Chapter 172

The next morning, Shenhe brought back fresh live fish from the market.

Diona's eyes lit up, and she volunteered to help clean the fish, showing surprisingly skillful technique.

"Has Diona cleaned fish before?"

"My dad is Springvale's best hunter, I've helped him process all kinds of wild beasts since I was little!"

"Wild beasts?"

"Fish too! We have a big lake near Springvale with lots of Lotus Heads and fish! After I told Klee, she often went to the lake to explode..."

"Who's Klee?"

"A good friend I made in Mondstadt City, she's about Yaoyao's age!"

After the fish was cleaned, Xia Zhi made a big pot of clear fish noodle soup, its delicious taste nearly making Diona cry.

She felt all the fish she'd eaten before had been wasted because her dad's cooking was so bad!

If only she'd met Boss earlier!

During morning business, Mondstadt adventurers came for juice again.

Diona quickly took out the letter she'd written last night and gave it to them.

Shenhe watched from the side as Diona repeatedly and earnestly instructed them to deliver it to her father's hands, a ripple passing through her cold eyes.

Father...

This word had long become blurry in her heart...

Shenhe withdrew her gaze, her eyes instantly returning to calmness, silently continuing her work.

Near noon, Baizhu came as promised.

Xia Zhi saw that all the poisons in his body had been cleared, his [Vitality] had returned to normal, leaving only some chronic conditions.

This wasn't a big problem - after all, Baizhu was a medical master himself, and with Changsheng's help, he could recover gradually.

Xia Zhi looked at Changsheng coiled around Baizhu's neck, its body indeed longer than yesterday.

Must be the [Calming Incense] taking effect, helping it recover some original power.

However, no new gold progress bar appeared on Baizhu - perhaps Changsheng hadn't recovered enough yet, needed more effort.

Xia Zhi remembered about [Skill Steal], opened his system panel, and selected Changsheng in his god's eye view.

"[Skill Steal] successful, learned skill [Serpent Dragon Binding Method]."

"[Serpent Dragon Binding Method]: Can form a contract with a pure-hearted and willing being, exchanging eyes and sharing life."

Xia Zhi paused - this seemed to be the symbiotic contract between Changsheng and Baizhu.

The skill name seemed meaningful.

Ear-serpent, wearing a snake like an earring.

Dragon-binding, pulling and moving a dragon.

Xia Zhi couldn't help thinking of the great shamans from mythology - was this Changsheng's original form? Or the form of whoever taught it this method?

For ordinary people, this method's greatest use would be finding a long-lived species to contract with, sharing life to extend their lifespan.

But for Xia Zhi, lifespan wasn't a problem.

Now just the hidden effect of [Hourglass of time] could keep him eternally young, the legendary [Eternal Spirit Knife] set's properties might well be "immortality," and the [Shop] even sold [Peaches of Immortality] where one could live thousands more years...

Looking at the system panel, Xia Zhi thought of something else.

This method could exchange eyes...

If he contracted with someone, he might be able to see again...

And from Baizhu's dream, the life-sharing part of the contract didn't seem mandatory for the initiator. Because Baizhu's master had contracted with Changsheng, but after his death, Changsheng didn't die with him, instead forming a new contract with Baizhu.

But the contract required the other party to be pure-hearted and willing...

Shenhe might meet these requirements - her heart was very pure, and she always wanted to repay him for saving her master's life, likely willing, but Xia Zhi couldn't bear making her pay the price of becoming blind.

Her [Lone Star] fate was pitiful enough.

Xia Zhi shook his head - like [Thread of Fate], without suitable contract partners, he couldn't use [Serpent Dragon Binding Method] for now.

At lunch, Xia Zhi invited Baizhu to stay and discussed more medical knowledge with him.

"May I ask how Mr. Xia's eyes were injured? If you need certain medicines, I might be able to help."

"Thank you for your concern, but my eyes are complicated, not something ordinary medicine can treat."

"I've collected some rare spiritual medicines over the years. If Mr. Xia needs them, I can provide them."

"No need, my eyes are a special case, not treatable even with spiritual medicines. Dr. Baizhu should keep them."

"...Mr. Xia, to be honest, I actually need more of that incense from yesterday. Such miraculous effects, it must be made from spiritual medicines?"

"Yes, Calming Incense requires many spiritual medicines, indeed not easy to make."

"For such precious items, I naturally can't ask for them freely, so I'd like to exchange spiritual medicines for them."

"Oh?"

Xia Zhi had been thinking of an excuse to give Changsheng more incense to continue recovering, but Baizhu brought it up first, saving him trouble.

This way, he could also get some spiritual medicines.

"Would that be acceptable?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll return tonight with the spiritual medicines."

"Good."

Baizhu took his leave.

Xia Zhi saw him to the door, then turned to look at the four girls playing mahjong.

Zhu Zi had just won a hand, smiling brightly.

"Zhu Zi, you haven't taken your medicine today."

"Ah?"

Zhu Zi's smile instantly vanished.

"Only two doses left. This treatment can't be interrupted, or the effects will diminish. You don't want to drink another five doses later, right?"

"Boss! I'll go right now!"

Afternoon business.

Xia Zhi heard news about mahjong from customers in the shop.

Feiyun Commerce Guild moved fast, already stocking and selling goods after just a week.

In comparison, Liyue Publishing House wasn't doing so well - over twenty days had passed, but his submitted novel still wasn't printed.

They said end of month, and they really meant end of month.

But nothing could be done - this world's printing equipment and technology were too backward. Being able to publish at this speed was already quite good.

In the evening, as Xia Zhi was about to start cooking, Baizhu brought two spiritual herbs, hoping to exchange them for five pieces of incense.

Xia Zhi generously gave Baizhu ten pieces: "I rarely use this incense anyway. Since Dr. Baizhu needs it, take more."

Baizhu hesitated but finally thanked him and accepted the incense, feeling his debt to Mr. Xia had grown larger.

After seeing Baizhu off, Xia Zhi put the two silver-quality spiritual herbs into his inventory, recycled them for 20 points, tearfully profiting 10 points, and felt Dr. Baizhu was truly a good person, worth dealing with.

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