Chapter 3

Then, what is it for

Mo Long remained silent, observing Bai Xi with great interest, neither instructing him to fetch it nor discouraging him from doing so

If it were not for your excessive force, how could we have used the soft dream incense? Moreover, we did not expect that the young lady would be unharmed, but instead, it harmed that bear.

What happened? The bear did not understand

Bai Xi was still at the window, sighing in discontent

"What you said is not wrong; I see it as just a mischievous child," Mo Long shook his head

Upon hearing this, Mo Ji, whose complexion remained pale, slightly opened her eyes and asked, "Has she left?"

He entered cheerfully, holding a redwood box, and said to Mo Long: "I believe my brother Xiao Bai has made a mistake; this batch of goods from the Lu family's pearl shop is perfectly fine here and has not been ground into pearl powder."

Bai Xi leaned against the window, listening to the sound of hooves fading into the distance, feeling a deep resentment that made her teeth itch, lingering for quite a while.

Mo Long politely clasped his hands towards Bai Xi and said, "Brother Xiao Bai, I apologize for the disturbance this time, I shall take my leave!" After saying this, he led Mo Ji and Xia Hou Feng, carrying the redwood box, and gracefully departed.

Bai Xi quickly said: "Since you all have come to demand it, I naturally wish to present it. However... many pearls have already been ground into powder. Do you still want it?"

She did not know when he had left this place, sneaking back to his room to search for pearls. Bai Xi blamed herself for being careless, her face alternating between red and pale, momentarily at a loss for words

It was unexpected to have requirements for pearls. Lingxi frowned, took out a silk pouch from her bosom, grabbed a handful, and casually placed it on the bamboo tray

Bai Xi naturally said: "Of course, such a wonderful girl... who would be willing to part with her!"

Mo Long nodded slightly, rubbing his leg as he said, "Let us clarify this matter. Two days ago, Xiao Bai, accompanied by Xiong Pi, intercepted a batch of pearls at the foot of the mountain. We were entrusted to come to your village to retrieve this batch of pearls. This was originally a minor issue, and I did not intend to create conflict with your village, but unexpectedly, Miss Lingxi has complicated the situation."

"Miss, your words are misguided. You threaten me with a sharp blade, and I must protect myself, thus I have no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. Ultimately, it is you who has harmed him," Mo Long said without a trace of fear, admonishing her.

With a crisp sound, large and small pearls fell into the tray, rolling around smoothly. The larger ones were as big as pigeon eggs, while the smaller ones were about the size of a child's thumb, each one perfectly round and glossy, radiating a shimmering light, enveloping the entire tray in a faint aura of treasure

Oh ... ... Xiaobai

Lingxi cast him a cold glance and said, "It has nothing to do with you." Bai Xi could only fall silent.

Lingxi frowned, yet to speak, when Baixi hurriedly interjected.

"If it is broken, then so be it. In today's world, where can one go to seek justice?" Mo Long said with a light sigh.

Mo Long raised his head and spoke with an unfriendly tone: "Miss, you should understand that this matter is a misunderstanding, right? We had no intention of harming anyone; we only wanted to retrieve the pearls. Yet, you immediately resorted to violence without distinguishing right from wrong, and even implicated the bear in the poison..."

Bai Xi forced a smile, remaining silent

Choose for yourselves

Mo Long took a deep breath and then assumed a magnanimous demeanor: "It's alright, young lady, there is no need for you to blame yourself. That bear has no enmity with me, and I will certainly provide the antidote."

Bai Xi listened for a while and cautiously asked, "Miss Lingxi is also here for that batch of pearls?"

Indeed! Bai Xi was overjoyed, suddenly feeling as if divine reinforcements had descended from the heavens. He quickly said, "As the saying goes, the Jing people do not value jade, and the Jiao people do not value pearls. Surely, Miss Lingxi must possess exquisite pearls."

Everyone is happy? Bai Xi thought to herself: Do you take me for a foolish girl, thinking you can ensnare me with just a few words! What everyone is happy about, it is clearly you who are happy!

The quality of these pearls is not just slightly superior to that batch from Lu Ji Pearl Shop. Bai Xi was so captivated that her eyes widened. Although Xia Houfeng did not understand pearls, he had never seen pearls as large as pigeon eggs and curiously picked one up to examine it closely. Mo Long, however, was knowledgeable and understood that pearls of such quality were typically owned by the wealthiest, with most households only collecting two or three of them at most

Upon hearing this, Lingxi increasingly felt that it might indeed be her fault

At this moment, Mo Long sat by the window, legs crossed, ignoring the sharp gaze of the merman, and smiled as he looked at the scholar in white: "Mr. Meng's hospitality is appreciated, but I am yet to know how to address you, sir"

Changliu City! Bai Xi turned around, her gaze resolute, "That girl Lingxi has brought a whole load of treasures; once she arrives at Changliu City, who knows how many will be swindled from her—rather than letting others deceive her, we might as well do it ourselves!"

