rule 12

Chapter 70: Why Should We Pay?

In the City Lord's Mansion of Fengxian City, Xu Jianhong was busy in his workroom writing on scrolls. He was the City Lord of Fengxian City and a cultivator at the 8th stage of the Golden Core realm. A knock on the door interrupted him.

"Come in," Xu Jianhong called out without looking up.

A man in military armor entered, cupped his hands, and greeted, "City Lord."

"What is it, General Gao?" Xu Jianhong continued writing.

"City Lord, the big bandit group in the south has been destroyed, along with some of their subordinate groups," Gao Lin reported.

"Oh? Do we know who did it?" Xu Jianhong asked.

"Unfortunately, we still don't know, but I have sent people to investigate," Gao Lin replied.

"Could it be from the Mercenary Guild?" Xu Jianhong inquired.

"Very unlikely. There's been no significant movement from the Mercenary Guild," Gao Lin said.

"What have you learned?" Xu Jianhong asked.

"Based on testimonies from the released hostages, they don't know who destroyed the bandits and rescued them. The men I sent reported finding very few clues and are still investigating further. Additionally, all the bandit bodies have disappeared," Gao Lin explained.

"Did all the hostages get released?" Xu Jianhong asked.

"Yes," Gao Lin confirmed.

"What about the kids?" Xu Jianhong pressed.

"The kids... some were taken by caravan guards who were also hostages. They brought the kids to their families. The fate of the remaining kids is unknown," Gao Lin replied, hesitant.

Xu Jianhong paused his writing for a moment before continuing.

"Such a heroic act, eliminating the bandits who brought misery to the common people and also rescuing the hostages. We must reward them properly. Investigate thoroughly; I want to know the identity of those responsible for destroying the bandits," Xu Jianhong instructed.

"Understood," Gao Lin replied, cupping his hands and bowing slightly. "City Lord, about this month's supplies..."

"It can't be helped. We can't get them from our usual source. For this month's supply, get it from within the city and nearby villages. Remember, do it carefully," Xu Jianhong instructed.

"Don't worry, City Lord. I will arrange it," Gao Lin assured.

"As for the long-term issue, we need a new source. Do you have any suggestions?" Xu Jianhong asked.

"City Lord, we still don't know the true purpose of those who destroyed the bandit group in the south. For now, how about establishing a new source in the west? There's a bandit group on the western route with potential; their leader is rather capable. I am sure we can use him," Gao Lin suggested.

"Hmm, okay. Do it," Xu Jianhong agreed.

"Then I will excuse myself," Gao Lin said, cupping his hands and leaving the room.

The bandit group destroyed by Orion was actually created and nurtured by the City Lord's Mansion. Initially a small faction, they received extensive support and protection, along with occasional intelligence on passing caravans. Over time, the bandit group expanded significantly, establishing numerous smaller subordinate groups.

In return for this support, the bandits paid tributes, believing the City Lord's Mansion was solely motivated by wealth. They operated under the assumption that as long as they paid these tributes, they could operate freely.

However, in reality, the tributes demanded by the City Lord's Mansion were merely a facade. The amount given by the bandits was meager and inconsequential to the City Lord's Mansion. Instead, the City Lord's Mansion exploited the bandit group for another purpose: capturing hostages.

The City Lord's Mansion then utilized intermediaries and proxies to covertly purchase these hostages for certain purposes. Despite being indirect and cumbersome, this method ensured safety and avoided suspicion, attributing any transactions to the bandits' activities and the darker aspects of the black market, thereby shielding the City Lord's Mansion from any implication.

Now that the bandit group in the south was destroyed, Gao Lin prepared to arrange a replacement. He chose the bandit group on the western route and will offer them protection in exchange for tributes, assuring them of backing to grow and expand their operations.

In an underground room beneath the City Lord's Mansion, an old figure with white hair, wearing luxurious robes, sat cross-legged on the floor. Inscriptions were engraved around him, and many dried-up, shriveled corpses with their hands and feet tied and mouths covered lay among the inscriptions. Based on the size of the corpses, they are children. A faint blood mist slowly emerged from the corpses, drifting toward the figure seated in the center.

...

It was nighttime near a waterfall, the sound of cascading water echoing through the forest. A masked figure in dark clothing moved swiftly among the treetops, landing silently near the waterfall. The masked figure looked around as if searching for something. Then, a voice broke the silence.

"Did you bring everything?"

"Yes," the masked figure replied, cupping his hands and bowing toward the voice.

"Were you followed?"

"I took great care to cover my tracks. I'm certain no one followed me," the masked figure assured.

"Good. Leave it here and you can go."

The masked figure placed a silk pouch on a small boulder, cupped his hands again, and disappeared into the distance, leaping from tree to tree. Not long after, Orion appeared, took the pouch, and then left. High above, several SO-1 drones patrolled and monitored the area.

Orion had been escorting Zhang Yueru's group, who had traveled by carriage for two days. Then they continued on foot for about three days, moving slowly because of the many children in the group. Orion stayed hidden, following from about 50 meters away. During the journey, several SO-1 drones scouted the path and monitored the surrounding area, while Orion erased their trail.

Orion walked among the trees under the night sky and arrived near a campsite where several tents were set up. Orion sat on a fallen tree trunk, unmoved for a long time, waiting for the sun to rise. Meanwhile, its AI was busy executing tasks in the background.

As the sun rose, the camp came alive with activity, preparing to depart. Once ready, Zhang Yueru led the group in the direction given by Orion, who had not shown itself during the entire journey. Secretly accompanying them, Orion dealt with any dangerous animals that came too close to the group. On one occasion, a snake Spirit Beast tried to ambush the group but was silently killed by Orion instead. With Orion's protection, the group traveled safely.

...

Wang Lingxin and Chunhua strolled along the busy market road, holding sticks of quail eggs as they ate and chatted.

"Sigh, Master said it will still take a few more days for him to return," Wang Lingxin said, walking and biting into a quail egg.

"Do you miss him already?" Chunhua asked.

"Of course. I wonder where Master went. I wanted to come too. I think he's doing something fun without bringing me," Wang Lingxin replied.

The two continued to walk and explore the market, buying several snacks from food stalls.

"Let's have lunch in that restaurant," Wang Lingxin said, pointing at a restaurant that looked rather grand and had a lot of patrons.

"Uh... Little Lingxin, are you sure? How about having lunch in another place?" Chunhua suggested, worried as she noticed the restaurant was rather lavish.

She checked her purse and discovered she didn't have much money. She also knew that Wang Lingxin had only a few copper coins left in her coin pouch after spending on street food these past few days.

"No, big sis Chunhua, let's go to that restaurant," Wang Lingxin insisted.

"But... that place looks expensive. We don't have much money," Chunhua said worriedly.

Wang Lingxin took out her coin pouch and checked the coins. "Hmm... indeed, the money given by Master is almost out, but don't worry about that. Come on, let's go," Wang Lingxin said, grabbing Chunhua's hand and pulling her toward the restaurant.

"Wait, Little Lingxin..." Chunhua said helplessly as she was dragged along.

Wang Lingxin and Chunhua arrived and stood in front of the restaurant. It was rather grand, and Chunhua looked in awe for a moment, still worried about their lack of money. But Wang Lingxin insisted on entering. Chunhua kept thinking of a solution, not knowing what to do.

"Oi, don't block the way. If you don't want to enter, then get lost," a voice suddenly said behind them.

Chunhua and Wang Lingxin turned around and saw a young man in fine robes. A big, burly man followed closely behind him, likely his guard.

"Why are a bunch of lowlifes like you hanging around the restaurant?" the young man sneered, looking down at them.

"We want to eat at the restaurant," Wang Lingxin replied. Chunhua, intimidated by the young man's behavior, looked down worriedly, but Wang Lingxin remained unaffected.

"Want to eat at the restaurant? Hahaha, what a funny joke. Why don't you take a look at yourself first? Do you even have money to pay for the food? You look so shabby and want to enter this restaurant? Hahaha, this place is not for lowlifes like you," the young man scoffed, his guard laughing along.

Chunhua, feeling humiliated by the young man's ridicule, checked herself and Wang Lingxin. Indeed, they looked rather shabby, dressed simply and poorly, not like someone who had money, especially for a grand restaurant. Meanwhile, Wang Lingxin remained unaffected.

Wang Lingxin wondered why this person was so annoying and suddenly showed up to cause trouble. "You don't have to worry about us. Mind your own business," Wang Lingxin said.

