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Chapter 113 - How to be Poor

Johan grew up rich. He could eat caviar and truffles with foie gras, wagyu, and fancy royal bloomers for every meal if he wanted to (he didn’t), but preferred white rice and rogan josh instead.

Rice was the staple food of Johan’s childhood, and he’d kept the habit well into adulthood.

A tradition from his mother’s side.

Johan’s maternal great-grandmother was an ethnic Chinese from Northern India. She and her Assamese husband had moved to the South East of th...

Chapter 112 - The ways of the Sect

“Are there no Martial Arts manuals?” Yu Han asked the shopkeep.

“Kids these days,” the middle-aged Outer Sect disciple said with a shake of his palms. “Back in my time we would rightfully win manuals in a duel or pick them up from the corpses of our enemies—”

“Not even Common Grade ones?”

“One thousand. Not a single coin less.”

“Gold notes?”

“Spirit Stones. I’ll bite each one to see if they’re fake or nuggets.” The shopkee...

Chapter 111 – Three Loans and a Cat

Fang Zhao broke out of the water, kicking hard against the bottom of the stream.

He swam to the shore.

Mistress Miao watched from atop a mossy boulder stuck between two trees that grew twisted around it. Her two tails swayed without any apparent pattern. From time to time, her wings would flutter, mostly to keep the insects away.

“I have them,” Fang Zhao said.

He did not like the cat. Yet his logical mind told him what happened was outside the cat’s contro...

Chapter 110 - Arsenal of Arts

After their Night Soil Collecting rounds, Yu Han and Huang Niuniu headed back to their huts.

Fang Zhao had already given back the Jade of Moments with all seven of his martial arts recorded, from start to finish and from multiple angles, with him supplementing verbal instructions.

After a hearty meal of Deep Sea’s Vitality Sprite, it was time for a review.

Yu Han (Johan) | Lvl.2 | Accords: 1

Qi:

[True: 184 (+103) /300]

[Pure: 221/300]

[Primor...

Chapter 109 - Haggling Books

The man, bald with sunlight shining off his head, carefully tiptoed around the mounds of dirt Fei Rui had dug up. He wore a modified sect robe with the character “Liang” on the right sleeve.

His identity token hung from his waist belt. It had orange strokes, the same as Tan Ruoxuan’s.

He was in the Qi Gathering Realm.

“This gentleman is a steward from the Liang Clan,” Tan Ruoxuan introduced. “He wishes business with you.”

Her eyes conveyed comfort and war...

Chapter 108 - Spirit Euros

Author's Notes: Thought I will add author's notes here and there. Here are the ducks I met yesterday. They were nice. “I don’t want to save

Author's Notes: Thought I will add author's notes here and there. Here are the ducks I met yesterday. They were nice.

“I don’t want to save the world,” Yu Han said. “Nor conquer it. I can’t m...

Chapter 107 - Power

“I don’t know what you think I am,” Yu Han said. “What am I if not typical?” He felt tired saying that.

“Feeling pressured?” Li Yao laughed. “Does it help you sweat?”

“You have too high expectations of me,” Yu Han said.

“It’s helping you lose weight.” Li Yao mimed a heavy load on his back. “You can carry more.”

“Fuck off.”

“I have the right expectations,” Li Yao said. “The Tubs I know won't have just this. What els...

Chapter 106 - Array Formations

“And what do we sell?” Li Yao asked. “I’m guessing you don’t want to be like the rest. No endless grind in the Hidden Realm and selling the haul.”

“It’s not so bad,” Fang Zhao countered.

“It sounds plebeian,” Huang Niuniu said. “Once in a while is nice, but not forever.”

Yu Han flipped the notebook to a page with a few bullet points.

“Niu’er is our budding alchemist,” Yu Han said.

The girl raised her chin as if to pierce the...

Chapter 105 - Taxes

Slow release for a few weeks. Maybe 1-2 weekly chapters. Fingers cross going to reach the 3 weekly release again before summer ends. As promised, Patreon won't be charged until it is 20 chapters ahead again, and 12 new chapters in Patreon have been posted.

I am settling into my new job. Hopefully, my visa will be renewed pretty soon too, so I won't be kicked out of the EU XD.

Chapter 105 - Taxes

“Does the Great Xia Dynasty have income tax?” Yu Ha...

Chapter 104 – Tax Rules and Comparisons

Chapter 104 – Tax Rules and Comparisons

Yu Han’s Deep Sleep had activated after he had been knocked out by Gong Muhua. He was able to enter his Dreamscape with no issues.

But this time, his sleep was normal. No Deep Sleep.

How the hell am I supposed to test this?

It was a worrying development. He had no plans to intentionally deprive himself of sleep. He needed it. His muscles needed it.

