The Xiao family mansion caught fire!
The fire started in a secluded courtyard, usually unoccupied, and the annex certainly wasn't prepared with candles or lamps.
But somehow, it inexplicably caught fire, a great blaze that sent the entire Xiao Mansion into chaos, rushing to extinguish the flames.
After finally putting out the fire, Xiao Shui's residence collapsed without warning, in a sudden crash, and worse yet, Xiao Shui was sleeping inside.
So, the soot-covered Xiao family members dashed over, wailing like ghosts, to dig him out of the rubble.
After digging him out, fortunately, he was only lightly injured. Immediately afterward, a series of minor mishaps began occurring in the entire Xiao Mansion. The doctors summoned to heal Xiao Shui either sprained their ankles on the way or just bumped their heads as they stepped out.
One or two incidents would be understandable, but not a single doctor could make it. Now, the doctors in the whole city shudder at the thought of treating Young Master Xiao, calling it ominous and refusing to go.
The people of the Xiao Mansion gradually started to piece things together, realizing this wasn't just a coincidence, and they began to think about the pills Xiao Shui had taken...
The curious Lu Dayou "politely" invited the miraculous little pharmacist back to the Government Office.
Lu Dayou sat grandly on the seat with tea in hand, while Han Yu sat below, looking helpless with not even a cup of tea.
Except for the occasional soft sound of the tea lid being ground, the hall was completely silent.
A nearby government soldier was describing the situation at the Xiao Mansion, leaving Han Yu dumbfounded. Even after the soldier left, he hadn't snapped out of it.
After a long time, Lu Dayou put down his teacup and looked at him with a complicated expression.
"Did you make a blood feud with the Xiao family?"
Upon first hearing about Han Yu's pills, it was like seeing a naked peerless beauty with her back to you, waiting for you to savor her, only to find when she turns, it's the face of a burly man with a beard.
Simply absurd. This was the reflection of Lu Dayou's current thoughts—a single West River Pill, with the front half a beauty and the back half a bearded man.
"You can't make baseless accusations. I clearly mentioned the side effects when gifting the pill."
Han Yu explained quietly, his face flushed.
Lu Dayou rolled his eyes at him, speaking in a muffled voice, "One cycle consumes three years' fortune, which means nine years of bad luck. You dare to give, and they dare to take."
Fortune is such that a year's worth allows an ordinary person to have a lucky year.
For cultivators, during this year, they would experience continuous fortuitous encounters and progress as if divinely aided, which is just scratching the surface.
The real significance is that having even a little bit of fortune is a prerequisite for future achievements.
No cultivator dares to joke with fortune. Losing fortune incurs three years of retribution for each cycle lost; Xiao Shui lost three whole years of fortune, equating to nine years of retribution.
Today, Lu Dayou had his eyes opened. He once thought only acts inciting divine wrath or causing bloody chaos could harm one's fortune. To find out eating a pill could do so was quite enlightening.
Han Yu was taken aback; the thought of nine years of retribution sent chills down his spine.
He initially thought it was just a loss of a bit of fortune, not realizing the consequences of losing three years of fortune were so terrifying.
"Such unscrupulous pills should be less exposed in the future!"
Lu Dayou sighed and said.
"What do you mean unscrupulous? Han Yu, ask him if he'd take a pill that can break through to the Seeing Me Realm?"
A small Glass that had been silently in his mind suddenly bristled, casually throwing out a weakened version of the West River Pill,
West River Pill (Modified by the Artifact Spirit): When consumed at the Other Shore Realm, it can break through to the Seeing Me Realm. Side effect: Consumes one year's fortune
Han Yu scratched his nose and tentatively asked, "Lord Lu, if there was a pill that could break through to the Seeing Me Realm, would you want it?"
Lu Dayou's eyes instantly turned blood-red, genuinely frightening Han Yu.
"Are you serious?"
"Seriously, although the side effect is pretty frightening," Han Yu awkwardly said.
Upon hearing about the side effect, Lu Dayou somewhat regained his rationality, as he has never been one to act impulsively.
"Well, it would consume one year's fortune." Han Yu nodded, his face solemn.
A quarter of an hour later…
"These harmful pills should be brought out as little as possible in the future, for they disrupt the harmony of heaven and earth."
After escorting Han Yu to the door, Lu Dayou still earnestly advised.
Han Yu froze for a moment and then nodded woodenly, his mind filled with the image of small Glass laughing triumphantly.
Wang Xuannan and his party were still lurking in the city, clearly unwilling to swallow their anger.
According to his estimation, elders from the sect should be arriving soon, and thinking about the humiliation and harm suffered here made his teeth grind in hatred.