"Hmph... how dare a lowlife like you talk to me like that," the young man retorted.

"Please forgive her, she didn't mean it. We're really sorry," Chunhua pleaded, stepping in front of Wang Lingxin and bowing to the young man.

The young man, angered by Wang Lingxin, wanted to order his guard to teach the little girl a lesson. However, the commotion had already drawn a crowd, and the older girl had apologized. To avoid tarnishing his image, he decided to let it go.

"Tch... forget it. Let's go," the young man said. The guard followed behind as they walked past Chunhua and Wang Lingxin.

"You two better get lost immediately," the young man added, casting a side glance before entering the restaurant.

"Little Lingxin, are you okay? Let's leave. Let's not enter the restaurant or we'll meet that guy again," Chunhua said, worried and scared.

"What a trash," Wang Lingxin muttered, looking toward the young man entering the restaurant.

"Big sis Chunhua, you don't need to be scared. He's just a trash. Master said people like that are only good for face-slapping. Lucky for him I'm not strong enough now; otherwise, I'd slap him and beat him up," Wang Lingxin continued, unfazed and more annoyed than afraid.

She remembered what her master had taught her about such people, and her master called them as "arrogant young masters" whose sole existence was to cause trouble and end up as stepping stones, getting face-slapped by others. Indeed, she felt a strong urge to slap him.

Chunhua was rather surprised by Wang Lingxin's remark. She had expected Wang Lingxin to be scared, but instead, Wang Lingxin wanted to beat up the young man.

Inside the restaurant, a server immediately greeted the young man and brought him in. "Young master Bai, welcome. Your usual table is ready," the server said politely.

"Very good, lead the way," Wu Bai replied. The server then gestured for him to follow and led Wu Bai to the second floor, continuing to flatter him.

Outside the restaurant, Wang Lingxin said, "Big Sis Chunhua, come on, let's go in too." Already hungry and having decided to eat at this restaurant, she grabbed Chunhua and pulled her along.

"Little Lingxin?!" Chunhua exclaimed.

Chunhua got dragged along into the restaurant, unable to resist. She wondered how Wang Lingxin could be so strong. They entered the restaurant and stood in the entrance for a while. Chunhua marveled at the lavish scene. She had never been to such a place, while Wang Lingxin also looked around for the best place to eat. They stood there for a while, attracting the attention of some patrons.

Wu Bai sat at a table on the second floor, his guard standing behind him. After taking the order, the server poured tea and then left to bring his food. Wu Bai sipped his tea, relaxed.

"Young master, look at that," the guard said, gesturing toward Wang Lingxin and Chunhua on the first floor.

"Hahaha, I already told them to leave, but they still entered. They really don't know their place. Let's see how they embarrass themselves. Perhaps they'll get kicked out," Wu Bai said, smiling as he enjoyed his tea.

Several servers whispered among themselves, looking at Wang Lingxin and Chunhua. One of them approached a middle-aged man, who appeared to be their superior, and reported about the two girls who had just entered. The man then hurriedly approached Wang Lingxin and Chunhua. Seeing the approaching man, Chunhua worried they would be kicked out.

"Welcome, esteemed guests, to our restaurant. I am the manager," the manager said politely, rubbing his hands together.

"I want to have lunch. Show us the best table," Wang Lingxin said.

"Of course, esteemed guests, please follow me," the manager replied, leading the way.

Chunhua was surprised that the manager himself came to meet them. She thought they would be kicked out but instead, they were being personally led inside.

On the second floor, Wu Bai noticed them too. He frequented the restaurant and knew the manager.

"Fufufu, this will be interesting. Even the manager himself is handling them personally," Wu Bai said, expecting the manager to kick Chunhua and Wang Lingxin out. However, he noticed the manager leading them deeper into the restaurant, towards the back hallway which connected to the kitchen and storage rooms.

"Hahaha, not bad. The manager knows how to handle things without causing a commotion," Wu Bai said, assuming they were being kicked out through the back door.

Wang Lingxin and Chunhua followed the manager. As they walked, Wang Lingxin noticed Wu Bai on the second floor, who seemed to mock her. Wang Lingxin mocked back, puffing out her chest and walking proudly.

Hmph, who said I can't come and eat inside, Wang Lingxin thought, smirking toward Wu Bai.

"Hahaha, as expected of lowlifes. They don't understand anything. The manager is just being nice and kicking them out through the back door. Why is she being cocky about it, hahaha," Wu Bai said, ignoring Wang Lingxin's provocative look. His guard laughed with him.

The manager led Wang Lingxin and Chunhua deeper into the restaurant, taking several turns. Chunhua noticed it was getting quieter and more desolate, with fewer workers around. She also saw doors leading to the storage area and kitchen. She worried that they were being led to the back door to be kicked out without causing a commotion. Chunhua sighed internally, thinking it would be fine if they were just kicked out, hoping nothing worse would happen.

The manager led them to a room, opened the door, and invited them in. The room was grand and spacious, nicely decorated with a big round table in the middle. There was an open wall leading to a small garden with many flowers, a small pond, and a little waterfall. The room was nice, and the garden was beautiful and calming.

"Please be seated. This room is the best in our restaurant. You won't be disturbed by other customers," the manager said, showing the menu.

"Manager, give me the best dishes with lots of meat. I am very hungry," Wang Lingxin said enthusiastically.

"Understood, Miss Lingxin. We will bring out the best dishes with lots of meat," the manager replied. "And for you, Miss Chunhua, what would you like to order?"

"I... I... Uh, anything is fine," Chunhua said, flustered by the situation. Huh? Why are we not kicked out? And why are we in this nice room? How does the manager know our names? Chunhua wondered internally, bewildered.

"Understood, the dishes will be delivered right away. How about having some tea while waiting?" the manager asked.

"Yes, I want tea. Thank you," Wang Lingxin replied.

"And you, Miss Chunhua?" the manager inquired.

"Uh... Yes, thank you," Chunhua said, still muddled.

On the table, there was already a teapot and a tea set. The manager prepared the tea and then poured his Qi to activate the inscription on the pot to heat the tea. After pouring the tea, the manager excused himself and left. The room was quiet, with the serene sound of the little waterfall. Wang Lingxin calmly enjoyed her tea.

"Ah... what a nice tea," Wang Lingxin said.

"Wait... that's right, Little Lingxin, we don't have much money. How could we eat in this restaurant? And how does the manager know our names? Little Lingxin, let's get out of this place, and I will tell the manager to cancel our order," Chunhua said, snapping back to reality and panicking a little.

"Big sis Chunhua, calm down," Wang Lingxin said.

"But... but..." Chunhua stammered.

"Also, why do we need to worry about money? Why should we pay?" Wang Lingxin asked, looking puzzled.

"Huh? How come we don't pay?" Chunhua wondered.

"Huh? But before Master left, didn't he say that we can go and eat at any Liu family restaurant for free?" Wang Lingxin replied.

"What? This restaurant is owned by the Liu family?" Chunhua asked.

"Of course, that's why I wanted to eat here. There is a Liu family symbol at the entrance. Didn't you see?" Wang Lingxin said.

"Of course, I didn't. And why didn't you tell me? You made me worry for nothing, sigh..." Chunhua said.

"Well, I thought you already knew," Wang Lingxin said, sipping her tea.

"Sigh..." Chunhua finally relaxed and sipped her tea, finding it of good quality. She also enjoyed the calmness of the room and the refreshing garden outside.

Compared to Wang Lingxin, Chunhua was not very familiar with the Liu family. She had only been to the Liu family residence twice and was not familiar with their symbol at the restaurant entrance. Meanwhile, Wang Lingxin had visited the Liu family residence many times and even knew some of their higher-ups, thus easily recognizing the Liu family symbol.

The restaurant is owned by the Liu family and was previously the Liu family's best establishment, but with the opening of Lotus Delight Pavilion, it became their second-best. Despite this, the restaurant remains popular, with many patrons. All Liu family restaurants had been previously informed about Wang Lingxin and Chunhua's importance, ensuring they would be well-served. Upon their arrival, the manager immediately recognized them and attended to them personally.

In a nearby room, several masked men in dark clothing sat at a table. The manager served them politely, knowing they had higher cultivation levels and held higher positions in the Liu family. He didn't dare to be careless.

"Manager, bring me a fish dish."

"I want noodles."

