Chapter Seventeen: The Official Route (Part One)
After all that had happened, Tao Ming was feeling somewhat agitated. The thought that this trouble had come from only a handful of human traffickers—and how difficult they had already been—unsettled her. When they finally reached Weishui, there would be even greater dangers ahead. How could someone as weak as herself possibly protect those two little ones?
She needed to strengthen herself as soon as possible.
Remembering that Nuo Nuo could alter people’s memories, and that Tao Banxia had previously modified Li Aiguo’s memory, Tao Ming asked, “Nuo Nuo, if it’s so easy to change someone’s memory, won’t it be simple for others to control us when we reach Weishui?”
Nuo Nuo hesitated, but Tao Ming encouraged her, “Speak, darling. I just want to protect you both better.”
“Mom, it’s easy to change ordinary people’s memories, but it’s much harder for those who cultivate. Right now, you’re only at Star Level Six, not much different from regular people. Once you reach Moon Level Two or above, you’ll be able to resist it.” Nuo Nuo’s gaze shifted evasively.
Oh dear, was that a hint of disdain?
Tao Ming ground her teeth with resolve. She had to become stronger!
Power was everything!
Without strength, all else was empty talk!
The two little ones were chattering away across Tao Ming. Ruan Ruan asked, “Do you think if we teamed up, we could beat Mom?”
Tao Ming heard this and thought, My, my, Ruan Ruan’s grown bold, daring to challenge me now?
Alas, truth be told, even one of them could probably beat her.
Nuo Nuo glanced at Tao Ming, saw her frowning at Ruan Ruan, and quickly winked at Ruan Ruan, saying, “Mom is so good to us, why would we want to fight her?”
Ruan Ruan, only half-aware, replied, “I was just curious!”
She stuck out her tongue at the end, secretly thinking, It’s all because Mom won’t let me have snacks. Now that I’m so powerful, she probably won’t dare to withhold my treats anymore!
Leaving the parking lot, they headed straight for the food street. The two little ones were famished, so Tao Ming bought each of them a skewer of grilled gluten.
After they’d eaten, she held one in each hand as they left the food street, planning to visit the women’s clothing department—she needed to buy a few suitable outfits, after all.
Seeing the two little ones, passersby’s eyes filled with envy and fondness. Tao Ming brimmed with pride—everyone loved twins, and she was living proof!
She recalled that over the years, many people had suggested she have another child, so Ruan Ruan wouldn’t be lonely in the future.
Tao Ming had always replied, “One is enough.”
And if pressed further, she’d add, “One is more than enough!”
Now she had two precious children without even giving birth again—such blessings had landed right in her lap, and she was quietly elated.
The rest of the day passed without incident. They happily finished their shopping at the mall, enjoyed a meal together, and then headed home.
As soon as they were home, the two little ones dashed into the playroom. Nuo Nuo was fascinated by all the kitchen toys—a half-meter-tall wooden cabinet, a little fridge, a stove. Inside the cupboard were tiny bowls, spoons, plates; the fridge was stuffed with realistic-looking vegetables and cakes, and the stove was topped with woks and pans. She ran out to ask, “Mom, why are all these toys for cooking?”
Tao Ming rolled her eyes. “Ruan Ruan is only interested in food—she loves to cook!”
After a pause, she added, “Aren’t you two connected? Didn’t you know this?”
Nuo Nuo stuck out her tongue. “We don’t know everything. Whatever she tries to keep secret, I’m not aware of.”
“What about you? What kind of toys do you like?” Tao Ming thought she couldn’t play favorites—both were her little treasures.
Nuo Nuo thought for a moment and said, “Yesterday, I saw a doll on TV that could talk, drink water, and even change clothes!”
“All right, tomorrow we’ll go to the store together and you can pick out whatever you like.” Tao Ming recalled there were plenty of such dolls at the store, some even came with little strollers.
Nuo Nuo brightened up and darted back into the playroom to play make-believe with Ruan Ruan.
Tao Ming sat on the sofa to collect herself, remembering the boxes she had stored in the Douzhuan Xingyi yesterday. Yes, her biological father had left her quite a trove of treasures.
Tao Ming went into the playroom to remind the girls to play nicely, telling them she had things to sort out. Once they agreed, she returned to the living room, focused her mind, and entered Douzhuan Xingyi.
