Chapter 1215 Equal Exchange
âWhy did you do that?â the old man questioned with a tone containing mixed feelings.
âIâm sorry. Master, I planned to go look for the life-saving medicine for you. But I was afraid that I couldnât make it back. I was also worried about Uncle Wang and the others, for Uncle Wang wouldnât be able to take care of more than 80 kids by himself. Thus, I decided to take action and leave them with crystal stones.â
âThere are differences between a good deed and a bad deed.â
The old man heaved a sigh and said, âTo you, you did this out of kindness. That place is, after all, the place where you grew up. However, to the one who has lost the crystal stones, what you did is bad. You shouldnât have done this. As your master, I will fix this for you. My injury is already incurable. This is the last time I woke up. From today on, the world is your oyster. However, you must bear one thing in mind. No matter what, you must live up to your conscience, live up to your heart, and do things without any regrets or guilt. That is the correct path.â
âMaster, Iâll engrave your words on my mind. But is, is it true that you can never recover?â Qin Changxiao said sadly. The rims of his eyes were slightly red as if he was about to cry.
âYour name is Qin Changxiao, which means youâre expected to laugh however life is. Donât cry in front of me. Thatâs not what a man does,â the old man scolded.
Qin Changxiao gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and didnât say anything.
Mengmeng and the others seemed to have cottoned on.
âAre you talking about an orphanage? Did you give the crystal stones you stole to the orphanage?â Mengmeng asked.
âOrphanage?â This was the first time that Qin Changxiao had heard this word. But after thinking about it, he thought that it seemed to be the right word to describe that place. âYes, itâs an orphanage.â
âOh, if itâs true, then, we wonât arrest you,â Mengmeng said.
âWith your ability, you could have earned crystal stones through legitimate means. Why did you have to get the crystal stones by theft?â Felina asked in a frigid tone.
âTo earn crystal stones, I would have to travel. But I couldnât leave Chaos City,â Qin Changxiao said.
âYour words are self-contradictory,â Mengmeng suddenly said. âYou just said that you would leave the Dragon Base Star.â
âI only made that decision lately,â Qin Changxiao lowered his head and said.
He did not want to stay here, waiting for his master to wake up for the last time and pass away. He hoped he could go out and fight for the opportunity to cure his master. Unexpectedly, his master woke up before he left.
The so-called waking-up referred to the recovery of consciousness. At normal times, the mind of Qin Changxiaoâs master was in a muddle. Qin Changxiao rarely came to visit him, as his master might injure him. As the promising disciple his master trained in person, Qin Changxiao was only safe here when he had the identity token with him.
Just then, Qin Changxiao felt he could not fend off Felinaâs strike. Helplessly, he entered the area where his master was.
âHe is coming. How powerful his might is! How potent his ability is!â the old man suddenly remarked.
Everyone turned their heads and saw a flickering black dot in the distance. Every time it flickered, it leaped across a long distance. In a few seconds, it was already right in front of them.
This was the power of the connection between the Seven-star Sword and the Space Portal.
With this power, one could leap across the entire Sea Central Star Area, let alone the Dragon Base Star.
This time, Zhang Han only employed the space power of the Seven-star Sword. Coupled with a secret skill, this trip consumed merely a small amount of the Space Portalâs energy. It didnât have much impact on the Space Portal and still enabled Zhang Han to get here speedily.
âDaddy,â Mengmeng called out from afar.
âIâm coming,â Zhang Han said in a soft voice. In a flash, he appeared beside Mengmeng, calmly casting his eyes at those ahead.
