Although Lin Qi had already guessed what Shi Tou meant, he never expected Huo Xiaoxiao's determination to be so firm. By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late to stop her.
"You!" Lin Qi glared fiercely at Shi Tou, his face instantly contorting in pain.
Stone suddenly realized that if he didn't have the so-called identity of Serena Beth, Lynch might rush over and bite him to death.
The others didn't react as strongly as Lin Qi. Nana merely raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at Shi Tou with some suspicion, while the Kru siblings looked puzzled. Linda indicated that it had nothing to do with her, but Huo Yi's expression was quite intriguing.
First came ecstasy, then shock, then a sigh of relief, and finally, with a calm expression, he casually found a place to sit down and consume the Blood Pearl Fruit.
Shi Tou sighed, looking at Huo Xiaoxiao with a hint of pity. If Huo Xiaoxiao failed again this time, the Huo family would probably be in turmoil, right? But what if she succeeded? Huo Xiaoxiao would be very happy, and Huo Yi would probably hate him to death, right?
With a wry smile, Stone suddenly realized that her true nature was so deserving of a beating!
After taking a few bites of the dried meat skewers, Stone had no appetite whatsoever, so he simply closed his eyes to observe what was happening around him. But what he saw almost made him jump out of his skin.
It was still pitch black, but unlike last time, there were three points of light in the darkness. One was Huo Yi not far away, another was Huo Xiaoxiao right next to the stone, and the last one was, of course, the stone itself.
Huo Yi's body contained fire, but not much, and there were no other magical elements. Moreover, because he had consumed the Blood Bead Fruit, the fire element was slowly gathering.
On Huo Xiaoxiao's side, however, things were very wrong.
Her body was half water and half fire. Now, more than half of her was fire, but there wasn't much fire element around her. Upon closer inspection, Shi Tou realized that all the fire element in the air had gathered around Huo Yi.
At that moment, Shi Tou understood somewhat. It seemed her guess last time was correct; the so-called Blood Pearl Fruit couldn't generate fire element from nothing, but merely helped people gather the fire element in the air. In other words, if two people consumed the Blood Pearl Fruit at the same time, generally speaking, neither of them could successfully activate their abilities simultaneously.
Shi Tou frowned, somewhat uneasy. Huo Xiaoxiao's situation was vastly different from Huo Yi's; Huo Yi was only seven years old. She had two more years, while Huo Xiaoxiao only had this one and only chance left. Furthermore, for some reason, Shi Tou just couldn't bring himself to like Huo Yi.
But even Shi Tou didn't know what to do in this situation. Perhaps she hadn't considered things carefully; she should have had them take the medication separately.
"Giggle, Master, would you like to play a nurturing game? Bun can help Master!"
Just as Stone was feeling utterly frustrated, Baozi's irritating voice suddenly popped into her head. Stone was completely dumbfounded. What the hell is a "raising a character" game?! Seriously?! Even if she wanted to play a raising game, she wouldn't raise a girl!
Perhaps sensing the stone's resentment, Baozi's voice was a little weak: "Giggle. The child born from the mating of the Huo and Shui families! Doesn't Master want to play with it?"
Damn it, let's mate! Damn it, let's play!
"Hehe, Master said before that the Huo family and the Shui family cannot marry! Because if the two families marry, one of the couple will die young, and the children born will be very difficult to raise, and even if they do, they will not have any talent!"
Stone frowned, wanting to curse. "Damn Baozi, why don't you just say what the solution is? What's the point of saying all this nonsense?"
"Hehe, if Master wants to help this child, Baozi has a way! Master just needs to quietly bring Baozi close to the child, and Baozi can gather the fire element together!"
Okay, Shi Tou rolled her eyes. She'd wrongly accused Bao Zi. Quietly clutching the ring in her pocket, Shi Tou carefully brought it close to Huo Xiaoxiao. Luckily, no one's attention was on Shi Tou at that moment, and since she was already sitting very close to Huo Xiaoxiao, Shi Tou actually succeeded.
Shi Tou quietly slipped the ring onto Huo Xiaoxiao's little fingernail, then closed her eyes to see what would happen next. Unexpectedly, the moment she closed her eyes, she was nearly terrified by what she saw.
