C20 There must be Something That Could be Used

"Hey, Mom, what made you think to call me? I was starting to believe my phone plan came with free calls."

Bao Guo's banter with his mother was usually light-hearted, but this time, her voice was laced with urgency. "Bao Guo, where are you? Your father's had an accident. Come home immediately. Actually, head straight to the Orthopedic Hospital."

Bao Guo's heart lurched, fearing a car accident. He sat up quickly, nearly colliding with Luo Yuqiong beside him. "What happened? Was it a car accident?"

"No, not a car accident. Someone came to his shop to buy jade carvings, and it turned into a dispute. They accused your father of cheating them, smashed up the shop, and injured him. They've fled. Forget the shop for now; go to the hospital. I'm tied up here and won't be off work until noon."

On the phone, his mother's voice was frantic. Bao Guo didn't want to deceive her; he was already at the Orthopedic Hospital but couldn't bring himself to say it. He reassured her, "Don't worry. I'm on my way in a taxi. I'll text you soon."

After the call, Bao Guo stripped off his hospital gown, about to change into his own blood-stained, hole-ridden clothes—impossible to wear. He swapped clothes with Guibao and hurried Luo Yuqiong out.

"I should come and see for myself. Just tell Dad I'm unwell and recuperating. I can't be in the dark about this," Guibao insisted, but Bao Guo refused.

"It's not necessary. I'll check on things myself; it's just downstairs. I'll call if anything comes up. Remember, don't leave. If Dad finds out you're back in the hospital, your old man will hear about it instantly. How will you face him then? Better to stay put."

...

In room 215 on the second floor of the Orthopedic Hospital, Bao Shiyuv, his left arm in a sling and his head bandaged, lamented to the police officer, "I truly don't know the man. He bought two jade carvings first thing in the morning, claiming they were gifts. It wasn't even a thousand yuan. A couple of hours later, he returned, accusing me of selling fakes and demanding twenty thousand yuan in compensation. He even threatened a tenfold penalty. When I refused and threatened to call the police, calling it extortion, he and his accomplice in a duckbill cap attacked me—one striking my head, the other smashing my arm with a chair. They wrecked the shop and stole the money. Oh, what a mess this is."

Just as Bao Guo reached the doorway, he listened intently, sensing that this incident might somehow involve him.

His gaze turned icy. Without evidence, there was no point in suspecting anyone until he found those two lowlifes. Nevertheless, he was determined to uncover the truth and exact a harsh revenge on the scoundrel who had harmed his father.

Upon entering, the police officer began to question him, but Bao Shiyu responded with a wry smile, "This is my son. Ah, it must have been your mother who called you. Don't worry, I'm okay. It's just a minor injury."

"I've spoken with the doctor. The head injury is just a superficial scrape, but your arm was broken by someone. You won't be able to use it for several months, so take this time to rest up at home." Bao Guo took a seat next to his father, growing more convinced that the assailant had targeted his father because of him. The timing was too coincidental—just that morning he had injured his own shoulder as a ploy to trap Soong Jingang, and now his father's arm was broken. He refused to believe it was mere coincidence.

After the police officer finished taking the statement and left, Bao Shiyu looked at his son with a bitter smile and said, "Your mother always worried about me getting pneumoconiosis from my job. Well, she got her wish. My arm won't heal anytime soon, and I can't even supervise my apprentice. Sigh."

Bao Guo leaned in and whispered reassuringly, "Don't worry. A friend from the Northeast has some excellent tiger bone wine. Once you're out of the hospital, I'll get you some. A half-day's drink and your bones will be mending. It's just a shame about the jade carvings in your shop—all ruined. That's a significant loss, isn't it? How much money are we talking about?"

"If it's really that miraculous, just make sure you're not being swindled. The jade carvings aren't worth much, just some talc carvings, probably twenty to thirty thousand yuan at most. There wasn't much cash either. It's not enough to affect your old man's livelihood. And don't worry about your wedding fund; it's all safe and sound, you rascal."

Bao Guo gave his father a speechless glance and said, "What are you even talking about? Here, get comfortable. I'm going to take a photo for Mom so she can see you're alright. Otherwise, she'll be worried sick."