Mengmeng thought of how powerful her father was. If he thought she had been wronged, he would probably attack right off. Thus, she immediately said, âDaddy, they didnât bully us.â
âWhy is this just a wisp of a soul?â
Zhang Hanâs eyes flashed with two thunderbolts, and a large amount of soul sense poured out of his body. Suddenly, he said, âOh, you are dying. Your soul is damaged, and your body is about to perish. It seems that you have been trapped here like this for a thousand years.â
âRustle!â
The old manâs figure shuddered a few times. Seconds later, in a bitter voice, he said, âYou are good. You knew what happened to me at a glance.â
âA thousand years ago, were you at the God Transformation Realm Last-Stage or the Peak-Stage? Or perhaps in the Void-refining Realm? Never mind, it doesnât matter. Why did you call me here?â Zhang Han asked straightforwardly.
âThen Iâll get to the point,â the old man said. âIâm well aware of my situation. Iâm about to die. This boy is my only disciple. Iâm worried about him. Earlier, he was hunted by your daughter and the other girls. I noticed that the strike your daughter launched carried the aura of the Elemental Source of Fire. I have a kind of Alien Fire that Iâd like to give to her.â
âAlien Fire?â Zhang Hanâs eyes narrowed.
He was a little surprised. He never thought the old man could offer his daughter the Alien Fire.
The energy of Elemental Sources was the energy that had been absorbed by a substantial object in the world. For example, the Thunder Yang Tree possessed the Thunder Yang Elemental Source. But the Alien Fire was not a spirit treasure. It should be categorized as a Profound-grade treasure. It had a material form. After being absorbed and refined, it could be even stronger.
The Alien Fire that the old man spoke of was equivalent to a Profound-grade treasure.
All Profound-grade treasures were at or above the seventh tier. This meant that the old man was offering Mengmeng a gift that was at least as valuable as a seventh-tier spirit treasure.
Zhang Han narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, âWhatâs the catch?â
âI only have one request.â The old man said, âMy disciple grew up in⊠I think it should be called an orphanage. He has never left the Dragon Base Star, so he doesnât know much about the Cultivation World. I want to exchange the Dark Cold Fire for your taking care of him for three years. He will follow you people and travel in the Cultivation World for three years.â
âMaster! Iâm not leaving you.â
Qin Changxiao was on the verge of having a mental breakdown.
Zhang Han looked ahead and pondered for a while before saying, âCanât believe you want to exchange the Dark Cold Fire, which is in the second echelon of Alien Fire, in this way.â
âYour name is Changxiao. You should be laughing instead of crying. Donât shed tears in front of me,â the old man criticized again. âThere is one more thing. My disciple has stolen 400,000 crystal stones from the Heavenly GroupâŠâ
âDaddy, I just promised them not to look into this matter,â Mengmeng whispered.
âWell, okay.â Zhang Han petted Mengmengâs head. Then, he looked ahead and said with a smile, âSince my daughter has asked me to let this go, Iâll forget it. I find your words acceptable. As for the three yearsâ traveling, letâs forget about it, too.â
âThis is⊠just a small favor to you. Canât you agree to it?â the old man said.
âNo, thatâs not what I meant. Iâll give you something equally valuable in exchange for the Dark Cold Fire!â Zhang Han said lightly. âI donât like to take advantage of others.â
âWhat are you talking about?â the old man asked, a little stunned.
âHeâll give me something of equal value?
âIâm a dying man. I donât need loads of treasures anymore.
âI just want him to let Changxiao stay with him for some time. Is it really that hard to accept my term?â
However, when the old man saw the little fish gleaming on the tip of the Seven-star Sword held up by Zhang Han, his entire soul couldnât help trembling.
âNight, Night Spirit?â the old man exclaimed.
âYes, itâs a Night Spirit.â Zhang Han made the Night Spirit fly around his palm as he said, âItâs Godâs will that we met today. I just got this Night Spirit. Right after that, I came across you. This shows that youâre not destined to die.â
âAre you really going toâŠâ the old man said in a stunned voice.
âYeah, Iâll give you this Night Spirit.â
Zhang Han waved his hand, and the Night Spirit disappeared into the old manâs soul.
âSwish!â
All of a sudden, the field was engulfed by thick fog.
The aura of the old manâs soul was growing strong rapidly.
