CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42 RECIPROCITY_1

Half an hour passed.

The Spirit Storage Rat nibbled away, consuming all three pounds of python meat.

When the roasted meat was gone, it stopped again, its beady eyes fixed on Shen Mo, seemingly still not full.

This creature... I wonder how its stomach is structured. It’s just like a Taotie. No wonder it’s so chubby.

Seeing the Spirit Storage Rat’s hopeful gaze, Shen Mo’s eye twitched.

He had given his own portion to the Spirit Storage Rat as well, yet it still seemed unsatisfied, which was quite incredible.

It’s most likely due to the mysterious bloodline of an ancient species.

With this thought, Shen Mo didn’t dwell on it further. He kept a straight face and said seriously, "There’s no more roasted meat for today. If you still want more, you can come find me here tomorrow evening."

"I’ll roast more meat then."

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"

Hearing Shen Mo’s words, the Spirit Storage Rat squeaked in delight.

It had been roaming the Dark Crystal Mine for many years, enduring the elements.

These past two days, however, it had struck gold.

Not only had it eaten delicious food, but it also seemed this Human Cultivator might continue to feed it, potentially becoming its long-term caretaker.

At this thought, the Spirit Storage Rat grew even more cheerful, the golden tuft of fur on its head also swaying excitedly.

But Shen Mo quickly continued, "Eating is fine, but we humans believe in reciprocity. Since I’m treating you to food and drink, you need to give me something in return."

"That’s only fair."

"If you come for roasted meat tomorrow, don’t come empty-handed. Otherwise, don’t blame me if I don’t feed you."

He finally laid his cards on the table, negotiating terms with the Spirit Storage Rat.

According to the brief description in the Identify Library, this Spirit Storage Rat possesses a special Skill: it can disregard Prohibition and natural barriers, and it loves to collect various treasures.

Shen Mo reckoned he might be able to get quite a few treasures out of this gluttonous Spirit Storage Rat in exchange for roasted meat.

Truth be told, the roasted meat wasn’t worth much.

As long as the Spirit Storage Rat brought him something good, he wouldn’t be at a loss.

"Do you understand?"

Like a strange uncle trying to coax a little girl, he repeatedly asked for confirmation.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"

The Spirit Storage Rat nodded slightly, letting out a series of squeaks as if responding to him.

It then jumped off the stone platform and, in a flash, disappeared to who knows where.

Let’s see if there will be any surprises tomorrow.

Shen Mo withdrew his gaze and went to the kitchen in the cave mansion to prepare another meal.

Senior Brother Guo Zhao and Chen Mengze should be returning from their night patrol soon.

Since Shen Mo spent his days slacking off in the cave mansion with nothing much to do, he naturally took on the task of cooking for them.

Sure enough, just as Shen Mo was serving the last dish, steamed sea bass, there was some movement at the entrance of the cave mansion.

Chen Mengze and Guo Zhao had returned from their patrol.

"Senior Brother Guo, Senior Sister Chen, you’re back!"

"Mhm."

Chen Mengze’s reaction was somewhat muted. She didn’t look well, apparently exhausted from the night patrol.

She didn’t even eat. Upon returning to the cave mansion, she went straight into her room and shut the door tightly.

Guo Zhao, however, simply nodded at Shen Mo. "Yes, we’re back..."

"What happened?" Shen Mo asked, noticing Guo Zhao’s somewhat forced smile and Chen Mengze’s strange attitude.

"Sigh... it’s a long story."

Guo Zhao finally couldn’t hold it in any longer. He sighed deeply, his face etched with sorrow. "I don’t even know if Junior Sister Chen will even speak to me in the future..."

So, it really is about matters of the heart!

His curiosity piqued, Shen Mo pulled Guo Zhao to sit at the stone table. "Senior Brother Guo, sit down and tell me. Let’s eat and chat."

"What exactly happened?"

"Tonight, I couldn’t stop myself from telling Junior Sister Chen how I feel," Guo Zhao sighed and said.

He actually confessed.

Hearing this and seeing Guo Zhao’s faintly sorrowful expression, Shen Mo didn’t bother asking if he had succeeded.

Because the answer was already self-evident.

"If I had known, I wouldn’t have confessed so rashly." Guo Zhao looked somewhat regretful and fiercely thumped himself.

Before he’d broken that final layer of unspoken understanding, he and Chen Mengze could at least maintain a semblance of normalcy.

But now, it would probably be awkward whenever they met.

"Senior Brother Guo, maybe you should give up," Shen Mo patted his shoulder and advised. "If it’s not meant to be, don’t force it."

Given Chen Mengze’s personality, if she didn’t like him, it was unlikely she’d change her mind.

Having gotten to know Guo Zhao fairly well these past few days, Shen Mo couldn’t bear to see him so deeply entangled and offered a kind suggestion.

"No..." After a long silence, Guo Zhao grabbed Shen Mo’s arm. "Shen, you have to help me!"

Shen Mo: "..."

It seems Guo Zhao really is the type who wouldn’t give up even if he hit a brick wall.

Ah, well. So be it.

Seeing this, Shen Mo no longer tried to persuade him to give up. Instead, he asked, "How can I help you?"

"You must have a way to get Junior Sister Chen to talk to me again!" Guo Zhao looked at him, his eyes filled with hope.

"If Senior Brother Guo wants to make Senior Sister Chen happy, then when you return, try to find a way to get that Jade Water Pearl," Shen Mo said after a moment’s thought. "If you can find the Jade Water Pearl, after I concoct the Thunder Transforming Pill, I will definitely put in a good word for you with Uncle Chen."

"Senior Sister Chen is very close to Uncle Chen. If she learns that you’ve helped him greatly, she definitely won’t continue to ignore you."

Since Guo Zhao was so hopelessly ensnared by love, Shen Mo figured he might as well use him as a dedicated resource to find spiritual medicine for himself.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Guo Zhao, as if clutching at the last straw, exclaimed excitedly, "I’ll send a message to the sect immediately and ask if anyone knows where to find this item!"

"Hey, Senior Brother Guo, don’t be so hasty," Shen Mo quickly stopped him. "Let’s talk about finding the spiritual medicine after we return to the sect. Right now, I still have many questions about Forging that I need your guidance on."

Previously, Shen Mo had not only obtained the low-grade profound level magic artifact, the Dragon Sparrow Sword, from Guo Zhao, but had also been gifted a copy of the Basic Forging Manual.

The Basic Forging Manual recorded key principles and a wealth of experiential knowledge about artifact forging.

Although it was basic, its strength lay in its completeness and comprehensive scope.

Shen Mo had found time to study it several times recently. After memorizing it, despite never having encountered Forging before, he had gained a significant amount of theoretical experience.

However, after reading it, he still had some questions that he needed Guo Zhao to clarify.

"Alright, tell me whatever you don’t understand!" Guo Zhao nodded upon hearing Shen Mo’s request.

Thus, Shen Mo listed all the parts of the Basic Forging Manual that he didn’t understand.

And Guo Zhao, an experienced Grade II Forgemaster, answered them one by one.

The two talked late into the night. Shen Mo had many of his difficult questions and points of confusion resolved, and his Forging cultivation made considerable progress.