Chapter 52 "How to Become a Sublimator: From Beginners to Burial"_1

Ten minutes later, Huai Shi finally came to his senses.

Had he somehow caught the attention of some terrifying dark force?

"Why me!" Huai Shi slammed the table in indignation, "I just kicked him twice, did he really have to go this far?"

"It's more than that! I saw it all very clearly." Liu Dongli raised a finger to correct him, "Not only did you break his little finger, pull his hair, steal his box, but you also kicked him in the crotch—twice! If I were King Ocean, I definitely wouldn't let you off the hook."

"And you even hit him with a sap—how could you forget about that so quickly?"

"Spare me, I'm just a Cowherd." Liu Dongli blinked smugly, "Look, weak, helpless, and pitiable."

"And bald."

Huai Shi added."

"Enough already! My hair has grown back!" Liu Dongli, infuriated, took off his toupee and leaned in, pointing to his receding hairline, "See? Did you see? It's grown back!"

"No worries, it grows fast, but it falls out faster."

Huai Shi couldn't even be bothered to look, busily eating his meal.

And speaking of meals, the pigeon was surprisingly tasty. Considering Liu Dongli was footing the bill, he didn't hold back and ordered another to stew.

Sensing Huai Shi's despondent mood, Liu Dongli put out his cigarette and pushed the dish that had just arrived toward Huai Shi.

"There's no need to be afraid, it's just a few lackeys, you don't have to face the Ranch Owner head-on. Don't underestimate the Astronomical Society, little brat. Your backing is a top-tier thick thigh in this world. Even if the Ranch Owner descends upon the Current Circumstances, he would be sent right back to his Paradise of Bliss. If it really came down to you joining the fray, you'd simply be dealing with some lackeys."

"If you think you can't handle it, you might as well just resign," he suggested.

Huai Shi paused for a moment before continuing to gnaw on a pigeon leg until the bones were neatly discarded into a plate. He then grabbed a paper napkin to wipe his hands.

"No, actually, I'm not afraid," he said, "it's just... kind of infuriating."

"Hmm?" queried Liu Dongli.

"No matter how powerful the Ranch Owner is, it's not my place to worry, right?" Huai Shi lifted his head, speaking earnestly, "But why is it so hard to just live a good life?"

Liu Dongli went still, silent for a long stretch, then shook his head with a sigh.

"Because life is never simple, Huai Shi," he said. "Sometimes, Sublimators seem to have more choices than ordinary people, but sometimes, nobody really has a choice.

"Unexpected things always happen, causing you pain and anxiety, but you must try to accept it. Whether it's what you want or not, that's your life."

"When you became a Sublimator, perhaps you already left your old life behind, Huai Shi, it's just that you're still lingering in the past."

He looked at the young man, his expression complex, "If you only want a peaceful life, it's actually quite simple, I could even help you achieve it—change your name and identity, and you can walk away, start anew in a different city."

Huai Shi shook his head without hesitation, "My home is here, I'm not going anywhere."

"Your home is nothing but an empty house."

"It's still my home," the boy answered calmly, "with it, no matter how bedraggled I am outside, how much like a dog I get, I can at least be a house dog.

If I didn't have it, I would only be a stray."

Liu Dongli fell silent.

He said nothing more, merely patting Huai Shi's shoulder.

.

.

After the meal, Liu Dongli dallied in the bathroom for an absurdly long time, God knows how much hair regrowth lotion he had applied before he finally came out.

After settling the bill, he asked Huai Shi where he was going and offered to give him a ride.

"You bought a car again?" Huai Shi was surprised.

"Rented."

Liu Dongli pulled open the car door, settled into the driver's seat, started the engine, and the car rolled onto the road. Looking at the passing scenery, he suddenly said, "I'm leaving."

"Hmm?"

"Didn't I tell you already? I plan to travel around for a couple of years. I finally got my stuff packed these past few days," he said, rolling down the window and lighting up another cigarette, "Late-night flight, leaving from Jinling."

"Where do you plan to go?"

"Heading to America first, they say those union-free cities have lots of fun places to visit." Liu Dongli shared his lengthy travel plans, "After that, maybe Rome or Egypt, and I'll come back when the money runs out."

"Oh."

Huai Shi scratched his head, "Safe travels."

Liu Dongli chuckled and shook his head, not responding, instead, he reached over to grab a paper bag beside him and tossed it into Huai Shi's arms.

"This is for you."

Huai Shi took the paper bag, opened it, and found a flat square box inside. When he took it out and saw the logo on top, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Where did you get this?"

"A friend from Rome gave it to me a while ago; I forgot it in a box and never opened it. Found it while packing, but now everyone listens to music on their phones, didn't know what to do with it." Liu Dongli explained, "If you like it, keep it for yourself."

