Chapter 11

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

The cave was quite spacious, with a corner piled high with luminous, spirit-emanating mineral stones, resembling a small mountain. Among them were many unknown minerals, and from the spiritual energy fluctuations they emitted, they were all extraordinary. In another corner, there were many ripe plant fruits. The ones that caught the attention of the little spirit weasel were naturally not inferior. Ye Bai even saw dozens of monk fruits at a glance, and other spirit herbs were scattered on the ground. It was a miracle that they had not rotted in such a damp and dark place. Ye Bai looked at the little spirit weasel's round belly and sighed, "What a spendthrift, how much did you eat to leave so many fresh herbs and fruits?"

The little spirit weasel had also woken up. Sensing the naked joy and greed in Ye Bai's eyes, it darted in front of the fruits like a bolt of lightning. It puffed out its belly, stood up straight, and spread its arms, screeching loudly, as if determined to defend its private property to the death.

When Ye Bai's gaze fell on the minerals on the other side, the little spirit weasel "swooshed" to the front of the minerals and continued to defend them with a fearless demeanor and a pitiful look.

Ye Bai couldn't help but laugh heartily. Perhaps because he was the youngest on Old Tree Peak and always faced elders, or because he had been alone in the Thunderfall Abyss for too long, the sudden encounter with a mischievous spirit beast rekindled his youthful cheerfulness. He deliberately toyed with the spirit weasel, his eyes darting back and forth between the two piles, and the little spirit weasel ran back and forth like a madman.

These things were of great value and would be very useful for future cultivation. Ye Bai naturally wouldn't let them go. If the little spirit weasel obstructed him, he would have to kill it.

Ye Bai summoned his flying sword but didn't immediately attack, feeling a bit reluctant. The two stared at each other for a long time without any movement.

The little spirit weasel knew it was no match for Ye Bai. No matter how fast it was, it could only use its speed to escape, not to defeat its opponent. It pointed to the pile of fruits, then to Ye Bai, giving up the defense of the herbs and fruits and standing in front of the minerals, defending them with a fierce look. Clearly, this was its bottom line.

"Hmm, it actually gave up the spirit herbs and fruits, offering them to me in exchange for me giving up the minerals. Could these mineral stones have some special qualities? Or are they more important to it?"

Ye Bai thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out. He recalled the records in the *Shanhai Jing*, which said that some beasts in the world not only ate plants and fruits but also liked spirit stones. Could the little spirit weasel have this preference? But he had never heard of them eating rough mineral stones. Could they be that desperate?

Thinking of this, Ye Bai took out a spirit stone from his storage bag, deliberately wiped it, and put it back, but his eyes never left the spirit weasel.

Sure enough, the little spirit weasel's eyes immediately lit up with greed, even more so than Ye Bai's earlier. Drool dripped to the ground, and it waved its arms, speaking in a language humans couldn't understand. Its expression was wild, and its actions were exaggerated!

Ye Bai was stunned for a moment, then said softly, "I knew it, who would give up braised beef to eat raw meat?"

The little spirit weasel seemed to understand him, its face flashing with anger, and it let out a strange, muffled sound, glaring at him as if to say, "Do you think I like eating raw meat? There's not a single person in this place to cook braised beef for me."

Ye Bai was surprised to find that the spirit weasel had a high level of intelligence. He was impressed by its cleverness and had the idea of taming it. The little thing was extremely sensitive to things containing spiritual energy and was agile and a good helper in fights.

But he kept his face calm and said slowly, "I don't have many spirit stones either. Prices are high now, and the market for materials is bad. Even if I cut up your pile of mineral stones, I wouldn't get many spirit stones."

Ye Bai paused, seeing the little spirit weasel's anxious face, and continued, "We've been fighting for a few days, and we've come to know each other. I won't force you to the brink. You can keep the raw meat, I mean, the mineral stones, and eat them slowly!"

The little spirit weasel panicked. How could this be? It had finally met a living person, and it couldn't let this opportunity slip away. It pointed to the mineral stones and the herbs and fruits behind it, then to Ye Bai's waist, meaning that everything would be his, but he had to give spirit stones in exchange.

Ye Bai waved his flying sword and said irritably, "Forget it, I might as well kill you and take everything."

Encountering a bully! The little spirit weasel's eyes rolled, almost fainting. It couldn't afford to hesitate anymore and rushed to Ye Bai, hugging his leg and reaching for the storage bag at his waist.

"What are you doing, what are you doing, you're being a bully!" Ye Bai reached out and grabbed the little spirit weasel by the head, lifting it up.

The little spirit weasel still moved in the air, its eyes fixed on Ye Bai's storage bag.

"But if you're willing to follow me, help me find treasures and fight monsters on the way, I might consider giving you a few spirit stones."

The little spirit weasel stopped moving at these words, its eyes circling as it considered the pros and cons.

"Thud," Ye Bai let go, and the little spirit weasel fell to the ground. He patted his hands and said, "Believe it or not, it's up to you. I'm in a hurry, and I'll take these things with me," and walked towards the pile of herbs and fruits.

The little spirit weasel didn't dare hesitate anymore. It pounced under Ye Bai, rubbing against his calves, its eyes saying, "You win!"

Ye Bai smiled and took out a plaque with complex patterns, saying, "Don't play tricks. You should be familiar with this. Drop a drop of your blood on it."

This was a common beast-sealing plaque used by cultivators to capture spirit beasts. By dropping a drop of blood on it, the beast would be bound to the owner for life, never to betray. Spirit beasts had memory inheritance, and Ye Bai believed that the little thing's intelligence would make it understand the plaque's purpose.

The little spirit weasel stared at the beast-sealing plaque, struggling for a while. Its greed for spirit stones ultimately overcame its desire for freedom. It gritted its teeth, its sharp claws flashed, and it cut the skin over its heart, forcing out a drop of blood and dropping it on the plaque. The plaque immediately glowed with a blinding red light, and the dark red blood instantly seeped into the plaque, disappearing without a trace.

At the same moment, Ye Bai's spirit buzzed, a tingling sensation running through him. It felt as if an invisible thread connected him and the little spirit weasel, making them one.

Finally taming the little thing, Ye Bai was in high spirits. He put away the plaque and said with a wide smile, "We'll be fighting together from now on. You should have a name for convenience."

The little spirit weasel, having just forced out a drop of blood, was somewhat listless and had lost its freedom, so its mood was even lower. It gave him a sideways glance, as if to say, "Do what you want."

Ye Bai stroked his short beard, walked a few steps, and suddenly slapped his thigh, saying, "I've got it!"

"How about we call you Lai Fu? I used to have a little servant named Lai Xi, who was smart and obedient, and I liked him very much. When I climbed over the wall, he would be the one to support me, and when I spied on Xiao Hong bathing, he would keep watch. Unfortunately, he was later beaten to death by a bully. By the way, do you know Xiao Hong? She was the top courtesan at the Yi Hong Courtyard."

"Ah, another sealed memory. But now it's good. I have Lai Fu again, and I can entrust these great tasks to you. Hey, don't faint! I'm not done yet."

The little spirit weasel, hearing the name Lai Fu, blacked out and fainted.

Flip to the next page

Flip to the next page