Downstairs. Corridor.

“It really can’t compare.” Bubai shook his head slightly with a tinge of disappointment.

Though the Sun Furnace dual cultivation method is much faster than his basic Qi-gathering method, but it is still not as fast as his golden finger’s mysterious Qi-gathering formation, at least from what he gathered so far.

Verdict: Cheating is still the fastest.

Alas, despite the strong temptation to utilize his golden finger to gather Qi, Bubai resisted the urge, knowing that the abnormality, caused by the mysterious formation’s Qi-gathering speed, required a careful cover and explanation.

WeiWei had assured him that the tower was safe from prying eyes, but Bubai remained cautious because he believed it was better to be careful in order to sail his boat for ten thousand years.

So... he decided to temporarily rely on the unorthodox dual cultivation method for a quick improvement to his cultivation.

Believe it or not, this was a completely rational choice. Ahem. Ahem.

After all, during this experimental phase with the twins, Bubai got a glimpse into the effectiveness of the Sun Furnace Carp Method, and it already proved more efficient than his basic Qi gathering method.

Of course, he still needs more data to validate this conjecture.

Thus, he intends to invest more effort to unravel its inner workings and assess the possible growth it could offer…

All in all, he will definitely conduct in-depth research. Tonight… will be a good night. Cue the music.

Midway through the corridor, Bubai slid open the doors to the storage room, peering inside to find Xiao Lan meditating on the ground with her eyes closed. The serene atmosphere around her suggested a deep state of concentration, and she didn’t seem to pay any heed to his entry.

Undeterred by her cold treatment, Bubai walked up and stopped in front of her, his hand reaching out to gently stroke her cheek. However, there was still no reaction from the beauty, her body still like an iceberg.

Seeing that his attempts to garner attention had failed, Bubai finally spoke up, “Xiao Lan, I’m going out to take a walk in the sect. Is there anything you need?”

Xiao Lan finally slowly opened her eyes, her gaze meeting Bubai's with a bland, emotionless face. “No.”

Bubai pursed his lips, not too happy with the unresponsiveness. “Then, is there anything you want to me to do?”

The duo stared at each other in silence for a moment before Xiao Lan lowered her gaze, “No.”

“Oh.” Bubai answered noncommittally. What happened? After a day, why does she seemed to have became more alienated?

Not satisfied with the lack of engagement, Bubai reached out his hand, lifting Xiao Lan by her chin and staring into her eyes, seeking some hint of what occupied her thoughts. “Are you sure there is nothing you need?”

Xiao Lan's face remained calm as she replied, “No-”

Gulu gulu. The soft yet unmistakable sound of a growling stomach suddenly came from below.

Bubai looked down at his own stomach. Uh, not him.

Bubai's gaze shifted to Xiao Lan's flat stomach under her silky robes, a silent observation that carried a touch of realization.

As he looked up and met Xiao Lan's eyes, she evaded his gaze, looking away.

Now, that he thought about it…

While Bigu pills was available during the journey on the ship, they hadn't eaten since they disembarked from Elder Ma's ship.

Bubai, relying on his green Qi that could partially satiate hunger, felt not an ounce of hunger even after a demanding and wild day. However, the same couldn't be said for Xiao Lan.

Unlike him, she was a normal human… Naturally, she needs to eat.

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Unfortunately, the tower didn’t come with a supply of food. Heck, there wasn’t even a kitchen in the abode…

Locked up in this tower, it would be shocking if Xiao Lan managed to procure food!

Bubai stared at the silent beauty who still didn’t whisper an ounce of complaint. Seriously, this cutie of his would rather starve than speak up.

If he hadn’t checked on her and left to read for a whole day, he might have not realized the heavy responsibilities he now carried.

He was no longer a single man who can freely choose to be a beggar on the side of the road. To raise his women, food was a necessity.

Alas... food was woven into the power dynamics of the Sun Furnace Sect.

This chain of supply was one of the monopolies strictly kept under by the sect’s management, evident in the walled-off farms.

It wasn’t too difficult for Bubai to guess the reason behind this tight regulation of this vital resource…

Every disciple will need food, either to satiate their own hunger or to raise their companions, pets, etc.

To control the disciples, directly grasp their lifeline. A straightforward yet ingenious management method.

Under this monopoly, the sect had the final say.

Bubai recalled the notes left by Manager Qin regarding his resource allocation.

For inner disciples, food was one of the basic resources allocated by the sect.