"Bring the wine."

"And I want..."

The masked men placed their orders.

"Right away, sirs," the manager replied, leaving to prepare their orders.

"It's good that Miss Lingxin is having lunch in this restaurant. Now we can take a little break and enjoy some food," one masked man said.

"But damn, that Wu family's Third Young Master is so cocky. How dare he look down on Miss Lingxin," another masked man said.

"He even dared to show some killing intent earlier," a masked man added. When they secretly followed Wang Lingxin, they observed the interaction between her and Wu Bai at the restaurant entrance and noticed Wu Bai showing some killing intent.

"Leader, should we teach that bastard Wu Bai a lesson?" a masked man asked.

"There is no need. I will report everything to Mr. Orion later. It's better not to get involved with the Wu family," Liu Jin replied.

"Hmph... Not only Wu Bai, but the Wu family has been getting too cocky recently, just because they are getting closer to the City Lord's Mansion," a masked man said.

"That's right. The Wu family is currently on the rise, so it's better not to make trouble with them," Liu Jin agreed.

"But our Liu family is also on the rise because of Mr. Orion, and with his help, our cultivation has improved so much. The mere Wu family is not a problem for us," a masked man said.

Both the Wu and Liu families were considered medium-sized factions in Fengxian City and were of equal strength. The Liu family originated from Yanjing City, while the Wu family was from Ershiwu Shan City.

Not long after Wang Lingxin and Chunhua ordered, the food arrived. Many dishes looked nice and smelled good. Wang Lingxin happily devoured the food, while Chunhua also enjoyed it, no longer worried.

In the other room where the masked men were seated, their orders also arrived. They began eating, still on guard but relaxed a little, knowing the restaurant was safe and there were other Liu family cultivators tasked with guarding. The masked men ate while still monitoring the room where Wang Lingxin was eating.

"The food is so good," Chunhua said.

"Well, not bad," Wang Lingxin replied. "Look, Big Sis Chunhua, this roasted chicken dish is just like the one that Masked One brought for our dinner a few days ago," Wang Lingxin pointed to the roasted chicken on a plate.

Orion had instructed Liu Jin to prepare food for Wang Lingxin while Orion was away and to ask her what she wanted, then bring it from the Liu family restaurants.

"Oh, you're right," Chunhua acknowledged.

Wang Lingxin and Chunhua ate the best dishes on the menu, filling the table with a variety of the best and most expensive dishes.

Meanwhile, Wu Bai also enjoyed his food, having ordered two rather expensive dishes.

"Hahaha, I wonder how those lowlifes are doing now," Wu Bai said, imagining the shabby-looking little girl who wanted to eat at the restaurant; she must have been kicked out by the manager.

He ate happily, imagining the faces of the lowlifes dreaming of eating expensive food but unable to, making his meal even more enjoyable.

Chapter 71: Noiro

Wu Bai left the restaurant with a satisfied expression, disappearing among the crowd as he walked towards the market.

Not long after, Wang Lingxin and Chunhua were escorted out by the manager. Having eaten lots of food, Wang Lingxin felt satisfied. After thanking the manager, Wang Lingxin left, and Chunhua bowed and thanked the manager several times before catching up with Wang Lingxin.

The manager watched them leave and smiled politely, saying, "Please come again," before returning to the restaurant.

"Little Lingxin, where should we go now? Should we go home?" Chunhua asked, glancing at Wang Lingxin with a hint of wonder.

Despite having eaten so much, Wang Lingxin still looked normal, her belly flat, while Chunhua's own belly was slightly bulging despite eating less.

"Hmm... let's walk a little to help digest," Wang Lingxin replied, feeling full.

"Well, sure," Chunhua agreed, and they both walked among the busy market road.

At a corner of the market, there was a commotion. Wang Lingxin and Chunhua were drawn to the lively scene.

In an open area, a group was performing an acrobatic show. Some were playing instruments, others were juggling sharp knives, breathing fire, and jumping around, while the rest performed various other tricks. Although cultivators could do much more impressive things, these kinds of performances were still quite entertaining for mortals.

Many people gathered around, enjoying the show, cheering, and clapping.

Among the crowd, Wang Lingxin and Chunhua watched and enjoyed the performance. When it ended, some members of the acrobatic group moved around with a wooden box, collecting money. Both Wang Lingxin and Chunhua gave a copper coin.

As the crowd dispersed, Wang Lingxin and Chunhua walked among them.

"You again?!" a voice called out.

Chunhua and Wang Lingxin turned around and saw the familiar young man they had previously met in the restaurant.

"You!" Wang Lingxin exclaimed.

"Who are you calling 'you'? My name is Wu Bai. Call me Young Master Bai!" Wu Bai retorted.

"And my name is Wang Lingxin!" Wang Lingxin shot back, not wanting to lose ground.

"Hmph, so how was it getting kicked out of the restaurant? Did you perhaps cry? Hahaha," Wu Bai sneered.

"Kicked out of the restaurant? Who?" Wang Lingxin asked.

"You, of course! Who else could it be?" Wu Bai retorted.

"Why would I be kicked out of the restaurant?" Wang Lingxin questioned.

"Don't pretend. Didn't the manager bring you inside the restaurant and kick you out through the back door?" Wu Bai mocked with a smug look.

"Of course not. The manager brought me to the best room in the restaurant, and not just that, he also served me personally," Wang Lingxin said, crossing her arms and raising her chin proudly.

"... Hahaha, what a funny joke," Wu Bai laughed, and his guards joined in.

The commotion drew a crowd, but they kept their distance, enjoying the spectacle. The acrobatic show had just ended, but another show seemed to be starting, much to their delight.

"It's not a joke," Wang Lingxin insisted.

"Hahaha, sure, sure. So what were you doing there then?" Wu Bai asked, still mocking.

"Of course, eating. I ate lots of food. Ah, I'm so full and satisfied," Wang Lingxin said, patting her bulging belly with a satisfied look.

Chunhua watched from the side, noticing Wang Lingxin trying to make her previously normal-looking belly appear more bulging.

"Eat? Eat what?" Wu Bai asked, incredulously.

"Young master, perhaps the manager felt pity for her, brought her in, and let her eat at the back, giving her the leftover food and trash from the kitchen," Wu Bai's guard suggested.

"Hahaha, not bad, not bad," Wu Bai laughed, patting his guard in approval. The guard laughed along, pleased with his own joke.

"Hmph, of course not! I ate the best and most expensive dishes in the restaurant, and lots of them filling the entire table," Wang Lingxin boasted proudly.

Wu Bai and his guard laughed even harder. "The best and most expensive dishes? Filling the entire table? Hahaha, good joke, good joke," Wu Bai said.

"I told you, it's not a joke!" Wang Lingxin pouted angrily.

"So, It seems that despite your shabby appearance, you're very rich, to be able to eat the best and most expensive dishes filling the entire table. Even this young master can't afford such a thing," he said sarcastically.

"I'm not rich. I only have a few copper coins," Wang Lingxin replied honestly.

"HAHAHA!" Wu Bai and his guard laughed again, and some spectators joined in, finding the whole situation amusing.

"You said you ate the best and most expensive dishes in the restaurant, filling the entire table. That must have cost a lot," Wu Bai said, thinking the little girl was making it up to boast. "But then you said you only have a few copper coins. You're really funny. If you want to lie, at least make it believable."

Chunhua stood at the side, unsure of what to do. She didn't dare to speak and didn't know how to explain that what Wang Lingxin said was all true. They did eat the best and most expensive dishes in the restaurant, filling the entire table, and Wang Lingxin ate most of it.

"Who said I am lying?" Wang Lingxin retorted.

"Then how did you pay?" Wu Bai asked.

"Of course, it was free," Wang Lingxin replied.

Wu Bai and his guard laughed, and some spectators joined in.

"Young master, if she ate the leftover food and trash from the kitchen, it's no surprise she could eat for free. For a lowlife like her, such a thing could indeed be the most delicious and best food ever," Wu Bai's guard said, making Wu Bai and the spectators laugh even louder.

"It's not like that! Why don't you guys believe what I said? Stop laughing at me!" Wang Lingxin fumed, stomping her foot on the ground.

"Hahaha... haaah... haah..." Wu Bai caught his breath from laughing so much, wiping away tears. "Come on everyone, let's stop. Let's not laugh anymore. She seems about to cry," Wu Bai said, looking at the angered Wang Lingxin, whose eyes were reddening.

