**Chapter 20: The Foundation Fortifying Pill, White Feather Albatross**
2013-02-09 Author: Gu Zhenren
“Go summon Wu Datou,” Madam Shu said, her previous rage and distorted expression vanishing as she spoke kindly to her attendants.
Wu Datou, whose surname was Wu and given name Datou, was a man of imposing stature. Standing before Madam Shu, he was like a massive doorframe, exuding an air of sturdiness and simple honesty.
The most striking feature was his enormous head, disproportionate to his body, making him appear top-heavy. He stood at a height of eight feet, with a powerful build, yet his head still seemed disproportionately large upon this frame.
How large was such a head?
Despite his large head, Wu Datou possessed a straightforward and single-minded personality, utterly loyal to Island Master Shu Tianhao. He was an orphan of war, rescued from a pirate attack by Shu Tianhao, and had grown into an exceptionally loyal subordinate. Shu Tianhao had appointed him as the defensive general of Shu Family City.
“Madam, why have you summoned me?” he asked in a deep, resonant voice. He was respectful towards Madam Shu, as she was the wife of Shu Tianhao.
Madam Shu smiled even more gently, her tone as warm as a spring breeze. “General Wu, I have a small request for you.”
“I would not dare,” Wu Datou quickly replied. “If it goes against military orders, I cannot comply. But if it does not conflict with the orders given by the Island Master, I will do it.”
His answer was honest.
Madam Shu nodded, immediately praising him. “General Wu, your dedication to duty is commendable. With you protecting Shu Family City, I fear no pirates, not even Mad Lion, Scarlet Tiger, or Remnant Wolf.”
Wu Datou’s face remained serious. “I may not be able to defeat them, but the Island Master has ordered me to defend Shu Family City. I will die defending its walls.”
“Good, good, good,” Madam Shu said, nodding and smiling, though inwardly she cursed him for being thick-headed. She softened her tone and got to the point. “I have a Foundation Fortifying Pill here that needs to be given to Chu Yun. That young fellow is throwing a tantrum again and has run out of Shu Family City. He won first place in the first assessment with his mutated Fire Fox, and as his stepmother, I am genuinely happy for him. This Foundation Fortifying Pill is exactly what he needs.”
She paused, then continued, “Normally, someone else could handle this. However, I suspect that Chu Yun might throw a tantrum and discard this pill, refusing my kindness. That’s why I’ve specifically asked General Wu to oversee him and ensure his mutated Demonic Beast consumes this pill.”
Wu Datou remained silent for a moment before finally understanding that this request did not violate his military orders. He accepted the pill and replied in his booming voice, “Yes, Madam. I will certainly fulfill this task.”
Madam Shu feigned a sigh. “Alas, that child is very stubborn. General Wu, please take good care of him. Three days from now is the second assessment. I also ask that General Wu spare some time to guide him in demonic beast combat.”
“Understood, Madam,” Wu Datou replied crisply this time.
“Then go,” Madam Shu waved him away lightly.
“Your subordinate takes his leave.”
As Wu Datou departed, Madam Shu’s lips curled into a cold smile of triumph. The Foundation Fortifying Pill was no ordinary pill; it was mixed with Sea Fragrance Seaweed.
This seaweed was difficult to obtain. While it did indeed possess the effect of fortifying the foundation and strengthening the essence for Demonic Beasts, its side effect was causing them to be drowsy and listless for seven days and seven nights, greatly reducing their combat power.
Moreover, this pill, blended with Sea Fragrance Seaweed, showed no outward signs of tampering. It was neither a defective nor a poisonous pill. Only a highly skilled Alchemist could detect the presence of the mixed ingredients.
She doubted anyone around Chu Yun possessed such expertise.
Madam Shu had kept this pill precisely for a situation like this, originally intending it for Shu Da or Shu Er. The pill’s primary effects were sound, but the side effects were significant.
Seven days and nights of lethargy would lead to insufficient training. Even if Chu Yun’s Fire Fox learned the Cultivation Methods from the Jade Slip, a lack of combat training would lead to its defeat in the assessment.
However, the true brilliance of this scheme lay not in the Foundation Fortifying Pill itself, but in the person delivering it!
Wu Datou’s straightforward nature was a compliment on the surface but meant he was slow-witted. He wouldn’t suspect anything, and it would create a good impression of him.
Since he had agreed to ensure Chu Yun ate the pill, he would undoubtedly follow through. And if he agreed to teach Chu Yun combat, he would do so diligently, training Chu Yun as if he were training an army.
By then, how could Chu Yun, exhausted, and his Sky Fox, groggy, possibly stand against Shu Da or Shu Er?
What was most ingenious was Wu Datou’s position. Everyone knew he was trusted by Shu Tianhao and held a crucial defensive role. If anything went wrong, he would be held responsible.
If Shu Tianhao investigated and Wu Datou was removed from his post, that would be even better. Madam Shu had plenty of trusted confidantes waiting to fill the important position of Shu Family City’s general.
“What is a scheme? A true scheme is a chain of events, killing multiple birds with one stone, and anticipating all possibilities. Chu Yun, you little whelp, you’re still too green to contend with me!” Madam Shu thought gleefully to herself.
