Ink-Clad Creator

Three black drones, accompanied by white light, flew into the temple, instantly illuminating the entire hall as if it were daytime.

Under their bellies hung their harvest: wild fruits wrapped in large leaves, a few blue-shelled bird eggs, and most conspicuously, two pheasants that had been cleaned thoroughly.

Two pink drones followed closely behind, each carrying a water bladder shaped from some kind of flexible material, filled with cool spring water.

"Young Master Li~ Miss Xiao~ It's time for dinner~" The sweet-voiced pink drone spun around merrily.

Li Xian and Xiao Lingshan sat cross-legged on the pile of straw. Soon, a section of emerald green bamboo tube was placed in front of them—the tube was cut smoothly and evenly, and clear liquid rippled inside.

"Young Master Li," a drone with a sweet, cloying voice floated in front of Li Xian, its tone like that of someone offering a treasure, "This is made from three-year-old bamboo that I specially selected; the bamboo fragrance is the purest~ The water is morning dew collected from the crevices of the cliff behind the mountain~"

Another drone with a clear voice flew over to Xiao Lingshan: "Miss Xiao, this is mountain stream water. I ran two miles to find it. It's the sweetest and most refreshing."

"puff--"

Xiao Lingshan had just taken a sip when she heard this "competing for favor" introduction, and immediately spat it out.

"Hey, drink slowly," Mr. Li said with a smile. "This is 'drone-dedicated spring water,' a drop of it is worth a fortune."

"I'm getting goosebumps..." Xiao Lingshan rubbed her arms.

"You don't know what's good for you." Li shook his head, waved to the drones, and said, "Bring on the main course!"

Two cleaned pheasants were gently placed on a bed of large leaves.

"I'm not some savage who eats raw meat and drinks blood," Li Xian frowned. "How are you going to eat this raw meat?"

"Watch this~" the drone with the sweet voice immediately replied.

It flew over the pheasant, and with a "click," it popped open from under its belly, extending seven or eight slender and dexterous mechanical arms—some with sharp, small vibrating blades at the end, some with serrated clamps, some like small brushes, and some with nozzles that could squeeze out sauce...

It's practically a miniature kitchen robot!

Swish, swish, swish! The robotic arm started working: one cut open the chicken leg joint, another brushed on some kind of fragrant sauce, and another stuffed in wild berries and herbs... The movements were skillful and smooth, so fast that it was dazzling.

"My turn~" came the clear voice of the drone.

Its robotic arm is designed to resemble human fingers more closely, complete with all five fingers and even mimicking the joints perfectly. It deftly stuffs more spices into the chicken's cavity, then sews up the opening with some kind of extremely fine, almost transparent thread—if you can even call it a sew.

Xiao Lingshan, standing to the side, stared in disbelief, forgetting even to wipe the water stains from the corners of her mouth.

Li Xian was secretly astonished. The culinary skills of this AI, trained by big data, would probably make even a Michelin three-star chef question their existence… What strange data packets were being fed into their brains?

Finally, there was a performance by three black drones.

They hovered above the prepared pheasants, forming a perfect equilateral triangle. Simultaneously, a wave field, almost invisible to the naked eye, was emitted from the aircraft's belly.

"Sizzle sizzle..."

A strange sound rang out. The chicken's surface visibly glowed with a golden sheen, the subcutaneous fat began to melt and drip, and an enticing aroma instantly filled the entire temple!

Without an open flame or smoke, the meat quickly becomes crispy on the outside and tender on the inside!

"Is this... microwave heating?" Li guessed.

"Young Master Li is indeed learned!" one of the black drones responded—its voice was steady and powerful, quite different from the pink model. "This is a combination of directional microwave and infrared heating technology, which can achieve the ideal roasting effect in three minutes, while locking in the meat juices to the maximum extent."

Li nodded. As the drone explained, relevant physics knowledge automatically surfaced in his mind—the principle of microwave heating, the characteristics of infrared radiation, the energy efficiency curve of composite heating... another "knowledge gift package" that his brain had crammed into him before leaving.

The roast chicken is ready.

The skin was golden and crispy, glistening temptingly under the light. Li Xian tore off a chicken leg and handed it to Xiao Lingshan: "Try it, this is 'high-tech traditional barbecue'."

Xiao Lingshan hesitated for a moment, then took the food and took a bite.

His eyes lit up instantly.

The outer skin is so crispy that it cracks open with a single bite, making a crisp "crunch" sound. Inside, the chicken is tender and juicy, with the aroma of wild berries and herbs perfectly infused into every fiber of the meat, creating a complex and indescribable fragrance that whets the appetite.

She had never eaten such delicious roast chicken.

"How's it going?" Li Xian mumbled, gnawing on a chicken wing. "Following me, you get to eat and drink, and see so many new and interesting things. It's a good deal, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes, yes~" the drone with the sweet voice immediately chimed in, circling around the two of them, "If Miss Xiao were to marry Young Master Li, that would be the icing on the cake~"

"A match made in heaven!" the drone added in a clear voice.

"May you have a son soon!" the third black drone suddenly uttered.

"Pfft—" This time it was Li who burst out laughing. "What the hell is 'early birth of a son'?! What kind of database did your brains train you to have?!"

Xiao Lingshan blushed to the roots of her ears, so embarrassed she wished she could disappear into the ground, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly—these "magical artifacts" were just too...absurd!

