Painting King wore a solemn expression, unsure what the master of the Holy Realm, Lin Hai, wanted him to do.
“Elder Painting King, about those grilled fish we had last time—where did they come from?”
“Grilled fish? They were just caught from the lake!” Painting King pointed at the lake before them.
“Oh, then could you help me catch a couple?”
Painting King was taken aback.
“The task you mentioned, Master, is just catching fish?”
“Yes, is there a problem?”
“No, not at all.” Painting King quickly waved his hands, feeling a wave of relief wash over him.
At first, he thought Lin Hai was going to assign him some urgent, dangerous, or difficult task, and his heart had skipped a beat. Who would have thought it would be something as simple as catching fish?
“I’ll catch them for you right now.” With that, Painting King walked to the edge of the lake.
His eyes fixed unblinkingly on the water. Then, his right hand shot out, clenched mid-air, and pulled back sharply.
Splash! Splash! An unnamed fish, over twenty centimeters long, flew out of the water and landed on the ground, flopping about.
Holy crap, that’s amazing!
Is that how you catch fish? Lin Hai stared, wide-eyed and stunned.
Painting King continued snatching fish out of the air. In no time, he had caught four or five.
“That’s enough, that’s enough!” Lin Hai quickly stopped him.
Finding a mesh bag, Lin Hai put the fish inside.
“So, Elder Painting King, what technique were you using just now to catch those fish?” Lin Hai asked eagerly.
“Oh, it’s just a basic skill called ‘Star Plucking Hand.’ It lets you grab things from a distance.”
“‘Star Plucking Hand’? Could you teach it to me?” Lin Hai rubbed his hands together.
“Of course. It’s nothing special.” After saying this, Painting King entered the hut.
Lin Hai hurriedly followed him inside.
“Where did I put it?” Painting King rummaged around the room and finally pulled out a grimy book from under one of the table legs.
“It was propping up the table. I almost couldn’t find it.” He dusted it off and handed it to Lin Hai.
“Damn, that’s seriously extravagant, using a secret manual as a table prop.”
Lin Hai took it and saw three large characters on the cover: Star Plucking Hand!
The moment he touched the book, the manual vanished into thin air right before their eyes.
“Master, this…” Painting King looked on in astonishment.
“It’s fine. I stored it away using a secret method,” Lin Hai said calmly.
Painting King’s heart skipped a beat. The master truly is extraordinary—he managed to take the book right under my nose without me noticing!
“Alright, Elder Painting King, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be going now. Next time I visit, I’ll teach you sketching.”
“I bid you farewell, Master!” Painting King quickly clasped his hands in salute.
Lin Hai picked up the mesh bag, and his figure disappeared.
In the next moment, Lin Hai reappeared in the villa.
Whoosh!
The moment he appeared, Lin Hai’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Holy crap, who is this… white figure in front of me?
It was indeed a fair-skinned figure, her back turned to him as she folded a cheongsam on the bed.
“This dress is absolutely gorgeous. I’ll treasure it and save it to wear during the Ghost Festival. I wonder when that guy Lin Hai left. I should have him buy more…”
“Hmm?” Chu Lin’er suddenly felt as if eyes were boring into her back.
She whipped her head around!
“Ah!!!”
A scream pierced the heavens.
“Lin Hai! How dare you look at this princess’s body! I’ll gouge your eyes out!!!”
Lin Hai scrambled out of the villa, his heart pounding in terror.
Damn, she’s lost it. That’s freaking terrifying.
You’re the one not wearing clothes in my room, and you blame me for looking? That’s just unreasonable.
But then again, that girl really has a great figure—absolutely top-notch.
Lin Hai pinched his chin and grinned mischievously.
Hailing a taxi, Lin Hai arrived downstairs at Liu Xinyue’s apartment.
“Auntie, hello,” Lin Hai greeted Zhao Fang.
