The treasure hides its aura; although the rice bowl is only of the 'Ren' grade, it can continually gather faith and merit by distributing grains to others, thus increasing its rank.
There are many such magical artifacts born of great faith and virtue. Legend has it that the purple-gold alms bowl, which became a Buddhist treasure after preaching the Mahayana sutras, was initially just an ordinary tool for almsgiving.
Moreover, when King Yu was controlling the floods, he encountered poisonous snakes blocking his path at Mount Qionglai. Enraged, King Yu ordered Yinglong Gengchen to slay the snake and erected two steles to suppress the snake calamity. In front of the stele, King Yu left a message: 'If you become gods one day, slay snakes for generations to rid people of this scourge.'
Afterward, with King Yu's successful flood control, the two ordinary steles became treasures enhanced by merit.
Over the next four thousand years, the steles often consumed snake essences along their paths, leaving only snake bones behind. Gradually, the steles grew increasingly divine.
The rice bowl in Xu Qing's hand, while seemingly of 'Ren' grade, is a treasure born for calamities, with infinite growth potential, just like King Yu's steles.
The steles absorbed divine energy through merit, and so does the rice bowl.
Holding the small broken bowl, Xu Qing sensed it and found it had the space of a single 'dou' (an ancient Chinese measure for grain).
"Legend has it that when the divine energy of King Yu's stele was at its peak, it had a tiger head, shone like ten thousand torches, illuminating the mountainside, and could breathe out fire from snake venom, leaving everything it passed in ashes..."
"If this rice bowl were to fill with divine energy, what peculiarities might it exhibit?"
Xu Qing turned his back to Shang Shaoyang, fiddling with the small broken bowl, which could not only hold rice but also fit those small embalming jars inside.
However, it could only fill a space of one 'dou'.
To expand the capacity, one must fill the bowl with rice, give it away, and for every 'dou' given, the rice bowl would gain another 'dou' of space.
At two 'dou', the giving would be four 'dou', and at four 'dou', it would transform to eight 'dou'. If enough grains are continuously donated, the bowl's interior space will become infinite.
It's a pity the bowl came too late. Otherwise, the grains given to the Jin Sect's relief warehouse back then would have been enough to expand the bowl's capacity to hold hundreds of thousands of stone worth of grains,
Seeing the jars shrink to the size of a thumb inside the rice bowl, Xu Qing had a thought.
The great calamity year is near. Who knows how much grain will be needed to save lives? Judging by the Dayong Dynasty's situation, he would likely continue to assist those with disabilities, opening warehouses to distribute grain, making this rice bowl a divine weapon for saving the world.
But for now, aside from storage, it seems to have no other use.
Thinking this, Xu Qing was just about to reach for the jars in the bowl when suddenly, a white light flashed inside the bowl. Xu Qing felt his palm grow hot, as a searing heat surged, making his corpse hair stand on end.
But it was only for an instant, and the white light swiftly withdrew, like a snake retracting its head after realizing it bit the wrong owner, pretending nothing had happened.
Xu Qing hissed and almost jumped back, flinging the bowl away.
Behind him, Shang Shaoyang was equally startled, instinctively grabbing his sword hilt, asking in bewilderment, "What's the panic?"
Xu Qing waved his hand behind him, saying, "Nothing, just a trick of the light; I thought it was a zombie."
...
Back at the coffin, Xu Qing once again communicated with the rice bowl, discovering more of its functions this time.
Rice and grains grow under the sun's energy, making them objects of extreme yang energy. This rice bowl is thus influenced, having some power to counteract the yin and evil.
Ordinary zombies fear glutinous rice because it is full of solar energy.
Xu Qing roughly understood the rice bowl's additional functions, thinking it could be cultivated to subdue or banish demons.
However, who in their right mind would use a rice bowl for combat?
Yet when Xu Qing thought of the monks who love wielding their alms bowls, always ready to use them for spells, he felt using a rice bowl in a fight wasn't so peculiar.
Nevertheless, although the rice bowl has limitless potential, given its extreme yang nature, it would be too hot to handle in a fight unless he turned his hand bones into Undying Bone.
Putting the rice bowl aside for now, Xu Qing turned to seal and lay Yu Qiulan to rest.
...
Capital City, deep within the palace.
Liao Jinzhong, Grand Steward of the Department of Household Affairs, had just exited the Imperial Study, followed by the new Master of the Mirror Reflection Division, Feng Dehai.
"Lord Liao, I heard your godson Lou Xiaowu in Jin Sect was chopped with an axe, not even leaving a corpse..."
Liao Jinzhong and Feng Dehai didn't get along well. Though both were eunuchs, they always bickered and never let each other off the hook when they met in private.
Everyone knows roosters like to fight, but isn't it strange that these two old hens, who can't lay eggs or crow, can also squabble?
Today, Liao Jinzhong had just met with the emperor and had things on his mind. Hearing Feng Dehai suddenly teasing him, he instinctively retorted, "Lord Feng isn't much better. I heard your godson Long Engui kicked the bucket in Jin Sect half a year ago, and his body wasn't recovered either?"
"Ha! I heard you hired a fortune-telling mystic to find the culprit for Long Engui at Lord Cao's residence, but he got struck by Celestial Thunder. Lord Feng ran fast, but it's a pity about your godfather, who, being slow on his feet, turned to ash."
"You!" Feng Dehai, infuriated, raised his orchid fingers, nearly choked with rage!