Chapter 77

"Treasure Pot?" Qi Xiang's heart stirred, and he finally understood why Hai Gongzi and Tian Shi had been diligently searching for Zhu Shen for the past few days.

"Bang!"

At the same time, Zhu Shen reacted intensely to the sound. Without a word, he immediately stood up and turned to leave.

Hai Gongzi, quick-witted and agile, hurriedly stopped him: "Brother Zhu, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" Zhu Shen sneered: "I was just about to ask what you guys are up to. I thought you were my friends, and I wanted to treat you to some fun. I didn't expect you to scheme against me like this..."

"Who's scheming against you?" Hai Gongzi's voice wavered: "Don't overthink it, you're imagining things."

"Am I imagining things?" Zhu Shen snorted: "I found it strange that I've been out of the scene for two years, and if you wanted to find me, you should have come earlier. Why wait two years to come..."

"Turns out, you're not here to catch up, but to get your hands on my family's treasure pot."

Zhu Shen waved his hand and said angrily: "Let me tell you, no way."

"Brother Zhu, calm down, just calm down." Hai Gongzi tried to soothe him: "Let's talk this out. We don't want your treasure pot, we just want to borrow it!"

"Borrow it?" Zhu Shen was taken aback, and his movements slowed.

"Exactly, we just want to borrow it for a few days." Hai Gongzi nodded eagerly: "We'll return it as soon as we're done."

"This... is also out of the question."

Zhu Shen thought for a moment and shook his head: "Forget it, thanks for the hospitality, I'm leaving. We'll catch up another time."

"Hey, hey..."

Hai Gongzi tried to stop him, but Zhu Shen was determined to leave, and he couldn't hold him back. He was also afraid of making things worse, so he reluctantly saw him off.

A moment later, Hai Gongzi returned to the cabin and saw Tian Shi leisurely drinking tea. He was instantly furious: "The situation is critical, how can you still sit there calmly?"

"Not that serious." Tian Shi shook his head and explained: "Haste makes waste. There's still room for negotiation. We just want to borrow the pot, not buy it. If we offer some compensation, he might change his mind."

"Maybe." Hai Gongzi nodded lightly.

"By the way..."

Seizing the opportunity, Qi Xiang interjected: "What exactly is this treasure pot you're talking about?"

For this question, Tian Shi continued to drink his tea, and Hai Gongzi looked up at the ceiling, neither of them willing to explain.

Qi Xiang didn't mind and casually said: "Right, I forgot to tell you something. When you weren't here, I noticed that Young Master Zhu seemed to be troubled by something."

"What kind of trouble?"

Hai Gongzi and Tian Shi were naturally very concerned.

Qi Xiang smiled, maintaining a tight-lipped expression.

"This guy is really troublesome!"

Hai Gongzi gritted his teeth in frustration but, after a moment's hesitation and seeing Tian Shi nod slightly, he had to compromise and explain: "The treasure pot we're talking about is just a pot, made of pottery..."

"What's so special about that pottery pot that it can be called a treasure?" Qi Xiang probed, very curious.

"Well, how to put it." Hai Gongzi organized his words: "That pot is made from special clay. Using it to cook, boil rice, or make soup can maximize the freshness of the food."

"You know, Tian Shi is a great chef, always trying to improve his skills. But he's hit a bottleneck and can't break through, so he wants to borrow Zhu Shen's treasure pot."

Hai Gongzi continued: "Learning by analogy, he might gain some insight, you know..."

"Ha ha!" Qi Xiang smiled lightly, neither confirming nor denying. He didn't expect Hai Gongzi to easily reveal the truth. But knowing that Zhu Shen's treasure pot was special was a good gain.

At the same time, Qi Xiang mused: "No wonder Zhu Shen believes in the existence of a tea mud pot..."

"What tea mud pot?" Tian Shi frowned.

"Oh, that's what Zhu Shen wants." Qi Xiang didn't hide it and explained honestly: "He was planning to invite a master potter on the boat to make him a tea mud pot."

"What's a tea mud pot?" Hai Gongzi was puzzled.

"Probably something similar to his treasure pot." Qi Xiang explained: "A tea mud pot is made by fermenting tea leaves and soil together, then using that special tea mud to make the pot."

"A tea mud pot made this way doesn't need tea leaves to brew tea. Just pour boiling water into the pot, and the water will taste like tea."

Qi Xiang pondered: "The master said such a thing doesn't exist, but Zhu Shen firmly believes it does. They couldn't agree, so they had a falling out. The master left not long before you arrived."

"Tea mud pot..."