Zhang Kui and Qiu Susu, however, had been wearing worried expressions. In recent days, the senior brother's temper had worsened by the day, with any slight misstep inviting scolding for both of them.
Especially for Qiu Susu, the bitterness in her heart grew; why did she ever think senior brother was good in everything?
After leaving the Government Office, Han Yu secretly went to the Xiao Mansion, wanting to witness firsthand whether the side effects were truly so outrageous. Finding a spot with no one around, he clambered over a wall and bumped into Young Master Xiao, head wrapped in bandages, in the western courtyard.
It doesn't seem to be as exaggerated as Lu Dayou said, seeing how Xiao Shui still appears quite leisurely, Han Yu thought.
Suddenly, Xiao Shui, who was strolling in the courtyard, reached up to touch his head, feeling a sticky green substance on his hand. Looking up, he saw a bird circling in the sky.
Angrily wanting to go back for a wash, as soon as he stepped onto the corridor, a beam fell down aiming directly at him.
Not long after, the Xiao Mansion was once again in chaos, screaming for rescue.
Truly misfortunate, Han Yu recoiled his head and quickly jumped back, his heart pounding, remembering how he had been tempted earlier.
"Glass, do you think Young Master Xiao can still be plucked despite being so unlucky?"
"No problem, the fate's chosen one won't die no matter how bad his luck is, we'll get it without cost."
At the city gate, a slovenly Daoist leisurely walked into Minzhou City, with disheveled white hair, a sallow face, and a worn-out robe that was so stiff it seemed like a lump and emitted a rancid odor.
Almost wherever he went, the crowd dissipated instantly, no one could bear that smell.
After looking around at the street corner, he quickly found his target.
Longxing Inn.
Wang Xuannan and his party had been staying here for three days. Qiu Susu and Zhang Kui had been insisting he return for treatment due to his injuries, but he weakly refused all along.
At this moment, Zhang Kui was helping by holding the medicine pot, while Qiu Susu carefully applied the medicinal paste on his burned face.
"Where is the person?"
The slovenly Daoist silently appeared in the room, looking at the three expressionlessly.
"Master!"
The aggrieved Wang Xuannan cried like a child over a hundred pounds.
"How could it be him?"
Lu Dayou knew the moment the slovenly Daoist entered the city.
His expression was somewhat incredulous, then gradually turned grim.
"This is truly shameless…"
Wang Xuannan and the other two had been staying on his territory, how could he not know, but as long as they didn't cause trouble, he was too lazy to bother with them.
But his arrival was unreasonable, an elder of the Divine Gaze Realm resolving a situation among juniors.
Something happened again at the Xiao Mansion!
Han Yu thought the commoners were talking about the various misfortunes of Young Master Xiao again, however, they were saying a slovenly old Daoist went to the Xiao Mansion to kill people.
Upon arriving at the Xiao Mansion gate, the inner courtyard had already collapsed with fallen guards everywhere, blood covering the whole corridor, the slovenly Daoist walking towards the sky without touching the ground, Qiu Susu and Zhang Kui carrying Wang Xuannan closely following.
Qiu Susu stepping on the fresh warm blood, wanted to vomit several times but managed to hold it in, secretly glancing fearfully at the Daoist ahead before quickly lowering her head.
Xiao Shui was half-kneeling on the ground, his chest bloodstained, a once elegant garment now burned beyond recognition, yet still stubbornly standing to protect the clan members behind him.
"Fire attribute divine techniques are wasted on you."
The slovenly Daoist said expressionlessly.
Xiao Shui felt bitter. Just now, his fire attribute divine technique was actually deflected by the opponent, without the slightest ability to resist.
"Why, Senior Seeking Death, go to such lengths?"
Lu Dayou descended from the sky, looking complexly at the slovenly Daoist.
"Since you know me, you still dare to stop me?"
The slovenly Daoist glanced over, speaking calmly.
The name of Seeking Death Taoist was naturally renowned, known in the cultivator realm for his aggressive and unreasonable behavior, acting without concern.
Seeking death didn't mean seeking his own death, but described how he left no room for others or himself every time he acted.
Even facing a Divine Gaze Realm expert, Lu Dayou maintained a demeanor neither humble nor arrogant, saying.
"On that day when a disciple under Senior's sect provoked the Xiao Family, I did not stop, Xiao Family's kid injured your disciple, I also did not stop, because I see it as a conflict among peers."
Lu Dayou sighed and said slowly.
"How about I resolve this by having Young Master Xiao apologize to your disciple, and we end the matter?"
"Master, I want him dead!"
Wang Xuannan weakly pointed at Xiao Shui.
"Did you hear that? My disciple doesn't accept apologies."
The Seeking Death Taoist glanced at his disciple, then coldly said.
"Then I can only discuss the law with Senior."