Tower. Bedchamber.

Breathless and exhilarated, the charger was finally unplugged from the charging port, creating a momentary space between the intertwined duo.

Bubai, still catching his breath, sank back onto the bed.

With a sultry smile, An Jali extended her hand, gesturing for him to let go of his tension.

"Relax, my king," she murmured, her words like a gentle caress on the air. "Let Jali take care of the rest to prevent any waste in your... dragon energy."

The promise in her eyes was undeniable as her lips embraced the subject of her vow…

What were they doing? Obviously, it was just a simple charging session!

The dolls refined through the Shadow Sun method naturally don’t run on empty air.

Their bodies were modified to include a specialized storage unit, and it wasn’t just for storing the unique specialties they collected. It was also their energy source.

After all, each doll’s main source of energy stemmed from vitality. As for what source they extract this vital power from…

Ahem.

As An Jali’s new user, it was obviously his duty to ensure she was kept fully charged, lest she runs out of energy and shuts down.

During their first night, his impending mission at the Flower Picking Gang’s base had left him with insufficient time to fully charge her.

After returning to the safety of his own tower, he still had some hours left before work. So, he capitalized on the opportunity to fill her battery!

Of course, while this gratifying task was indeed a wonderful experience, the process of constant charging could still prove to be rather tedious and cumbersome, especially if it happened too often.

So, he must gain an in-depth understanding of her time frame, and depending on her feedback, he would either establish a regular charging schedule or temporarily deactivate her until needed anew.

Composing himself, Bubai lowered his gaze towards An Jali, watching her vibrant green gemstone swaying in a rapid, rhythmic dance, “How long would this full charge last?”

The wheat-skinned beauty’s eyes zapped him with electricity as she slowly sat up and proceeded to make her report.

“Responding to my king, the duration varies depending on the quality of the essence. Normal quality tends to be enough for an hour of intense combat and can keep me running for up to three days.”

“This is typically enough time for additional energy collection, even after dividing a portion into the general collection box. But, the quality of my king’s essence is a bit special...”

An Jali placed a hand on her belly, a gesture that seemed to symbolize a connection with a wellspring of energy.

“Based on the energy consumption Jali is sensing, a full charge bestowed by my king should last a couple hours of intense combat, about seven days in daily mode, and can sustain a month in dormant mode.”

Bubai nodded, his thoughts already running hard. As expected, his essence was undoubtedly special.

This was a good thing, as it meant lessening the frequency of charging sessions with An Jali.

Nevertheless, he will still let the doll out for a breather from time to time. This decision was fueled by his recent discovery of a rather interesting fact.

Bubai’s consciousness delved into his memory space, noting the new memory orbs he had gathered.

Among them were the numerous fragmentary memories retrieved from the leader of the Flower Picking Gang, orbiting in the periphery of his consciousness like solitary asteroids, aloof from the existing solar systems and showing no intentions of clustering together.

On the other hand, a set of freshly acquired orbs showed a different behavior.

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Despite initially roaming in the outskirts, they exhibited a magnetic pull, clustering together and gravitating toward the center, a sign of a budding tiny solar system.

Remarkably, each of these orbs featured An Jali!

Surprisingly, despite being a doll, his new servant still possessed the ability to naturally accumulate yin energy within her body!

This discovery opened the door to another opportunity: dual cultivation! An Jali had evolved from a mere experimental product into a fresh source of memory orbs for him to harvest!

Admittedly, the yin energy she could gather paled in comparison to that of a living woman, necessitating periodic recharging through staying in the real world.

Nevertheless, this still presented a renewable resource that could greatly benefit him, and it was already ample motivation to convince Bubai to utilize his new doll to its fullest potential...

Of course, that is a plot for another day. Her yin energy had already been exhausted today. Plus, there were still other pressing matters to handle today.

Bubai rose from the bed, resting his hand on An Jali’s head, ready to send her back into his storage space.

Just when he prepared to initiate the transfer, his gaze coincidentally met the woman's pleading, upturned eyes. “My king, your dragon is still mighty. Let Jali help you one more time before going back to sleep.”

Bubai didn’t stop the head leaning in...

Central District. Cat’s Nest.

Bubai watched Miss Meow’s lips slipping away and couldn’t help but inwardly make a comparison. Certainly, the difference in skill level was glaringly evident.

