“Jiangnan, Jiangnan…”
“I wonder how the city has changed now.”
Jiang He was leaning into his couch and gently stirring a wine glass in his hand.
It was no wine in the glass, but some of the rank-nine Origin Fluid he had. He took a small sip then, feeling the fresh aroma enter his mouth converting into pure energy that nourished his limbs, bones, strengthening his muscles and Innate Qi.
Memories of himself being in Jiangnan appeared in his mind then.
“It seems that ‘I’ attended university at Jiangnan?”
Drinking the whole glass of Origin Fluid in a single gulp, Jiang He turned on the tv to watch the news.
Sora walked up then, asking if she should prepare his luggage.
After some thought, Jiang He said, “Just pack my silk pajamas. I’ve gotten used to those, and I’d have a hard time sleeping if I wear plain pajamas now.”
“By the way, cooked me several portions of stir-fried eggplant over meat, and coleslaw cucumber shreds… oh, can’t black wood ears be coupled with carrots as coleslaws?”
“Add in several portions of black wood ear over meat too.”
Jiang He smiled. “I really can’t eat outside stuff now that I had gotten accustomed to my own food—the taste is just so horrible… now go prepare, I’ll buy some lunchboxes at the supermarket later.”
With that, Sora put on an apron and went to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Jiang He drove into the city and found one particularly exquisite lunchbox design that he liked at first glance at the supermarket. It was even heat-retaining, and merely costs a few dozen dollars.
He bought a hundred in one go.
He then went to the pharmacy to buy a first aid box where he would keep the Bezoar Detox Pills and the Amoxicillin capsules. After all, he should not directly take them out of his System Backpack when he traded with that person from the Lin clan, could he?
A phone call from Duan Tianhe arrived when he left the pharmacy.
“Jiang He, the awards headquarters sent to you are here. Should I bring them to your house?”
“No need.”
Jiang He laughed. “I’m in the city; I’ll come take them.”
Soon.
Duan Tianhe’s office in the Martial Arts Department (MAD).
Before all else, Duan Tianhe drew out a box with fine wrapping. “Mister Jiang, there are seven Purple-Golden Sunflower Seeds in this box, please check.”
Jiang He opened the box and scanned it.
Still, it was not as if he distrusted Duan Tianhe with handing him his rewards from the MAD.
After that, Duan Tianhe took out another box that was made from a special material—the outside was a thin layer of silver alloy and the interior was an ice layer smoking with icy vapors. Within it was a vine as thick as a thumb and around three feet long.
“This is a mutated rank-seven floral spirit. The Superpower Research Department’s study revealed that it evolved from a certain species of ivy, and it improves spirit after consumption.”
However, Jiang He felt a headache while he stared at the ivy.
What use was that ivy?
Nonetheless, in the split second when he reached out to touch the ivy…
Whoosh!
The ivy darted forward like a viper, coiling around Jiang He’s wrist with a rustle. An enormous constricting force could be felt then, and most frighteningly…
Beneath the emerald leaves of the ivy were numerous razor-sharp spikes.
Each of those spikes stabbed violently down Jiang He’s wrist. Judging from the enormous constricting force, the spikes would puncture even an average rank-seven grandmaster’s True Qi protection.
And yet…
Crack.
Several spikes instantly snapped off.
Jiang He’s eyes twinkled at that, and he extended his left hand to lift the ivy with two fingers with a smile. “This vine is actually that powerful? Consuming such a treasure to improve spirit is really a waste, especially since it could survive after it’s moved away from the soil. Won’t it be a pet that guards the house if I could replant it back home?”
“Could floral spirits even be replanted?”
Duan Tianhe shook his head, saying, “The Superpower Research Department has already experimented with that, spending billions of research funds on one project to replant floral spirits, and it still failed.”
“The experiment proved that it’s simply impossible to replant floral spirits… They have by chance absorbed the Universal Force or even some special substance, thereby obtaining sentience and thought that could only be maintained via special measures. They would die within a short time if moved.”
Meanwhile, Jiang He stuffed the Boston Ivy back inside the specially-made box before sneering. “In the end, replanting floral spirits is basically farming. Do the specialists and professors of the Superpower Research Department know anything about that?”
Surprised, Duan Tianhe couldn’t help retorting, “Those specialists and professors of the Superpower Research Department would probably kill you if they heard you… there are some amongst them who hold authority in agriculture, and who would know farming if they don’t? You?”
“Of course.”
Jiang He laughed out loud. “As a proud child of farmers, I do happen to know farming.”
And that was about it for the bragging.
Having had his tease, Jiang He rubbed his palms and asked, “Chief Duan, Deputy Zhou promised me three awards, but there are only two here. Where’s the last one?”
In fact, Jiang He was looking forward to the last one the most.
Hence, Duan Tianhe took out a sword chest.
The chest was exquisitely sculpted, and was made of a special ore and not of alloys, giving it an ancient presence.
“The Unnamed Broken Sword… there’s nothing practical about this aside from some value as a collectible. Even Deputy Zhou thought that you were losing out by choosing this, which was why he sent you this sword chest as well. It’s said to be discovered at the same heritage site, and must have belonged to a powerful swordsman who used the chest to nurture sword will. Any sword placed within the chest would develop some traces of sword will after some time.”
Duan Tianhe introduced it enviously with a smile. “Of course, that bit of sword will would not match up against genuine sword wills, but it would still improve the abilities of a martial artist who has yet to grasp sword will.”
Nonetheless, Jiang He really did not care for the sword chest or whatnot.
He accepted the chest and opened to look, and found a halved fragment of a rusted sword’s edge.
After he picked it up and studied it, he found that it was perfectly plain like its appearance without any special aspects.
“Maybe this wasn’t a fragment of a mystic flying sword?”
Jiang He himself began to have doubts, but now that he had accepted the Broken Sword, it was useless to even think about it. He would try to plant it after his farm levels up, and he would know whether it was a flying sword then.
After chatting for a bit, Jiang He packed up the treasures and soon returned home.
Sora had cooked a tone of dishes as he instructed, filling the table, and even the tea table. Jiang He hence took out the lunchboxes and had Sora package the dishes, before putting everything inside his System Backpack.
Stretching and yawning, he then said, “Sora, keep an eye on Dumbo and Trumbo when I’m not around. Don’t let those punks cause trouble.”
“Yes, master!”
Then, when Sora saw that Jiang He looked drowsy, she asked, “You did not sleep for an entire night, master, and it’s almost night. Why not have a nap before you leave?”
“It’s fine.”
Jiang He waved her off, smiling. “I’ll sleep on the way.”
With that, he left the mansion and climbed straight into his sports car.
There were no more flights now as there were too many flying Ferals, causing up to 90% of aerial incidents to all civilian flights. Even if the airline companies had the courage to take to the air, who would dare to buy a ticket?
That was why Jiang He had to drive to Jiangnan.
Still, it was not exactly driving for him, since he only had to give a voice command after getting on the car… before he adjusted the driver’s seat down and snored away.
He would be on the approach to Jiangnan when he woke up naturally.
