Chapter 845: Side Story 4: 82

Xiao Jiu agreed with Jin Wuya's viewpoint.

It's a blessing, not a disaster; if it's a disaster, you can't avoid it.

If Qiu Honglin really came for Xiao Lao San, then what Xiao Jiu should do is not to block him head-on.

After all, if you block Qiu Honglin, another disaster will seek out Xiao Lao San.

Better to first take Qiu Honglin's gold sand, then keep an eye on him, and strike at the crucial moment.

Plans laid out in the open are always easier to control than secret sneak attacks.

After chatting a few more words with Jin Wuya, Xiao Jiu hung up the phone.

Then Xiao Jiu had Hui Moqiong contact Qiu Honglin, letting him come over for a trade anytime.

Qiu Honglin said it would still be that time last night, and he would arrive punctually.

Xiao Jiu collected those five catties of gold sand, first stored them in the warehouse, and only after completing the pawn formalities did she have the right to use them.

Everything done according to the rules.

That night, Qiu Honglin indeed arrived on time.

He still had the air of someone whose one foot was about to step into the coffin.

He sat down, panting, in the chair before the counter, and Xiao Jiu had already begun grinding ink.

While grinding, Xiao Jiu asked, "Priest Qiu, are you sure you want to pawn five catties of gold sand to Yin Dang Hang, right?"

Qiu Honglin nodded: "Certainly."

Xiao Jiu then asked, "Five catties of gold sand are valuable, but Ao shell is even more precious; look, I promised you five pieces of Ao shell—does that work?"

Qiu Honglin was clearly dissatisfied.

Although Xiao Lao San is still a juvenile, the amount of Ao shell shed in one molt should be over ten pieces.

Qiu Honglin's plan was likely to take them all.

After all, a juvenile's scales are naturally small; if you further shortchange the quantity, anyone would feel cheated.

But from Xiao Jiu's perspective, the less Ao shell Qiu Honglin gets, the easier it is to control if anything goes wrong.

"Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, five pieces… is really too few." Qiu Honglin bargained, "After all, the Third Young Master is still in the juvenile stage, and the Ao shell is small; let's each step back—how about ten pieces?"

Xiao Jiu hesitated a moment, then said, "Seven pieces, after all I just urgently need the gold sand—I'm not selling my son."

That statement came out a bit heavy.

Qiu Honglin's already ashen complexion grew even worse.

He sighed and finally relented: "Seven pieces then, seven pieces it is."

Xiao Jiu nodded: "Priest Qiu is an expert in alchemy and has studied Ao shell deeply; using Ao shell as a guide for medicine, how potent the effect is, you know better than I. Given your current condition, you're prone to deficiency that can't be supplemented, so you can't use much at once—seven pieces… should last you a long time."

Qiu Honglin responded repeatedly: "I will carefully consider the dosage."

Only then did Xiao Jiu quickly fill out the pawn ticket, sign and stamp it, then have Qiu Honglin sign and press his fingerprint.

The pawn ticket was made in duplicate; one copy kept on file, the other given to Qiu Honglin.

It was also agreed that Qiu Honglin would come to collect the seven pieces of Ao shell the day after Xiao Lao San successfully shed his shell.

After finishing all this, Xiao Jiu personally saw Qiu Honglin out.

Just as Qiu Honglin stepped out with his front foot, Hui Moqiong stood beside Xiao Jiu and complained, "Too empty! I was just afraid he'd die in our Yin Dang Hang."

Xiao Jiu glared at him: "Shut your crow's mouth!"

Early the next morning, Xiao Jiu sent all five catties of gold sand to the Linghai Dragon Palace.

Insisting, Xiao Jiu finally persuaded Xiaoye to let her go take a look at Xiao Lao San.

"Chuanchuan is already preparing the sand-bed; you can only go and glance from afar."

Xiao Jiu quickly promised, "Just a distant look is fine; I'll definitely follow your arrangements and not cause trouble."