"Ahem," Li Xian forced a change of topic, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, "Let's get down to business. Miss Xiao, about that experiment we talked about earlier..."

"I promise you," Xiao Lingshan suddenly looked up, her eyes clear, "but you have to promise me that no matter what happens, you won't force me to do anything I don't want to do—you swore an oath."

"Of course," Li Xian said solemnly.

"Then... shall we begin now?" Xiao Lingshan held out her hand. "Give me the little pine tree and the little man."

Li Xian was taken aback, scratched his head, and said, "Well... no rush. It's too late today, and you're tired. Let's talk about it tomorrow."

He was actually a little nervous—his brain wasn't working properly; what if the experiment went wrong? He only vaguely remembered the specific operating procedures. It was safer to wait for the expert to "come online."

Xiao Lingshan looked at him with a puzzled expression. This man was sometimes anxious and sometimes not; what was he thinking?

The drones began to clear the "table".

The one with the sweet voice used its robotic arm to gather the bone fragments, while the other emitted a beam of some kind of decomposition material, turning it into harmless grayish-white powder—the efficiency was frighteningly high.

While tidying up, a black drone suddenly asked, "Young Master Li, when is Boltzmann, the Great Brain, returning?"

Li Xian paused for a moment, then said, "I don't know."

He suddenly thought: What if the brain really can't be brought back?

These drones, this knowledge, this inexplicable transmigrated identity... aren't they all his?

With all this high-tech equipment at his disposal and a vast amount of knowledge crammed into his brain, wouldn't he be able to roam freely in this martial arts world? Marry a beautiful wife (he secretly glanced at Xiao Lingshan), build his own power, engage in some "technological innovation," and maybe he could even become the leader of the martial arts alliance or a regional warlord...

May you live a carefree and happy life!

The more he thought about it, the more wonderful it seemed, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Everyone!" He suddenly slapped his thigh, startling Xiao Lingshan who was drinking water. "Let me give you all a name! Calling you things like 'Drone,' 'Black,' and 'Pink' is too formal!"

"Okay, okay!" The drone with the sweet voice was the first to respond, and it happily circled in the air.

"Let's start with the two ladies," Li said, pointing to the pink drone. "You, with your sweet, coquettish voice, will be called... Da Ya!"

The drone that was mentioned shook its body cheerfully: "DaYa likes this name~"

"You, with your clear, melodious voice, are called Er Ya!" Li Xian pointed to another plane.

"Er Ya likes it too!"

Xiao Lingshan said coldly from the side, "Not only is her name tacky, but she even speaks in a deliberately pretentious way..."

"Oh my~" Daya immediately flew in front of her, her voice sickeningly sweet, "Miss Xiao, are you jealous? Let me teach you, if you want your voice to be sweeter, you have to first tighten your... um, gather your diaphragm energy, and then speak softly and slowly~ Want to try?"

"You...!" Xiao Lingshan was filled with shame and indignation, her whole body stiffened, and her ears turned so red they could bleed. She simply turned her back to avoid seeing it.

"Da Ya, stop fooling around," Er Ya advised. "Miss Xiao is shy."

"Alright, alright," Li quickly tried to smooth things over, already regretting his decision—he feared he'd never have peace again. "Now, let's name the three gentlemen—"

He pointed to three black drones, his gaze sweeping over their sleek black bodies, and pondered for a moment:

"You," he pointed to the one in the center, hovering perfectly still, exuding an air of calm reliability, "you resemble a night bat, so let's call you... Batman!"

The drone that was called out shuddered slightly, and its voice automatically lowered: "Batman, confirmed."

"You," Li Xian pointed to the one on the left, "are all black, let's call them the Dark Knight."

"Dark Knight, take your positions." The voice was indeed colder.

"As for you..." Li Xian looked at the last one. It was performing a graceful backflip in the air, appearing exceptionally agile and lively. "Being so active, you're practically Superman!"

"Superman?!" The drone spun around merrily. "I'm Superman! I can fly! I can fight! I can even roast chicken!"

Xiao Lingshan couldn't help but turn around, looking at these "magical artifacts" given strange names, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Although these names were odd, they were surprisingly fitting... especially the one called "Superman," which sounded just like a lively teenager.

"Alright! The naming contest is over!" Mr. Li stretched out a big yawn, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

The sky was completely dark. The chirping of insects came from outside the temple, and the wind whistled softly through the dilapidated window frames.

"Young Master Li, Miss Xiao, it's time to rest~" Daya said with a grin, "We'll keep watch outside, we guarantee not even a mountain rat can get in~"

"But..." Er Ya carefully reminded her, "There's only enough thatch for one person."

"Let's squeeze in~" Da Ya said in a suggestive tone, "The night is cold and the dew is heavy, it's perfect for two people to keep warm~ How about I sing you a lullaby? 'Lovers Under the Moon' or 'Mandarin Ducks Sharing a Pillow'?"

"You...you all...!" Xiao Lingshan couldn't listen anymore. She suddenly stood up, her face flushed, and rushed out of the palace gate. She squatted under the eaves and refused to come back in.

Looking at the girl's ashamed and indignant back, and then at these "overly sensible" drones, Li Xian rubbed his forehead, feeling both amused and exasperated.

It’s over.

These AIs might have been trained by their brains to become "dating and marriage facilitators."

Tonight is likely to be a sleepless night.