Find my second uncle, the Red Flame Bear is now left with me, my eldest uncle, and my second uncle. My eldest uncle has a leg ailment and has been living in seclusion in Gan Yuan for many years. My second uncle happened to have gone to Chang Liu City three years ago, and I suspect the person seeking a fortune teller is him

What is your name, young lady

"If he drinks this, will he wake up?" Lingxi asked with doubt

Xiahou Feng clicked his tongue and said: "Look at her nervous appearance; those who are unaware would think that the bear is her father"

Xiahou Feng hurriedly responded: "Hmm, she has left"

Mo Long glanced at him and said with a smile, "Xiao Bai, this is truly a windfall for you."

His heart was filled with even greater doubt; even if "mermaids do not value pearls," a person who can casually catch a large handful of pigeon egg-sized pearls is likely not an ordinary mermaid

I said no, but she took an object and showed it to me, asking if I recognized it

Mo Long picked up the teacup, blew on it to cool it down, lowered his head to form a gesture, recited a spell, and then handed the teacup to Lingxi

What is it

Go, pack your things

"It is neither theft nor robbery, it is simply mine." Lingxi stared at Molong, "Will you exchange the antidote or not?"

The bear did not understand: "Where to go?"

"Who knocked me out?" The bear glared at the crowd, angrily demanding an explanation.

He made a rather difficult expression.

Not understanding what they were talking about in such a disorganized manner, Lingxi, growing impatient with the wait, slammed the table forcefully, causing the pearls to jump in unison: "In one word, are we changing or not?"

Bai Xi sighed, saying: "I went to Changliu City, what a pity, truly a pity..."

"How could she leave!" Bai Xi exclaimed, "Oh dear, how could she just leave?"

Mo Long glanced at him and teased, "Can't bear to part with this little rascal?"

Mo Long turned to Bai Xi and said, "Little Bai, if you hand over the pearls to us, I will give the antidote to Miss Lingxi. In this way, the bear will be unharmed, and everyone will be happy. Wouldn't that be wonderful"

As he spoke, Xiong Pi returned with an axe in hand. Upon seeing Mo Long and the others in the room, he immediately became wary. Bai Xi quickly reassured him: "It's all right, everyone is a friend; it was just a misunderstanding."

"Where did these pearl girls come from?" Mo Long inquired, "Could it be that their origins are not proper, hence the girls are anxious to act?"

I simply do not recognize it. The young lady, seeing that I did not recognize it, looked very disappointed and asked me if I recognized any other bears that looked like me, which also had red fur on their chests and had become spirits. I told her, this is not called red fur, this is the mark of the Crimson Flame Bear. The Crimson Flame Bear proudly puffed out its chest, "Our Crimson Flame Bear clan has existed since the ancient times..."

What is this? Bai Xi muttered to herself, thinking that what she had extracted from this young lady must be a treasure of considerable value

Although these pearls vary in size, each one is of considerable value. Compared to the batch from the Lu family pearl shop, their quality is much better, and their worth far exceeds it. He smiled at Mo Long, saying, "If you accept these pearls, this trip won't be in vain." Naturally, he had his own well-calculated plans in mind.

Oh... the bear was taken aback, "She has gone to Changliu City."

The tea water has just begun to boil, producing bubbles the size of fish eyes

"I dare not, I dare not; how could I possibly wield a great sword in front of Lord Guan?" the white-clad scholar said in a state of panic

She extended her hand towards Mo Long

He reached out to grab the pearl, but was seized by Lingxi, who caught his wrist

Xiahou Feng impatiently rolled up his sleeves and said, "Brother, why are you wasting your breath on him"

Pearl powder is cool and non-toxic, and it is excellent for medicinal use. Bai Xi spoke earnestly, "The monkeys here are prone to developing sores; after squeezing out the pus and blood, applying pearl powder to the wound can detoxify and promote healing. Therefore, I simply grind more of it; in fact... nine times out of ten, I grind it into pearl powder to prepare for any unforeseen needs in the mountains. If you do not believe me, I will bring the pearl powder over."

Bai Xi, however, remained silent, merely shaking her head and sighing

Mo Long rubbed his leg, completely ignoring the conversation

At a loss for words, I always feel that something is amiss, yet I cannot pinpoint exactly what is wrong.

