Chapter Twenty-Two: The Whole Story (Part Two)

After parting ways with his brothers, Mang Li had been gleefully roaming about in search of his greatest passion—delicacies. Quite by chance, he caught sight of a female TV host named Zhao Feifei dining alone in an upscale restaurant. Though by herself, she had ordered five or six dishes, of all sizes, filling the entire table.

Being a creature of insatiable appetite and possessing a keen sense of smell, Mang Li caught a whiff of the delectable aromas wafting from Zhao Feifei’s table before he even entered. He slipped inside, invisible, and drew near. Observing the woman’s elegant features and refined table manners, he was delighted. “Such a dainty lady, ordering so much food—she must either be ill or have more money than sense. Why not let me help her out?” With that, he swaggered over to the seat across from her, helping himself to her dishes while admiring her beauty and congratulating himself on his good fortune.

He was enjoying himself immensely when he noticed the beauty take out her purse, glance inside, and suddenly her expression dimmed with worry. After a moment’s contemplation, she flashed a sly smile, then, glancing around to ensure no one was watching, plucked a single hair from her head and quietly dipped it into one of the dishes before her. Furrowing her brow, she beckoned a waiter over and, with an air of righteous indignation, berated her for the restaurant’s lack of hygiene, pointing dramatically to the long hair on the edge of the plate.

No matter how the waitress tried to explain, Zhao Feifei refused to listen, even brandishing her identity as a TV host and threatening to expose the restaurant for poor service and unsanitary food. She reduced the waitress to tears and still would not relent, eventually causing such a commotion that the duty manager was summoned. In the end, not only was her meal comped, but the hapless waitress was docked a month’s wages, and Zhao Feifei was gifted a thousand yuan as “compensation for her distress.” Even after this, she continued to berate the waitress before finally strutting out in triumph.

Only then did Mang Li realize—so that was her plan! She hadn’t brought enough money and was trying to dine-and-dash! That was one thing, but to be so brazen about it was outrageous. “Even in the Underworld, we rarely see such shamelessness,” he thought, fuming. “To do wrong and act so arrogantly!” Later, when he saw her mocking the newcomers at the Young Singers Competition, he could restrain himself no longer. He decided to give her a taste of her own medicine and personally orchestrated that infamous incident at the TV station.

* * * * * * * *

Having listened to Chi Shang and the others recount these events, Shi Jun mused to himself: “It seems Mang Li isn’t a bad sort at heart, and gets along easily with others—he just doesn’t understand the rules of the mortal realm…” As he was pondering this, he heard Mo Tuo, beaming, say to Mang Li, “Brother Fatty, we must get to know each other better! I’m a great lover of food myself—let’s swap tips sometime, shall we?”

Mang Li instantly forgot the previous topic, his eyes lighting up as he replied, “Marvelous, marvelous! You, little demon, are just my kind of person! But I must say, you love to eat, but that’s as far as it goes—not quite refined enough. A true gourmet not only loves to eat but must also innovate! You’re still a bit lacking in that regard, my young friend!”

Turning to Shi Jun, he said, “As for you, sir, one taste of your cooking tells me you’re not one of us—you have no standards when it comes to food. Pity, such a pity!” He shrugged his shoulders and gave a goofy grin.

“What? What makes you say I’m not innovative?” Mo Tuo protested.

“One taste of your chicken wings and it’s obvious! Speaking of which, I have some ideas for grilled chicken wings… perhaps later we can experiment a bit…” With the air of a seasoned expert, Mang Li pulled Mo Tuo aside and launched into an animated discussion, leaving Shi Jun and Chi Shang to exchange amused, exasperated glances.

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“Sir, don’t you think my third brother went a bit overboard with that TV host?” Chi Shang, having noticed that Shi Jun hadn’t commented on Mang Li’s prank, felt uneasy and took the opportunity to probe.

Shi Jun smiled, “I understand your concern. Your third brother is a man of feeling—I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his nature. His intentions were good, though his methods could be improved. He just needs to learn more about human customs, that’s all.”

Chi Shang relaxed and broke into a smile. “That’s good, then! By the way, sir, when do you plan to start refining your magical treasure?” The last part he said much more loudly.

Mang Li, who had been deep in discussion with Mo Tuo about innovative ways to grill chicken wings, instantly perked up and dashed over, exclaiming, “Is it time to start refining? Excellent! Fifth Brother’s Golden-Eyed Jade Toad was my idea, you know—I can definitely help.”

