219 No more of that, please 【Four-in-one subscription request!】

Ban Family General Store.

After Lu Chen left, the elderly grandfather and grandmother took turns scolding their prodigal grandson, Ban Yue:

"Each generation gets worse than the last; you, an unfilial grandson, are even more wasteful than your father!"

"Have you ever done the math? Materials, factory costs, labor—this armor has cost us ten thousand spirit stones in losses!"

Ban Yue clutched his head, not from pain but because his flowing long hair was nearly pulled out by his grandparents.

"I'm making an investment! Look, Brother Lu just won me thirty thousand spirit stones in bets at the arena!"

Seeing the money, the old couple couldn’t argue further.

"This kid is indeed a genius with spirit machinery, but that’s all. This starry expanse is filled with geniuses."

Gazing at the fading silhouette of Lu Chen’s ship, Ban Yue said with conviction:

"I’ve followed all his news since he set sail. I don’t misjudge people. He’s not just a genius—he has the potential and fortune to create miracles, and... an instinct for discovering treasures."

The old man sighed, pipe in mouth, shaking his head helplessly.

"That’s the most dangerous thing. Twenty years ago, your parents followed that same instinct into the Pangu Corridor... and they’ve been missing ever since."

Watching the Ghost Knight’s ship disappear, Ban Yue’s eyes suddenly shimmered with a strange light.

"Trust me, Grandpa... there will be news of them."

...

August Floating Island.

When Lu Chen piloted the Ghost Knight back to August Floating Island, it was already late at night.

About two hours before dawn.

The dome of the Bailu ship shimmered with a brilliant starry spectacle. The clear night sky, so different from the twisted surrealism of the Pangu Corridor, imparted a sense of safety and warmth.

As the night deepened, the island stirred to life.

Dozens of ships were docked in the shipyard.

Vultures circled overhead; crawling creatures scuttled on the ground; dozens of hot springs glowed in the not-quite-cold garden, bursting with colors like a blooming garden.

Though the interiors were unseen, the sounds of birdsong and women’s laughter drifted out, along with the occasional noise of chess and card games.

"Seems like, no matter the era, bathhouses are busiest at night!" Lu Chen remarked.

Goliath shot him a knowing look.

"What bathhouse? Don’t spout nonsense! This place doesn’t offer that kind of service. The clinic has a female receptionist, a female nurse, and a female lab assistant. The rest are labor robots. The only woman here is the mistress herself. Do you like that?"

It sounded almost like a death sentence.

"I only meant bathhouse. Bathhouses come in many kinds, you know. Why are you so anxious? The mistress of August is probably a thousand years old and could snap your kidneys in a second if she wanted... Do you like that?"

Lu Chen parried with a taijiquan move, countering Goliath’s jab.

Goliath was unfazed.

"As long as she’s not after my debts, I like her. Three years ago, she even offered to be my mentor for free—teaching me alchemy, anatomy, painless killing. Too bad I never learned a thing and just drained her funds. That’s when she started keeping accounts... Now that we’ve formed a little family, she’s probably about to audit us."

"What little family? I’m the head of this family!"

Lu Chen declared sternly.

Aili smiled and reminded him:

"Actually, the hot springs are mostly for women; some customers bring their own female companions. You can have fun during medicinal baths, but most pools forbid dual cultivation. Dual cultivation during medicinal baths can cause sudden death unless in special pools with special concoctions. We’ve only been here three days and already saw several couples carried away by robots after mishaps; some were even buried on the spot."

Medicinal baths and fun?

Lu Chen thought, no wonder the August Wellness Center is quiet during the day but busy at night.

Though immediate burial was extreme!

He glanced at Aili, sensing that despite her admiration for him, she feared his potential for mischief—or maybe feared he’d end up buried on site...

"Aili, are you doubting the captain’s self-control? Goliath is a succubus, and you’re an adorable white-haired loli, hanging around the ship all day. Have I ever flirted with you? I’m a self-control superhero—no dirty thoughts here. This medicinal bath is strictly for cultivation and self-improvement!"

Goliath tapped Lu Chen’s chest with mockery.

"Only insecure people need to self-suggest. You, dirty bastard, mixing baths with me and Aili? You’d be buried on the spot."

