Chapter 21: The Art of Showing a Guest the Door
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“Thank you, Su—” Yun Fei reached out to take it, then froze halfway.
She suddenly realized that something about the handoff was strange.
Had Su Ninglong picked it up for him with her bare hands? How reckless.
Su Ninglong, who had quietly done something wrong, wore such an innocent expression that it was impossible to scold her too harshly.
Yun Fei suppressed his anger and asked as gently as he could, “Do you feel unwell anywhere?”
Su Ninglong shook her head.
“Can you describe what the teacher looks like now?”
“Two eyes, one nose, and one mouth.”
“Describe the shape of the eyes and mouth as well.”
Su Ninglong answered honestly. After listening to her description, Yun Fei confirmed that she had not deviated from reality and continued questioning her. “Did it say anything to you?”
“Yes. It asked who I was and whether I wanted to go over to its place and play. It does know a little about hospitality.” Su Ninglong sounded faintly disdainful. “But its place was too dirty. Otherwise, I might have been tempted. Popping all those fish eggs would definitely have been fun, just like popping bubble wrap.”
The Secret Spirit would never have imagined that it could be described as a polite yet slovenly host.
“You certainly know how to send guests away too.” He patted Su Ninglong’s little head. “Pure-hearted and fearless children never have bad luck. You did very well.”
That was not the truth.
How could the Ancestor of Nine Thousand Years possibly be pure-hearted? Some monsters might not even have lived as long as she had. She was simply harder to tempt and was not easily frightened by anything.
Besides, she coveted the spiritual energy within them. During that first proper clash, she had unconsciously revealed an endless killing intent.
That was the fundamental reason she had remained unaffected.
At the end of the lesson, Yun Fei assigned them some homework. “Look into how mental anchoring devices work. Then calculate roughly how long each of you can use one and write me a brief report.”
“Shali, Su Ninglong, come with me.”
The two girls had no idea what was going on, but they followed Yun Fei.
At the classroom entrance, they saw Xing Yuan.
“Perfect timing. You’re Su Ninglong’s guide, right? You come too.”
Yun Fei led the three of them to the infirmary. “Go inside.”
Two doctors sat on opposite sides of the infirmary. The female doctor was Lena. The male doctor was thin and wore black-rimmed glasses as he studied them curiously.
“Lena, examine them.”
Lena looked up and gently placed her game console on the table. “Ahem. Examine what, exactly?”
“Check for marks,” Yun Fei said. “One of them has just come into contact with a fully charged Secret User’s Token. The other acquired an ability after killing a Hungerbind and has never undergone a physical examination. During class, they recklessly touched a fully charged Secret User’s Token without any protection. There’s a high risk that they’ve developed marks.”
“Marks?” It was another term Su Ninglong did not understand.
“You can think of it as contamination by a Secret Spirit. It affects the mind,” Xing Yuan explained.
Lena immediately put on a protective suit and led the two girls behind the curtain for an examination.
A short while later, Lena pulled back the curtain. “No marks detected.”
She looked at Yun Fei disapprovingly. “Teacher Yun, your lessons are far too extreme. You actually had two adorable little girls touch fully charged Secret User’s Tokens. They were lucky not to be contaminated this time, but what about next time?”
“We’re short-handed, so we can only train people quickly. Since they’re members of the Star Alliance, they must always be prepared. The more exposure they get now, the fewer accidents there will be later.”
Yun Fei said, “As long as they weren’t contaminated, it’s fine. Go have lunch and relax.”
He had brought them there in a whirlwind and left just as briskly, repeatedly checking his wristband as he went, seemingly extremely busy.
Lena planted her hands on her hips and sighed. “Students still need to be trained step by step if you want them to succeed.”
Seeing the two little girls looking bewildered, Lena offered a concerned reminder. “Especially you, Su Ninglong. You chipped out a tooth this morning, and injured people are more vulnerable to contamination. Don’t touch fully charged Secret User’s Tokens casually in the future, understand? And you”—she looked at Xing Yuan—“as her guide, you should teach children more basic safety knowledge.”
Xing Yuan was dragged into the scolding for no reason.
Su Ninglong, who was rarely reprimanded by anyone, was subjected to ten full minutes of lecturing from Lena.
Lena’s voice was shrill, and she kept repeating the same things until Su Ninglong pretended she was about to cry. Only then did Lena stop.
After leaving the infirmary, Su Ninglong was still shaken. She covered her ears. “How strange. I’m having auditory hallucinations. It feels like Doctor Lena is still scolding me. Do you think I’ve been contaminated?”
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“You’re really funny.” Shali burst out laughing. “Actually, I could have done what you did in class too. I could have touched a fully charged Secret User’s Token without anything happening. It was only because I put on the anchoring device. The pain was so intense that I dropped the token.”
Perhaps to save face, Shali deliberately added that explanation.
