Chapter 123: Pity the Hearts of Parents Everywhere (18th update, seeking first-time subscriptions)

The next moment, a look of wild joy appeared on Li Zhangsheng's face.

In the Mental Power feedback that was like a radar, there were two points of light; these two points of light were not only very close, but both radiated intense brilliance, like the glow of a bright moon, making it difficult to look directly at them.

"This grade of brightness is almost equivalent to Aixi and Kailan; these are two Superior Quality Spirit Beasts!"

After reaching this conclusion, Li Zhangsheng's heart was filled with joy; he never imagined that he would just be taking shelter from the rain and end up luckily encountering two Superior Quality Spirit Beasts.

However, Li Zhangsheng also had worries in his heart; after all, with two Superior Quality Spirit Beasts so close together, there was a significant possibility that they were someone else's Demon Pet, and he would end up with a wasted joy.

Whether they were wild Spirit Beasts or not, he would have to see to know.

At the first opportunity, Li Zhangsheng locked onto the location of the two Superior Quality Spirit Beasts and was stunned to discover they were inside the Tudi Miao.

Judging from the current situation, it was highly likely that these two Superior Quality Spirit Beasts had owners.

Even so, Li Zhangsheng would not give up even if there was only a one-percent chance; at the very least, he would have to look before drawing a conclusion, not to mention he had intended to take shelter from the rain anyway.

This Tudi Miao occupied a fair amount of space and seemed to have been completely abandoned; its main gate had been dismantled, the courtyard walls had mostly collapsed, and the plaque was lying askew on the ground, covered in filth, making the characters on it unrecognizable.

Additionally, the roof of the Tudi Miao had also collapsed for the most part, broken tiles were scattered everywhere, and the walls were severely tilted, with the possibility of collapsing at any moment.

Li Zhangsheng stepped into the Tudi Miao; the light inside was relatively dim. He saw a stone platform facing him, upon which stood a stone statue of the Earth Deity, only it was missing half its face, looking somewhat ferocious in the dim light.

Not far away, a stone incense burner lay toppled over, and a significant amount of incense ash that had clumped into blocks was scattered on the ground, appearing particularly jarring.

Looking at the state of this Tudi Miao, one could not tell how long it had been since anyone had tended to it.

Mental Power was not something that could penetrate everything; if it encountered obstacles, it would suffer a certain degree of obstruction, and the thicker the obstacle, the stronger the obstruction. Unless one's Mental Power was strong to a certain degree, one could only detect part of the reality of the Tudi Miao; clearly, Li Zhangsheng was not in that category for the time being.

Suddenly, Li Zhangsheng's ears twitched; he vaguely heard something. The sound came from the back hall of the Tudi Miao, and it sounded like the voice of a kitten.

To the right of the stone platform in the Tudi Miao, there was a passage half a meter wide that led to the back hall, which was originally a place for the temple keeper to rest.

"Excuse me!"

Li Zhangsheng announced himself first, then stepped into the back hall. His heart was filled with a bit more vigilance, but just as he stepped into the back hall and saw the scene inside, Li Zhangsheng was visibly stunned; he did not expect to see an 'acquaintance' here.

The fool!

That's right, it was the fool he had seen at the village market.

No, it should be called the 'fool'.

The 'fool' was huddled in the corner of the back hall, her face still wearing a silly smile, but she was not alone; she was shielding a little girl behind her, silent and wordless, fearless and dauntless!

The little girl was disheveled, her face covered in a large amount of black mud, making it hard to see her features; one could only vaguely distinguish her gender. Her frame was very small, looking like she was only five or six years old, and like the 'fool', she wore clothes sewn from various rags, but they were clearly much cleaner, presumably from being washed often.

The little girl protected by the 'fool' had her hands clutching the 'fool's' lapel, her pair of dark, round eyes looking at Li Zhangsheng cautiously, filled with fear, curiosity, and innocence.

When the two sides were looking at each other, Li Zhangsheng also sensed a detail: the 'fool' was shielding the girl with her left hand, but her right hand was hidden behind her back; from the feedback of his Mental Power, Li Zhangsheng vaguely saw a flash of cold light.

