He had no idea where Teacher Xiao had recruited this fellow; upon meeting Li Wei, the man immediately goose-stepped forward, presented the box, stood Head high, chest out, and executed a crisp military salute, and announced in a ringing, forceful tone, "Savior Army, Serial Number 0325! Mission complete! Requesting Mr. Li Wei confirm receipt!"
Watching the young man's departing figure, Li Wei remained stunned for quite some time. Ultimately, he decided it was probably best not to inquire too deeply into the affairs of the outside world; peacefully focusing on his 'game' was clearly the proper path for him.
Promptly, Li Wei returned home and placed a call to Boss Qi. He got through immediately, and not long afterward, Boss Qi arrived.
Upon meeting this time, Boss Qi was noticeably more deferential, his face wreathed in smiles. "Ah, Young Master Li!" he exclaimed. "That item you requested previously? I assure you, it took a tremendous amount of effort for me to finally track it down for you! That anti-social organization... they nearly skinned me alive getting it!"
Glancing at the item now inside his storage ring, Li Wei was overjoyed. He had only mentioned wanting it rather casually before, never truly expecting Boss Qi would actually manage to procure such a thing! A sudden curiosity about that organization sparked within him. "Boss Qi," he asked, "forgive my presumption, but what is the name of that group?"
Looking around furtively like a thief plotting something, Boss Qi glanced left, then right. Only then did he lean closer, cover his mouth, and whisper conspiratorially, "The Savior Army."
"...."
"Young Master Li, is something wrong?" Boss Qi asked. "Do you... Do you also know of this... organization?" Seeing Li Wei's vacant gaze, Boss Qi himself couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
"No, I don't." Li Wei shook his head, his expression smoothing back to normal. "In any case, thank you for your efforts this time, Boss Qi. As you know, these are eventful times; I'll be relying on you entirely for matters concerning the company."
....
After seeing Boss Qi off, Li Wei hurried back to his room. His expression darkened again; he even had a fleeting urge to block Teacher Xiao's contact number and minimize future interactions.
He glanced at the box containing the Cosmic Variant. "Is it because of this Cosmic Variant?" he pondered. "Normally, only a criminal would be after something like this out in the open. Combine that with the previous incident involving the sinister attack on those students... So, that's why Teacher Xiao didn't conceal his connection to the Savior Army from me – perhaps revealing he's one of its leaders? Was it a deliberate reveal, wanting to recruit me into their organization?"
"Fuck!"
The implications were terrifying, the more he thought about it. Li Wei quickly rubbed his face. "Teacher Xiao, you're truly ruthless!" he muttered. "That's it! From now on, I'm staying put! I'll just focus wholeheartedly on the game; let's see how you manage to drag me into your real-world messes then!"
Gazing at his computer screen, Li Wei decisively pushed all those real-world complications out of his mind.
On the game screen now, outside the Li family's increasingly magnificent Ancestral Hall, clan descendants were returning from all directions!
Li Dalong and Xu Cuihua, despite having been Nascent Soul cultivators for many years now, still looked much the same as always, both dressed in exceedingly simple cloth attire. Xu Cuihua came up only to the chest of the coffin-bearing Li Dalong. Leaning close together, the pair walked into the Ancestral Hall, thick with the aroma of incense smoke.
Following the pair inside came Li Yaozu, now finally able to move about slightly after his confinement, arriving with a sword box strapped to his back. His black robes flowed about him, lending him an air of exceeding refinement and handsome grace. Li Yaoqing followed immediately after, still wearing the same faded, yellowish robes, her hair an untidy mess, with a small gourd hanging from her waist.
After her came Li Yaotie; this fellow's arms and legs were entirely silver, his upper body bare and intricately etched with various array patterns, all crowned by his signature large bald head. This time, Li Yaowen had also quietly returned. Clad in white robes, she once more resembled a frail old crone, looking as if she were hovering near death's door. Seated in a wheelchair, she was carefully pushed into the Ancestral Hall by Li Yaotie.
After them came Li Yunlin, clad in black robes that seemed to reflect the starry cosmos, projecting an air of profound, otherworldly detachment. Then there was Li Yunbing, clad in his black armor, his strikingly elegant white hair flowing freely; he was deep in conversation with Li Yunlin. Bringing up the rear were the Seven Ironclads, still horsing around with each other even now.
Close behind them, Li Tianyi, Li Tianqi, Li Tianming, and others of their generation returned as well. They looked with noticeable surprise towards Li Tianyue (The Red Widow), clad in her suit of red armor, cutting a valiant and formidable figure. Their expressions seemed to say, "Hold on, we're all the 'Tian' generation here, aren't we all supposed to be the unreliable ones? Since when did you, little sis, start taking things so seriously?"
Next came the 'Kuang' generation members: Li Kuangren and Li Kuanghua. The pair had once cultivated side-by-side in the Thunder Fire Demon Cave, but now they cut very different figures. Holding a position of high authority, Li Kuangren increasingly carried the calm demeanor of a superior, dressed in splendid robes with a serene expression. Li Kuanghua, conversely, stood with hands planted firmly on her hips, lecturing the juniors. Despite her short stature and 'loli-like' appearance with twin ponytails, her demeanor was exceedingly fierce.
In stark contrast, following them were Li Kuangshi and Li Kuangcai. This brother-sister pair, adherents of the Buddhist path, had approached the entire time with hands respectfully clasped, emanating an aura completely detached from worldly concerns.
Further back still, someone could be seen pushing a wheelchair – who else could it be but Li Changsheng and Li Changyao? Li Changsheng had a pained expression the entire journey, constantly covering his ears. Whatever the elders were nagging him about, it was almost certainly pressure to get married again – otherwise, why would his sister, Li Changyao, have been smiling with such obvious gloating the whole time?
"So many descendants filling the hall... ah." A profound sense of age and contentment washed over Li Wei, his face breaking into a wide smile. "With so many filial children," he thought warmly. "This life... it has truly been worthwhile."
As his descendants performed the ritual kowtow,
[Li Family: Year 200.]
[Your descendants offer their respects to you!]
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