“Forget it.”

He would do what he can.

He washed...

Life Update - Thesis

Hey all, I have some updates on my current situation. Tldr; I have 60 days to complete my master's thesis. So I am slowing down releases.

This means I won't have as much time to write. I need to prioritize the thesis. over posting regular chapters.

If I try to do both at the same time, I feel like I'll do both badly. The chapter quality will drop, I might be tempted to post without editing :( And my supervisor will take away funding ...

Chapter 103 – Training the System

Chapter 103 – Training the System

The next two days passed quickly. Fang Zhao was training like a maniac. Li Yao and Huang Niuniu would spar with him, with Yu Han joining in sometimes. The three of them combined couldn’t take him down.

Though when Yu Han maxed out his instincts with Thousand Petals Awareness, he came close.

Can I call it Ultra Instinct? Nope. No, I won’t steal names. I could totally come up with a better one.

He could force a draw with L...

Chapter 102- Loot

Chapter 102 - Loot

“The Night Alchemists’ Yard archives list no Arts,” Elder Chang said. “Merely a few recipes and know-hows. Records of past exploits, and knowledge donated by our employees. Arts aren’t to be shared with outsiders. You shall only receive them for great contributions. Either as tokens for the Scripture Hall, or directly from the Medical and Alchemy Halls. For the latter cases, it is not to be shared unless stated otherwise.”

He ran his finger over a sh...

Chapter 101 - The Hanging Sword

“I quit this stupid sect!” Bloodhound One shouted. He galloped on all fours like a beast, leaving dust in his wake.

White light surrounded his body as if air streams were parting to make way. He streaked past the dumbfounded Law Enforcers and appeared at the end of the road where it forked.

With each stomp, the earth cracked, mounds of dirt blasting up. He clawed the dirt, pulling himself forward. Accelerating with each beat.

If Bloodhound One left the area contro...

Chapter 100 - Hound Trap

“We can’t trust her!” Fang Zhao whisper-shouted.

They were sitting in a huddle by a small fire. Mistress Miao was moon-bathing in a boulder on the other side of the cenote.

“Do we really gotta whisper?” Li Yao said. “If she can hear the Mad Bloodhounds from miles away, she can hear us too. This is ridiculous.”

“What if she can’t?” Fang Zhao said. “What if she was actually awake in the ring and heard us talk about Mad Bloodhounds? She could be mak...

Chapter 99 – Instructions Unclear

“Instruction manual?” Fang Zhao barked as if he’d heard the most ridiculous thing. 

“A manual with instructions,” the cat said. “On how to use the ring. Did you read it?” 

「Can I read the instruction manual too?」 Fei Rui asked. He had shrunk back to puppy size and nestled himself in Yu Han’s lap. 

So the crab understands the cat? Definitely Qi speak. 

“There was no such thing!” Fang Zhao roared with indignation. ...

Chapter 98 – Mistress Miao

Chapter 98 – Mistress Miao

Fang Zhao was a boy. A slight and slender build, an inch or two taller than Yu Han, with red eyes and black hair that sparkled even when covered in grime. 

Li Yao took his helmet off. “Holy landlords. Tubs, did he just grow a foot? Red-eyes, you gonna grow wings next?” 

“W-What do you mean?” Fang Zhao said, his voice a notch deeper. Refreshingly deep. That was a voice to host the golden globes!

“Are you choking on a bone...

Chapter 97 – Tanking Snakes

Chapter 97 – Tanking Snakes

Huang Niuniu was the first to act. 

She whipped out Pale Spine, the contraption tying around the width of the Redgrass Beak Viper boss in a second. The spines extended to grapple onto the beast’s scales. 

“Niu’er—” Yu Han wanted to yell at her audacity but soon grasped her intentions. 

Good thinking! 

Huang Niuniu threw the whip handle at Fei Rui. 

“Fei Rui, drag the snake away from...

Chapter 96 – Counting Up

Chapter 96 – Counting Up

The natural shelf where Yu Han’s group had hidden provided a precarious viewing point. If not for the talismans, the slithering Redgrass Beak Vipers below and the flying Redgrass Viper Hawks above would have already noticed them. 

Pale green bog moss crept right up to the edge of the cenote’s throat, making the footing treacherous. But the limestone was pockmarked with small solution holes, creating a lace-like pattern that extended down into th...

Chapter 95 – It’s not Stalking if it’s for a Good Cause

Chapter 95 – It’s not Stalking if it’s for a Good Cause

They made their way through the bog, stepping over fallen trees and jumping from one stable patch of land to another. 

Core Formation in two years. Yu Han couldn’t get that out of his head. Are they all protagonist templates? Is inborn talent really that… discriminatory? 

With his Common Talent, it would be lucky if he could enter the Foundation Building realm in his life time. ...

