Chapter 203: The Living Creature in the Water Vat

　　The room was too dark, and the water vat was very high; Lu Fei couldn't see anything from outside the window.

　　A faint sound of water indicated that there was a living creature in the vat.

　　Thinking of what could be kept in water, besides fish, nothing else came to Lu Fei's mind at the moment.

　　The little black dog wagged its tail vigorously, looking at Lu Fei and then at the inside of the window, its two black eyes shining with excitement.

　　For this spirit dog to fixate on something, whatever was in the vat surely wasn't an ordinary creature!

　　What exactly is it?

　　Lu Fei was curious, but after a couple of glances, he still averted his gaze.

　　"Little guy, this is someone else's house, we can't just barge in. We should head back now, we shouldn't keep Director Su and the others waiting for too long."

　　He carried the little black dog as he walked back.

　　Just as he turned around, he couldn't help but pause slightly.

　　At the entrance of the courtyard, an old Taoist priest holding a dusting whisk was staring straight at him.

　　"Layman, this is the inner residence of the Daoist temple, it's not appropriate to enter!"

　　The old Taoist stepped forward, bowed to Lu Fei, and spoke sternly.

　　Lu Fei, looking at the Taoist priest, couldn't help but be slightly surprised.

　　Although his hair was gray and his clothes made him look elderly, his face was exceptionally youthful.

　　It gave off a sense of being "grey-haired but with a childlike face."

　　Could he be a highly accomplished master?

　　Indeed, it was inappropriate for me to randomly wander into someone else's backyard.

　　"I'm sorry, Master. The little dog ran in here by mistake. I'll leave right away! Sorry for the disturbance!" Lu Fei apologized, then walked quickly out of the courtyard with the dog in his arms.

　　The old Taoist didn't make things difficult for him, watching as he left. He then went to the door, checked the lock, and with the key opened the door, walking into the dimly lit room.

　　Splash!

　　A faint sound of water came from the vat.

　　The old Taoist walked to the edge of the vat with a blank expression, and looked down into it.

　　The surface of the water rippled slightly, and at the bottom of the vat, there was a white, wriggling mass.

　　"You've gotten thinner."

　　The old Taoist raised his almost wrinkle-free hand and gently patted the edge of the vat.

　　"Don't worry, you'll have something to eat in a couple of days."

　　A few minutes later.

　　The old Taoist called for his disciple.

　　"It's time for the closed-door cultivation. Who is it my turn to cultivate with this time?"

　　"Yes, Master, it is Enlightenment,"

　　the Taoist boy answered with his head lowered, trembling with fear.

　　"Inform him immediately to set out with me! The temple will be closed for three days, and no one is to leave without permission, or they will be severely punished!"

　　"Yes, Master!"

　　Ten minutes later.

　　The old Taoist, carrying a jar, pushed open the back door of the temple and led a small Taoist boy, whose face was pale as ash, into the mountains behind the temple.

　　Outside the temple.

　　"Huh, why did they close the gate right after we left?"

　　As Lu Fei and his group just got into their car, they saw that the Lingyun Temple had closed its main gate and put up a sign indicating it was closed to visitors.

　　"It has nothing to do with us, right?"

　　Everyone looked at each other in silence.

　　"It should be fine, Lingyun Temple closes its doors for purification every now and then; we just happened to run into it this time." Su Liguo waved his hand and told the driver to start the car.

　　"They purify themselves every now and then? That's quite rare. Could it really be a genuine Taoist temple for cultivation?" Lu Fei was surprised.

　　Could that flesh Ganoderma be real?

　　The luxury car gradually drove away.

　　Back in the city.

　　Su Liguo dropped Lu Fei and the other person off at the antique street.

　　"Wait a moment, I have something to discuss with Shopkeeper Lu."

　　Su Ningxue followed Lu Fei out of the car, looking at him with a hesitant expression.

　　"What is it, Miss Su, do you have something else?" Lu Fei asked curiously, wondering if the young lady was still thinking about the demonic object.

