Sometimes Bubai couldn’t help but wonder: Dude, is the script wrong?

He was just a Qi-refiner, and a secret realm for Golden Cores had already shown up.

Aren’t these secret realms supposed to pop up only when the protagonist is adequately prepared? Why is it showing up so early-

Oh wait, that’s right. He was not the protagonist. Bummer.

As the saying goes: Opportunities wait for no one, except the true protagonist.

For side characters like himself, the path to success required actively seeking and seizing opportunities with their own hands.

Of course, there was a slim chance he may truly be the protagonist of some outlandish novel out there beyond the fourth wall…

However, regardless if he was the protagonist or not, the reality was that he could only stumble upon opportunities when exploring the world, not in his current situation – nailed to a sect, where his only opportunities seemed to be...

"Peach blossom luck?" Bubai's lips twitched as he observed Xiao Lan earnestly teaching him advanced sword techniques with a poker face.

Thanks to her exemplary instruction and the twins' selfless contributions over the weeks, his progress in gathering memory Qi had already reached 31%!

Well, these “opportunities” were truly not bad. Of course, it would be even better if it were genuine peach blossom luck rather than just friends with benefits.

Even at present, it was evident that Xiao Lan willingly assisted Bubai for her own objectives, and one of those objectives loomed clearly on the horizon – the recovery of her cultivation.

In a strategic move to lure her into his trap, Bubai generously compensated her for serving as his secretary, allowing her to reap the benefits of his “payment”.

With the Qi gathered in the tower and the surplus from consuming spirit rice, Xiao Lan's cultivation had rebounded, surpassing the sacrifices she made each time and gradually recovering towards her original realm of Foundation Establishment!

In the eyes of other inner disciples, this resurgence might raise alarms, suggesting a possibility of the slave overturning the status quo, but Bubai didn’t prevent this.

He understood that Xiao Lan's recovery alone wouldn't significantly change their circumstances.

Plus, they were essentially grasshoppers on one rope. Her recovery might even aid in diverting attention away from his own circumstances.

Additionally, she still needs him to achieve her concealed goal. He wasn’t blind and had noticed the signs. It’s just that they never openly discussed it due to their current lack of strength.

Currently, his words were truthfully an empty promise. Thus, in his ongoing effort to convince Xiao Lan to place her bet on him, Bubai persisted in investing considerable effort to inject confidence into her, showcasing his improvements.

Needless to say, he was fully aware that if the strength gap became too wide, there would be no grounds for cooperation.

So, Bubai still discreetly managed the situation, rationing his spirit rice to maximize his own gains from her recovery. While this extended the duration of her recuperation, it also provided him with valuable time to grow.

Perhaps by the time she fully recovered, he would already have strength surpassing her!

Beyond this, the delay allowed him to pursue a secondary goal.

Even with benefits, not all female cultivators would readily and willingly sacrifice their dignity, especially those of a more aloof or reserved nature.

Xiao Lan initially complied due to her circumstances, but over time, she had begun taking the initiative to cater to him.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

This was a good sign because it meant his attempts to worm his way inside her icy interior had began to play its role. Oh, he was naturally referring to her icy heart – there was nothing dirty and inappropriate about his situation. Heh.

Bubai stared down… at the piece of paper held in his hand. Recorded on this sheet were the recent market fluctuations he had observed.

“Talismans had spiked in demand. So have the tasks for artifact refiners and enchanters. Many recovery-oriented pills for Qi, vitality, and wounds have also rose in price. Poisonous substances have basically vanished from the market and cultivation tools have been selling like hotcakes…”

Even without knowledge of the underlying truth, he would still be able to discern that change was on the horizon by studying the recorded fluctuations on the piece of paper in his hand.

Of course, his initial speculation, without sufficient knowledge, might lean towards war or competition. Now, these factors only served to confirm the imminent arrival of the secret realm.

Alas, it had nothing to do with him... again. If his life was a story, Bubai would willingly be a keyboard warrior to hunt down the author of such a boring story.

