On the artificial rock mountain platform beside the pool, Zheng Fan lay while Siniang massaged him.
"Those damn Zombies, they really don't know how to go easy on someone."
Looking at the multiple bruises on Zheng Fan's back, Siniang couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
"Don't worry, don't worry."
Zheng Fan, however, seemed rather unperturbed and instead began to console Siniang, "Other people get hammered under waterfalls or practice by carrying a huge turtle shell. So, this is quite comfortable in comparison."
Zheng Fan had never imagined he would one day practice martial arts. In his previous life, he believed in "martial arts" and thought that real martial artists existed, just not as mystical as depicted in martial arts novels. As for the online masters and grandmasters, they were just for entertainment. Real "Kung Fu" required grueling training from an early age, which Zheng Fan knew he couldn't endure.
However, circumstances are stronger than people. He, a mere comic book fan, had never expected to arrive in this otherworld after death. Whether out of responsibility for himself or for these subordinates of his, he had to start training.
"My lord, can we try a different training method?" Siniang suggested. Training as a martial artist is too slow, and it's too easy to get seriously injured.
"Oh? How so?"
"In this world, there aren't just martial artists. My lord, you can practice other things. As long as it makes you stronger, isn't that what matters?"
"Practice other things?"
"I've heard that if a mage has good talent, they can achieve rapid progress."
"Um..."
"Besides, mages usually have smooth and delicate skin."
"Let's table that for later. First, I need to toughen up my bones and muscles and learn some basic combat routines. There's no harm in that."
Zheng Fan understood the principle of not quitting halfway; he wasn't going to seek shortcuts just because he'd suffered for a few days.
"In that case... we could let A Ming bite you. You'd quickly acquire the low-level physique of the Blood Race."
"Become a vampire?"
Zheng Fan was genuinely tempted by this suggestion. A vampire's regenerative abilities, far surpassing an ordinary person's, meant a direct increase in his chances of survival. Even though he was already training, Zheng Fan didn't believe he could one day charge ahead of these demon lords under his command.
He was just a mascot. As long as he stayed in the back and didn't get killed, that was the greatest support he could offer his subordinates. If conditions allowed, he could even give himself some buffs, like group mana regeneration or group healing.
"Yes, I'll mention it to A Ming later. Although he hasn't recovered much strength and the number of fledglings he can create should be limited, we are family, after all. It's better to keep the benefits within the family than to let outsiders profit. You agree with that, don't you, My lord?"
"Um..."
Initially, Zheng Fan was clear-headed enough to chat with Siniang. Gradually, however, he grew weary and drifted off to sleep.
Seeing this, Siniang picked up a nearby blanket, covered Zheng Fan with it, and then quietly left.
After closing the door, Siniang turned around, her gaze instantly hardening. Beside her, thin lines resembling spiderwebs began to tighten.
"COUGH COUGH... It's me."
The shadow that had suddenly appeared spoke. It was Blind Bei.
Siniang let out a long sigh, withdrawing the threads around her. She complained, "It's the middle of the night! If you're out for a stroll, couldn't you at least carry a lantern? Popping up like that, you nearly scared me to death!"
"Me, carry a lantern?"
"Yes! If not for your own convenience, at least for others, right? You know your own abilities; you can use your mental energy to block others' perception."
"Fine. I'll carry a lantern when I go out at night from now on."
"Is something wrong?"
"Yes."
"Alright, but let's not talk here. My lord is asleep; we shouldn't disturb him."
"Okay, let's go to the pavilion."
To Siniang's surprise, quite a few people were already seated in the pavilion. Liang Cheng, A Ming, Xue Three, and Fanli were all there. Some simple side dishes were laid out on the stone table.
"Yo, is this a meeting?"
Feng Siniang sat in the empty spot next to Liang Cheng and asked curiously, "What's that smell?"
Liang Cheng's expression was somewhat stiff.
"OH-HO-HO..." Siniang giggled, covering her mouth. She glanced at A Ming, who was sitting opposite her, and said, "It seems you two have a good relationship. You're already using the new stuff? My lord and I haven't even tried it yet, and you get to use it first."
"COUGH COUGH..." Blind Bei coughed dryly. "Let's get down to business."
"Business? Right, A Ming, perhaps you should bite My lord tomorrow."
A Ming shook his head. "I know what you're thinking, but it's not possible right now. My recovered strength is too limited. If I were to turn My lord into my fledgling now, he would gain superhuman recovery abilities. However, after about six months, he would degenerate into a mindless beast, driven solely by the urge to drink human blood, losing all reason."
