"Don't worry, you don't have to treat us this time."

Zhao Huo, who was using "Spirit Qi" to strengthen his chopsticks, making them like sharp surgical scalpels to dissect the shell of a large crab, rolled his eyes and stubbornly insisted, "It's not like I can't afford to."

"Thank you, Boss Zhao," Ren Suo immediately echoed.

"But since Boss Ren is in the mood today, I won't spoil his fun."

Zhao Huo glanced at Little Jiu, who was attacking a pile of crayfish on the opposite table, and asked softly, "Little Jiu really isn't your…"

Ren Suo shook his head repeatedly. "How could she be mine? Little Jiu is already 8 years old. If she really were mine, wouldn't that mean I... at 15…"

"There's nothing wrong with being 15. A hundred years ago, plenty of people became parents in their teens."

Qiao Muyi returned with a plate of seafood. Upon hearing their conversation, she sat down next to Ren Suo with interest, laughed, and said, "Or are you saying you hadn't hit puberty by 15?"

Ren Suo hesitated in his reply; unlike Zhao Huo, Qiao Muyi was a formidable viper, and talking to her was simply asking for trouble. So, he handed her a mooncake to curry favor. "A double yolk ice-skin lotus seed mooncake, the yolks are oozing oil. Have a taste."

"Thanks." Qiao Muyi smiled and accepted it.

At this time, Little Jiu, who was dismantling crayfish with her bare hands, shouted, "Little Jiu wants to eat too!"

"This mooncake is so big, I definitely can't finish it; it's too rich. Let's cut it into eight pieces and share it with everyone," Qiao Muyi said, taking a knife to cut the mooncake. She added, "Besides, it's a waste to get full on mooncakes at a seafood buffet."

Today was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Ren Suo had previously made plans with Zhao Zili to enjoy a seafood buffet, so he decided to go all out and invite friends to join them as a celebration of the festival.

Most people he knew were Cultivators, busy with Cultivation every day, so very few of them went home for the festival. Besides Little Jiu, there were Bai Ji, Dong Chengling, Qiao Muyi, Ren Xingmei, Gu Yueyan, and Lin Xianyu—all of whom were bonding partners.

Zhao Huo brought Sun Shu with him, as he seemed to have originally planned to hang out with her and 'other friends' today.

But since Ren Suo invited him, Zhao Huo combined the two events.

Suddenly remembering this, Ren Suo asked Zhao Huo where his 'other friends' were. Zhao Huo replied, "They all suddenly got busy today. I didn't expect them to stand me up… sigh."

Ren Suo glanced at Sun Shu, whose face was flushed, then patted Zhao Huo on the shoulder earnestly and offered advice:

"Brother, take my word for it. Concentrate on your Cultivation, striving to reach the level where swords and sabers cannot harm you… That might still not be enough; it would be best if you could withstand bullets. After all, the will of the heavens is unpredictable, as are the hearts of people—fortunes and misfortunes come without warning."

Ren Suo originally thought that with a wealthy and beautiful fiancée holding heaven's favor and his childhood sweetheart Xiao Meng holding the geographical advantage, Sun Shu wouldn't stand a chance. But it turned out Sun Shu held sway with the people's hearts!

It seemed the matter of who would win Zhao Huo's heart was still uncertain!

Just for this exciting romantic situation, Zhao Huo, you're a friend Ren Suo is determined to make!

Although Ren Suo's words were strange, his tone was unusually sincere. Accepting this goodwill, Zhao Huo said, "Don't worry about me. You better catch up soon; I'm about to advance to third turn."

"How about we bet on who reaches third turn first?" Ren Suo laughed.

Hearing the word 'bet,' Zhao Huo chickened out. He still vividly remembered the last time he was embarrassed, so he vehemently shook his head and changed the subject. "Captain Qiao is here too. I remember Deputy Director Yu is also very close with you, right?"

"Him?" Ren Suo chuckled twice. "He's probably enjoying a private moment with a beauty right now… Muyi, Yu Kuangtu took the day off today, didn't he?"

"Yeah," Qiao Muyi replied, picking up a slice of salmon sashimi. "Captain Li Dan is on duty today; Deputy Director Yu seemed to have disappeared early in the morning. Actually, many people from the Tactical Bureau went home for the festival today. Theoretically, the deputy director with the highest combat power should be stationed at the Tactical Bureau. Captain Li Dan also seemed to want a day off, but she only agreed to stay after the deputy director pleaded with her."

