Chapter 23

Zhu Lingwu slightly touched his bald head. After so many days, it seemed that hair roots had started to grow on his head, making it feel a bit rough and prickly when touched.

At least he wouldn't be bald anymore, but the hair was growing too slowly. Zhu Lingwu sighed slightly in his heart.

His eyebrows had also grown some fine hairs, but the newly grown hair was definitely coarser than before, forming a thick and dense appearance, which was inevitable.

"Liáng cái, what time is it?"

Feeling that the stories told by Li Tieshui's disciples below were not very interesting, Zhu Lingwu lazily asked.

"Reporting to Young Master, it's about the beginning of You hour (around 5 PM)! Young Master, shall we go back? Father might be waiting for you to have dinner today! As for the East Market, we can keep an eye on it, there's no need for you to go personally."

Liáng cái glanced at the hourglass in the private room, a special decoration in the VIP room, and bowed to reply to Zhu Lingwu.

"No problem. Before I went out today, I already told Zhu Jin, who serves my father, that it's fine to be a bit late, and to save a small kitchen for me! Alright, go and ask if A Shan has returned from the East Market, and if the agreed-upon spirit beasts have arrived."

Zhu Lingwu sat up from the couch in the private room, rubbed his ears, and touched his face as he spoke.

"Alright, I'll go and ask right away!"

Liáng cái didn't say much. Since it was an order from Young Master, he naturally followed it, turning to the door of the private room and asking a few servants waiting outside.

This time, Zhu Lingwu didn't come out specifically to listen to stories. Although the reputation of Tiang Tang Pavilion was great, it was a place where commoners and poor families gathered, and noble descendants generally wouldn't come here.

Even if something unexpected happened to Zhu Lingwu, he would still be persuaded by the servants and companions not to come easily, to avoid losing his status.

That's why Li Tieshui felt very honored when he thanked Zhu Lingwu, as the presence of a noble descendant would indeed boost his reputation.

Alright, let's not get sidetracked. Today, Zhu Lingwu originally went to the East Market of Tongshan County, as the spirit beasts he had ordered from the East Market shops were supposed to arrive today.

So-called spirit beasts are animals whose blood contains innate spiritual energy, and can be considered the nobility of the animal kingdom. If they develop a certain level of intelligence and cultivate some demonic power, they can be called demonic beasts.

Most demons are spirit beasts that absorb the essence of heaven and earth, and the moon's essence, gradually developing intelligence and transforming into demons.

Abnormal events lead to the emergence of demons, which are distinguished from ordinary animals due to their intelligence.

Similarly, plants that develop intelligence are called spirits, and rocks that develop intelligence are called xiao (rock spirits). Any non-human entity that develops intelligence is considered a demon, spirit, or xiao.

Of course, aside from spirits, xiao, and demons, most entities that can become demons generally have a certain brain capacity. Ordinary insects, for example, are rarely heard of becoming demons, perhaps because they lack brains or have insufficient brain cells.

In the current era, true innate spirit beasts are very rare, unless they are mutants of ancient spirit beasts. Most existing spirit beasts are descendants of demons.

Before demons enter the transformation stage, their offspring born in their animal form still belong to the animal kingdom. If these demon offspring inherit the innate spiritual energy from their parents, they become spirit beasts.

The intelligence of these spirit beasts is not much higher than that of ordinary wild animals; they just have a bit of spirituality and are more trainable, making them more likely to become demons.

Of course, some demon offspring fail to inherit the innate spiritual energy and remain ordinary wild animals, no different from regular animals.

Therefore, obtaining a spirit beast is equivalent to poaching the offspring of demons, which is not an easy task.

However, the price of a spirit beast can make many adventurers willing to take the risk of stealing or robbing, as one successful attempt can ensure a comfortable life for several years. Some spirit beasts are even more expensive than live demonic beasts.

It is said that many immortal sects have dedicated spirit beast gardens for raising spirit beasts, and even some wealthy commoners and noble families buy spirit beasts to raise.

It is also said that some noble families have beast control techniques passed down from immortal sects, which can turn spirit beasts into pets for cultivation.

After a few hundred years of cultivation, spirit beasts can naturally become demonic beasts, serving as guardians for the family, making them excellent bodyguards and even considered a family's strength.

Directly taming demonic beasts or demons as servants is not as easy, and their loyalty is not high, always posing a risk of retaliation.

Of course, the practice of cultivating spirit beasts into family guardians is only done by a few noble families, as the materials required for cultivation are also expensive, and it's better to cultivate their own descendants.

Most noble families and wealthy commoners buy spirit beasts not to keep as pets, but to drink their blood.

This is harmful to the growth of spirit beasts, but who cares about their thoughts? There are no animal protection organizations in this era, and it only increases the animosity between the demon and human races.

For humans, the blood of spirit beasts, which contains innate spiritual energy, is the best tonic, similar to how emperors in Zhu Lingwu's world drink deer blood to replenish their vital energy.

For those who are more particular, they can add other precious herbs to the spirit beast's blood to enhance and refine the spiritual energy, making the blood comparable to many elixirs refined by immortal sects.

Noble descendants can naturally absorb innate spiritual energy from the spirit beast's blood to cultivate their qi and refine their own spiritual energy.

However, they must find a spirit beast whose innate spiritual energy matches their own innate meridians; otherwise, a conflict in spiritual energy can make the blood ineffective or even harmful, damaging their innate meridians and lowering their quality.

For commoners, the main use is for cultivating martial arts. Drinking the blood of spirit beasts, although they may not absorb much of the innate spiritual energy, the spiritual energy in the blood is still very beneficial for unblocking meridians and refining essence and blood.

Of course, the spiritual energy attribute of the spirit beast's blood must be considered, and it should not differ too much from the martial arts cultivation method they practice.

For noble descendants, spirit beasts are not very expensive, but finding a spirit beast whose innate spiritual energy matches their own is not easy.

However, Zhu Lingwu doesn't need to worry. His innate meridians are of the lowest quality, and they can't get any worse. Additionally, his innate meridians are of the mixed elemental type, meaning they can accept any type of spiritual energy, similar to the universal blood type AB.

Compared to other counties in Chong'an, Tongshan County's location in the East Market provides a good chance to see spirit beasts for sale, although they often need to be pre-ordered.

Three months ago, Zhu Lingwu placed an order at an East Market shop, and the shop had informed him that the spirit beasts would arrive today. However, when Zhu Lingwu went to the East Market in the afternoon, the goods had not yet arrived.

Given his status, Zhu Lingwu naturally wouldn't sit there waiting foolishly. He sent a servant to wait, and after a tour of the East Market, he happened to pass by Tiang Tang Pavilion and went in to listen to stories...