âIâll also give a formationââ
âWhoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!â
In an instant, 18 kinds of formation flags flew into the crater of the volcano along with 99 top-grade crystal stones and formed a formation in the cultivatorâs abode that was a hundred meters away below the magma.
ââand three medicinal pellets,â Zhang Han added.
Three medicinal pellets also flew into the cultivatorâs abode.
Zhang Hanâs power was not impeded by the Heaven-earth Formation and all kinds of other formations set up near the cultivatorâs abode. It was as if the formations didnât exist.
The old man couldnât be more shocked by how potent Zhang Han was.
The medicinal pellets melted into various kinds of energy and spread across his body.
An aura of ever-lasting vigor spread out.
âIs it enough to give you all these and save your life in exchange for your Dark Cold Fire?â Zhang Han asked.
The Night Spirit, the medicinal pellets, and the formation could not compare with the Dark Cold Fire in terms of value. However, these three things combined saved the old manâs life.
âHow can I ever pay off your grace of saving my life with material things? I owe you a vast debt of gratitude,â the old man said in a shaky voice. No one wanted to die if he had a choice. The old man still had many unfulfilled tasks to do and many regrets to make up for. On this very day, the man before him descended from the sky and gave him the chance to make up for his regrets.
âHahaha, yes.â
Zhang Han was pleased to hear this answer. He chuckled and said, âGo back. Iâll wait for you to deliver me the Dark Cold Fire.â
âI will⊠will definitely deliver it to you in person,â the old man said solemnly.
As soon as he finished speaking, it appeared that he was unable to control himself. The thick fog dissipated, and the surging soul energy returned to his body that was in his abode.
When the fog disappeared, the Heaven-earth Formation and the other formations in the abode all returned to normal.
His body was tied by nine chains.
Obviously, he had been suppressed in this place for a thousand years. The Heaven-earth Formation was so advanced that even a God Transformation Realm cultivator could hardly detect it.
But for Zhang Han, discovering it was just a piece of cake.
âLetâs go.â
Zhang Han took Mengmengâs little hand, turned around, and flew to Blue Butterfly with the other three girls, who were in a daze.
âWa-Wait,â Qin Changxiao suddenly called.
âEh?â
Zhang Han glanced at the boy.
âAbout the more than 300,000 crystal stones, I just handed them to Uncle Wang. My master is right. I canât keep the money I stole. I want to give it back to you,â Qin Changxiao said.
âOh.â
Zhang Han waved his hand. Next, Qin Changxiao was brought to his side as if grabbing him was as easy as grabbing a chicken. Seconds later, Zhang Han took Qin Changxiao back into the Blue Butterfly.
After that, Qin Changxiao said excitedly, âSenior, can my master live like a normal person now?â
âYes.â Zhang Han nodded slightly.
âOh myâŠâ
Tears streamed down Qin Changxiaoâs face. He attempted to kneel and pay his respects.
Zhang Han cast his soul sense to prevent him from getting to his knees.
Then, he said calmly, âThis is a deal I made with him. It has nothing to do with you. Youâre his disciple, and you are still young. You shouldnât be overburdened.â
âThank you. Thank you so much, senior.â Qin Changxiao did not know what to say, so he thanked Zhang Han again and again.
After returning to the Blue Butterfly, Yue Xiaonao, Nina, and the others all relaxed.
Qin Changxiao sat next to the girls with anxiety, not daring to say anything. The Blue Butterfly was heading for Chaos City.
But minutes later, Qin Changxiaoâs mood abruptly picked up. He became excited and happy, grinning from ear to ear.
Seeing his gleeful face, Yue Xiaonao thought of the chase they just had. âThis boy must be taught a lesson.â
Thus, she complained, âUncle Zhang, this boy flirted with us before. He also called Mengmeng âchickâ and asked her to stop pursuing him! I now suspect that he has feelings for Mengmeng.â
âPfftâŠâ
Nina almost choked on her saliva. She couldnât help but feel sorry for Qin Changxiao.