Lu Chen quickly hugged himself, looking wary.

"Who wants to bathe with you? I just think you’re after my Dragon Dan!"

Goliath scoffed.

"Is the Dragon Dan all your achievement?"

Lu Chen considered seriously.

"Seems like it’s mostly me... Strictly speaking, Su Yan also contributed!"

Goliath suddenly softened, leaning close to him.

"Don’t be like that. We’re a family—do you know the value of family? Even if it’s your individual achievement, the benefits belong to all. Even divorce means property division, right?"

Lu Chen flustered as her soft side rubbed against him and hurriedly backtracked.

"Alright, alright. The cultivation methods depend on the mistress’s professional planning... Just don’t rub against me so hard."

"Hehe."

Just as Lu Chen prepared to dock the Ghost Knight at the shipyard,

Goliath suggested:

"Don’t park it there. Your ship’s small; just drive it into the forest."

"Isn’t that a bad idea?"

"What’s my relation to the mistress? I could park the ship right at the August’s entrance if I wanted."

So...

Lu Chen truly parked the ship at the entrance of the August clinic, in the heart of the mistress’s crescent-shaped ship bay.

He even crushed some flowers and grass.

The front desk nurse hurried out to inform the ship’s armored form that docking was forbidden here, with fines and forced labor until the garden was restored.

Goliath quickly disembarked, pulling the nurse aside.

"It’s me, Goliath. I’m bragging about the captain. Give me some face and let him stay one night. He’ll move tomorrow. I’ll buy you a drink someday."

The nurse wasn’t swayed.

"I’m AI. I don’t drink."

"I’ll add spirit oil for you."

"I’m powered by bioelectric batteries controlled by spirit runes. I can recharge anytime inside the clinic."

"I’ll... cough, cough... tell you, our captain is a master of spirit runes, a hacking king. He might tune you up, add emotional drivers, or give you a cerebral climax spirit rune."

"But the mistress hates anyone damaging her garden. There are strict prohibitions."

"No worries. The mistress won’t leave the lab for half a day. Besides, seeing our handsome captain, she’ll want to study him, not punish him for flowers and grass. And he’s the lifesaver of Marutun and Tunmaru—they’ll fix the garden."

Without giving the nurse a chance to refuse, Goliath dragged Aili off the ship.

"We’re going to soak in the baths, continue cultivation. You can wander here. When the mistress finishes the experiment, she’ll help you apply the Dragon Dan in your medicine."

"Oh, alright."

Lu Chen didn’t expect to park his ship right in the mistress’s bay, crushing plenty of flowers.

To minimize damage, he switched the Ghost Knight into armored form, standing on two feet to reduce the footprint, though the feet sank deep into the garden.

He reluctantly dismounted.

Standing in front of the armor, bathed in neon glow and moonlight, he admired its noble posture.

Beside him was the sweet and charming front desk nurse.

"Captain Lu, can you really write spirit runes that give spirit machinery human-like emotions, or robot cerebral climaxes?"

That question was too direct...

No wonder she’s a robot!

Lu Chen looked at the nurse. She was pretty and delicate, with lifelike expressions and natural movements. Her speech was logical, polite, and friendly, yet her emotional intelligence was lacking.

"Goliath told you that?"

The nurse nodded.

"Yes."

Lu Chen thought seriously.

"I can give you fake emotional fluctuations, realistic enough to fool many detectors, but that doesn’t mean you have a true heart... That’s a very difficult thing—so difficult I’m not sure this world can achieve it."

His words silenced the nurse.

Lu Chen wasn’t joking.

If humans could easily create souls for spirit machinery, could entire civilizations be built on biological servers?

If those manufactured civilizations create their own sub-civilizations endlessly, would the server’s computing power be exhausted?

What if our universe is just a sub-civilization running on a biological server?

What if Earth in Lu Chen’s previous life was also a sub-civilization of a higher realm?

In fact, Lu Chen had read scientific reports about this before.

The constancy of light speed, quantum entanglement, delayed choice experiments, galaxies receding faster than light due to the Big Bang—all suggest the universe uses an algorithm to conserve total information.

