Golden Core is a Star, and You Call This Cultivation?

Qi Yuan stared at the old man, and at that moment, hidden information appeared before him:

[Chen Kangbao, age 67, former Artisan. Physique: frail. Strength: minimal.]

This pale-faced old man, named Chen Kangbao, turned out to have been an artisan.

Qi Yuan was surprised. “You’re an artisan? Can you still forge magical implements?”

Artisans generally held high status. Even if they became mentally unstable, their families would typically treat them like living relics, revered and cared for at home rather than abandoned to a madhouse.

Could Chen Kangbao, like me, have been framed and sent to the madhouse unjustly? Qi Yuan speculated. The more he observed the old man, the more it seemed that his so-called madness was nothing more than eccentric behavior.

If this counts as insanity, Qi Yuan mused, then what about someone like Purple Fate Xue?

“Divine Master…” Chen Kangbao bent over as he spoke, his frail frame resembling a withered tree. “When I’m hungry, I forget things.” He seemed genuinely convinced that Qi Yuan was a divine being.

“I’m not a divine master,” Qi Yuan refuted.

At this moment, he was merely a Purple Mansion cultivator, far from the strength needed to claim divinity.

But the old man simply chuckled, his pale face eerily glowing. “I understand. A divine one descending to the mortal world surely loses their powers and must conceal their identity.

“Master,” he continued, “your humble servant…”

Chen Kangbao adjusted his tone and demeanor, earnestly stepping into the role of a devoted retainer.

However, Qi Yuan noticed that veins bulged ominously on Chen Kangbao’s neck, the blood vessels faintly darkened as though tainted by some unknown force.

“Don’t rush. Speak slowly,” Qi Yuan said, watching him closely.

Finally, Chen Kangbao ground his teeth and uttered through clenched jaws:

“Your servant… is starving!”

Qi Yuan sighed, his expression neutral.

“You truly live up to your name, Kangbao. Alright, fine. Honestly, I’m a bit hungry myself. Let’s head to the kitchen and grab some food.”

Stretching lazily, Qi Yuan followed the old man.

Now that he was in this game, he was limited to the frail body of a mere mortal. Even in a confrontation with an ordinary robust man, he would have to rely on his skills to eke out a victory. Against supernatural foes like Weapon Wielders or Spectral Beings, his chances were slim to none.

“Follow me, Master! I know where the kitchen is!” Chen Kangbao quickly embraced his role, sneaking ahead like a seasoned thief.

The madhouse at night was oppressively dark, illuminated only by a few dim red lanterns hanging along the corridors.

The eerie silence added to the unsettling atmosphere. Chen Kangbao’s pale complexion, lit by the crimson glow of the lanterns, was terrifying enough to make even the most iconic horror characters seem tame.

As they made their way, Qi Yuan noticed several genuinely insane residents:

• One was hanging upside down from a tree, sleeping.
• Another was fishing in the dead of night, though there wasn’t even water nearby.

It was clear that this madhouse housed more than its fair share of eccentric individuals.

Before long, Chen Kangbao led Qi Yuan to the kitchen.

Qi Yuan hesitated. “Aren’t we sneaking in like thieves?”

“Master, the food in the madhouse is meant for us to eat. We’re just eating ahead of time!” Chen Kangbao argued, drooling as he spoke.

It was clear the old man was truly hungry.

“You have a point,” Qi Yuan conceded with a nod.

Although the kitchen door was locked, opening it was child’s play for someone with Qi Yuan’s skills.

Inside, Chen Kangbao immediately pounced on the food like a starving wolf, ravenously devouring cold rice, steamed buns, and anything he could get his hands on.

Qi Yuan, by contrast, sipped some porridge and ate a few buns before feeling satisfied.

Meanwhile, Chen Kangbao continued to eat voraciously, as though trying to fill a bottomless pit.

After about a quarter of an hour, Qi Yuan looked at him and asked calmly, “Are you full now?”

Chen Kangbao’s stomach was so round it looked as if he was pregnant.

“Following you, Master, ensures I’ll never go hungry again. Heh… about 60% full,” the old man replied, letting out a loud belch before straightening his posture. “Master, now that we’ve eaten, it’s time to get down to business!”