At the Salt Farm Manor in Xianyan Fishing Village, in the training grounds.
A snow-white figure leaped and pounced, agile and swift, across the training field.
Chu Yun stood with his arms crossed, observing. “Target the blue stone, Little Flame, shoot!” he suddenly commanded.
The Sky Fox, still airborne, heard Chu Yun’s command. With a flick of its beautiful tail, it gracefully maneuvered its body in the air.
It opened its mouth and spat out a fireball the size of a fist.
*Whoosh.*
The fireball streaked through the air in a straight line, accurately hitting its target, the blue stone. With a *bang*, the stone shattered, sending fragments flying. The effect was remarkable.
“Good, stop. Well done,” Chu Yun said with satisfaction.
The Sky Fox immediately scampered over joyfully, circling Chu Yun’s legs. It occasionally nudged his calf with its soft, small body to show affection.
“Little one, come, open your mouth,” Chu Yun said, taking out an eggshell to feed it.
Upon seeing the eggshell, the Sky Fox looked slightly dejected. Its expression suggested it was reminiscing about the delicious coconut milk.
“You greedy little thing!” Chu Yun couldn’t help but scold it with a laugh, stuffing the eggshell into the Sky Fox’s mouth.
*Crunch, crunch…*
The Sky Fox had no choice but to chew, its eyes looking reproachfully at its stingy master.
Suddenly, its body trembled, its drooping ears perked up, and its eyes lit up with surprise. The chewing speed doubled.
It quickly crushed the eggshell and swallowed it. Then, it tilted its head up to a 45-degree angle, looking at Chu Yun expectantly.
It wanted more.
Chu Yun smiled without a word, remaining nonchalant.
Still wanted more…
The Sky Fox’s eyes welled up, and it gazed intently at Chu Yun with its pure, big eyes.
“Alright, I can’t resist you,” Chu Yun sighed mournfully, shaking his head and no longer teasing the Sky Fox. He took out another piece. This time, he didn’t need to force it; the Sky Fox eagerly opened its mouth and began crunching happily.
Eggshells were originally tasteless, but they were rich in nutrients and highly beneficial for newly hatched Demonic Beasts. The Sky Fox’s enthusiastic reaction was due to Chu Yun having secretly soaked the eggshells in coconut milk, making them fragrant and crispy. The little Sky Fox naturally loved eating them.
With his extensive knowledge from his previous life, Chu Yun found the Sky Fox’s picky eating habits a minor inconvenience.
He smiled at the Sky Fox before him, his thoughts drifting. “I wonder if the Three Elders have reached Shu Family City and reported the Remnant Wolf pirate group’s incident yet?”
Little did he know, the Old Red Spear and the other two had no intention of going to Shu Family City. Instead, they headed directly to Old Fish King’s home.
Old Fish King’s residence was located by the sea, a small shipyard.
The three elders entered one after another, familiar with the hidden compartment, and stepped into a secret chamber within the shipyard. A Demonic Beast was kept there – a White Feather Albatross.
Hearing the commotion, the Albatross’s dark, bright eyes immediately flashed with alertness. Upon seeing the three elders, it calmed down, emitting welcoming calls.
Old Fish King smiled and fed the Albatross. Old Red Spear sat down at a table and began to write a letter.
“To the Island Master: The hatching materials that the three of us were entrusted to deliver to Chu Yun have been sent. Chu Yun has successfully hatched a mutated Fire Fox and secured first place in the first assessment…”
The letter detailed recent events, including Chu Yun hatching the Demonic Beast egg, winning first place, and the Tianbao Merchant Shop being spies for the Remnant Wolf pirates.
After the letter was written, Old Red Spear handed it to the other two elders for review.
“Young Chu Yun thinks these three hatching materials were provided by us. How could we possibly have such precious materials? In truth, the Island Master has been secretly watching him and refining him. The Island Master’s intentions are truly profound,” Elder Qiao, the monkey-like elder, said, holding the letter with trembling hands.
“However, Chu Yun is truly remarkable. Like father, like son; the Island Master has a successor!” Old Fish King remarked sentimentally, taking the letter and placing it into a specially made bamboo tube.
“Indeed, Madam Shu’s mistreatment of Chu Yun was something the Island Master saw and felt deeply in his heart. For years, he has instructed us three to look after Chu Yun. Chu Yun has not disappointed; his personality is exactly like the Island Master’s,” Old Red Spear agreed with deep feeling.
“I believe the Island Master will be very pleased to see this letter,” Elder Qiao, the monkey-like elder, said as he brought the bamboo tube containing the letter to the Albatross.
The Albatross opened its beak, took the bamboo tube, tilted its head, and swallowed it.
Old Red Spear opened the window lattice, and the Albatross let out a cry, flapped its broad wings, and soared into the sky!
The sky was vast, and the azure sea, like a slowly rising continent of blue, shimmered with a glassy luster. Islands, like verdant pearls, were embedded in the brocade velvet of the ocean. Mysterious shadows of colossal sea beasts flickered in the depths.
Various seabirds chirped, as if singing praises to the ocean’s magnificence. White clouds drifted across the sky, and the Albatross, with its wide wings spread, glided freely through the heavens.
