Wait a minute, where is my master?

"Dad, hear me out,"

Inside the secret chamber, Zhao Dabao spoke with a calm and collected expression on his plump face to his father.

If this had happened before the little Taoist had saved Gusu City, he might have had some difficulty explaining it to his father.

But now, he could confidently declare—with a heart as steadfast as gentle bamboo!

His father had seen for himself how powerful Jin Xu was.

Thus, Fatty Zhao calmly said, "Dad, you've seen the little Taoist's power yourself. Our family's twenty-four Mystic Treasure Pearls, even though precious, are merely later imitations you refined. If need be, we can just gather materials and make them again. But Jin Xu's goodwill is priceless, so using them...eh, Dad, what are you doing?!"

Zhao Dabao hadn't finished speaking when he saw his father's fan-sized hand reaching out to grab him.

"Dad, the treasury is precious, but it's just a storage magic item after all."

"I called you just a storage magic item!"

"Ouch! Dad, I only gave away the pearls, I've kept everything else in the treasury!"

"I called you just gave away the pearls!!"

"No, Dad, we can talk this over, I'm too old for you to still be hitting me!"

"I called you we can talk it over!!!"

"Dad, I was wrong...!"

Zhao Dabao was baffled by the beating but, adhering to the rule of not suffering immediate losses despite being substantial, he promptly begged for mercy.

Unfortunately, his father was unmoved, still slapping him one after another.

Of course, he didn't use his full strength; after all, his son was still a mortal, and if he were injured, he'd need to be healed.

"Dad, does Mom know you're hitting me like this?"

Fatty Zhao played his trump card. When he was young and got beaten, as soon as he brought up his mom, his dad would definitely stop.

This time was no exception.

His father stopped, and like throwing a small chick, tossed Zhao Dabao onto the ground.

His face red and neck thick, he walked over to a sandalwood table nearby, picked up a teacup from the table, and drained it in one gulp, then nonchalantly found a grand master's chair to sit down on.

Fatty Zhao lay on the ground, questioning life.

"It shouldn't be. Although that treasury was crafted by my own father and the materials used are quite precious,

Between a storage magic item and Jin Xu, isn't the choice obvious? My dad might seem careless usually, but he's detailed where it counts and has great judgment on important matters; he wouldn't be so shortsighted.

So... there must be something I don't know!"

Lying on the ground, Zhao Dabao's brain whirled rapidly, pondering why he had been beaten.

Realizing the key point, he performed a kip-up, leaping from the ground.

"Ouch~~"

Wincing, Zhao Dabao gasped in a breath of cold air,

It hurt.

He muttered softly, "The old man hits with some technique. No damage to the bones, but the flesh hurts too much."

Although Fatty Zhao had never been able to cultivate, he had practiced quite a bit of mundane martial arts, enough to determine that none of his bones or joints were harmed.

He shuffled in tiny steps to the front of the grand master's chair,

Moving this way, the flesh on his body hurt less.

"Ouch, Dad, is there something about our family's treasury that I don't know?"

At that, his father looked up, cracked a big smile and said, "Not bad, son. Quick on the uptake."

"What's the mystery with the treasury?"

Fatty Zhao asked with a bit of confusion.

Hearing Zhao Dabao's question, the smile on his dad's face turned into a wince. He raised his fan-sized hand again but then sighed and put it down.

"Sigh, if it were just a storage magic item, giving it away would be fine. No matter how precious, it's still just a storage magic item. With your dad here, our Zhao family won't lack such a thing. But, among those twenty-four Mystic Treasure Pearls…there is one genuine ancient bead handed down from our ancestors."

"?????"

Zhao Dabao's plump face contorted into numerous question marks.

"One of them is a genuine artifact!?"

"Yes, the real deal. Otherwise, what would have allowed your father, with his Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, to create a storage that can hold both objects and people, and have such a large space!"

"Because of this fat on me, huh!"

By the end of his words, Zhao's father's voice had involuntarily grown louder.

"...Dad, why didn't you tell me something so important earlier."

Fatty Zhao finally understood why he had suddenly been hit.

"Before, you weren't able to cultivate—even with Uncle Qian protecting you, there were many things we dared not tell you, in case you became a target for criminals, revealing our Zhao family's trump cards.

If it weren't for your exceptional business acumen, we wouldn't have planned to let you get involved in the family business at all.

Moreover, who could have expected that in just a few days of me being away, you would give away our Zhao family's treasure to someone else!

I know you wanted to get on good terms with Jin Xu, but who gives away the packaging box as a gift!"

Zhao's father stood up from the armchair, poised to strike Dabao again.

"Cough, Dad, please don't be angry. How is Grandpa Qian's injury?"

Fatty Zhao quickly changed the subject, quietly shuffling backwards step by step.

"Ah, your Grandpa Qian is in seclusion right now. This time, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The secret technique cast by Jin Xu seems to have purified the latent injuries in his body and even refined his Spirit Root. He has been stuck at the Refining Void Realm, but now there's hope."

Zhao's father sighed.

Uncle Qian's talent wasn't bad; it's just that over the years, protecting the Zhao father and son accumulated many injuries and his cultivation fell behind, hence his delay in the Nascent Soul Realm.

Now that there was a chance for Zhao Qian to advance to the Void Refinement Realm, he naturally was also happy.

Having said that, Zhao's father sat back down, his large hand resting on the arm of the armchair.

"Let it be, if it's given away, then it's given away. After all, with this pearl in our Zhao family for so many years, we hadn't figured out any use for it. Now by a twist of fate, it has ended up with Jin Xu. Perhaps it's meant to be."

"Come here, I have something serious to talk to you about."

Then Zhao's father recounted his journey to the Blazing Sun Sword Sect to seek an opportunity for Dabao, briefly explaining the matter.

Hearing that his father had left the city for many days just to seek a Foundation Establishment opportunity for him, Dabao was moved. His father spoke simply, but the process must have been quite difficult.

After all, which sect would willingly take a disciple of over twenty years old?

But...

"Father, I don't want to go,"

declared Fatty Zhao earnestly.

"Hmm?"

The large hand resembling a fan slightly lifted.

Dabao hurriedly explained.

Firstly, even if he were to join the Blazing Sun Sword Sect, he would only possibly be able to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm. Moreover, with many disciples in the sect and strict rules,

often, cultivation resources depended on luck, talent, or having strong backing.

Zhao's father indeed was in the Nascent Soul Realm, considered a top-tier cultivation family in Gusu. But in the sect, the Nascent Soul Realm wouldn't be considered the topmost echelon.

As for talent, he, Fatty Zhao, was over twenty and had the Ice and Fire Spirit Roots, which hardly conferred any competitive edge.

He couldn't just rely on luck.

On the contrary, staying in Gusu City, he had already established good relations with Jin Xu. Might as well continue to cultivate step by step, clinging tightly to this powerful support, you never know when he might soar to the heavens.

After all, the little Taoist had already created too many miracles.

"Hmm..."

Zhao's father pondered for a moment then spoke, "In that case, pack up some generous gifts. We are going to Little Platform Mountain to visit Jin Xu right now—to thank him for saving Gusu City and Grandpa Qian and also to see if he might help you break through the problem with your Ice and Fire Spirit Roots."

With that, he stood up and walked towards the secret room's exit, pulling Dabao along.

And then.

A pleasant voice suddenly echoed in the secret room.

"Hmm... I can't solve this problem."

!!!

ps: Anyone interested in suggesting a name for Dabao's father, please leave a comment here.