Chapter 88

Play is play, fuss is fuss.

The bedridden Dina Zeda ought to be visited, and she ought to be visited.

As for the gift.

Although that performance costume hasn't arrived yet, Dixiya still bought many specialty items unique to the Flower God's Birthday Festival at the Grand Bazaar, ranging from snacks to dolls—everything one could want.

As the friend Dina Zeda personally certified in front of Shazaman.

Luo De also prepared a gift.

A small wooden carving.

Besides being unpainted, which made the face somewhat blurry, everything else perfectly replicated the demeanor and appearance of the deity statues on the Seven Divine Statues.

As for what deity this statue actually represents, whether it's the Great Merciful Tree King or the Little Auspicious Grass King.

That's the case of "the benevolent see benevolence, the wise see wisdom."

Those who believe in the Great Merciful Tree King will call the deity on the Seven Divine Statues the Great Merciful Tree King.

Those who follow the Little Auspicious Grass King will call that deity the Little Auspicious Grass King.

This statue wasn't hand-carved by Luo De either.

Rather, he bought it.

He doesn't yet have the skill to produce such a lifelike figurine product.

Sold by Duo Li.

She didn't disappoint her reputation.

No matter what request you make, even if it's made on the spot, she can get it for you.

Just like this wooden carving in Luo De's hand.

Although the design is exquisite and the material excellent, qualifying it as an artwork, it's clearly a newly made product, obviously made on the spot after Luo De placed the order.

Upon seeing the gifts brought by Dixiya and Luo De, the originally listless face of Dina Zeda on her sickbed instantly became much more spirited.

After playing with each gift in turn, Dina Zeda couldn't put down stroking this wooden carving that resembled the Little Auspicious Grass King.

"The figurine of the Little Auspicious Grass King is hard to buy."

She said, her expression suddenly turning somewhat sad: "The Little Auspicious Grass King has never shown her face in public; nobody knows what she actually looks like, so no one dares to make her figurine. Even during the Flower God's Birthday Festival, none of those merchants in the Grand Bazaar sell her figurine."

"Not just figurines, right?"

Dixiya pouted and said: "Anything related to the Little Auspicious Grass King is hard to buy."

"Yeah."

Dina Zeda raised her head, a smile appearing on her pale face: "Thank you, I really like these gifts."

"That's good as long as you like it."

Luo De and Dixiya responded in unison.

For a devoted follower of the Little Auspicious Grass King, its figurine is naturally the most popular.

If only the details could be richer.

But that's impossible.

Because those who know Nadixa's true appearance are only a few heinous scoundrels; if they discovered that a fully detailed Little Auspicious Grass King figurine had appeared in Sumeru Cheng...

Not to mention Luo De, who provided the image; even someone like Duo Li, a big merchant who can summon wind and rain, would have to flee abroad.

So there's no way.

Luo De could only order the figurine based on the blurry face on the Seven Divine Statues.

Thinking of this.

Luo De couldn't help but mutter a curse: "This damned profiteer."

That bastard Duo Li truly won't let any chance to make money pass.

What Inazuma-imported wood, the best figurine craftsmen in all of Sumeru Cheng, plus a bunch of miscellaneous charges.

If Luo De hadn't insisted on not letting her paint the wooden carving, she was also preparing to get some Fontaine-imported dye.

After going through all those repeated money-adding steps.

This tiny wooden carving, only palm-sized, had its price jump straight to a high of 100,000 Mora.

She could obviously extort, yet she still wants a wooden carving for herself!

But Luo De won't give her money.

Just put it on tab with one sentence.

Anyway, he now has a way to make money; the money earned from exchanging the breeding method for the new mushroom chicken variety is enough to cover the debt, it's just that he'll have to wait a year or two.

Duo Li also knows this.

Thus she tacitly allowed Luo De to buy on credit here.

Or rather.

Duo Li deliberately raised the price of the wooden carving to this level.

She's scammed so many people but never managed to scam Luo De once, and he's even turned the tables and taken advantage of her twice; not scamming him once leaves her feeling a bit uncomfortable.

After delivering the gifts.

Dixiya sat by the bed, telling Dina Zeda about some recent happenings at the Grand Bazaar.

Luo De couldn't get a word in.

So he just went for a walk alone in the courtyard.

Like Duo Li, Dina Zeda's family is also a well-known wealthy family in Sumeru Cheng.

Unlike Duo Li, their family runs legitimate business and has many collaborations with the Academy.

Such a wealthy family.

The manor at home is naturally not something ordinary commoners can compare to.

Just like the small courtyard Luo De is currently staying in.

Though called a small courtyard, it's actually not small at all.

In Sumeru Cheng, where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold, Dixiya Ze Dai's private garden alone takes over ten minutes just to walk to the end.

And it is precisely in this courtyard.

Luo De met someone he had been trying to find recently but had never managed to meet.

Sha Zaman·Hu Mai

This middle-aged man with a stern visage, upon seeing Luo De appear in Dixiya Ze Dai's small garden, first showed doubt, then immediately recalled where he had seen Luo De before.

"You are Dixiya's friend, right?"

Just like when the two first met, Sha Zaman still had a hint of wariness in his eyes; even knowing Luo De was Dixiya's friend, he still couldn't give Luo De much of a pleasant expression.

This is actually quite understandable.

Who is Dixiya?

Desert mercenary.

Then Luo De, this guy dressed in desert attire, might also be someone from the mercenary world.

The reputation of desert mercenaries out there is not good.

Especially since Sha Zaman had once been robbed by desert mercenaries back then; if it weren't for the passing Kusela saving his life, who knows what would have happened to him at the hands of that brutal mercenary gang.

