Chapter 156: The Accidental Residue

The word "greasy" hit his ears, and Li Luo's smile instantly stiffened. That kind of word should be used to describe that dog Shen Shen Jinxiao, how could it be used on him, a young man in the prime of his youth?

"Bai Mengmeng, you've really hurt my feelings. I saw you've been refining for so long, you must be very tired, so I, acting in the generous spirit of a captain, came in to comfort you! How could you launch a personal attack on me?!" Li Luo said in anguish.

Being "rebuked," Bai Bai Mengmeng also got a little flustered, and hurriedly lowered her head to admit her mistake: "Captain, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to attack you, I just didn't react in time, so I blurted it out following my heart."

"..."

Li Luo felt a tightness in his chest. So what you mean is that this is actually what you think in your heart?

Li Luo put away his smile, expressionlessly handed over the water cup: "Give it to me to drink."

Bai Bai Mengmeng quickly obediently took it, sipping the water in small mouthfuls, her gaze secretly sneaking peeks at Li Luo.

Li Luo shook his head. It seemed he had chosen the wrong approach. Being warm and gentle with this little cutie didn't seem to work; being directly forceful was actually simpler.

"Cough..."

Li Luo gave a dry cough and said: "I heard from Mentor Xi Chan that you've researched quite a few Spirit Water Wonder Light formulas over the years, Bai Mengmeng? You even have one Fourth-Grade formula."

Bai Bai Mengmeng nodded somewhat shyly and said: "It's actually nothing much. All the formulas I've researched are just below Fourth-Grade Spirit Water Wonder Light."

"That's already very impressive. How old are you? You still have plenty of room to improve in the future. You'll definitely be able to research even higher-grade formulas." Li Luo sighed in admiration.

"Mm, thank you, Captain." Bai Bai Mengmeng smiled sweetly. Her pure little face was like drinking honey, sweet right down to the throat.

Li Luo asked casually: "Then where are those formulas you've researched?"

Bai Bai Mengmeng answered seriously: "Those formulas were all taken by my family. Most of them were sold to other Spirit Water Wonder Light Houses. Our Bai family itself isn't really involved in the Spirit Water Wonder Light House business."

Hearing this, Li Luo felt a slight pang of regret, but this was within expectations. After all, even if Bai Bai Mengmeng didn't understand the value of those formulas, there was still a Bai family backing her.

"Captain, are you also interested in Spirit Water Wonder Light formulas?" Bai Bai Mengmeng's big dewy eyes looked at Li Luo.

Li Luo hesitated for a moment, then smiled: "Just asking."

He had originally wanted to find a breakthrough with Bai Bai Mengmeng, to obtain high-grade formulas for Xiyang House, but formulas of this level commanded an extremely high price on the market, a price that the current Xiyang House might not be able to bear.

But if he were to use his relationship with Bai Bai Mengmeng to obtain her Spirit Water Wonder Light formulas at an unfair price, that would be too much of a bully. He didn't want to deliberately deceive such a pure and cute girl.

In the end, it was because he, or rather Xiyang House, couldn't offer anything of value.

Thinking these thoughts, Li Luo's previously eager mindset cooled a little. He chatted with Bai Bai Mengmeng for a while longer, then walked over to the refining station on the other side, took some materials, and began practicing Spirit Water Wonder Light.

Previously, Li Luo had already been able to refine Second-Grade Spirit Water Wonder Light, and during this period, with his own strength greatly advancing, he had also begun attempting to touch Third-Grade Spirit Water Wonder Light.

But this attempt failed thoroughly, because refining Third-Grade Spirit Water Wonder Light was nearly exponentially harder than Second-Grade.

Clearly, to refine Third-Grade Spirit Water Wonder Light, Li Luo still needed a great deal of practice.

In today's practice, because of the Twelve-Section Brocade and the Spirit Water Wonder Light formula matter, Li Luo was somewhat distracted. Several times while refining Third-Grade Spirit Water Wonder Light, he slipped up at some of the earliest steps, directly causing the refinement to fail.

Pfft!