Originally, the scene Shi Tou saw was relatively peaceful. Although Huo Yi had more fire element gathered there than Huo Xiaoxiao, the two were at least not interfering with each other. However, this time, the scene Shi Tou saw was no longer peaceful.
Before him, although the background was still pitch black, Shi Tou saw that all the fire elements that had gathered around Huo Yi had surged toward Huo Xiaoxiao. Even the fire elements that originally belonged to Huo Yi were stirring restlessly.
Opening his eyes, Shi Tou stared blankly at Huo Yi. Huo Yi's expression was one of extreme pain; his facial features were contorted in a horrifying grimace, and his originally pale skin glowed with a faint reddish light, as if the capillaries beneath his skin had burst.
Seeing this, Stone couldn't help but exclaim, "Uncle Lynch, look!"
Lin Qi, who had been standing guard to the side with a gloomy expression, suddenly heard the sound of the stone. Although he was still very annoyed, he subconsciously looked over and asked, "What's wrong with you now?"
But Shi Tou didn't have time to pay attention to the impatience in his tone; he just stared straight at Huo Yi: "Huo Yi!"
Lin Qi's eyes shot over, and upon seeing it, he instantly jumped up: "Damn it! Magic backlash?!"
Stone said she didn't know what magical backlash was, and looked innocently at Lin Qi rushing towards Huo Yi: "What is magical backlash?"
Nana and the others, who were not far away, quickly ran over: "What happened?"
Ignoring their questions, Lin Qi shouted anxiously at Huo Yi, "Stop! Stop now! Stop absorbing fire elements!"
Stone raised an eyebrow. He actually knew about fire element? Actually, Stone herself had misunderstood. Everyone said that Blood Pearl Fruit could help people under the age of 10 to awaken their fire magic talent. Note that they said to awaken, not to bestow.
Everyone surrounded Huo Yi, and Shi Tou couldn't see Huo Yi's situation for a while. She was holding the ring in her hand, and the ring was close to Huo Xiaoxiao, so it was really difficult for her to leave. She had no choice but to close her eyes again to see what was going on.
This time, Stone was truly speechless.
Huo Xiaoxiao's situation is not bad. Although there is still a trace of water element in her body, she is continuously absorbing the fire element outside. It is estimated that Huo Xiaoxiao will succeed in a little while. However, Huo Yi's situation is not so optimistic.
Huo Yi didn't have much fire element in her body to begin with, and she barely managed to absorb some through the Blood Pearl Fruit. However, ever since Shi Tou listened to Bao Zi and brought the ring close to Huo Xiaoxiao, the little fire element in her body was desperately surging outwards. In just a short while, the fire element in Huo Yi's body not only didn't increase, but actually decreased by more than half.
"Oh my god! Is this the backlash of magic? How terrifying!" Nana said, covering her mouth in disbelief. Annie and Cage, who were standing nearby, were already pale with fright and hid behind Nana.
Lin Qi's face was the most unpleasant, even more so than Huo Yi's. He didn't know which deity he had offended this time, but he knew he was truly in deep trouble.
The Huo family only has two young ladies. Not only did the eldest young lady fail to awaken her fire magic talent, but she also consumed two Blood Pearl Fruits under Miss Bess's influence, leaving her life hanging in the balance. And now, this awkwardly positioned Miss Huo Yi has suffered a magical backlash, a rare occurrence in a century?!
If both of them die, he will definitely be buried with them!
"Ah!" Huo Xiaoxiao, who was sitting next to the rock, suddenly exclaimed and jumped up: "I..."
Stone closed his eyes and clearly saw that there was no trace of water element left in Huo Xiaoxiao's body. He immediately understood that she had succeeded. Opening his eyes, Stone stood up, congratulated her, and quietly put the ring in his hand back into his pocket: "Miss Huo, congratulations on becoming an apprentice magician."
Huo Xiaoxiao stared at the stone in disbelief, then looked down at herself: "Me? I succeeded?"
“Yes!” Stone nodded: “It’s just Huo Yi…”
Huo Xiaoxiao immediately looked at Huo Yi.
"You succeeded?" Lin Qi had looked over when Huo Xiaoxiao exclaimed. He had overheard their conversation and was now filled with a sense of relief and joy at having escaped a desperate situation.
As long as Miss Huo is alright and has successfully activated her fire magic talent, then even if Huo Yi dies, he can save his own life.
