Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Ying Yuanxing opened his mouth to speak, but seeing the tentacles tightly wrapped around him, he ultimately didn't refuse. After all, Xuan Ying rarely made requests.

However, looking down at the patchwork of farmland, winding paths, scattered houses, and forests below, Ying Yuanxing felt a sense of novelty. Even though he could see the farm's layout on a map, the aerial view was completely different.

But before he could take in more than a glance, a wisp of gray mist drifted seemingly unintentionally in front of his eyes, blocking his view of the farm.

“Now what?” Ying Yuanxing sighed, prodding the mist with a helpless expression.

“Don’t look at the farm,” Xuan Ying’s voice sounded muffled. “You must have stared at it long enough in the illusion.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t look. How about I just look at you instead?” Ying Yuanxing chuckled, turning his head toward the shadowy mass beside him. He suddenly felt a twinge of regret for not bringing Xiao Hei Cat along—Xuan Ying’s current physical form didn’t feel as satisfying to touch; petting a cat was much more comfortable.

But if he said that out loud, Xuan Ying would probably be displeased.

This was his first time being taken flying, yet Ying Yuanxing felt not the slightest fear. He even gave Xuan Ying a nudge, asking him to ease up a little so he could adjust his flying posture.

The hot spring came into view quickly, and Ying Yuanxing suddenly realized he’d forgotten to bring spare clothes.

Just as he turned to ask Xuan Ying about it, he saw Xuan Ying place clean clothes on a large rock by the spring, along with a bottle of amber-colored oil.

“What’s this?” Ying Yuanxing’s attention was immediately diverted. He unscrewed the cap, and a light, sweet aroma wafted out—it smelled like some kind of herbal essential oil.

Ying Yuanxing was certain he hadn’t bought this. So, was it Xuan Ying’s?

“It’s massage oil I bought,” Xuan Ying replied.

“How did you buy it?” Ying Yuanxing tried to recall but couldn’t remember Xuan Ying ever leaving his side.

“I had 1666 buy it from Blue Star,” Xuan Ying said.

Xuan Ying had asked 1666 to purchase something from Blue Star for him. Ying Yuanxing felt both startled and not surprised—after all, he did the same thing, so it was natural for Xuan Ying to do the same. But why massage oil…

Wait, massage oil?

Ying Yuanxing finally remembered the time he’d asked Xuan Ying to give him a massage. Was this because of that?

“I also had 1666 bring me some massage tutorials. I’ve already learned,” Xuan Ying continued, taking the bottle of oil from Ying Yuanxing’s hand.

Though he didn’t say anything more, the meaning was obvious.

“Well… first, let’s clear the mist,” Ying Yuanxing said after a brief hesitation.

The moment the words left his mouth, the mist burst outward instantly.

The audience had been expecting the mist—ever since Ying Yuanxing learned about the livestream, he’d often used the mist to block the camera, and soaking in a hot spring would be no exception. But the speed at which the mist spread still took them by surprise.

That mist cleared crazy fast! Xuan Ying must’ve been really eager!

Viewers couldn’t resist commenting.

Meanwhile, inside the research institute, Zhao Zhangyan turned to Mr. Zhou after seeing this. He felt that Xuan Ying’s actions had broken down Ying Yuanxing’s mental barriers—which should be a good thing, right?

Mr. Zhou nodded, letting out a long breath. “Breaking that pattern is good. As long as Ying Yuanxing stays outside a little longer and clearly separates reality from illusion, he’ll be fine.”

Zhao Zhangyan also let out a sigh of relief.

……

Within the mist, Ying Yuanxing experienced the results of Xuan Ying’s learning. Compared to the simple techniques he’d taught him before, Xuan Ying’s massage skills had improved dramatically after proper training.

Soaking in the warm water, inhaling the subtle fragrance, Ying Yuanxing felt the tension in his body truly lessen. His mind quieted too.

Truthfully, Ying Yuanxing wasn’t from Blue Star. Even if something happened to Blue Star, frankly speaking, he’d still be safe in the supernatural world—perhaps even more relaxed, free from the responsibility of protecting Blue Star.

After all, from the moment he crossed over, Ying Yuanxing had lived in the supernatural world, never spending a single day on Blue Star. Though his body was that of a Blue Star native, without memories or interactions with its people, his emotional ties were barely there.

It was only Xia State’s kindness and his connection to his original world projected onto Blue Star that drove Ying Yuanxing to fight so hard to save this world.

But constant effort and pressure naturally resulted in anxiety, exhaustion, and even weariness. These emotions had always been suppressed before. This time, perhaps because he’d stayed too long in the illusion, they emerged before he even noticed.

Ying Yuanxing closed his eyes, methodically working through his feelings and discarding the more negative ones.

