Chapter 164: Trinkets

Peng Zhenyuan didn’t notice Lin Dong’s expression. He took out the silver cat, removed a silver block from its belly, took out a piece of spirit stone, cut off about one-fifth of it, and inserted it into the cat’s belly before closing the silver block again.
Putting it on the ground, Peng Zhenyuan held the cat by its body with one hand while pinching its right ear with the other and pulling it slightly upward.
Click, click…
The cat slowly stretched out its limbs and started moving forward. Peng Zhenyuan smiled. Though its speed was extremely slow, it was a good toy for entertaining children.
When the cat reached the door and was about to hit the threshold, Peng Zhenyuan picked it up again, pressed its slightly raised right ear back into place, and the cat’s moving limbs stopped mid-air.
Putting the cat on the table, Peng Zhenyuan said, “As long as you put a spirit stone in the cat’s belly, the right ear is the mechanism that allows it to walk on the ground—just pull it up. If you want it to stop, just…”
His voice suddenly stopped. Peng Zhenyuan then realized Lin Dong’s gaze was unusual—alternating between the woodpecker and the cat, with a fervent and intense light in his eyes.
“Shopkeeper Lin, you…” Precious treasures worth vast sums were dismissed lightly, and huge price increases were refused outright. Peng Zhenyuan couldn’t understand why Lin Dong would become so upset at the sight of a few trinkets.
“Ah?” Lin Dong seemed to wake up from a dream. After exclaiming in surprise, he finally understood.
“Shopkeeper Lin, these trinkets…” Peng Zhenyuan looked at Lin Dong in confusion.
Lin Dong reacted quickly, saying, “If they can make the woodpecker and the cat move on their own, and not through some mechanical mechanism, then the wooden horse must be the same. How did the head of the Peng family find these? I’ve never heard of them before.”
Peng Zhenyuan smiled and said, “It’s just something my daughter made casually.”
A storm of emotions surged within Lin Dong. From his tone, he could tell Peng Zhenyuan didn’t really care much about these things. Suppressing his emotions, he thought for a moment before tentatively asking, “The woodpecker and the cat can move for much longer than those mechanical trinkets. I wonder if the head of the Peng family is interested in us collaborating to produce more—it could be a good business.”
Peng Zhenyuan felt relieved. This shopkeeper Lin was still, after all, a merchant.

Although he didn’t want to disappoint Lin Dong, Peng Zhenyuan reluctantly said, “These gadgets may last longer than those powered by mechanical mechanisms, but they require the use of spirit stones. For example, if this woodpecker keeps pecking nonstop, it can consume a spirit stone in just three to five days. Moreover, manufacturing them is extremely complicated; even with the same materials, the cost is hundreds of times higher. Just this one woodpecker costs one or two taels of silver, and after using it for ten or eight days, another spirit stone worth one tael of silver is wasted… It’s only slightly more durable than ordinary gadgets—there’s no way anyone would buy them.”

As Peng Zhenyuan predicted, a hint of disappointment appeared on Lin Dong’s face. But what he didn’t expect was that Lin Dong’s excitement at this moment was no less than when he found a ninth-level spiritual technique by the roadside with no one else around.

Peng Zhenyuan might have considered the value of these gadgets, but he only saw their high cost and high consumption, failing to recognize the greater value hidden behind them.

Spirit stones are formed from the accumulation of spiritual energy over thousands of years. To release this energy, apart from using spiritual power to draw it out through meridians, there is no other method. Even for spiritual arrays that rely entirely on spirit stones for power, activation still requires personal spiritual energy.

The ability to draw out spiritual energy from spirit stones without relying on personal spiritual energy is undoubtedly a groundbreaking discovery. To others, this discovery might seem of little value, but to Lin Dong, it was of immense significance.

If such a miniature version of this device could be created inside the dragon body of a VIP card, it would mean that ordinary people could also use the storage function of VIP cards by leveraging spirit stones.

And that’s not all. In Lin Dong’s view, Peng Zhenyuan’s daughter could not only draw out spiritual energy from spirit stones but also convert it into kinetic energy. Given sufficient time and research resources, it might even be possible to convert it into light energy, heat energy, electrical energy…

If Peng Zhenyuan’s daughter could be brought to the inn, from small items like spiritual lamps and fans to larger ones like spiritual cannons and vehicles, any concept that didn’t exist in the world, once put into action, had a real chance of success. Even if mass production and widespread use weren’t possible, using these items to decorate the Lin’s Inn or as gifts for VIP card holders, marketed as unique luxury items, would undoubtedly have unparalleled appeal.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Dong looked at Peng Zhenyuan, trying to appear casual as he said, “Peng family head, I’ve always admired those with ingenious ideas since I was young. Might I ask if I could meet Miss Peng?”
Peng Zhenyuan looked troubled, hesitating to speak.
“Is there some difficulty, Peng family head?” Lin Dong pressed further.
Peng Zhenyuan smiled bitterly and pointed to his head. “To be honest with you, Lin, my daughter had a serious illness in her childhood, which affected her mind. She tends to bite people whenever she sees them. I’m afraid she might do something offensive if she meets you.”
Lin Dong was stunned—genius idiot?
If that were the case, things would indeed get complicated. If Miss Peng were normal, there would be a way to get her to work for Lin’s Inn, whether through Peng Zhenyuan or her own willingness. But since she wasn’t normal—maybe wanting to be emperor one day or a deity the next—there might be no fixed conditions.
With the treasure right in front of him, he had to try despite the huge challenges. Lin Dong immediately shook his head. “Peng family head, to be honest, I still haven’t given up on those gadgets. I really want to meet Miss Peng.”
Peng Zhenyuan felt overwhelmed. He knew that this Lin, just like him back then, must have thought of other possibilities through those gadgets. But it was useless—mechanical crossbows powered by spirit stones, advanced spirit arrays that could be activated without great strength… he had tried them all. With the Peng family’s financial resources, they simply couldn’t afford such experiments. That girl was just wasting spirit stones like trash.
Seeing Lin Dong’s determined gaze, Peng Zhenyuan regretted his decision. If Lin ended up losing both time and money because of this, he might even have to bear the consequences. If he had known, he wouldn’t have brought out those gadgets or mentioned that girl in the first place.
It was too late to regret now. Peng Zhenyuan glared at Peng Tianan, the source of all his troubles, forced a grim smile, and said, “Since Lin wants to meet my daughter, I’ll go back to the Peng family and bring her here.”
To avoid further complications, Lin Dong initially wanted to go with them, but he hid his eagerness and bowed. “Then I’ll leave it to you, Peng family head. I’ll send someone to Qingmei Mountain right away.”
“Please speak well of us, Lin,” Peng Zhenyuan replied quickly, his grim smile easing slightly.
“Of course!”
Lin Dong politely saw Peng Zhenyuan and the terrified Peng Tianan out of the inn.