"Yes, I succeeded." Huo Xiaoxiao rarely smiled. "But what happened to Huo Yi?"
Lin Qi glanced at Huo Yi, but the anxiety on his face had vanished. "I'm not entirely sure, but it looks like a magical backlash."
Huo Xiaoxiao took a few steps forward, and Shi Tou followed her.
At this moment, probably because Shi Tou had put the ring back in his pocket, Huo Yi's face no longer showed the pain she had just experienced, but her skin was still flushed, as if it had been stained with blood.
"This!" Huo Xiaoxiao was seeing this for the first time and exclaimed in shock, "She...she's going to die?!"
Probably not.
Shi Tou thought to herself, because she had just secretly checked and found that the fire element in Huo Yi's body had stopped flowing out. However, since Huo Xiaoxiao had absorbed all the fire element in the air, Huo Yi had probably failed this time.
It might not only fail, but also damage its foundation.
Chapter 122 Divine Artifacts Are As Common as Cabbage
Sitting in the Huo family's carriage, Shi Tou leaned against the window and looked outside.
Three days had passed since the two Huo sisters consumed the Blood Pearl Fruit. Three days earlier, Huo Xiaoxiao had successfully activated her fire magic talent, but Huo Yi had failed. Moreover, according to Shi Tou's secret observation, she was shocked to discover that Huo Yi's already limited fire magic elements were almost completely depleted.
Despite feeling a little guilty towards Huo Yi, Shi Tou had no other choice at this point. Fortunately, no one thought that this matter had anything to do with Shi Tou.
Huo Xiaoxiao was overjoyed to learn she was now an apprentice mage. Lin Qi, however, seemed even happier than her. Indeed, although Lin Yao had subtly hinted beforehand that it was best not to let Huo Xiaoxiao successfully awaken her magical talent, Lin Qi had come to realize that if anything happened to Huo Xiaoxiao under his command, his good days would be over.
Fortunately, it was Huo Yi who got into trouble, the insignificant illegitimate daughter of the Huo family.
A day later, they left the Crimson Forest and then rushed back to Tingyun Town overnight. This was because Lin Qi was only responsible for their safety in the Crimson Forest, not for getting them back to the capital. Or, to be more precise, they could certainly go back with him, but the Starshine Mercenary Group wouldn't be returning to the capital until late spring.
And now, it is the end of winter.
Fortunately, apart from Shi Tou, who was eager to go to the capital, the others were even more anxious. Huo Xiaoxiao, in particular, couldn't wait for her father to see her become an apprentice magician. Therefore, the group simply formed a convoy and headed to the capital together.
Of course, it was already the third day before we officially set off.
"Miss Beth, are you going straight to the Beth family when you arrive in the capital?" Because of Huo Xiaoxiao's insistence, Shi Tou was practically dragged into the Huo family's carriage. Huo Xiaoxiao noticed that Shi Tou was staring silently out the window and couldn't help but ask.
“This…” Shi Tou hesitated for a moment, “I’ll think about it some more.” Looking up at Mi Fen’er sitting next to her, who was constantly munching on fruit, Shi Tou felt that she really needed to think carefully about what to do in the future.
During their two days in Tingyun Town, Linda persuaded her grandmother, while Mi Fen'er was tricked into joining the scheme by Shi Tou. Fortunately, Baozi didn't require Shi Tou's persuasion, otherwise, Shi Tou would definitely have gone crazy.
"Why don't you come to my house?" Huo Xiaoxiao noticed the obvious hesitation on Shi Tou's face and quickly extended an invitation.
Shi Tou was taken aback. He instinctively asked, "Why?" How strange, when did Huo Xiaoxiao become so friendly?
Actually, Huo Xiaoxiao has always been that friendly. You see, Huo Xiaoxiao is always very clear about her likes and dislikes. The most embarrassing thing in her life is not being able to become a magician, and the person she hates most is Huo Yi. But now, because of a story about the stone, she made up her mind, and not only did she eventually become a magician, but she also dealt Huo Yi a heavy blow. Therefore, she feels that the stone is truly her lucky star.
"My family is wonderful. My grandpa and dad love me the most. If you come to my house, I'll prepare lots and lots of delicious food for you, as well as many beautiful clothes." Being quite young, Huo Xiaoxiao could only come up with these tempting offers after racking her brains.