“Xuan Ying?” he called out, not to say anything in particular, but simply to say his name.

Within the mist, Xuan Ying assumed human form. Hearing Ying Yuanxing’s voice, he tilted his head and instinctively moved closer.

Despite the silence of his movements, Ying Yuanxing seemed to sense his approach and suddenly reached out, grabbing Xuan Ying—then grasping his chin.

At first, Ying Yuanxing wasn’t sure what part he’d touched. His fingers brushed lightly over it. He didn’t recall Xuan Ying having such a small feature—something he could hold in one hand, with a slight point.

Pointed?

Using both hands, he cupped a face small enough to fit between his palms.

“You’ve taken human form?” Ying Yuanxing realized, thrilled. But as soon as he spoke, the gray mist around them appeared to grow denser. Just moments ago, he could still see a little farther.

Now, Ying Yuanxing suspected that even if Xuan Ying pressed their faces together, he wouldn’t be able to make out his features.

Probably because the transformation wasn’t fully complete yet.

Xuan Ying’s next words confirmed his guess: “I’ve taken form, but I still need to make final adjustments.”

“I won’t look. Can I just touch for now?” Ying Yuanxing asked. Immediately, he felt the face in his hands press further into his palms.

Ying Yuanxing laughed softly, his fingers tracing the contours of the face slowly. This was the first time he’d perceived someone’s features purely through touch. He wondered how closely the face he imagined matched Xuan Ying’s real appearance, but the experience felt strangely intimate.

Ah, the first time…

He immediately shared this happy thought with Xuan Ying, wanting to delight him a little.

Sure enough, Xuan Ying reacted just as he’d hoped—letting out a surprised, pleased sound.

Ying Yuanxing fell silent again, quietly stroking the face beneath his hands, gradually sketching Xuan Ying’s current appearance in his mind: soft brows and eyes, a high nose bridge, and lips that seemed slightly plump—probably very nice to kiss.

Realizing what he was thinking, Ying Yuanxing’s fingers, resting on Xuan Ying’s lips, trembled slightly. He rubbed them unconsciously, a thought flashing through his mind: *They’re really soft.*

Even though he couldn’t see anything, Ying Yuanxing instinctively turned his head away to avoid Xuan Ying’s gaze, suddenly feeling awkward. His hand also reflexively tried to pull back—he’d been touching for long enough.

“Don’t you like it?” Xuan Ying caught his retreating hand, listening to Ying Yuanxing’s heartbeat in confusion.

Ying Yuanxing’s hand was forced to stay against Xuan Ying’s face—especially when Xuan Ying spoke, his lips moving, briefly enveloping Ying Yuanxing’s fingers. The warm-cool breath against his fingertips sent a tingling sensation spreading from his fingers to his entire palm, then creeping up his arm.

*Stay calm, stay calm. Xuan Ying is a supernatural being. He hasn’t learned about these things yet—he definitely doesn’t know what this means.*

Ying Yuanxing tried to calm himself inwardly, but another voice emerged in his mind—hadn’t Xuan Ying absorbed so many uncanny memories? Could he truly understand nothing?

Even if those memories hadn’t taught him anything, Xuan Ying had already had 1666 buy massage guides. It wasn’t impossible for him to acquire other knowledge too.

“Yuan Xing?” Xuan Ying called again when he received no response.

Ying Yuanxing detected a hint of coquetry in that voice.

If Xuan Ying weren’t in human form, Ying Yuanxing would have imagined him as Xiao Hei Cat—a big, fluffy cotton candy ball. Even knowing Xuan Ying had feelings for him, he’d only find it endearing.

But now, with the face he had imagined floating before him, Ying Yuanxing covered Xuan Ying’s mouth with one hand. No being cute.

Yet, muffling his mouth only stopped words, not the little whines escaping through his nose.

“Alright, quiet. I don’t dislike it,” Ying Yuanxing finally gave in, pausing before adding in a low voice, “You look great.”

With this affirmation, Xuan Ying finally quieted down, simply staying by Ying Yuanxing’s side as they continued soaking in the hot spring.

After all this commotion, the emotional rollercoaster from the illusion paled in comparison to what Ying Yuanxing felt now. Listening to the gentle lapping of water, he dozed off without realizing it.

With Xuan Ying beside him, Ying Yuanxing wasn't worried.

When he woke again, the first thing he noticed was a light, sweet scent—essential oils, fresh with a hint of sweetness.

Looking around, he was back at the farm. Xuan Ying must have brought him here.

Glancing at the time, he saw it was already the next morning. Ying Yuanxing rushed to the shore to check on the seaweed field.

Though the seaweed had thrived in the illusion, reality and illusion, no matter how similar, could still differ. He had to confirm.

