12. Divine Heart Association

The next day, the trio got up early to head to the "Divine Heart Association" together.

Xiao Cha changed back into her solemn black Patrol uniform and said,

"The road is not far, let's walk there, and I can take care of the patrolling along the way, so I won't have to come out again."

Lu Li and Wanqing had no objections.

The three of them stepped out together and soon arrived at Xiao Cha's jurisdiction—Wopu Street.

The street was bustling with various street vendors like a farmers' market, and business seemed quite prosperous.

Lu Li noticed that large transactions were made with silver coins, commonly called "big ocean".

They had a strong purchasing power, with one coin being able to buy 30 kilograms of rice.

Thinking again about the 300 silver coins needed for "Meditation," it was truly exorbitant, far beyond what ordinary people could afford.

Moreover, this was only the second realm, and the money needed for later stages would undoubtedly be substantial.

Lu Li touched the three watches in his pocket and thought: It would be a good idea to test the waters with these watches and find a way to make money.

At that moment, as Xiao Cha approached, the vendors along the street bowed their heads and offered up their goods.

"Luo Patrol, you're on patrol, have a fruit to quench your thirst~"

"The scallion pancakes are fresh out of the pan, please try some."

The vendors offered their respect one after another, and one even handed over a basket for convenient storage.

By the time they had patrolled the street, Xiao Cha was holding a basket full of "tributes."

Lu Li saw this but said nothing; these days, it was commendable that Xiao Cha did not extort money.

However, to his surprise, when they reached the end of the street, Xiao Cha placed the basket beside a group of little beggars.

Those pale and thin radish heads immediately lit up with excitement and crowded around.

One of the slightly cleaner girls with her hair tied into a ponytail said sweetly and politely, "Thank you, Sister Xiao Cha~"

"Tong Shao, you're in charge of distributing the goods."

"Don't worry, Sister Xiao Cha~"

The girl called Tong Shao skillfully began dividing up the goods in the basket.

The other children, no matter how hungry, obediently lined up to receive their share.

This was evidently not the first time this had happened, and though Wanqing couldn't see, she knew what was going on: "Xiao Cha is helping those beggars again."

Lu Li said softly, "Yes, I didn't expect her to be so kind."

Wanqing said gently, "Xiao Cha is a good person, indeed."

At that moment, a group of children were wolfing down their portions, swallowing so much that their eyeballs bulged out.

With a stern face, Xiao Cha walked back and said in a low voice,

"The number of beggars is increasing. Even a bustling place like Jinmen is like this; does the court not care to manage this?"

Members of the government themselves expressing such sentiment left Lu Li and Wanqing with no answer to give.

"Let's hurry to the Divine Heart Association."

Xiao Cha shook her head and, linking arms with Wanqing, moved ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Half an hour later, the trio arrived at the "Three-way fork" by the Hai River.

Seagulls skimmed the water's surface, and the scenery on both sides of the riverbank amazed Lu Li.

The south bank where he was located had houses with black tiles and green bricks, while on the opposite side were classical-style buildings from the Western Continent, indicating the presence of the Great Powers' leaseholds.

Architectural styles full of character, various civilizations, all connected by the Hai River, bore witness to the city's history.

Admiring the scenery, they unconsciously arrived in front of a building with flying eaves and lofty corners, majestic as a palace.

Backed by water, it was serene amidst chaos—the residence of the Divine Heart Association.

Upon arriving here, the two ladies became noticeably more restrained, slowing down and following behind Lu Li.

Lu Li asked, "Aren't we going to the pawnshop first?"

Xiao Cha said, "No need, the Divine Heart Association has its own bank where we can pawn items."

Lu Li nodded and confidently stepped over the threshold.

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Only on the first floor was a spacious hall, in the center of which stood a large zitan desk carved with dragon motifs. A man in a long robe with a cold face was engrossed in a book.

The spine of the book bore a title in a foreign language— "Brain and Nerve: Telekinesis."

