Chapter 133: The Guanyin Wood Is Alive!

"Mr. Chu, this is the Nanhai Guanyin wood you won at the auction."

The staff member delivered the item with a fake, stiff smile before turning to leave with their team. Mr. Chu eyed the piece of wood, which looked utterly worthless at first glance. The moment Rong Qiaoyi reached out to touch it, he snatched it away.

"Ms. Rong, I think we should examine this wood in private tonight."

Seeing him clutch the Guanyin wood to his chest, Rong Qiaoyi’s expression darkened with displeasure. However, since the item was now within reach and the current location was unsuitable for direct absorption, she suppressed her frustration.

"Fine. I will go with you. Chu Li, your path to stardom officially begins tomorrow."

A look of joy bloomed on Chu Li’s face; she was overcome with excitement at the thought of becoming a major star.

"In that case, I won't disturb you and Ms. Rong any further. I’ll head back on my own."

With such a wonderful turn of events, how could she not go and celebrate with her friends? Once she became famous, she would ensure Shen Qingli and Su He had a miserable time! She refused to believe that a penniless girl with no status or background like her could be outdone by a socialite like the daughter of the Chu family!

Chu Li hailed a separate car and left, while Rong Qiaoyi climbed into Mr. Chu’s luxury van. The vehicle had been customized with a partition in the middle. As the divider rose, Mr. Chu’s hands began to wander.

"I hear Ms. Rong has yet to find a boyfriend. I wonder if you’ve been waiting for me to appear?"

Watching the man’s greasy hand rest on the back of her own, Rong Qiaoyi suppressed the urge to chop it off. She took a deep breath. "Perhaps I have."

Mr. Chu felt even more smug. Thinking that a great beauty like this, whom no one else had managed to win over, had finally fallen into his grasp, he became even bolder.

"Mr. Chu, there’s no rush; we can wait until we reach the hotel. But I wonder, might I take a peek at that Guanyin wood now?"

Rong Qiaoyi asked with a superficial smile, a flicker of impatience crossing her eyes. If she weren't worried about causing a scene, she would have killed him right then and there.

"That won't do. We’ll look at it privately once we reach the hotel." Mr. Chu was shrewd; he knew that if Rong Qiaoyi got her hands on the item, she would no longer listen to him. He refused to budge for the entire journey.

Upon reaching the hotel, they were met by specialized staff. When they saw it was Rong Qiaoyi, their eyes widened in shock. They clearly hadn't expected her to end up in Mr. Chu’s hands.

The two entered the suite, and once Rong Qiaoyi confirmed there were no hidden cameras, she turned around and grabbed Mr. Chu by the throat.

"You really don't know your place, do you? To think you’d dare to touch me—what kind of thing do you think you are? You aren't even worthy of knowing who I am!"

"If it weren't for that Guanyin wood, I would have killed you long ago!"

As she spoke, she tightened her grip, lifting Mr. Chu off the ground. His face turned deathly pale; one more ounce of pressure would have suffocated him to death. Mr. Chu, never expecting such a turn of events, struggled to pry her fingers away, but he found himself completely powerless.

"You... let... let me go!"

The moment he finished speaking, she threw him aside, and he crashed heavily to the floor.

"Cough, cough, cough."

He coughed, staring at the woman standing before him with pure terror in his eyes. "Who... who exactly are you?"

Rong Qiaoyi did not answer. With a flick of her finger, Mr. Chu watched as the safe containing the Guanyin wood burst open without a sound, as if encased in an invisible shroud.

"Killing you would be effortless." She scoffed, her gaze shifting to the Guanyin wood with intense anticipation.

Noticing Mr. Chu trying to reach for his phone to call the police, she flicked her finger again, and the phone flew into her palm.

"If you do as I say, I can grant you immortality. My grandmother is a celestial being in the heavens; you should know the benefits of following me."

As she spoke, a pink glow flickered in her eyes, and Mr. Chu promptly fainted.

Without further distractions, Rong Qiaoyi could no longer hide her delight and reached for the Guanyin wood. However, when her palm touched it, the Deer Spirit power within her body showed no reaction at all.

"What is going on? How can this be!"

She exclaimed in shock, then closed her eyes to sense it. But the energy inside was negligible. She tried to absorb it, but before she could draw it out of the wood, that tiny trace dissipated entirely.

"Damn it! How could there be so little!"

"This shouldn't be! I clearly felt such surging power when I sensed it earlier!"

"Why? Why is there only this little left?! Why?!"

She roared, her eyes growing increasingly manic. "Something must be wrong. How could it just disappear for no reason?"

She muttered to herself before leaving through another exit and heading back out. Returning to the auction house, she used her charms on the staff to carefully review the security footage and guest lists.

There was no one else but Gu Qingming. The backstage area had been visited by no one but the staff...

"Damn it! Damn it! Is this really the only path left for me now?"

She growled, staring at the surveillance footage with a dark and inscrutable expression.

...

After returning home, Shen Qingli placed the Guanyin wood next to the staircase. "This spot is perfect for purifying the air in the whole house."

"Although I can't extract what’s inside, it’s still a decent air purifier."

She poked the wood with her finger. The Guanyin wood seemed to have regained consciousness; it wobbled its body, though it looked quite bare without any leaves.

Xie Jinchuan walked over and infused a burst of spiritual energy into the wood.

"Thump!"

A sound rang out, and a tiny, tender sprout emerged from one of the branches.

"Impressive. This Guanyin wood must have fallen from the heavens. It has consciousness. Your spiritual power can nourish it, but don't give it too much."

No sooner had Xie Jinchuan finished speaking than Shen Qingli, losing control for a moment, sent a massive surge of spiritual energy—as large as a sandbag—toward it.

The next second, a rustling sound was heard.

"Ah! Hair!"

Out of nowhere, a soft, childish voice rang out, and the room fell silent.

"I have hair now!"

The voice spoke again. Xie Jinchuan and Shen Qingli’s gazes locked onto the Guanyin wood. They saw it happily shaking its little leaves.

Green Coriander, startled, lunged forward. "What kind of monster are you? Reveal your true form—ouch!"

Before it could get close, it was swatted away by a branch.

"You strange, half-human, half-ghost, half-celestial, half-demon thing—how dare you hit me?"