The Plaything

The people of Taiping Temple were, in the end, just corrupt officials who oppressed the common people, while the Black Lotus Sect was a world-destroying demon god. Li Fan understood which was more important. Although he was unhappy at the moment, he could only suppress his anger and leave Taiping Temple, heading towards the west of the city under the guidance of the system.

"Stop, stop, the signal's gone. Let's wait here. The target's wandering around underneath the river. There are so many secret passages."

Holy crap! Still waiting? Waiting any longer is driving me crazy! Why don't we just charge in and solo it?

"No, the signal is delayed; you won't be able to contact them once you're underground."

What? No? You can communicate even in another world, yet there's a delay just because of a layer of soil??

"Well, okay, to put it in terms you can understand, your clone can't have our technology, but all I have are the electronic waste dismantled from this Celestial Base, and those are junk crystal chips. Their integration density is at least thirteen or fourteen generations behind ours. Even if I rewrite the program from scratch, the script's effect will be very limited. The equipment that supports our communication right now is an amateur radio pieced together from this electronic waste."

Basically, it's a shortwave cellular communication base station built on the principle of tropospheric scattering communication. The signal tower is erected on the Lou Guan Tower. There's an old man sweeping the floor watching me right now, so don't panic if the communication suddenly drops; he might have pushed the tower down...

In short, this is just a kid's toy. The latency is huge; I can't even pick up your signal underground. It's a miracle the Legion's drones haven't crashed yet; Legion technology is truly durable. Anyway, be grateful you have my tactical support!

... Didn't you say you wanted to explain it in a way I could understand?

Li Fan was speechless, but then thought better of it... Everyone has their own expertise, and no matter which wave it is, he'll just rush in and fight once he's identified the target.

But as he aimlessly wandered around the neighborhood, looking at the scenery, he couldn't help but frown.

This place looks so familiar... and that river... wow! It's back to the Yong'an Channel again! And isn't that Da'an Fang on the other side of the river? How did we end up here again?

The Blood God dungeon was fought here last time! Has the dungeon refreshed again? But Ink Bamboo Mountain has already cleared and sealed the Divine Cult's altar, and even the Blood God has been killed! Or is this place a convergence of spiritual veins, naturally suitable for farming bosses? That doesn't seem likely. If it were a spiritual vein hub, a treasure land for cultivation, would it be occupied by ordinary people? It should have been taken over by cultivators long ago, right?

Just as Li Fan was wondering what was going on, a hunched-over, blind, and lame old man with what looked like half his face burned off emerged from the darkness, pushing a small cart and carrying a dirty lantern.

In the middle of the night, with this kind of appearance, it really looks like a ghost, but Li Fan knew that it was actually a person. Ordinary people, no matter how good-looking they are at birth, after a few beatings, will end up looking like this, neither human nor ghost.

"Ah, ah, my lord... would you like a bowl of wontons...?"

The old man huddled cautiously behind the cart, seemingly afraid that his appearance would frighten the customer and get him beaten, and asked nervously.

What a commotion this night! Dumplings and wontons...

Li Fan frowned. "Don't wander around here tonight, it's too dangerous... Never mind, just give me a bowl of wontons."

"Oh, oh... please wait a moment, sir."

Upon seeing Li Fan casually toss over a handful of gold coins, the old man happily pulled out a small stool, served Li Fan a bowl of steaming wontons, and then rummaged through his pockets for copper coins.

"Alright, alright, no need to look anymore. You've made enough money today, haven't you? There aren't many customers left. We'll pack up soon and go home to rest."

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!" The old man bowed and scraped as he hid behind the cart so as not to get in the customer's way.

Looking at the porcelain bowl in his hand, he saw a layer of yellowish-brown old oil stuck to the inside, indicating that the stall had been operating for many years. Moreover, the shepherd's purse wontons were indeed quite fragrant. So Li Fan sat down on a small stool at this night stall by the Yong'an Channel, casually drank the wonton soup, and waited for the system to load.

Then there was another commotion from the street corner, like a stray cat, and a young girl timidly emerged from the alley. The girl was dressed in old, coarse linen clothes, her dress was dirty, and her embroidered shoes had holes in them. She was quite pretty and quiet, but she was thin and pale from being hungry for so long.

