My Talent Can Constantly Evolve - Chapter 26

Chapter 26 Cautious Lu Xiaoxiao

After Lu Heng left the shop, he carried the bag containing the flower poison ginseng plants and saber in one hand, and the two thick books in his other hand as he continued to walk on the street.

He was in a very good mood. He had received a bumper harvest today.

Not only did he obtain a source of information on the monsters, which he desperately needed, but he also picked up a medicinal herb manual and more than thirty flower poison ginseng plants for free. Thinking this, Lu Heng lowered his head and looked at the two thick books in his hands. He thought to himself that the people who operated a herb shop were indeed different from the people who sold monster meat.

Those who sold herbs needed to study all kinds of medicinal knowledge and had formed the habit of reading books.

It was precisely because of this habit that he had managed to pick up a “Encyclopedia of Small Monsters” for free.

He kept glancing at the books as he walked.

For some reason, Lu Heng’s heart was palpitating intensely. He really wanted to exchange the two food stamps in his pocket for fresh monster meat.

Perhaps it was because today’s harvest was worth celebrating, or perhaps it was because of the words he had said at the dinner table a few days ago.

It might even be because he really wanted to get stronger. After all, he really wanted to experience the nourishment effects of the monster meat personally.

While Lu Heng was thinking this, a tantalizing aroma suddenly wafted into his

nose.

“What is this? Why does it smell so good?!”

Lu Heng turned his head and looked around.

It was almost noon. Someone in a shop on the street had started to make lunch, so the smell of rice wafted out.

After taking a few steps, Lu Heng stopped at the entrance of the shop where the smell was coming from and secretly looked inside.

There was a table inside the shop. Two strong men and a thin middle-aged man were seated down at the table. A woman could be seen setting down a few plates of hot dishes on the table.

It looked like the lady boss of the shop was entertaining the guests.

‘Is that stir-fried meat?’

Lu Heng unconsciously swallowed his saliva and quickly glanced at the dishes on the table.

He had never eaten stir-fried meat slices before. He had only heard about it from his classmates when he was in high school. He did not expect that the real thing was even more alluring and enticing than he had ever imagined

‘Stir-fried meat slices, barbecued meat, meat skewers, hotpot…’

‘Oh right, there’s also soda and juice.’

Lu Heng recalled the strange terms he had heard from his high school classmates.

According to them, each of these things was more delicious than the last.

Lu Heng had also seen the old era books that his classmates had brought to school. One such book was a recipe book.

After reading the recipe book, he still could not forget the images of the food contained within those pages. He had always felt that if he could eat a bite of each of the dishes in the recipe book, his life would be worth it.

‘Forget it. I’d better go back quickly. I only have food stamps with me. There’s no way I can afford to buy monster meat at all.’

Lu Heng suppressed his growing appetite and turned around to head into an alley.

He was a little regretful. If he had known earlier, he would have taken some valuable things from the herb shop so that he could exchange them for some monster meat.

In fact, he had chosen to quit while he was ahead because he was afraid that he would cause trouble and implicate Instructor Wu. Of course, if he sold the thirty-nine flower poison ginseng plants in the bag, he would be able to afford some monster meat.

However, he would never allow them to be used to harm others.

Moreover, these plants were of great use to him.

After making several turns in the alleys, Lu Heng returned to the main street.

At this time, the streets were full of people in a hurry. They were all probably rushing home to cook lunch.

Lu Heng quickened his pace and trotted toward his own residential area.

While hurrying, he thought to himself, ‘When I get home later, I’ll show Xiaoxiao the permit and saber, and then I’ll tell her that the instructor thinks highly of me. That should make her happy.’

Thinking this, Lu Heng sped up even more.

11.30am.

Lu Heng hurried home and was relieved to find that Xiaoxiao was safe and sound in her chair.

However, before he put the things he was holding down, Xiaoxiao asked anxiously, “Second brother, what is that you’re holding?”

Lu Heng quickly put down the bag and books in his hands. He pulled out the saber with a smile and said, “Xiaoxiao, look, this is a brand-new saber.”

“Second brother, why do you have a saber?” Lu Xiaoxiao asked curiously.

“The dojo instructor gave it to me because I’ve been performing well in my training recently. Look, this is my saber-carrying permit.”

Lu Heng handed the saber-carrying permit to Lu Xiaoxiao. Lu Xiaoxiao quickly examined it.