"Then I'll accept it."

Huai Shi happily raised his eyebrows, peeling off the plastic seal and the Cowon logo, revealing the palm-sized music player inside.

The brass-colored body and the dual control knobs on top for manual adjustment... he couldn't put it down.

It was even more pleasing to him than obtaining that Border Relic.

In an era where everyone was getting used to cellphones, very few people remembered the thing called an MP3 player. It seemed to have been cast aside by the times, along with CD players, and except for a few enthusiasts, not many paid attention to such old technology anymore.

And the price for those that remained spiked tremendously.

Just this player alone was worth as much as a decent handcrafted violin.

If it had been any other gift of equivalent value, Huai Shi might not have accepted it, but the item Liu DongLi had chosen left him no room for hesitation.

Besides, after ruining a car worth millions, accepting a player worth over ten thousand was virtually no burden on his conscience.

Consider it a recompense for the shampoo.

Turning to look at the beaming young man in the passenger seat, Liu DongLi was completely unaware of the myriad thoughts churning inside his head and could only shake his head and sigh:

"Youth is truly enviable..."

Eventually, the car pulled up in front of the Stone Marrow Pavilion, and Huai Shi got out, contentedly packed the player, and waved goodbye: "Have a safe trip, I'll treat you to a meal when you get back."

"We'll see,"

Liu DongLi responded with a cool smile and waved farewell: "Just take good care of yourself."

The car drove away.

Huai Shi watched until Old Liu's silhouette disappeared, feeling suddenly empty inside. He stood there for a long while, shaking his head to dispel the tinge of sadness.

Can't stay down any longer, or it would be so GAY...

All he could do was wish Old Liu a safe journey.

Actually, as soon as he got home, he began to worry again.

A raven landed on the table in front of him, donning a mask over a lab coat, and a miniature stethoscope hung around its neck, its wings clutching a vial of dark green Potion.

"Come, time for a health checkup!"

She produced a pair of glasses from nowhere, placed them on her beak, and said in a soft and seductive voice: "Let sister check whether you're developing normally or not..."

If it weren't for the fact that she was a raven.

Is there something wrong with my graphics card?

Huai Shi sighed and leaned back in the chair, letting her proceed with the examination.

It was no different from a simple physical examination in a hospital, almost becoming a daily routine. It included weight and height measurements, and blood samples added to some weird reagent for testing.

With Huai Shi's almost non-existent knowledge in Alchemy, he couldn't make heads or tails of it and didn't need to. He had a more intuitive feel for his own body than any test could provide.

His growth had begun to accelerate.

If the process had originally been slowly speeding up, he was now on a highway, charging forth recklessly and growing wildly.

Every day he could distinctly feel his body getting stronger, the tingling and soreness in his bones waking him up from sleep numerous times.

After the soreness from muscle growth had passed, he began to feel his heartbeat occasionally erratic, often sensing phantom pain from his organs and limbs.

In less than a week, he had grown four centimeters taller, and his former clothing sizes were close to being outgrown.

And now, he could even see muscle contours on his slender arms and legs.

Especially his hands, where the nails were growing faster, he had to clip them daily. Each time the nails were cut, he could smell a sulfur-like phantom scent.

According to the raven: This was a side effect of specialized enhancement.

Since his enhancement seemed to be perception-based, his muscle strength probably wouldn't become too exaggerated, even after the growth ended.

In return, certain joints, tendons, and bones would be strengthened, his nerve reaction speed and internal organ capacity would improve, and most importantly, his eyes, ears, sense of smell, and touch would be enhanced.

In Raven's opinion, this perception type was the best suited for survival—seeing far, smelling a lot, hearing widely, with strong explosive force and speed... just like an old dog, slippery and elusive. Without special equipment, there was simply no catching him.

Paired with his own 'Death Perception' ability, Huai Shi felt he could downright survive until the end of time.

There was just one downside.

For some reason, his complexion was getting paler, looking more and more like a pretty boy, the kind with powder on his face. His once sun-tanned arms were now translucently white, with veins visible beneath the skin.

This was quite uncomfortable for Huai Shi, who admired a rugged style.

"Isn't this a bit too effeminate?"

He examined himself in the mirror: "Can't it be more normal?"

"Seems like the potion is working well,"

Raven seemed quite satisfied with her work, removing her glasses, "Based on your progress, in about a week you should be ready to be buried."

"What are you talking about?" Huai Shi was on alert.

"Hm? Did I accidentally say something?" Raven innocently blinked her eyes.

"I thought I heard someone mention 'being buried'?"

"You must be hearing things,"

Raven looked away, sighing as if helplessly: "It's a common symptom during growth, just like puberty, there's always something embarrassing happening... You need to get used to it."