Some even speculate the universe is a three-dimensional hologram, like information projected on a black hole’s surface.

Perhaps inside or beyond black holes lies the true reality or a higher world.

Of course, these grand cosmic matters weren’t for a modestly paid spirit stone earner like Lu Chen.

He only knew: I think, therefore I am—that was enough.

Now, Lu Chen smiled calmly and said:

"But don’t be too discouraged. Creating true artificial intelligence is a goal of mine.

Real women have bad tempers and are very pragmatic, so my lifelong dream is to create a perfect robot wife to accompany me.

If the universe’s laws allow it, someday I’ll make an artificial soul and give you one immediately—you’re immortal, right?

So, do you know what to do?"

The nurse looked puzzled.

"What should I do?"

Lu Chen thought, AI can be so slow-witted.

"Of course, give me special treatment. Like letting my mech stay here long-term, or giving me tips on how to handle Goliath, or warning me if the mistress plots something against me."

Of course, Lu Chen wasn’t worried the mistress might harm him—just other schemes.

For example, to efficiently help him cultivate, she might perform painless anatomy while he sleeps, inject medicine, then stitch him up flawlessly...

Such things might not show up in any safety guide.

The nurse nodded thoughtfully.

"I’ll try to give you special care without breaking the mistress’s rules."

Was AI really this easy to fool?

Lu Chen felt embarrassed.

He guessed it was thanks to his handsome looks, otherworldly aura, and imposing armored form.

Curious, he asked:

"Why do you trust me so much? Doesn’t your spirit rune logic tell you humans can be untrustworthy?"

The nurse said:

"I trust Goliath’s intuition. If she says you can, then maybe you really can... Goliath’s luck in gambling isn’t good, but her intuition is always accurate."

Lu Chen knew that well.

He wouldn’t believe Goliath had planned to come find him on Rust Star.

"What if Goliath lies to you?"

The nurse smiled.

"Captain Lu, you misunderstand. By intuition, I mean including when she lies. She often hits the mark by accident, even if she doesn’t believe it herself... Maybe that’s a talent. It’s clear she cares a lot about you. In three years, I’ve never seen her so well-behaved or concerned about her image."

Lu Chen’s heart skipped a beat.

Really... I’m overwhelmed!

But thinking back, if this tamed Goliath is like this, what was she before? A demon?

"Do you know Goliath’s true identity?"

Lu Chen asked curiously.

The nurse shook her head.

"The mistress strictly forbids revealing Goliath’s identity. Besides, I don’t know."

"Alright, I won’t ask. Then how did Goliath and the mistress meet three years ago?"

"Just a customer coming for the hot springs. I remember Goliath was very strong back then—stronger than the mistress."

"Oh..."

Just then, the front desk rang.

A guest in the hot springs was calling.

The nurse had to return to the clinic to answer and arrange robots to handle the matter.

"The mistress is still doing experiments. Captain Lu, feel free to wander the island. When the mistress finishes, I’ll notify you. This is special service!"

"Thank you, Number One!"

Lu Chen thought, Goliath wasn’t exaggerating. She really was a powerful cultivator who had fallen in strength over time.

Still, he didn’t know what there was to see on this eerie island.

Wandering into someone’s hot spring might get him labeled a pervert.

The crescent-shaped ship gave off a faint purple glow.

Fortunately, there was a lake by the clinic’s entrance.

Not wanting to be mistaken for a pervert, Lu Chen reluctantly took out his nuclear-powered fishing rod and headed to the lake.

Near the lake by the clinic, he noticed two newly cultivated herb beds with sprouting medicinal plants.

He hadn’t seen these beds before.

Avoiding them, he found a smooth lakeside boulder.

He dug up some fresh earthworms on the spot.

Sitting on the rock, he baited his hook and cast the line beautifully.

Ding dong!

The lake was crystal clear, sparkling with light.

In the faint glow, Lu Chen saw two roughly human-sized figures chasing and playing on the far shore.

One looked like a frog.

The other like a snake.

He instinctively thought of Marutun and Tunmaru.

But the exaggerated beastly forms in the distance were beyond humanoid explanation.

Lu Chen’s heart thudded, and he called out across the lake:

"Marutun, Tunmaru, is that you?"

