Chapter 36: Starting with an Innate Headwind Buff

Second, Lu Ming woke from the bed; as soon as he opened his eyes, the scrolling barrage cut off.

【Yo, S Player? Will you meet up later?】

【666, just a blink and it lit up.】

【I guess the flow speed is the same.】

【......】

A bit annoyed...

Lu Ming turned off the livestream view, got up and walked into the bathroom, washed up simply, looked in the mirror, and for the first time saw the appearance of this body.

His face shape was proper, the eyes behind his bangs looked very energetic; his body was slightly thin, with faintly visible muscle lines; his face looked frail, which surprised Lu Ming a little; the original owner's body had always been fine, and his parents had agreed to the sea?

After a while, Lu Ming cupped water to splash his face; the clear water had a strange smell, but understandable—given the sea, fresh water could only be obtained by distillation or rain; distilled water is drinkable and can be used freely; in a situation of extreme water scarcity, perhaps after filtration it is reused.

The cool feeling made him a bit more awake; a light knocking came from the door.

"Family Head, are you awake?" Chang Qinglan tapped lightly on the door, her movements light, as if to wake but more to confirm.

Lu Ming glanced at the new clothes on the bed, just took off yesterday's clothes and headed to the bathroom.

"Wait a moment." Lu Ming wiped his face with a towel while walking to the bathroom.

"Crack!"

The door lock clicked, and it was pushed open directly.

Lu Ming was startled, instinctively using the towel to shield himself; he saw Chang Qinglan standing at the doorway, already changed into a maid-like outfit, her face calm with no emotion, walking toward him with both hands extended.

"Wait!" Lu Ming's voice stopped her.

Chang Qinglan's outstretched hand paused, a flicker of doubt crossing her face: "What's wrong, Family Head?"

"First."

Chang Qinglan's doubt grew: "Do you need to change clothes?"

Lu Ming was bewildered, yet still didn't loosen the towel in his hand, stepped back a few steps, and said: "Used it; from now on I'll always use it."

"..., it's always been the officials helping me change..." Chang Qinglan showed a troubled expression.

Lu Ming tightened his grip on the towel: "From now on, I'll dress myself."

Chang Qinglan's gaze toward Lu Ming turned somewhat unfamiliar, but regarding the order, she still chose to carry it out.

She stepped back two steps, gave a slight bow: "Today you have no schedule; now you'll have breakfast upstairs."

Lu Ming nodded, feeling that this sensation was quite good.

Chang Qinglan retreated from the room, gently closing the door.

Only then did Lu Ming let out a breath, picked up the clothes beside the bed and put them on.

【Damn, don't close the view, are you short on those points?】

【Closing the view to enjoy yourself, you shame the S Player.】

【Just hearing the sound, I could eat three bowls of rice!】

【.....】

Lu Ming ignored the rapidly scrolling barrage; after putting on his clothes, he went upstairs.

Last night after viewing the night scenery, Lu Ming was taken back to the Chang Clan manor; the manor is located in the heart of East Rising City, very..., but Lu Ming discovered that the huge manor actually only has two little girls, which is also quite cold.

Breakfast was already prepared: seafood congee plus a light vegetable dish, and also a fruit.

In this world, due to lack of land, wheat, vegetables and fruits have become scarce resources; the limited resources are monopolized, and even a lifetime may pass without ever tasting bread.

This meal is already an extremely luxurious breakfast.

Lu Ming took a light sip; the taste was off.

"Have you eaten?" Lu Ming looked at the little girl beside him.

Her long dress looked more and more like a maid's; standing aside, she truly resembled a household maid, completely unlike yesterday's decisive and lethal demeanor.

"The officials have already eaten." Chang Qinglan gave a slight nod.

"Hmm..." Lu Ming withdrew his gaze and picked up the spoon.

Suddenly, a feeling of blockage rose in his chest without warning; his throat felt an urge to cough; Lu Ming felt a sweetness in his throat, then the coughing grew more severe, and scarlet liquid burst from the white congee.

The little girl beside him startled, quickly took a box from her dress pocket, and shook out a pill.

"Family Head, medicine!" The little girl extended her hand toward Lu Ming's face.

