When it comes to playing games, it's all about the thrill.
Especially for a single-player game like this, if circumstances allowed, Wei Bai would have fired up a cheat engine long ago.
"I've come looking for my sons and daughters. Does anyone here have any leads?"
The moment the door was kicked open, the marketplace-like imperial court instantly fell silent. All eyes turned to Wei Bai.
The two factions in the grand hall stood on the left and right, clearly divided by a red carpet running down the middle.
"Alright, alright."
The True Dragon on the throne waved his hand helplessly. "Brother Bai is here, how could I not give you face?"
"Brother Wei, you're straightforward. As a fellow Wei, I just love that temperament of yours," Wei Bai praised with a grin.
Compared to the monarchs of the courtly halls in his previous life, this middle-aged man was more like a "knight-errant." At least, that's how he was towards him—no airs at all. When Wei Bai had first met the True Dragon of Yan, it was when they decided to hunt the "Gods" together. He didn't know how the emperor was with his subjects... but that was none of his business.
Glancing left and right, Wei Bai said in a stern voice, "Which side wants to eliminate the Sui Beast?"
No one dared to answer. After a moment of silence, a middle-aged man at the front of the left-hand side raised his hand.
"Master, it is I."
Wei Bai smacked him twice in annoyance. "Did I teach you Arts just so you could be treacherous?"
"This disciple knows his mistake."
"Where are the Sui Beast fragments?"
"At the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion... but the fragments are still gestating."
"Take me there."
"Yes."
The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion gave the True Dragon a meaningful look. The True Dragon nodded, and the silent court officials followed the Pavilion Master in a great procession to the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
Because the first generation of Celestial Masters had just emerged and the second generation was not yet mature, the headquarters of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was still located within the capital.
Arriving at a wide, open area, eleven shimmering fragments were floating around a binding formation in the center.
"Why are there only eleven?"
The Pavilion Master explained, "The first fragment has already been born."
"Then what are these?"
"The Sui Beast's authorities are chaotic and mixed, and have not yet been differentiated."
"But these authorities are immensely powerful. The newborn fragments have the minds of children, but they have inherited the Sui Beast's emotions. A single misstep could bring a cataclysmic disaster upon the people..."
The Pavilion Master sighed. "It is for this very reason that I intended to eliminate the Sui Beast completely."
"I see." Wei Bai's brow furrowed tightly.
It was indeed a problem. The only individual who could completely suppress the Sui Beast was probably himself. Once he left, would these fragments cause chaos?
Although Yan was capable of killing the fragments, it would be like mending the pen after the sheep are lost—too little, too late. There was no telling how many people would die.
Whatever. The Sui Beast had, after all, allied with him midway through the war. He couldn't let it down.
"I'll handle it."
"You..."
"Step back."
Exhaling a turbid breath, Wei Bai opened the top-up interface.
[50,000 Lungmen Dollars have been overdrawn]
[Unlocked Level One Production Abilities: Farming, Weaving, Forging, Cooking]
[Unlocked Level One Culture Abilities: Chess, Poetry, Music, Calligraphy, Painting, Dance]
Wei Bai held his breath and concentrated, separating the ten abilities and making them resonate with the Sui Beast's authorities, imbuing them into the ten fragments.
After all that was done, the final authority, "Medicine," also fell into place.
"That should do it."
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Wei Bai's face was deathly pale. He had nearly overdrawn his life force as well.
He was good at fighting, but not this.
Wei Bai panted, "I'll take four. You guys watch over the rest."
He definitely couldn't manage twelve fragments by himself. Besides, the True Dragon would never agree to him taking all of them. Four was the absolute maximum. As for the remaining eight, they would have to fend for themselves.
The True Dragon nodded. "No problem."
Wei Bai gave him a thumbs-up and walked up to the fragments to try and sense them.
By now, the eleven fragments had completed their gestation. The order of their birth was set; now it was just a matter of seeing who he had fate with.
*Crack.*
Following the sound of a crack, Wei Bai looked over. From within a fissure in a fragment, a blue-haired girl of about ten slowly opened her eyes, startling him.
[5,000 Lungmen Dollars have been overdrawn. Unlocked Level Two Production—Weaving: Clothes Making]
The instant the fragment shattered, a long-sleeved white robe draped over the girl's completely naked, delicate body. Only then did Wei Bai breathe a sigh of relief.
Good thing he reacted quickly and topped up the moment the fragment had just cracked open; only he saw.
"Wei... Bai?"
The girl sized up the man before her, a flash of doubt in her eyes. But when she saw the True Dragon and the court officials over there, she timidly hid behind him.
*Did she only inherit vague emotions but no memories?*
Wei Bai rubbed her head and smiled, "You'll be called... Ling."
The girl nodded dazedly.
Having just been born from the fragment, her mind was still in a state of chaos.
Obediently hiding behind Wei Bai, Ling's gaze turned to the remaining fragments.
Before long, the second fragment shattered. A girl of about five emerged. She seemed even more afraid of the Celestial Masters and the True Dragon than Ling, and immediately shrank behind her older sister.
This was the fragment that inherited the authority of "Causality." Wei Bai thought for a moment, "You'll be called... Shu."
The girl didn't speak, only nodding obediently, like a quiet and well-mannered young lady.
The third and fourth fragments shattered one after another. They were even younger, completely like one-year-old babies.
The slightly older, silver-haired girl immediately started crying. Wei Bai gently picked her up and coaxed her softly:
"Don't cry, don't cry. I'm your daddy. Don't be scared, don't be scared, daddy's here."
"*Waaaaah.*"
Before he could soothe this one, the other black-haired girl started to cry as well.
Ling stood there, watching blankly. Meanwhile, Shu hesitated for a moment. After glancing at the fierce-looking Celestial Masters, who were acting as if facing a great enemy, she pursed her lips, walked over to hug the crying baby, and, imitating her daddy, comforted her:
"I... I'm your big sister... don't cry, don't cry..."
"Good girl."
Wei Bai smiled with relief and gently put down the silver-haired girl in his arms. "You'll be called Nian."
Then he looked at the black-haired girl. "Xi, your name is Xi."
The Celestial Masters of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion watched, dumbfounded.
In their memory, the Sui Beast they had seen was always ferocious and malevolent. How could these fragments look so blankly adorable?
Moreover, they had never seen their magnificent and unrestrained Grand Master act so gently before.
It couldn't be helped. Wei Bai was a person who never played by the rules. Not only did he ignore trivial details, but he also often treated the Sui Beast as a sworn brother.
He had been the one to pull the Sui Beast into his group back then. Now the Sui Beast was dead, and his good brother had turned into daughters. As someone half-responsible for this, Wei Bai naturally had to take some responsibility.
Taking a step forward, Wei Bai blocked the court officials' view of his daughters. He bent down and gathered all four of them in an embrace.
Once their anxiety and confusion had faded a little, Wei Bai spoke in a soft and gentle voice:
"Remember, the four of you are sisters, flesh and blood."
"I am your father."
"From now on, we are a family."