Li Fan already knew she was hiding in that corner. She probably saw that Li Fan wasn't a bad person, and now, smelling the aroma of wontons, she couldn't resist and ran out. Staring at the bowl in Li Fan's hand, she swallowed hard, then knelt and bowed in the alleyway.

"Young master, could I have a bowl of wontons? I'll sleep with you in return."

The old man also hid behind the wonton cart, peeking at Li Fan.

"... Give her a bowl."

Li Fan almost choked on the wontons, sighed, and casually pulled out a handful of gold coins.

"No need, no need, you've already given us more than enough, come and eat."

"Thank you, young master! Thank you!"

So the old man ladled out a bowl, and the girl ran over, took the bowl, and wolfed it down while standing by the cart. Then she stared longingly at Li Fan and whispered...

"Young master, could you let me have another bowl? I promise, if I eat two bowls of wontons, I'll sleep with you for two nights."

Li Fan sighed and nodded.

So the girl happily ate another bowl. This time, she was full, her face was rosy, and she even smiled as she said, "Thank you, young master. Let's go to sleep now."

Before Li Fan could speak, the old man couldn't help but exclaim, "Hey, guest, she, she's sick!"

"Sick? What kind of sickness?"

Before Li Fan could react, the girl blushed with embarrassment, and like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she let out a pitiful "Ah!" and turned to flee into the alley.

Li Fan then realized what was happening, frowned, and clenched his fist.

The old man, terrified, hurriedly explained, "She... she's quite pitiful. She was born into a lowly status, and when she got sick, she was kicked out... Alas, that's how it is for us servants. If we can no longer serve others, we're left to fend for ourselves..."

Li Fan's face darkened. "Then what are you still doing in this place? Why don't you go to Ink Bamboo Mountain and start over?"

The old man chuckled with shame, "Those of lowly status have indentures; they belong to their master for all eternity. Leaving the city means becoming a runaway slave, destined to have their soul scattered and be reborn as an animal."

A contract of servitude... Ah, yes, this world even has registers of immortals and lists of gods, how could it not have contracts of servitude? Do you think the Immortal Palace would let you go just because you're weak?

"... If you kill your master, will you regain your freedom?"

"Hahahaha! Lord Li, you are too naive. Do you think this can be solved by killing people? Even if you are as powerful as the Xuan Sword Ancestor Xuantian of yesteryear and slaughter all the officials in the court, as long as the Immortal Palace still exists, the Three Enclosures still exist, and the Heavenly Dao still exists, then the contract of the Immortal Palace is still a talisman, the law is still effective, and this servant is still not a human being, but a 'plaything' belonging to the Immortal Palace's powerful clans."

Li Fan turned his head and saw the white-browed eunuch standing on the opposite bank of the canal, hands behind his back, smiling as he spoke to him.

"How about I give you a suggestion? If it's just one or two playthings, then just buy them. Once you have the indentures, you can simply free them from their slave status. That's the simplest way."

Of course, there are so many slaves in the world that you can never buy them all with money. If you really want to rescue them, you might as well use some methods that will solve the problem once and for all."

Li Fan, holding the bowl of wontons, stared at him intently. "What kind of solution is this, a one-and-done approach?"

The white-browed eunuch stretched out his hand, "Join us, and we'll overthrow the Immortal Palace that rules the Twelve Countries, and eradicate its lineage of the Immortal Palace! Then the contracts of servitude held by the nobles will become worthless."

Li Fan returned the wonton bowl and chopsticks, waved for the old man to push the cart away immediately, and stood up to face the white-browed eunuch across the canal.

"Is this your plan? To destroy the Immortal Palace and liberate all living beings?"

Tai Ting listened and laughed again, "Who said we destroyed the Immortal Palace to save the world? It's just that destroying the Immortal Palace and breaking the God Ranking makes it easier to do other things! Otherwise, killing a few people would just get us all coming after us, wouldn't that be incredibly annoying?"

However, it's rare to find someone like Lord Li with such lofty ambitions and some skill. We happen to be short-handed, and I personally think you're exceptionally courageous! That's why I'm offering you this opportunity! How about considering joining us in our campaign against the Immortal Palace?"

