Chapter 217: New Power

In fact, Jiang Hai has always been quite satisfied with his golden finger.

He has no intention of going into politics or business, nor does he plan to dominate the world. He just wants to live a leisurely life, enjoying delicious food, free from worries, and preferably with a few girls to keep him company. That would be the ideal life.

So, at present, apart from the absence of girls, Jiang Hai is quite content with everything else.

This dragon ball has granted him a vast manor, along with the ability to improve pastures and organisms. It allows him to enjoy delicacies he never dared to imagine before.

The only downside is that he occasionally has to bleed. Unfortunately, bleeding is still quite unpleasant.

Had it not been for his frequent bleeding, the collection of this book might have grown by thousands by now.

But without further ado, as Jiang Hai's level changed from a snake to a dragon, his strength experienced a significant boost. He can now accelerate in the water, and his physical strength has surpassed the human limit by twice the amount.

The greatest ability he gained is that he no longer needs to bleed. As long as his blood touches an object, he can channel the power in his scales into that person's body.

No longer does a single drop of blood cause three scales to fall off. Now, Jiang Hai controls how many scales he loses, whether it's one, three, or ten. The number of scales shed affects the amount of spiritual energy that enters the other person's body. Furthermore, the energy contained in the scales has increased.

One scale now replaces five, though one scale can still substitute for three. It's not an issue to ascend to the fifth level.

At the same time, the sensation of the Jiao is much clearer than that of the snake. Jiang Hai can now feel it distinctly.

The spiritual energy in these scales is also beneficial to humans. One scale can even bring a person back to life—though that might be an exaggeration. Still, as long as the person still has a breath, Jiang Hai can use the energy of one scale to save them. This is true.

The spiritual energy in the scales can instantly expel even the most complicated diseases from the human body. Once absorbed, it restores the person to their healthiest state. Two scales can unlock a person's potential.

This is what excites Jiang Hai the most, as it seems like the problems faced by Darlene and the others could be resolved.

Jiang Hai also understands that he used to grow only eight scales a day—not because his manor could only support eight—but because the snake could only grow eight as its limit.

However, in the past three days, while he was unconscious, the scales on his body grew from zero to thirty-six. This means Jiang Hai can now grow twelve scales a day. The most important part is that he feels he hasn't reached his limit yet, and this limit doesn't need to be tested for too long. Once the millions of fish fry arrive, Jiang Hai will know how many scales he can grow. After transforming into a dragon, the original tattoo of one thousand and eighty scales has expanded to one thousand six hundred and twenty due to the addition of four claws.

Given this, it will probably take at least a year for him to evolve to the next stage.

Standing under the shower, Jiang Hai washed himself, reflecting on his new abilities. As his body was cleansed, he gained control over all of them. Taking a deep breath, he dressed in clean clothes, opened the door, and heard two barks.

Then, Xiaobai and Xiaohuang, who had been driven out of the room three days ago, along with the flat-toothed creatures on their heads and the nearly fully-feathered Jiujiu, heard Jiang Hai's voice and rushed upstairs. Darlene and Marianne also hurried up with them. When the two little girls saw Jiang Hai, their eyes were red.

"Okay, I'm fine. Look, I'm out now, aren't I?" Jiang Hai said, rubbing the heads of the little ones in front of him. He looked up at Darlene and Marianne. But before his words even finished, the two girls had already run over and hugged him tightly, tears silently streaming down their faces onto his clothes. Feeling their emotions, Jiang Hai paused for a moment, then embraced them.

Since Jiang Hai decided to take the two girls in, the relationship among the three had been a bit awkward.

It wasn't that they didn't get along, but they didn't have a father-daughter relationship. Darlene and Marianne didn't see Jiang Hai as a father, and he didn't view them as his daughters either. Their relationship was more like that of relatives' children. Jiang Hai would give them pocket money and make breakfast, while they would help clean the villa in exchange. The three of them rarely communicated and seldom talked. They didn't spend much time together, so there was an underlying awkwardness.

This became apparent when Jiang Hai returned to Bingcheng. The two girls weren't overly attached to him; they had grown used to it.

But during these three days, the two girls had truly worried about Jiang Hai.

They knew why he went to China, but when Jiang Hai locked himself in his house for three days, they were concerned. If Jiang Hai hadn't told them not to enter, they might have broken down the door.

They were scared—if something happened to Jiang Hai, they would have to return to the orphanage. But beyond that, they were genuinely worried about him, fearing something terrible could happen.

Sensing the girls' hearts, Jiang Hai, who had already felt a bit guilty, found more comfort in their emotions.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. But this time, I have a surprise for you..." After about five minutes, Jiang Hai felt the girls' trembling bodies gradually relax, and he spoke softly in their ears.

Upon hearing that Jiang Hai had a surprise, the two girls straightened up, wiping their tears. On their tear-streaked faces, their red eyes looked at Jiang Hai expectantly. After a moment, Marianne gestured: "We don't want gifts, but you can't do this again!"

Seeing her little hand gestures, Jiang Hai couldn't help but smile awkwardly. This really wasn't something he could control.

After all, he had to upgrade. This time, he gained many benefits, and he looked forward to the next stage. So he quickly changed the subject: "This time, I think I have a way to help you speak!"

Jiang Hai said this seriously, looking at the two girls in front of him. They froze.

They exchanged looks, disbelief clearly written on their faces. Seeing their reactions, Jiang Hai smiled. It may have seemed impossible, but he was confident.

If he had only had a slight inkling during the first stage, now he was sure about the second. However, he wasn't sure he could try it directly on Darlene and Marianne. He planned to have Aphra and the others try it first. If it worked, it could be miraculous.

"Send a message to Aphra and tell her I'm treating her to dinner tonight. Ask her to come over." Jiang Hai patted their heads and walked downstairs.

He needed to inform Robbins and Edward about his return to put their minds at ease. As for contacting Aphra, the two girls could handle that.

Hearing Jiang Hai's instructions, Darlene and Marianne nodded eagerly. They were also curious. Unlike Aphra and the others, who had resigned to their fate, they longed to speak. Seeing Jiang Hai's confident expression, their hopes reignited.

Without thinking much, they took out their phones and called Aphra. Aphra, who was working in the vegetable garden, was surprised when she heard the invitation. Since the winery hadn't been established yet and there was still much to decide regarding the grapes, the girls had been busy caring for the vegetables instead.

Though she was working under the sun, Aphra's complexion was healthier than before, though a bit darker.

She communicated through sign language that Jiang Hai was inviting her to dinner. Aphra, shocked, turned off her phone and hurried home to prepare. These girls, after all, had a positive impression of Jiang Hai. He had rescued them from a dire situation, and they trusted him completely.

However, Aphra thought Jiang Hai's invitation meant something more personal. Little did she know, Jiang Hai just wanted to use her as an experiment.

(To be continued...)