Chapter 186

Chapter 186: Hidden Spirit Root

Rong Shu leaned forward, voice quick. “Then Fourth Senior Brother, you mean my current spirit root might have regrown?”

“Yes.” Xiao Zi An nodded. “That’s one possibility.”

He tapped the table lightly with the edge of his fan, thinking aloud. “There’s another kind of cultivator mentioned in rumors—people with latent spirit roots. Hidden roots. They need a specific trigger to awaken… and some never awaken at all.”

He looked at her, measuring. “Your wind-fire spirit root might be a hidden spirit root that got triggered.”

“Or,” he continued, “your original wind-fire spirit root might have been damaged when it was dug out. If it was low quality to begin with, the injury could’ve been worse than you realized.”

Rong Shu fell silent, thoughts spinning.

Hidden spirit roots…

Then what about metal, wood, water, earth, lightning—those other attributes she could draw qi from, even without an obvious spirit root?

Was it because those were hidden too?

Xiao Zi An sighed, the weight of the matter settling. “I came in a hurry. I didn’t know about the spirit root issue beforehand. When I get the chance, I’ll find pills that nourish spirit roots and send them to you.”

Rong Shu nodded. “Thank you for the trouble, Fourth Senior Brother.”

In the cultivation world, damage to a spirit root wasn’t a small inconvenience. It was disaster.

Wu Hua cut in before Xiao Zi An could say more. “Eat first. We’ll talk about the spirit root matter after we get the Pureclear Six-Spirit Flower and recover your memories.”

“Right, right.” Xiao Zi An brightened instantly and began stuffing Rong Shu’s bowl with meat like it was his sacred duty. “Eat. Eat.”

“Do you need anything else? Just tell Senior Brother.”

“That’s enough, that’s enough.” Rong Shu stared at the growing pile and nodded frantically.

She lowered her gaze to the Little Hamster, who sat on the table looking both eager and unsure. Rong Shu poked his head gently. “Yan Yan, go pick what you like.”

The Little Hamster nodded and launched himself at the nearest strawberry.

Xiao Zi An watched him gnaw happily and raised an eyebrow. “That’s Little Junior Sister’s Little Hamster?”

“Yes.”

Xiao Zi An picked up a bite of roast meat with his chopsticks and offered it cautiously.

The Little Hamster sniffed, abandoned the strawberry without hesitation, and bit down on the meat.

When he finished, he lifted his head and stared at Xiao Zi An with eyes that clearly said: again.

Xiao Zi An chuckled. “That doesn’t look like an ordinary hamster. Spirit beast or demon beast?”

Rong Shu shook her head. “I don’t really know. It was cute, so I kept it with me.”

Xiao Zi An thought for a moment. “Little Junior Sister, do you lack spirit beasts? I’m not a beast tamer, but I have ways. I can get high-aptitude spirit beast eggs. If you raise them from young, the bond is stronger, and they’re easier to command in battle.”

Rong Shu hesitated, glancing at Wu Hua.

She’d already told them about Spirit Tribulation Fruit. Compared to that, talking about the divine beast white tiger… didn’t seem impossible.

“Senior Brothers,” she said carefully, “I actually already contracted a spirit beast. It just hasn’t hatched yet.”

“A spirit beast egg?” Xiao Zi An leaned in. “What kind?”

“It’s a Little White Tiger,” Rong Shu said honestly. “It should hatch soon.”

Then she added, remembering Wu Hua’s advice, “Senior Brother Wu Hua told me I’m not a beast tamer, so I shouldn’t contract too many beast pets. Right now, Little White Tiger and Yan Yan are enough for me.”

Xiao Zi An shot Wu Hua a look.

Wu Hua’s gaze returned, calm and unhelpful.

Xiao Zi An’s look sharpened: You’ve been with her this long and you didn’t know?

Wu Hua’s eyes said back: A young miss having secrets is normal.

Xiao Zi An’s grin returned. “Little Junior Sister, can you take it out and let us see?”

“Okay.”

Rong Shu pulled out the divine beast egg and set it gently on the table. “Little White Tiger has taken a long time. I’m worried something’s wrong. Fourth Senior Brother, please take a look.”

“Gladly.”

Xiao Zi An waited until the Little Hamster finished another bite of meat, then set down his chopsticks. He brushed his fingers over the egg’s surface, slow and careful.

After a moment, he frowned.

“This egg… isn’t ordinary.” He studied the shell, then murmured, “King beast? Emperor beast? Sacred beast?”

He clicked his tongue. “Too bad Second Senior Sister isn’t here. She’d know.”

His gaze flicked to Wu Hua briefly before returning to Rong Shu. “Its aptitude should be high. If it hatches, it’ll at least be a spirit beast with emperor-beast bloodline.”

He traced a faint line on the shell. “But… this egg was damaged before, wasn’t it? These patterns are old. It should’ve hatched long ago.”

Rong Shu nodded. “Yes. I met Little White Tiger’s elder. It didn’t have long left and entrusted Little White Tiger to me.”

A fifteen-year-old girl, speaking solemnly about bearing someone else’s burden—it was so mismatched it almost felt unreal.

Xiao Zi An’s mouth twitched like he was fighting a laugh. “Then you’d better take good care of it.”

He leaned back, eyes warm with amusement. “And Senior Brother will help. I’ll take care of you two—no, three. Including your Little Hamster.”

The Little Hamster had returned to his strawberry. Xiao Zi An’s fingers itched. He snatched half the strawberry away.

The Little Hamster froze, paws empty.

Then he realized who’d done it—and immediately puffed up in fury, letting out an indignant, rapid series of gugu sounds.

Xiao Zi An’s expression turned faintly strange. “Little Junior Sister… your Little Hamster is unique.”

He slid a new piece of roast meat in front of it. Only then did the furious gugu-ing stop.

Rong Shu rubbed her nose, forcing a casual smile. “Normal. Totally normal.”