Chapter 112: A Full Schedule

Even among Yu Sheng's vast collection of bizarre ideas, Ai Lin thought this latest one he'd come up with was too bizarre.

But on the other hand, every idea this guy proposed did have that kind of peculiar quality that made it impossible not to pay attention. After the initial shock and amazement, the little doll found herself unable to suppress a strong interest in this 'concept,' even though it sounded so outlandish, so bizarre, so contrary to the 'basic rules of puppet-making' and 'alchemy theory.' But...

Really, shouldn't she just try it? Trying it... wouldn't be a bad thing.

"See? You think it's a good idea too," Yu Sheng said, reading the change in her expression and grinning with satisfaction. "And I'm not just swapping the skeleton for rebar. I'll also try casting some parts out of cement for you—mixing that into blood should be way easier than using lotus root..."

Ai Lin's expression froze again. After a moment's hesitation, she murmured, "Isn't this... a little too extreme?"

Yu Sheng looked serious. "Clay is dirt, and concrete is dirt too. That's how I see it."

Ai Lin: "...I... I guess?"

"I should have gone to the building materials store when I was out shopping," Yu Sheng said regretfully. "I could have grabbed a bag of cement and some rebar... Oh, and some professional equipment too—a welder, an angle grinder—I wonder how much those cost."

Ai Lin couldn't shake the feeling that none of these terms belonged in alchemy.

But Yu Sheng didn't dwell on the topic for long. He quickly waved his hand. "No rush anyway. First, get familiar with your current extra body. If you have any improvement suggestions, sort them out. Next time I make you a new body, I'll aim for something better."

He seemed excited, as if this project brought him immense joy.

Then he walked to the edge of the platform and called Hu Li over, pointing to an empty patch of ground beside the crude stone house that resembled a big matchbox.

"Let's keep the chicks here. I'll build a simple coop first. Once they grow up and the vegetation in the valley gets 'encouraged' out, I'll let them roam free."

As he spoke, the ground trembled slightly, and stones grew out from beneath the earth, quickly forming a pen with troughs for water and feed inside. Crude, but functional.

Hu Li blinked, reached into her tail, and pulled out a group of chicks, placing them in the pen. Then she filled the feed trough and added fresh water to the water trough—that tail of hers really had everything.

As she did all this, the fox girl's face was full of seriousness and happiness, even a hint of doting.

It was the doting reserved for future braised chicken legs, grilled chicken wings, mouth-watering chicken, smoked chicken, roast chicken, and stewed free-range chicken.

"I'll dig a channel from the water source near the old grove later," Yu Sheng said, looking at Hu Li as she carefully tended the chicks, outlining his next plans. "It's not too far from here. Next time I come, I can bring some tools and materials to improve this camp. This valley will become our Traveler Agency's base..."

"Having a base is nice, but the annoying part is that only you can open the door," Ai Lin muttered from the side. "If Hu Li wants to come feed the chicks, you have to open it for her. Isn't that a bit inconvenient?"

Yu Sheng frowned slightly.

That had been on his mind a lot lately.

The ability to 'open doors' was convenient, sure, but if he had a team and a 'team base' like this valley, a door only he could open became a limitation. Ai Lin and Hu Li couldn't come and go freely from the valley. Strictly speaking, it wouldn't really be a base for all members of the 'Traveler Agency.'

"I've been thinking about it," Yu Sheng said as he pondered. "If I could set up a permanent passage to this valley—one that stays open without me maintaining it, so you all can use it..."

"Can that be done?" Ai Lin blinked. "Sounds like there's no clue how to do it."

"First, this is an alternate domain, and all alternate domains have entry methods. I just destroyed and overwritten this valley's original entry channel," Yu Sheng analyzed seriously. "So the key is how to re-establish this kind of 'public channel.' And as for ideas... I'm not entirely without them."

This time, not just Ai Lin, but Hu Li, who had been carefully counting the chicks, pricked up her ears and turned her curious gaze toward Yu Sheng.

"Benefactor has a way?"

