Chapter 23: Activating the War Golem!

"Young Master Li, inside here are the 3,000 spirit stones from our last transaction, along with the 500-inch LCD screen you requested."

Just as the operating system had finished booting up, Boss Qi arrived at the Li residence.

It was exactly what he needed!

Li Xiang took the items from Boss Qi and, glancing at the man sipping tea, tossed him a storage ring. "Boss Qi, the twenty blood fruits from last time were just our opening move; your business is moving fast. I'm giving you eighty more now. Let me see what you're capable of."

"Eighty?"

Boss Qi paused, then chuckled. "It seems the Li family still questions my prowess. That's fine. Young Master Li, your blood fruits have quite a market. Three days—give me three days, and I'll have these eighty fruits sold."

"Three days?" Li Xiang frowned.

He had already calculated that the Li family provided him with at least 3,000 beast blood fruits a month. If it took three days to sell eighty, how many years would it take to move his entire stock?

Seeing Li Xiang’s expression, Boss Qi was not angry but delighted, interpreting it as a sign that Li Xiang held a massive quantity of the fruit. He quickly added, "Yes, you see, the blood fruit is a new product. I must first let buyers understand its efficacy and benefits. Buyers will refer other buyers, creating market competition. That way, the volume sold will increase, and even the price... can be set higher!"

"So that's how it is." Li Xiang breathed a sigh of relief; he truly had no experience in sales.

As he saw Boss Qi out, Li Xiang asked, "Boss Qi, what about that thing we agreed on?"

"Easily done, though it's quite expensive. I’ve already had it sent over from the outer territories," Boss Qi replied with interest.

"How many spirit stones?"

Boss Qi held up two fingers. Seeing that Li Xiang didn't flinch, he added, "But I’ll be blunt: once you get your hands on it, treat it as a toy. Don't let anyone find out, or I really won't be able to cover for you."

"Don't worry," Li Xiang grinned. "If I get caught, I’ll tell them I didn't get it from Boss Qi."

"..."

Boss Qi decided not to dwell on that. He glanced at the old woman lingering outside the Li gate and asked suspiciously, "Isn't that the artificer from the twelfth district? Young Master Li, have you gotten yourself into trouble?"

Li Xiang replied dismissively, "Oh, I had her do some crafting before. You know her, right?"

"That explains it." Boss Qi was clearly aware of Spirit Granny’s 'glorious history.' "Did you make her suffer a loss, Young Master Li? She couldn't take advantage of you with your spirit artifacts?"

"I had someone help me, so she didn't dare. Look at me—weak, pitiful, and helpless. She only dares to pick on me." Li Xiang waved his hand.

"Say no more. Just rest easy, Young Master Li, I have my ways."

With that, Boss Qi stepped out the door. As Li Xiang closed it, he faintly heard Boss Qi’s laughter outside.

"Oh? Auntie Spirit? What are you saying? How could I possibly know Li Xiang? No, no, I don't know him. Yes, yes, it has nothing to do with me."

"...You bastard."

Li Xiang's facial muscles twitched violently. He had thought Boss Qi had a way to appease Spirit Granny, but it turned out this cunning merchant just had a way to save his own skin and avoid being caught in the crossfire!

"Fine."

He wasn't in a hurry. After all, his relationship with Boss Qi was purely business; there was no need for him to get dragged into his own troubles. Besides, in this day and age, if you aren't being watched by a few experts, you really can't claim you're out there making a name for yourself!

...

Back in his room, Li Xiang busied himself for a while, installing the 500-inch LCD screen until it covered the entire wall.

This piece of equipment was an antique in this era and had to be custom-ordered.

Li Xiang's game was growing larger, and the small screen could no longer satisfy him. A larger screen would allow him to see a broader map and make operations more convenient.

Especially...

[You have activated the war puppet's operating system!]

[Manual activation available!]

In an instant, Li Xiang chose to activate it.

His mind swam for a moment, and his vision shifted to a pitch-black cellar. He could no longer feel his immediate surroundings, but he could sense the state of the war puppet!

It felt just like the mecha pilot training courses at school.

The strangest part was having a dual perspective: he was still in the real world, operating his mouse and keyboard, moving his perspective!

He looked down.

He could see the mechanical arms. With a single thought, Li Xiang could make the arms move, then the feet... the entire body!

Furthermore, he sensed the presence of hidden weapons on the war puppet.

[Laser Sword/A]
[Left Arm Laser Cannon/S]
[Right Arm Laser Cannon/D]
[Flight Mode/Q]
[...]

"It can do this? This is too much fun!"

Li Xiang suddenly burst out of the cellar, startling Li Yaotie, who had been praying in the ancestral hall. The 200-pound strongman stared in shock at the flying robot. "The ancestors have manifested! This is the true romance of a man!"

It wasn't just him; everyone in the Li family saw the mecha take flight!

