"You smell of nature."
Lin Fan brought his nose close to the ginseng, smiling. The scent was truly pleasant. He really liked this ginseng. He was happy it was willing to stay by his side, and it would be a perfect companion for his hen.
"I can smell nature on you too."
The ginseng, having gained sentience, was incredibly clever, especially having lived for so long.
Suddenly.
The cave ahead collapsed.
Thick dust billowed out.
"My…" Sister Mo Shen reached out towards the collapsing cave, her eyes full of reluctance, but it was too late. There was nothing she could do.
"Thank you." The ginseng stood on Lin Fan's shoulder, whispering, "My masters couldn't rest peacefully because of me. They worried I would be bullied. Now that I have a reliable home, they can finally leave with peace of mind."
The ginseng looked up at the sky.
Lin Fan followed the ginseng's gaze.
He saw something others couldn't.
Points of light flew towards the depths of the sky.
Two faint figures seemed to be waving at the ginseng.
"Goodbye." The ginseng's roots, like arms, wiped its eyes and waved, silently saying goodbye to its former masters.
Tears dripped onto the ground. Immediately, the plants in a small area around them began to revive, as if they had been given some sort of tonic.
Lin Fan was too engrossed in watching the sky to notice what was happening below.
Sister Mo Shen stared at the collapsed cave, feeling dejected. If she had noticed the effect of the ginseng's tears, she would have exclaimed in astonishment, realizing that this little creature was a treasure through and through.
"Are you coming back with us?"
Lin Fan asked Sister Mo Shen.
Sister Mo Shen simply stared at Lin Fan, blinking occasionally, as if asking… What do you think?
August 5th!
On the street.
"Wow! Is this the market now?"
"It's changed so much! The last time I saw it, everyone was wearing animal skins. I never thought it would become like this. All those years of waiting weren't in vain. Life is really going to get better from now on."
The ginseng was incredibly excited, its dancing attracting bewildered stares from passersby.
Many people rubbed their eyes.
"Holy crap! Am I seeing things?"
"A moving ginseng? It must be a spirit."
"It's an illusion, it must be. If this isn't an illusion, then what is?"
They were modern people with a strong capacity for accepting the unusual, but this situation had them speechless. Soon, many people took out their phones and started taking pictures to post on their social media.
Holy crap! Holy crap! Have you ever seen a ginseng that moves?
Should ginseng be stewed or roasted?
They were already thinking about what to post.
It was sure to be a hit.
Special Department.
"I usually live here with my good friend. You'll meet him later."
Lin Fan was thinking about how to welcome his new friend.
Just then, Liu Ying, whom he hadn't seen for a while, appeared.
"Brother Lin…"
Liu Ying greeted Lin Fan enthusiastically. His head, once bald, now had thick, dark hair thanks to Old Zhang's treatment. He was very satisfied, and so was his girlfriend.
He was truly grateful to Lin Fan and the master.
"Huh! This ginseng…"
He hadn't noticed the moving ginseng before, but now, looking closely, Liu Ying was startled.
Lin Fan said, "This is my new friend. His name is Ginseng. He'll be living with me from now on."
Liu Ying didn't react too dramatically.
Who was Brother Lin?
He was a god in his heart.
Having a few strange and unusual things around him was perfectly normal. It was no big deal.
"Hello, Brother Ginseng." Liu Ying said respectfully.
Anything that could stay with Lin Fan deserved respect. That was his belief.
"Hmm."
The ginseng nodded in response.
It maintained a certain air of dignity.
In the ginseng's view, it had existed for a long time and had a certain status. Acting a bit like an elder was perfectly acceptable.
"Ginseng, that's not very polite. He's my friend. You should say, 'Hello.'" Lin Fan corrected the ginseng.
Liu Ying hurriedly said, "It's fine, it's nothing."
The ginseng felt a bit helpless upon hearing this, but considering that it would be living with Liu Ying and under his protection, it would be unfortunate to leave a bad first impression.
"Hello."
The ginseng, able to adapt to the situation, was fearless.
Lin Fan smiled with satisfaction.
He liked the ginseng's personality. It was truly good.
Now, Lin Fan considered the Special Department his third home. He liked this place and the people here. Everyone treated him exceptionally well.
"I want to take a bath. I haven't bathed in a long time."
The ginseng just wanted a nice, relaxing bath.
To unwind.
Lin Fan said, "I'll give you a bath when we get upstairs."
"Is there a bathtub?" the ginseng asked. It preferred bathing in a bathtub.
Lin Fan shook his head. "No."
"That's a problem."
The ginseng, with its high standards, didn't act like an outsider at all.
In the end, Liu Ying stepped up and took the ginseng to the department's public bath, which was fully equipped and could definitely meet the ginseng's requirements.
Bathroom.
"Brother Ginseng, how's the water temperature?"
Liu Ying waited attentively, having filled a small wooden tub with water.
The ginseng stood by the side, gently touching the water with its tendrils, nodding with satisfaction.
"Yes, it's good."