As a surge of energy churned in the crystal bottle in his hand, the liquid inside gradually dimmed. Li Luo knew this was another fusion failure.

Li Luo set this failed product aside, shook his head. It seemed today wasn't suitable for practice.

So after calling out to Bai Bai Mengmeng, he prepared to leave the refining room.

"Captain, let me help you clean up the refining station." Bai Bai Mengmeng noticed the mess on Li Luo's refining station and said softly.

"Then I'll trouble you." Li Luo smiled, not refusing her kindness, and inwardly sighed in admiration again. Truly a kind and well-behaved little cutie. If Seeing Yu Lang knew, his eyes would probably get so jealous they'd look like a rabbit's, right?

Unfortunately, he had no fortune to enjoy Bai Bai Mengmeng's good behavior, and could only endure Bai Bai Doudou's iron fists and whipping every day.

While Li Luo was gloating in his heart, Bai Bai Mengmeng was already helping him tidy up the tabletop. Then she saw that one failed defective product, casually picked it up, and poured it toward the waste water pool.

However, just as that viscous liquid was poured out, Bai Bai Mengmeng suddenly smelled a somewhat pungent odor emanating from it.

If an ordinary person smelled this odor, they would instinctively avoid it, but Bai Bai Mengmeng froze for a moment, and after a few seconds of hesitation, she placed the crystal bottle by her lips and gently took a sip.

Crash!

The crystal bottle slipped from Bai Bai Mengmeng's hand, smashed directly onto the refining station, and shattered into pieces.

Li Luo, who had just been about to push open the refining room door and leave, heard the sound of shattering, hurriedly turned his head, and was somewhat astonished to see Bai Bai Mengmeng standing dumbfounded in place, her big eyes red, mist swirling in them, as if she was about to cry at any moment.

On her lips, there was still a smear of dark green liquid.

Li Luo recognized at a glance that it was the defective product he had just failed to refine.

Li Luo was immediately scared out of his wits. Has this silly girl lost her mind? A failed Spirit Water Wonder Light like this and she dares to drink it randomly? What does she think it is?!

If something goes wrong from drinking this here, would Bai Bai Doudou let him off?

Li Luo hurriedly darted back two steps and said urgently: "Are you okay?"

He took a clean handkerchief from the side, about to wipe the liquid off her lips.

But Bai Bai Mengmeng shook her head and dodged. She looked at the liquid spilled on the table, suddenly reached out to scoop it up, and the broken crystal shards cut her delicate little hand. Blood immediately seeped out.

Li Luo hurriedly grabbed both her hands and said angrily: "Bai Bai Mengmeng, have you lost your mind?"

He was truly a little shocked and angry, because Bai Bai Mengmeng's behavior was really too abnormal.

Unable to break free from Li Luo's grip, Bai Bai Mengmeng's little face flushed red, and her voice trembled as she said: "Bitter! Bitter!"

"Bitter?"

Li Luo was baffled. He looked at the spilled liquid, hesitated for a moment, dipped a finger in a drop and put it in his mouth. Instantly his entire face contorted. At this moment, it was as if some beast's bitter gall had burst in his mouth.

"Urgh."

Li Luo dry-heaved a few times and said: "So disgusting, are you messing with me?"

Yet Bai Bai Mengmeng extended her slender finger, dipped it in that dark green liquid, and trembling, placed it in her little mouth. Not only did she not dry-heave from the bitterness, but her little face flushed an eerie red, as if caused by overly intense emotion.

"Bitter! This taste... although it's been many years, I still remember it!" Bai Bai Mengmeng said with red-rimmed eyes, looking at Li Luo, her voice trembling.

Li Luo froze for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses. Right, isn't it said that Bai Bai Mengmeng lost her sense of taste? Then how does she know this stuff is bitter?

Or could it be...

Li Luo stared at the dark green liquid on the table, his expression strange.

Could this defective product he had randomly cobbled together have once again stimulated Bai Bai Mengmeng's sense of taste?

Can such a bizarre thing really happen?

For a moment, Li Luo was a little thrown off.

(One update today.)