âHuh?â Mengmeng was taken aback.
When she turned her head, she saw her fatherâs face was a little stern.
Zhang Han looked at Qin Changxiao and said in a low voice, âIs that true?â
The smile on Qin Changshengâs face froze. He hurriedly said, âNo, no!â
The vigilant Zhang Han couldnât help but say, âIf I ever catch you doing that, I will kill you and your master.â
Zhang Han had to scare Qin Changxiao to prevent what he worried about from happening.
Qin Changxiao had never been threatened like this. He immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
âNo, I really, really didnât do that,â he emphasized repeatedly.
However, Mengmengâs pretty face darkened. âOh, Daddy, what are you doing?â
âCough.â
Zhang Han pretended to cough, then said, âWell, weâve arrived in Chaos City.â
This scene left Nina and Felina in a daze.
In just a few seconds, Zhang Han changed from a composed old man to a fierce bully. But when Mengmeng snorted, he became as mild as a cat again.
His attitude changed too fast.
âHere we are. Please wait a moment.â
When the Blue Butterfly came to the orphanage, Qin Changxiao quickly jumped to the ground, retrieved the Space Ring, and gave it back to Zhang Han. Then, after saying goodbye, he hurriedly ran away as if he didnât want to face Zhang Han.
This was because he was under immense pressure when he was around Zhang Han.
When Qin Changxiao returned to the factory, Uncle Wang looked at the smiling boy and said, âIs your problem solved?â
âYes, itâs solved.â Qin Changxiao nodded.
âThe people in that aircraft are not ordinary people, am I right?â Xiaojiu asked curiously.
In the face of this question, Qin Changxiao remained silent for a while.
Then, he answered, âI donât know the details. Anyway, they should be high-ranking members of the Heavenly Group. Theyâre very powerful.â
âChangxiao, you know some higher-ups in the Heavenly Group? Wow, weâre truly going to get rich!â The others all showed envy in their eyes.
âNo, I donât know them. They had a misunderstanding. Itâs just been resolved. Everything is fine now,â said Qin Changxiao, who tried to gloss over this matter.
âDid you get into trouble?â Uncle Wang asked.
Qin Changxiao shook his head and said nothing.
But he was very thrilled and prepared to have a hearty dinner this evening.
For Zhang Han and Mengmeng, this was just a small episode in life. But for Qin Changxiao and his master, what happened today changed their lives.
Mengmeng sat on the sofa next to Zhang Han, swaying her long legs, and muttered, âAlas, we failed the very first mission.â
âThatâs true. That Qin Changxiao is really annoying.â Yue Xiaonao snorted. âWe no longer have the 100% success rate. He should pay a price for it.â
âThatâs not necessary. We can just tell the Mission Hall to delete that task,â Zhang Han said with a smile.
âYeah.â Yue Xiaonaoâs eyes lit up. âWe can just delete it.â
âBut wouldnât that mean that we resorted to extra help?â Mengmeng blinked her big eyes and said hesitantly, âDaddy, didnât you say that we shouldnât get extra help when taking missions?â
âExactly. Getting extra help is cheating,â Chen Chuan echoed. âA real man canât do that.â
âPfft!â
Hearing this, Nina couldnât help laughing.
âThis boy is really funny.â
âYou didnât cheat,â Zhang Han said seriously. âWell, it may count as cheating if we delete the record of this mission. But the mission has been completed, hasnât it? We even got the stolen crystal stones back.â
Zhang Han contacted Zhao Feng right away and briefly explained how the mission had been completed.
âJingle.â
Two minutes later, Mengmengâs communication bracelet vibrated, which showed the message âMission Completedâ.
âWell, I still feel that Iâve used extra help.â Mengmeng pouted.
