Chapter 23: Bai Haotian's Phone Call

Chapter 23: Bai Haotian’s Call

"You seem to have a particularly deep understanding of the Nine Families," Xie Xiao said softly as he walked up to Wu Yu.

"After all, I am a member of the Nine Families myself, aren't I?" Wu Yu replied with a faint smile.

"I hope you remember that," Xie Xiao said, looking deeply at Wu Yu. "I don't have many friends, and Tianzhen is one of them."

"Is that so? Then in that regard, we are a bit different," Wu Yu turned his head slightly to look at Xie Xiao. "I don't make friends."

"Don't do anything that would betray Tianzhen, or I won't let you off," Xie Xiao’s eyes sharpened with a hint of coldness.

"Heh, we'll see if you have the ability! To be honest, I really would like to experience the methods of the Young Master of the Xie family," Wu Yu said, showing a flicker of genuine seriousness this time.

Although the power of the Nine Families was currently scattered like loose sand, one could not deny the formidable strength they once held when united. If he could harness that power to aid his own goals, Wu Yu would naturally be more than willing. However, taming these unruly individuals from the Nine Families would be no simple task. Even ignoring the monsters and demons of the older generation, how many of the younger generation were truly simple?

*Ding…*

Seeing the caller ID, Wu Yu raised an eyebrow and stepped aside to answer.

"Brother Xiao Yu, how could you just leave without even saying goodbye?" A crisp, clear voice came through the line, sounding like that of a young girl.

"Oh, if it isn't the little princess," Wu Yu said with a grin. "There were just too many things happening outside, and I had no choice but to step in and handle them. Dealing with the messy, tangled affairs of the Nine Families is truly exhausting."

"Hmph, but I heard it was because you didn't want to marry me that you fled the Eleventh Warehouse!" the voice on the other side retorted, sounding rather persistent.

"Uh... well..." Wu Yu rubbed his nose in embarrassment. "Listen, little princess, there is a twelve-year gap between us, plus three more years. By age, you could easily call me uncle."

Indeed, the person on the other end of the line was the little princess of the Bai family from the Eleventh Warehouse, Bai Haotian. When he first arrived at the Eleventh Warehouse, this little one hadn't even been born yet. Later, he would visit her occasionally and found that she was particularly attached to him. In the blink of an eye, the little girl was now six years old and spent her days clamoring to marry him.

At first, he thought it was just childish talk and that no one would take it seriously. But to his surprise, the Bai family had agreed and even went to discuss it with Old Man Wu as if it were a real matter! Good heavens, the moment Wu Yu heard that, he turned around and ran. Who could have imagined things would develop to such a point?

"Humph! I'll spare you this time, but let's see where you run next!" Bai Haotian snorted before continuing, "Father asked me to tell you that the scan is complete. The Eleventh Warehouse is already accelerating the construction of a model recreating the Palace of King Lushang. The Heavenly Heart Stone and everything that could be salvaged from the palace have also been safely transferred."

"Phew, that’s good, that’s good," Wu Yu breathed a sigh of relief. "It’s just a pity that I damaged the main burial chamber so severely."

"Hee hee, that’s exactly what I’m calling to tell you!" Bai Haotian laughed. "After our excavation, we discovered that the jade silk shroud was miraculously preserved intact without any damage. It’s currently being kept under guard in the Eleventh Warehouse, along with Tie Miansheng."

"Also, Father asked me to tell you not to cause such a commotion next time. The shift in the mountain caused quite a few difficulties for our excavation work, and the higher-ups are a bit displeased; the impact was simply too great."

"It’s not like I did it on purpose!" Wu Yu rolled his eyes. "Besides, what choice did I have under those circumstances? A three-thousand-year-old Hydra Tree going berserk—it’s a miracle I survived at all."

"Even if I wanted to protect the artifacts, I have to ensure my own safety first!"

"Yes, yes, you're right, you always have a point!" Little Bai Haotian on the other end of the phone rolled her eyes as well, her mannerisms nearly identical to Wu Yu’s. "But this time, the Palace of King Lushang has indeed filled a significant gap in our history. I suppose your merits and faults can be considered a draw!"

"By the way, my Third Uncle has gone missing again. It seems he has another destination in mind," Wu Yu said. "It’s unlikely I can keep an eye on him, but if I keep an eye on Wu Tianzhen, I’m sure to find him."

"Don't worry, that’s already been arranged. But you know the rules: the Eleventh Warehouse does not participate in the infighting of any factions; we remain neutral forever," little Bai Haotian said with a serious expression.

Wu Yu hung up the phone immediately. That kind of slogan wouldn't even fool a ghost. At the end of the day, the Eleventh Warehouse was built by the Nine Families; the idea that it could be completely detached was an absolute impossibility.

"If the next step is the Undersea Tomb, then so be it," Wu Yu murmured to himself, glancing at Tianzhen in the distance with a faint smile. "I just wonder what kind of harvest there will be this time!"

Returning to his room, Wu Yu took a pot of water and poured it into a basin on the windowsill.

"Sigh, little Si Teng, when will you finally grow up?" Wu Yu sighed.

After he had slain the Hydra Tree, the system had granted him a reward: Si Teng... a seed!

At the same time, the essence of the Hydra Tree was a finger-thick, ink-green core from the center of its trunk. After grinding it into powder, he had used it as fertilizer and planted it along with the Si Teng seed.

As if hearing Wu Yu’s words, the previously calm soil in the basin suddenly shifted slightly, and a vibrant green sprout with two tiny leaves broke through the earth.

*Ding!*

"Si Teng has heard the host's call and has emerged. Please drip a drop of fresh blood as soon as possible so that Si Teng can sense the host's presence. Only by recording the host's aura in this way will Si Teng refrain from attacking the host in the future."

"Right, I forgot that Si Teng is quite bloodthirsty!" Wu Yu nodded thoughtfully. If he remembered correctly, in the original story, both the previous Si Teng and the resurrected Si Teng were fueled by the consumption of large amounts of blood and the essence of their own kind!

With that thought, he sliced his fingertip and dripped a drop of blood into the soil.

The moment the blood fell, it was quickly absorbed by the two tender leaves. In the hidden depths of his consciousness, Wu Yu felt a sense of closeness with Si Teng—an indescribable and mysterious connection.

"It is recommended that the host carry it with you, as Si Teng will grow faster by absorbing the host’s blood."

"That works; my zither case is large enough to hold a small pot," Wu Yu thought to himself and nodded.

Si Teng was still too small to leave the soil, but once it grew a bit more, there would be no need to carry it around constantly.

However, thinking of bloodthirst, he suddenly remembered the little one the big yellow dog had entrusted to him. He quickly headed to the backyard to find his grandmother.

Because the old woman was worried, she was temporarily helping to train the little creature. After all, having been born into bloodthirst, once such a dog grew up, it would inevitably be fierce and aggressive, potentially even harming its owner. Training it was no simple task, so the old woman had suggested she take charge of raising it for a while before handing it over to Wu Yu.

Wu Yu had agreed, knowing that as a living creature, it wasn't suitable for him to carry around everywhere. Since it had to be kept at home, having the old woman train it in the meantime was a perfect arrangement.