Chapter 23: Out of Materials

Xing Yuan pulled the suitcase, escorting her to school.

Crossing the subspace once more, Xing Yuan found he still hadn’t adapted; in fact, the aftereffects were worse, leaving him with bouts of nausea that lasted for several minutes. The other passengers, pale and vomiting, looked upon Su Ninglong’s constitution with immense envy. She was practically born under a lucky star.

Su Ninglong handed him a tissue. Xing Yuan wiped the white foam from the corner of his mouth and quipped, "In front of you, the harder I try, the more pathetic I feel. To think I’m the one who ends up needing to be looked after."

"It's alright. Talent outweighs effort, and you still have your looks and your cooking."

"Did you just rhyme that?"

Back in the warmth of their school room, Su Ninglong took off her coat and couldn't wait to open the suitcase, eager to see what heavy surprise Zou Shuyi had sent. After opening it, she slammed it shut. "That godmother of mine must have something wrong with her brain."

"What's wrong?" Xing Yuan asked.

The suitcase was filled with pink clothes and a pile of indescribable black cookies. Xing Yuan glanced at them and silently headed to the kitchen to find something to soothe his empty, nauseated stomach. They had actually dragged this junk all the way back to school. This couldn't have been bought by Zou Shuyi, and she certainly didn't know how to bake.

Su Ninglong picked up a small piece and licked it. It was cloyingly sweet. "Ugh."

Ancestor Su decided to retract her earlier, secret suspicion that Charlie was ill-suited to be a profiteer. When Charlie had lied about his mother’s cookies being delicious, he had been incredibly sincere. No one would have suspected he was setting a trap.

"Not even a dog would eat this."

Su Ninglong was furious, and whenever she was angry, she wanted to do something to vent. "Xing Yuan, I’m going to the workshop."

"It’s too late. We have class tomorrow."

"Charlie has broken my heart; I can't be happy. Take me there."

The gentle golden-haired angel was no match for the pestering little imp. Su Ninglong was soon free to play in the workshop to her heart’s content. The eerie situation at No. 3 Xingkui Street had sparked a sense of crisis in Su Ninglong; without refining some items for self-defense, she felt something was missing.

Inspired by the principles of the query anchor, she had an idea. The anchor worked by generating a logic barrier through a quantum-entangled neural network, forcing the brain to bypass abnormal visual systems. Anything detached from reality would be forcibly corrected.

Su Ninglong didn’t know what quantum entanglement was, but she knew of a spell in the cultivation world that served the same purpose—keeping the mind clear without side effects. That was the Heart-Clearing Mantra, which functioned similarly to the "whispers" used by certain secret spirits to control the mind. However, for the mantra to reach its maximum potential, she would need to craft small, physical objects to enhance its effect. As for the specific results, she would have to refine the apparatus and find an opportunity to test it.

Xing Yuan held a book, multitasking as he studied while keeping an eye on Su Ninglong. He felt deeply responsible for Su Ninglong’s disappearance the morning before, even though she had only gone to play nearby and hadn't been harmed. He understood it was due to his negligence. During the two hours she spent focusing on her little project, he looked up countless times.

Finally, she announced, "I failed. I forgot to prepare the materials." She had been too careless. The diagrams were drawn, and she had several backup plans in her mind, but she had forgotten the most important things. It was all because the former Ancestor Su had been too wealthy. Her cave dwelling never lacked materials; she could find anything she needed just by turning around, so she hadn't anticipated failing at the stage of gathering materials.

"What do you need?" Xing Yuan asked.

"I don't know."

Xing Yuan: "..."

Su Ninglong described the items she wanted. "I need a type of plant that has a calming and sedative effect—it's a golden wood that, once polished, is as beautiful as a gemstone. Also, bezoar, mysterious ice..." There were over a dozen items, all of which Xing Yuan couldn't comprehend the use for.

"Is everything I mentioned sold online? But I have no money. What should I do?"

"There is one place where everything can be found, and it doesn't require money."

"Where?"

"It’s late," Xing Yuan said. "The guidance ends here for today, and you, you need to go to sleep."

Su Ninglong checked the time; she couldn't finish it today anyway.

She adjusted her mood quickly. Poverty wasn't something that could be changed overnight, so she obediently went to sleep.

...

After a good night’s rest, Su Ninglong sprang up from her bed like a carp, eager to find out where she could get the things she needed. Xing Yuan set out hot steamed buns and opened a website, sending the link to her wristband. Su Ninglong held a bun in one hand and swiped through the air with the other. A flashing banner headline read: "Star Alliance Camp."