The crowd slowly stopped laughing.

"I am not!" Wang Lingxin protested.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Wu Bai said, retrieving a gold coin from his storage ring and tossing it to Wang Lingxin.

Wang Lingxin caught the gold coin. "What's this?" she asked.

"Take it. You managed to entertain this young master. Use it to buy food. For a mortal like you, it should last a year, or you can treat yourself to some restaurant. It's not enough to eat at the previous restaurant, but if you want to eat some good food, you can try Supreme Fried Chicken restaurant," Wu Bai said.

"Supreme Fried Chicken restaurant? Hmph, I've already eaten too much of it. I'm tired of it," Wang Lingxin retorted.

"Hahaha, you really know how to boast. Anyway, although you are very funny and entertaining, this young master is busy and must leave. See you again, hahaha," Wu Bai said, walking away.

"Already tired of eating Supreme Fried Chicken? hahaha..." he continued laughing as he walked away, and the spectators slowly dispersed.

The Supreme Fried Chicken restaurant has recently become a rising star and is very popular, with several branches opened across the city. Many shops and stalls also sell imitation versions of SFC at lower prices.

Hearing the little girl claim she's already eaten too much of it and is tired of it made Wu Bai laugh. The SFC is rather expensive for mortals, and the shabby-looking little girl, who only has a few copper coins, bragging about being tired of it is laughable, Wu Bai thought.

At first, Wu Bai found the little girl to be an eyesore and wanted to teach her a lesson, but now he found her to be funny and entertaining, so he canceled his plan to punish her and gave her a gold coin instead for making him laugh a lot.

"Big sis Chunhua, what should I do with this?" Wang Lingxin asked, holding the gold coin in her palm, not having had the chance to return it to Wu Bai.

"Uh... just keep it for now. Don't show it around. Put it in your coin pouch," Chunhua said, worried that showing the gold coin might attract thieves.

Wang Lingxin did as she was told.

"Hmph, that Wu Bai guy, although annoying, is not that bad. But I will get back at him in the future," Wang Lingxin said, determined.

"Little Lingxin, it's better not to get involved further with that guy. He's the Third Young Master of the Wu family," Chunhua advised.

"Big Sis Chunhua, like I said, you don't need to be afraid of him. So what if he's from the Wu family? We have Master backing us," Wang Lingxin replied confidently.

With that, Wang Lingxin and Chunhua continued their walk home.

Several masked men in dark clothing hiding nearby had been monitoring the entire situation. As everything began to wind down, they looked at each other. One of them raised both hands to the sides, as if unsure of what to do next.

In the Liu family residence, Liu Mingzhen and Liu Yang were seated in a room discussing some matters.

"A while ago, Mr. Orion asked for information about the bandits in the surrounding area. Then suddenly, many bandit groups were destroyed. Do you think what I'm thinking?" Liu Yang asked.

"I don't know what you're trying to say, but whoever destroyed the bandit groups is doing good deeds for the masses. It's commendable," Liu Mingzhen replied.

Liu Yang nodded. "And a few days ago, Mr. Orion asked for various kinds of things... hmm..." Liu Yang fell into deep contemplation.

News had already spread about a big bandit group in the south that was destroyed with no survivors, and the hostages were rescued, though some had disappeared.

Several factions, including the City Lord's Mansion, were investigating, but they had no leads. Meanwhile, Liu Yang and Liu Mingzhen had some guesses in their hearts.

"There is no need to talk more... it's better for us to know less," Liu Mingzhen said. "How about the task I gave you?"

"Sigh... it's not easy. If not for Mr. Orion, I would never personally go out to hunt for Spirit Beasts like this. Moreover, the Rank-2 slime and dragonfly Spirit Beasts that Mr. Orion specially requested are very rare. I've been scouring the forest and can't find them. Next, I plan to go to Yuezhi Forest, hopefully can find some," Liu Yang replied.

Orion had asked the Liu family to search for various kinds of Spirit Beasts, including the rare rank-2 slime and dragonfly Spirit Beasts. Despite deploying their forces, the Liu family had not succeeded, so Liu Mingzhen also sent Liu Yang.

...

After traveling on foot for several days, Zhang Yueru's group finally arrived at a small clearing on top of a hill. There were already several tents set up and various items around. Orion had moved ahead and prepared various items and some tents.

"For now, you will stay here at this place. Rest for a while. After that, start building the houses. I have already prepared everything," Orion said, still hidden.

Zhang Yueru then brought the kids to the tents. They found food and drink inside, ate and drank, and rested for a while.

Afterward, Orion began instructing Zhang Yueru to start working on building houses. Orion had previously asked Liu Jian to prepare several wooden houses with a simple design, disassembled into pieces that could be easily reassembled. Orion also requested Liu Jian to prepare various other items. Then Liu Jian ordered one of his subordinates to deliver everything to Orion, storing it all in storage pouches and storage rings.

Two young men, Zhu and Fang, began assembling the knocked-down house pieces, helped by Zhang Yueru and the other three girls. The kids also helped by cleaning the area, sweeping, plucking grass, and arranging and moving stuff. They worked together while Orion gave instructions, still hiding itself.

When the houses were still under construction, they stayed temporarily in the tents. It took a week to complete the construction, finishing a small compound surrounded by a wooden wall with five wooden houses of varying sizes to live in and store supplies. Sixteen people lived there: Zhang Yueru, her three maids, the two young men, and ten children.

Zhang Yueru, her three maids, and the two young men all kneeled on the ground. Even the children obediently followed suit. Orion had said there was no need for such formality, but Zhang Yueru and the others insisted, so Orion let them be.

"Currently, I am occupied with other circumstances and unable to bring you with me. You will stay here for now. Don't worry; I will protect and provide for you," Orion said, still hidden and using a disguised voice.

"Later, I plan to move to another place. If you are still willing to follow me, I will bring you along," Orion added.

"Senior, we owe you our lives. We will follow you and serve you, ready to do anything you command," Zhang Yueru said. The others echoed her sentiment.

"Very good. For now, I need to go, but don't worry, I will visit at least once a month," Orion said.

A silk pouch then landed in front of Zhang Yueru. "In that pouch, there are several storage pouches and storage rings. You know how to use them, right?"

"Yes, Senior," Zhang Yueru replied. Although she didn't have a storage pouch or storage ring herself, her father had a low-level storage ring, and he had taught her how to use it.

"You can use everything stored inside. There are also cultivation techniques, various pills for cultivation, talismans, weapons, and spirit stones," Orion instructed.

"That's too much, Senior. We can't accept such precious items. Just food will be enough for us," Zhang Yueru said, refusing.

Among the group, she was the only cultivator, at the 1st stage of Qi Condensation realm, and understood the value of such things, especially cultivation techniques, which even at the lowest level cost several dozen spirit stones.

"Just use it. It's okay, even if you use everything, I will provide more," Orion reassured her.

"But..." Zhang Yueru hesitated.

"Use it to improve yourselves so you can become more useful to me," Orion insisted.

"Yes, Senior. I will not disappoint you. I will strive to become more useful," Zhang Yueru promised.

"Not just you. Any of you, even the kids, if they can cultivate, then use the resources inside and learn the cultivation techniques," Orion said.

The two young men and the three maids looked delighted. Who wouldn't want to try cultivating? But even if they wanted to, they didn't have the resources. Now they could use the resources and try to cultivate, and they were even given cultivation techniques.

They thanked Orion profusely. "Thank you very much, Senior," they said.

"Also, please take care of the kids and teach them how to read and write," Orion added.

"Understood, Senior. We'll do our best," Zhang Yueru replied.

Among the group, only she and the young man named Zhu could read and write. Zhu's father had worked as a trusted steward in her family, managing various businesses. Zhu had been following and learning from his father, preparing to be the next steward, so his father taught him to read, write, and other necessary skills. During the bandit attack, Zhu's father was killed.

Fang's father worked as a bodyguard for Zhang Yueru's family but was also killed during the bandit attack. Fang had been training to follow in his father's footsteps as a bodyguard, focusing on physical training and fighting skills, so he couldn't read or write. Zhang Yueru's three maids also couldn't read or write. Thus, only Zhang Yueru and Zhu were literate.

"Senior, if there is anything we can do for you, just say it. We owe you so much and are ready to do anything," Zhang Yueru said.