Though his words were serious, his pale face and grotesque expressions made him look more like a deranged clown than an earnest strategist.

“You’re right. I need to properly assume my roles as a son-in-law, a cleaver, and… ‘Godly Descent.’”

Playing the roles of the son-in-law and cleaver seemed straightforward enough, but Qi Yuan still had no idea how to approach the role of Godly Descent.

For now, his priority was to return to Jian’an Prefecture.

However, his current predicament—framed for “defiling” Liu Widow and subsequently thrown into the madhouse—pointed to a larger conspiracy.

What was the true agenda?

Lost in thought, Qi Yuan felt his head ache. He turned to Chen Kangbao and asked nonchalantly, “Old man, are you smart?”

Chen Kangbao immediately rubbed his stomach and replied, “I’m smart when I’m full!”

“Alright, let me test you. What’s 97 times 97?”

“9409!” Chen Kangbao answered instantly, without even pausing to think.

Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up. “What a talent! Old man, your brainpower is impressive!

“A question like this would stump the average college student back on Bluestar. Give Zhuge Liang a million students like you, and he’d have conquered the North long ago!

“You’re smarter than a college graduate. Your mind is a valuable asset. Would you like to be my strategist?”

Chen Kangbao licked his lips. “I’ll do it if there’s food involved!”

“Deal!” Qi Yuan agreed, relieved to have found a teammate in this strange game.

As they planned, Qi Yuan couldn’t help but notice Chen Kangbao’s peculiar sense of humor.

The old man suddenly whispered, “Master, where do you keep your bird—left or right?”

“What bird?” Qi Yuan was momentarily confused.

Then he noticed the old man glancing at his trousers.

Realizing what Chen Kangbao was referring to, Qi Yuan sighed.

“Master,” Chen Kangbao explained, “I’m your strategist, and you’re my lord. For the sake of appearances, your bird can’t be on the same side as mine!”

“…We don’t need to worry about such things,” Qi Yuan replied, exasperated.

After a moment, he added, “And from now on, keep your comments more appropriate. You’re my strategist, not a jester.”

“Yes, Master. Understood!” Chen Kangbao straightened up, his demeanor becoming more serious. “Now that you’ve entrusted me with such a high honor, I must repay your trust.

“Currently, we’re both trapped in this madhouse. The only way out is to kill the director! That old man is as rotten as his own festering scalp!”

When he mentioned the director, Chen Kangbao’s tone was filled with both hatred and fear.

“Alright, go on. I’m listening,” Qi Yuan said, ready to delegate the thinking.

“As your strategist, I’ve devised a detailed plan!”

<hr>

Chen Kangbao’s Three-Step Plan:

1. Lure the Dog Away: Using a bone, Chen Kangbao would distract the director’s fierce beast, a black-and-white Mutated Dog that had reportedly swallowed a full-grown man whole.
2. Assassinate the Director: Qi Yuan would sneak into the director’s quarters, kill him, and take the Beast-Control Token.
3. Uncover the Conspiracy: Using the Beast-Control Token, they’d identify the mastermind behind the framing and exact revenge.

<hr>

“This plan… it’s brilliant!” Qi Yuan praised, impressed by the old man’s ingenuity.

Chen Kangbao, however, looked slightly confused.

“Meow meow meow?”

He silently wondered if his master’s true form was that of a divine feline but wisely kept his thoughts to himself.

That night, they began Qi Yuan’s “training regimen.” Armed with a lantern, he waded into the muddy shores of the madhouse pond, where swarms of mosquitoes buzzed.

Slap after slap, he smote countless insects, earning small but steady increments of experience.

By dawn, Qi Yuan had leveled up to Level 2, his physical strength noticeably improved.

“Master, do we execute the plan now?” Chen Kangbao asked, eager to act.

At that moment, a mocking voice interrupted them:

“Two madmen plotting to kill me? How amusing.”

Qi Yuan looked up to see the director, an old man leading a massive Mutated Dog.

The dog was enormous, standing as tall as a teenager, its black-and-white fur slick with filth. Its eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty glint, and its wide, foul-smelling tongue lolled out of its mouth.

This dog… was a serious problem.

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