By the time he arrived, Lan Ying was already in the water, staring at the seaweed field amazed.

Inspecting it himself, Ying Yuanxing saw that small shoots had sprouted along the edges of what had been a single plant yesterday, while the larger ones had grown visibly bigger overnight.

Comparing the growth rate to that in the illusion, he found no difference. At this pace, a single seaweed could multiply into a dense cluster within four days.

This speed was plenty fast enough.

Zhao Zhangyan observed the seaweed’s rapid growth and sighed, thinking of the seaweed Ying Yuanxing had sent earlier.

“Director, isn’t this good news? Why the sigh?” his assistant asked, puzzled.

“Ah, if only we hadn’t asked Ying Yuanxing for so much seaweed upfront. Now we can’t even send it back as seeds,” Zhao Zhangyan lamented. Worse, the transplanted seaweed in the lakes near the Weird Domain wasn’t faring well—hardly viable for propagation.

But seeing Ying Yuanxing’s thriving seaweed, he got an idea. Perhaps they could ask 1666 to inquire if the fertilizers used on Blue Star could work for them. If so, they could buy some.

If the seaweed they received from Ying Yuanxing could only be used once, the demand would be overwhelming—and knowing its value, using it once seemed like a waste.

Even if Ying Yuanxing’s current batch grew enough to stop the spread of impurities from this Weird Domain, what if more showed up? The need would be way too much.

But if the seaweed could be cultivated sustainably, demand would go down, and so would Ying Yuanxing’s burden.

To avoid depleting Ying Yuanxing’s own supply, Zhao Zhangyan specifically instructed 1666 to request only a modest amount.

…

This exchange, like the last, took place hidden in the mist. After hearing 1666’s message, Ying Yuanxing immediately put the fertilizers up and sent another batch to the Dawn Bureau.

Though viewers couldn’t hear their conversation, some noticed something weird.

“Is it just me, or does the streamer’s chat with 1666 sound like secret code lately?”

“Not just you. They’ve been interacting a lot more often.”

“Seems like there’s some secret going on.”

“Any theories? I got nothing.”

“Nothing new on the farm lately—wait, actually…”

“Curious, but if it’s a secret, maybe we shouldn’t speculate.”

“Yeah, let’s not guess. Don’t want foreign spies fishing for info.”

Though the relevant parties might already be aware, Dawn Bureau staff carefully guided the chat to prevent harmful speculation.

Upon receiving the fertilizers, the bureau immediately took them to the Weird Domain’s edge. Watching the newly planted seaweed, they carefully copied Ying Yuanxing’s technique, sprinkling the fertilizer nearby.

Handling the valuable stuff with utmost care, they even avoided stirring the water, so it wouldn't wash the nutrients away.

But the moment the fertilizer touched the seabed, the previously wilted seaweed shook—even without wind—then its roots clung tightly to the granules like treasure.

“Team leader—the seaweed moved?!” a staff member yelled, jumping back. Though the seaweed had never shown aggression, and Weird Plants were generally harmless, who knew if this one was an exception?

Researchers rushed over, but after inspection, it was nothing dangerous. The seaweed wasn’t hostile—it had likely just been starving.

Apparently, plants from the Weird Domain could move, albeit rarely. Harmless, just… animated.

Relieved, the staff continued feeding the remaining seaweed.

Once the fertilizer’s efficacy was confirmed, Ying Yuanxing sent another batch—almost running out.

While shrimp and crab supplies were ample, impurities were scarce. Lan Ying had to eat a bunch of seaweed to purge enough impurities from his system, barely meeting demand.

Feeling amazingly light, Lan Ying watched Ying Yuanxing worry about the shortage and found it absurd.

Since when did anyone worry about not having enough impurities?

“If you need impurities, just offer to cleanse other Weirds. They’d pay any amount of Weird coins—or more—for it,” Lan Ying pointed out.

Ying Yuanxing glanced at him. Since Lan Ying already knew much about the farm’s secrets, he voiced his concerns openly.

“You’re worried about competitors?” Lan Ying was surprised, but upon reflection, it made sense. Even in the ocean, he’d heard of Hongxing Supermarket’s bad reputation.

The ocean itself had been bullied into surrendering resources before, barely escaping ruin by refusing to comply.

“Then why tie it to the farm? Make it seem like a technique instead,” Lan Ying suggested. “Disguise it as something else!”

“Plus, if you can cleanse impurities, Weirds would pay anything—not just coins.”

This gave him an idea. Ying Yuanxing could use fake names, switching identities fast enough to not get caught.

He’d just stay hidden on the farm, never leaving.

That very day, Ying Yuanxing wrote up a cover story, with Xuan Ying looking for problems. Learning of this, Lan Ying also offered help.