It wasn't surprising that Qiao Muyi knew so much inside information; her main ingredient for concocting "poison chicken soup" was derived from these pieces of daily gossip.

"He already has a girlfriend?" Zhao Huo was only finding out now. "How old is she?"

"Yeah, and she's a freshman at our college," Ren Suo said. "I can't say exactly who, but he successfully pursued her when she was still in her senior year of high school."

Zhao Huo 'oh'ed. Just then, Ren Suo glanced at his friend circle, raised an eyebrow, and showed his phone to them.

On Ren Suo's friend circle, a person named 'Ripples of Rain' had posted a photo; the background showed a bustling commercial street. The shot was taken looking downwards, missing the faces, capturing only the man's clothing and the girl's sailor outfit.

Below 'Ripples of Rain,' a person named 'Rain of Ripples' had posted this in their friend circle: "Cultivation went very well today, aiming to reach fourth transformation soon!"

Zhao Huo blinked. "Actually, I think skipping work is a very bad thing… especially skipping work with a girl in a sailor outfit. It's really too enviable… too bad."

Ren Suo also said, "Why not Photoshop a caption 'Walking around with my girlfriend is truly joyful' and send it to Li Dan?"

"You men and your Jealousy are just ugly," Qiao Muyi remarked while operating Ren Suo's phone, transferring the friend circle photo to her device and smoothly starting to maneuver the PS software.

Little Jiu, who witnessed the whole event unfold, tilted her head in confusion. But seeing the knowing smiles on the faces of the older brothers and sisters across from her, she too smiled while tackling the steak in front of her.

Sun Shu blinked her eyes, bent down, and started searching for 'sailor uniforms' on the shopping app on her phone…

At that moment, the sound of a commotion came from a nearby corridor. Ren Suo and the others looked over to find Bai Ji and his group swarmed by a horde of fangirls.

To be exact, it was only Bai Ji who was surrounded; the others, like Dong Chengling, were just blocked from passing through.

"Is that the cool iceberg guy from 'Assassin's Return'?"

"Really? Can we take a photo together?"

"Handsome, can you make an ice flower for me?"

"Handsome, who do you think is better-looking, you or Fairy Palace Assassin?"

"Handsome, do you have a photo with Fairy Palace Assassin?"

It took a lot of effort for Bai Ji and his group to break free from the fangirls. Ren Suo chuckled and said, "Bai Ji, remember to wear sunglasses and a mask next time you go out—you're a celebrity now."

Ren Xingmei chimed in, "You should wear sunglasses even at school. Now a lot of female students are saying 'I want to have Teacher Bai's babies'."

Lin Xianyu spoke faintly, "There are such people among the male students as well."

Gu Yueyan sniffed. "These people say nice things, but they haven't even joined the intensive Cultivation class. They're not truly worshiping Teacher Bai's strength."

Bai Ji waved his hand helplessly and said, "Stop teasing me. Everyone will probably forget about me in a few days. I'm not like Captain Qiao. She's the real person of the hour now, being called the strongest female Cultivator in Lianjiang City. It seems that Captain Qiao will be busy in the future, and it will be difficult for her to hang out with us."

Qiao Muyi narrowed her eyes and looked at Bai Ji. "However, compared to liking Teacher Bai, everyone seems to prefer shipping him. The internet thinks Teacher Bai and Fairy Palace Assassin make a couple. Of course, there are also some 'cult heresy' approved ships like 'Teacher Bai X Blood Demon' and 'Teacher Bai X Ink Guest'…"

"That's disgusting."

Sun Shu frowned and said, "Those fujoshi on the internet are really…"

Gu Yueyan nodded. "They go crazy at the sight of two handsome guys. I really don't see the appeal."

Ren Xingmei spread her hands and said, "Right? Some female students even fantasize about Teacher Bai getting it on with other teachers or doctors. Even combinations like 'Teacher Bai X my brother' have support—that's just horrifying."

Bai Ji glanced at them, then at Qiao Muyi, and slowly nodded. "Yeah, women these days are indeed frightening…"

Women are indeed frightening; thankfully, he wasn't into them.

It was then Ren Suo said, "Bai Ji, Cheng Ling, thanks for all your help these days."

Dong Chengling shook her head. "It was no trouble at all. I'm actually very happy that Little Jiu could stay with me."

Little Jiu nodded vigorously, her little face smeared with pepper sauce, and exclaimed joyfully, "Every day I get to sleep and bathe together with Sister Ling, I'm super happy!"

'Sleep together, bathe together'…

Everyone's imaginations began to flutter, but who they thought of varied from person to person.