Soon, she understood what the camp was for. It was like a trading platform, but there was only one primary seller: the Star Alliance. Settlements weren't made in Star Credits, but in points. In other words, the Star Alliance had its own exclusive currency.

Points could be exchanged for items or money; one point equaled one hundred Star Credits, giving it significant purchasing power. However, money could not be exchanged for points, which effectively excluded anyone outside the Star Alliance. Points were earned by completing missions, provided one held a professional identity: Guide, Hunter, Intel Agent, Explorer, and so on.

The prices for items within the Star Alliance were generally much lower than outside. Anything available for online shopping could be found here—perhaps pulled from the warehouses of ordinary merchants, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that the Star Alliance had every strange and exotic thing imaginable. One could only imagine the massive treasury backing the Star Alliance.

On the homepage, one item dominated the view: the "Phase Altar." It was shaped like a bowl, its surface carved with dense, intricate patterns. The body was mottled and worn, full of the traces of time. It was a holy relic, restricted to Hunter purchase only, valued at fifty thousand points. With one point worth one hundred Star Credits, this thing cost five million?

Su Ninglong stuffed the bun into her mouth in a few quick bites. "Xing Yuan, can you tell me about Hunters and holy relics?"

"Hunters are the ones who clear out secret spirits. As for holy relics, I haven't encountered them. They are a perk for Hunters of three stars or higher. You'll be able to afford one once you become a Hunter," Xing Yuan said. "I'll look into it when I have time." Only after truly becoming a Guide did Xing Yuan realize how much of the common knowledge he lacked.

Su Ninglong nodded. She picked out the things she wanted and calculated the points: fifty-six points. However, her point balance was zero. Su Ninglong felt Xing Yuan had been lying to her. "I'm a student; can't you give me some points?"

"Didn't you make something for Yun Fei earlier? You can upload it to the platform and have it appraised. Their acquisition price is fair, and once they purchase it, you'll get points. But be prepared, the acquisition might not be successful."

So it would take time to accumulate; she couldn't start refining immediately.

"I must work hard." But the meat bun was too delicious. Su Ninglong ate another, her cheeks puffed out. "I'll talk about it after I finish eating." Ancestor Su had worked hard her whole life; the refining could wait.

Xing Yuan: "..."

The Star Alliance cultivated talent not just by requiring excellence in academics and ability, but also in physical fitness. Someone with weak limbs or paralysis couldn't qualify as a Hunter. Therefore, physical education was mandatory, and it lasted for two and a half hours.

The teacher who taught the children PE was a real kindergarten teacher—young, beautiful, with a sweet smile, dressed in loose, light-colored sportswear that highlighted her youthful energy. To conduct sensory integration training for the children, she used games to keep their enthusiasm high.

Su Ninglong wore a pink smock covering her upper body, standing solemnly before a balance beam, with two others flanking it. They were having a competition; the winner would receive a rainbow rocking horse kindly provided by the school board.

Ancestor Su didn't care about the rocking horse, even though it was cute, wrapped in smooth, glossy, high-quality genuine leather over premium wood, with a tuft of colorful fur on top that would flutter when it rocked. But Ancestor Su would never admit she liked such things; her goal was just to win.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready!" the toddlers shouted.

The PE teacher blew the whistle. "Start."

The boy next to her set off first. He was full of confidence, arms spread wide to maintain his balance. He had practiced every event in today’s competition at home. His father was the board member who donated the rocking horse, and he had gone to great lengths to ensure his son won the championship. If he didn't win, who would?

Ancestor Su stepped onto the four-centimeter-thick balance beam. She didn't move at first, letting the other children take a few steps before she started to walk—or rather, run. With a kick, she was like a silent bullet, a gust of wind. The five-meter beam was traversed from one end to the other in less than two seconds.

The Guide helping with the timer twitched his mouth. This result was slightly unscientific!

Hai Yu watched Charlie fall off the balance beam for the fifth time, unable to bear looking. Hai Yu complained bitterly, "Xing Yuan, should I go get plastic surgery?"

"You should go encourage Charlie."

Seeing Su Ninglong reach the finish line, Charlie began to wail on the soft mat, his anxiety making it even harder to maintain his balance. Hai Yu could only patiently teach him how to balance. "Anyway, you can't catch up, so you might as well stay calm."

Charlie sniffled, deciding to ignore Hai Yu, who only knew how to discourage him.

