Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Before they knew it, the sun had moved directly overhead. The families looked at the sky and got up to say goodbye.

There were so many snacks on the table that they ate while playing, and both adults and children were almost full, so they skipped lunch.

Zhu Gaoxi didn't forget his mother's pets either, taking out a gourd from his waist specifically for holding animals.

He walked up to Empress Xu and, following the same old procedure of recognizing her as his owner, handed her the gourd: "There are more than a dozen cats and dogs inside, of various breeds. Mother, when you return, you and Father can choose two that you like to keep. The rest can be given as gifts to the people in the palace, or given away."

Empress Xu took the gourd, weighed it in her hand, and smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "One or two are enough, there's no need for so many."

Zhu Gaoxi waved his hand casually, "Anyway, it's nothing special, Mother can just take it."

Everyone mounted their own somersault clouds. Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaosui looked at the Prince of Han, and Zhu Gaochi couldn't help but laugh and tease, "Second brother, your Prince of Han's residence is only half an alley away, not even a few steps away, yet you still insist on riding a cloud back."

Zhu Gaoxu stood atop the white tiger, waving his hand without turning his head: "You have to walk at least a couple of steps, but I can sit on a cloud and not walk at all. If you have a cloud and don't sit on it, aren't you just asking for trouble? Do you two even know what prestige is!"

Amidst laughter and chatter, the clouds dispersed.

The once bustling Prince Rui's mansion was now empty again. Zhu Gaoxi stood in the courtyard watching the last somersault cloud disappear on the horizon before turning back to his bedchamber.

Lying on the cloud bed, he opened the Book of All Things, flipped through it, and then closed it again. Perhaps it was because the past few days had been too lively, but now that it was suddenly quiet, he felt that something was missing.

Forget it, we're setting off in a couple of days. I'll go to Annam, teach these barbarians a lesson, and change my mood.

After an unknown amount of time, a commotion suddenly came from outside.

The boy with snotty nose came running in to announce that Yang Ji and Jian Fang had returned and were waiting in the front yard. Zhu Gaoxi sat up abruptly, straightened his clothes, and walked to the front yard.

The two men were standing in the courtyard, looking travel-worn but in good spirits, clearly having accomplished their mission smoothly.

Yang Ji stepped forward first, took out several gourds of excellent quality from his sword-nurturing gourd, and presented them with both hands: "Your Highness, I searched for several days in Liaocheng and found this lightning-struck peach wood gourd at the home of an old hunter."

"According to the old hunter, his family had been hunters for nineteen generations. This gourd was found by his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather while hunting in the mountains. At that time, a bolt of lightning struck the nearby trees, scorching them, but the gourd remained intact. I thought that lightning-struck wood was rare, and peach wood was a superior material for warding off evil spirits. It was also old enough, so I brought it back."

Zhu Gaoxi took it and examined it closely. The peach wood gourd was dark brown all over, with blackened thunder patterns on its surface. It was slightly warm to the touch, and a faint aura of thunder flowed through its veins.

He nodded to himself; it was indeed a good product.

Jian Fang also took out several gourds, one of which was the most eye-catching.

It was a bronze gourd, dark green all over, with blurry cloud and thunder patterns engraved on its body. The rust was mottled but did not hide its ancient simplicity.

Jian Fang reported that the gourd was found in Pingyang Prefecture by an antique dealer. It was said to be a ritual implement from a Taoist temple in the previous dynasty, passed down for hundreds of years, and then passed through several hands before ending up in the hands of that dealer.

Zhu Gaoxi carefully put away the gourds, patted the two men on the shoulder, and led them to the dining hall, where he summoned a table full of dishes from the gourmet table: roasted lamb chops, braised pork, steamed pork with rice flour, crab roe tofu, pickled fish, several delicate snacks, and a pot of spirit wine.

The two had traveled for several days, enduring wind and rain, and their eyes lit up when they saw the table full of delicious food.

Zhu Gaoxi told them to sit down and eat slowly, and that he wouldn't stay by their side to interfere. He simply said he was going to his study to study the gourds they had collected that day, and that he should have the eunuch announce their arrival after they finished eating.