　　"Um... Mr. Lu, about what I said at the Sinisterium Pawnshop this afternoon, please don't tell anyone else. Otherwise... it would be too embarrassing for me."

　　A hint of shyness appeared on Su Ningxue's delicate face.

　　So that was what she was worried about.

　　Lu Fei couldn't help but laugh and said, "Miss Su, you were just drinking tea and playing with the dog in the afternoon; you didn't say anything."

　　Su Ningxue was stunned for a moment, then she smiled brightly.

　　"Thank you!"

　　She skipped back to the car happily.

　　Seeing his daughter's smiling face, Su Liguo couldn't help but ask, "Xiaoxue, what did you talk about with Mr. Lu that made you so happy?"

　　"I'm not telling you, it's a secret," Su Ningxue said playfully, blinking her eyes.

　　"It seems my daughter has grown up and now has secrets she can't even share with dad," Su Liguo said with a pretend sigh.

　　"Dad, are you not going to be angry?"

　　"If it were anyone else, of course I would need to ask for clarification, but Manager Lu is different."

　　"Why?"

　　Su Liguo smiled and did not answer his daughter's question. Instead, he said, "Thanks to him, I have indirectly done a big favor for Principal Qin. Principal Qin has agreed to let you study at Jiang University on a temporary basis. Next month, you can start school there."

　　"Principal Qin is an old stick-in-the-mud. If it weren't for Manager Lu, even if I donated more money to the school, he wouldn't budge an inch."

　　"Look at others, then look at your brother, that good-for-nothing! All he does is party all day. If he could be half as capable as Manager Lu, I'd thank heaven and earth."

　　"Dad, my brother isn't that bad. He's also trying hard, so you shouldn't always be so harsh on him."

　　Su Ningxue said a few words in her brother's defense, and after thinking for a while, she said, "Dad, I can go to Jiang University, but I have one condition!"

　　"What do you want this time? A new bag or a car?"

　　"Neither. I want to go to school by myself and stay in the dormitory! Don't tell anyone that you're my dad through any connections!" Su Ningxue said with a serious expression.

　　"If you don't agree," 

　　Su Liguo was slightly taken aback. 

　　"Alright, alright, Dad agrees to you! My daughter has grown up and become sensible." 

　　"Thank you, Dad, you're the best!" 

　　Su Ningsnow happily hugged her father's arm, looking at the streets flashing by outside the window. 

　　She wanted to try and see if she could hear the truth without the help of the evil object. 

　　Pawnshop. 

　　Lu Fei opened the plastic bag and used chopsticks to take out four slices of thin meat, and couldn't help but be startled. 

　　Apparently due to loss of moisture, the edges of the meat slices were beginning to dry and turn black, showing a tendency to rot. 

　　"Does this thing have to be soaked in water?"

　　Lu Fei immediately had Hu Zi bring over a bowl of water and soaked the meat slices in it.

　　The meat slices released some reddish-brown liquid, but instead of improving, they emitted a strange, foul smell.

　　"It looks like it's completely spoiled and can't be restored. The flesh lingzhi was clearly dug out from the soil; I've never heard that it needs to be kept in water... Wait, water?"

　　Lu Fei suddenly remembered the large water vat in the inner courtyard of the Taoist temple.

　　"Could it be that what's being kept in there is the flesh lingzhi?"

　　He looked at the small black dog, lost in thought.

　　"Why don't we take the meat slices to Senior Banxian before they are completely spoiled?"

　　Then, he left Hu Zi to watch the shop.

　　Taking the small black dog and the remaining meat slices, he rushed to Jia Banxian's residence without delay.

　　"Senior! Senior!"

　　"Lu Fei... oh, the little one has recovered so quickly?"

　　Jia Banxian immediately saw the lively little black dog and was so delighted that he almost jumped out of his chair.

　　"Little one, you really have a strong life force!"

　　"It's all thanks to Senior's wonderful solution! Besides thanking you, there is something else I would like you to take a look at."

　　Without further ado, Lu Fei took out several pieces of tattered meat.