Ink-Clad Creator

A thin mist hung over the mountain forest in the early morning, and dew dripped from the tips of leaves, landing on Li Xian's forehead.

He opened his eyes, first staring blankly at the patterns on the rocks above his head, then memories flooded back like a tide—the manager, the nascent physical form, Binglan, those three days of dual cultivation… and finally, Binglan lying in his arms, her eyes filled with tears yet her lips curved into a smile, a complex expression on her face.

"Awake?" The administrator's voice echoed in his mind, weaker than usual, yet carrying a strange sense of satisfaction. "How are you feeling?"

Li Xian didn't answer, but slowly sat up. He was the only one left in the cave; Bing Lan had left sometime earlier. A faint scent of ice-based cultivation techniques lingered in the air, mixed with an ambiguous aftertaste that was hard to define.

He looked down at his hands, then touched his chest. His skin was smooth as usual, the spiderweb-like dark red lines had disappeared, as if they had never existed. But Li Xian could feel a cool, flowing energy within his body, the remnants of Bing Lan's Ice Soul Profound Technique, intertwined with the Manager's dark red energy, forming a delicate balance.

"Her skills... really passed them on to me?" Li Xian asked in a hoarse voice.

"I've transmitted a portion of it," the administrator replied calmly. "The essence of dual cultivation is energy exchange and resonance. She used it to break through the bottleneck of her cultivation technique, I used it to stabilize my consciousness structure, and you... received 'Ice Soul Origin,' which was transformed from 30% of her power. Although your meridians are currently broken and you can't use them, it will slowly nourish your body, allowing you to live at least ten more years."

Live ten more years.

Li Xian smiled bitterly. Ten years of his life, exchanged for a woman's chastity—the price was far too high…

"Don't make that face." The manager's tone was slightly impatient. "She did it voluntarily. And the joy she felt during those three days when she broke through was real, didn't you feel it too?"

These words made Li Xian's ears burn. Yes, he felt it—although his body was under the control of the administrator at the time, all sensations were shared. Bing Lan's initial resistance and pain, to later acceptance and resonance, and finally the ultimate joy when she broke through her cultivation technique... every feeling was imprinted in his memory.

"Where is she now?" Li asked.

"She went back to Linghan Palace. She said she needed to settle things with the withered bone immortal—after his cultivation was drained, the old man's mind cleared up, and now he's just an ordinary old man who needs someone to take care of him." The administrator paused, "She also said... she'll come to find you after she's dealt with her father's affairs."

Li Xian felt a chill run down his spine: "What do you want with me?"

"What do you think?" The manager chuckled lightly, a rare occurrence. "In her mind, the person she was intimate with for those three days was 'Li Xian.' Although I've explained many times that we are two consciousnesses sharing one body, she seems... to have trouble distinguishing between them."

"This is a huge misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding?" The manager said meaningfully, "Mr. Li, during those three days, although I was in control of your body, your emotional perceptions and physiological reactions were all genuine responses from your body. You weren't completely indifferent to her."

Li Xian was speechless.

He couldn't deny it. Those passionate moments in his memory, the trembling when their skin touched, the gentle whispers when she called him "Young Master Li"... Even though his reason knew it was the administrators manipulating things, his body's instinctive reactions couldn't lie.

"What do we do now?" Mr. Li rubbed his temples.

"Leave here first," the manager said. "The people from Han Family Fort, Miss Chunmeng, Peng Shitao, and your Lingshan are all looking for you. I suggest... you hide for a while."

"hide?"

"Yes, hide." The manager's tone was serious. "If you go back now, how will you explain your disappearance for the past three days? How will you explain Binglan's situation? More importantly, how will you explain me?"

Li fell silent. Yes, how should I put it? Should I say, "There's a higher-dimensional consciousness within me. It cultivated with Binglan for three days to heal its wounds. Although the body is mine, its subjective will isn't?"

Would anyone believe that?

"But we can't keep hiding forever," Li sighed.

"Of course not forever." The manager changed the subject. "Mr. Li, have you ever thought about... establishing your own power base?"

"What?"

"Establish an organization, or rather... a sect," the administrator said slowly. "Haven't you always felt guilty? That you took advantage of Binglan, that you let down Miss Chunmeng and Xiao Lingshan? Then do something practical. Rescue those controlled by the demonic sect, take in and protect those women in Linghan Palace who have no control over their own lives, and wipe out the evil heretics like the Bone Master."