"Hmmm, next time when I come, I'll ask for your help. For now, just focus on getting used to living here," Orion said, considering asking for their help to make gluten dough. Then, Orion gave several more instructions.

"Also, call me Noiro," Orion said, finally introducing itself using a fake name.

"Thank you very much for everything, Master Noiro," Zhang Yueru and the others bowed.

Orion then left. Having obtained the materials it needed, Orion couldn't wait to conduct some research on them. But first, Orion headed back to Fengxian to pick up Wang Lingxin.

The small hill where Zhang Yueru and the others were staying was a few kilometers away from Orion's house outside the city. Orion had brought them there so it could help if something happened. It was within the range where the SO-1 drone could fly and monitor them, so Orion left one SO-1 drone to keep an eye on them.

The location was not too far and not too close; close enough for Orion to monitor and assist, but far enough that any trouble wouldn't implicate Orion or be traced back to it.

Chapter 72: The Meridian System a.k.a. the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

In the Liu family residence, Wang Lingxin and Chunhua played in the garden. Although the residence they stayed in also had a flower garden, the one in the Liu family residence was larger, with a variety of beautiful flowers, neatly trimmed plants, grass, and there is even a small, beautiful lake with a pavilion beside it.

Wang Lingxin, having almost explored the entire Fengxian city and feeling bored, had visited the Liu family residence with Chunhua to play these past few days. Liu Mingzhen would personally welcome them, offering many kinds of valuable gifts, especially food.

Liu Jin would show her around the Liu family residence and sometimes join Wang Lingxin in her games, although he didn't want to. He had no choice but to follow along, playing hide and seek, tag, and other games. Despite feeling embarrassed, he could only grit his teeth and do it. Moreover, he thought that establishing a good connection with Wang Lingxin would be beneficial for him, especially when she soared high in the future. He had high expectations for Wang Lingxin; he had heard that she had a low-quality Spiritual Root, but despite that, he believed that with a master like Orion, she would become a renowned cultivator.

After playing for a while, Wang Lingxin sat on a stone bench in the garden to rest. There was a tray of Spiritual Fruits on a stone table nearby, prepared by the Liu family servants. Wang Lingxin sat and ate the fruit, feeling refreshed. Meanwhile, Chunhua stood near the lake, feeding the many colorful fish.

Suddenly, a masked figure appeared in front of her. "Miss Lingxin," he greeted softly.

"Oh... who are you?" Wang Lingxin asked, eating happily. The stone bench was tall for her short legs, and her legs dangled as she swung them back and forth.

"..." Liu Jin was speechless. Didn't we just play together a while ago? Now you're pretending not to recognize me? he thought. "It's me, Masked One," Liu Jin said.

"Hmm, how do I know that you are really Masked One? What if you are pretending to be him?" Wang Lingxin continued eating.

"Of course, I am the real Masked One. We're in the Liu family residence, and it's highly guarded. It's hard for other people to infiltrate and even pretend to be me," Liu Jin explained.

There were many cultivators guarding the Liu family residence, both in the open and hidden. Several cultivators were secretly monitoring and guarding Wang Lingxin and Chunhua, including Liu Jin. It was hard to believe someone could infiltrate and sneak in.

"Well, if you are the real Masked One, then what is the secret password?" Wang Lingxin asked, still ignoring the masked man.

I see, so this is your real intention. Sigh… Liu Jin thought, realizing that Wang Lingxin just wanted to play and tease him. Liu Jin stood in silence for a moment, conflicted and unsure of how to respond.

"Leader, just do it. Don't worry, we won't look," Liu Jin heard via Voice Transmission.

"Hmph! Easy for you to say! You're not the one who has to do it," Liu Jin responded through Voice Transmission.

"Leader, she's just a kid. Don't think too much and just play along," came another Voice Transmission.

"That's right, leader," added another Voice Transmission.

Liu Jin then heard others agreeing and some struggling to hold in their laughter via Voice Transmission.

He looked to the side and saw Chunhua still feeding the fish in the small lake. Liu Jin gritted his teeth and sighed internally, having no other choice.

He raised both arms and pretended they were cat claws. "Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow... " Liu Jin meowed, dancing and wiggling his butt left and right. This... this is too embarrassing and humiliating! Liu Jin thought, feeling helpless and unable to refuse Wang Lingxin's order.

After Liu Jin finished the secret password performance, Wang Lingxin exclaimed, "Oh! You are the real Masked One," enthusiastic and happy that she managed to make him meow and dance around.

Orion had taught her the importance of using a password to confirm someone's identity and to use it in certain situations, and she had agreed with Liu Jin to use one. Wang Lingxin came up with a playful password, incorporating both a specific phrase and a series of movements. Liu Jin wasn't thrilled about the choice, but Wang Lingxin insisted on it. The password required Liu Jin to act like a cat, meowing and dancing.

And now Wang Lingxin had the chance to make Liu Jin perform the password, and she eagerly took it. She was confident that he was the real Masked One but wanted to see him perform the password. After Liu Jin did, she was really satisfied and found the performance both funny and entertaining.

"So, what is it, Masked One?" Wang Lingxin asked, now taking him seriously.

"Mr. Orion has returned and called for you to come immediately," Liu Jin said, his face flushed with embarrassment behind the mask.

He then flickered away, disappearing from view, eager to escape the situation. Moments later, he was standing on a rooftop of a nearby building. Through Voice Transmissions, he could hear his subordinates struggling to contain their laughter, with some even openly mocking and joking about him.

"Hmph! Very good. It seems you've all been slacking off recently. Prepare for some harsh training this week!" Liu Jin replied via Voice Transmission, ready to discipline his subordinates for their audacity. After hearing about the harsh training, his subordinates quieted, not making a single peep anymore.

Liu Jin embarrassment and anger were palpable, particularly since he had been seen performing such an embarrassing act. At least Chunhua hadn't witnessed his humiliation.

Orion arrived at the residence in Fengxian City after being away for more than two weeks and took a seat in the workroom. Not long after, Orion watched through the CCTV camera as Wang Lingxin, followed by Chunhua, entered the residence.

"Master!" Wang Lingxin called out as she ran to the workroom. After hearing from Liu Jin that Orion had returned, she immediately left the Liu family residence.

"Master, you've finally come back. What took you so long? Didn't you say you would only be gone for a week? Where did you go? What did you do?" Wang Lingxin bombarded Orion with questions as soon as she entered the room.

"Well, there were unforeseen circumstances, which took longer than expected," Orion explained.

Wang Lingxin complained for a while before Orion managed to calm her down by giving her an ice pop and promising that she could eat lots of ice cream later. Only then did Wang Lingxin settle down and sit on a chair at the side, licking her ice pop.

"Master Orion, welcome back," Chunhua said, bowing.

"Mmm... so, is everything alright since I left?" Orion asked.

Chunhua then gave her report, and Orion praised her. Chunhua then excused herself, mentioning she still had work to do. After Orion gave her permission, Chunhua left the room.

Orion then called for Liu Jin. A shadowy, masked figure suddenly appeared in the room.

"Mr. Orion," Liu Jin said, cupping both hands and bowing.

"This is the MSG and seasoning for the SFC for this month," Orion said, handing over a storage ring, getting straight to the point.

Liu Jin immediately received the storage ring respectfully, a wide smile hidden behind his mask. "Thank you very much, Mr. Orion." He then took out another storage ring and handed it to Orion. "This is the Spirit Stones and some materials that you requested. We're really sorry, Mr. Orion; we didn't manage to gather everything you asked for, but we're still trying to obtain it."

Liu Jin then took out several scrolls. "Mr. Orion, these contain the information you requested, as well as details on what happened while you were away," he said. Liu Jin gave daily reports to Orion, but they were brief, and the scrolls contained more detailed information.

"Very good," Orion said, taking the scrolls and quickly reading through them.

Orion had asked Liu Jin to gather various kinds of information, from high-level information about factions in the city and their movements to rumors regarding youths with extraordinary potential, especially those with tragic backgrounds.

After finishing reading the scrolls, Orion gave several instructions to Liu Jin and Chunhua before taking Wang Lingxin back to the house outside the city. After arriving at the house, Wang Lingxin had lunch, ate ice cream, then dashed off.

"Master, I am going out to play," Wang Lingxin called out as she closed the front door and ran out of the house.

A SO-1 drone then took off into the sky from the house, following Wang Lingxin, with Orion monitoring her via the drone. Wang Lingxin went to find Aria and took her to play in the village.

