Chapter 30: The Talent Scan
Time: One Hour After Birth.
Location: The Bedroom.
The storm had passed, leaving the night air cool and washed clean. Inside the bedroom, the atmosphere was warm and smelled of milk and herbs.
Luo Xia sat up in bed. A normal mortal woman would be bedridden for weeks after childbirth, too weak to move. But Luo Xia was drinking a bowl of warm Spirit Milk.
As the white liquid flowed down her throat, a visible flush of health returned to her cheeks. The exhaustion in her eyes vanished. Her Qi, which had been chaotic during labor, settled instantly.
"It's like magic," she whispered, flexing her fingers. "I feel... strong. I feel like I could run a lap around the courtyard."
"Don't push it," Luo Feng smiled, sitting beside her. "You have consumed enough resources to bankrupt a small sect. Recovering quickly is the least you can do."
He was joking, but it was true. The Mutated Yams and Spirit Milk had rebuilt her constitution from the inside out.
Luo Xia looked down at the bundle in her arms.
Luo Tian was awake. He was silent. His small fists were still clenched against his chest, and his dark eyes were tracking the flickering candlelight.
"He's so quiet," Luo Xia murmured, touching his nose. "Is he okay?"
"He is perfect," Luo Feng said.
He placed his hand gently on the baby's head. He needed to know. In this world, a child's future was decided the moment they took their first breath.
He activated the System's appraisal function, focusing his intent on his son.
Ding.
The information flowed directly into Luo Feng's mind.
[Target: Luo Tian]
[Age: 1 Hour]
[Spirit Roots: Three Attributes (Fire / Earth / Metal)]
[Physique Trait: Natural Iron Bones]
[Potential: High]
Luo Feng's eyes widened slightly.
Three Spirit Roots.
In the cultivation world, having fewer roots was usually better (Single Root is a genius, Five Roots is trash). Three roots was... average. It was the standard for a normal sect disciple.
But the combination was terrifying.
Fire: Explosive power.
Metal: Piercing sharpness.
Earth: Unbreakable defense.
And the Passive Trait: Natural Iron Bones.
This was the result of Luo Xia eating the Iron-Skin Yams every day during pregnancy. The baby's skeletal structure was naturally denser than steel. He was born a tank.
"He has Fire, Earth, and Metal," Luo Feng told his wife softly. "And his bones are harder than mine were at Layer 3. He isn't a genius of magic... he is a genius of war."
Luo Xia kissed the baby's forehead. "I don't care if he is a genius. I just want him to be safe."
"He will be," Luo Feng promised. "Because I will build a world where no one dares to touch him."
They spent the night in peace. The baby slept, the mother rested, and the father sharpened his blade, his mind already moving to the next battlefield.
Time: Three Days Later.
Location: The Treasure Pavilion.
Luo Feng walked into the Treasure Pavilion. He wasn't wearing his disguise mask today, but he wore a bamboo hat that shadowed his face.
The shop was busy, but the atmosphere was tense.
He walked straight to the back room. Fatty Wang was there, pacing back and forth, holding a stack of ledgers. He looked more stressed than usual.
"Brother Luo!" Fatty Wang looked up, his face brightening. "You finally came out of your cave. I heard the news—a son?"
"Luo Tian," Luo Feng nodded, taking a seat.
"Good name. Heavenly," Wang grinned, pouring tea. "Congratulations. A child is a blessing, but also a weakness. Now you have something to lose."
"That is why I am here," Luo Feng said, placing a storage bag on the table. Inside were 50 Flasks of the Spirit Surge Wine. "The Phoenix Spirit Pavilion. We open tomorrow."
Fatty Wang looked at the bag, but he didn't grab it immediately. He sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Brother Luo, I have to be honest with you. The delay wasn't just because of my family issues in the capital."
Luo Feng's eyes narrowed. "Speak."