Chapter 94 – True Geniuses Cheat

Chapter 94 – True Geniuses Cheat

“We can slowly test how much you can separate,” Yu Han said. “The marketplace sells things that are too difficult to process at a huge premium. For example, one of the ingredients Niu’er needs for the Deep Sea’s Vitality Spite is a poison from a Bat-Faced Centipede, a type of Gu.” 

“A what now?” Li Yao asked with a shrill breath. Fang Zhao took a step back. 

“But the poison is actually the centipede’s blood. Th...

Chapter 93 - If it’s a ring, it’s a cheat

Chapter 93 - If it’s a Ring, it’s a Cheat

The next monster to attack them was a human-sized mantis with wooden eyes. As it flew out of the canopy towards them, Huang Niuniu slashed its wings with Lotus Razor. It screeched, falling to the ground, where Li Yao separated its head from its body. 

They encountered monsters twice more within the next hour. They harvested the cores, and Fang Zhao put the corpses in his ring. 

This monster frequency was far less than n...

Chapter 92 - Into the Hidden Realm

Chapter 92 - Into the Hidden Realm

The Banana Moss River led to the docks at the Triplet Horn Mountain, but the Drizzle moved into a small tributary around a mile before the docks. Then it made its way to the back of the mountains, where another small base of the Law Enforcement Hall was located.

The Triplet Horn Mountain was a mountain that broke into three peaks, each nearly identical in shape, and the Realm Crossing Passageway was located between the second and third horns. It ...

Chapter 91 – Jade of Moments

Chapter 91 – Jade of Moments

"Why don't you look happy?" Tan Ruoxuan glared at them, her ponytail furiously milling in the wind. "Your foes are captured. You can move back to your abodes." She glanced at their getup. "After returning from the Hidden Realm. It is a joyous occasion."

She scanned their reactions again. "So why look like wronged eunuchs?"

"Chief Tan." Yu Han cleared his throat, schooling his expression. "Who are the Three Leaves Two Branches Courtyard?"

...

Chapter 90 – Taking Stock

Huang Niuniu successfully levelled up. She had an extra skip to her step on the way back.

"Did you know? There are tiny bugs in the water, as small as a water drop, that can give off light," the girl said.

"Phytoplanktons." Yu Han cleared the overgrown foliage by the abandoned trail with his halberd. If they needed to come here again, it would be easier.

"Fei Tou... what?"

"Think of them as one of the smallest forms of life. They get their own energy from light,...

Chapter 89 – Perception

"Neat." Yu Han stared at his profile. Is there a limit to how many extra stat points I can gain? Or is it unlimited? Yu Han didn't think so.

He would go forward with the assumption that everything had a limit. The limit to allocating Primordial Qi was one such data point in the evidence. Whether that limit depended on the weights or talent didn't matter. The point was, there was a limit.

And he would probably face more in the future.

Yu Han wrapped up his notes...

Chapter 88 - Balancing the Mind

What the hell was that? Yu Han groaned. How long had it been since he’d collapsed? It felt like merely a minute, but his body was dripping with sweat. He was lying flat on his back, heaving deep as if he was drowning.

There must be a limit to how many Primordial Qi I can put into a single substat! That was the first possibility that came to Yu Han's mind. It was a common mechanic in some games, although comparing reality to games was probably not the best...

Chapter 87 - Progress

Life and Laptop Update:

I got a new laptop. The old one's motherboard was shorted at 2 places. Luckily, the SSD was unharmed and I got back all the data. I didn't have to rewrite the three latest chapters I had written in my backlog. For some reason though, dropbox did not automatically sync what I wrote on Feb 1st :\

Thank heavens that I had the scrivener backup in my SSD.

I will be posting again regularly. I really am sorry for the inconvenienc...

2025-02-11 01:40:34 +0000 UTC View Post

Update: laptop died

Sorry guys, my laptop died. All the edited chapters are on it, and I am in a location where I can't repair it untill the 11th. I'll keep track of chapters and post them immediate after I get it repaired or buy a new one. Sorry for the delay. This happened in the middle of travelling and it feels like a thousand things are going wrong at once (I got sick, phone screen broke, got paperwork calls from bank, etc. 🥹)

Chapter 86 - Far Away Lights

"We'll bait it!" Yu Han said as Fei Rui jumped from one tree to another like a flying squirrel. "Take this pearl. The moment the worm charges at you, project it—"

A line of green fire tunnelled through the canopy, the heat searing off the green leaves to ashes.

"Fuck!" The fire had almost touched his Coverall helmet, but Fei Rui had pulled them down quickly enough.

「What does that word mean?」 Fei Rui asked.

"Forget I ever said that," Yu Han shouted back. "We'll w...