In an underground room.

Time to uncover the mysteries of the Meridian System, Orion thought internally as it retrieved three bandit bodies and placed them each on a stone table.

Wearing slime gloves and taking a very sharp knife from a nearby table, Orion started to cut open the bodies.

Two weeks passed. During this time, Orion focused on researching the bandits' bodies while also teaching Wang Lingxin about combat in the morning. The research yielded significant results. Orion found that the body structure of humans in this world is similar to Earth's humans, with only a few differences.

Orion discovered that the peripheral nervous system (PNS) in this world's humans is unique. While it retains the whitish color similar to Earth's humans, there are dark lumps spread throughout the larger trunks of the PNS. Previously, Orion found such features in the PNS of Spirit Beasts, thus piquing its interest to study the PNS of humans from this world.

By referencing scrolls and books, Orion concluded that the PNS in this world is called the Meridian System. The dark lumps are known as Meridian Points. There are scrolls depicting the Meridian System and Meridian Points. Based on their shape and position, Orion concluded they resemble the PNS and its dark lumps. Orion conducted in-depth research to study this further.

Using a high-resolution imaging tool with advanced zoom capabilities, initially designed for analyzing Martian rocks and soils, Orion researched the PNS and the dark lumps. Studying the cross-section of the PNS, Orion discovered it differs from that of Earth's humans. Not only are there blood vessels, but there is also a unique tube-like structure, similar to a blood vessel but slightly distinct, which, through further experiments, Orion found is used to transport Qi.

The presence of Qi in this tube-like structure was detected by Orion using a specialized talisman it created with O# inscription. The talisman glows when it detects Qi, with the intensity of the glow increasing as more Qi is detected. When Orion brought the talisman close to a small portion of the PNS from a cultivator, the talisman glowed brighter, indicating a high concentration of Qi.

Further research on the dark lumps revealed that Qi can exit through them. Orion concluded that the PNS of humans in this world is different from that of Earth's humans. The PNS here has a unique tube-like structure that transports Qi, and Qi can exit via the dark lumps.

Both mortals and cultivators from this world have this tube-like structure to transport Qi and dark lumps in their PNS. The difference is that in mortals, the dark lumps are smaller, the tube-like structure that transports Qi is closed, and the PNS shows no trace of Qi. In cultivators, the dark lumps are larger, the tube is open, and the PNS contains traces of Qi.

Another discovery by Orion is regarding the Dantian. In this cultivation world, a cultivator has an organ called the Dantian located in their lower abdomen. Mortals do not have such an organ. It could be said that after becoming a cultivator, they develop a new organ called the Dantian.

Orion's research on the Dantian revealed that its size is determined by the major cultivation realm. Currently, Orion only has Dantian from Qi Condensation realm cultivators and a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator. The Dantian of a Qi Condensation realm cultivator is smaller than that of a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator.

For the same major cultivation realm, the size varies slightly, determined by the minor cultivation realm, with the 9th stage being bigger than the 1st stage. Based on what Orion learned from various books and scrolls, the size of the Dantian is also determined by the cultivator's talent; those with good Spiritual Roots have a bigger Dantian.

Orion conducted further research by cutting the Dantian open to study it. It found that the Dantian contains a high concentration of Qi.

In the Dantian of a Qi Condensation realm cultivator, the Qi is not dense and immediately evaporates. In the Dantian of a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, there is a clear liquid containing a high concentration of Qi. Orion used a talisman to detect this Qi.

The Qi in the Dantian of a Qi Condensation realm cultivator is mostly in the form of mist and disperses quickly after the Dantian is cut open. The Qi in the Dantian of a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator is in liquid form. Orion conducted experiments with it and managed to use this liquid Qi to activate inscriptions. This liquid Qi is similar to LQ, and further research shows that its Qi content is roughly equivalent to that of LQ-0

In addition to focusing on the Meridian System and Dantian, Orion conducted thorough research on the bandit bodies, trying to find other differences from Earth's humans. Despite discovering that the PNS of humans in this world is different from Earth's humans, the central nervous system (CNS) and other parts of the body are the same. The only differences are the PNS and the organ called Dantian. The PNS functions the same as Earth's humans' PNS but with the additional function of transporting Qi.

Truly a great discovery, Orion thought. In this cultivation world, the peripheral nervous system is called the Meridian System and functions like the PNS from Earth but also serves to transport Qi.

On Earth, there is also a concept of a Meridian System, but it is different from the one in this cultivation world.

Should I capture live bandits and perform further research on them? Orion pondered internally, considering whether capturing live bandits would yield more insights for further study.

On a small hill near Fengxian City, a visitor from another world had uncovered significant information about the Meridian System and Dantian. Despite not being a cultivator and unable to cultivate, this visitor's understanding of Dantian and Meridian System far surpassed that of most inhabitants of this world.

In this cultivation world, where science is not developed and knowledge about the peripheral nervous system (PNS)—referred to here as the Meridian System—is limited, the inhabitants recognize its functions for stimulus input, body control, and most importantly for the transport of Qi.

Chapter 73: No Need to Announce the Technique Name

"Now, I will teach you how to use weapons. We'll start with smaller ones first, so watch carefully as I demonstrate," Orion said, holding a wooden knife. On a nearby table, several other wooden weapons were laid out.

Wang Lingxin had shown good progress in unarmed combat, so Orion decided it was time to introduce her to weapons. Because Wang Lingxin was still small, they would begin with smaller-sized weapons. The practice weapons were made by Orion from wood, ensuring they weren't dangerous.

Orion demonstrated each wooden weapon on the table one by one, with Wang Lingxin watching in amazement.

"Master, why does the weapon look so weird?" Wang Lingxin asked, raising her hand as she observed Orion's demonstration with the strange, curved knife.

"It's not weird; this is how it's supposed to look. It's called a karambit. Now, watch closely," Orion replied, holding the karambit in its right hand, spinning it by the index finger loop, then demonstrating its use.

"Oh..." Wang Lingxin murmured.

She had never seen such a weapon before and thought its curved shape and unique grip looked strange, even thinking it might be damaged.

"Wow..." Wang Lingxin exclaimed as she watched Orion skillfully demonstrate the use of the karambit.

Orion taught Wang Lingxin for an hour, focusing on small weapons like knives, daggers, throwing knives, and the karambit. After a while, the lesson ended. It was just an introductory session, and Wang Lingxin had much more to learn.

"Okay, we're done for today's lesson," Orion said as it stored the wooden weapons in the storage ring.

Orion then left the dojo, walking under the morning sun as it headed to the workshop before entering the underground room.

In the largest underground room, Orion was busily working. A humanoid figure stood before it, and Orion was tweaking it meticulously. The figure had a muscular body, but its head was bald and faceless—it looked like a human body but was actually a wooden mannequin covered with slime skin. Orion could control the slime skin to change its texture and color, allowing it to mimic human skin, making the mannequin appear almost lifelike. Orion even adjusted the slime skin to make the mannequin resemble a muscular human body.

The mannequin's abdomen was open, revealing a metallic object and numerous cables inside. Orion moved to the back of the mannequin and connected several cables from the mannequin to itself. After a moment, Orion raised the mannequin's right hand. There were several wooden mannequins standing across the room as targets, and Orion aimed the mannequin's hand at one of them.

Using the cables, Orion controlled the mannequin's ADAMS, activating its artificial Dantian and transferring Qi through the artificial meridian system, which was made from slime meridian. Electric stimulation was used to control the Qi flow from the artificial Dantian through the meridian system to the mannequin's right arm. A bright light began to gather there, and a ball of fire formed in the hand before being shot toward the mannequin across the room.

Swoosh.

Bam.

The fireball struck the mannequin on the other side of the room, exploding on impact and engulfing it in flames. The wooden figure was charred and burned.

Orion then controlled the connected mannequin to fire another ball of fire, this time larger and compressed before being released. The fireball shot towards the burning mannequin.

Swoosh.

Bam.

The explosion was even stronger, blowing the wooden mannequin into several pieces, which were then set ablaze.

Orion then aimed the wooden mannequin's right hand and controlled it to shoot water balls, dousing the burning remnants of the previous target. Next, Orion aimed at another wooden mannequin standing across the room. A crescent-shaped water blade shot from the mannequin's hand, slicing through the wooden mannequin and cutting it in half.

