Divine Level Witch Doctor

The staff members gathered around also saw the ring in Hao Li's hand, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Because they had gotten the wrong idea.

A few of the fangirls, their eyes gleaming, cried out in excitement, "What's going on? He's giving him a ring? Is this a proposal? Are Mr. Zhao and the boss about to publicly come out?"

But even as they were excited, they also felt a twinge of regret.

Zhao Yuan was one thing—not only was he handsome, but he had an impressive physique. Compared to him, the chubby Hao Li was a significant downgrade. The fangirls couldn't help but sigh. 'If it were two handsome guys coming out, it would be so much better, so much more aesthetically pleasing! What a shame!'

At the same time, the looks on Zhao Yuan and Hao Li's faces were absolutely dreadful.

Hao Li shot the fangirls a vicious glare and snapped, "Coming out, my ass! What the hell goes on in those heads of yours all day? Can you get a grip?"

Zhao Yuan, meanwhile, explained with a wry smile, "It's a misunderstanding. I'm straight! Very, very straight! Nothing you're imagining would ever happen between Old Hao and me!"

Hao Li waved his hand dismissively at his staff. "Alright, that's enough. Don't just stand around here. Scram, all of you! Get lost and get back to whatever you were supposed to be doing!" He then made a point of warning the fangirls, "Especially you! Don't go downstairs and start spouting nonsense. If I find out you're still spreading rumors, you can expect a pay cut!"

Once the employees were gone, Hao Li could no longer hide his excitement. Cradling the ring, he asked in a trembling voice, "Little Brother Zhao, this ring... it's not a Spatial Magical Artifact, is it?"

Zhao Yuan had been about to explain, but seeing that Hao Li had guessed it right away, he couldn't help but be surprised. "Have you seen a similar Magical Artifact before?"

"Never!" Hao Li shook his head emphatically. "I felt it when I touched it. There's Qi with spatial elements inside."

Zhao Yuan asked, puzzled, "Aren't you in the Marrow Cleansing Realm? How can you sense Qi?"

Hao Li answered, "It's a Secret Technique from our Tripod Cuisine School. It lets us sense whether an item contains Qi through our fingers. While we mostly use this skill for cooking Qi-Containing ingredients, it's also useful for identifying treasures. But that's the limit of this Secret Technique's effect. We can't sense the Qi that flows through the world, much less absorb it into our bodies to advance our cultivation."

Zhao Yuan's face lit with understanding. He nodded and said, "So that's how it is. It seems every Cultivation School has developed its own special Secret Techniques over thousands and thousands of years."

Hao Li, overcome with emotion, pressed him, "Little Brother Zhao, you still haven't told me, is this ring actually a Spatial Magical Artifact or not?"

"Yes. It's called a Storage Ring," Zhao Yuan replied. "Consider it compensation for the destruction of your Lingyun Pavilion. How about it?"

"This is too valuable, I can't accept it." Though his words said one thing, Hao Li's expression and the look in his eyes revealed just how desperately he wanted the Storage Ring.

Zhao Yuan saw right through him and said deliberately, "You're not accepting it? Fine, then give it back to me."

"Huh?" Hao Li was stunned. "You're really taking it back?"

Zhao Yuan replied, "Well, you said you wouldn't take it, so shouldn't I take it back?"

"Damn it!" Hao Li protested, complaining, "Couldn't you try to persuade me a little more? Persuade me twice... no, just persuade me one more time, and I'll accept it."

Zhao Yuan rolled his eyes. "Do you know what you're doing? It's the classic case of a whore demanding a monument to her virtue!"

Hao Li just chuckled, not at all offended. He just asked, "So you're really giving it to me?"

Zhao Yuan said, exasperated, "Enough with the nonsense! Say one more word and I really will take it back!"

At these words, Hao Li panicked. He immediately clutched the Storage Ring tightly in his palm, striking a pose that screamed, 'I'll fight to the death with anyone who tries to take this from me.' The sight made Zhao Yuan burst out laughing.

Once he was sure Zhao Yuan wouldn't really take back the Storage Ring, Hao Li relaxed. Half-joking and half-serious, he said, "Little Brother Zhao, you're welcome to visit my Lakefront House anytime. Feel free to destroy whatever you want!"

Zhao Yuan was left speechless. He laughed and cursed, "Damn, you think I'm some rich idiot? You're just waiting for me to come back, destroy more stuff, and give you more great things as compensation? Dream on!"

Hao Li just roared with laughter. He wasn't offended by the scolding at all and instead started asking how to use the Storage Ring. After learning, he immediately started experimenting, putting things in and taking them out again, repeating the process endlessly, having the time of his life.

"Having fun?" Zhao Yuan asked.

"Lots of fun," Hao Li said without looking up.

Zhao Yuan said, exasperated, "Alright, it's yours now. No one's going to steal it. You can play with it later. For now, help me get a room, a bathtub or a bathing barrel, and boil a few buckets of hot water."

Hao Li looked up at Zhao Yuan, his brow furrowed. "Little Brother Zhao, you're covered in wounds. It's not a good idea for you to soak in a bath. In my opinion, it would be better to use rubbing alcohol to clean the grime off your body."

It was no wonder he thought Zhao Yuan wanted to take a bath. Although the earlier Celestial Thunder hadn't struck Zhao Yuan directly, the shockwave had left him charred black from head to toe. Add to that being buried under rubble and covered in dust and ash, and his current appearance was as wretched as it gets—not much better than a beggar rummaging through a trash heap for food.

Zhao Yuan gave a wry laugh and explained, "I'm not taking a bath. I need to prepare a medicinal bath to heal my injuries!"

"Oh, so that's what it is." Hao Li finally understood Zhao Yuan's purpose. He nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll arrange it for you. Follow me, I'll take you to a room first."

Hao Li turned and bellowed an order to the chefs who had just gone downstairs and weren't far off, telling them to hurry up and boil some water. Then, he led Zhao Yuan down from the Octagonal Tower and toward the guest rooms in the back courtyard.

The guest rooms at Lakefront House were generally not open to the public. They were only used to accommodate fellow cultivators who came to visit. The environment, facilities, and everything else were first-rate, in no way inferior to a Five-Star hotel, and even possessed a special, classical charm.

Hao Li led Zhao Yuan into one of the guest rooms, pointed to the high-end bathtub in the bathroom, and asked, "How's this?"

Zhao Yuan nodded in satisfaction. "This is great, but I'll still need the boiled water."

The room had a hot water supply, but the temperature was nowhere near what Zhao Yuan required.

"Alright, you rest up. As soon as the water is boiled, I'll have someone bring it over immediately." After saying this, Hao Li took his leave—he was impatient to get back to studying his Storage Ring.

Zhao Yuan couldn't have been happier to see him go. 'Finally, some peace and quiet,' he thought. 'That fat guy talks way too much.'

About twenty minutes later, several chefs came in, carrying large buckets filled with boiling water.

As the buckets of boiling water were poured into the tub, a cloud of steam immediately billowed up, giving the room the ethereal feeling of a celestial paradise.

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