"Do you remember one thing? You can both see and open the door at 66 Wutong Road," Yu Sheng reminded them. "Strictly speaking, the door at 66 Wutong Road is a similar 'passage'—leading to an alternate domain, invisible and intangible to others. I have the authority to 'open the door,' and after sharing my blood, you gained the ability to open that door too."

"Right, right!" Ai Lin suddenly caught on, but then frowned. "But the door at 66 Wutong Road already existed. It had to be 'standing' there before Hu Li and I could open it. This valley doesn't have a door like that—the passage every time we come in is one you create on the fly, and it disappears when you let go."

"What if I found a way to fix that door in place? Build a 'door' similar to the one at 66 Wutong Road," Yu Sheng said thoughtfully. "Using the alchemical techniques you taught me, can I theoretically imbue an object with power to make it permanent?"

Ai Lin listened blankly, then after a long moment reacted: "Did my alchemy lessons include that?"

"Cough, I used a bit of imagination," Yu Sheng chuckled. "I think it's feasible. Let's try it next time. It's not like trying costs anything."

Ai Lin thought to herself that this was classic Yu Sheng—another 'just try it.' It seemed all his crazy ideas ended up going that route.

This could be called 'the principle of trying.'

"Looks like I'll be busy for a while," Yu Sheng said cheerfully, adding a few more items to his action plan. "Make a new reinforced concrete body for Ai Lin, improve the camp in the valley, officially set up the vegetable patch and plant next time, dig a water channel, build a stable portal... Thinking about it, the next few days are going to be pretty packed."

As he spoke, he walked to the edge of the platform and gazed thoughtfully at the vast open valley in the distance.

The valley, consumed by Entity-Hunger, was now recovering—accelerated far beyond natural rates under Yu Sheng's intentional catalysis.

The ravines on the earth were slowly filling in, the collapsed and cracked structures on the distant mountains visible to the naked eye as they healed, and the faint traces of green that had first sprouted around the ruins that day... had unknowingly spread far.

A patch of pale green stretched along the undulating terrain at the valley's bottom, with tender bushes among the newborn grass. These were the life that had once thrived in this valley, vanished into the dark depths of the earth, and now emerged again to embrace the sunlight.

An inexplicable sense of groundedness welled up in his heart. Yu Sheng looked at the scene, the corners of his mouth involuntarily lifting. "What a great place... really a great place."

Footsteps approached from behind. Hu Li came over, holding two chicks in her hands, and looked at Yu Sheng with slight hesitation. "Benefactor, I want to take these two home and raise them. Is that okay?"

Yu Sheng turned around and saw the fox girl staring at him expectantly, her golden-red eyes full of anticipation. The chicks in her hands chirped softly, utterly carefree.

Yu Sheng was curious. "These two...?"

"Boiled Chicken and Salt Baked Chicken," Hu Li said immediately.

Yu Sheng: "..."

So these were two chicks that the fox girl had specifically named.

She was going to keep them as pets!

His own fox was not only in charge of raising chickens but had also named her favorites 'Boiled Chicken' and 'Salt Baked Chicken'—even Yu Sheng found this incredibly odd. But under the fox girl's innocent and hopeful gaze, he finally suppressed the urge to comment and just nodded sternly. "Alright, I'll find a cardboard box for you. You can keep them on the balcony."

Hu Li immediately brightened up. "Thank you, Benefactor!"

Just then, Yu Sheng felt a vibration in his pocket, followed by a ringing.

He pulled out his phone and saw Li Lin's name on the screen.

But before picking up, Yu Sheng froze for a moment.

...Signal?!

There was cell signal in this valley?!

Yu Sheng clearly remembered that when this alternate domain was still the 'Nightfall Valley,' there was no signal. Little Red Riding Hood and Li Lin had been trapped there and couldn't contact the outside world.

But now there was signal? Was this another change after the 'Feast'?

Many thoughts flashed through his mind. After hesitating for two or three seconds, he picked up the phone and answered. "Hello?"

(End of chapter)