Yet reviewing the final draft, Ying Yuanxing frowned. Something still felt unsafe.

“The main risk is if a Weird secretly pockets a sample,” Lan Ying pointed out. “If we miss it, they might figure out the impurity-clearing product.”

"And finding customers is also troublesome. We need a safe location and might even be followed. It's too much hassle," Lan Ying added.

"The main issue is sourcing customers," Ying Yuanxing frowned. To find customers, he'd either have to go online or offline.

If online, he worried that behind one apparent customer, there might be countless trackers. If he couldn’t shake them off, even if his disguise held, he’d probably end up fighting many Weirds.

Given how Weirds are, Ying Yuanxing suspected that while saving one, he might have to fight and kill ten others.

This business model is way too messy.

...

While Ying Yuanxing was stressing about the shop setup, Yu Laoer finally found the Mirror Weird his elder brother had mentioned.

But its appearance looked...

"What are you looking at?" A hoarse voice rang out, the Mirror Weird’s gaze icy.

Sharp features with icy eyes should have given off a cool vibe, but with a hat, sunglasses, mask, and even gloves, nothing was visible.

Yu Laoer averted his gaze, laid out his request, and was shot down immediately by the Mirror Weird.

"Mr. Jing, my elder brother has found a big-time backer who has even cultivated Weird Food free of impurities. If you help us, we can arrange for you to purchase some," Yu Laoer said. He believed no Weird could resist impurity-free Weird Food.

But the Mirror Weird’s reaction surprised him—a flicker of interest before looking away and continued refusal.

After two rejections, the Mirror Weird grew impatient and kicked Yu Laoer out of the mirror space.

If the Mirror Weird didn’t want to see him, there was no way Yu Laoer could return. This was why Mirror Weirds were so hard to find.

Not giving up, Yu Laoer examined the mirror and noticed something odd—it seemed dingy and faded. Upon closer inspection, he spotted grayish gunk on the surface.

The color rang a bell. After a moment, he realized it resembled the Mirror Weird’s skin tone.

Despite being fully covered, a sliver of skin had been visible—a dull gray.

Yet before coming, his elder brother had described the Mirror Weird as porcelain-skinned and glowing. The current state was clearly way off.

Yu Laoer investigated and soon figured out what was up with the Mirror Weird.

Mirror Weirds also needed to eat, but most Weird Food contained impurities. For most Weirds, this just meant accumulating more impurities internally, with no outward effect.

But for Mirror Weirds, too much junk in their system caused their mirrors to dull. Initially unnoticed, the buildup got harder to ignore over time.

Mirror Weirds, vain as they were, couldn’t handle seeing their real selves becoming ugly, even if they could disguise themselves in reflections. Some began going full ninja mode, while others tried makeup or crazy schemes to purge impurities—often ending up severely injured.

To persuade this Mirror Weird, Yu Laoer realized, he’d need to find a way to remove its impurities.

The conclusion made his face twist. If he could do that, he wouldn’t need the Mirror Weird—he could cut a deal with Ying Yuanxing for Weird Food instead.

After several strikeouts attempting to meet the Mirror Weird again, Yu Laoer returned disappointed and reported to his elder brother.

Elder Brother Yu sighed. Unlike Yu Laoer, he had known Jing Zhen for years and understood his vanity. To see him brought down like this because of impurities...

"Big brother, should we just give up?" Yu Laoer asked, not ready to throw in the towel.

"I’ll speak to the boss. If that fails, maybe we can offer the Xue Family Weird some Weird coins or something else to grease their palms," Elder Brother Yu said, then headed to the farm.

When he arrived, Ying Yuanxing was confused until Elder Brother Yu explained the mining situation and the Mirror Weird.

The mining part wasn’t surprising—sooner or later, Elder Brother Yu would encounter the Xue Family Weird in the mines and learn about ore exchanges. Honestly, he was late to the party.

But the Mirror Weird got Ying Yuanxing's attention.

Not because it reminded him of the one he’d met at Hongxing Corporation, but because of its ability: one-person transport.

"Are you sure the Mirror Weird can transport someone to a specific location?" Ying Yuanxing asked seriously.

Seeing his interest, Elder Brother Yu felt a fresh spark of hope. Ying Yuanxing’s offer would surely be better than his—perhaps enough to sway the Mirror Weird. He jumped to explain the Mirror Weird’s powers.

The more Ying Yuanxing heard, the more tempted he became. One-person transport, with sufficient power, could cover great distances. Multiple Mirror Weirds working together could extend the range even further.

But the real kicker was the secrecy of the process. As long as the Mirror Weirds stayed silent, and with enough relays, even the transported Weird wouldn’t know their location—perfect for discreetly moving customers.