Li Fan laughed too, "Oh, so generous? I almost ripped your head off, and you still want me to join you?"

"Of course, aren't we the same kind? In fact, these playthings are just like monkeys to me. It's just that when you see them, you want them to live, but when I see them, I only want them to die. In the end, we're just playing with their lives. How are we any different?"

The eunuch nodded, tilted his head, and his golden pupils glanced at the old man who was struggling to push his wonton cart and flee along the canal.

The old man selling wontons knew he was in trouble. He almost tripped and collapsed, but the sickly-looking girl ran out of the alley and grabbed him with both hands. So the old man gritted his teeth and stood up, and the two of them pushed the cart and ran away together.

Seeing the two stumbling and struggling to escape, the eunuch laughed and said, "How about a game? If they can beat me, maybe they can survive."

Li Fan's smile vanished, and he nodded as if understanding, "Alright, let's play then."

For a moment, the wind stopped, and there wasn't a ripple on the canal.

Li Fan didn't turn around to look at the two people fleeing behind him. He just squinted at the opposite bank and counted from one to ten from the darkness on the other side of the canal, including the eunuch.

They were all experts from the Xuanmen, no, the Xuanmen Taiji Xian Dao, who had mixed the aura of the Tai Su Sha Dao.

The eerie aura was all too familiar, yet the fluctuations in his Divine Sense were something he was seeing for the first time. Li Fan couldn't recall where he had seen these beasts before. It wasn't until he lowered his gaze and saw the faint shadows shimmering in the canal that he suddenly understood.

Yes, isn't this exactly the same as 'Qingyue'...?

So that's how it is. Li Fan had always thought that 'Qingyue', no, 'Li Yi', had outrageously good aptitude, practically Divine Beast born of heaven and earth, a Dao child favored by destiny, and the embodiment of the Great Dao of Heaven.

But what if this wasn't actually "natural"?

Li Yi's parents, Zheng Mingzhu, A Guang, Shatang Village, Luo Sect, Black Lotus Sect, Liqiu Palace, Ink Bamboo Mountain, Nangong Seven Friends...

What if there were no such things as accidental fate in this world, but only inevitability built upon countless sacrifices?

What if Li Yi wasn't the 'only demon child'?

So everyone here is actually in the middle, and has the same opportunity, right?

So, at the very moment that the betting was about to begin, Li Fan understood.

"You... are the remnants of the Nangong Seven Thieves, aren't you...?"

The white-browed eunuch burst into laughter, his mouth splitting open in a wide, gaping grin that stretched from his left earlobe to his right.

"Ha--ha!! As expected of a master from the Six Doors! You've even heard of the Nangong Seven Thieves! You really came for us! Good! Excellent! Now we don't need to hold back!!"

So he lunged forward—no, he broke free of the human skin's restraints, and a human-shaped form, resembling a tongue-like piece of pink flesh protruding from his mouth, carrying a sword hidden in his throat and neck, thrust it straight at Li Fan's brow!

This move came too fast. Even with Li Er's current early- Nascent Soul Realm attributes, he couldn't dodge it at all, couldn't react in time, and was instantly killed.

Therefore, Li Fan could no longer hold back and used all the abilities of this clone in his first move.

"The light of Lingguang is ever-changing!"

A golden ray of light tore through the darkness, descending from the void. Then, a raging inferno spread along the Yong'an Channel, the towering flames resembling a golden-red scroll painting. In an instant, the markets and shops built along the canal were reduced to ashes, and the entire canal water burst open like boiling oil in a pot! Leaping, exploding, and burning fiercely!

The tongue-shaped humanoid was instantly engulfed by the curtain of fire, its body scorched by the flames. Its skin exploded instantly, and with a shriek, it stabbed off course with its sword. The blade, which had torn through the fire curtain and spewed out scalding liquid, grazed Li Fan's left cheek, severing half of his face and left ear.

However, Li Fan was so used to these minor injuries that his expression hardly changed at all; he simply repeated himself.

"Transformation of Light!"