Lin Fan didn't follow them. The ginseng had memorized Lin Fan's scent and could track him down. Besides, Lin Fan felt at ease. This was the Special Department, full of familiar faces. Nothing could possibly go wrong.
Liu Ying stood obediently by the side, awaiting instructions.
The ginseng, with a towel draped over its shoulder, stood by the tub. The tub was just a small wooden bucket, the kind a normal person might use to pour water over themselves, but for the ginseng, it was large enough for a bath.
"Wait outside. I don't like being watched while I bathe. I'll let you know when I'm finished." The ginseng acted like it was the boss of the place, speaking with the tone of a leader.
"Yes." Liu Ying was adaptable.
After everyone left.
The ginseng jumped into the tub, leaning back against the wood, the warm water enveloping its body. Its eyes relaxed.
"Ah… Comfortable."
It made strange noises, its expression one of pure enjoyment.
It had stayed in the cave, accompanying its masters for countless years, never venturing out. It was almost suffocated, but it knew its masters were doing it for its own good. In its situation, if it were discovered by someone with malicious intent, it would definitely attract enormous trouble. Therefore, its former masters had found it a reliable and powerful current master.
To be honest.
The current master seemed quite good.
Outside.
Liu Ying stood guard like a door god, motionless. Passersby couldn't help but glance at him. Some wanted to use the bath, but Liu Ying stopped them.
Go somewhere else.
Liu Ying held a certain position in the Special Department, and most members would give him face.
And the members who came here to bathe were indeed ordinary members, all of whom were very accommodating.
A long time later.
"Alright." The ginseng's voice came from inside the bathroom.
Liu Ying hurried in and saw Brother Ginseng, a towel wrapped around its waist, swaggering towards the sauna.
"I'm going to steam for a bit."
"Alright, Brother Ginseng, take your time. Our sauna is quite good, promotes blood circulation, very effective."
He could tell at a glance that Brother Ginseng was no ordinary being, exuding the aura of someone experienced in the ways of the world.
This was the demeanor of a boss.
Watching Brother Ginseng enter the sauna, he started tidying up the area. No matter what, he had to clean this place properly.
But soon.
Liu Ying looked down at the wooden tub Brother Ginseng had bathed in. The murky water was indeed dirty, but his nose twitched slightly, catching an unusual fragrance.
He crouched down by the tub, staring intently.
"This bathwater seems a bit extraordinary."
Liu Ying pondered, thinking about what he had just realized.
Ginseng…
Suddenly, Liu Ying remembered something. Who had just bathed in this tub?
And who was that person?
Brother Ginseng!
Since ancient times, ginseng had always been a great tonic. And now, the water that Brother Ginseng had bathed in probably had miraculous effects.
What Liu Ying didn't know was that in a certain corner, a young man was secretly filming with his phone.
Xiao Cong was a model young man. Being a member of the Special Department was enough for him. Although he wasn't a combatant, but a bathroom cleaner, he never felt anything was amiss. On the contrary, he was very satisfied with his position.
He happened to pass by and saw Liu Ying standing by the tub, not thinking anything of it.
But when Liu Ying picked up the tub, he was truly shocked.
His eyes changed.
He immediately took out his phone to record the scene.
He never thought anyone would have such a… hobby.
He understood. Frequent battles, constant tension, it was easy to develop some unusual habits.
But he wanted to record this scene.
He remained motionless, even slowing his breathing, afraid of being discovered.
At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: Could it be that Liu Ying was going to…
Soon.
The scene he imagined finally happened.
Liu Ying brought the tub to his lips.
"I'll just have a sip. It should be fine."
Perhaps it was guilt, after all, stealing water to drink was a bad thing to do.
He observed his surroundings.
After making sure no one was around.
Liu Ying opened his mouth, his nimble tongue taking a lick. Gulp… Brother Ginseng's bathwater flowed into his mouth.
"Mmm…"
He savored the taste.
He hadn't drunk enough.
He couldn't taste anything.
He took another sip.
Suddenly.
Liu Ying's eyes widened, radiating the light of discovering treasure. His energy surged, the power within him stirring.
"Good stuff…"
Without a second thought.
He started guzzling it down.
Xiao Cong, hiding in the distance, was dumbfounded. Was it necessary to be so thirsty?
He looked as if he had witnessed something terrifying, the scene completely stunning him.
At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: Could it be that Liu Ying…
Soon.
Liu Ying drained Brother Ginseng's bathwater, his face flushed, sticking out his tongue and burping. He looked as if he had overindulged in tonics.
Suddenly.
Boom!
There was no sound.
But Liu Ying could feel a door within him shattering, endless power surging into his body.
He lowered his head, his expression blank, the wooden tub slipping from his grasp and clattering to the floor.
"I… broke through?"
Liu Ying's eyes were wide.
A while ago, he had advanced from level four to level five and was planning to spend some time slowly advancing to level six.
But now… just by drinking a tub of bathwater, he had reached level six.
My god.
This water was divine water.
Liu Ying felt like he had found a shortcut to the peak of his life.
"Who's there?"
He sensed someone nearby.
But when he looked, there was no one there.
"Was it an illusion?"