Brother Lin gave a wry smile. "You can say that again. The leopard last time was intense too, but at least it was only for a few days. This black bear has been at it for a full half-month... An old man like me can barely handle it."
Somehow, word of this got out.
Chen Ze, Hu Haodong, and a few other close colleagues were dying of laughter in the private little WeChat group they’d created.
[Chen Ze: HAHAHAHA! I heard those guys from the tech department went to a foot massage parlor as a group right after work yesterday! They said they needed to blow off some steam!]
[Hu Haodong: For real? That’s insane! (doge)]
[Xiaoli: It must be true. I ran into Xiaozhao in the cafeteria at lunch, and the dark circles under his eyes nearly reached his chin. He looked completely drained. (laughing-crying emoji)]
[Chen Ze: You’d be drained too if you had to watch that live show every day for half a month! (smirk)]
[Hu Haodong: And what about Brother Qi? @Yang Qi Brother Qi, your ’Child-Giving Guanyin’ powers are getting stronger! You don’t just deliver babies, you deliver an eyeful too!]
[Yang Qi: ...Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just natural animal behavior. (sweat drop)]
[Chen Ze: "Natural behavior" that goes on like *that*? C’mon, Brother Qi, don’t be so modest! (evil grin)]
Yang Qi read the teasing that was flooding the group chat and, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, typed out a few replies.
At almost the exact same moment.
[Task Complete]
[Reward: Jade Water Calm Wave Pearl (Tier Two Middle Grade Magical Artifact)]
Yang Qi’s eyes lit up.
A Tier Two Middle Grade Magical Artifact!
He immediately materialized the reward.
A pearl the size of a pigeon’s egg appeared in his palm.
The pearl was a crystalline, azure blue. Inside, it seemed as if water was slowly rippling, refracting a soft halo of light. It was cool to the touch and gave off a fresh, damp vapor.
As he focused his consciousness on it, information about the Magical Artifact naturally surfaced in his mind.
Jade Water Calm Wave Pearl: A Tier Two Middle Grade water-element Magical Artifact. Refined from a base of Deep Sea Cold Jade and supplemented with Water Spirit Qi.
Function 1: Water Control. Allows the user to manipulate water within a certain range, forming it into various shapes for attacking or trapping enemies, such as "Waterspout," "Water Blade," or "Bubble Bind." (Power and control precision are determined by the user’s Cultivation and Magical Power input.)
Function 2: Wave Calming. Can quell abnormal fluctuations in a body of water within a certain range, stilling raging rivers and turning stormy seas into placid lakes. (The larger the waves and the wider the area, the more Magical Power is consumed.)
Additional Effect: Inscribed with three "Jade Water Barrier" enchantments. These can be activated automatically to form a protective water curtain that blocks attacks. (Each barrier can only be used once. After being depleted, they must be restored by nourishing the pearl with Water Spirit Qi or Spirit Stones.)
’This thing is amazing!’
Yang Qi held the pearl, turning it over and over in his hands, unable to put it down.
’Attack, defense, support... it’s completely versatile!’
’Although my Cultivation is only at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, wielding a Tier Two Middle Grade Magical Artifact might be a bit strenuous, and I won’t be able to unleash its full power. But even if I can only use thirty or forty percent of its strength, it’ll be enough to handle most situations.’
’And what’s more, this pearl can even calm the waves.’
’If I ever have to travel through water or run into trouble in it, this pearl will be a huge help.’
Just as he was reveling in his good fortune, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang.
It wasn’t a WeChat notification, but an actual incoming call.
Yang Qi composed himself, returned the Jade Water Calm Wave Pearl to his Hundred Pouches Belt, and pulled out his phone.
The screen displayed an unfamiliar local number.
Yang Qi frowned but answered anyway.
"Hello."
"Hello, am I speaking with Mr. Yang Qi?" The man’s voice on the other end was very formal.
"This is he. Who’s calling?"
"This is the Green Willow Glow Police Station."
The man’s tone was flat. "Your friend, Gao Zhenyue, is currently in our custody for assault. He gave us your name and number and asked that you come down to the station to sign some papers and complete the necessary procedures."