Chapter 21: New Home at the Manor

Yunluo Li, Year 9999, May 22.

Morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting long streaks of light on the floor. Aikesi opened his eyes, lay in bed staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, and froze for a few seconds before realizing—this was his manor, his own room.

Yesterday, he had officially moved into this mansion located in the southern suburbs of Yulan City.

He got up, pushed open the window, and a fresh breeze rushed to his face. Several unknown trees stood in the courtyard, blooming with pale pink flowers. In the distance, a large expanse of grassland was visible, and beyond that lay a small forest. Birdsong came from the woods, crisp and pleasant.

"Young Master." The voice of old Ka'er came from outside the door, "Breakfast is ready."

"Coming."

After a simple wash, Aikesi went downstairs. The dining room was on the east side of the first floor; it was small but kept very clean. Bread, milk, fried eggs, and several side dishes were arranged on the table.

"Has everything been put in order?" he asked as he sat down.

Ka'er nodded: "Almost. The luggage brought has been stored, the several servants are living in the back courtyard, and the storeroom has been inventoried."

"You've worked hard."

"Young Master is too polite." Ka'er hesitated for a moment, "There is one matter I wish to consult the Young Master on."

"Speak."

Ka'er took a piece of paper from his chest, densely covered with writing: "These are the original accounts of the manor. This manor was previously the property of a certain Viscount. Later, when that Viscount was transferred to another region, the manor was reclaimed by the Emperor. No one has lived here for these past few years, but daily maintenance has been managed by someone."

Aikesi took the accounts and looked them over—fields, tenant farmers, livestock, and house repairs were listed very clearly.

"Any problems?"

"Not exactly problems," Ka'er said, "It's just that these tenant farmers and servants need to be re-subjugated. According to the rules, the Young Master must meet them."

Aikesi thought for a moment: "This afternoon then. Have them come to the courtyard."

"Yes."

After finishing breakfast, Aikesi walked around the manor.

The main building had three floors; the first floor contained the living room, dining room, kitchen, and several servant rooms, while the second and third floors were all bedrooms and studies. He chose the easternmost room on the second floor for himself—the window faced east, allowing him to see the sunrise every morning.

Behind the building was a small garden, not large but very exquisite. Beyond the garden was a grassy area, and at the end of the grassland lay that small forest.

Aikesi walked into the woods and discovered a small clearing inside, paved with smooth green stones. Faint elemental fluctuations remained on the green stones—the previous owner must have cultivated here.

"This place is good," he muttered to himself.

I will choose this spot for cultivation in the future.

In the afternoon, Aikesi met the manor's tenant farmers and servants in the courtyard.

There were not many people; about seven or eight tenant farmers and seven or eight servants. The tenant farmers were somewhat constrained, standing in the back row without daring to raise their heads; the servants were calmer, standing in a row at the front.

A middle-aged man who looked like a steward stepped forward, bowed, and said: "Count, I am Weilian, formerly the steward of this manor. I have managed this manor for these past few years."

Aikesi sized him up—about forty years old, dressed neatly, and spoke with logic.

"You have done well these past few years."

Weilian bowed: "I dare not. It is good that Your Lordship is satisfied."

Aikesi glanced at everyone: "I have no strict rules, only one—do your own job well. Do what needs to be done, do not ask what you should not ask, and do not look at what you should not see. If you can do this, stay. If you cannot, you may leave now."

No one moved.

"Then that is settled." Aikesi stood up, "Disperse."

Everyone scattered, with Weilian remaining last.

"Your Lordship, there is one more thing," he said.

"Speak."

"In the small forest behind the manor, the previous owner arranged a Magic Array for cultivation. Although no one has used it for these past few years, the array should still be functional. If Your Lordship requires it, you may inspect it."

Aikesi nodded: "Understood. Go attend to your duties."

Weilian withdrew.

At dusk, Aikesi went to that forest again.

The Magic Array on the green stones was indeed still there; although somewhat dim, the core patterns were undamaged. He sat cross-legged on the green stones and tried to activate the Falling Heart Flame.

The Fire Elements around him fluctuated slightly, then began to slowly converge.

"It works," he opened his eyes.

Although it was not as good as the natural convergence point at Hou Shan Pu Bu, it was far superior to ordinary places. At least, cultivation efficiency could be increased by twenty percent.

"I will be here from now on."

Life settled down like this.

Every morning, Aikesi meditated on the Nuwa Diagram in his room. That scroll slowly unfolded in his mind; the woman's back became clearer, and the chaos around it seemed to be changing. With each meditation, his Jingshenli Yehuahua grew slightly—about thirty percent faster than simple meditation.

