Chapter 33: Buying Eggs

"Why don't these eggs have prices?"

Reaching the third floor, Lin Ke finally understood the source of the "fortune" bloodline resonance and breathed a sigh of relief.

Turns out it's eggs, that makes it much easier.

"Each of these eggs costs one thousand gold coins."

Baron Puxin seemed quite knowledgeable and explained, "Some of these eggs are Magic Beast Eggs, already awakened by their magical parents, while others are just ordinary beast eggs, and there could even be dead eggs... As for what you'll get, that's up to you."

Lin Ke understood, this was a bit like the gambling stone game back in his past life.

You might spend one thousand gold coins and get a dragon egg, one that's been imbued with the bloodline of its dragon parents.

Or you might end up with an egg that's long dead or unfertilized, and your one thousand gold coins go down the drain.

"Here is where you can truly see whom the Goddess of Fortune favors... Although the Goddess of Fortune fell long ago at the hands of the great [Astrologer] Tisher."

Baron Puxin continued, shifting the topic back to himself, "For example, perhaps I am favored by the Goddess of Fortune; I bought an egg and then hatched it into that level-two Demon Snake at home."

The tone was full of the pretentiousness typical of middle-aged men.

"But Baron, buying a level-three Magical Beast only costs seven hundred gold coins," Lin Ke asked with a deliberately naïve expression.

"Young Master Lin Ke, you are young and don't understand; here, as long as you don't lose money, you're making money."

Baron Puxin frowned disapprovingly, but didn't say much more, instead turning to Fulon, "Madam, as the host of this town, I can purchase three... two eggs for you, please feel free to choose..."

You're a bit stingy for trying to woo someone... Lin Ke sneered inwardly. Before Fulon could decline, he said, "Great, great, thank you, Baron. Let's consider these my birthday gift. Mother, let's each pick one, shall we?"

Who wants to give you this annoying little thing!

Hearing Lin Ke's words, Baron Puxin raised an eyebrow, but in the end he did not refuse.

After all, for a mother, pleasing her son is not that different from pleasing her.

"Little Lin Ke! How can we let the Baron go to such expense!" Lady Fulon was quite annoyed; she felt Lin Ke wasn't like this before.

"But the Baron is my uncle, and he wants to give me a birthday gift... Can't I accept it?" Lin Ke gently widened his innocent eyes, looking at his mother.

Lady Fulon softened, yielding.

Meanwhile, Baron Puxin's expression turned grim, but he squinted his eyes and said nothing.

At this moment, Lin Ke made faces at Baron Puxin's son, indicating: Look, I'm going to play the egg-guessing game!

Seeing this, Baron Puxin's son spoke up, "Dad, I want one too!"

Baron Puxin glared, ready to refuse, but then saw Lin Ke turn to look at him and tugged at Fulon, making her turn as well.

In front of a lady, one must have grace and must not treat one's offspring poorly.

"Choose you... Hmm, you go choose one then."

Baron Puxin had already figured out how to deal with his son when they got home, and it had to be done out of sight of that protective shrew.

And so, the three went to make their choices together.

Lin Ke walked up to a series of large wooden frames, each adorned with runes that read "Preservation," "Vitality," and the like.

He walked along until he stopped in front of an unremarkable basket containing ten eggs.

Lin Ke touched each one with his finger, and when he touched one with faint yellow patterns, the "fortune" bloodline in his mind throbbed violently.

Lin Ke's eyebrow twitched as he was about to choose this egg, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Baron Puxin's son approaching, eyeing the egg Lin Ke had chosen closely.

Trying to cut in?

Lin Ke instantly understood what was in the kid's mind.

The best meals in kindergarten were always in someone else's bowl.

This kid sure takes after his dad.

"This one looks good..."

Lin Ke whispered just loud enough for Baron Puxin's son to hear, then pointed his finger toward an egg that was entirely light blue and looked quite appealing.

But just when he was about to pick it up, Baron Puxin's son rushed over, snatched the egg, and shouted, "Dad, I want this one!"

After shouting, he ran off with the egg, fearing Lin Ke might try to snatch it back.

What a fool... Lin Ke chuckled and then picked up his chosen "fortune" egg.

Lady Fulon also selected after some deliberation, finally choosing an egg of myriad colors that looked quite lovely.

"Baron Sangdir, Little Lin Ke and I should pay for our own," Lady Fulon approached with the egg, still feeling a bit embarrassed and uneasy.

Baron Puxin, seeing Fulon's dilemma, his eyes grew even brighter, and with a wave of his hand, said, "No worries! Just three thousand gold coins!"

The wealth of a city's lord surely outweighs that of a secluded castle.

Meanwhile, Baron Puxin had already decided to extort... no, levy some taxes on a few of the commoners' shops later on.

"Please, madam~"

As the thoughts spun in his mind, Baron Puxin gestured invitingly.

Lady Fulon nodded slightly.

The group immediately headed downstairs.

Besides Lady Fulon, who felt somewhat embarrassed, the others were all very excited, albeit for different reasons.

John and Knicks also wanted to choose eggs, being children, but after hearing the steep prices, they backed off.

Finally, Baron Puxin, without expression, told the female storekeeper to put the cost of the eggs on his tab, and then the group left.

"Madam, where will you be staying tonight?"

Outside, Baron Puxin inquired with a smile, paying no mind to the newly bought eggs.

Here it comes! Lin Ke listened with a calm demeanor, ready to interject at any moment.

Usually, when the procurement team comes, this Puxin doesn't even bat an eye, since Fulon didn't accompany them.

The last time they came, they left in a hurry before long, not staying in town at all.

Typically, when the procurement team stays in town, they stay at an inn; even if someone like the noble Antova comes, it's only the baron's steward arranging things.

This time, who knows why this Puxin dares to be so bold, showing no fear of Garoce's deterrence... Lin Ke pondered internally.

Fulon directly replied, "We can stay anywhere, your steward should have made arrangements, right?"

Sigh...

Lin Ke sometimes found his mother endearingly naïve, at other times he wanted to boost her double intelligence quotients.

"Of course! I've also prepared a lavish dinner; I hope madam can attend."

Finally, Baron Puxin unveiled his true intentions.

Lin Ke's alertness skyrocketed.

Something's not right!

His bastard of a father would soon return, how dare this sneaky Puxin?

Wait, no, could it be...

Lin Ke suddenly thought of a possibility, deeply furrowing his brows.

"Wouldn't this be too lavish, Baron Sangdir?"

Fulon also felt that Baron Puxin was being overly enthusiastic; she didn't think much of it, just that it might inconvenience him.

After all, Puxin was a distant relative of Garoce, and being kind to a sister-in-law is just normal.

Fulon could only associate it with the word "enthusiastic."

"No problem at all, Lady Fulon. By the way, there's an auction this afternoon; I wonder if you'd like to join?"

Baron Puxin wanted to flaunt his financial power, after all, his military strength paled greatly in comparison to Garoce.

"Little Lin Ke?" Fulon, a bit indecisive, looked at her clever son.

Startled from his thoughts, Lin Ke looked up, squinting slightly with a smile: "Sure!"

Fight fire with fire, water with earth.

We have a mighty figure at home, and if provoked, we can have the hermit bring down a divine thunderstorm to obliterate everything.

What level two Demon Snake guards the house, what a joke.

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