But then the intense pain prevented speech; his body felt as if plunged into an ice cellar, and his blood seemed to instantly turn cold.

Chang Qinglan noticed the abnormality and directly shoved the pill from her hand into Lu Ming's mouth.

"Sorry for the rudeness!"

After the pill dissolved in his mouth, the violent coughing gradually eased; faint blue veins rose on his forehead, and at that moment Lu Ming felt as if he were suffocating, the pain making him unable to breathe.

"How do you feel now?"

Chang Qinglan used a towel to wipe the blood seeping from the corner of Lu Ming's mouth; with her other hand she pinched his collar, her face seeming like a communication device.

"Doctor, make a trip to the Ma residence!" His hand was suddenly grasped, he staggered, looking at Lu Ming's pale face.

"Used..." Lu Ming exhaled, his body stopped trembling a little; although still somewhat uncomfortable, it was somewhat relieved.

At the instant of the onset, some memories of the original owner also surfaced.

This illness cannot be cured…

"I want to go for a walk."

Chang Qinglan was stunned: "I'll accompany you…"

"I want to be alone."

Having experienced this, Lu Ming thought now was a good opportunity to look for clues, while the instance hadn't yet reached a particularly dangerous point.

"Okay!" The little girl, uncharacteristically serious, said: "Now outside is very dangerous; you can go alone!"

Lu Ming felt somewhat helpless, the little girl's attitude was very firm, almost refusing.

After finishing breakfast, Lu Ming returned to his room.

He used Mirage.

Afterwards, the convenience of Mirage became apparent, and Lu Ming used the shadow to look for clues.

Controlling the shadow to leave the Chang Clan residence, Lu Ming turned into an alley, also using the mimic ability to give the shadow form.

After leaving the alley, things already looked completely different.

"Just caught fish, while it's fresh!"

"Sea salt! Sea salt!"

"Hiring sea fishermen!"

"..."

The street bustled, the flow surged.

Lu Ming walked past a few stalls, glanced a few times; the vendors mostly sold fish products.

To understand, after all it's the sea.

After wandering a while, besides the stalls, Lu Ming didn't find any useful clues.

Just as Lu Ming planned to change location, he discovered a cake shop, its fragrance wafting through the street.

On a street full of fish goods, having a cake shop might perhaps yield some clue?

Lu Ming approached, seeing a girl standing by the display window, her eyes gazing longingly at the cake inside.

"It's fragrant, right?"

Just as Lu Ming walked up to the girl, she didn't even look up to speak.

"Mm, very fragrant." Lu Ming glanced and noticed her clothes were already somewhat worn.

"I really want to eat..." the girl's gaze remained fixed on the display window.

Lu Ming glanced sideways at the street stall vendors; seafood wasn't wrong, either.

Seafood cake?

After thinking, Lu Ming then said: "Do fish taste good?"

"They're quite hard to eat." The girl replied: "For example, the Ani fish has a strong fishy smell when eaten, and its meat tends to become dry..."

A father and son walked into the shop, and the girl's gaze was quickly attracted.

The boy held a piece of cake in his hand, happily eating it.

"The evil upper class..." the girl whispered: "If the sea is restricted, even the Ani fish will be unavailable."

【Main plot:

Building the sea bulwark gave protection but also took away freedom.

Extreme class division made the poor's life even harder.

They tried to escape, but to no avail.

The sea outside the walls was already filled with corpses.

Those in power inside the walls hoarded resources, ate well and drank well, while the lower-class could only humbly pray for access to the sea, barely able to fish to support their families.

The gap forever keeps the lower class as lower class.

The sea bulwark became a cage…】

【Clue: The bulwark is also a cage】

【Main progress: 10%】

"Always, will make those vampires pay the price, wandering slaves!" The girl's tone was firm, her gaze always on the distant father and son.

"Still." The girl suddenly turned her head to look at Lu Ming: "Judging by your attire, you probably have money too, right?"

Does that count as hostility?

Lu Ming nodded, honestly saying: "I guess so."

"Just say those words directly to the constables; anyway, I'm also scared." The girl looked at Lu Ming with a cold gaze: "Those with money simply don't understand how hard it is to live."