Eastern Fantasy: My Twin Sugar Mommies and Cheats are 100 Years Late! Chapter 9.
Upon receiving the go-ahead from Old Man Anle, the [Myriad Worlds Auction House] said, [This will only take a while, Host!]
How long is 'a while' exactly? He wondered but did not dwell on it. Instead, he glanced at the door. "To hold these auctions, I will have to enter the Secret Realm. If Dou E comes looking for me during that time…"
He felt a small headache coming on as he pictured her flipping his little home upside down—literally.
"To be honest or not to be…" He lightly caressed his lips with a finger as he weighed both approaches.
If I tell her the truth about the systems… This is a secret I am unwilling to share with anyone.
But if it is her, then maybe…
No, the existence of the systems is simply too extraordinary. The human heart is unfathomable.
Besides, what if she does not have a change of heart and remains loyal, but instead unintentionally lets it slip to others? That would bring a great disaster upon us both.
But that still begs the question: How can I keep her from worrying about my absence?
Not telling her anything is out of the question, and telling her the whole truth is too risky.
Sigh.
It seems I will have to give her a pot of the truth with a few pinches of white lies for flavoring.
He closed his eyes as he made up his mind. "Sorry, my dearest Dou E, but I will be doing this with the best of intentions."
At this point, he stood up and exited the room after throwing on a fur coat to ward off the morning chill. His first stop was the kitchen. "Not here." Next was the bathroom. "Not here either."
He approached the bathtub and found that it was empty. This caused him to furrow his brows. At this time of day, she would have already prepared my bath, and breakfast would be on the stove.
Thinking back, he recalled that the kitchen showed no signs of anyone preparing breakfast either. He really could not recall the last time such a thing had happened. No matter how interesting the cultivation world outside his little secluded abode was, she had always made a point of taking care of his needs, refusing to hire anyone else.
"Could something have happened to her?" he speculated, a bad premonition creeping up his spine.
Panicked, he searched himself and, from a pouch tucked in his sleeves, pulled out a small crystal. Within this two-finger-sized crystal was a cluster of sky-blue, dust-like lights. He released a breath, relieved. "Her Soul Lantern is still lit."
"Soul Lantern" was a general term for items used to verify if someone was still alive. The one in his possession was the cheapest kind; although it had greater distance limitations compared to pricier versions, it was sufficient to calm him down.
That morning, for the first time in forever, he prepared his bath and breakfast himself. This was not back-breaking work for him; despite Dou E's dedication and his inability to pursue martial arts or immortal cultivation, he still exercised frequently to maintain his health.
While he was washing the dishes, he suddenly heard a loud sound, like something had shattered. His expression immediately changed to one of wariness as he picked up two kitchen knives, hiding one in his left shoe and the other in his sleeve. Then, he picked up a long pestle and walked out of the kitchen with cautious steps.
Along the way to the source of the sound, he could not help but wonder, Someone broke in? Why? Everyone in the clan should know that I am but a mere mortal, forcefully living a few decades longer than I should by consuming precious medicines. Even the servants' quarters should have better things to steal than this place.
His thoughts were no exaggeration.Though, he was wrong one one point: he had been forgotten long ago. Those who did remember him believed he was already a few feet under the earth.
Soon, the source of the noise came into view. At the entrance of his humble home, a figure lay on the ground amidst a broken flower vase. Covered in blood and blade wounds, they looked like a warrior who had just crawled out of a legendary battlefield. There was so much blood it was difficult to discern the original colors of their clothes.
Shocked, Yan Anle ran over and turned the figure over. Seeing her face, his sinking suspicion was confirmed. "Dou E!"
Tossing the "weapon" he brought from the kitchen aside, he brought his finger to her nose. Only after confirming she was still breathing did his worry lessen. Whether due to his voice, his familiar scent, or the feel of his embrace, the bloodied Dou E opened her eyes and called out to him weakly, "Yo—Young Mast... wheeze."
"It's okay, Dou E. I'm here. Do not force yourself to speak. Calm down," he told her while communicating with the systems in his head. Systems, please, can you check on her situation? Among the items you have rewarded me thus far, there must be something suitable to help her, right?
