Chapter 3 Human Females

What’s the big deal about someone showing off by piling up millions in paper money on Weibo? Can it compare to flaunting a Mountain of Gold? Sparkling and dazzling, blindingly radiant—that’s the allure of gold, driving people mad!

Not to mention others, even Zhou Yimin had once experienced poverty. Back then, he too had fantasized about a Mountain of Gold appearing before him—daydreaming isn’t a crime, right? But when a Mountain of Gold, even a miniature one, truly appeared before him, it sent a jolt through his entire body.

This feeling of a daydream coming true…

Just as Zhou Yimin was getting lost in the moment, he suddenly realized—no matter how dazzling, this Mountain of Gold wasn’t his! Why was he getting so worked up? Watching the pile grow taller, threatening to collapse the floor, he finally panicked and hurriedly stopped it: “No, no, Master Yan! Stop taking more out! Please, stop!”

Yan Zhen’s hand paused inside his sleeve as he tilted his head to look at him. “Enough?”

Zhou Yimin swallowed hard, stammering, “Y-yes, enough. Definitely enough.”

He quickly did the math in his head. Though each Gold brick was only palm-sized, they were thick—each weighing about two kilograms. With the current market price of gold at 360 to 370 yuan per gram, this pile of over a hundred bricks was easily worth over a hundred million yuan. With over a billion in gold bricks, as long as he didn’t invest in some massive project, it should be more than enough, right?

Yan Zhen, trusting this human before him, stated his purpose: “I want to buy a house.”

Zhou Yimin immediately felt a bit of pressure.

A… house? For an ordinary person, this would be more than enough. But Master Yan was no ordinary figure—he couldn’t just recommend some commoner’s dwelling, could he? It had to be a top-tier luxury property. This pile of gold bricks worth over a hundred million… might not actually be enough. If only he hadn’t stopped him earlier—if the floor couldn’t handle it, they could’ve just moved to another spot and built another Mountain of Gold, right?

“What kind of house are you looking for?” Zhou Yimin cleared his throat, trying to sound professional. “For example, how big, what style, preferred location, any environmental requirements?”

Yan Zhen, finding this human reliable, answered honestly: “I want a Street-facing shop with a courtyard in the back and living quarters. The shop doesn’t need to be big, but the courtyard shouldn’t be too small. The rest is flexible.”

Zhou Yimin considered this and felt it was manageable, immediately relaxing. “No problem, Master Yan. You can stay at my place for now. I’ll arrange your ID in the next couple of days and then scout for shops. Don’t worry—I’ll get it done as quickly as possible.”

Yan Zhen smiled. “Thank you.”

Zhou Yimin was flustered by the gratitude. “No need, no need! I’ll head out now to find someone to liquidate this Mountain of Gold for you.”

The appearance of the Mountain of Gold had further motivated Zhou Yimin. The fact that Gold bricks could be shaken out of sleeves only confirmed the authenticity of this master. To firmly secure this golden opportunity, he had to prove his competence!

After bidding Yan Zhen farewell, Zhou Yimin stepped out. As he walked, he suddenly remembered the master’s lack of self-sufficiency. After some thought, he made a call: “Yes, it’s me. Your uncle.”

“Xiaozi, come over here. For the next few days, I need you to help me entertain a grandmaster. Yes, a truly remarkable grandmaster. Don’t you dare doubt it—your uncle’s life was saved thanks to this master’s intervention…”

“Yes, that’s right, no more bad luck. How else could he be called a grandmaster?”

“Bring out the same enthusiasm you use when serving celebrities. Don’t let me down, understand? A scam? No, he has no need for that. A single hair from his leg is thicker than your uncle’s waist. You’ll see when you come to my place—it’ll shock you.”

“Remember, be respectful. He’s very old-school in his ways. Don’t mess around and annoy him, got it?”

As he spoke, his voice gradually faded into the distance.

Yan Zhen, sitting on the sofa, twitched his ears slightly, curious. A male human was sending a female human to entertain him? He felt conflicted. The female humans who could climb the mountain were all quite fierce. But… humans did love gold, and that was good—he had no shortage of gold.

Lost in thought, Yan Zhen absentmindedly turned and took a step.

