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Zhongli wasn't a spirit master, so to him, soul bones held the same significance as antiques—they were merely collectibles.
Antiques carried stories from the past.
Soul bones were no different.
"I knew you wouldn't misjudge this!" Paimon crossed her arms, puffing up with pride.
Zhongli might misjudge other things, but when it came to rocks…
He was the God of Stone, the Geo Archon himself!
In this regard, Paimon had absolute faith in him.
"So… if we sold this soul bone, how many gold soul coins could we get?"
Money-obsessed Paimon activated. Her eyes practically sparkled with golden light as she rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
Hearing this, Zhongli's eye twitched slightly. He turned his head to give her a deadpan look.
They weren't short on gold coins—why sell it?
Even if they were broke, he wouldn't casually sell off an "antique."
"If left unopened, this stone might give birth to new life in a thousand years."
"Life is priceless. Why trade it for a useless soul bone?"
"Perhaps we can witness the birth of life from a stone—isn't that more meaningful than selling it?"
Patting Paimon's head gently, Zhongli spoke in a soothing tone.
Paimon blinked, confused. His words sounded reasonable, yet something felt off.
Wait, so they bought this stone just to let it spawn life?
And then what?
They wouldn't profit at all!
Still, she couldn't refute him. As Zhongli said, in a thousand years, this stone might indeed nurture new life…
The birth of life was nobler than any material gain.
Paimon nodded thoughtfully. Well, they weren't strapped for cash anyway—might as well leave it be for now.
The stone: "…So you're still scheming over me, huh?"
Mentioning soul bones, Zhongli glanced at Paimon, then recalled his collection.
Even excluding this stone, he already possessed several soul bones.
Among them were three 100,000-year soul bones:
100,000-Year Skygreen Bull Python Left Arm Bone.
100,000-Year Titan Giant Ape Right Arm Bone.
100,000-Year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone.
The last one was "compensation" from Tang Hao!
The only thing equivalent to a 100,000-year spirit beast in human form was a 100,000-year soul bone—hence why he'd coughed it up.
Besides these, there was also a 10,000-year soul bone gifted by Ning Fengzhi.
Any one of these bones could shake the Douluo Continent if revealed!
Yet to Zhongli, they were just… suitable collectibles.
"Then let's keep it for now! If it doesn't spawn life later, we'll sell it!"
Zhongli: "…"
Paimon's quite the shrewd little merchant, isn't she?
Come to think of it, Zhongli did have a title as the God of Commerce.
Time passed swiftly, and soon it was dawn the next day.
Under the dim morning light, two figures staggered down the streets of Heaven Dou City.
Their faces were pale, yet they wore nostalgic smiles.
"F-Fatty… never thought you'd last that long…"
"D-Dai… Dai Laoban… you weren't bad either…"
These two were none other than Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, who'd left the academy yesterday for some… recreation.
Supporting each other, they wobbled unsteadily—but nothing could wipe the grins off their faces.
Last night had been… glorious.
Though Dai Mubai had fled the Star Luo Empire, he was far from poor.
With the monthly 100-gold-soul-coin stipend from the Spirit Hall, money was no issue.
So last night, he and Ma Hongjun had gone all out—private rooms, premium service, nonstop action till dawn.
For Ma Hongjun, this level of exertion was nothing. Due to his spirit, his stamina far exceeded normal humans.
If he didn't vent his "evil fire," he might literally explode.
This session should keep him stable for a month.
"Heaven Dou City really is something. A bit pricier, but the service is miles better than Suotuo City."
"Back then, I even fought that 'Bu Le' guy over a girl…"
Though Suotuo was a major city, it couldn't hold a candle to Heaven Dou.
"If you're willing to spend, isn't this way more fun than dealing with that ice-cold woman?"
A flicker of pain flashed in Dai Mubai's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
As if he was truly happy.
"Your smile isn't real—your laughter's just a shield…"
"Dai Laoban, just drop Zhu Zhuqing already. She's not right for you."
"Always so cold—you're not happy, she's not happy."
"Aren't Xiao Hong, Xiao Lü, and Xiao Lan way better?"
"Or Wang Gang—pfft—anyway, Fatty thinks you'll never be truly happy with Zhu Zhuqing."
"Ever since she came to Shrek Academy, you've been acting like a lost puppy!"
Ma Hongjun didn't mince words. Real brothers keep it blunt.
Harsh truths might sting, but he meant well.
"…A lost puppy?"
Dai Mubai's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yeah! Always trailing after her, and she won't even toss you a bone to chew on."
Dai Mubai fell silent. Thinking back… that was painfully accurate.
Ever since Zhu Zhuqing arrived, he'd been drowning in guilt, cutting ties with all his past flings.
And how did she respond?
With indifference.
Infuriating!
What was wrong with a man enjoying himself outside?
Was it really a crime?
Fine, maybe it was—but he'd changed!
Yet Zhu Zhuqing kept holding it against him!
Not to mention… she went to a hotel with that guy.
Just the thought made Dai Mubai's scalp tingle.
"Zhu Zhuqing…"
"Fatty, you're right. I need to go back to how I was before. To hell with Zhu Zhuqing!"
Dai Mubai declared loudly, as if he'd had an epiphany.
What else could he do? Pick a fight with Zhongli?
"Now that's the Dai Laoban I know!"
Ma Hongjun clapped him on the shoulder, beaming.
"Just pretend she doesn't exist—you'll be happy again in no time!"
"Right!"
The two exchanged a glance and grinned.
No words were needed.
Nearby, hidden around a corner, a bespectacled middle-aged man muttered to himself:
"…Is Mubai getting corrupted by Hongjun?"
He paused.
"Nah… probably not."
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 85 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 20 power stones I will publish the next chapter.