I'm Already the Richest Man, Why Did My System Just Arrive?

This was fucking absurd.

You can use a Path Mystic Skill like that?

If the old Monk wasn’t an Innate Mystic, it could only mean he had delved so deeply into his own Path that he was unfathomable.

"It’s Ye Weiyang’s Crow Fosterer!"

In a pause between chants, the old Monk hastily called out from within the hall, "Have Ruchen get you away from here at once!"

"Master!"

Ruchen had been standing guard outside. Now, with the Mighty Man emerging and the flock of ravens attacking, Ruchen’s face was filled with panic. He heard his master’s orders and was about to speak when the old Monk’s deep voice cut in, "Go to Jingxin Pond!"

In the time it took to speak those two sentences, the black swarm of ravens in the sky drew closer to Yunliu Temple. The monks of the temple had never seen such a terrifying sight. More than a hundred of them, expressions of terror on their faces, surrounded the main hall, vowing to protect the old Monk to the death.

After saying those two lines, the old Monk resumed his chanting of "Wait and See Zen." It was as if, on some unseen plane, he was engaged in a remote Combat Skill duel with the "Crow Fosterer" he had just named.

Zheng Xiu now understood that the faint smell of bird droppings he’d noticed under the scent of sandalwood upon arriving hadn’t been his imagination. The Crow Fosterer from Ye Weiyang must have been here before.

’What exactly is the relationship between the old Monk and the Night Lord?’

’Why did the old Monk call the Night Lord an "old friend"?’

Zheng Xiu’s mind was filled with questions, but the ravens had already formed a dense blanket across the sky. Black feathers drifted down like a torrential downpour. Zheng Xiu had never heard Feng Bei or Yue Yan speak of a "Crow Fosterer," and he knew nothing of their Miracle Technique, which only added to their mystique.

"Hurry! This way!"

Ruchen pointed toward a side hall, urging Zheng Xiu to leave Yunliu Temple. At the same time, a bewildered Chu Susu came forward. "Uncle Zheng! The crows... so many crows!"

Even if she didn’t understand the specific danger, she could feel that something was terribly wrong.

Zheng Xiu had planned to leave Chu Susu here. For one, he barely knew her. For another, the Mighty Man carrying the scroll was the Raven People’s target. If he left, Yunliu Temple should be safe.

But before he could make any arrangements, a panicked Chu Susu was already running after the Playful Monk. Left with no choice, Zheng Xiu hastily followed.

The side hall was sparsely furnished. Ruchen lifted a dusty meditation cushion in the corner, revealing a secret passage. Inside was a slide, built at some unknown time.

"Quick! We’ll slide down the mountain!"

Ruchen glanced back, the corners of his lips curling into a "charming" smile, a blush rising on his cheeks. The look sent a shiver down Zheng Xiu’s spine, but before he could process it, Ruchen had already jumped into the slide and, with a WHOOSH, vanished into the darkness.

"Uncle Zheng, hurry!"

Chu Susu followed right after. Zheng Xiu raised an eyebrow, his gaze thoughtful as he watched her disappear. Then, gripping the cloth strap of the tightly bound scroll, Zheng Xiu slid down the passage himself.

The slide was winding and far from smooth. The ride made Zheng Xiu’s ass ache. Up ahead, Chu Susu kept making noises—cries of pain, gasps, and muffled grunts. It was clear the slide was giving her rear end an experience all its own, a complex and indescribable medley of pain.

"ROAR—"

"SPLASH!"

"SPLASH!"

Soon, the sound of rushing water, like a waterfall, came from up ahead, followed by two successive splashes. Zheng Xiu’s eyes widened. The slide dropped out from under his rear, and his momentum launched him out and into a downward plunge.

Below was a dark, deep pool. Ruchen and Chu Susu had already surfaced. Just as Zheng Xiu was about to use a skill to fly, Ruchen shouted in alarm, "Don’t use your Magic! The ravens will sense it!"

Seeing Zheng Xiu clutching the scroll, Ruchen wiped the water from his face and hurriedly said, "The Ancient Painting is impervious to water and fire!"

Only then did Zheng Xiu relax. He struck a heroic Mighty Man pose and crashed into the water, throwing up a pillar of water several meters high.

By the side of the pool stood a stone tablet engraved with two words: Jingxin Pond.

"Quick! There’s a hidden passage at the bottom! We can escape through there!"

With that, Ruchen took a deep breath and dove underwater.

Chu Susu looked panicked. "Uncle Zheng, I... I’m not a good swimmer!"

Zheng Xiu smiled. "Don’t worry, I’ll take you! Just hold your breath as long as you can!"

"...Okay!" Seeing the Mighty Man’s firm tone, Chu Susu’s heart was filled with trust. She took a deep breath and nodded at him, signaling she was ready.

Zheng Xiu took her hand and pulled her underwater. As she had claimed, she was a terrible swimmer. Underwater, Chu Susu went as stiff as a board, her eyes squeezed shut, completely motionless.

Ruchen, in contrast, was like a nimble fish, reaching the bottom of the pool in an instant. A cave was hidden amongst the weeds. With his cheeks puffed, Ruchen waved to Zheng Xiu before disappearing inside.

Visibility inside the cave was extremely low, but the Mighty Man’s physique was far beyond ordinary. He easily followed Ruchen, swimming swiftly through the winding cavern.

「An unknown amount of time passed.」

They swam through an arched tunnel until light shimmered on the water’s surface above. Ruchen shot upward, breaking through and gasping for air.

Zheng Xiu, pulling Chu Susu along, followed close behind and surfaced with ease. He set her down on the bank, then raked his fingers through his wet hair, slicking it back. His clothes clung to his body, revealing perfect muscles like a master’s sculpture.

"Susu is dead!"

Ruchen scrambled onto the bank. He looked back and saw Chu Susu, laid out by the Mighty Man, completely still. Her face was blue. "Susu is dead!" he cried in alarm.

"It’s fine. I’ll give her mouth-to-mouth," Zheng Xiu said calmly. He didn’t ask for Ruchen’s opinion, taking full responsibility as he leaned down toward Chu Susu’s pale lips.

Their lips drew closer and closer. The Mighty Man’s warm breath stirred her long eyelashes. They were just about to touch.

The Playful Monk’s eyes went wide.

But before the Mighty Man could give her a breath, Chu Susu suddenly shuddered. The arches of her feet tensed, and she sprayed a mouthful of foul water right in his face as her eyes fluttered open in a daze.

The air went still.

"Uncle Zheng... I... you..." Chu Susu scrambled up, flustered, and took a few steps back. Her pale face suddenly flushed bright red, whether from the return of blood flow or from her heart pounding in her chest.

"Susu, didn’t you say you were a bad swimmer?"

Zheng Xiu stared hard at Chu Susu and asked the question. Before she could answer, he suddenly closed the distance between them in a flash. His hand shot out like lightning, and in an instant, he had her by the neck, lifting her clean off the ground.

Chu Susu clearly hadn’t expected this. She flailed her arms, trying to break free, her legs kicking helplessly in the air. But the Mighty Man’s brute strength was like that of a wild beast, his grip an iron vise she could not escape.

The Mighty Man’s kind smile from moments ago was gone, replaced by a murderous aura as he stared straight into her eyes.

"Who... are you, really?"