“Xiao Hai! Come on in and sit. Oh, you shouldn’t have brought anything!”
“Auntie, please cook these fish today. They’re exceptionally delicious, and with your skills, the flavor will be absolutely top-tier.”
“You sweet talker. Alright, Auntie will cook them for you!” Zhao Fang smiled, took the fish, and headed to the kitchen.
“Xinyue, I bought you a dress. Try it on.” Lin Hai then handed the green cheongsam to Liu Xinyue.
“Mhm.” Liu Xinyue took it and went into the inner room.
“Hmph.” Liu Xinqing pouted at Lin Hai.
“Whoa, what’s wrong, sister-in-law?” Lin Hai asked.
“None of your business,” Liu Xinqing retorted before retreating to her room and slamming the door shut.
“Uh…” Lin Hai was utterly confused. Damn, I didn’t upset this little princess, did I?
Liu Xinqing lay face down on her bed, her cheeks puffed out in anger.
“Hmph, you annoying jerk. You only buy clothes for my sister, not for me,” she muttered under her breath.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she froze.
Oh my god, Liu Xinqing! What are you thinking? He’s your sister’s boyfriend!
How can you be jealous of your own sister?
The young maiden’s heart was thrown into turmoil.
“Lin Hai.” Liu Xinyue walked out of the room and called softly.
Lin Hai turned around and was immediately mesmerized.
Liu Xinyue stood there in the green cheongsam, her features delicate and refined. She looked fresh and elegant, like an immortal fairy who had descended to the mortal world, untouched by earthly desires.
“May I ask, fairy maiden, why have you descended to the mortal realm? Is it to seek your beloved?” Lin Hai exclaimed with exaggerated flair.
Pfft. Liu Xinyue couldn’t help but laugh at his words.
“Such a smooth talker,” she said, shooting him a playful glare, though the sweetness on her face was unmistakable.
Bang! Liu Xinqing also emerged from her room. When she looked at Lin Hai, a hint of awkwardness flickered across her face.
“Wow! Sis, you look so beautiful!” Upon seeing Liu Xinyue, Liu Xinqing exclaimed dramatically and rushed over. She looked her sister up and down, her fingers brushing against the cheongsam’s smooth, silky fabric.
“Xiao Qing, if you wore it, you’d definitely look even prettier than me,” Liu Xinyue said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, a shadow of disappointment crossed Liu Xinqing’s face, but she quickly masked it.
“No way, my sister is the most beautiful.”
“Hmph! Such a beauty like my sister, and she’s wasted on you,” Liu Xinqing said, wrinkling her nose at Lin Hai.
“Uh…” Lin Hai scratched his head, unsure how to respond to that.
“Dinner’s ready!” Zhao Fang called from the kitchen.
Everyone hurried in to help bring the dishes to the table.
“Auntie, you have to try this fish. Let me tell you, this isn’t ordinary fish. Not only is it delicious, but it also beautifies the skin, promotes longevity, and cures all sorts of stubborn illnesses.” Lin Hai began spinning a tall tale.
After eating the fish last time, he knew it was special. Whether it truly had all the effects he claimed, he wasn’t sure, but it definitely had benefits for people.
“Stop bragging. If it were that miraculous, would it still be just fish?” Liu Xinqing rolled her eyes at him.
Zhao Fang and Liu Xinyue smiled without commenting.
However, Lin Hai’s enthusiastic recommendation piqued their curiosity. They each picked up a piece of fish with their chopsticks and put it in their mouths.
After just one bite, their eyes widened in astonishment.
They immediately reached for another piece.
“How can it be so delicious?” Forgetting all decorum, they began eating eagerly, piece after piece.
Seeing her mother and sister eat with such abandon, Liu Xinqing was dumbfounded.
“Is it really that good?” she muttered doubtfully and reached out with her own chopsticks.
She placed a piece of fish in her mouth, and her body instantly stiffened.
“Mom! Sis! Save some for me!”