For a moment, Hai Gongzi and Tian Shi looked at each other, their faces filled with surprise.

"I didn't believe in the existence of a tea mud pot either, but hearing about his treasure pot made me reconsider." Qi Xiang's eyes gleamed as he asked: "Have you heard of such a thing?"

"Never heard of it..." Hai Gongzi shook his head in confusion.

"You should pay attention to it." Qi Xiang advised: "I can see that Zhu Shen values such things highly. If you can help him get one, he'll definitely be willing to help you."

Tian Shi was silent for a moment and then said: "Thank you, Daoist Brother Qi, for your guidance. We have things to do, so we won't keep you any longer. Where are you going? We'll take you there..."

"I came to fish today, my boat is nearby, just take me there." Qi Xiang said cheerfully. He had a good day, so he didn't mind leaving now.

A while later, Qi Xiang returned to his small boat, and the warship broke through the lake waves, disappearing into the distance.

"Interesting..."

Qi Xiang pondered, feeling that the fog surrounding this matter was thinning. He was now certain that Hai Gongzi and Tian Shi were buying century-old agarwood, acquiring Taihu Mystic Pearls, and borrowing a treasure pot...

All these signs indicated that they were planning something big.

Qi Xiang was intensely curious about their big plan. However, he wouldn't neglect other matters.

Qi Xiang calmed himself, reached into his pocket, and took out the object he had found in the fish's belly. It was a light yellow, irregularly shaped object, somewhat like gold or stone.

The object was small, about the size of a thumb.

Qi Xiang pinched it and felt its elasticity, like rubber. It would flatten when squeezed but quickly return to its original shape...

After a moment of study, Qi Xiang felt that the object was neither metal nor stone, and he couldn't identify its material. However, he was sure it wasn't ordinary.

"Still, this is a bit strange."

Qi Xiang lowered his head and thought, slowly analyzing in his mind. He was puzzled by the large fish he had caught last time, which had a Taihu Mystic Pearl in its belly. That was a rare stroke of luck, so it made sense.

This time, he had come for the Taihu Mystic Pearl, but he didn't expect the large fish he caught to have a pearl in its belly.

Sure enough, there was no pearl, but there was something else.

Although the pearl and this object seemed unrelated, Qi Xiang had a hunch that they were connected...

Qi Xiang lay in the small boat, deeply engrossed in thought, unaware of the passing time. In a way, he was deliberately wasting time.

Time passed quickly, and it was soon evening.

The moon was bright, like a silver plate, casting a thousand rays of clear light.

The night scenery of Taihu Lake was charming.

Boats drifted on the lake, their dim lights illuminating the surroundings. More and more tourists chose to enjoy the lake at night.

For a moment, Taihu Lake seemed like a city of lights on the water, still bustling with noise.

At this moment, Qi Xiang steered his small boat away from the bustling area, using the cover of night to quietly return to his early morning fishing spot. It was in this area that he had caught two large fish.

If all went as expected, there should be a large fish's habitat at the bottom of the lake.

After stopping the boat, Qi Xiang lay still in the boat, breathing slowly, and then focused his mind on the mysterious character.

Soon, Qi Xiang's soul left his body and drifted over the water.

The moonlight was like water, and the water was as clear as the moon.

Qi Xiang's mind was clear and calm, his soul merging with the water and moon. To be precise, his soul slowly entered the lake bottom, carefully examining the area.

This was a plan Qi Xiang had prepared in advance. He was confident that if there were still Taihu Mystic Pearls in the lake, he wouldn't return empty-handed. The key was his soul search.

Entering the lake, his soul drifted as if in the air, encountering no resistance. The murky, dark lake bottom was as bright as daylight, every detail visible.

The lake bottom at night was even more lively than during the day. Large and small fish, crabs, and shrimp came out to feed.

Big fish ate small fish, small fish ate shrimp, and shrimp ate plankton. This natural food chain was full of danger and hidden currents.

After a moment of drifting, a large fish immediately caught Qi Xiang's attention.

The fish was three feet long, robust, with hard, dense, and black scales, giving it a fierce appearance.

The large fish lazily swam at the deepest part of the lake, hiding in the mud and weeds. When it was in the mood, it would open its mouth, and a small whirlpool would form, sucking nearby fish and shrimp into its belly.

"Has it become a spirit?"

This strange scene naturally drew Qi Xiang's intense attention. Surprised, he immediately changed his mind and silently followed the large fish, observing its every move.

The large fish fed smoothly, as if it had a spirit, hiding in the dark and striking. It quickly ate its fill, then swam slowly in one direction...

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