“Do you think I’m useless?”
“Do you want my approval? I’m only four years old. I can’t boost your confidence. Whether you’re useful or not is something you should know yourself.”
Shali was at a loss. She wanted to deny it, but she could not refute him either.
“Shali, you’re amazing. Don’t doubt yourself. The fact that you resisted the erosion of a fully charged Secret User’s Token is the best proof.”
A smile returned to Shali’s face. She really did need other people’s approval.
Xing Yuan picked up Su Ninglong. “Ahem. You should go home now. It’s Friday, and classes are over. Teacher Yang has something urgent to attend to, so the Secret Spirit House won’t be opening. Do you want to leave now, or set off around two or three this afternoon, when there will be fewer people?”
“People who break promises get fat. Teacher Yang’s enormous belly must have come from that.”
Since she could not study Secret Spirits, she could only go to the workshop and begin her great undertaking in artifact crafting.
Su Ninglong rubbed her fists together and carried her pile of junk into the workshop.
The small workshop was about twenty square meters and stood on a hillside at the edge of the forest. A platform paved entirely with gravel surrounded it.
There were dozens of identical rooms. Their walls were thick and their soundproofing excellent, so every workshop was extremely quiet.
Inside, Su Ninglong picked up her welding machine and first followed an instructional video to learn how to operate it.
Standing behind her, Xing Yuan watched her little hands “dance” over the equipment, his heart in his throat. He was terrified that one careless move would injure her.
In less than fifteen minutes, Su Ninglong had learned how to use the welding machine in her hands and began cutting metal plates with a cutting wheel.
The sharp explosions produced by cutting metal pierced Xing Yuan’s ears. His throat remained clenched the entire time, terrified that the little girl might accidentally cut herself in half.
Su Ninglong concentrated on her work, humming as she assembled the model she had envisioned.
Two hours later, two strands of hair dangled singed across her forehead.
“Brother Yuan, look.”
She held up a small grill. “I want to eat barbecue when I get home.”
Xing Yuan wondered what Yun Fei would think when he saw the grill.
As for Xing Yuan, he was on the verge of tears. After two hours of effort, she had made a round, chubby grill. They could have bought one and had it delivered within half a day.
He took the grill Su Ninglong had made. More precisely, it was a brazier designed to hold the charcoal upright, and the design was remarkably clever.
There were no visible welds. Every bent joint and connection was smooth and seamless.
It looked like a single piece of metal cast in a mold. Xing Yuan’s eyes lit up with admiration. “It’s a beautiful stove. I’m sure anything cooked on it will taste wonderful.”
“It also needs your cooking. I want grilled ribs.”
Su Ninglong jumped down from her stool, switched off the welding machine, and carefully put away each dangerous tool.
“If only I knew how to repair robots. Then I wouldn’t have to help with the chores at the bar.”
After being away from the Zou Family Bar for five days, household chores were the only thing Su Ninglong did not miss.
Xing Yuan could not understand her melancholy. He had already packed everything and bought their return tickets, so they set off for the Zou Family Bar.
After another journey through subspace, Xing Yuan vomited again.
Su Ninglong patted his back. “Poor thing!”
When they returned to the Zou Family Bar, it was still before opening time. Su Ninglong pushed open the door excitedly—and immediately saw the newly purchased robot.
It was an old-fashioned model incapable of floating, with a round head, a round body, and a slender frame.
It dutifully said, “Hello, young guest. Please present proof of adulthood.”
Zou Shuyi came out from behind the bar and picked up the charging Su Ninglong. “Old Number Ten, she’s my daughter, Su Ninglong. There’s no need to check her identification.”
“Oh. I thought you were single.”
The robot blinked its electronic eyes and spoke slowly. “Sorry. I’m getting old, and my software is falling behind. I need to record your daughter’s appearance.”
Su Ninglong turned around so it could scan her. During the process, she made all kinds of mischievous faces, but the robot recorded her normally anyway.
“Done. The young mistress is very cute, and she’s a lively girl.”
Su Ninglong said, “Its software is excellent. Only its hardware is old. I’ve recently learned how to weld. I can make it a more flexible body.”
Xing Yuan silently set down the grill Su Ninglong had made.
The warm and kindly Zou Shuyi vanished at once. Su Ninglong always had a way of making her furious.
“You are not touching it. It cost me three hundred star coins.”
“Am I less important than three hundred star coins? Godmother, you don’t love me anymore? I only wanted to help you with something.”
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“Perfect timing. Come help clean. This old robot is excellent at carrying drinks, but it’s not much good at housework.”
Su Ninglong pulled a long face, then turned angrily toward Old Number Ten. “I’m definitely going to repair all your predecessors.”
“I am a robot. I have never had a lover.”
“You really are a little too honest. Godmother chose your name well.”