Therefore Sha Zaman has never had any fondness for desert mercenaries, with the sole exception being Kusela and his daughter Dixiya.

As long as one knows these past events.

Then it's naturally clear why his attitude toward Luo De is so cold.

"Mr. Sha Zaman, good morning."

Just like last time, Luo De still follows a standard greeting procedure.

However.

As Sha Zaman was preparing to go in to see Dixiya Ze Dai, Luo De softly said from behind him: "The scale disease will last at most another four or five years."

"."

Sha Zaman stopped his steps, his face twitched a few times, then turned to look at Luo De, frowning as he said: "Was it Dixiya who told you that?"

"I also have a patient with scale disease at home."

Luo De spoke concisely, and with just that sentence he sparked Sha Zaman's interest.

"You also have someone with scale disease at home?"

"How old is she?"

"What are the symptoms?"

"How is her physical condition?"

"How much can she eat per day?"

Sha Zaman had asked others such questions countless times, and as soon as he spoke they all came pouring out.

Luo De answered each one in turn.

Upon hearing that Ke Lai, who was born with scale disease, could eat two bowls of rice plus a full plate of vegetables in one sitting and even carry thirty to forty pounds of feed alone, Sha Zaman's first reaction was disbelief.

Scale disease indeed worsens with age.

But generally speaking.

If one is born with scale disease, by the time they reach their early teens they become as frail as Dixiya Ze Dai—unable to bear weight, let alone walk when the disease flares.

How can Ke Lai's symptoms be so mild?

"If you don't believe me, you can go ask Dixiya."

"You should know her temperament better than I do; she wouldn't lie to you."

Luo De instantly saw what Sha Zaman was thinking, and confidently told him to go find Dixiya as a witness.

Just as Luo De said.

Sha Zaman may not believe Luo De, but he will surely believe Dixiya's words.

However, Sha Zaman did not go to seek Dixiya for confirmation; instead he pointed to the nearby pavilion and said: "Come sit over there for a moment."

"Okay."

One knows that as long as the topic of scale disease comes up, this old man who looks down on desert people with colored glasses will surely have the patience to listen to one's speech.

Luo De kept a smile on his face the whole time; after sitting down, without waiting for Sha Zaman to ask, he voluntarily gave a full account of Ke Lai's condition.

"A potion made from Archon residue."

When he heard that the reason Ke Lai's symptoms were so mild actually stemmed from this, Sha Zaman's eyes, which had been full of hope, were once again filled with disappointment.

Archon residue.

Ordinary people might not even have heard of this.

But Sha Zaman is well aware of its dangers.

Such a toxic substance poses a risk of sudden death even for a healthy person upon contact, let alone someone as frail as Dixiya Ze Dai.

Moreover, Luo De also said.

Back when the patients were injected with this potion together with Ke Lai, only she survived.

This is enough to see the risk of this potion.

The faint hope that had just been sparked is gone again.

Sha Zaman let out a deep sigh, and more wrinkles appeared on his forehead.

"By the way, Mr. Sha Zaman, can you still get in touch with Kusela?"

While the two still had a common topic to talk about, Luo De hurriedly asked about Kusaila.

Upon hearing the name Kusaila.

Shazaman's expression changed momentarily again.

He hasn't told anyone about Kusaila's matter, Dixiya doesn't know either, and Luo De, how do you know he's in contact with Kusaila?

"Don't misunderstand."

"I know someone from Ahma'er's Beard."

"From them I learned that Kusaila often contacts you."

"I also know that when he last came to see you, it was to arrange a bodyguard job for Dixiya, and at that time he had just been beaten black and blue, needing a crutch to walk."

Luo De told a lie without changing his expression.

"You know all this?"

After a brief surprise, Shazaman had no suspicions.

Aside from those extremely close to him, no outsider could possibly know about Kusaila's last beating.

Then.

Then Luo De spoke again.

"Kusaila has vanished into the desert; I can't reach him at all."

"Ahma'er's Beard has also disappeared without a trace."

"All I know is that he suffered serious injuries before disappearing."

"You know what the desert is like."

"If he's seriously injured, I worry Kusaila might meet with mishap; that's why I came to ask if you can contact him."

"Hey."

"I'm not afraid you'll laugh if I say it out."

"Actually I sought him out for Dixiya's sake."

"Dixiya told me she doesn't get along with her father; they had a fierce argument before, and haven't seen each other since."

"I'm not thinking that fathers and daughters can't hold grudges overnight."

"It's been so long; they should sit down calmly and talk properly—always avoiding each other isn't right."

Luo De voiced his thoughts, half-truth and half-false.

Shazaman listened, nodding and shaking his head intermittently.

After a moment.

He asked seriously.

"Do you really think that?"

Shazaman is also a father, and Luo De's words could be said to have struck a chord in his heart.

As a father, no one wants to see his daughter grow so estranged that they never speak again until death.

With such thoughts in mind.

After receiving Luo De's definite reply, Shazaman nodded and said, "I can indeed contact Kusaila."

Immediately after.

He then frowned and said, "Your idea is good, but Kusaila may not be willing to meet Dixiya; I've mentioned this to him several times before, yet he always refused, saying he feels sorry for Dixiya and has no face to see her. You need to come up with a good reason, a reason that would make Kusaila willing to meet Dixiya."

Upon hearing this.

Luo De chuckled: "It's not difficult; Shazaman Sir, you just need to send a letter to Kusaila saying Dixiya was seriously injured by a demon beast while on a mission, her situation is now critical, and write the address as 'Someone at A Ru Cun'."

(End of chapter)