Typically, the rations provided were sufficient to feed at least two people, with some special disciples enjoying even more, enough to sustain their small harem of followers.

Unfortunately, the sect didn’t allocate any food provisions for him!

Clearly, the responsibility to prepare food fell squarely on his shoulders, and now, he he had three extra mouths to feed...

Bubai's hand delved into one of the small empty pouches on his waist, retrieving a couple of low-grade Bigu pills from his storage space, handing it over to Xiao Lan, “Here, eat these first. I’ll find a way to get us some food.”

Xiao Lan glanced at the pills in Bubai's palm, pursing her lips in contemplation.

Eventually, she reached out to take one with her finger, but before she could retract her hand, Bubai clasped her hand, stuffing the remaining pills into her palm.

“Don’t refuse what I give. Unlike those two above, you are my women, you deserve this much, Xiao Lan.”

Xiao Lan stared at Bubai in silence, her usual icy demeanor revealing a momentary vulnerability. After a brief pause, she nodded once, retracting her hand.

Holding a pill between her fingers, she threw a glance at Bubai as she parted her purplish lips, slowly wrapping them around the pill, her tongue tracing over it before eventually slipping it into her mouth...

Bubai couldn't help but smile at the enticing sight before him, his thumb gently rubbing Xiao Lan's lips, but he still focused on the serious business at hand, “By the way, where did your previous master normally buy food?”

Gazing at Bubai, Xiao Lan rolled the pill around in her mouth before swallowing it. After a brief staredown, she finally answered Bubai's question. “One of the other women was in charge of going to purchase extra from the official stores in the shopping district.”

Resisting his urge to enjoy the refreshing spring, Bubai retracted his hand, giving her a nod before he turned away, “I’m off. Keep an eye on the other two for me, Xiao Lan.”

Xiao Lan remained silent, watching Bubai's receding back. When the entrance rumbled closed once more, she couldn't help but lower her head, her thoughts and emotions hidden beneath her usual veil. “Is this what she meant by losing my worth?”

Outside the Tower.

Bubai's gaze lingered on the closing door of his tower, a jade slip playing between his fingers. “She may have wanted to follow along, but...”

In the end, he still chose to leave Xiao Lan behind. Bubai knew there were limits to their collaboration.

Despite the expected advantages of bringing her along as a form of camouflage, the disadvantages were also many.

First and foremost: Beauties were the root of trouble.

This popular trope in novels needed to be avoided as much as possible, especially with his current strength.

Secondly, certain aspects of his cultivation journey needed to be kept private.

Though there were copies of cultivation manuals proliferating on paper booklets and scrolls, Bubai knew that most important technique manuals, including those pivotal to his growth, were recorded on jade slips.

Just like his abode key, these required Qi to view, and it was best if he personally did this himself. Cultivation wasn’t a matter that can be entrusted to a third party.

Knowing this, Bubai had chosen to reveal some aspects of his cultivation journey, such as his mid-level Qi-refinement stage, because he knew doing so would be more conductive for his growth, even if it draws some suspicions.

However, it wouldn’t be too much. It wasn’t uncommon for a mortal to experience a drastic increase in cultivation when switching to a new compatible cultivation method.

The Sun Furnace Carp Method would be his excuse.

“As long as no Golden Core comes to personally check on me... there should be no problem. Well, WeiWei has me covered on this aspect, at least for now...”

After a moment of contemplation, Bubai slipped the jade slip into one of the pouches on his waist, a seemingly casual action, but with practiced ease, he stashed the jade slip into his spatial storage, granting it an extra layer of security.

Bubai certainly took Manager Qiao’s warning to heart and eliminated the possibility from the roots.

Want to steal the keys to his house? Maybe in their next life.

Now, only WeiWei held the privilege of freely entering and exiting his tower because as his master, she possessed a copy of the key.

But unlike him, WeiWei probably already refined her key, adding an additional layer of security.

The exclusivity of access ensured that unless WeiWei willingly let others in herself, no one could use her key to enter, unless their cultivation far exceeds hers, enough to clear her imprint on the key.

But, even he didn’t know the mysterious WeiWei’s true cultivation…

Well, he won’t waste time guessing this. Let’s focus on the important tasks on his agenda.

Sweeping his gaze over the occasional disciples passing by his tower, Bubai then cast his gaze in the direction of the twin towers in the distance, “Guess I’ll head to the West District and buy some food first. After all, reading will be rather time-consuming.”