Though Park Su was somewhat lost in his cultivation, he never forgot to observe the changes within his wood energy in his dantian.
Indeed, when he reached the tenth cycle of circulation, he noticed the wood energy in his dantian finally beginning to flow into his meridians, filling his entire body with a soothing sensation. Once his meridians were saturated with wood energy, he felt remarkably refreshed, not at all like someone who had fought without rest.
He took a deep breath. He could guess that his wood ability had changed due to forcibly absorbing the energy stone, though whether this counted as a mutation, he wasn't sure. Regardless, he could feel that his body could now store much more wood energy than before at the same level.
This meant that among wood ability users of the same stage, he was now an outlier, perhaps even able to control mutated plants of his own level. He would need to experiment to find out, but if he had gained a more offensive ability instead of wood, his power might have been even stronger, allowing him to thrive better in this dog-eat-dog world.
He glanced at the pothos, still absorbing wood energy in his dantian with its leaves swaying, and couldn't help but smirk. Well, at least in this life, he had this little helper, and its combat ability was impressive. Now, being able to cultivate with him might even lead to further advancement. With such an ally, it wasn't a bad deal, and he was certainly much stronger than in his past life. One should know when to be content.
Although the physical exertion from his earlier fight had been replenished through cultivation, and his mental strength was good, it was now the afternoon of the second day, and his stomach was still hungry, especially as he got up and heard its protests. Thankfully, he was alone in the room, or it would have been embarrassing.
Thinking that no one else was in the room, he remembered the Daoist named Xu Nuo resting in his bedroom. During cultivation, he lost track of time, so he didn't know how Xu Nuo was doing. If he had recovered from the fever, Park Su would need to prepare some food for him as well, considering he must be hungry after sleeping for so long.
With this in mind, he went directly to his room to check on Xu Nuo. Seeing that his complexion had returned to normal, Park Su felt relieved. He reached out to touch Xu Nuo's forehead, confirming that his temperature was back to normal. As long as the fever had broken, Xu Nuo would wake up soon. He wondered what ability Xu Nuo had awakened.
While Park Su was curious, he wasn't so foolish as to stand there waiting. After all, Xu Nuo wasn't going anywhere in his house. He hoped Xu Nuo would awaken an offensive ability, so if they could team up later, he would have a formidable fighter by his side.
Of course, this was something he wouldn't say out loud. Now, he needed to fill his own stomach and prepare some nourishing porridge for Xu Nuo. With that thought, he headed downstairs to the kitchen. Since he had prepared in advance, the three fridges were stocked, mainly with meat.
As a wood ability user, he would never lack vegetables as long as he had seeds, but hunting wasn't his forte, especially not for someone like him who was more of a support-type ability user. However, considering Xu Nuo had just recovered from a serious condition, he prepared something more substantial.
He took out some tenderloin from the fridge, sliced it into strips, and made a pot of vegetable and meat congee. He also prepared a couple of side dishes to go with the congee, ate first, and then carried the food upstairs. Just as he placed the food on the table, he turned to see Xu Nuo awake, staring straight at him with a cold expression and emotionless eyes.
Meeting that face and those elongated eyes, Park Su's hand paused briefly before he said, "You're awake. Are you hungry? I've prepared some food; I don't know if it's to your taste. Do you want to try some now?"
In fact, Xu Nuo had woken up when Park Su first came upstairs to check his temperature, but he had no strength, and since the young man seemed to have no ill intentions towards him, he decided to lie still and examine the changes in his body. Sure enough, he discovered a new spiritual energy within him. After a slight check, he found that this energy didn't seem to harm his body, so he relaxed.
However, before he could explore the potential of this new spiritual energy, the aroma of food wafted up from downstairs, making Xu Nuo, who hadn't paid much attention to his hunger, suddenly feel ravenous. He wondered if the other person had thought of him being hungry up here, and if there was a share for him.
He regretted pretending to sleep earlier, realizing it had been a long time since he had eaten food prepared by someone else. When he was taken in by his master, he had eaten mostly what the old man made, and he had to admit, the old man's cooking was atrocious, barely passable at best.
Therefore, later on the mountain, he had taken over the cooking for his master, and after tasting his food, the old man had never cooked again. Occasionally, Xu Nuo would venture down the mountain to buy some food to bring back. At first, he found the food from the town quite delicious, but after his master left, he had no motivation to cook, feeling there was no one to share the food with. Over time, eating out became less appealing, as everything seemed to taste the same. He sometimes hoped someone would cook for him because it would give him a sense of home.
Just as he was thinking this, he saw the young man bring food up to his room, though initially, Park Su hadn't noticed he was awake, focusing on placing the food on the nightstand. The scent of the food made Xu Nuo feel an even greater affinity for this man he had only met once.
So, when Park Su looked at him and asked if he was hungry, Xu Nuo instinctively responded with a "Mhm."
Having taken care of Sun Muyang for a while, Park Su was well-versed in looking after someone. Almost immediately after Xu Nuo's affirmative response, he helped him sit up, thoughtfully placing a pillow behind his back, and then brought the bowl of congee to his lips. "This is vegetable and meat congee. Drink it first, there's more in the pot if it's not enough, and if you find it too bland, there are some side dishes here." He pointed to the cucumber salad and sweet and sour vegetarian chicken.
Xu Nuo was surprised by the youth's thoughtfulness. Taking a sip of the congee, he was pleasantly surprised by its flavor, far exceeding his expectations. After all, he had deduced from their earlier interactions that Park Su was likely a wealthy young man, and not many of the young masters he had met could cook.
As he drank the warm congee, Xu Nuo felt warmth spread through his limbs. He didn't ignore the young man standing in front of him, who had been attentive. After drinking half the bowl, he casually remarked, "I never thought we'd meet again in this manner."