The PE teacher sent Su Ninglong to the next event: rock climbing. It was a simple climb; she just had to touch the timer button at the bottom and then touch another button two and a half meters up to pass. The Guide wanted to put a safety harness on Su Ninglong, but she rolled up her pant legs, took a few steps back, and charged. Her foot hit the timer, and with a burst of strength from her waist and hands, she leaped onto the middle rock point. After touching the button, she flipped down to the ground.

One point two seconds.

"Oh yeah!" The little monkey happily headed to the next competition site.

Shooting baskets, crawling through sand pits, slingshot target practice... After playing through everything, the total time was twenty seconds.

It was a miracle. The Guide’s envy for Xing Yuan deepened. How was Su Ninglong so capable?

This result was undoubtedly first place, without any suspense.

Zhou Yu, who had been fully expecting to win, was furious. "You must have cheated! You must have trained beforehand. The fastest record is three minutes; twenty seconds, how is that even possible?"

Su Ninglong turned to see a boy in a blue smock stomping his feet vigorously. He had a high forehead and his hair was shaved perfectly flat, making him look defiant. How could one cheat in front of everyone? Even if she had trained, she had only been walking for three years at most; how could that be considered cheating?

"Who holds the fastest record?"

Who else? Himself, of course.

The freckled boy judged everyone by his own standards. Su Ninglong, without lifting a finger, left him speechless.

The rainbow rocking horse was hers. The outcome of the competition was decided, though the prizes would be awarded at the end. The PE teacher encouraged the other children, "Don't be discouraged, there are other prizes."

But Zhou Yu didn't want to play anymore; if he wasn't first, it was meaningless. He walked to the side in a huff, staring gloomily at Su Ninglong. The Guide whispered, begging him to continue. He refused, ordering his lackeys not to compete either.

"Little Phoebe, Wei Yuan, Aina, all of you come here. You aren't allowed to compete."

Wei Yuan and Aina walked over reluctantly. They were only able to enter the Star Alliance thanks to the Zhou family’s funding and private training. Their parents had repeatedly told them to be obedient. Little Phoebe was actually glad not to compete; he had fallen off the balance beam more times than Charlie, and he was exhausted.

Ge Wei saw Little Phoebe slacking off, his blood pressure rising. He couldn't help but reprimand him. "Little Phoebe, if you walk away now, you are giving up more than just your dignity; you are giving up your parents' expectations. And do you want to fail your final exams and be expelled?"

Little Phoebe hesitated. "Then... why can they choose not to compete?"

"Because they have enough resources behind them," Ge Wei said, leading him back to the track. "Continue the competition."

"Little Phoebe, if you don't come over here, you're dead."

Ge Wei blocked the path in front of Little Phoebe. "How do you intend to make him die? By bullying him relentlessly? Or isolating him? I am his Guide; if there is a problem, come to me first."

Zhou Yu could bully children, but he didn't dare bully adults. Zhou Yu’s Guide quickly pulled Ge Wei away, smoothing things over. "Brother Ge, calm down. Little Phoebe will realize one day when he grows up who he should associate with and who he shouldn't offend. Why bother going against the Zhou family?"

"You have your stance, and I have my professional integrity. With a personality like Zhou Yu's, he couldn't even be a Guide, let alone a Hunter."

"He can be a director of the Star Alliance."

"Is the directorship hereditary?" Ge Wei asked sternly. "As long as Principal Yan is here, it’s not the directors' turn to call the shots. Directors can play little tricks behind the scenes, but if they want to seize power, they need at least the strength to eliminate secret spirits."

The directors were all cowards who feared death; the only reason they were willing to fund the Star Alliance was their fear of being harmed by secret spirits one day, hoping to have a wealthy force available to resolve incidents. Zhou Yu’s father could be a director, but that didn't mean Zhou Yu could be. Who could say they would have a smooth life for decades to come?

Zhou Yu’s Guide was enraged. "Inflexible."

After the competition, Su Ninglong received the rocking horse as her prize. The children crowded around, wanting to play with it.

"Is Su Ninglong there?" Outside the field, a Star Police officer in uniform ran over in a rush. "I'm looking for Su Ninglong."

Xing Yuan blocked Su Ninglong. "I am her Guide. What do you want with her?"

The officer whispered a few words to Xing Yuan, and Xing Yuan nodded. Yun Fei had sent someone to summon her; they were going to take her into the simulator.

"Why the rush? A four-year-old child, what can she do in a simulator?"

"It’s an urgent matter. You can ask Mr. Yun directly later; I don't have the authorization to answer."