Then 'Li Er's' human form vanished, his skin bursting into flames, instantly engulfed in fire—no, the flames themselves became his body! His entire human form transformed into raging crimson fire! And from his shoulder blades, a pair of fiery wings suddenly burst forth, radiating boundless light! They slammed head-on into the tongue-shaped fleshy figure before him! The two fiery wings transformed into two fiery claws! They gripped the Devil Embryo tightly, pinning it to his front and igniting it! Together with his own arms, they bound the human form before him, transforming into a whirlwind of flames!!

"Aaaaaah--!"

Even if the opponent is Non-Thing made of flesh and blood, it would be unbearable to be scorched by the blazing heat!

"Aaaaaah--hahaha! Still the same trick! Aren't you going to try something different?! Hahaha! You don't have any other tricks up your sleeve?! No way, no way!"

However, the Devil Embryo, bathed in the whirlwind of fire, did not flinch! Relying on the fact that its malevolent aura could not be extinguished by the Phoenix Mystic Fire, it took the damage head-on! It even swung its sword back, piercing right into Li Fan's heart!

However, it wasn't as tough as it claimed, as evidenced by the fact that the other nine were watching from the opposite side.

Although the False Moon in the sky, the Li Country the Taiji realm, and the evil energy was not yet abundant enough. Therefore, they did not reveal themselves and would only cause trouble by fighting for the surrounding evil energy. The situation was left entirely to the white-browed, tongue-twisted eunuch to handle.

If it were someone else, unaware of the reason, they might think their powerful attack had failed and they'd been stabbed again, potentially causing their Dao heart to lose its balance. But Li Fan a professional; he's seen it all. So what if he was stabbed? It's just a drizzle, a tiny bit of damage.

"You guessed right, this is the only trick I know."

Li Fan doesn't usually engage in magical duels because he's not good at them; as everyone knows, he's more skilled at sword fighting.

But that doesn't mean he can't.

Moreover, the innate talent of 'Li Er's' Vermilion Bird clone is Crimson Fiend Flame Escape. No matter what palm techniques, finger techniques, or sword techniques are used, not to mention the boost to combat power, they can't even unleash a fraction of the Dao Body's abilities.

As for Li Fan's aptitude, if he really studied the true Cultivation Method recorded in the jade slip with his heart, he would definitely have learned them all after just one reading. Regardless of their power, proficiency, or mastery, at least they would look decent enough to impress Nangong.

He could even draw inferences from one instance to another, applying his knowledge to new situations. He could deduce all the divine skills he had learned, his combat experience from numerous tribulations and sword battles, and his deductions about the various changes in evil energy. It was not impossible for him to push the Phoenix Mystic Art to the perfect Tai Chi, or even the highest realm of the Tai Su Dao.

But Li Fan simply didn't have the time. After all, you can't just randomly allocate points to your talent tree! He's already busy enough as a machine master, and this clone is there to help him out, okay? He doesn't want to attract a bunch of side quests and add fuel to the fire!

Therefore, in that book, "Samadhi Bright Flame Phoenix Profound Technique," by the end, Li Fan had only practiced one move.

Seriously, I flipped straight to the last page and picked the coolest one.

If the descriptions in the book aren't completely nonsensical, then they're more than enough.

"The elixir is born, azure thunder roars, five wondrous colors and six divine forms guide me! The essence of the Great Elixir is seen in the fire that surges through the body! All things in the Great Luo Realm are transformed into my body! Vermilion Bird Fire Prison! Soaring light and myriad transformations!"

Complete all the incantations, recite all the talismans and seals, and set up all the rituals.

Let alone Li Fan, even this tongue-like monster opposite him had to use three or four sword strikes before he could finish casting.

Li Fan didn't want to destroy Liqiu Palace again and give his bunch of grandsons another chance to rebuild it, so he picked up the eunuch demon who was tightly gripping his hands and claws, lifted him high, and pointed him at the night sky!

"Fuck! Aaaaaaaahh..."

In that instant, the Lingguang Myriad Transformations Profound Fire, like the brilliance of a positron beam explosion, blasted the Devil Embryo to smithereens, shattering it into plasma slurries that violently erupted, tearing through the darkness of the Li Country and scattering dust across the Southern Country land.

To be honest, the ultimate move took a bit too long to cast and there were also aiming issues, but the particle effects were still quite dazzling.

Just like the system review's "Ah~~ my dog eyes~~" is so dazzling...