Park Su hadn't expected Xu Nuo to recognize him so quickly and responded with a smile, "I didn't think so either. It seems we're quite fated."
Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow, "So, are you ready to pay back the 1.5 million?"
Park Su was taken aback, wondering how the topic had suddenly shifted to the 1.5 million. Shouldn't Xu Nuo be thanking him for saving his life first?
Seeing Park Su's bewildered expression, Xu Nuo found it amusing. He had only mentioned it to signal that he remembered who Park Su was, but hadn't anticipated Park Su taking it so seriously. He thought back to the IOU he had kept in his space ring.
Feeling a bit playful, he continued, "Isn't it? Or should I show you the IOU again? But there's no rush; we agreed on a month, and it's only been a week or so. Though, in this chaotic world, money might not be worth much."
Park Su didn't believe he could come up with 1.5 million in cash in the apocalypse, but robbing a bank now might be feasible since everyone was too busy surviving to care about money. However, it seemed somewhat unnecessary. Gold might still have some circulation in the apocalypse, but paper currency was as good as scrap paper, hardly worth the effort.
So, when Xu Nuo mentioned that money had little value in the apocalypse, Park Su nodded instinctively. Then he heard Xu Nuo say in a calm tone, "But that ring I sold you should be worth more now, shouldn't it?" Park Su, hearing this, reflexively hid his ring hand behind his back and awkwardly said, "The ring is mine now since you sold it to me. Even if it's more valuable now, you can't take it back."
Watching Park Su's actions like he was hiding a treasure, Xu Nuo's eyes glinted with mischief, though his expression remained unchanged. "That may be true, but you haven't paid in full yet, and getting 1.5 million now is quite a loss for me." In reality, if Xu Nuo wanted to, he could make as many space rings as he wanted as long as he had the materials. For him, a six-square-meter ring was one of the simplest items to make, and having received so much money for it, he had no intention of taking it back.
He had just mentioned it casually, not expecting Park Su to react with such earnestness, which he found quite amusing. Therefore, he teased him like this to see his reaction, but more importantly, he did it to probe Park Su's character.
After all, before he lost consciousness, he had heard Park Su mention wanting to collaborate with him. Now, considering the debt he owed for being saved, if Park Su brought it up, Xu Nuo wouldn't refuse. However, if saving him was just a transaction to get something from him, then the whole act of saving him would be nothing more than a business deal.
But for some reason, Xu Nuo didn't want their interaction to be merely transactional since Park Su had started taking care of him. Now, pretending to be in a weak state and making it seem like he wanted to reclaim the ring that Park Su considered a treasure, Xu Nuo wanted to see if Park Su would resort to drastic measures when pressed. No one wants a partner who might stab them in the back for profit, especially in a fight where you also have to watch your back. A partner's character is crucial.
Park Su was unaware of Xu Nuo's intentions. When he initially bought the ring for a million, he felt like he had gotten a great deal. However, at that time, he thought he'd never see Xu Nuo again. Who would have thought that just two days into the apocalypse, he'd run into his creditor, and Xu Nuo would directly mention the bargain he had gotten, making things quite awkward. Naturally, Park Su couldn't bring up the topic of inviting Xu Nuo to join him at the base.
However, the idea of giving back what he had already claimed was out of the question, especially since he had stored so many supplies inside. Without the space ring, traveling would be much less convenient, especially with the many road bandits he might encounter. His abilities might not cover all eventualities, and carrying supplies would be cumbersome.
Still, he had saved Xu Nuo's life, so Xu Nuo should not be so ruthless, right? Park Su pondered and decided to try negotiating, to see if there was room for flexibility. He organized his thoughts and said, "The IOU states repayment in two months, so why bring it up now? We agreed on the price and repayment terms back then; how was I to know the world would turn out like this? You've already sold me the ring; I won't give it back. Plus, you owe me your life, isn't that worth 1.5 million? If I hadn't saved you, you'd be dead, and where would you be to ask for that money? So, why be so petty about this, right?"
Seeing Park Su's protective stance over his possessions, Xu Nuo found it quite endearing and amusing. He continued to press, "So? Are you planning to pay me back the 1.5 million in cash two months from now?"
Park Su really wanted to say that was indeed his plan, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. Everyone knew that if this chaotic situation persisted, paper currency would be worth less than the paper it was printed on. To say he would pay in cash was clearly taking advantage of the situation. Did Xu Nuo want him to use the money as fire starter?
After some thought, he said, "Why don't you tell me what you want? If it's reasonable, I'll agree, but you should know I'm just a weak scholar; I can't meet too high demands."
In simpler terms, don't ask for too much; I can't afford it!
Xu Nuo hadn't expected Park Su to pass the ball back to him, momentarily unsure of what to ask for. Moreover, he wasn't really interested in the ring; it was more about testing Park Su. Seeing that Park Su, although reluctant, hadn't shown any murderous intent but instead had a hopeful look in his eyes, clearly seeking sympathy rather than taking drastic action like killing him to keep the ring and avoid repayment, only showed Park Su's somewhat naive nature.
However, Xu Nuo had to admit he was quite taken by this approach. He took another sip of the delicious congee, his mood improving. After thinking for a moment, he said, "How about you cook for me three meals a day to pay off the debt? I think in this world, food will become more and more valuable, and eventually, you'll pay off what you owe me. What do you think of my proposal?"
Park Su was momentarily stunned, "You want me to cook for you every day?"
Xu Nuo nodded, "Considering the prices before, this condition should have you cooking for me for a lifetime, right? But don't worry, I won't ask you to do it for your whole life, just until I get tired of it. I suppose your cooking skills won't suddenly worsen, right?" He glanced at the now-empty congee bowl beside him.