Chi Shang winked at Shi Jun and added, “That’s right, Third Brother is quite experienced in forging magical treasures—most of our treasures bear his guidance to some extent!”

“Why is that?” Mo Tuo asked curiously.

“Well, it’s a long story,” Mang Li replied with a chuckle, shaking his short, fat neck. “When I was born, my mother had just ingested a variant spirit grass. She should have borne seven children, but by some twist of fate, the youngest couldn’t absorb enough of the underworld’s icy energy and died before it could take form, turning into a spirit pill that I, newly born, swallowed by accident. From then on, two brothers became one body.”

He patted his belly, a shadow passing over his face. “All of the seventh’s spiritual power merged with mine, so my innate spiritual awareness has always been stronger than my brothers’. I’m more sensitive to treasures and better at manipulating them, and my ability to control others’ minds is keener as well. That’s how I gained my possession powers. It’s a blessing, but…” His voice faded, and at last he shook his head and fell silent.

Shi Jun noticed a trace of sorrow and resentment in Chi Shang’s eyes. He guessed that Mang Li’s extraordinary spiritual sense might have led to friction or even exclusion among the brothers. Since it was clearly a sensitive matter, he quickly changed the subject. “I had no idea I was so lucky, Brother Mang Li! Please, don’t stand on ceremony—give me your advice on how to refine this magical treasure, will you?”

Mang Li straightened up, his spirits restored, and said earnestly, “Rest assured, sir! It’s my duty and pleasure—Mang Li will do his utmost!” Hearing Chi Shang address Shi Jun as “sir” so respectfully, Mang Li found it amusing and adopted the same term himself.

Before Shi Jun could reply, Mo Tuo suddenly remembered something and turned to Chi Shang. “Hey, your magical treasure is that Jade Toad, right? I heard I was taken down by that little thing back in the asylum. Where is it? Let me see it!”

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To Mo Tuo’s surprise, Chi Shang smiled awkwardly and stammered, “Well… I actually used the Golden-Eyed Jade Toad to ambush the sir earlier, but he took it away, and I haven’t been able to get it back since.”

Shi Jun, who had unknowingly absorbed the Jade Toad while subduing Chi Shang the previous day, was embarrassed to learn that Chi Shang hadn’t been able to reclaim it. He blushed and said, “My apologies! I never meant to take your treasure—I have no idea how to bring it back, either. I really don’t know a thing about this.”

Mang Li, unaware of what had transpired, moved closer to Chi Shang and closed his eyes, carefully examining his current state. After a moment, he frowned and said, “Fifth Brother, your body feels a bit off. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something’s different from before. As for your Jade Toad, since it was once part of your own spirit, what do you mean by saying the sir took it?”

Chi Shang smiled sheepishly and recounted the events of the previous day, adding, “Third Brother, I formed a Heart Pact with the sir, and there haven’t been any negative effects. In fact, there’s now a special connection between us, and my spiritual power has actually increased. It’s a strange feeling!”

“What? A Heart Pact, you say? Sir…” Mang Li stared at Shi Jun in astonishment for a long moment before continuing, “That explains it. The Jade Toad was originally a manifestation of your spirit. Because of the pact, it’s now fused with your spiritual core inside the sir’s body. You probably won’t be able to retrieve it. But on the plus side, its full power is now one with yours, so your strength has increased. I suspect you’ll also be able to cultivate the Jade Toad’s signature wood-element spells from now on. It’s actually a fortunate turn of events!”

At first, Shi Jun felt guilty upon hearing that Chi Shang’s Jade Toad was gone for good, but was reassured to learn that Chi Shang’s abilities would actually improve. He said apologetically, “I’m sorry! I never meant to destroy your powerful treasure. Please forgive me.”

Chi Shang immediately stood and bowed. “Please don’t worry, sir—this was my own fault to begin with; you shouldn’t blame yourself. Besides, I can now enjoy the Jade Toad’s abilities without even needing to summon it. That’s a blessing in disguise, and I should be the one thanking you!”

Mo Tuo, ever enthusiastic about the refinement of magical treasures, saw the conversation veering off topic and interjected impatiently, “Enough with the apologies—the past is past. Right now, we need to focus on helping Old Shi refine his treasure!”

The three of them exchanged a smile, letting bygones be bygones. They sat down once more and returned to the discussion of refining magical treasures.