Chapter 259: The Yuan Clan Grows Stronger!
Yuan Zhu looked at the two siblings who were devouring their food and enjoying the human world’s cuisine, then turned to Number 3 and asked:
“I want to transport this pair of brother and sister, along with the ‘supplies’ brought out from the [Bubble World] this time, to the real world. What procedures are needed? Can I just pay with coins?”
Number 3 thought for a moment, then shook their head in response: “Not enough. Do you know the true purpose of [coins]? They are tools for locating the [Happy Home] and opening ‘space-time channels.’ You can think of them as one-time ‘channels’ containing space-time power. For members of the [Happy Home], just one is needed to initiate teleportation.”
“But the supplies you transported in last time exceeded the single-person teleportation limit in both quantity and volume. So you paid an extra 10 [coins]. This time, to transport supplies out of the Bubble World, you not only need [coins] to open the channel but also extra points.”
Yuan Zhu was puzzled: “Why is that? Last time when transporting them in, no points were charged.”
Number 3: “Because the supplies you transported last time were all ordinary mundane items without supernatural energy. So only [coins] were consumed to open the channel, and the rest was free. But this time is different. [Coins] only open the ‘space-time teleportation,’ but those stone pillars, insect eggs, and metals themselves contain varying levels of ‘supernatural energy (pollution),’ so more points must be paid to counter the rejection and suppression from the Du Ling Star.”
In Number 3’s explanation, members of the [Happy Home] inherently possess special space-time shuttle constitutions, and with the blessing of the [Space of Gods], they can easily enter and exit the [Nightmare Bubble Layer].
Additionally, Yuan Zhu and the others are originally natives of the Du Ling Star. After quietly disappearing for a while and then being concealed, they can be sent back without anyone knowing, which shouldn’t trigger rejection from the present world.
But smuggling large amounts of supplies and natives from the [Bubble World] into reality has the flavor of the [Abyss] invading the [Prime Material Plane]. Extra costs are needed to send people and supplies there, while also enduring endless rejection and suppression.
Although dissatisfied inwardly, this situation was within his expectations.
His mindset eased a bit. At least when he fished precious ‘supernatural resources’ from the [Eclosion World], he paid no price and freeloaded the whole way.
Now, by paying just one ‘tariff iron fist’ from the [Space of Gods], he could bring the [Shadow Domain (Worm Pillar)] home, still making a profit.
At this moment, Number 3 seemed to think of something and reminded: “There’s one small issue to be vigilant about!”
“What?”
Number 3 pointed to the room door of their bedroom: “The [supplies] you brought out this time are enormous in quantity, piled together, and the total ‘supernatural energy’ they contain severely exceeds the limit. Once they appear in Du Ling’s real world, though it won’t cause ‘space collapse,’ it will inevitably attract the perception and scrutiny of nearby powerhouses, or draw the attention and investigation of the Security Bureau. You could be heavily struck for crimes like ‘smuggling, spreading forbidden pollution’! Be very careful.”
Yuan Zhu was somewhat surprised. Wasn’t Number 3 just a goldfinch + puppet doll imprisoned in the [Happy Home]? How did they know so much: “You even know this?”
Number 3 proudly raised their smooth-chinned face: “I am a [self-disciplined intelligent maid] with self-learning ability and a love for reading. I have read many works about the Du Ling Star and know this is a common phenomenon. In the [Spirit Layer], ‘polluted monsters’ often invade the present world through weak spatial cracks. One of the Security Bureau’s basic duties is to detect and search for abnormal high-energy reactions within the city via the [Law Magic Net], thereby locating pollution sources and handling them safely.”
Yuan Zhu: “Thanks for the reminder. I’ll be careful.”
Every time he logged into the [Happy Home], he chose a location inside the [Haunted House]. Even carrying massive ‘polluted items’ back would be shielded by the Haunted House’s inherent concealment barrier, so no worry of exposure.
Once his [Shadow Domain] was built, he wouldn’t need to worry about the original owner suddenly showing up and seeing the room full of unattended ‘heavenly materials and earthly treasures.’ Just like when he accidentally discovered the [Disease Garden], he could silently inherit this sky-high wealth. Then report to the organization that a thief broke into the [Garden] and ruined the diseased crops.
Yuan Zhu then looked at the siblings who had finished all the food and even scraped the plates clean with their fingers, and consulted: “What about them? Also take them out with [coins + points]?”
Number 3: “If you don’t choose to mark them as [vassals, servants], then just recharge [coins + points] for them to take them out. With the permissions granted by the [Happy Home], I discovered they have [Anti-Law] on them. If you continue to strengthen the power of [Anti-Law], it can conceal their ‘otherworldly pollution smuggler’ identities, offsetting some suppression and rejection from the Du Ling Star, while saving points.”