Siniang mulled it over. "Hmm, that actually sounds pretty good. Would his lifespan increase?"
"Theoretically, as long as there's a sufficient supply of fresh human blood, he could live for over a hundred years."
"Hey, that's not out of the question. Alas, there's one problem: if My lord loses his sanity, and we... lick up to him, would he still feel anything?"
A Ming pondered for a moment. "If a person feeds a dog long enough, the dog will still wag its tail at them."
"Let's get back to the matter at hand," Blind Bei couldn't help but interrupt. Damn it! This is utterly disrespectful!
Everyone in the pavilion instinctively straightened their backs.
Blind Bei nodded with satisfaction, as if he could actually see.
"The topic for tonight's group meeting is..." Blind Bei poured the wine from his cup onto the table. The liquid, seemingly guided by an unseen force, floated into the air and formed a word: Cultivation.
"Liang Cheng, start by telling us about My lord's cultivation progress these past few days."
Liang Cheng had been overseeing Zheng Fan's training these past few days, so naturally, he was questioned first.
"My lord previously had no combat experience whatsoever. He didn't know any techniques, how to effectively use his body, and his reflexes weren't sharp enough."
Since My lord wasn't present, no one contradicted him.
"However..."
This change in Liang Cheng's tone made everyone present prick up their ears. Clearly, no one truly wanted their boss to be a good-for-nothing. Although, whether My lord was useless or not, everyone would continue to respect him, protect him, care for him, and lick up to him as always.
"My lord's strength is considerable."
"How great is it?" A Ming asked.
"It hasn't even been a month since My lord awakened. Logically, a body bedridden for half a year, no matter how well cared for, would suffer significant deterioration in all physical functions. Recovery would typically require at least six months of conditioning. Yet, My lord's strength is comparable to that of an adult male who regularly practices martial arts."
Xue Three pursed his lips. The image of the man My lord had decapitated with a single blow on the battlefield instantly flashed through his mind.
"Hmm, the problem likely lies here." Blind Bei gestured, and the floating word 'Cultivation' flowed into his mouth as if he drank it. He then continued, "I've always wondered about the exact relationship between our power recovery and My lord. One thing is certain: we need My lord's approval. Therefore, the principle of unconditionally licking up to My lord must not be shaken."
Everyone nodded in agreement. If it weren't for power, who would willingly be a bootlicker? But if you can gain power just by licking up to someone, is there a better deal in this world? We're all adults here; no need for pretense or to be overly sensitive.
"The issue is, while all of our powers have recovered somewhat, I, for one, have tried various methods but haven't been able to increase my power even slightly beyond this recovered baseline."
"Mm."
"Mm."
Everyone present nodded. Their craving for power was beyond what any ordinary person could imagine. They didn't care for money or fame; all they valued was being free and unrestrained. And without power, one simply couldn't be free.
"Blind Bei, what have you discovered? Spit it out," Siniang said.
"My guess is that the extent of our power recovery is most likely linked to My lord's own strength."
"What do you mean?" Xue Three asked, somewhat confused.
Siniang, however, frowned slightly, lost in thought. Liang Cheng remained poker-faced, while A Ming's lips quirked. In truth, no one present was a fool. It wasn't as if they hadn't considered such speculations. Even Xue Three, who asked the question—who knew if he wasn't just habitually setting the stage for Blind Bei?
"When My lord was unconscious... um, to use an analogy from online games, My lord was 'offline.' As his subordinates, we were essentially like his 'mounts'..."
"COUGH COUGH..." Siniang coughed.
"Alright, perhaps 'pets' is more accurate. It might also be because My lord was 'offline' that our own 'levels' were greyed out. We could move, but our attribute panels were grey."
"But when My lord awakened, he was, let's say, at 'Level 1'. Consequently, our 'levels' became less than or equal to Level 1."
"This baseline first requires gaining My lord's acknowledgment, somewhat like chatting with the old man at the entrance of a starter village in a game."
Everyone mulled over Blind Bei's words. A Ming was the first to speak, "So, you're saying that because My lord is still at 'Level 1'—or rather, as long as My lord's own power level doesn't increase—we'll continue to be suppressed by him?"
"That's the gist of it," Blind Bei nodded.
Just then, Fanli, the quiet man who usually focused only on eating and drinking during gatherings and meetings, said something that instantly plunged the atmosphere in the pavilion to freezing point.
Fanli first chuckled good-naturedly. He shyly scratched his head and then said, "So, if we were to kill My lord, would the restriction be lifted?"
The pavilion fell into dead silence...