Before he could even share the photo, a call came in from out of town. Bao Guo picked up and was met with a grave voice: "Bao Guo, I'm sorry, your father's been in an accident. I never thought they'd take it out on your family. That's just not playing by the rules. I can't reveal who's pulling the strings right now, telling you wouldn't help anyway. But I can give you the names of the two thugs responsible. Go ahead and report them to the police, let them handle it. I'll send you their photos, contact details, and current whereabouts. Just remember, don't go digging any deeper. You're not equipped to deal with the mastermind yet. We'll revisit this once we've built up our business."

The caller was Guo Xin, and her message confirmed Bao Guo's suspicions: the trouble had indeed started because of him. Well, if someone was going to break the rules, he'd make sure they paid dearly for it.

"Dad, Mom told you to rest. She'll come see you after work. Guibao's back today; I'll pick him up and bring him by to visit you."

"No, no, you impetuous kid, why let Guibao in on this? Just take him out to eat. Need money? I'll send it to you. Don't bring him here."

A surge of warmth filled Bao Guo; his father's concern was ever-present. He chuckled, "I've got money, actually made a decent amount selling teeth cleaning water lately. You just rest. I'll head out now and swing by later. Bye."

Bao Guo texted Guibao, explaining he had errands to run and might return late. Then he dashed to the storeroom tucked in the stairwell corner and teleported to another realm.

...

"Hey, Hu Da, aren't you supposed to be a master? Can you actually do anything? There's got to be something useful. How am I supposed to believe you're a great partner?" Bao Guo was on the verge of despair. He had sought out Hu Da hoping to find something that could give them an edge.

What Hu Da handed over was no joke—it was either explosive potions capable of blasting a two-story stone building sky-high or a corrosive fog, a vile yellow-green concoction that could dissolve low-level Devil Beasts and ordinary humans into liquid. Naturally, this didn't apply to powerful Magicians and Devil Swordsmen.

"This, this... look, when we confront our enemies, it's a life-or-death struggle. You're asking for something to play a prank, but I don't have prank materials. Oh, wait, I remember now. I bought a book to pass the time on the road, and it seems to have some minor recipes for pranks. Hold on, let me find it." With that, the old man began to search through the metal box. Bao Guo had always been intrigued by the box, which seemed like a bottomless pit. It contained a mountainous pile of metal powder, a roll of beast skin as large as a rhino, several meters of braided beast hair, and even a section of a massive tree trunk, still with leaves—all pulled from the depths of the metal box.

"Here it is, this is the one."

Bao Guo leaned in for a closer look. "The Alchemist's Compendium of Curious Concoctions" was an ancient tome bound in leather with gilded edges. The first entry he saw was rather dubious.

"This book aims to offer my fellow Alchemists a respite from the tension of our craft. Work is unending, and relaxation is essential. We must not deplete all our energy in ceaseless toil. It's important to conserve some vigor for enjoyable pursuits. Yes, enjoyable—not necessarily meaningful. To hell with 'meaningful.' We are the grand Alchemists, destined to turn the world upside down with our mischief." Signed, Butler Kern.

Bao Guo's lips quirked in amusement as he inquired, "Who is this Butler Kern? Could he get himself killed by someone for writing this?"

"Ah, well, he actually managed to blow himself up. He was the first ninth-level Alchemist and also the inaugural president and founder of the Alchemist Association. You're aware of the esteemed Butler's Law, right? Magic has properties, and it knows no bounds..."

Bao Guo quickly interjected, "Enough, enough. Let's just find the recipes in this book. This potion for invisibility after transformation, and oh, it has to be combined with the bat potion. The strength-enhancing potion—let's focus on these three. Can you concoct them?"

He pointed to the three entries in the crowded index, a scheme forming in his mind. If Hu Da could produce these three potions, his plan might just work.

Scratching his unruly hair, Hu Da gave a nod, "Yeah, I can do it. The ingredients are pretty common. Have your lady gather them for me. I'll need an alchemy lab. Come see me in the afternoon. Just remember, these potions don't last long. You sure you want to rely on them? They could wear off at the worst times, leading to some awkward situations."

Bao Guo waved dismissively and stepped out, his mind racing with unanswered questions. My woman? Since when do I have a woman? Damn, how do you go from twenty-something years of bachelorhood to suddenly having a woman? Did Krod set me up with a wife? That would be something. But why can't I shake the image of Anna from my head? Cough, I shouldn't think about her. Just the thought brings... Wait, why is Anna on fire?