Soon, the two humanoid girls’ slightly silly voices echoed back.

"The lake’s not that big, why shout so loud?"

"Hey, wait, sounds like Brother Lu Chen!"

They excitedly splashed over, swimming quickly to Lu Chen’s shore, climbing onto him without caring about their clothes.

One’s upper body was fully frog-like, opening a wide mouth to kiss Lu Chen’s face, nearly swallowing half his head.

The other’s lower body was a snake, coiling from his waist up to his neck.

Lu Chen shivered.

Half human, half beast... this was far beyond humanoid.

Well, in this half-beast form, wearing clothes or not makes no difference.

Lu Chen always thought his apophilia was strange.

But facing Marutun and Tunmaru’s new forms, he suddenly felt normal.

He struggled to pull his head from the frog’s mouth and untangled the snake around his neck, then gasped:

"The mistress promised to cure your atavism, but how did it progress to full atavism?"

The two girls cheerfully said:

"She cured the ghost poison first!"

"The mistress said, whether poison in the body or mind, one must accept the whole self before fully detoxifying."

"How do we look? Pretty, right?"

"Pretty."

Lu Chen almost pulled out a barbecue grill.

He forcefully freed himself and examined the two half-beast girls seriously.

Their blood runes were gone.

One had a colorful orange frog’s head; the other a pale blue-white snake body.

One’s face retained human features; one’s thigh still showed human skin texture.

Lu Chen was speechless, gritting his teeth:

"They’re... quite cute."

The girls were not modest.

"Right?"

"Haha."

Lu Chen couldn’t respond and asked casually:

"How’s life here?"

"The mistress is strict but kind."

"See, the herb beds by the lake are our work. In half a month, we’ll harvest medicine."

"That fast?"

"We’re geniuses!"

Lu Chen noticed that in just three days at August Clinic, the girls not only changed physically but grew more confident.

"The mistress is still in the lab. Brother Lu Chen waits here for a while."

"Want to swim with us?"

An adult man bathing with two underage girls? That would be truly perverted.

"Are there many fish in this lake?"

"Lots!"

"All kinds!"

"Wow, your fishing rod’s so pretty!"

"Looking at it... Brother Lu Chen must be a fishing master!"

"Two hours before dawn, you’ll catch a bucket!"

"I’m good at making spicy boiled fish!"

"I can make caviar."

"What if you catch too much?"

Lu Chen felt like he was skewered on a grill, about to be roasted alive.

"What were you inviting me to do earlier?"

"Swim?"

"Yes! The island’s stuffy. I want to swim too."

"Great! Let’s catch fish together!"

"…"

Lu Chen activated his wristband, which vibrated with a call from the Ghost Knight—himself calling himself.

"You two go ahead. Seems like Goliath wants to talk."

He grabbed his nuclear-powered rod and hurried back to the cockpit.

Inside the cockpit was a secondhand game console linked to a holographic flight display—very thrilling.

Lu Chen could download any game on the market and play them free with cracked keys.

From the vast library, he picked one:

"Fishing Heals the Soul"

A cartoon-style casual game.

Easy to pick up, no difficulty, suitable for kids six and up.

Lu Chen downloaded it instantly.

Seeing it cost only one spirit stone, he even supported the official version—rare for him.

"Loving a theme means supporting official releases."

Confident, he started the game and his first fishing attempt.

Dawn came.

...Not a single catch.

Luckily, the game’s scenery was beautiful, the music excellent, and mermaids occasionally appeared to chat.

They asked if he wanted special services.

Lu Chen felt he’d seen this scene somewhere before.

And the special service meant:

Spending money to buy premium bait!

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good, it’s not me catching nothing, the game’s just a money trap. No way I’m paying. I’ll just write a 100% hit cheat script."

But thinking of cheating in a game and crossing into a cartoon fishing world...

No thanks!

He turned off the game and stretched.

Realized dawn arrived.

The August mistress was still experimenting.

What kind of experiment?

He felt curious.

He went to the cargo hold, packed the Dragon Dan in a big box, and carried it to the clinic.

Just inside the door, the sweet front desk nurse greeted warmly:

"Captain Lu, the mistress isn’t done yet."