Bai Ji replied, "I didn't do much. Little Jiu has all the necessary documents. Enrolling her was a simple matter, and the teachers all like her very much."

Little Jiu nodded like she was pounding garlic, piping up, "Yes, the female teachers there are very nice! Big Brother, you should come visit next time!"

Bai Ji continued, "You really don't have to treat me to a meal. We could just stir-fry a few dishes at home…"

"Of course, that won't do. If it were me, I might have to run around several times," Ren Suo refused flatly. "Moreover, you've helped me so much, so please don't push back on this small token of my appreciation."

Indeed, this time it was Ren Suo who was treating. It wasn't easy for him—he wasn't stingy, but since he didn't have much use for money regularly, he had developed a trait of meticulous calculation.

However, most of the guests he invited were bonding partners. If spending a bit of money could maintain a good relationship with them, or even deepen it, then it was certainly worth it.

Moreover, Bai Ji had taken care of Little Jiu's enrollment issue, and Dong Chengling even took care of Little Jiu directly with him, saving Ren Suo a great deal of effort, so treating them to a meal was the least he could do.

"Big Brother Ren, have we also been of help to you?" Lin Xianyu, who was nibbling on a crab, asked, while Gu Yueyan and Ren Xingmei also turned their attention to Ren Suo.

Lin Xianyu's giggling echo: "I definitely haven't, but the class monitor has."

Gu Yueyan's hopeful echo: "Yes."

Ren Xingmei's hopeful echo: "Yes."

After wearing the "Listening Headphones," the "Desire Detection" Ability proved to be quite practical.

"Of course, you have. Just by being around me, I have an endless source of strength," Ren Suo said with a smile as he looked at them.

Though he used them less, "Storm Restraint" and "Wax and Wane" were extremely practical attacking Bonds.

And not to mention his sister's "A Thousand Miles in a Day"—during the eight days that Ren Suo was away, his quick mastery of English and "Gauze Clothing" could be attributed significantly to "A Thousand Miles in a Day."

However, Ren Suo certainly couldn't directly mention the reasons for the Bonds, so he had to come up with a few excuses to express his gratitude.

"Sister, if you hadn't taken care of me those days, I might have been a mess. Thank you for being by my side at that time."

"Yueyan, um, may I call you that? You might be tough-talking, but in reality, you've been quite kind to me and have helped me out on many critical occasions."

"Especially Salted Fish, if it weren't for you, I might have taken many more detours," Ren Suo said with a laugh. "I'm really very grateful to you."

Ren Suo's words were half true, half false. The false part was that he heard Lin Xianyu's echo and felt she needed more encouragement, so he made a special mention of her; the true part was that if it hadn't been for Lin Xianyu, Ren Suo might not have come up with the self-destructive tactic of 'Self-harm Quick Kill Style' in the second level of "My Life is Not Your Game"...

Lin Xianyu was momentarily stunned, then laughed heartily and continued to eat her crab, glossing over it.

Wow, this Big Brother Ren is really sneaky; I need to be careful not to fall for his tricks.

Even though he invited me for meals, spoke nicely, and often helped me with Healing, he is a really good person.

But I'm not going to be as naïvely ensnared as the class monitor!

At this moment, Ren Suo heard three pieces of information from the "Listening Headphones":

"Lin Xianyu Bond Level has increased."

"Ren Xingmei Bond Level has increased."

"Gu Yueyan Bond Level has increased."

————————

Having had their fill of food and drink, everyone went their separate ways home. Little Jiu also followed Dong Chengling home for a bath. Downstairs at his own building, Ren Suo saw the Black Cat cooling off again.

It had been quite some time since he last teased it, but the cat really held a grudge—it glared at him as soon as he approached.

Ren Suo could only meow like a cat and brought over some milk and spicy fish to properly communicate with it. Finally, he got it to renew their previous contract: the cat would help keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals.

However, Ren Suo added one more task: when Ren Suo was at home, if the Black Cat saw Little Jiu coming over, it also had to notify him.

That way, Ren Suo could turn off his game console in advance to avoid any scramble.

"As for how to notify me... just make a noise at my balcony window, and I'll understand," he said.

The Black Cat glanced at Ren Suo, seeming a bit surprised.

"I've understood 'cat language' for a while now," Ren Suo said with a smile. "When you show off to your companions, you don't pay attention to the volume."

The Black Cat turned its head away, silent. Ren Suo stroked its little head, and it didn't resist. "If you can Shape-shift, then go ahead and do it. We, after all, have specialized institutions studying Cultivation Techniques. In your current form, however, you can only explore on your own."