Li was stunned.

"We can establish a new order," the administrator continued, his voice carrying a seductive quality. "Based on the technological knowledge of the Boltzmann brain, with my energy manipulation abilities as a deterrent, and guided by your... humanity. We can call it... 'New Heavenly Way,' or 'Creation Sacred Gate,' whatever you want to call it. Its purpose is: to protect the weak, punish evil, and explore the truth."

"This... is insane."

"Crazy?" The administrator laughed. "Compared to the alien consciousness residing within you, compared to your ability to create holy water and pure energy, compared to drone squads and magnetic beam knives—is forming a cult really crazy?"

Li Xian was speechless.

"And this way, your relationship with Binglan can be explained," the administrator added. "She is the sect's first 'Holy Maiden,' and you are the 'Holy Master.' Dual cultivation can be explained as a necessary ritual for the transmission of cultivation techniques. As for the other women… Miss Chunmeng can be a 'Protector,' Xiao Lingshan can be a 'Wood Spirit Envoy,' and Peng Shitao can be a 'Medicine Immortal.' Each has their place and their duty; isn't that better than you being caught in the middle like this?"

The suggestion was absurd, yet... inexplicably tempting.

In a daze, Li Xianzheng suddenly heard a buzzing sound of wings outside the cave.

A pink silhouette emerged from the mist and hovered in front of him—it was Da Ya.

"Brother Li! We've finally found you!" Daya's indicator light flashed excitedly. "This machine has been wandering around the area for two days! If you hadn't shown up, Erya would have been frantic!"

Li Xian smiled wryly: "How did you find me?"

"Superman calculated it." Daya landed on his shoulder. "It analyzed your behavior patterns, residual energy traces, and the terrain data of this mountain forest, built seventy-two probability models, and finally determined that the probability of this cave was 87.6%! Amazing, right?"

"Impressive..." Li rubbed his temples. "Where are the others?"

"They're all in Hanjiabao." Daya's mechanical arm gestured towards the name, "Miss Xiao Lingshan leads people into the mountains to look for you every day, her eyes are swollen from crying. Miss Chunmeng doesn't say it, but every time the search team returns empty-handed, she throws things. That girl Peng Shitao is even more outrageous, she brewed a huge pot of 'Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup,' saying that once she finds you, she must force you to drink it..."

Li Xian felt a warmth in his heart, followed by a tightening sensation.

"How is Han Family Fort doing now?"

"It's a complete mess." Da Ya exaggerated her tone. "The Fortress Master has just recovered from his serious injuries and has a ton of things to deal with every day: Elders Cao Yan and Tian Heng, although their Gu poison has been cured, feel ashamed to face anyone and have voluntarily gone to the back mountain to meditate in seclusion; Elder Feng and Elder Peng are busy reorganizing the defenses; the most troublesome one is Young Master Han Yunyang, whose memory is confused after he woke up, and he keeps pestering Miss Xiao Lingshan, saying something like 'Sister Lingshan, I had a really long dream'..."

Mr. Li had a headache from listening to this.

"There's more trouble than that!" Daya lowered her voice. "Yesterday, a messenger from the imperial court arrived at Han Family Fortress with a secret letter from Lord Chu Huaizhou. It seems that... the imperial court is taking the recent events in Tonghai Prefecture very seriously and has already reported them to the capital. It's said that some important figures will be coming to investigate something called 'Starfall Relic' and 'Extraterrestrial Inheritance'."

Is the imperial court going to intervene?

Li Xian frowned deeply. This was not good news.

"Oh, right!" Daya suddenly remembered something, "Miss Bingwei has also returned to Linghan Palace. Before she left, she asked me to pass on a message to you."

"What?"

"She said..." Daya mimicked Bingwei's cold tone, "'What happened that night was of my own free will, you don't need to feel guilty. But if Linghan Palace becomes your enemy in the future, I... might stand on the opposite side.'"

Li Xian remained silent.

"And there's Miss Binglan!" Daya continued her report, "She suddenly appeared at the gate of Han Family Fort yesterday evening, startling everyone! In front of everyone, she said, 'Young Master Li and I have already consummated our marriage, and I will wait for him to come and marry me.' After saying that, she left, leaving Miss Xiao Lingshan pale-faced, and Miss Chunmeng immediately drew her sword to chase after her, but was stopped by Lord Han..."