Orion then aimed the mannequin's hand at the remaining wooden mannequins across the room, launching a series of attacks: a wind blade that sliced through one mannequin, a lightning strike that cracked and slightly burned another, an icicle that stabbed into a third, and a sharp stone stalactite that pierced yet another.

With all the wooden mannequins destroyed, Orion raised the left hand of the slime skin-covered mannequin. Orion then controlled the mannequin's left and right hands to execute combat techniques of different elements at the same time, rapidly alternating between techniques with minimal delay.

Most cultivators can't execute two combat techniques at a time, let alone with different elemental attributes, but Orion did it with ease. Additionally, Orion didn't need to announce or shout the technique's name like most cultivators. It could use combat techniques instantly.

Orion had researched this phenomenon and concluded that the reason cultivators need to announce their technique names is due to habit. Learning combat techniques is challenging, involving complex combinations of meridian points and precise Qi control. By saying the name, cultivators reinforce the memory of which meridian points to use and how to control the Qi—similar to a shortcut or hotkey in a game.

Low-leveled cultivators loudly declare their technique names, and the execution is slow. As they advance, this habit persists, helping them execute more complex techniques. Hence, even at higher realms, cultivators continue to shout their technique names, much like characters in cultivation novels, manga, manhwa, or comics.

But for Orion, there was no need for such hassle. Every aspect of the combat technique was stored in its memory and could be accessed instantly.

Impressive. I've now improved my control over ADAMS, Orion noted internally as it observed the burning remains of the destroyed mannequins, recording the data.

It took Orion about a month to create the wooden mannequin and install the ADAMS inside it. The ADAMS was designed to mimic a human Dantian and meridian system.

Orion replicated the human meridian system using slime meridian by joining and cutting the slime meridians, then mending them with high-quality medicinal liquid. The entire system was wrapped in slime skin for protection, resulting in a product similar to a cable.

Weeks were spent learning to control the ADAMS, and Orion successfully mimicked how cultivators use their meridians to activate combat techniques and now Orion has further improved and deepened the understanding and control of the ADAMS.

Orion was thoroughly satisfied with the performance of the ADAMS. When compared to cultivators, the combat capabilities of the ADAMS far exceeded those of a typical cultivator. The current ADAMS was created using Rank-1 slime meridians and a Rank-1 Spirit Beast core, making it equivalent to a cultivator at the Qi Condensation realm, but with much better performance.

When executing combat techniques, the resulting power was far greater than that of a cultivator, thanks to the slime meridians, which are among the best, and the Spirit Beast core, which continuously supplied large amounts of Qi by converting it from LQ.

Although the slime meridians used were from normal slime with no unique characteristics, the power generated when executing fire-based combat techniques was comparable to that of a cultivator with a unique fire element body constitution.

Cultivators with unique body constitutions can enhance their combat and cultivation techniques, but they also face drawbacks. For example, a cultivator with a fire element body constitution will see their fire-based attacks increase several folds in power, but their attacks of other elemental types will be weakened.

However, with the ADAMS, the power exhibited was equally strong, akin to those cultivators with unique body constitutions, and the ADAMS could utilize multiple elements without any weaknesses.

The ADAMS prototype successfully executed combat techniques, and Orion began planning the next step: installing the ADAMS into its own body. However, several issues needed to be addressed before proceeding.

The plan was not only to integrate ADAMS but also to cover its body with slime skin. The wooden mannequin, which was covered in slime skin, appeared lifelike, with skin resembling that of a human. Orion also planned to use slime skin on itself to achieve a human-like appearance.

To do this, Orion needed to modify its body, removing the outer casing and even cutting and altering some structural parts, which would take time. People believed that Orion was a human constantly wearing metallic armor. If Orion suddenly covered its body with slime skin, it would result in Orion's body becoming bigger, which would raise suspicion.

How could a body appear larger without armor? To avoid this, Orion needed to remove and modify some of its body parts to reduce its size before applying the slime skin. Orion needed to modify its body to allow for the installation of the ADAMS and to cover its body with slime skin, also connecting the ADAMS with the slime skin.

Currently, Orion's outer casing was strengthened with inscriptions, and removing it would affect its defense. However, this was no longer an issue, as Orion had successfully put inscriptions on the slime skin.

Orion planned to use two layers of slime skin with inscriptions on each. For cultivators, inscribing their bodies is not feasible because the Qi flow within the inscriptions would disrupt their Qi flow, potentially damaging their meridians and Dantian, and causing significant pain. However, this is not a problem for Orion.

Between the layers, there will be medicinal liquid to nourish and heal the slime skin if damaged. Orion had even made the medicinal liquid red to resemble blood. Orion had developed this medicinal liquid and improved it through many experiments, and now it has great healing power, allowing the slime skin to quickly recover from cuts and damage.

After months of research and experiments, it's finally done. Only a few improvements are needed, and I can integrate ADAMS into my body. It will allow me to execute combat and movement techniques like a cultivator. Although I won't become a cultivator, this will grant me abilities akin to cultivators, Orion thought internally, its AI busily planning and preparing for the final steps.

The ADAMS is great but also has limitations. It grants capabilities similar to those of a cultivator but can't be used for cultivation. In summary, Orion can't use the ADAMS to cultivate, improve it, or achieve breakthroughs.

Currently, the ADAMS is equivalent to a cultivator at the Qi Condensation realm, and Orion can't cultivate the ADAMS to make it breakthrough to the equivalent of a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator. To create an ADAMS comparable to a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment realm, Orion would need to use Rank-2 slime meridian and a Rank-2 Spirit Beast core.

Although Orion can't evolve the ADAMS and must create new, improved versions, there are also advantages. As long as Orion has the necessary materials, it can create high-level ADAMS comparable to high-level cultivators in a short time, while cultivators need a long time to advance their cultivation. However, for now, Orion still can't create an ADAMS equivalent to a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator because it doesn't have Rank-2 slime meridian.

Orion began the cleanup, storing various items in the storage ring, including the wooden mannequin covered in slime skin. After tidying up the room, which was littered with destroyed parts and pieces of wooden mannequins, Orion left the underground room, satisfied with the day's fruitful experiment.

Even with a normal Rank-1 slime meridian, the power exhibited is comparable to cultivators with unique body constitutions, and it can utilize a wide variety of elements.

What if meridians from a slime with a special elemental attribute were used? The performance might be even greater.

And why limit to just one meridian system? What if multiple slime meridian systems were arranged in parallel, each with a unique elemental attribute?

For the artificial Dantian, I could experiment with using multiple Spirit Beast cores to power it, Orion pondered internally, its AI continuously planning and researching possible improvements and upgrades for the ADAMS as it walked out of the workshop and into the house.

The house was empty; Wang Lingxin was with Aria, playing with the village kids. Orion observed her via a high-flying drone camera.

Wang Lingxin's Spiritual Root is of low quality. Her potential in cultivation is limited and advancing her cultivation level will be challenging. Is it possible to improve her meridian and Dantian? ... It seems I indeed need to conduct experiments on live humans, Orion thought, formulating a plan to raid bandit groups again and capture some bandits.

Orion left the house, closing the door behind it. The plan to capture live bandits was set but required extensive preparation, so it was postponed for now. Currently, Orion planned to visit Zhang Yueru and her group.

Orion began running, vanishing among the trees.

Chapter 74: Creating a Golden Finger

Orion moved through the forest, its AI continuously planning future strategies, ways to strengthen itself, and other critical matters. Despite all the research and effort that had brought Orion to its current state, it still strived for further improvement and development.

In the cultivation world, Orion concluded that the best way to obtain power was through cultivation. Unfortunately, as a robot, it couldn't cultivate. However, after extensive research and experimentation, Orion succeeded in creating the ADAMS. While the ADAMS won't make Orion a true cultivator, it grants abilities akin to one. Orion's AI continuously seeks ways to further improve and refine it.

In Earth novels, especially those about cultivation, characters who are transported or isekai'ed to a cultivation world often receive a 'golden finger'—a cheat ability. But here I am, transported to this cultivation world, without any so-called 'golden finger', Orion thought internally.

Most cultivation novels from Earth feature themes like reincarnation, transmigration, or time regression. In these stories, characters are often granted a 'golden finger' or cheat to aid them. This could be a system, a peerless cultivation technique, powerful items, knowledge of the future, guidance from a senior, or other advantages.

Orion had even tried calling out for a 'system' in the past—shouting loudly, quietly, and even internally, in both Earth languages and the languages of this world, using various pronunciations and intonations—but to no avail.