Li Xiang piloted the mecha, soaring around the Li family compound and breaking through the clouds. Although he couldn't quite perceive the air of the world itself, and the people still looked like animations, Li Xiang’s sensations were becoming increasingly vivid.

He even stood before his descendants, watching them look as small as little animals, listening to them speak, and observing their shocked expressions. It was becoming more and more surreal.

"It feels like a real world."

Finally, having exhausted most of the war puppet's spirit energy, Li Xiang piloted it back to the cellar and returned his consciousness to the real world.

What Li Xiang cared about most wasn't the perspective—many VR games could achieve that nowadays.

What he truly cared about was that he could now personally pilot the war puppet, maximizing its combat potential instead of letting it fight automatically, wasting energy on laser cannons or activating light swords when unnecessary.

...

Soon, the time in the game reached [Li Family Year 33].

After the years of drought ended, the world outside the Li family improved.

The Li family’s fields began to expand outward. While they couldn't venture deep into the Silver Iron Forest, they occasionally hunted in its outskirts, and the number of demonic beasts was increasing.

However, Zhi'en Village did not add any new villagers.

This was another drawback of the drought's end.

Why farm in Zhi'en Village when you could farm in Tailin Town? Tailin Town had begun to exercise caution and help civilians restore their livelihoods, and the Hu and Wang families had spread rumors that Zhi'en Village was a gathering place for demons and monsters.

At the same time, cracks appeared among the four major families of Tailin Town. The trade between the Chen family and the Li family infuriated the Hu and Wang families, but the Chen family continued on as they pleased.

Over the past three years of trade, the Chen family had already gained significant benefits.

The 'Body Refining Powder' and 'Seven-Flavor Soup' refined by Li Yaoqing benefited their cultivators immensely. Li Yaotie would periodically sell them parts from the 'Black Iron Beast Blood Armor,' and they could even purchase demonic beasts and various spirit herbs from the Li family.

The cooperation between the two families grew deeper.

The Chen family even wanted to arrange a marriage with the Li family. Unfortunately, when Li Dalong and the Chen patriarch, Chen Wudi, met to arrange for Li Yaoqing to meet the young master of the Chen family to foster some affection...

When Li Yaoqing had dinner with the young master, she asked if he understood spirit herbs and why he didn't consume them. She explained that pills caused drug resistance and nerve damage, and asked for his opinion on medicinal potions.

While walking through the streets, she asked, "In the absence of sunlight, what spirit herbs are best to plant in this alley? Given the constant noise and dust in the city, what spirit herbs could improve this environment?"

"If you don't understand spirit herbs, how can you understand me? Would the children we produce have innate defects?"

After only three days, the young master of the Chen family never wanted to see Li Yaoqing again, feeling that marrying her would ruin his family harmony.

The poor young master was then set up with the Li family’s fourth daughter, Li Yaowen.

Well, spring had finally arrived for him.

Li Yaowen was extremely beautiful. The young master fell in love at first sight. Although Li Yaowen was frail and sickly, she was well-read, polite, and gentle; everyone who met her felt as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

The young master had even named their future children.

Li Yaowen had even agreed to the marriage.

But before the betrothal gifts were sent, three of the Chen family’s maids and a concubine of a Chen elder tracked down Chen Wudi—all four were pregnant with the young master's children. The scandal spread throughout Tailin Town. Li Dalong was so enraged that he rejected the marriage on the spot.

Chen Wudi felt a deep loss of face and even more guilt toward the Li family. He broke his son's legs that very day and sent a grand gift to the Li family as an apology.

He never dared to mention marriage again.

"The Chen family thinks they can marry into our Li family? How delusional."

In the ancestral hall, Li Yaowen proudly reported to Li Xiang’s memorial tablet: "Ancestor, Yaowen has followed your instructions and used a small trick to make the Chen family give up on this idea."

"Hahaha, good!"

The once-furious Li Dalong was now all smiles. "They were all rotten apples anyway. The ancestor is right; when discussing marriage, we prioritize character, and only then background, appearance, and potential."

Lying on his bed, watching the 500-inch screen, Li Xiang wore an insidious smile.

Marriage alliances were truly undesirable—few were built on affection; they were all about interests, deceit, and treachery. Li Xiang didn't want to bring that into his family; it would only cause unnecessary trouble.

The current Li family needed steady development!

Although they had managed to refuse the Chen family's marriage offer, Li Yaozu, having separated from Qu Xiaoxiao, had no plans to marry either.

The person Li Xiang least expected was currently hiding behind a large tree, gazing with admiration at a woman running while carrying a stone. She was nearly 1.9 meters tall, wearing a cloth garment that exposed her biceps and an eight-pack of abs in the summer heat. Her dark skin was drenched in sweat.

She was a quintessential muscular tomboy.

Li Yaotie, the peeper, was drooling.

"Such a sturdy woman... if I could have children with her, we would surely produce true heroes and heroines."

"Slurp~"