One was a queen, the other was just a hungry cat.

“Meow, Ben Meow is full of yummy fish, nya~”

Having sated her appetite, the catwoman flopped onto Bubai's thigh, her nose twitching cutely while her feline eyes fixated on the food dispenser with unabashed curiosity. “Meow, how can yummy fish keep getting meow and meow delicious?”

After a playful flick of her tail, Miss Meow began to softly nibble on the dispenser, her lips curling to reveal her delicate canine teeth.

Bubai’s hand reached out, tenderly caressing the cat's fluffy ear. “Xiao Mao, that’s enough for today. Time to shower-”

“Meow!!!” In response to his words, the cat’s fur bristled, abruptly leaping away and darting towards the farthest corner, leaving a fleeting gust of breeze in her wake. “Hissss! Xiao Meow doesn’t want to shower!”

Bubai strolled over to the pool, stealing a glance at the naughty cat and pointed toward her, “You sure? There is one final round of delicious fishy if Xiao Mao obediently comes shower now…”

Miss Meow shook her head furiously, but when her eyes locked onto the dispenser, it couldn’t help but narrow, her body trembling as if trying to resist some instinctive will.

“Meow~” In the end, the catwoman’s hesitant paws fell to the ground, her tail raising up and swishing eagerly as she slowly stalked over on all fours, her cat eyes never straying from the seemingly irresistible prey…

North District. Evening.

Bubai stretched with a relaxed mentality, a wide grin on his face.

Lately, it seemed as though the source of bad luck that had plagued him had somehow vanished, and his luck had returned to normal somewhat.

It seemed that everything was gradually falling into place, working out in his favor.

“Well, it is just a subjective feeling. There’s no proof.” Bubai shook his head in bemusement as he came to a stop before the Book Pavilion.

With one glance, he already detected the absence of the notice that had previously barred entry. The Book Pavilion had reopened its doors for business!

Of course, this place was still as eerily deserted as ever. After all, most outer disciples had already came during daylight hours to fulfill their needs.

The nocturnal hours belonged to employees like himself… or those with at least the status of an inner disciples.

Considering Granny Shu's cryptic hint about the guest, Bubai speculated that the individual awaiting him inside was either of similar standing or held an even loftier status.

Climbing the stairs, the prospect of the worst-case scenario lingered in Bubai’s mind - a fate of being outright sold. It seemed an unlikely outcome, yet one he had already mentally prepared himself to confront if need be.

So, there was no reason to hesitate and delay the inevitable.

Bubai paused before the door of the Book Pavilion. Taking a deep breath, he pushed it open and stepped into the familiar interior.

With one glance, he immediately saw…

Granny Shu.

Er… his gaze scanned around. There was no one else in the hall. Was the mysterious guest not here yet?

“Hum, young Bubai is finally here. This old lady had been waiting…” Granny Shu opened her eyes, greeting him with a smile on her face.

Yet, despite her smile of ease, Bubai’s keen eyes noticed the fatigue and deepening lines etched on her features as he approached her.

Was it just his imagination, or did the one week vacation age Granny Shu further, and... her expression even seemed to be burdened with weariness?

However, Bubai refrained from rudely staring for too long, bowing respectfully in greeting, “Junior has arrived as requested and is ready to heed Shu Po Po’s orders.”

“Fufu, excellent.” Granny Shu rocked in her softly creaking chair, her smile widening when she observed the box cradled in Bubai's hands. “Is young Bubai prepared to welcome the guest?”

“Of course. Junior is ready.” Bubai recalled the various thoughtful theoretic and careful acts he had prepared for various situations.

Words were like gold. Coupled with the generic gift he prepared, it will probably be enough to secure his safety and, perhaps, even net himself a valuable gift from the esteemed senior...

“Hum. Very well. Young Bubai can go greet her now.” Granny Shu’s eyes closed, reclining in her chair with an air of playfulness.

Greet her? But… go where? Bubai looked up at Granny Shu, “Shu Po Po, may junior ask where the esteemed guest is waiting…”

“Fufu, no need to be so troublesome.” Granny Shu didn’t even bother looking, only giving him a mischievous smile, “Isn’t she right behind you?”

Behind?!

Bubai turned around, and his heart lurched in surprise!