Seeing this situation, Li Zhangsheng was not alarmed but delighted; it seemed there were only the 'fool' and the girl suspected to be her daughter here, which meant the two Superior Quality Spirit Beasts he sensed were very likely ownerless Spirit Beasts.

Ignoring the 'fool' holding a sharp weapon, Li Zhangsheng began to examine the environment of the back hall.

Not far away, a few stones were piled up to form a simple stove, on which sat an iron pot with a large piece broken off the edge; inside the pot was a pile of messy food, where one could vaguely see rotten vegetable leaves, fruit shells, and a bone the size of a fist.

On the other side, there was a pile of firewood, hay, and a tattered wooden box, inside which lay two little kittens, one black and one white, barely larger than a fist, appearing to have been born not long ago.

The two kittens seemed to be food for the 'fool' and the little girl; after all, they could barely support themselves, so where would they have the leisure and food to feed kittens.

Upon seeing these two kittens, Li Zhangsheng revealed a smile he could not conceal, because they were the targets he was looking for.

Without a doubt, they were genuine wild Spirit Beasts.

The strange thing was, why were both kittens of Superior Quality? This was too much of a coincidence.

While Li Zhangsheng was examining them, the 'fool' finally saw Li Zhangsheng's features clearly; her expression was slightly stunned, never expecting to see Li Zhangsheng here, and for a moment, she forgot to keep up the pretense.

The 'fool' remembered that scene at the market not long ago; if Li Zhangsheng hadn't intervened, she would have at least been seriously injured, or even died!

Her heart relaxed; the other party was not a bad person, and besides, she was destitute and penniless, with nothing worth coveting.

"As expected, you are not a fool!" Li Zhangsheng said with a firm expression, shaking his head: "I don't know why you are pretending to be a fool, or why you don't choose to fly far away and start a new life. If I'm not mistaken, you must have some unspeakable hardship!"

The 'fool' did not answer, but instead revealed a silly smile again, looking as if she didn't understand and was truly a 'fool'; conversely, the girl protected behind her had eyes that became increasingly curious.

"Fine, since you don't want to say, then I won't ask more!" Li Zhangsheng shrugged and did not continue to discuss this issue. To tell the truth, he was not very interested in why the 'fool' was playing the fool; what he was most interested in were the two kittens.

"I came this time mainly for these two kittens; are you willing to let them go to me?"

Just like before, the 'fool' still did not speak, but Li Zhangsheng, who had been watching her the whole time, saw hesitation in the 'fool's' eyes.

Seeing that the 'fool' had no intention of speaking, Li Zhangsheng couldn't help but shake his head and laugh; he untied a small bag from his waist, which made a clinking sound of metal collision as he shook it.

"In your eyes, they might be food to fill your stomachs, but in my eyes, they are priceless treasures! I will exchange this bag of Gold Coins for them, what do you think? If you think it's too little, I can add more!"

While speaking, Li Zhangsheng placed the bag of Gold Coins in front of the 'fool'.

"I... I... I don't want Gold Coins, Milord, I only beg you to take in my daughter; just give her a bite to eat!"

Only at this moment did the 'fool' finally make a choice; she no longer wore a silly smile, threw away the rusty kitchen knife in her hand, and pulled the little girl to kneel before Li Zhangsheng.

The 'fool' kowtowed like pounding garlic, constantly colliding with the uneven ground, making muffled thumping sounds; even when she kowtowed until her forehead broke, she never stopped her movements.

The little girl was a bit ignorant, but she also learned from her mother and kowtowed to Li Zhangsheng, only she was a bit afraid of pain and did not use too much force.

The 'fool' knew very well that she had met a 'noble person'; this was a chance for them to change their fate, and she had to seize this opportunity.

If it were only her, perhaps she would continue to live a spineless life, but she still had a daughter; she did not want her daughter to repeat the same mistakes and be bullied for a lifetime. For her daughter, even if it meant sacrificing her life, she would not hesitate.

(End of chapter)