Chapter 6

"Damn, my head really hurts. I drank too much yesterday," Lin Xiao said, holding his head as he opened his eyes in the morning, then turned over and continued to sleep.

It was already noon when he got up. The sun hung high and scorching, with the temperature nearing 40 degrees, reminding people to take precautions against the heat.

Lin Xiao roughly tidied up his messy room, got himself together, and went out. He had already decided to visit the flower and bird market in the west of the city, hoping to find something he liked.

This time, he splurged and took a taxi directly to the flower and bird market in the west of the city. Upon entering, he was greeted by pots of blooming flowers, the noise of people, the chirping of birds, and the playful sounds of cats and dogs.

His eyes were dazzled, not knowing where to look. There were passionate roses, elegant narcissus, shy jasmine, noble orchids, and many other beautiful flowers. Parrots, magpies, hummingbirds, and many other birds whose names he couldn't recall were elegantly displaying their beauty in their cages, leaving him spellbound.

After a brief look around, Lin Xiao began to wander through the market, slowly browsing each shop. The more he looked, the more disappointed he became. These ordinary flowers and plants were of no use to him at all.

He walked into the nearest shop, and suddenly, his eyes lit up. The black stone inside his body twitched, and the space that had been quiet all afternoon suddenly showed some activity. This indicated that the shop contained the energy he needed. With a gleam in his eyes, Lin Xiao quickly walked in.

He circled the shop but found nothing that could attract him. However, the space inside him had definitely moved. Unwilling to give up, Lin Xiao circled the shop again, but still found nothing.

Just as he was about to give up, his eyes caught a stone under a flower pot at the door. His gaze couldn't move away. His intuition told him it was this stone. Lin Xiao was pleasantly surprised and didn't know what to do.

"Boss, are you here?" Lin Xiao immediately shouted.

"Here, what did you like?" The boss came over from a distant counter.

The boss was a middle-aged man in his forties, slightly balding, with a plump body and a kind face that resembled an enlarged version of a lucky doll.

"Excuse me, do you sell this stone?" Lin Xiao pointed to the stone under the flower pot.

"Sir, are you joking? How can this stone be for sale? I use it to prop up the flower pot; it's not worth anything," the boss said, speechless when he saw Lin Xiao pointing at the stone.

"Oh, I see. Actually, I like to collect some unique stones. I really like this one, so I was wondering if you would sell it," Lin Xiao replied, thinking on his feet.

"Is that so? This stone isn't big, and it's just for propping up the flower pot. Since you like it, just give me 100 yuan as a token of appreciation," the boss said helplessly.

"Alright, I'll take it. See you next time, boss." Lin Xiao paid the money and eagerly carried the stone away.

These days, all kinds of people exist. It's really unbelievable. The boss thought as he watched Lin Xiao rush away.

Once he had the stone in his hands, Lin Xiao carefully examined it. The stone was about the size of two palms, weighing around 20 pounds. If it weren't for the fact that Lin Xiao had been cleansed during his fusion, it would have been quite heavy to carry.

Although he didn't know how much energy it contained yet, this didn't affect Lin Xiao's elated mood, which felt as refreshing as eating an ice cream.

He calmed down, walked to a secluded corner, and sent the stone into the space. After becoming more familiar with the space over the past two days, he could now use it more freely, able to send objects no larger than one meter into the space within a one-meter range through his mind. Attempting to send objects larger than one meter had once made him dizzy due to the high energy consumption.

Humming an unknown tune, hands in his pockets, Lin Xiao strolled through the market, feeling happy. He compared the flowers and birds he saw with the basic breeding knowledge in his mind, gaining a lot from the experience.

This flower's color is poor; it lacks sunlight and has been indoors for too long. That flower clearly has pests in the soil; the roots have been eaten, and it's severely malnourished. If it's not taken care of, it will die in a few days.

This bird's feathers are bright and shiny, but it's just a pretty exterior. It has been sick for a long time and hasn't seen a vet. The boss really knows nothing; if you buy this, it will die in a few days.

That bird looks good and can score 80 points, but the small black spot under its eye ruins the beauty, which is a pity.

He walked and evaluated, but only in his mind, not out loud.

Hmm, Lin Xiao saw a black, bald puppy. Normally, such a dog wouldn't attract him.

Coincidentally, Lin Xiao saw a flash of purple light in the dog's eyes, instantly recalling its description.

Purple Golden Mastiff: A mutated breed of Tibetan Mastiff. It's extremely rare, with only one appearing among a thousand mastiffs. It's very difficult to raise, and in its early stages, it looks no different from an ordinary stray dog. The only difference is a deep purple hue in its eyes. As an adult, it can fight against a group of five or more lions.

Generally, such mastiffs rarely reach adulthood, usually dying around 50 days after birth. Therefore, they are almost non-existent in the market, and even their discovery is rare.

After some thought, Lin Xiao decided to try using the water from the space to help this mastiff survive the first three months.

"Boss, how much is this dog?" Lin Xiao walked into the dog shop and pointed to the black puppy.

"Sir, you have good taste. This dog is a high-quality Tibetan Mastiff puppy," the dog shop owner said.

"Cut the crap. This dog is a Tibetan Mastiff? I think it's a Chinese rural dog," Lin Xiao said, pretending to be annoyed.

"How can that be? Look at its eyes, look at its ears. How can it be a Chinese rural dog?" the owner replied, pointing to the black puppy.

"Enough talk. Just give me a price. How much?" Lin Xiao interrupted the owner.

"2000 yuan. How about that? If you want it, take it," the owner said.

"2000 yuan? Are you robbing me? You're selling this dog for 2000 yuan? Boss, have you ever sold a dog? This dog clearly has no energy, hasn't moved for a long time, and looks sick. If I buy it, I'll have to take it to the vet. At this price, you might as well rob me," Lin Xiao said rapidly, like a machine gun.

"Then, sir, what price do you think is appropriate?" the owner replied.

"200 yuan. This dog is worth that much. It's clearly a rural dog," Lin Xiao said.

"Sir, you're too harsh. My cost is higher than that. I can't sell at a loss. The minimum is 1000 yuan," the owner said, looking distressed.

After some haggling, they finally agreed on 500 yuan. Lin Xiao paid the money and carried the Purple Golden Mastiff away.

"Little guy, from now on, you'll be with me. Don't worry; I'll help you grow up," Lin Xiao said to the black puppy as they left the shop.

"Whimper, whimper," the little guy sensed Lin Xiao's kindness and barked at him.