Beside him was a three-foot-tall greenish bronze cauldron, from which a wisp of lingering smoke wafted, emitting a faint scent of calming incense that brought clarity to one's spirit.

Xiao Cha gasped for breath, exclaiming in astonishment,

"Is that Calming Incense? To think they would burn it so casually in the main hall!"

At that moment, the cold-faced man lifted his head and gave the three of them a perfunctory glance.

His gaze lingered on Lu Li's eyes momentarily, and after judging his cultivation, he became increasingly haughty,

"Concentrating Realm, what brings you here?"

Lu Li replied, "Purchasing a Cultivation Method for the Meditation Realm, and also Calming Incense."

The cold-faced man wore an expression as if he had expected as much.

These people appeared startled and naive, clearly without any backing, just Loose Cultivators who had lucked out and made a breakthrough.

He casually tossed over a piece of paper, saying, "Register."

Lu Li looked down to see it required filling in name, age, and birthplace, and in the end, one must also pledge loyalty to the court, law-abiding citizenship...

He immediately began to fill it out, but when he wrote "17" in the age column...

The man's expression shifted, revealing a hint of surprise!

He closed the book he held, and afterward, he quietly touched an engraved hollow pattern at the edge of the desk.

In no time at all, a red silhouette flew swiftly toward them—it was a two-foot-long Peach Wood Sword!

Xiao Cha whispered excitedly, "A Flying Sword! There really is such a thing!"

Wanqing looked towards the sky, her pretty face showing a look of yearning.

The Peach Wood Sword seemed exceptionally lively, as if it had a life of its own.

At that moment, it radiated hair-like ripples scanning over Lu Li, followed by a magnetic male voice:

"The junior has an exceptional talent, quite rare indeed. In that case, I will make an exception and give you some guidance."

"This humble one—Wang Siqi, solemnly obeys the elder's command!"

Wang Siqi bowed deeply with respect, and the Flying Sword, without another word, zipped away with a "swoosh."

Wang Siqi, facing Lu Li, said in a tone suggesting his good fortune,

"This is Mr. Fan's Magic Sword. The old gentleman is a master of the Fetal Breath Realm and particularly enjoys mentoring the younger generation."

Hearing this, Xiao Cha's eyes brightened as she whispered to Wanqing,

"It truly is the Fetal Breath Realm! One can manipulate objects with the spirit, sensing the world! Wanqing~ with this realm, you will certainly recover your sight!"

Wanqing shook her head, "I haven't even begun the path, how dare I aspire... It's Young Master Lu who is truly talented and favored by a master."

But faced with such good fortune, Lu Li's expression remained stern.

There's no such thing as free love in this world—he always felt there was something fishy, and it seemed like this Mr. Wang had some scheme in mind...

Wang Siqi opened a drawer, took out a book, and a brocade box, and casually said,

"Since Mr. Fan has spoken, I'll give you the Meditation Method for free."

He pushed the book toward Lu Li, which was titled "Serenity Meditation Method."

Xiao Cha was full of envy—a book worth 100 silver coins, just given away like that!

However, Lu Li's heart was already tightly wound—this was just the appetizer, the real "main show" was yet to come.

Indeed, Wang Siqi then opened the brocade box, took out a glass vial, and spoke solemnly,

"You needn't buy the Calming Incense anymore, you now qualify to purchase our new-style Cultivation Potion!"

Inside the vial were crystals that looked like rock sugar, accompanied by an old-fashioned metal syringe.

"This is Divine Medicine—Ice Soul Powder. After use, one can easily break through to the Meditation Realm. Our Divine Heart Association is about to promote it on a large scale."

As these words were uttered, even Wanqing displayed a look of envy.

Xiao Cha couldn't help but murmur, "Young Master Lu is too lucky!"

But Lu Li's eyebrows twitched wildly, barely containing the urge to draw his gun and shatter this scoundrel's head!

"This damn thing is meth!"

Having spent five years in Moxico, even if he lacked other insights, he instantly recognized the substance in the vial.

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