Li Xian's vision went black.

It’s over.

This is completely inexplicable.

"Brother Li, what are you planning to do now?" Daya asked cautiously. "Go back to Hanjiabao?"

Li shook his head. Going back now would be tantamount to walking into a trap.

"Then...where to?"

Li Xian looked at the morning mist swirling outside the cave, and after a long while, said softly, "Let's find a secluded place to stay nearby. I need... some peace and quiet."

"But--"

"No buts." Li stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes. "Da Ya, go back and tell Superman to send a drone to report every three days. But don't tell anyone about my whereabouts, including Miss Chunmeng and Xiao Lingshan."

"this……"

"That's an order."

Daya's indicator light dimmed for a moment, but she finally replied, "...Yes, sir."

Li Xian found an abandoned hunter's cabin three miles from the cave.

The wooden house was half-hidden among the vines; although dilapidated, its structure was still relatively intact. He spent half a day cleaning and repairing it, and also had a super-human drone secretly deliver some daily necessities—bedding, pots and pans, food, and the medicine pouch that Peng Shitao had prepared for him beforehand.

On the evening of the third day, Superman flew over in person to report.

"Boss, Han Family Fort is in complete chaos." Superman's projection unfolded on the mountain wall, displaying a 3D map of Han Family Fort. "Miss Xiao Lingshan has organized three search teams that go into the mountains every day. Miss Chunmeng has used the Demonic Sect's informants to inquire in nearby towns. Peng Shitao... she actually wanted to use the 'Finding Person Gu,' but I stopped her in time—that thing has too many side effects."

Looking at the projection, Li Xian felt a mix of emotions.

"Where is Binglan?"

"She's back at Linghan Palace. But she left a message saying she'll come back in a month." Superman paused. "Also, Lord Chu Huaizhou officially sent an invitation yesterday, inviting you to attend the 'Symptoms Forum' to be held in Tonghai Prefecture City on the fifth day of next month. It's said that the imperial court wants to select talents to fill positions in the Heavenly Crafts Academy."

"A conference on the mystical arts..." Li Xian pondered.

"Also, Elder Feng asked me to tell you that Lord Han wants to see you, saying he has some matters to discuss regarding 'Thunder Pattern Iron' and 'Nine Heavens Thunder Seal'," Superman added. "He seems... not to object to your relationship with Miss Xiao Lingshan, as long as you are willing to formally propose marriage."

A marriage proposal?

Li Xian smiled wryly. In this situation, what kind of kinship is this?

"There's one more thing," Superman said seriously. "Batman has detected that Linghan Palace has been frequently mobilizing its manpower recently, and Aunt Xiao seems to be planning something big. Meanwhile, the other two elders of the orthodox Demonic Sect—one in the imperial court and the other the withered skeleton in the mountains—have also made moves."

"Wasn't the Bone Master already crippled?"

"It's his junior brother, 'Heart-Eating Ancestor'." Superman pulled up a file. "This person is even more sinister than the Bone Master, and is skilled at manipulating people's minds. It's said that he's already set his sights on you, wanting to seize the 'Boltzmann Legacy' within you."

Mr. Li rubbed his temples. One problem after another.

"Boss, are you really going to keep hiding here?" Superman asked. "All sides are looking for you now. You can hide for a while, but you can't hide forever."

"I know," Li Xian said, looking at the deepening twilight outside the wooden window, "but I need time... to sort some things out."

For example, how to deal with Binglan.

For example, how to explain managers.

For example, how to deal with the inexplicable feelings he has for multiple women.

"By the way," Superman suddenly said, "Is the Administrator here? I have a few questions I'd like to ask about the energy meridian weaving."

"I'm here." The administrator's voice rang out, startling Superman.

"You...you can talk to me directly now?"

"Although the physical form has dissipated, the consciousness structure has become much more stable," the administrator said calmly. "What's the problem?"

Superman and the administrator began discussing topics that Li Xian couldn't understand at all, such as high-dimensional energy conversion, cosmic radiation absorption rate, and entity stability threshold. He simply walked out of the wooden house and sat on the stone steps in front of the door.

The mountains and forests were silent, save for the chirping of insects.