Old Number Ten had no idea how many predecessors it had. It diligently wiped down the tables, and when opening time arrived, it stepped forward politely.
“Welcome.”
Wu Mo arrived early. “Little Ninglong, are you here?”
“Hey, how could I not be? Uncle Wu, have you missed me?”
Su Ninglong poked her head out from behind the counter. She was eating grilled ribs, which had been cooked over charcoal. The grilling had taken an especially long time, but the ribs were crisp on the outside and tender within, their meaty fragrance filling the air, every bite bursting with juice.
Wu Mo gave her an affectionate smile. “Did it take Xing Yuan this long to make dinner?”
“I already ate. This is barbecue—my midnight snack.”
Wu Mo glanced at the time. It was half past eight.
“Then I’ll have a midnight snack too. One White Amber and a serving of peanuts.”
Zou Shuyi asked, “You’ve taken another assignment?”
White Amber was an invigorating drink specially supplied to hunters to keep them calm. It had no side effects, but no one could drink more than one cup a day.
“Another hunter died on Star Sunflower Street. There are fewer and fewer hunters, and we’re running out of successors. I’m alone and have no ties, so I’m suited to taking on more work.”
After finishing the White Amber, Wu Mo looked much more alert.
People gradually began arriving at the bar, most of them familiar faces.
“Sis Zou, why can’t I keep accepting assignments? If I don’t take another one soon, I’ll starve to death.”
A young man with dyed blond hair rushed in and accused Zou Shuyi of refusing to approve his application.
Zou Shuyi set down the freshly washed glass with force. “You refuse to follow regulations, so of course I won’t let you continue working. People come and go here, and you’re making a scene. Do you want your license revoked?”
The blond young man choked. “I told you, I can’t afford the examination. Please help me out and make an exception. I’ll get examined after I complete this assignment.”
“I won’t make an exception. If you refuse to get examined, and you don’t have a guide or hunter to team up with, don’t even think about applying for a Secret User’s Token.”
Zou Shuyi’s cold, businesslike manner was completely different from her usual image as a powerful big sister who smiled at everyone.
Su Ninglong tugged on Xing Yuan’s apron and whispered, “What’s going on?”
Xing Yuan explained, “Every intelligence branch is responsible for the health of the hunters in its region. They supervise and urge them to go to the hospital to check whether they’ve developed marks. Once contaminated, the marks must be completely removed before they can enter places associated with Secret Spirits again.”
“Previously, supervision was inadequate. Before the Star Alliance was established, there was a mass-contamination incident. Half the hunters were unable to work normally afterward. The number of deaths and injuries was never made public. But when you came back, you should have noticed that no hunter has been willing to deal with that house on Star Sunflower Street.”
The blond young man glared viciously at Zou Shuyi, then swept his gaze toward Su Ninglong. “You’re deliberately making things difficult for me.”
“Little Six, your emotions are unstable. You really should get examined. If you don’t have the money, I can lend it to you.”
The blond young man did not listen. He took Zou Shuyi’s words as an insult and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
After sending Little Six away, Zou Shuyi turned to Su Ninglong. “Don’t imitate him in the future. He studied at the Star Alliance for two years and happened to pass the hunter examination, so he thought he was invincible. In the end, he accomplished nothing.”
Zou Shuyi had been listening to Su Ninglong and Xing Yuan’s conversation while handling two matters at once.
She warned Su Ninglong, “There’s a reason no one has dealt with Number Three Star Sunflower Street. A hunter died inside—Little Six’s former teammate. It took a young member of the Star Alliance to carry the body out, and that child was marked as well. The marks cannot be removed for the time being. Don’t go exploring just because you’re curious.”
Su Ninglong continued eating her ribs, enjoying every bite and looking as obedient as could be.
It was impossible for her not to be curious. As a cultivator, she had to be brave enough to challenge new things and maintain a youthful state of mind.
The dispute caused by the blond-haired youth was no more than an ordinary interlude in the bar’s business. No one caused trouble that night, and Zou Shuyi sent Su Ninglong to bed early.
When Su Ninglong woke the next morning, two neatly folded sets of clothes had already been placed beside her bed. Clearly, Xing Yuan had left them there.
Once she put them on, she became a round, puffy little doll in a cotton-padded coat.
When she opened the door, Su Ninglong understood why she had been dressed so warmly.
It was snowing outside.
Su Ninglong stepped out excitedly and dug up a pile of snow by the entrance, then built a snowman.
Xing Yuan brewed a cup of tea and placed breakfast on the table. Sitting inside the bar, he watched her outside, finding a particular kind of leisurely pleasure in the scene.
Su Ninglong swung her little shovel, and the snowman gradually took shape. Its design was extraordinarily distinctive.
She had built an enormous fat man, his rolls of flesh seemingly ready to jiggle, his gluttonous expression vividly lifelike.
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