Mo Ji's chest rose and fell, her breathing becoming increasingly labored, clearly indicating a sense of unresolved discontent within her heart

Mo Long pondered for quite some time before saying, "How about we show these pearls to the Lu family? If they do not accept them, I will think of another solution. Alas, this is the only way for now"

"It was just a misunderstanding. The fragrance was originally intended to deal with that young lady, but who would have thought it ended up affecting you instead," Bai Xi asked him. "Quickly tell me, what did that young lady say to you just now?"

Antidote

The bear scratched its head: "I don't recognize it either; it looks just like a ginkgo leaf missing its stem, dark blue and stiff as a board."

Concerned about the life and death of the bear, Bai Xi hurriedly leaned out of the window to observe, noticing that not a single drop of tea had been wasted, all of it splashed onto the bear's furry head; she saw the bear, after regaining consciousness, wobbling as it stood up; ... she saw Lingxi take out an object from her bosom; she saw the bear shake its head, mumbling something to her ...

Bai Xi smiled modestly: "Not at all, although the pie fell on my head, the one who gets to eat the pie is still you."

No

After the hearing concluded, Mo Long stretched lazily and stood up: "Alright, we should be leaving now. Xiao Feng, has the pearl been found?"

Mo Long tilted his head to look at her, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "Do you wish to exchange pearls for the antidote?"

At last, Lingxi put away the objects, gave a slight bow to the bear, and turned to leave. She walked extremely quickly, and in the blink of an eye, she had disappeared into the mountains and forests

"Foolish people with abundant wealth will naturally find everything to be good," Mo Long said leisurely

"Stop right there!" As the bear was about to recount his family history, Bai Xi quickly interrupted him, "I have heard about the Red Flame Bear's matters eight hundred times already; for now, you should first talk about that girl."

The scholar in white attire entered with a bamboo tray, bowing slightly and accompanied by a smile. On the tray were four small wooden dishes, each containing candied bayberries, golden kumquats, salted hawthorn strips, and a fragrant mixed fruit cake.

"She threw you down like this, and you just let it go?" Xiahou Feng said discontentedly, "Fortunately, you are blessed by heaven; otherwise, with just a slight misstep, your leg could have been broken"

Among this batch of pearls, the most important are the six crimson pearls, each perfectly round. Does the young lady have them

Mo Long smiled and said: "No need to drink, just splash the tea on his face to wake him up"

Uh?

"Is it true that three years ago I sought a Taoist for divination in Changliu City?"

Inside the bamboo building, Mo Long and the others each took their seats, while the lone merman stood by the table with his arms crossed, his face as dark as water. As he watched the sun gradually move westward, he could not help but feel anxious. Mo Ji, having just expended too much vital energy and suffered severe injuries from the severed vine whip, appeared pale and closed her eyes to rest as soon as she sat down. Xia Houfeng stood beside her, nervously observing her complexion, not daring to speak.

"What a wonderful girl?" Xiahou Feng looked at him in confusion

I have a question for that bear, and naturally, I cannot allow you to harm him. How could I know that he also robbed the pearls? Lingxi did not expect that the bear had actually come down the mountain to commit robbery; he was truly not a good person, which left her momentarily stunned

My surname is Bai, and my given name is Xi, with the courtesy name Zixu and the pseudonym Leyou Jushi. Additionally, I have been honored by my friends with the title of Qingli Mountain Man

Casually fiddling with the beads, Mo Long remarked: "Although the quality is quite good, the sizes are inconsistent, which is a pity." In fact, any one of these beads, if chosen at random, would far exceed the value of six red beads, yet he chose to say this.

Antidote! Lingxi stared at Molong, speaking in a stiff manner

The bear, surprised, asked him: "What are you grinding pearl powder for?" Before he could finish his sentence, he was shot a furious glare by Bai Xi

It is clearly you who poisoned him!" Lingxi shouted in anger.

Having been told this by them, I indeed felt guilty from the start, and Lingxi muttered, "I did not do it on purpose"

"Are there any snacks left?" Mo Long peeked in and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Do you also want to poison someone?"

Yes

"Ground into powder?" Xiahou Feng said in disbelief

Lingxi suddenly spoke up beside them: "You want pearls, I have them!" She was impatient with these people for their nonsensical chatter, wasting time, and only thought about waking the bear as soon as possible so she could ask questions. Since they wanted pearls and she had plenty, giving them some would not be a problem.

Lingxi carefully carried the tea and went out with a sense of doubt

As soon as the young lady arrived at the mountain, without any explanation, she struck out and injured someone, which indeed showed her impatience. Seeing her look of embarrassment, Mo Long then spoke slowly, "Fortunately, nothing serious happened, so it can be considered a stroke of luck"

The mermaid reluctantly uttered two words: "spiritual resonance"

Outside the door, a relaxed voice of Xiahou Feng came through: "I found it."

What is the purpose of going to Changliucheng

Lingxi widened her eyes: "Did I implicate him?"