âItâs not like that,â Zhang Han said. He leaned back on the sofa, put his left arm around Mengmengâs shoulder, and said, âDonât forget to have fun when you carry out missions. It doesnât matter which level you can get.â
âOkay. Weâre taking those missions for fun after all. Itâs very interesting.â Mengmeng happily pouted her lips at Zhang Han.
âGood. Youâre my daughter after all. Like me, you also love adventures.â Zhang Han couldnât help laughing. âWhen you reach Level S, I will give you a reward.â
âWhat reward?â Mengmengâs eyes shone with excitement.
âTo take you on a trip, of course,â Zhang Han said.
âWhere will we go?â Mengmeng asked.
âLetâs go to another Star Area and visit some fun places,â Zhang Han replied.
âHahaha. Mwah!â
After hearing that, Mengmeng was in a very good mood.
The Blue Butterfly flew straight back to Mount Double Moons.
Mengmeng and the others did not want to take more missions today. After taking a rest on the back hill for a while, they all ran to the Game Capsules.
The next day, Mengmengâs team accepted a Level A mission and set out again.
By this time, the companyâs second round of training had finished.
Many people had heard about what happened to Yin Ze.
The girl with a horsetail who had looked down on him back then even felt a bit pleased after hearing the news.
âWell, I found that the man was not a good guy a long time ago.â
Mengmeng and the others carried out missions for a whole week.
âFinally, weâve reached Level S!â
Mengmeng ran to Zhang Han, waiting for his praise.
âAmazingâŠâ
After Zhang Han commended Mengmeng profusely, the little girl was finally satisfied.
It was noon.
Nina, Mengmeng, and some others were sitting in the pavilion, drinking juice.
Zhang Han, Zi Yan, Zhou Fei, and Chen Changqing were sitting on the side.
âWeâve completed enough missions. Mengmeng, my father and mother have come back. Some higher-ups of the Dark Elf Clan are also visiting the Roland Star. Felina and I have to go back,â Nina said.
âOh, okay.â Mengmeng nodded slightly. âIf you two leave, our team canât complete more missions.â
âDonât you still have Dahei and Little Hei to help you?â Nina said with a smile.
âThey canât. Theyâre external help. I canât ask for their help all the time,â Mengmeng muttered.
âHuh?â
Zhang Han was taken aback.
He felt that Mengmengâs words didnât really make sense. âHow could Dahei and Little Hei be external help? Arenât they our spirit pets?â
âUncle Zhang,â Nina said, âMy father obtained some fine wine from the Dark Elf Clan. Itâs said that it tastes great. If you have time, youâre welcome to go back with us and taste the wine, or I can also bring you some when I come to visit Mengmeng next time.â
âI heard somebody talk about fine wine as soon as I arrived!â
Gai Xingkongâs laughter came from afar.
He was walking toward the pavilion with Zhang Guangyou and the others.
âDad, Mom, how was your trip?â Zi Yan asked with a smile.
âIt was quite good. There are a lot of interesting places in the Sea Central Star Area. The science and technology here are too advanced. There are many things I canât get used to,â Rong Jiali said, smiling.
âYes. When I saw those people who were very familiar with everything, I felt like Iâd grown old,â Rong Jiaxin echoed.
Recently, Zhang Mu, Zhang Guangyou, Deep Flame, Gai Xingkong, and some others had all had a tour in the Sea Central Star Area. As the Star Area with the most intensive development of science and technology in the Sea Dragon Star Area, many places were eye-openers for them.
âGrandpa, if you hadnât come back, weâd leave without you,â Mengmeng said.
âWhere are you going?â Zhang Guangyou asked, âMy granddaughter has grown taller again. You are getting prettier day by day.â
âIt owes to my great genes,â Mengmeng replied.
Hearing those words, Zhang Guangyou couldnât stop smiling.
âIt owes to our genes? Iâm so flattered!â
âDonât overthink this. The main reason is still that Zi Yan is incredibly beautiful,â Dong Chen said from the side.
Zhang Guangyou was rendered speechless.
âDong Chen, whatâs with you?â
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