15 The Book of Five Beasts (1)(Chapter preview)
Was it really effective in the water?
Li Hao tried to recall his past. He had never taken the pendant off before. He had kept it on even when bathing. It didn't seem to have any remarkable powers in the past. When he was young, he had even put it in his mouth.
But this time, it worked! At least it had worked on Black Panther.
In the kitchen, Li Hao took a big soup bowl and placed the pendant in it. He added boiling water to it. He wondered if it needed scalding hot water to work.
He naturally wouldn't use boiling water to bathe in. Maybe right temperature was needed for the power to work. Maybe in the past, the right temperature was not met for the power to melt and imbue in the water.
There hadn't been a significant change when Black Panther had licked it before anyway. It wasn't until Li Hao had placed the pendant in the boiling water and Black Panther had drunk it that his fur had turned smooth and shiny.
'If boiling water doesn't work, then I will figure something else out,' thought Li Hao. 'What if only dogs can absorb the mysterious substance of the jade?' Li Hao was at a war with himself.
His heart was in a tumult: hesitation, excitement, worry…
He desired to feel the power of the mystical realm! Perhaps now he would have a way to deal with the red shadow.
He needed such power if he was to face the red shadow. People had already started monitoring him. The red shadow would attack him any day now. The Night Patrollers themselves might be looking for those people who could see the shadow. And if there really was a mole in the Inspection Office…
As he thought about all this, his resolve became stronger. Even if this didn't work, he wouldn't give up.
The Starry Sky Sword had already soaked in the boiling water for a while now. There was no distinct change in the water yet. At his feet, Black Panther was drowsy. It was lying on the ground and looking up at the soup bowl lazily. It still looked like it wanted the water but the urgency and excitement from before was gone.
Li Hao sighed. He didn't rush to drink it. He took the bowl and walked out of the kitchen. He locked the front door and drew the curtains close once again.
He wanted to make sure no one could see him. Li Hao carried the bowl to the sofa and sat down. He looked at the pendant in the bowl. It looked crystal clear.
'The Li family sword… maybe there is something special about it if it was passed down from generation to generation,' thought Li Hao.
Li Hao picked the bowl and gritted his teeth. He placed the gun beside him on the sofa at grabbing distance. He took a small sip. The water was still hot but not so much that it could burn his tongue.
He drank a mouthful. There was no reaction at first. He only felt the warmth left by the water in his mouth. Then, a warm current began to spread in his stomach.
The sensation quickly disappeared. Li Hao was confused. 'Was it just my imagination?' he thought.
Li Hao was sure that it was his mind playing tricks on him. 'Well… as long as I don't die,' he thought and drank another mouthful. As he drank more and more, the sensation was more real.
There really was a warm current spreading in his stomach! He pulled up his shirt and looked at his stomach, there was a faint starlight flickering from within.
Li Hao was shocked. 'Is this a mystical power?' he wondered.
As he drank more of the water, the starlight seeped into the air. He could see it with his naked eyes. In the next moment, they faded from Li Hao.
Black Panther opened its eyes and walked towards Li Hao. It stuck out its tongue and licked the air around Li Hao but his tongue didn't seem to touch anything at all.
"What is that?!" exclaimed Li Hao. He frowned. 'Is that starlight supposed to be the mysterious power of the jade pendant?' he wondered. 'It was in my stomach, then it seeped out into the air. Was it because I am unable to hold that power?'
He knew nothing about what this was supposed to mean. He had practice combat with his professor. There were rules to follow when practicing.
If you exercise randomly, it will not help in strengthening your body and you will only end up wasting your energy. Professor Yuan had mentioned that once before.
Li Hao felt that it applied to the present situation. He didn't know how to preserve the power so it flowed out of him. 'Does it have some kind of rule that I need to follow?'
Li Hao glanced at Black Panther. The dog might not have known any rules but it had been able to hold the starlight within its body long enough for the benefits of the water.
Li Hao looked at the remaining water in the bowl. He had gathered some knowledge about it:
First, the jade pendant really had some kind of mysterious power which manifested in the form of starlight energy but it needed boiling water to activate it.
Second, the energy had some remarkable qualities and benefits but it could not be preserved.
Third, if Li Hao wanted to harness this energy and use it, he needed a secret manual or some kind of system which could help him absorb this energy.
Fourth?
Li Hao was just throwing ideas and conclusions around for now. He wondered if there were any requirements for the cultivation of the mysterious power, and if he could meet them.