Moonlight streamed down, draping the trees in a silvery veil. In the distance, the faint howls of wolves echoed, and further still, the lights of Tonghai Prefecture City outlined their hazy silhouettes in the night.

Li Xian took out the pair of small dolls from his bosom—Mu Sheng and Ling Yu.

The doll lay quietly in his palm, dressed in a small black and white outfit, its face exquisitely lifelike. He tried to infuse it with a trace of holy water energy, and Mu Sheng's fingers twitched again, his eyelids fluttered, but he ultimately did not open them.

"The Boltzmann brain..." Li Xian muttered to himself, "You said you wanted to complete the human creation experiment, but now you've disappeared, I've lost all my inner strength, and I'm burdened with a bunch of emotional debts... How am I supposed to go on this path?"

The puppet naturally wouldn't answer.

But the manager ended his discussion with Superman and spoke in his mind: "One must take things one step at a time. The most urgent thing is to solve your survival problem first."

"Survive?"

"You are now the focus of attention for all factions," the administrator calmly analyzed. "The imperial court wants to recruit you, the demonic sect wants to control you, Linghan Palace wants to use you, and Han Family Fort wants to win you over—but you have no foundation of your own. Once a faction loses patience and resorts to force, you won't even have the capital to resist."

"so……"

"So, consider my proposal," the administrator said. "Establish your own force. It doesn't need to be too big; start by rescuing those poor souls controlled by the Demonic Sect and Linghan Palace. We can begin by selecting disciples from the back mountains of Han Family Fortress who have been controlled by Gu poison. They have received your favors and are highly loyal."

Li Xian remained silent for a long time.

"Let me think about it."

"Okay." The manager said no more.

Late at night.

Li Xian returned to the wooden cabin and lay down on the simple wooden bed, but he couldn't fall asleep. The faces of four women flashed through his mind in turn:

Miss Chunmeng turned her head under the peach blossom tree, her crimson wedding dress as fiery as fire;

Xiao Lingshan turned around at the ferry crossing, her blue dress stained with dust, her back view resolute;

Binglan tilted her head back in the hot spring, tears welling in her eyes, a smile playing on her lips;

Peng Shitao turned around in front of the medicine furnace, her face covered in ash, her smile innocent...

And then there's Bingwei. That woman, as aloof as snow, the involuntary entanglement at Qixia Pavilion that night, and her parting words, "You might be standing on the other side"...

"I'm a real piece of trash," Li Xian muttered to himself.

"Human emotions are inherently complex," the administrator's voice rang out. "Moreover, each of these women has their own reasons for crossing paths with you: Miss Chunmeng's relationship with you evolved from mutual exploitation to genuine affection; Xiao Lingshan's relationship with you developed over time through shared hardships; Binglan's relationship with you was a result of a series of unfortunate events; Peng Shitao's relationship with you was based on simple dependence that gradually turned into love; and Bingwei... well, it was a tragic fate that she couldn't control."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Because I see things more clearly than you do," the manager said calmly. "Mr. Li, your biggest problem isn't your fickleness, but your indecisiveness. Since you can't let go, then marry them all—in this world, having multiple wives and concubines isn't unusual."

"You make it sound so easy! Do they want this? Do their families want this? What about public opinion?"

"When you're strong enough, none of this will be a problem," the manager said confidently. "Once you have your own power and enough prestige and strength, let alone marrying four, you could marry forty and no one would dare to gossip."

This statement sounds domineering, but it's not without reason.

Li Xianzheng was about to retort when he suddenly heard very faint footsteps outside.

Not a wild beast—its steps were light and steady, clearly those of a martial artist.

He immediately got up, quietly walked to the window, and looked out through the crack.

Under the moonlight, a figure in white slowly approached the wooden house.

It's Binglan.

She changed into a plain white dress, her long hair simply tied up, and without any makeup, she looked even more beautiful. Carrying a food box in her hand, she walked to the front of the house, stopped, and seemed to hesitate.

Li's heart was racing.

How did she find this place?

"It should be based on residual energy," the manager explained. "She cultivated with you for three days, and their techniques resonated with each other, making her perception of your aura much more acute than others."

Outside, Binglan bit her lip and finally raised her hand to gently knock on the wooden door.

"Young Master Li... are you there?"

The voice was very soft, tinged with a tentative tone, and a hint of... barely perceptible expectation.

Li stood frozen in place, unsure whether he should respond.