Nevertheless, he knew this was reality, his reality. Here, every piece of data is important, especially for building his envisioned database.

So, he invested some effort in making this record for future reference.

Now, in a further attempt to secure this data in his memory, he decided to superimpose the effects of his cultivation session onto the record. Perhaps, in doing so, it could work wonders, allowing him to achieve a memory recall similar to a true eidetic memory?

Of course, the results, however, remained unknown… at least until after he built his foundation or if his seed returned the memory Qi he gathered.

Nonetheless, it was never too early to start certain experiments because sufficient testing data needed to be collected. He had already gathered ample data from the twins. Now...

“It’s about time I finish the current experiment.” Laying the piece of paper atop the violet-haired beauty’s head to achieve a dual perspective, Bubai grinned as he be began executing his advance sword thrusts…

East District.

Bubai looked up at the darkness still persistently enveloping the sect. “Probably one to two weeks to go?”

Day or night, it was really hard to tell now. Now, even with the rejuvenation from his green Qi and the occasional naps he managed to squeeze in, both his body and mind still felt a bit more sluggish.

“Living in the darkness for too long is really not good for one’s well-being.” Bubai sighed as he made his way towards the market.

En route, he heard the excited grunts of men echoing from various dark corners around him. His lips twitched, but he chose to ignore these incidents. This was a normal occurrence nowadays. In the darkness, every hour of the day is now night.

Turning around a corner, Bubai's heart suddenly lurched at the sight of a woman in a tattered, silky red dress hanging from a lamppost just steps away. Her wavy, tangled brunette hair draped over her face as she swayed ever so slightly, the sole entity illuminated in this section of the bend!

It was a scene straight out of a horror movie!

Merlin’s beard! Almost instinctively, Bubai felt the urge to run away, but he forced himself to stay put and composed himself when he realized...

The woman was not hanging by her neck. She was tied by her wrists.

The faint undulation of her chest also calmed his nerves.

“Whew.” It was a living woman, scared him for nothing.

As if sensing Bubai's presence nearby, the woman lifted her head, and through her tangled hair, he discerned her blindfolded eyes and glossy red-painted lips. Those crimson lips seemed to pant with a hint of excitement as she invited him with her weak voice, “Please give me a try.”

Bubai's lips twitched. In the end, he resisted the tempting urge, stepping over a sticky puddle on the ground and continuing to walk past the woman.

“Please… Give me… Give me… Try me...”

Even as he moved away, the woman persisted in repeating her invitation like a broken record… adding a bit of chill to his darkness.

West District.

Bubai believed the lengthy journey had already broadened his perspective, but upon reaching the shopping district, it felt as if he had stepped into an entirely new world.

A surreal scene was unfolding before his eyes: Disciples walking their cats and dogs on leashes, many even engaged in pet training right on the open paved sandstone street!

Some were even training the pets of others!

As the cacophony of rowdy meowing and barking filled his ears, Bubai's heart shudder involuntarily.

Crazy. Everyone is crazy!

“Yo, brother, want to give my pet a try? Just one low-grade spirit stone, I promise she won’t bite.” Nearby, a scrawny man, bearing dark shadows under his eyes, greeted him.

Bubai noted the evident toll on the man's physique, clearly hollowed out from his relentless activities. Yet, the man continued to train fervently, seemingly ignorant of his own deteriorating condition.

Bubai’s gaze then fell onto the man’s cat, who purred cutely towards him, her soothing voice seeming to soak his soul...

Fortunately, the strand of green Qi circulating in his head kept him sober and immune to such weak influences.

Yet, he was aware of the danger. So, he hastened past them, ignoring the other invitations to participate in pet training – some from the men and even some from the pets themselves...

Eventually, he reached his destination, a rather dilapidated shop compared to the others on the street. He glanced up at the sticky sign above, as if coated with honey, “The Bee Hive.”

Through the display window, no goods were displayed. Instead, a wooden board sat there, its faded ink bearing the slogan, “Manly goods for all your cultivation needs.”