Back in his study, he placed the lightning-struck peach wood gourd and the bronze gourd on his desk and activated the gourd's divine power.

Golden light swept over the two gourds, and the refining process was smoother than ever before. The better the quality of the gourd, the less effort it took to refine it, as if they themselves had been waiting for this moment.

As the golden light faded, the attributes of the two gourds appeared in my mind.

The peach wood gourd struck by lightning can unleash thunder and release lightning energy. An ordinary person's mental energy can at most draw one or two bolts, which would instantly burn a person to a crisp. With his current mental energy, he can summon rolling thunder that can strike all night without stopping. This is pretty good; I'll keep it for myself for now.

He nodded in satisfaction, put the gourd aside, and picked up the bronze gourd.

The properties surprised him even more. The gourd mouth could blow out a bronze-colored mist that corroded the flesh and burned the soul at the same time. Those who were sprayed with it felt as if their bodies were doused with concentrated acid and their souls were roasted on a fire, suffering double torment.

This gourd is against nature, but it's perfect for cooling things down. Don't they have a volcano? This can be considered a helpful act.

He also glanced at the gourds that Zhu Di and his brothers had brought that morning, and found two rather nice ones among them.

One is a space gourd, several hundred cubic meters in size, which can also hold people, making it convenient for transporting troops and supplies in the future.

The other one is of the ice attribute and can release a large amount of cold air, freezing living people directly into ice sculptures.

He carefully kept the few high-quality gourds separately, while the remaining ordinary ones were still stored in the jade gourd, to be given as gifts later.

Just as they finished tidying up, they heard footsteps outside. Little Snot came in to report that Yang Ji and Jian Fang had finished eating and were waiting in the yard.

Zhu Gaoxi walked into the courtyard and had someone catch a few ants and grasshoppers from the corner of the wall. In front of the two men, he activated the divine power of the monkey talisman.

The ants on the ground swelled and deformed in the light, growing golden fur and fluffy tails. Several Ragdoll cats and Shiba Inus blinked and squatted in the yard, not yet realizing how they had suddenly changed.

Yang Ji and Jian Fang were both dumbfounded. Their mouths were agape for a long time before Jian Fang finally managed to stammer out, "Your Highness's supernatural power is too amazing. You can even turn an ant into a cat."

"The Somersault Cloud and the Sword-Nourishing Gourd have already been given to you, as an advance reward. You did a good job on this mission and returned promptly. You can take these pets back and keep them as pets."

Zhu Gaoxi waved his hand, letting the two of them each choose a cat and a dog, and added, "You'll have a long time in the manor from now on, so work hard, and you'll get plenty of good stuff."

He paused, his gaze sweeping lightly across the two faces: "By the way, this supernatural power isn't just for turning ants into animals; it can also turn people into animals."

Yang Ji and Jian Fang felt a chill run down their spines. Was His Highness implying something to them? If he could turn people into animals, wouldn't he be able to...?

Yang Ji reacted quickly, immediately bowing respectfully and saying, "Your Highness, rest assured, we will do our utmost and dare not fail Your Highness's trust."

Jian Fang quickly followed suit and bowed to show his loyalty.

Holding the cat and dog in their hands, the two of them had the same thought in mind.

Your Highness's extraordinary abilities are a reward, but also a punishment. From now on, when you serve in Prince Rui's mansion, loyalty is paramount. Otherwise, if you really turn into a beast, you'll have nowhere to cry.

Zhu Gaoxi smiled at the fleeting, subtle expressions on their faces and said nothing more.

The two thanked them again, then carried the cat and dog away on a cloud. The cloud's tail swayed twice on the horizon before disappearing.

Zhu Gaoxi watched their somersault cloud dissipate, then turned and went back to his study.

Today's batch finally has a few decent items that are presentable.

Zheng Cong and his men haven't returned yet, but they should be soon. Before setting off for Annam, the framework of Prince Rui's residence should be set up.