87: Chapter 87: Unexpected Gains 87: Chapter 87: Unexpected Gains Seeing everyoneâs gaze turn towards him, Zhang Xiaoman couldnât help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
It seemed that in the end, it was up to him, the âprofessional,â to provide the answer.
âAhemâŠâ
He cleared his throat and first looked at Su Changqing with a gratified expression before he said,
âAlthough what you just mentioned is somewhat exaggerated, it isnât entirely baseless.
Olharast Steel is indeed extremely rare; to date, I have only seen my mentor use it once.
However, he later lost it accidentally during a battle in the outer realms, and since then, this steel has never appeared in the world again.â
Everyone listened intently, all feeling a sense of regret.
Xiao Shun couldnât help but ask,
âThen, senior, if the Enlightenment Array you are setting up requires this material, how could we find it?â
Zhang Xiaoman put on a calm expression and said,
âThereâs no need to hurry, this is actually what I was planning to discuss with you next.
Just a few days ago, I discovered a site where the Three Great Guardian Forces once converged.
I plan to investigate it shortly, and perhaps I might find that material.â
Xiao Shun then asked, âDoes that mean, senior, that you plan to leave Qionghua City?
How long might it take for you to return?
By the way, where is that ruin located?â
Zhang Xiaoman thought for a moment and shook his head,
âI do indeed need to leave Qionghua City for a while.
As for how long it will take, I canât say at the moment.
However, the place is at sea, and Iâm still looking for a vessel to set off.â
Upon hearing this, Xiao Shunâs eyes suddenly lit up.
âSenior, may I know where exactly at sea?
Which ocean is it?â
Zhang Xiaoman looked at him and replied,
âItâs located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
Why do you ask?â
Xiao Shun quickly said, âHereâs the thing, I have a few friends who are planning a sea voyage for an adventure in the next few days, and theyâre also headed for the Pacific Ocean!
If you havenât found a way yet, senior, I could speak to them and ask them to take a detour to bring you alongâa free ride with the wind!â
Zhang Xiaomanâs spirits lifted as soon as he heard this and he asked,
âIs that really possible?
The place I need to go is a bit far, about 3000 kilometers east from Bai Yulan City.
Can they reach such a place?â
Xiao Shun thought for a moment, and then affirmed with confidence,
âYes, they definitely can!
Anyway, they are just planning to sail around on the sea.
It doesnât matter where they go, right?
Iâll talk to them about it and ask for this favor.
There shouldnât be any problem!â
By then, Su Changqing also joined in and said,
âExactly, they often go on adventures together, and the boat was bought with their combined funds.
Xiao Shun has contributed quite a bit to it, so I believe this small favor wonât be a problem.â
Zhang Xiaoman couldnât help but look at the two of them again, not expecting an unexpected surprise during this meal.
âSince thatâs the case, then I must say thank you in advance.
However, if itâs too much trouble, thereâs no need to force it; Iâll find another way.â
Xiao Shun said with a smiling face,
âSenior, what are you thanking me for?
Itâs I who should be grateful, if it werenât for your rescue last time, I might have become monster feed by now!â
At this point, Su Fu also chimed in and said,
âRight, Mr.
Zhang, you might not be aware, but the Nine-color Mixed Brush I gave you last time came from asking his father.
Old Xiao treasures that thing dearly; if Xiao hadnât helped me persuade him, Iâm afraid it would have been quite difficult to obtain it so quickly.â
Zhang Xiaoman looked at Xiao Shun with surprise.
He hadnât expected this guy to take such matters to heart, even going as far as to lend him considerable assistance.
Although he could have acquired the Nine-color Mixed Brush on his own, it would have been much more troublesome and likely delayed a significant amount of time.
But with his help, things had become much simpler,, especially if the maritime expedition proved successfulâthen it would indeed be a significant favor.
After all, chartering a ship to make a trip around in the middle of the Pacific Ocean was not as simple as hailing a cab.
At that thought, Zhang Xiaoman couldnât help but give Xiao Shun another look.
Spotting the two canes lying next to him, an idea suddenly struck him.
âXiao Shun, howâs your leg?
Last time I saw you, you were injured.
Are there any lingering effects?â
Zhang Xiaoman asked.
Xiao Shun hadnât expected him to suddenly bring this up, but he answered honestly:
âThank you for your concern, senior!
I was quite lucky this time; the blow only penetrated muscle without damaging any bones.
So, there should be no serious lingering effects, and I should recover normally in a few months.â
âHmm, not bad, being able to survive an attack from a Bone-eating Demon, youâre quite fortunate indeed,â
Zhang Xiaoman nodded, then said:
âIâve developed a type of culinary medicine by combining Dark Energy with food, which might help with your injuries.
Would you like to try it?â
The others, hearing this, all showed expressions of surprise, and Xiao Shun was particularly curious:
âIf itâs something you, senior,, are recommending, and itâs culinary medicine at that, then of course Iâd want to try it!â
After thinking for a moment, he added, âBy the way, senior, what do you mean by combining Dark Energy with food?
Could it be that this has some other effects when consumed?â
Xiao Shun found the concept peculiar,, but he didnât pay it too much attention, treating it only as a particularly effective culinary medicine without giving it much thought.
âThis should help accelerate the recovery of your injury.
As for how effective it will be, I canât say for sureâŠ
But rest assured, even if the effects arenât significant, there definitely wonât be any harm,â
Zhang Xiaoman explained briefly.
He planned to purchase a basket of baozi from the marketplace to give to Xiao Shun.
The main reason for doing this was to offer a small token of appreciation in return for the help heâd received.
After all, words alone wouldnât suffice; it was necessary to show some real capability from time to time.
Another reason was his own curiosity about the healing capabilities of the marketplaceâs items.
Now he had the chance to use Xiao Shun as the first tester and see just how effective it was, which would give him a better understanding as well.
âI trust anything that comes from you, senior,â
Xiao Shun said.
Zhang Xiaoman nodded.
âGood, just give me a moment.â
The others were momentarily taken aback, not quite grasping his meaning, when they saw him swiftly tapping in the air with both hands, as if activating some peculiar ability.
Suddenly, the space in front of Zhang Xiaoman began to twist, sending ripples visible to the naked eye spreading outward, revealing something green flickering within.
A couple of breaths later, the item had fully materialized and then dropped straight from midair, caught deftly in Zhang Xiaomanâs hands.
When the onlookers focused their attention, they were startled to find that it was actually a jade-green steamer basket!