In the morning, he went to the study to research Fire Element magic. The study already contained many magic tomes, and with those he brought himself, there was enough to read. Magic above Level 7 required Jingshenli Yehuahua guidance; he tried practicing a few, and the success rate was quite good.

In the afternoon, he cultivated on the green stones in the small forest. The Falling Heart Flame slowly pulsed, the Fire Spirit Bead glowed faintly, and the Five Spirit Wheel operated at full capacity. Fire Elements from the surroundings constantly surged into his body, and the Magic in his Middle Dantian grew at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At dusk, after dinner, he walked in the courtyard. Looking at the flowers, listening to the birdsong, thinking of nothing.

At night, he continued to meditate on the Nuwa Diagram, then slept.

Day after day.

One day at the end of May, he suddenly remembered something—sign-in.

He had been so busy settling in during this period that he almost forgot this.

【Ding—Detected that the host has stabilized in the new environment. Do you wish to sign in?】

He silently thought in his mind: Sign in.

【Sign-in successful.】

【Reward obtained: Manghuang Ji Qi Refining Method—combined with Nuwa Diagram meditation, it can further accelerate the speed of Jingshenli Yehuahua cultivation. Long-term cultivation can increase soul strength, laying the foundation for the next step after Jingshenli Yehuahua.】

A warm breath surged into his mind, merging with the Nuwa Diagram. That scroll seemed even clearer; faint patterns appeared along the edges of the woman's back—those were the paths of Qi Refining.

"A good thing," he nodded inwardly.

After the liquidation of spiritual power, the cultivation speed slows down. From Level 7 to Level 8, and from Level 8 to Level 9, every step requires a long time of accumulation. With the Nuwa Diagram and the Qi Cultivation Method, the speed can increase by at least fifty percent.

In June, the weather gradually grew hot.

Aikesi's cultivation entered the right track. Every morning he studied magic, every afternoon he cultivated Magic, and morning and evening he contemplated the Nuwa Diagram. The days were monotonous, but fulfilling.

One day in early July, he received a letter from Qiaozhi.

The letter was sent from the Ernst Institute, saying that they were all doing well, and asking how he was getting along in Yunluo. Aikesi replied, briefly mentioning the situation at the manor.

At the end of the month, he signed in again. This time he received 【Aizesilasi Teleportation Enhanced Version】—it could mark five locations for instant teleportation at any time, with a cooldown of three days.

"This is indeed convenient." He played with the Rune Stone in his hand, thought for a moment, and chose three places in the manor to mark. From now on, no matter where he went, he could return directly.

In August, he touched the threshold of the mid-stage of Level 7 in his cultivation.

That feeling was very subtle—spiritual power was slowly growing, Magic was slowly accumulating; it seemed nothing had changed, yet it seemed everything changed every day. He knew that as long as he persisted like this, a breakthrough was only a matter of time.

One early morning in early September, while contemplating the Nuwa Diagram, he suddenly had a strange sensation.

The woman on that scroll seemed to move slightly.

It was just an instant, but he clearly perceived it—the rhythm of creating all things, the process from nothing to something, had some connection with the moment fire was born in fire magic.

He stood stunned for a long time.

During the cultivation that afternoon, he tried to blend that feeling into his magic. A ball of fire condensed in his palm, purer than usual, with higher temperature, yet consuming less.

"So that's how it is," he murmured to himself.

The mystery of the Nuwa Diagram was not just about accelerating cultivation; there was something deeper. Those things required time, required realization, and required slow experience.

One evening at the end of September, Aikesi stood in the courtyard, watching the sunset in the distance.

The sunset glow dyed half the sky red; a few clouds edged with gold drifted slowly westward. He remembered those evenings in Fenlai Cheng—five youths sitting in the dormitory courtyard, watching the same sunset glow, chatting about all sorts of irrelevant topics.

Now, there was only him alone.

"Young master." Ka'er's voice came from behind, "Dinner is ready."

He turned around and walked into the room.

Candles lit the dining room; several simple dishes were arranged on the table. He sat down alone and ate slowly.

Halfway through the meal, he suddenly stopped and looked at the empty chair opposite him.

Before, at the institute, every meal was five people sitting together. Reynolds always ate the fastest, Yelu always talked the most, Qiaozhi was always the most steady, and Linlei was always the quietest.

Now, there was only him alone.

He smiled and continued eating.

After finishing the meal, he went upstairs to contemplate the Nuwa Diagram.

That scroll unfolded in his mind; the woman's back stood quietly. The surrounding chaos flowed slowly, as if nurturing something.

He immersed himself in that mysterious rhythm, forgetting time.

After an unknown duration, he opened his eyes.

Outside the window, the moon had already risen, large and round.