"Pfft!" Stone couldn't help but burst out laughing: "You might as well say you'll give me money!"
Huo Xiaoxiao was both amused and exasperated. How could the young lady of the Beth family be so obsessed with money?
Seeing Huo Xiaoxiao's conflicted expression, Shi Tou suddenly had a thought. Although Baozi had told her a lot about the capital before they arrived, the information Baozi knew was outdated. He wondered if, after hundreds of years, the capital was still the same as Baozi had described.
So, while chatting and joking around, Shi Tou kept subtly inquiring about some basic information about the capital from Huo Xiaoxiao. Although Huo Xiaoxiao found it a bit strange, she just assumed it was because Shi Tou had never been to the capital before and didn't really suspect anything.
I learned from Huo Xiaoxiao that the capital city is now divided into three factions: one is a powerful force led by the royal family and nobles, another is an alliance of various aristocratic families, and the last is an emerging family led by the six major families of the East.
Among them, the royal family and noble families were undoubtedly the most powerful, but the major clans and emerging families were able to fight to a draw.
"The six great families of the East seem quite powerful!" Stone vaguely felt that these so-called six great families were rather strange. At least Baozi had never mentioned that there were such six families in the capital. In other words, these six families were established only after Baozi was brought to the Crimson Forest. But that's a very short time, isn't it? Although he had heard some news from Nanako before, it was obvious that Nanako subconsciously belittled them.
"Of course!" Huo Xiaoxiao said proudly, her eyebrows dancing as she recounted the story she had heard from her father.
The six major families in the East are Qin, Shui, Chu, Huo, Lin, and Han. Although Huo Xiaoxiao's Huo family ranks only fourth, don't forget that her mother comes from the Shui family.
"The Shui family is much stronger than our Huo family, but the Shui family's young ladies are generally weak-willed. My so-called cousins are all delicate and pampered young ladies, speaking in such a high-pitched, affected voice that it makes your teeth ache!" When Huo Xiaoxiao mentioned the Shui family, besides admiration, she expressed more dissatisfaction with the Shui family's young ladies, but this statement made Shi Tou feel extremely strange.
Nana had mentioned that the Shui family typically hires sons-in-law to live with them. While not every young lady is required to do so, it's still quite common. However, the problem with hiring sons-in-law isn't a lack of usefulness, but rather an overly assertive one who risks causing the family fortune to fall into other hands. In other words, the Shui family's young ladies, regardless of other factors, must possess a strong personality and outstanding abilities.
“Although I couldn’t stand those Shui family ladies, my mother was an extremely good person. She was very gentle, had a very pleasant voice, and was always calm and composed. I never saw her anxious; it was as if everything was under her control.” Huo Xiaoxiao fell into deep thought: “Later, she passed away, and my father and I were very sad. Although so much time has passed, my father has never mentioned remarrying.”
Even if she doesn't remarry, there will still be Huo Yi, right?!
Shi Tou couldn't help but glance at Huo Yi, who was sullenly hiding in the corner. Ever since the little girl failed to awaken her magical talent, she had been in this sullen state, neither speaking nor moving, just curled up in the corner.
Although the carriage was spacious, there wasn't much space, so Huo Xiaoxiao naturally noticed Shi Tou's actions. However, Huo Xiaoxiao didn't point it out, but continued to chat with Shi Tou casually: "Serena, I know the Beth family is going crazy. If you're willing to go back there, I believe you'll definitely be named as the heir. How about it, are you tempted?"
I'm more interested than worried!
Stone forced a smile, now realizing how incredibly stupid she had been to impersonate the Beth family's young lady! Ugh, it's all that damned brat's fault!
“I’m not some direct descendant of the Beth family. Before… I mean before coming to the Crimson Forest last year, I didn’t even know I was a member of the Beth family, so…”
Seeing Shi Tou's troubled expression, Huo Xiaoxiao felt she should help her: "Don't worry, as long as you don't want to, I will definitely keep this secret for you. What's so great about the Beth family? Although it's a great family with a history of thousands of years, the Beth family has already fallen into decline. You might as well come home with me!"
Decline? Hearing this word again, Stone was a little dazed. Baozi said, "The Beth family isn't some great noble family. They understand the importance of keeping a low profile and are the kind of family that doesn't show off." If that's the case, why did they decline?