“The [points] and [coins] you pay will convert to protection from the [Space of Gods], concealing their identity origins. Additionally, if worried about detection, you can find special venues or buildings in your city, manually set up barriers or build laboratories to shelter and shield them. Finally, once they smoothly enter Du Ling, be sure to cleanse their ‘pollution traces,’ actively integrate into Du Ling, and suppress their internal supernatural powers.”
“What I can provide here is only shielding their identity origins via the [Space of Gods. Happy Home]. The shielding effect relates to the ‘points’ you pay. However, it’s not that higher payment means better effect. Once the shielding reaches a certain value, further increases have sharply diminishing returns.”
All the hiding methods Number 3 introduced, he had. [Anti-Law + Haunted House] to conceal origins, [Space of Gods] to shield heavenly secrets. Only the last one, ‘washing away pollution’ and integrating into Du Ling, he didn’t quite understand.
Yuan Zhu: “How to wash it white?”
Number 3: “Just make them act as much like natives as possible, without showing powers different from the present world. For example, the basic laws of the [Eclosion World] are built on [polluting energy]. Natives bred in such a world are not only ‘deviation exceeding limits’ for Du Ling but also incompatible with the environment.”
“At this point, ways must be found to clean and purify them, and your [Holy Light] is an excellent method. Additionally, buying high-end [luxury children’s wear] from Mao Mao King can resist external detection. Also, don’t you have 10 legal faith slots per year? That’s the best integration method, using different [deities’] auras to conceal them. Plus, try modifying, adjusting, weakening your own [supernatural power]… In short, there are many methods; adapt to the situation.”
The methods Number 3 mentioned were tailored to Yuan Zhu’s personal situation and easy to achieve. Especially that ‘faith slot’—it could be used like this? When in Rome, do as the Romans do; believing in locally popular [deity faiths] is like being culturally colonized, naturally assimilated and accepted? So scientific.
Yuan Zhu saw the siblings were full, and the little girl, finding the [Happy Home] very safe, even mustered courage to leave her seat and explore the hall under Yuan Zhu’s watch.
She knew those gorgeous ornaments and decorations were valuable, so she only observed curiously without touching. Instead, several pots of green plants on the floor caught her attention.
Green plants are very rare in the underground world. The underground ecosystem mainly relies on fluorescent mushrooms and moss; rare plants don’t need photosynthesis, usually black or purple… Now touching green vegetation, she felt inwardly amazed.
So the siblings couldn’t resist reaching out, secretly plucking a few leaves to put in their mouths, enduring the bitterness to chew and swallow, then exchanging a glance with tacit understanding: Edible!
Then, the silly younger brother even dug out a small clump of soil, lightly licked it with his tongue to taste, then nodded: Also edible!
Sure enough, they had arrived in the upper realm, where even the soil wasn’t polluted by corrupted ‘root tendrils.’ Even relying on eating dirt, they could barely survive.
Yuan Zhu spotted the siblings secretly digging and eating dirt, and immediately shouted: “Hey! What are you two doing? You can’t eat dirt! And definitely not the money tree; it’ll ruin the feng shui!”
The increasingly self-aware and clever Number 3 was also dumbfounded, falling into inexplicable self-doubt. Could the food I just provided not be tasty enough, making them resort to eating dirt? No, they licked the plates clean and even fed the metal utensils to that giant insect. Maybe they weren’t full?
Yuan Zhu pulled the somewhat ashamed younger brother and the curiosity-driven little girl, who wanted to lick and bite everything, to his side and hurriedly said: “Quickly calculate for me: how many points to take them and all the [supplies] back to Running City? Then convert the remaining points all into [Little Pumpkins].”
The siblings’ behavior was too embarrassing. He couldn’t wait to take them back to Running City and stop the spectacle.
Number 3 communicated with the [Happy Home], quickly tallying the supplies Yuan Zhu brought back: “I can read your ‘total points.’ The final result is insufficient balance; you can’t take all the [supplies] back to Du Ling.”
Yuan Zhu said in shock: “Insufficient balance? I have 130,000 points! Not enough to take these [supplies] back?”
He made a fortune on the last mission but hadn’t spent much. Yet this huge sum wasn’t enough for shipping?
Number 3: “It’s not calculated that way. The bulk of the fee is on this giant worm. Its pollution level has broken through [species], the highest grade among your goods this time. Also, in your bedroom, there are 10 clumps of [sealed items] with extremely high ‘pollution activity’; their shipping is also expensive.”