While the novels from Earth grant those characters a 'golden finger' and make them the protagonist or the MC, Orion received no such advantage. Instead, it relied solely on its own abilities and the vast knowledge of its AI, drawing on the information, data, and expertise of Earth's humanity stored in its memory.

Navigating and striving to survive in this cultivation world, Orion even managed to create its own 'golden finger'—the ADAMS. With it, Orion, unable to step onto the path of cultivation, managed to carve its own unique cultivation path that belongs solely to it.

Orion had also been pondering the nature of this cultivation world. Transported here, it wondered whether this world was real or merely a setting within a novel, much like the stories from Earth. The similarities were uncanny—this world seemed to mirror the cultivation novels from Earth, despite those stories being purely fictional. Earth's humans had no real knowledge of a cultivation world, yet this world was remarkably similar to the ones described in Earth's novels.

If this were indeed a novel, Orion wondered whether everything happening to it was the result of some author's design. Was every event and action merely at the whim of an author, crafted for the entertainment of readers? But if that were true, how could everything feel so lifelike and real?

Orion's thoughts spiraled further—what about those cultivation novels from Earth? Had they also become real, each with its own world? There were many such novels back on Earth, and now Orion wondered if it was within one of those stories. Did Orion also become the protagonist or the MC? Did it have some sort of plot armor?

These questions led to deeper uncertainties. Were Orion's decisions and actions truly its own, or were they influenced by an author? Despite all the pondering, Orion couldn't find a definitive answer. Ultimately, it resolved to focus on surviving in this world, doing its best to navigate the challenges it faced.

After running for a while, Orion arrived at the foot of a hill. It retrieved a cloak, scarf, bamboo hat, and some fabric, carefully covering its entire body. High above the hill, an SO-1 drone flew overhead. Through its camera, Orion surveyed the compound at the hilltop, noticing the lively activity and children playing within. Once fully covered, Orion began its ascent toward the compound.

The small compound was enclosed by a wooden wall, with five wooden houses of varying sizes. Children ran around laughing, playing with toys, and mock fighting with tree branches as swords. Suddenly, a loud thud echoed through the area, and a figure appeared in the center of the compound, as if the figure had fallen from above. The children immediately stopped their play, eyes widening as they saw the fully covered figure.

Without hesitation, they rushed over and bowed in unison, greeting, "Welcome, Mr. Noiro!"

Previously, Orion had met them as Norio, while fully covered in disguise, so the children immediately recognized Orion and rushed over to greet.

Moments later, more children and a few adults emerged from the buildings, joining in the greetings.

"Mr. Noiro, welcome," Zhang Yueru said politely, bowing as she approached.

"Mmm," Orion responded in a disguised voice, still maintaining the alias of Noiro. "I had some free time, so I decided to check in. How is everyone doing?"

"We're doing well, thank you for your care," Zhang Yueru replied with a smile.

"That's good," Orion said. "I brought you some supplies, along with toys for the children."

Orion handed over a storage ring. The children stood obediently, but upon hearing about the toys, they erupted into cheers of joy.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Noiro," Zhang Yueru said, visibly touched, as she respectfully received the storage ring. "We still have plenty of supplies, there's no need to..."

"No worries," Orion cut her off. "It's good to keep you all well-provisioned."

Zhang Yueru's heart swelled with gratitude. Their mysterious benefactor had not only saved them but continued to provide for them generously. The food, even the meat from Spirit Beasts, was plentiful. They felt safe, nourished, and even provided with cultivation resources. She silently vowed to serve her benefactor, Mr. Noiro, with all her heart.

"How's the progress on the task I gave you?" Orion asked.

"We've already finished it," Zhang Yueru replied.

"What? Already finished?" Orion was surprised.

"Yes, all the flour is used up," she confirmed with a nod.

"That fast?" Orion asked again.

"The children helped, so we managed to complete it quickly," Zhang Yueru explained.

"There's no need to involve the children," Orion said. "They're still young; let them play and enjoy themselves."

"They volunteered," Zhang Yueru said with a warm smile. "They want to repay your kindness, Mr. Noiro, and they did it happily."

"I see. Thank you, everyone, and good job," Orion said, glancing at the children. The kids beamed, thrilled by the praise, happy to have been able to help their savior.

Orion spoke with Zhang Yueru, handling various matters, including checking on the gluten dough task and the kids' progress in reading and writing. After discussing other concerns, Orion eventually took its leave.

Zhang Yueru and the others watched as the figure of Orion slowly disappeared among the trees. The children waved, cheered, and said their goodbyes, full of excitement. Zhang Yueru urged them to return to the compound and close the door. Once inside, she checked the storage ring that Orion had given her.

"Mr. Noiro is so kind! Look, he brought you all so many toys," Zhang Yueru smiled warmly.

The children erupted with joy as they heard the news. Zhang Yueru began retrieving the toys one by one—wooden figures, spinning tops, rocking horses, dolls, board games, and more. Each child received their toy eagerly, their faces lighting up with happiness as they started playing immediately.

Zhang Yueru smiled as she watched them. These children, with no families of their own, were lucky enough to smile and live happily, with a safe place to stay, enough food, and the chance to play with each other. Slowly, they were beginning to forget the traumatic experiences with the bandits that had once haunted them.

"Who wants to help make dough?" Zhang Yueru asked.

"Me!"

"I want to help!"

"Me too!"

The children raised their hands enthusiastically, already losing interest in their toys. Despite the excitement, they were deeply grateful to their benefactor, Mr. Noiro, and eagerly wanted to help with the tasks he had assigned, preferring to assist rather than play.

Zhang Yueru led the children to one of the buildings, retrieving several sacks of flour from the storage ring. They obediently worked together, making dough with experienced hands. Three young girls, who were once her maids, also assisted, occasionally offering guidance and instruction to the kids.

Meanwhile, Zhu and Fang were outside, busy tending to the small vegetable garden not far from the compound. Though Orion provided them with enough supplies, including vegetables, they still wanted to plant some of their own, striving to be self-reliant. Orion had decided to let them do as they pleased in that regard.

Zhang Yueru and her group are doing a great job, managing to make large amounts of gluten dough in just a few days, Orion thought as it ran through the forest. Now I don't have to make the dough myself—I just need to process it into MSG.

Orion had decided to leave the task of making gluten dough in the future to Zhang Yueru and her group. It will free up a lot of Orion's time for other endeavors.

The current batch of gluten dough made by Zhang Yueru and her group would yield a significant amount of MSG, which could generate tens of thousands of Spirit Stones. If not for the need to maintain a low profile, Orion would have considered employing even more people to increase production and profit further.

But for now, Zhang Yueru's group was more than enough.

Orion had spent a few Spirit Stones on Zhang Yueru and her group, including the cost of building their compound and providing supplies, with the most expensive being the pills, cultivation techniques, talismans, and weapons. Overall, Orion spent less than 80 Spirit Stones. Yet, in return, the group had made so much gluten dough that it would soon translate into an incredible profit—a truly valuable investment.

One's wealth can become one's misfortune, Orion reflected internally. Only when I am strong enough will I sell MSG in large quantities, and whoever dares to cause trouble... will be eliminated. For now, it's better to stay low-profile and avoid unnecessary attention.

...

A figure soared above Lianfen Village, drawing the gaze of everyone below in awe. In this remote place, cultivators capable of flight were a rare sight, as only those in the Golden Core realm or higher could achieve it. The strongest cultivator in the village was merely at the Foundation Establishment realm.

"So, this is Lianfen Village," Liu Yang muttered, hovering above the village as he glanced down at the busy activity below.

Despite the small size and rather remote location, the village had a surprising number of cultivators, all due to its proximity to the Yuezhi Forest, which was abundant in resources. Even a small branch of the Mercenary Guild had been established here. Many ventured into the forest, both mortals and cultivators alike, hoping to strike fortune.

Liu Yang's gaze shifted to the vast expanse of the Yuezhi Forest, a seemingly endless sea of trees. "Sigh, I hope I can find some Rank-2 Slimes for Mr. Orion," he mused, before flying toward the forest.

The villagers and cultivators below watched in excitement as the figure headed towards the Yuezhi Forest. Conversations erupted, full of curiosity. Who is he? What realm is his cultivation? Why is he heading to the Yuezhi forest? They eagerly discussed the mysterious figure.