Beside them, a slightly more clever little beggar sniffled and whispered.
"Big Sis Erya, it's... it's the eight-treasure spirit duck from Zuixian Pavilion.
"I heard people talk about it. It's incredibly expensive, costing so many spirit stones..."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva even as he cried.
Lord Rat's eyes widened. "What are you looking at? Do you think Lord Rat is giving you leftovers? You want to die, is that it?"
Erya trembled in fear and quickly said with a sob.
"N-no, I wouldn't dare! Thank you, Lord... Lord Rat!"
She hesitated for a moment before carefully sharing the half-portion of fragrant duck with the companions around her.
Her movements were cautious, for fear of provoking Lord Rat.
For these children who lived by begging all year round, this was undoubtedly a peerless delicacy they had never tasted in their lives.
Lord Rat gave a satisfied huff.
At this moment, Jiu'er also understood what had happened through the fragmented explanations of Gouer and the other younger ones.
"Big Brother Jiu'er, you finally woke up! You've been asleep for two days, you scared us to death!"
"Wuuu, we thought you were dead, so we told Gouer to knock on the door of this Heart's Desire Hall."
Listening to them, a look of guilt appeared on Jiu'er's face.
Three days ago, everything had been the same as usual.
He had luckily avoided being caught by patrols, luckily found a few copper coins, and luckily found an old piece of clothing that didn't leak air.
He had planned to wait until the next day to use the coins to buy a steamed bun to share with his group.
Having to lead the younger ones to avoid the Blackwater Guard during the day while begging was already mentally exhausting.
So, Jiu'er had gone to sleep a bit early that night.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he simply closed his eyes and opened them to find that two days had passed.
He only felt as if he had a dream, but he could no longer remember what it was about. He only vaguely recalled many people being together.
Realizing that his mysterious slumber had caused his followers to live in fear and even risk coming here for help, Jiu'er felt deeply uneasy.
He steadied himself, turned solemnly toward Lord Rat, and was about to kneel and kowtow.
Even though Lord Rat seemed the most ferocious, he was the one who had provided food.
"Get lost!"
Lord Rat reacted as if someone had stepped on his tail, scurrying to the side and cursing with disgust.
"Don't fucking kowtow to Lord Rat, it's bad luck! I wasn't the one who saved you. Kowtow to him, kowtow to that silly brat!"
Lord Rat pointed with his chin at Shitou.
Jiu'er froze for a moment, then followed the instruction and turned to Shitou, kneeling to kowtow.
Shitou's face immediately turned bright red with embarrassment. He rushed forward to pull Jiu'er up.
"I am merely a Patrol Envoy under the Bone God. These pills are a gift from the lord; there is no need to worship me."
"If you wish to give thanks, you may simply kneel and thank the Bone God with sincerity."
Shitou suppressed his inner embarrassment to finish his speech. On the surface, he tried his best to maintain his composure, but internally, he was secretly thrilled.
He had wanted to say a line like that for a long time, just like Jian Huaishuang.
After all, if one were to be technical, he was the lord's first believer.
After speaking, his heart softened as he looked at the group of gaunt, yellow-faced little beggars.
He remembered how he himself had lived such a precarious life back in Liang Family Village.
Only by following the lord did he possess such power now.
Thus, he pulled out several first-stage flesh-reconstitution pills and blood-inducing pills from his storage bag and gave two of each to every little beggar.
A foul stench filled the air once more.
Among the crowd, those who recognized medicinal pills watched with burning envy.
Although the beggars were young, they were skilled at reading the room. From the expressions of the onlookers, they knew these must be good things.
They also understood the principle of not flaunting one's wealth.
With so many people watching, they might not be able to take the pills away with them.
Furthermore, Big Brother Jiu'er had been healed by these pills, so eating them certainly wouldn't hurt; at the very least, it would strengthen their bodies.
Led by Gouer, all the beggars consumed the pills.
Then, to everyone's shock, the beggars underwent a complete transformation, breaking through to become first-stage cultivators on the spot.
Just moments ago, many people had been covering their noses in disgust at the smell.
But now, many eyes were fixed intently on those unremarkable pills, their breathing becoming heavy.
In particular, several lone cultivators who had been stuck at the bottleneck of the Qi Induction stage for years stared with eyes wide enough to pop out.
"A... a pill that allows a mortal to directly induce qi into their body?!"
"With no side effects? And the foundation is so stable? How is this possible!"
"Look at those children. Their blood is surging and spiritual energy is manifesting naturally. This is clearly the sign of entering the Qi Induction stage!"
"Heavens! If such a pill could be refined in large quantities..."
Exclamations and discussions rose one after another, and the entire street was in an uproar.
Those who had been dismissive, watching for amusement, or gloating were now filled with shock, envy, and even greed.
Being able to let a mortal with no talent ascend in one step to become a cultivator was practically a divine medicine that could defy fate.
The scouts sent by the great families underwent a drastic change in expression. They looked at each other, seeing the horror in each other's eyes.
They no longer cared about hiding. They immediately turned and ran at their top speed toward their respective family estates.
They had to bring this monumental news back immediately!
There were divine pills in Heart's Desire Hall. Some powerful figure must be standing behind it!
Fatty Qian, who was mingling in the crowd, was shaken to his core.
He never expected that the shop he had hurriedly sold off, and the monk Ku Chan whom he had viewed as a strange eccentric, would actually possess such world-shaking methods.
"To let a mortal induce qi on the spot... this... this..."
Fatty Qian's bloated body trembled with excitement.
As the steward of the Lin Manor, he had broader knowledge than those lone cultivators and could better see the terrifying implications of this pill.
It wasn't just for mortals; even for cultivators who had already stepped onto the path and were at the second-stage Bone Coiling stage, this was significant.
A pill that purely strengthened the blood and stabilized the foundation held immense attraction.
Especially at this critical juncture where copper poison was rampant and strange occurrences were frequent.
Once this pill was released in large quantities, how many desperate lone cultivators or even small families would break their heads trying to get it?
How many would be willing to work themselves to death for Heart's Desire Hall?
'This won't do! I must report to the family head immediately!'
'I must bring heavy gifts. We must establish a connection with Heart's Desire Hall and this Buddha Lord!'
Fatty Qian no longer cared about anything else. His obese body erupted with startling speed as he stumbled and ran toward the Lin Manor in the south of the city.
Meanwhile, the ones most bewildered in the field were the group of little beggars themselves.
They only felt that after eating those two strange-tasting jellybeans, their stomachs felt warm, as if a tireless strength was coursing wildly through their bodies.
The usual feelings of weakness caused by hunger and cold were swept away. Their ears and eyes became sharp, and they could even hear the shocked discussions of the adults around them with exceptional clarity.
"Gouer... I... I feel like I could kill a bull with one punch!"
"Erya, there's white vapor coming off your head!"
"You're on fire!"
The children looked at each other, somewhat at a loss.
A faint spiritual glow shimmered on everyone, and their blood essence was steaming.
Just like that... they had left the category of ordinary people and become the legendary cultivators?
Rate on N.U.