What Yuan Zhu smuggled this time via the [Happy Home] wasn’t just the two siblings, but also a [Golden Cicada Alchemy Furnace] in its growth phase, and 10 clumps of [activated root tendrils]. This didn’t even count the [shadow giant insects] crammed in the [universe within the belly].
Seeing Yuan Zhu hesitate, Number 3 suddenly took initiative to solve the problem: “Young Master Yuan, my master Mao Mao King is now promoting a super cost-effective ‘limited-time children’s wear loan’ service. It allows pre-using future points to teleport all supplies back to Du Ling, with installment point repayments. Interested in learning more?”
“If you don’t want a loan, you can sell the untransportable [supplies] to my master. We’ll pay 5% above [Space of Gods] market price for recycling. You can save up some points for the next mission.”
Yuan Zhu: “These [supplies] are all crucial cultivation supplies for me after multiple rounds of selection. Each one has great use; direct recycling is too much loss. I want to apply for the [Mao Mao King loan]; teleport them all back!”
Number 3 said joyfully: “Great, handling it now!”
……
When Yuan Zhu returned again to the [Haunted House] in Running City, the floor under his feet could no longer bear the pressure of tons of heavy objects. After a series of piercing cracking sounds, it finally couldn’t support the weight of over a hundred [worm pillars].
Crack! With a sound, the floor broke, and numerous supplies with Yuan Zhu poured down, smashing through the second floor, scattering onto the first floor ground, and incidentally smashing several [eggplant goblin embryos] curled up and receiving life-sustaining nutrients from ‘shadow eggplant vines.’
Amid rising dust, the tiger demon flipped over a few worm pillars, turned into liquid shadow and drilled out through cracks, then looked at the messy living room and the younger brother shielding his sister under him, full of vigilance.
“Don’t be nervous. This is my territory. We brought back too many supplies with too much weight; the floor couldn’t bear it and we fell to the first floor.”
He just glanced and confirmed that 8 ‘eggplant goblins’ were smashed to death, flattened, exploded alive by the sudden supplies (worm pillars)…
Switching back to human stance, Yuan Zhu looked at the chaotic [worm pillars] nearly filling the living room, hesitating whether to temporarily move them to the [Disease Garden] for storage.
After hesitating, he gave up. He worried that if he wasn’t there, these [worm pillars] would be slowly eroded by the [disease pollution environment]. Better to temporarily place them in the living room, then move them after selecting a site, to open a [domain].
On the other side, the quickly adapting siblings, familiar with dim vision, began surveying the [Shadow Haunted House].
This place was worlds apart from the [Happy Home]’s still luxurious and grand hall: cramped [villa], dim indoor environment, thick shadow pollution, ‘shadow root tendrils’ covering walls and ceilings—everything made the siblings feel familiar and intimate.
They just loved this enclosed dark space and the shadow aura that activated [Anti-Law], like coming home.
The little girl tore a few ‘shadow eggplant leaves’ from the wall, chewed them in her mouth, then: “Ptoo! This can’t be eaten; it’s poisonous! But the toxin was absorbed by my [Anti-Law]. This place is so fun; even the floor is wrapped in wooden boards—so luxurious!”
In the little girl’s eyes, though the [Happy Home] was priceless, its glossy marble floor might not be as precious as wooden floors.
In the underground world, weird stones were everywhere, but wood was a rare precious resource. It could be ground into chips for direct eating, used to raise bugs, or for cultivating spirit plants and growing mushrooms.
Using wood for flooring was a huge waste!
Seeing the little girl tending to pick up wood chips to eat, Yuan Zhu quickly stopped her: “Little Tang, the world is different now; don’t eat random garbage. In this world, wood isn’t valuable; it’s everywhere.”
The little girl reluctantly put down the wood chips, then nodded: “Got it. I’ve already sensed strong maladaptation. The air here has no ‘spiritual energy,’ no iron poison or miasma. Breathing is easier and more comfortable, but something’s missing, making the true qi in my body quickly dormant and sluggish, with a suppressed weak feeling.”
Yuan Zhu handed two sets of [uniforms] to the siblings: “These are the [uniforms] I prepared for you. After putting them on, infuse ‘shadow’ with [Anti-Law] to activate them. From today, these are your temporary daily gear.”
The little girl sweetly said: “Thank you, brother.”
Yuan Zhu pondered: “Hmm… From today, I’ll give you two new names to start new lives. You’ll both take my surname. Little Tang, you’ll be Yuan Tang from now on.”
Then, he looked at the expectant younger brother: “Little Tiao, you’ll be Yuan Tiao! My Yuan family is thriving; now adding two more.”