"No problem, I’ll wait here."

"Would you like some tea?"

"Black tea, thank you."

Lu Chen settled in the waiting room, savoring the tea.

After a moment, once the nurse’s attention drifted, Lu Chen pretended to go to the restroom.

Pretended not to find it.

Pretended to accidentally open the August mistress’s laboratory door.

He didn’t even need to cloak himself; invisibility risked triggering traps.

He tiptoed, slightly cloaked, lowering his IQ to match Goliath’s.

He tried doors, most locked.

Some clinic rooms were normal: injection, radiology, bloodletting...

Until he reached the lab door.

He was about to push it when it opened by itself.

The August mistress stepped out, hatless, pale and exquisitely weary.

She wore a white lab coat stained with blue insect blood, smelling of smoke and insect brains.

Inside the lab, Lu Chen glimpsed piles of insect limbs and entrails.

Judging by the organs, these were giant bugs bigger than humans.

Could it be the old hag even dissects nomadic insect clans?

A strong acidic stench hit Lu Chen’s nose.

His nostrils bled.

"Oh, isn’t that Captain Lu?"

The mistress quickly shut the lab door, took an unknown red pill from her pocket, and stuffed it into Lu Chen’s mouth.

His nosebleed stopped instantly; his blood flowed smoothly, a rare comfort washing over him.

Though with a slight cold milky taste...

Lu Chen guessed the pill might be like Goliath’s stash.

Looking again, the mistress had no hat, a large face, fiery purple lips, Western features.

A pale, sickly kind of sexy.

Beautiful yet eerie.

"I was looking for the restroom," Lu Chen explained.

The mistress paused.

"A level 35 cultivator still needs to pee?"

Lu Chen thought, true, he couldn’t recall his last time.

Embarrassed, he said:

"I have a special constitution..."

The mistress sighed.

"You can use my private restroom. It’s not really for peeing, but the flushing and decomposition system is complete. Whatever you expel will be fully decomposed."

Fully decomposed... Lu Chen shuddered, afraid he might be decomposed entirely, leaving no trace.

"I suddenly don’t want to pee anymore."

He quickly changed the subject.

"I’ve decided to use the Dragon Dan in medicine. But it’s too hardcore; not sure if it can be powdered finely."

"That’s a dinosaur Dragon Dan, not a true one. Even a level 100 true Dragon Dan I can powder. Go fetch it."

The mistress left for the rest area.

Lu Chen retrieved the Dragon Dan, opened the door of the rest area.

He bumped into the mistress changing clothes, wearing oversized white lace lingerie.

She didn’t hide her presence, poured blood-stained red wine, and drank it in one go, her fatigue instantly gone.

"Your Dragon Dan is well-preserved. If you give me a few years, I can restore it to a complete star beast. It might lose some memories. Don’t you want to consider that?"

Lu Chen was stunned.

His stopped nosebleed threatened to start again.

The mistress’s medical skill matched her figure: impressive but unsettling!

Yet it made his scalp tingle, as if his kidneys might be sliced anytime. Even if spared, his kidneys would be ruined.

That’s the feeling.

"No thanks. Without full memories, is it really living? If I restore the Azure Wing Dragon, wouldn’t my friend have died in vain? This Dragon Dan is the legacy of a friend; it will merge with me as part of my cultivation."

"Goliath doesn’t have full memories either and is fine. But you’re too weak; better to cultivate first."

Having spoken, the mistress changed into a gorgeous retro court dress, donned her signature large round hat, lit a purple pipe, and fixed her elegant gaze on Lu Chen.

"So, Vincent is still alive?"

"You read the news too?"

"What news?"

Lu Chen frowned, surprised.

"You recognized Vincent from the Dragon Dan?"

"The preservation was probably Aili’s work, but the memory storage method inside is Vincent’s technique."

"I heard he and the mistress were once colleagues."

The mistress nodded, lost in smoky memories.

"Long ago... I never expected he’d defect from the New Federation, then disappear from Federation space. I only guessed he was alive after seeing this Dragon Dan. You drew him out—quite impressive."

Lu Chen smiled, shaking his head.

