The mask's functions; a warm little home

Xu Yuan knew this was not the Great Sage's face, but he still could not help murmuring the words "Great Sage."

The Great Sage's image was like a symbol branded into the blood of the people of Huaxia. Whenever they saw something resembling him, they could not help thinking of Him...

Yet even if it was not real, Xu Yuan had already fallen in love with this mask from the bottom of his heart!

He had been thinking that when he went to deal with the brutes ranked ahead of him, he certainly could not show his real face, but he had not decided what sort of appearance to use.

Now that problem was solved. No need to think about it-he would spread the legend of the Great Sage across Earth Star!

"Great Sage, you wouldn't mind, would you?"

Xu Yuan muttered to himself before he began exploring the mask's functions.

First, he carefully checked how it felt to wear the mask and found no discomfort whatsoever. There was no problem with breathability or anything of the sort.

"Right, this counts as a divine object. Why would it have the flaws of an ordinary one?"

Xu Yuan felt that his thinking was a little stuck in the past.

Next, he tried putting the mask away. With a thought, the mask disappeared, but rather than returning to his mind, it became a faint tattoo branded onto his left palm.

The tattoo was very faint and only the size of a fingernail, invisible without a close look, yet he could clearly sense its presence.

A glimmer of understanding rose in Xu Yuan's heart. He raised his left hand and swept it across his face, and the mask instantly returned to his face.

Another sweep, and it was back in his palm.

Convenient, and pretty cool too!

"What about changing faces? Can it do that?"

Xu Yuan swept the mask back onto his face and tried willing it to change faces while picturing Zhang Juye's appearance.

The next instant, a suction force came from the mask, instantly draining two-thirds of Xu Yuan's strength.

The sudden loss of strength made his legs buckle.

"Holy shit, it takes that much?!"

Startled, Xu Yuan hurriedly braced himself against the wall. Only after steadying himself did he look at his reflection on his phone screen.

The furry monkey face had turned into Zhang Juye's face, honest-looking with a touch of handsomeness.

"It really can change!"

Xu Yuan was delighted, but the cost was a little steep for him at present. He would probably have to reach the eighth or ninth stage of Skin Tempering, or even the Bone Forging Realm, before he could change faces freely.

Fortunately, he had no particular need to change faces right now. The monkey face itself was good enough.

"So if I put it away after changing faces and then put it back on, will it return to its original appearance, or..."

Xu Yuan swept the mask off and put it back on. A glance at his phone showed that the mask had returned to the monkey face.

"Looks like taking it off resets it. I'll have to remember that..."

After studying it for a while longer, Xu Yuan put it away and began meditating to recover the strength it had drained.

By the time he was back at full strength, it was already dark outside, and Zhang Yaying and Xu Kexin had returned home.

Xu Kexin was clearly worn out from playing. As soon as she got home, she flopped onto the sofa, sprawling every which way without the slightest concern for appearances.

Finding Xu Yuan already home, Zhang Yaying could not help asking curiously, "You're home so early today, Yuanzi?"

"Yeah, we had challenge matches today. I came back once I finished fighting," Xu Yuan explained casually.

Zhang Yaying already knew that the martial arts class now held challenge matches. She was fairly reassured about them, figuring there surely could not be any danger in classmates sparring with each other.

What she did not know, however, was that Xu Yuan had already crippled someone that very afternoon...

"Here's the spirit meat jerky you wanted."

Zhang Yaying took out a small, palm-sized jar, looking pained. "It actually costs fifty thousand a jin. The money I had on me was only enough for this much. Will it be enough for you?"

"That expensive?"

Xu Yuan was surprised too, though it made sense when he thought about it.

A jin of spirit meat cost over ten thousand, and it would probably yield less than three liang once made into jerky. By that calculation, fifty thousand for a jin of jerky was perfectly reasonable.

Still, he did not know whether to laugh or cry. "If it's that expensive, just buy less. Why spend all the money you had on you?"

It was not the money he felt bad about, but his mother.

For someone as accustomed to frugality as she was, spending so much at once was bound to hurt. He only had to look at her expression to know.

"You wanted to eat it, didn't you? Of course I had to buy it!"

"Besides, I didn't spend it all," Zhang Yaying said. "I kept some money for living expenses."

Xu Yuan paused, warmth flowing through his heart. "It's fine. What's spent is spent. I happened to make a little today, so I'll transfer some to you."

As he spoke, he took out his phone and transferred fifty thousand straight to Zhang Yaying.

"So much?" Zhang Yaying said in surprise.

"It's not bad. Mostly because my classmates were generous," Xu Yuan said with a chuckle.

Zhang Yaying was a little suspicious, but then she remembered that her son had already earned several hundred thousand before, so it was reasonable for him to produce fifty thousand. In any case, he certainly had not stolen or robbed anyone for it, and that was enough.

"Oh, right. There's also a gift Kexin bought you."

Zhang Yaying took out a little red cloth pouch and handed it to Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan looked surprised. The little girl had actually bought him a gift?

He looked at Xu Kexin, who sat up with a proud, aloof expression. "I didn't buy this with the money you gave me. I earned it by doing my classmates' homework!"

She suddenly clamped her mouth shut and stole a cautious glance at Zhang Yaying.

Zhang Yaying did not yet know that she was doing her classmates' homework.

Sure enough, Zhang Yaying's expression immediately turned stern. Still, she did not say anything too harsh, only, "You're not allowed to do that again. If their grades get worse, they'll blame you!"

Clearly, Zhang Yaying had a pretty thorough understanding of human nature too.

"Got it..."

Xu Kexin lowered her gaze meekly, looking as though she knew she had been wrong, and only then did Zhang Yaying let the matter drop.

Holding the cloth pouch, Xu Yuan sat down beside Xu Kexin and opened it, taking out a bracelet braided from red cord.

Xu Kexin immediately leaned over and lowered her voice. "I heard from a classmate that you martial arts students have to go fight Weird Beasts. This is to keep you safe. But it's not like I'm worried about you. I'm just afraid Mom would be sad if a Weird Beast ate you."

Xu Yuan grinned. "Then I won't wear it. You're not worried about me anyway."

"No! You have to wear it!"

Xu Kexin grew anxious, snatched the bracelet, and slipped it onto Xu Yuan's wrist.

Xu Yuan let her do as she pleased, a faint light flickering in his eyes.

With a mother and little sister like these, I have to protect them, no matter what.

So I have to get stronger!

Only by being strong enough can I smash every danger to pieces!

Speaking of which, when are we going to hunt Weird Beasts? The Heaven-Shaking Art is thirsting unbearably...