Chapter Seventy-Four: I Don’t Understand

Lu Ciyuan waited for some time. At last, when the sun was high in the sky, he finally saw Xu Nuo returning, along with the food and medicinal herbs she had brought.

As soon as she arrived, she saw a young boy standing at the door, gazing toward the direction she had come from. Xu Nuo's heart softened; she couldn't help but ruffle the boy's hair.

"Miss Xu..." The boy was clearly uncomfortable and dodged away.

"Ahem..." Realizing her action might be a bit inappropriate, Xu Nuo composed herself. "You've waited so long—you must be hungry. Let's eat first."

Breakfast was supplied by the outer sect for disciples who had not yet begun fasting. The food was nothing special. Xu Nuo took a few bites and lost her appetite.

Seeing the boy glancing at her, Xu Nuo said, "You go ahead. I'm not hungry."

Lu Ciyuan asked, "Is the food not to your liking?"

Xu Nuo nodded. "Yes." She thought it wasn't just about taste; the most important issue was the lack of nutrition.

She quickly regained her fighting spirit. "But don't worry, from now on we won't eat this stuff that tastes like pig slop."

Lu Ciyuan recalled the indescribable things Xu Nuo had concocted that morning and said, "Miss Xu, if you don't mind, I actually know how to cook."

Xu Nuo's interest was piqued. "How are your cooking skills?"

"Well," Lu Ciyuan replied vaguely, "about average."

Just saying this wasn't enough. Seeing Xu Nuo's eager expression, Lu Ciyuan set down his chopsticks and went to wash his hands, preparing to cook himself.

While waiting for the meal to finish cooking, Lu Ciyuan industriously used his magic to tidy the courtyard, cleaning it until it was spotless.

The host had no intention to stop him, and 007 chimed in to remind her: [Host, the target hasn't recovered from his injuries; he shouldn't be exerting himself too much.]

"It's fine, I'm watching him," Xu Nuo waved her hand dismissively. "He's doing great, and he's using spiritual power, so he won't get tired. With him helping, things like tilling the soil and planting will be much more efficient."

007 seemed to see through the host's ulterior motives: [You didn't bring him here just to make him your housekeeper, did you? He's still a child.]

"I'm not mistreating him," Xu Nuo replied righteously to the system, then turned to ask Lu Ciyuan, "Would you like to stay here and help me with chores?"

Lu Ciyuan nodded. "I would." There wasn't a hint of reluctance in his tone.

Xu Nuo said, "See?"

007: [...That's a bit underhanded.] While it's normal in the sect for outer disciples to serve formal disciples, you're supposed to win him over, to bring him warmth!

[Did you forget what you said before? Where's the promised warmth and care?]

Xu Nuo was full of confidence. "Little Seven, you're the one who forgot what I said before. I want him to experience growth not just in spirit, but in soul."

007: [I don't understand.]

"This is a common pitfall in strategy. You always think that to win over a character who's been bullied and rarely felt cared for, you should give them warmth and love. But is that enough?"

Xu Nuo's tone rose. "It's not nearly enough. If he's hungry, we bring him food; if he has nowhere to stay, we take him in; if he's bullied or mistreated, we shower him with love and concern to heal him.

We become a beacon in his darkness, a bonfire in the winter night, always patching up the cracks in his broken body and soul, healing the stagnant and rotten depths within him."

007 listened, impressed but confused. [Isn't that the right way?]

"The problem is, this method is outdated and too superficial. Why do we always have to play the role of cleaning up after the mess?"

Xu Nuo continued, "Do we have to appear only after he's been beaten and insulted, to give him a loving embrace? Do we have to show up only after he's injured, to apply medicine?"

Her words were forceful and naturally convincing, and 007 grew more uncertain. [So what are you suggesting?]

Xu Nuo replied, "We need to make him strong. When others trouble him, he shouldn't shrink back; he should confront them head-on."

007: [Huh??]

Xu Nuo said, "He won't even have the chance to get hurt, and thus, we'll easily complete the mission—he'll heal without being wounded."

[Huh? Huh? Huh?] 007 was stunned and shaken by her words. [That does make some sense, but you don't have a spiritual root. You're just an ordinary person here; you can't help him teach others a lesson...]

"Who said I have to do it myself?" Xu Nuo replied. "It's mainly about him becoming strong. Relying solely on others isn't enough."

The more she spoke, the more reasonable it sounded. "That's why I need to train him—not spoil him."

007 felt the host was just rambling, her ideas wild and fanciful. The game's world setting dictated that Lu Ciyuan would be very weak in the early stages, making it hard to confront those insignificant cannon-fodder characters head-on.

Otherwise, there'd be no need for players to win him over; he'd be able to cut through them himself.

Unfortunately, the joys and sorrows of humans and systems do not coincide. The host's face brimmed with confidence, and the barrage of comments began to cheer, repeating dazzling phrases like a cult.

[Long live the Empress Xu!]
[I knew our Empress Xu was extraordinary.]
[Looks like in this world, our Empress Xu is playing the role of the ring's old mentor.]
[I have a few cultivation manuals here—wonder if they'll be useful.]

As they spoke, the live barrage automatically notified the rewards.

One reward led to another, and soon a flood of gifts arrived. Xu Nuo's dating game livestream was remarkable: there was no need to worry about rewards or urge the audience; viewers were generous and delighted to give.

The familiar scene played out before her again. 007 felt lucky it didn't have a heart, or it would have suffered a myocardial infarction by now. It scanned through the rewarded items and was relieved to find only some rather useless things, which soothed its nearly scrambled data.

Although, on the surface, the livestream rewards weren't heavily restricted—viewers could even gift guns and other weapons—there were hidden limitations based on the streamer’s personal information and the game’s story setting.

In the last world, there were no restrictions on gifting guns, explosives, food, and daily necessities, because the data calculated that these wouldn't greatly affect the game world.

But no one expected this host to take such an unconventional path. What was thought to be just daily items to improve her living conditions turned out to be real weapons—she actually dared to use them.

Soon, an enticing aroma wafted from the kitchen. Xu Nuo, half-asleep, called out, "Brother Gu, is the meal ready?"

"Miss Xu?"

A plain mask appeared before her eyes. Xu Nuo blinked hard. "So it was a dream." She thought she could eat Gu Xingze's cooking again.

Wait. Xu Nuo sniffed the air, looked at the dishes on the table, and found the taste remarkably familiar—it was exactly the same as Gu Xingze's cooking from before.