[Immortal Clan System] was the first to respond: [This young lady has such a high loyalty rating, a nice appearance, and a somewhat rare special physique; she is a perfect candidate to be your Matriarch. It would be a shame to let her die.]
[Myriad Worlds Auction House]: [Second-stage Foundation Establishment… Host, you have no pills or potions suited for treating her injuries, but you can redeem some from the Shop with the Vouchers you gained from the Beginner Gift Box.]
As it spoke, it pulled up the inventory and highlighted one of the entries: [10 Redemption Vouchers: Bottle of Pills (Third-grade and below)].
[Myriad Worlds Auction House]: [Would you like to use one of these Vouchers to redeem a bottle of pills to heal her?]
Yan Anle did not hesitate. "Yes! Redeem the one that best suits her situation!"
[Myriad Worlds Auction House]: [Congratulations, Host! You have successfully redeemed a bottle ofEighth-grade [Heart-Mending Pills]!]
In tandem with the announcement, information about the pill was displayed on the screen, but Yan Anle paid it no mind. Instead, he retrieved the bottle from the inventory with a thought and uncorked it swiftly. As the fragrance of the pills assaulted her nostrils, Dou E's eyes widened slightly. "Young Ma—Master, this is…?"
Yan Anle emptied all four pills onto his palm and stuffed them into her mouth. "Little girl, quiet! Focus on recovering first!"
[Damn, although she is a superb candidate for Clan Matriarch, isn't feeding her four such pills in one go a bit of a waste? One would have been more than sufficient!] complained the [Immortal Clan System]. One could almost hear it clicking its nonexistent tongue.
[Myriad Worlds Auction House]: [Indeed...]
Yan Anle ignored them as he assisted Dou E into a meditative posture before bolting to his feet to shut the gates. Then, he ran inside and brought back a towel and a bowl of water to wipe the blood off her body. She tried to stop him, but as he insisted, she returned her focus to digesting the medicinal benefits.
Immortal medicine and mortal medicine were two different things. Unlike the latter, the former showed results almost instantly. As Yan Anle wiped the dirt away, he could see her wounds closing at a speed observable by the naked eye.
By the time he poured away the third bowl of water and returned with the fourth, she was already healed enough to stand. If not for her slightly pale face, it was hard to believe she was the ghastly figure from half an hour ago. She folded and opened her fists repeatedly, then stretched. Feeling the condition of her body, she could not hide her amazement. "That ninth-grade pill was definitely not a common one! Although they were still Ninth-grade Pills, their quality was quite high.A shame I did not take a closer look!Perhaps they had Pill Veins!"
From what she had learned, Pills and Potions did not follow the usual ranking convention of cultivation items like Artifacts and Talismans: Spirit, Profound, Earth, Heaven, and Immortal.
Instead, they were ranked from Tenth to First-grade, with Tenth-grade being the lowest and corresponding to Qi Gathering cultivators. Each Grade was further divided by quality into Good, Very Good, Excellent (Pill Veins), and Perfect (Pill Clouds).
Anything below 'Good' quality, while still consumable or usable for other purposes, was considered a failed product. On the other side of the coin, above the First-grade Pills and Potions are the legendary Immortal Pills and Potions.
Despite cultivating for eight decades, she had only never even consumed a Very Good-quality pill, even the lowest Tenth-grade ones. Yet, today, her Young Master had stuffed four Pill Veins-quality ninth-grade pills into her mouth.
It was simply miraculous! Was he not abandoned by the clan? Couldn't he not cultivate? How did he have such pills? Has her Young Master been hiding something?
"You are done healing up?" Yan Anle's voice snapped her out of her turmoil.
Looking at him, she jogged over and grasped his shoulders. "Young Master, those pills you just fed me…?"
Yan Anle did not panic. As he had wiped her clean, he had already gone over the explanation in his head. Smiling, he said, "Oh, those? Why don't you come in and have a bath first? I have already put some water on the stove. It will not be too late to share the good news with you afterward."
Dou E sucked her bottom lip, curious, but eventually, she nodded. "Mm."