What Xiao Jiu didn't expect was that the place where Xiao Lao San first prepared to undergo tribulation and shed his shell was actually the Linghai Forbidden Ground.

When Xiao Jiu saw Xiao Lao San, he was in his true form state.

Although he was a juvenile, he was still much larger than an ordinary turtle, especially that dragon head and big brain, which were somewhat out of proportion to his body.

Xiaoye mixed the gold sand into the original pile of gold sand, patted Xiao Lao San's head, as if saying something to him.

Xiao Jiu was far away, and besides the barrier, she couldn't hear.

After Xiaoye came out of the barrier, Xiao Lao San quickly burrowed into the gold sand pile, his whole body covered in gold sand, only a golden shape visible.

This is the sand-bed.

During the sand-bed process, his body undergoes a series of changes.

The outer skin of the dragon head and tail will gradually turn white and loosen, and the eyes will become bluish-white, as if covered with something.

The proud carapace on the turtle shell will become transparent and lift up.

Once it reaches a certain point, he will constantly roll in the gold sand, rubbing off the loose skin and shedding the Ao shell from his back.

This process normally wouldn't take long, but Xiaoye said Xiao Lao San would simultaneously undergo a minor tribulation.

This minor tribulation is far easier than the previous lightning tribulation, so there's no need to worry.

After returning from the Linghai Dragon Clan, Xiao Jiu waited patiently.

Fang Chuanzong's side investigated Qiu Honglin more thoroughly, but found nothing suspicious.

At least over the past ten years, Qiu Honglin has been bedridden with illness, his life indeed miserable; aside from the quack doctor who regularly visits to treat him and prescribe medicine, only a little apprentice remains.

Though called an apprentice, Qiu Honglin hasn't taught him much alchemy skill.

The apprentice's main daily work is just to look after Qiu Honglin's livelihood.

Fang Chuanzong also investigated that quack doctor and the apprentice; their backgrounds are very simple, with nothing suspicious.

After Xiao Jiu understood the situation, she had Fang Chuanzong stop further investigation.

Investigating further would likely expose things.

Really, if there's no trap, that's fine to say; if there is a trap, then we've startled the snake by beating the grass.

Xiao Laosan's minor tribulation took place in the early morning of the fifth day after Reclining Sand.

A not-large heavenly thunder struck down, causing a commotion in the Linghai Forbidden Ground, which soon returned to calm.

Xiao Jiu was there too.

Li Qingying and Hui Moqiong also came along.

Xiao Jiu had been worried for many days, and finally let go.

Hui Moqiong also joked on the side: "After all, it's a juvenile; this heavenly thunder is the smallest I've ever seen in my life."

Li Qingying gave him a sideways glance: "If you can't speak, don't speak; no one thinks you're mute."

This heavenly thunder may be small, but Chuanchuan isn't big either.

To them it's harmless, but for Chuanchuan it's still a challenge, right?

Fortunately, everything passed safely.

After everything settled, Xiaoye entered the forbidden ground to check on Xiao Laosan's condition, then let Xiao Jiu enter the Linghai Forbidden Ground alone.

After Xiao Laosan shed its skin and Ao shell, its whole body grew a size larger, and even the fork on its dragon horns increased a bit.

Seeing Xiao Jiu come, he transformed into human form, looking about seven or eight years old, and directly leapt into Xiao Jiu's embrace, calling her mother.

Xiao Jiu was overjoyed, never expecting Xiao Laosan to grow so quickly.

She held Xiao Laosan and talked for a while, unwilling to let go.

In the end, Xiaoye went back and forth, reminding Xiao Laosan to enter closed-door cultivation, after which he reluctantly left.

After the tribulation, entering closed-door cultivation, there were no serious injuries needing rest; it was just to advance another level in Xiūwéi.

This is a big deal; Xiao Jiu gave a few words of advice, then let Xiao Laosan go…