No sooner had she set eyes on the silver walls than she heard a voice by her ear: “You’re finally here. I’ve finished organizing the inventory. Hmm, did your strength increase a bit?”
Tao Ming saw a stack of papers on the control console. She walked over, picked them up, and flipped through them casually, saying, “I accepted my mother’s legacy. What’s your name? It’ll be easier to address you.”
“I’m called Douzhuan Xingyi. You can call me Star from now on.”
“Fine,” Tao Ming replied, continuing to leaf through the inventory.
It was packed with items, all neatly categorized. On the materials page she saw things like Deep Sea Mystic Crystal and Ten-Thousand-Year Ice—she recognized the characters, but what did they mean together?
“Star, what is Deep Sea Mystic Crystal?” Tao Ming was never shy about asking when she didn’t know something.
“Don’t call me 'Little Star.' I’m not little. Deep Sea Mystic Crystal is an inlay material produced in one of the worlds. If embedded in the right magical tool, it can increase its power.”
“Star, is there anything like that on Earth?”
“No.”
“What about in World 68?”
“There is, but it’s rare.”
“Which world has it in abundance?”
“When you’ve grown stronger, you’ll naturally find out.”
That’s as good as saying nothing! Tao Ming pouted.
“So, I can use all these things? Didn’t previous owners leave anything for their own descendants?”
“If you can see it, you can use it. Anything meant for others, you won’t be able to see.”
After a while, Tao Ming’s eyes grew tired. “Star, can’t you just input all this information into my brain? It’s so troublesome to check the inventory every time.”
“When you’re stronger, it’ll be possible. Right now, your brain couldn’t handle it.”
Ah, the woes of being weak!
“Is the list of things I stored yesterday here too?”
“It’s at the bottom—the items went straight into the warehouse.”
“Star, can you convert the writing into something I can read?” Tao Ming found the inventory, but the tiny archaic script gave her a headache.
“You’d better learn this script. It’ll be useful in World 68.”
“Can’t you just put the knowledge of these characters directly into my mind?” Tao Ming really didn’t feel like studying.
“Learning a new script is also a way to improve your abilities. I can’t help you there.”
Tao Ming’s mind shifted. “All right, can you at least tell me more about that world?”
“No, you’ll need to explore it yourself.”
“I knew it.” Tao Ming’s mood dipped.
Star asked, “You seem a bit down?”
Tao Ming sighed. “I used to think humans were the favored children of the universe, but…”
“That was just your illusion,” Star replied.
“Are you always so infuriating?” Tao Ming shot back.
“I’m only reflecting you. Over time, my personality will become more and more like yours.”
Tao Ming was left speechless.
After a long silence, Star asked, “Do you really think there’s only one universe?”
Tao Ming paused, surprised, and answered, “We can’t even figure out this one universe. Anything beyond is just speculation.”
After a moment, she asked, “Star, I have a few questions. I don’t know if you’ll answer.”
“Ask away.”
“I’ve heard that in Weishui—World 68—people live exceptionally long lives. But on Earth, living past a hundred is already considered remarkable. Isn’t that strange?” Tao Ming was deeply puzzled by this.
Star replied, “Survival of the fittest. The environments are different, so their developmental paths diverged as well. In your terms, their technology trees branched in different directions.”
“That makes sense. Technology trees grow wherever they please—it’s easier to make new discoveries by following the path of previous ones.” Tao Ming thought of Earth’s technological progress, wave after wave pushing forward, so it was reasonable that Weishui developed a civilization of cultivators.
She asked, “If I go to World 68, will I be able to eat the food there?”
Star replied, “Your parents came to Earth and didn’t starve, did they?”
What was she supposed to do with such a reply?
“So why could they come to Earth so easily?”
“It wasn’t that simple—they needed me to do it.”
She wanted to punch something.
“But Su Nanxing didn’t come here with your help!”
“You could say your parents went through customs, while Su Nanxing smuggled herself in.”
A light dawned in Tao Ming’s mind. “Star, are there others like you?”
Star quickly replied, “I’m not a thing—no, wait, I am a thing. Are you insulting me?”
“That’s not what I meant. Just answer my question!”
“I can’t say.”
Tao Ming’s eyes curved with amusement. “So there’s more than one, then!”
Star: “…”
I didn’t say anything.