Chapter 100: Willow Fluff in Peril

Fang Tang and the others chatted idly in the private room for a while before returning to their own quarters. It wasn’t long before Liu Yiran gathered them together again.

She produced several gold coins taped together, distributing the prize among them. Fang Tang counted—no more, no less—ten coins.

“This time we entered a moderately distorted zone, so the unified reward is ten Cavern Coins. Light distortion gives five coins. Heavy distortion, depending on danger, starts at twenty Cavern Coins and has no upper limit.”

“Use your Cavern Coins wisely. Each is worth the purchasing power of an Elemental Stone. If you want to buy a sequence, you can apply through me to purchase from the Garrison.”

Liu Yiran explained briefly and dismissed them.

Fang Tang lingered, hoping Liu Yiran would answer the questions weighing on his mind. Ever since returning from the asylum, his head was brimming with doubts; now, with Liu Yiran back, he could finally seek clarity.

“You want to know how I deduced the final piece of information?” Liu Yiran smiled at Fang Tang.

He nodded. “I hope the captain can enlighten me.”

Liu Yiran smiled mysteriously, tapped her eyes, and said softly, “Observe more.”

“In the rooms I examined, I saw Tang Yu’s office. I noticed Tang Yu and Li Cheng shared exactly the same behavioral habits—even the order in which they wrote strokes was identical. That immediately raised suspicions, and seeing Tang Yu later allowed me to make a bold conjecture.”

Fang Tang’s heart raced as he listened. Liu Yiran laughed, “You must understand—Tang Yu is no longer human. They are Fallen Ones. Whether your guess is right or wrong, the outcome remains the same, doesn’t it?”

“In the rules of distortion, maximizing profit means killing the guardian of a region, which grants you a boon. Each distorted region has its own rules—some require logic, some raw strength. Experience will teach you.”

With those words, Fang Tang felt clarity wash over him.

Liu Yiran patted his shoulder. “You have great potential. Your adaptability is strong, your attitude toward learning commendable. Most importantly, your sequence, equipment, and technology surpass many others. These are your advantages. Strive to make the most of them—Explorers need talents like you.”

“…”

Fang Tang touched his nose and nodded inconspicuously.

Liu Yiran rose and stepped toward the door, but paused, turning back to Fang Tang.

“Xie Ling and Liu Xu both show excellent potential—especially Liu Xu’s sequence talent. It may be the highest sequence I’ve encountered so far. Bringing such promising recruits into the Explorers is a big help to me.”

“There’s a referral bonus, but Liu Xu is special. I can only count her as ordinary talent for now; after some time, once I get approval, you’ll receive it. Rest assured: they are my teammates. I’d never harm them—protecting them is my priority.”

With a gentle smile, Liu Yiran departed.

Fang Tang watched her disappear, rubbing his face vigorously.

Squinty Eyes is truly formidable!

Her gaze never deceives me…

Come to think of it, the highest sequence Squinty Eyes has ever seen must be her own eyes, right?

…

Back in his room, Fang Tang collapsed onto the bed. He barely had time to warm the blanket when someone knocked.

“Who is it?” Fang Tang got up, muttering, “My door’s certainly busy today.”

He opened it to find Liu Xu.

“Is something the matter?” Fang Tang raised an eyebrow.

Liu Xu smiled softly. “May I come in and sit for a while?”

After a brief hesitation, Fang Tang nodded.

“What brings you here?”

“Well… I wanted to thank you.” Liu Xu paused, then smiled.

“Thank me? For what?” Fang Tang was puzzled.

He didn’t recall doing much for Liu Xu today.

“Uh…” Liu Xu’s gaze darted away, her manner flustered. “At the asylum, when you asked for my help, you indirectly affirmed my value. That gave me the courage to keep going in the Explorers.”

Fang Tang was taken aback, then shook his head with a smile.

“The Explorers are a team. Everyone has their own role and helps each other. We’ve just joined and are still in the internship phase. There’s no way we could handle everything in distorted zones straight away—otherwise, what would the captain and veterans be for?”

Liu Xu nodded gently. “I know… It’s just a hurdle in my heart I couldn’t cross by myself.”

Fang Tang stood still for a moment, then stepped forward and grasped her shoulders earnestly. “You don’t need to prove whether you’re useful. As long as you’re safe, that’s more important than anything.”

“Mm!” Liu Xu’s smile bloomed as she nodded vigorously.

Fang Tang released her shoulders. “It’s been a long day; you must be tired. Get some rest—nine hours from now, we enter the Gate of Evolution again.”

“…” Liu Xu blinked, softly affirming, then opened the door. “You should rest early too!”

Once she’d gone, Fang Tang exhaled deeply, soothing his heart.

“What a headache!”

He stripped off his clothes and sprawled naked across the bed, eyes closed.

…

In the market district.

Liu Xu and Xie Ling walked hand in hand, indulging their feminine nature… shopping.

Both were visiting the Cradle World for the first time, and the wares in the market dazzled Xie Ling.

“Liu Xu, do you think this looks good?”

Xie Ling picked up a hairpin and placed it on her head.

“Beautiful!” Liu Xu’s smile was faint, her interest waning.

Xie Ling’s lively, adorable manner radiated girlish charm, making her stand out among the market’s denizens. Wherever she went, people turned to look.

Affected by Xie Ling’s mood, Liu Xu found her own spirits lifting, her smile growing more radiant.

Unknowingly, word spread: two beauties had arrived in the market.

After two or three hours, fatigue set in, and the pair supported each other as they headed back to the hotel.

But as they passed through a narrow alley, four figures emerged from the shadows, blocking their retreat.

“Hey, ladies, good afternoon,” said the leader, a sly young man who ogled Liu Xu’s figure with undisguised malice.

“What do you want?” Liu Xu’s expression was calm, her voice icy.

“What do we want?” The youth grinned. “Naturally, something fun.”

Liu Xu shielded Xie Ling behind her, whispering, “Quick, notify the captain and Fang Tang.”

“Mm!” Xie Ling remained unflustered, stealthily pulling out her phone.

The two behind them noticed her action and shouted, “Boss, these chicks are calling for backup!”

“Backup?” The leader sneered, his eyelids drooping. “Even if the King of Heaven himself showed up, no one’s saving you today.”

“Go!”

He waved his hand and charged forward.

But before he’d taken two steps, he suddenly collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.

The remaining three, seeing their boss die inexplicably, panicked.

“Who’s there?”

“Come out! If you’ve got guts, face us head-on instead of hiding!”

Their shouts echoed in the alley, but aside from Xie Ling and Liu Xu, no one else was present.

Suddenly, a flash of white light shot through, and the remaining three dropped to the ground, blood gushing from beneath them.

“This…” Liu Xu was stunned.