"It's the competition," Wang said gravely. "Since you stopped supplying the wine six months ago, rumors spread. People know I have a source. The Golden Pill Shop across the street? They are owned by the Alchemy Guild. They are jealous. They have been sniffing around, asking who my supplier is."
Wang stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the street.
"And outside the city... the Black Wind Bandits have been targeting merchant caravans specifically looking for 'spirit wine'. If we open the Phoenix Spirit Pavilion and announce we have a steady supply... we are painting a target on our backs. The Guild will try to crush us legally. The Bandits will try to rob us violently."
Wang turned back to Luo Feng.
"I have the City Lord's name, yes. But that only stops the Guild from burning the shop down. It doesn't stop them from hiring thugs. Are you sure you want to do this? You have a newborn son. Maybe... maybe we should stay small."
Luo Feng sat in silence. He tapped his finger on the table.
He understood Wang's fear. Wang was a merchant. Merchants liked profit, not war.
"Fatty," Luo Feng said calmly. "Do you see this teacup?"
He pointed to a porcelain cup sitting on the far end of the table, three meters away.
"Yes?" Wang was confused.
Luo Feng didn't move his hand. He just looked at it.
Spirit Sense: Activate.
Mental Manipulation.
Rattle.
The cup shook. Then, it floated. It lifted smoothly into the air, drifted across the table, and landed gently in Luo Feng's hand.
Fatty Wang's jaw dropped. He stumbled back, knocking over his chair.
"Telekinesis... Spirit Sense..." Wang stammered, pointing a trembling finger at Luo Feng. "You... you broke through? You are Layer 5?"
"Mid-Stage," Luo Feng lied smoothly (he was Early Stage, but intimidation required exaggeration). "And I have awakened my Mental Perception."
Luo Feng stood up. His aura wasn't explosive like it was in the forest. It was heavy. It filled the room like water filling a tank, pressing against Wang's chest.
"You are afraid of the Alchemy Guild? They are old men mixing herbs. You are afraid of Bandits? They are trash who prey on the weak."
Luo Feng walked over and patted Fatty Wang on the shoulder.
"I didn't cultivate to hide in a hole. I cultivated so I could take what I want. The Phoenix Spirit Pavilion opens tomorrow. If the Bandits come, I will kill them. If the Guild plays dirty, I will play dirtier."
Fatty Wang looked at Luo Feng. He saw the confidence. He felt the terrifying pressure of a Spirit Sense user.
A Layer 5 cultivator was a powerhouse in a small city like Green Willow. Most clan elders were only Layer 6 or 7. Luo Feng was now a true expert.
"Hahaha!" Wang suddenly laughed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He picked up his chair.
"I knew I bet on the right horse! Brother Luo... no, Master Luo! You hid deeply! Layer 5 at your age? You are a monster!"
Wang grabbed the bag of wine, his greed and ambition returning instantly.
"Fine! If you have the strength to hold the sky up, then I have the guts to sell the tickets! We open tomorrow. We will sell the wine at 15 Spirit Stones a flask. We will make the Golden Pill Shop weep blood!"
"Good," Luo Feng adjusted his hat. "But Wang... remember one thing."
"What?"
"Cultivation is a path of trial and tribulation," Luo Feng said, his voice dropping low. "The higher we climb, the stronger the wind blows. I can kill the bandits. But you must handle the politics. Do not sell me out."
"I would never," Wang swore, his face serious. "We are partners. Your wine is my lifeblood now."
Luo Feng nodded and turned to leave.
"Oh, and Wang?"
"Yes?"
"Send a crib made of Cloud-Silk Wood to my house. My son needs a good bed."
Fatty Wang beamed. "Consider it a gift from his Uncle Wang!"
Luo Feng walked out into the busy street. The sun was bright. The noise of the city washed over him.
He touched the storage pouch at his waist. Inside was his saber. Inside his Dantian was the fire.
The baby was born.
The shop was opening.
The target was painted on his back.
"Let them come," Luo Feng whispered to the wind.
[End of Chapter 30]
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