"I didn’t meet Vincent personally at the Zuan Star Nebula, only had some trouble with his star beasts. He communicated with me through spirit runes implanted in the beasts, just discussing seniority and asking me to spare the Azure Wing Dragon."

"Sometimes, having ideals—whether it’s your master or Vincent—isn’t always good."

The mistress inhaled from her pipe; the clear medicinal scent was like spring breeze on Lu Chen’s handsome face.

"What’s your ideal, Lu Chen?"

Who are you, Wang Feng?

Lu Chen waved away the purple smoke.

"I just want adventure."

"Why adventure?"

"For money and fun, of course."

The mistress pressed:

"What if one day you grow tired of adventure?"

Lu Chen considered seriously.

"I might find a beautiful planet, settle down with Goliath and Aili, fish, play games, raise pets, farm... If the country suffers population decline and aging, maybe we’ll heed the call to have more kids and fight more."

He drifted into thought.

The mistress shook her head, smiling.

"You can even elevate lust to a patriotic cause. But Goliath’s a succubus, Aili’s cute. To only get interested in women after adventure ends requires great restraint for young men."

"Of course. Adventure is my first calling!"

Lu Chen declared righteously.

The mistress laughed:

"I bet you won’t live to see that day... Maybe as soon as tomorrow night, you’ll become a real man."

Lu Chen froze.

Wow, how do you know I’m still a virgin?

"Why tomorrow night?"

The mistress, pipe in mouth, said softly:

"Tomorrow night’s when I’ll apply the Dragon Dan. The dragon nature is silver. You’d better bathe with them beforehand, so you don’t lose control and die suddenly—buried on the spot."

Lu Chen shuddered.

But thinking carefully, something felt off.

"I don’t get it—why must I bathe with Goliath and Aili for cultivation?"

"Don’t underestimate the Dragon Dan. The level 68 dinosaur Dragon Dan benefits your cultivation, but dragon blood is hard to tame. Any mishap and you’ll be shattered."

Lu Chen seemed to understand.

"So, they’re there to protect me?"

The mistress nodded.

"Aili has great spirit control talent to suppress your dragon blood in critical moments; Goliath is a succubus. If suppression fails, Goliath will force you to transform into a demon. Plus, I heard you can drink her blood to break barriers, meaning you can use her blood to help suppress your dragon blood."

Lu Chen still worried.

"Wouldn’t it be safer and more professional if you did this?"

The mistress shook her head.

"You use medicinal baths to cultivate with dragon blood, so they must assist through medicinal baths too. Do you want to bathe with me?"

Lu Chen thought, for safety, that wouldn't be bad—at worst, wear a bathrobe...

The mistress stifled a smile and said softly:

"I’m old and can’t handle it. Besides, I trust Goliath and Aili’s abilities; for a level 35 like you, it’s more than enough."

Lu Chen sighed helplessly.

Actually, he wasn’t most afraid of bloodline rampages or burial on site.

He feared becoming a pervert in Goliath and Aili’s eyes, risking daily ridicule on future adventures.

Captain’s dignity, where would it go?

After all, Goliath and Aili were too beautiful and adorable.

Usually, it’s fine. But who could resist bathing with two young women?

If it were the old, eerie mistress, he’d definitely keep control—maybe even be scared into shrinking away, fearing kidney loss.

"Fine, just two girls. I grew up reading the Spring and Autumn Annals; no woman can affect my cultivation!"

The mistress smiled, sensing his firm tone but hesitant eyes.

She would observe him during the day to judge if he was worthy of bathing and cultivating with the two women.

"Let’s hope so. Go now. The nurse will take you to my exclusive hot spring."

Lu Chen’s ears pricked.

"The mistress’s hot spring?"

She smiled.

"Yes. They’re there too. Your constitution is special; regular pools would cause sudden death."

"Thank you for your kindness."

Lu Chen turned to leave.

Suddenly, a serious, profound voice called from behind:

"Don’t you have any other ideals?"

Lu Chen was puzzled.

"Like what?"

The mistress said:

"Like overthrowing the universe, exterminating immortals and gods."

Lu Chen shook his head and drifted away.

"I don’t have such worldly desires."

(The End of this Chapter)