegant, her features were exquisite and her eyes were clear as water. Although she was still young, she was already extremely pretty.
Su Zimo was momentarily stunned as well.
After washing the dirt away from her face, Nian Qi seemed to have changed into another person.
However, for some reason, her hair was still yellowed and curled up like withered grass and tree branches. There was no luster and it seemed out of place against her smooth skin.
Su Zimo did not think too much about it, merely assuming that it was because Nian Qi’s body was weak after suffering for years outside.
It should return to normal after she recuperated for a year or so.
“Sir, what are you doing?”
Nian Qi walked over and looked at the wooden block in Su Zimo’s hand, asking softly, “Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop… are you planning on opening a weapon workshop here, sir?”
“That’s right,” Su Zimo nodded.
Nian Qi moved her lips, as if wanting to say something.
“Speak your mind,” Su Zimo chuckled.
“Even though I don’t know how to forge weapons, I’ve been wandering around the city all these years. The place you’re at now is suitable for living but it’s not suitable for opening a weapon workshop. Nobody is going to come here at all.”
Cultivators familiar with the capital would definitely head to Yongxing City for spirit weapon customization. After all, all the weapon workshops of the capital were located there.
As for cultivators who were not familiar with the capital, they would also head to Yongxing City if they asked around.
From Nian Qi’s point of view, Su Zimo would have no customers at all if he were to open a weapon workshop here.
Unworried, Su Zimo smiled and said, “My weapon workshop is different from the rest, don’t worry.”
Nian Qi nodded, not fully understanding.
Su Zimo pointed to a chair nearby. “Take a seat and hold this stone. Let me have a look.”
On the table was a stone the size of a baby’s fist – it was a spirit testing stone that Su Zimo had just purchased.
Nian Qi reached out and held the spirit testing stone.
After a moment, the spirit testing stone remained unchanged.
Su Zimo sighed internally.
He had initially held hope that Nian Qi might have a spirit root and could enter cultivation.
However, he knew that the possibility of that was low.
There were many Golden Cores and even Nascent Souls in the capital. If Nian Qi had a spirit root, they would have long taken her away under their wings.
Now that there were no changes to the spirit testing stone, Su Zimo knew that Nian Qi was just like him – an ordinary person without a spirit root.
Seemingly realized something, Nian Qi said hurriedly, “Sir, even though I don’t have a spirit root, I am extremely strong and I can help you do many things. P-Please don’t chase me away.”
“It’s alright.”
Su Zimo shook his head and changed the topic, afraid that Nian Qi might overthink things. “You said that you are extremely strong? How strong?”
“Super, duper, strong.”
Nian Qi blinked her eyes and said, “I didn’t dare show it earlier because I was afraid others might lock me up like they do to monsters.”
Su Zimo could not help but laugh.
To him, Nian Qi was just trying to boast so that she would not be chased away.
How strong could a little girl with such a slender body be?
Su Zimo’s heart stirred and he wanted to tease Nian Qi. As such, he took out the Mystic Gold Silk Armor from his storage bag and placed it on the table gently. “This is a silk armor. Can you pick it up?”
“Of course!”
Nian Qi nodded confidently and tugged on the edge of the Mystic Gold Silk Armor with one hand, lifting it up.
It did not budge an inch at all!
“Eh?”
Nian Qi was stunned.
Su Zimo chuckled internally but remained expressionless on the surface.
Standing up, Nian Qi frowned and looked at the Mystic Gold Silk Armor in disbelief before using her other hand as well.
Sensing that Nian Qi was going to continue trying, Su Zimo waved it off, afraid that the joke would go too far. “It’s alright. This Mystic Gold Silk Armor actually weighs…”
Su Zimo’s voice stopped abruptly as he jolted from his seat and watched with widened eyes in disbelief.
Nian Qi’s arms trembled and her cheeks were slightly flushed, clearly at the limits of her strength. However, the Mystic Gold Silk Armor was truly lifted from the table!