She did not recognize many characters or words, but she knew the characters that made up the names of her family members very well.

As such, she recognized Lu Heng’s name at a glance on the permit.

“Second brother, weren’t you practicing fist techniques? When did you start practicing saber techniques?” Lu Xiaoxiao asked curiously.

“Just a few days ago,” Lu Heng said with a smile.

“Ah? You’ve only been practicing saber techniques for a few days, yet the instructor gave you a saber?” Lu Xiaoxiao asked in disbelief, “I seem to recall that you and big brother once said that practicing martial arts was very difficult?”

“It’s because your brother’s talent is outstanding.”

Lu Heng squatted down and said, “Didn’t I just tell you the other day? The instructor said that when the school divided the civil and martial arts classes, they misjudged my level of talent. In fact, he said that my physique is especially suitable for practicing martial arts.”

“Is that really true?” Lu Xiaoxiao still could not believe it.

Lu Heng looked her in the eye and said, “How could it be false? Can I trick the instructor into giving me a saber?”

“Second brother, are you hiding something from me?”

Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly changed the topic.

Lu Heng was stunned. What was wrong with his sister? Why was she so paranoid?

“Xiaoxiao, don’t worry. I’m not hiding anything from you.”

Lu Heng immediately responded. He did not know why Lu Xiaoxiao said those words.

Could it be because she knew about the fact that he had eaten the flower poison ginseng? Or was it because she guessed that he really wanted to leave the city and hunt monsters?

Neither one was something that he could admit to at a time like this.

“Hmph, second brother, don’t think that I’m clueless just because I’m young. In fact, I know everything.”

“The amount of food stamps that you get from working on the farm every month is not enough for the two of us to eat. You must have gotten extra food stamps elsewhere.”

“You’re the most handsome person in our family. It must be because one of the older sisters took a fancy to you and gave you food stamps, right?”

“That sister helped you get this saber, didn’t she?”

Lu Xiaoxiao looked particularly aggrieved. He did not know whether it was because he had lied to her or for some other reason altogether.

After Lu Heng heard that, he was stunned. How was he going to explain himself?

He had never expected his sister to have perfectly inherited their mother’s genes. Even the way their brains were wired seemed almost identical.

How did she know how many food stamps he earned by working on the farm? Had she overheard their parents discussing farm wages back then?

At this moment, Lu Xiaoxiao pointed at the two books on the table and asked, “Second brother, what are those books?”

When Lu Heng heard this, he brought the books in front of Xiaoxiao and said, “Look at them yourself. They are all books that you can’t understand…”

However, he soon regretted showing the books to Xiaoxiao.

This was because Lu Xiaoxiao decisively opened the Encyclopedia of Small Monsters.

“Second brother, this book is all about monsters. You are probably trying to study them thoroughly and then leave the city to hunt monsters.”

“No.” Lu Heng quickly denied it. “I’m studying these things so that I can go to the University of Martial Arts in the future. These things will be tested during the entrance examination.”

“Really?” Lu Xiaoxiao asked.

Lu Heng thought for a moment and felt that Lu Xiaoxiao probably was ignorant about the contents of the university entrance exam. He braced himself and said, “Of course it’s true. You’re aware of my dream. I really want to go to university.”

Hearing this, Lu Xiaoxiao spent some time in deep thought, after which she said, “Second brother, you have to promise that you won’t lie to your sister about this matter. Only then will I believe you.”

“Okay, I won’t lie to my sister,” Lu Heng immediately promised.

After he said this, Lu Xiaoxiao finally felt relieved.

Lu Heng patted her head again and got up to cook.

Lunch was still the same. The siblings ate two bowls of synthetic food chunk paste, along with a bit of pickled vegetables.

After that, Lu Heng went back to the room to sleep, while Lu Xiaoxiao continued to sit on the chair alone.

Inside the room, Lu Heng placed the thirty-nine flower poison ginseng plants on the bedside table. He thought to himself that it was fortunate that his sister had not asked what they were. Otherwise, it would have been really hard to explain what they were and where they came from.

‘Let’s see if this book has any information about flower poison ginseng plants.’

Lu Heng opened the “Handbook of Common Plant Pharmacology”.

Later, he was going to try to eat more than one ginseng flower at a time. Thus, it was imperative that he thoroughly understood the medicinal properties of the plant.