That the Black Cat, which often lounged downstairs, had also awakened Special Abilities didn't surprise Ren Suo.

Ren Suo opened his phone and chatted with Karen and Euphy about the boring gossip in Fairy Palace these past few days. Learning that they had safely returned to Britain, he breathed a sigh of relief. For now, there shouldn't be any more games about Karen.

Indeed, the world had irreversibly moved toward a future that no one could predict.

Humans cannot, but the Mini-World Game Console can.

"Minor World, endless fun!"

After taking a shower and sitting on the sofa, Ren Suo glanced at the bottom right corner of the icons for those three games.

The disc was still spinning.

It meant reality was being changed.

The three games had suddenly updated two days ago, but they were extremely minor updates—the version number only increased by 0.01, as if they had only fixed one or two bugs.

It could even be said that it wouldn't have mattered if Ren Suo had done nothing, as this update required no intervention on his part.

But in fact, this update was of great significance.

Entering "Jedi Priest" and selecting the additional game content "Gifting Hope," Ren Suo saw the plump Zhao Zili standing in a holy land of radiance, quietly reciting prayers.

Ren Suo hadn't used Zhao Zili to show off for several days; undoubtedly, Zhao Zili's summoning time had long since cooled down.

However, Zhao Zili's summoning option was grayed out.

The summoning time had changed from cooling to "charging."

Now, Zhao Zili could hear the prayers of Earth's humanity even from the Divine Kingdom of the three deities, choosing three to four people every day to bless. Zhao Zili could only descend to Earth once the prayers from Earth's humanity reached a certain number.

Even if Ren Suo didn't specify a region, Zhao Zili would randomly choose petitioners from across the globe, but he would not stop blessing—under the supervision of the three deities, Zhao Zili could no longer rest and had to respond to the expectations of believers every day.

Of course, Zhao Zili's strength would gradually increase as a result.

On the other hand, the situation in "Midnight Walker" was similar—Ren Suo had placed the Collector in Mumbai to gather desire Energy, but the Collector now had a new method of collection: Pervasive Evil.

Whenever someone beyond redemption and extreme in wickedness appeared, the Collector would temporarily stop collecting, move like a midnight walker to a new region, and directly find this person filled with pervasive evil to give them a well-deserved comeuppance.

This process also didn't require Ren Suo's control, and typically, those filled with pervasive evil could provide the Collector with an abundance of Rampage desires, making the efficiency higher than that of "farming."

If "Jedi Priest" and "Midnight Walker" gave Ren Suo a slight sense of eeriness, then "Devouring the Spirit of the World" hinted at something more.

"Devouring the Spirit of the World" had no minor tasks or other DLCs; clearing the game meant the end.

Yet, after the update, when Ren Suo re-entered the game, he found that Devouring the Spirit of the World had a new Status:

"Devouring the Spirit of the World is opening the Minor Spirit Vaults."

The "Listening Headphones" explained it like this: "Small, occasionally appearing Spirit Treasuries have suddenly emerged on Earth, and the powerful Devouring the Spirit of the World is silently opening Minor Spirit Vaults to further Evolve itself."

It again required no control from Ren Suo, but Devouring the Spirit of the World's actions made him realize that changes were happening in the world.

Suddenly appearing Minor Spirit Vaults?

There are no sudden events in this world, only inevitabilities disguised and wearing masks.

Behind "Jedi Priest" were three outer gods: the Monarch of Wind, Rain, and Snow; the Lord of Billion Brilliance; and the Eternal Burning Heart. Meanwhile, the power source for the "Midnight Walker" Collector was the combined body of the world's desires.

They had sensed something, even obtained something, and that's why they enhanced the abilities of Zhao Zili and the Collector.

And Devouring the Spirit of the World, among all the game characters, possessed the most enigmatic origin, so its keen perception was not surprising.

Ren Suo opened the "World Store" and didn't see any promotional activities—the Mid-Autumn promotions had long been Sacrificed by him.

Since the Mini-World Game Console didn't have any promotions, there was nothing Ren Suo could do but wait quietly.

He had a premonition that the game in October would likely unveil another layer of Earth's veil.

Although "Rippling Spring Sounds" could, at most, be used one more time, Ren Suo still had a trump card.

He opened the Content Preservation Vault, which mostly contained Treasure Boxes and Keys that he already owned.

Among them was a dazzlingly white Key, almost entirely composed of Radiance!

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