*Crack.*

Spiderweb-like fissures spread outward from beneath his feet, rubble and sand crumbling and scattering. Just as they were about to fall on his head, an invisible force repelled every last grain, leaving him untouched.

Yan Zhen’s expression stiffened. Again…

A surge of power emanated from his feet, smoothing out the cracks in the floor and the unseen fractures within the house.

Yan Zhen exhaled softly, carefully shifting himself back onto the sofa and sitting down with extreme caution. He picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

So fragile. How frustrating.

On the screen—

A girl clung to the arm of a tall, handsome young man as they strolled through the streets, chatting intimately.

“Brother Qi, did you know? Zhenbao Pavilion has new jewelry in stock—it’s especially beautiful! My birthday is coming up, won’t you buy me a set? Mom and Dad say I’ve bought too much already and won’t get me any more!”

“Really? I don’t believe Aunt and Uncle would refuse you.”

“Trust me! It’s true, it’s true! Buy it for me, please…”

“Alright, but just this once.”

Yan Zhen stared intently at the TV, earnestly mimicking the lines.

“Did you know? Jewelry… birthday coming up…”

“Buy it for me!”

“… Trust me? Really?”

“Just this once.”

This TV was excellent. When he first emerged, he had seen it playing in a shop and learned so much from it. Now that he’d found it again, he had to keep studying.

He wasn’t some old-fashioned stick-in-the-mud. The human world was always changing, and he needed to keep up, to blend in.

·

Two hours later, Zhou Yimin called, explaining that his niece would be coming over to assist Grandmaster Yan. Yan Zhen agreed, though with some reservations.

A knock sounded at the door. He went to open it.

Instantly, a burst of youthful energy flooded in—a girl’s voice, brimming with vitality and loud enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

“Grandmaster Yan, hello! I’m Liu Xiaozi! For the next few days, I’ll be your personal assistant. Please guide me well!” The petite girl bowed at a perfect right angle, her voice even louder. “I’ll do my absolute best to serve you!”

Yan Zhen’s head buzzed, momentarily dazed. “Ah? Oh… come in.”

Liu Xiaozi immediately straightened up and got a clear look at Yan Zhen’s face. Her round cheeks instantly flushed red.

So, so handsome!!

Yan Zhen looked at Liu Xiaozi, who was clenching her fists, and blinked—this human female didn’t seem very fierce, but she was acting strangely? Well, different species probably had trouble understanding each other.

With that, he turned and entered the house first.

Liu Xiaozi quickly regained her composure and followed him inside.

The moment she stepped through the door, her eyes locked onto the dazzling golden pile in the corner of the living room, unable to look away.

Her reaction was even more exaggerated than her uncle’s—

“G-Gold?! A mountain of gold?!!” Her voice shot up an octave.

Yan Zhen shuddered and rubbed his ears.

…Human females were truly unfathomable.

·

“Great Master, look! The movie screen here is dozens of times bigger than a home TV, super clear! There are tickets available right now—romance, adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, art films, you name it! Just say the word, and I’ll book them immediately!”

“This is the zoo. Our City B Zoo is the biggest, with all kinds of rare species. Why don’t you go in and take a look?”

“Amusement park! So much fun! Who says it’s just for kids? Look, there are plenty of adults there too. Everyone’s got a childlike heart these days, right?”

“You absolutely can’t miss this place—the food is amazing! Their ancestors were imperial chefs! You’d regret not going…”

Liu Xiaozi was an excellent life assistant, with no flaws except for being a bit loud. Under her guidance, Yan Zhen explored many places in City B and sampled delicacies from all over.

Yan Zhen found the modern world far more interesting than before and quickly became enamored with all kinds of novelties. His favorite was the big-screen movies—he watched at least one every day.

During this time, Zhou Yimin also worked efficiently. Within a few days, he had all the necessary identification documents prepared for Yan Zhen, officially removing his “undocumented” status. A little over a week later, Zhou Yimin called to inform Yan Zhen that a suitable house had been found.

·

When the call came, Yan Zhen had just stepped out of the cinema. Liu Xiaozi followed closely beside him. She knew her days as the beauty’s life assistant were coming to an end. While feeling wistful, she couldn’t help but ask curiously in a hushed voice, “Great Master, why do you love romance movies so much?” Throughout this period, Yan Zhen had exclusively watched romantic idol films, which puzzled her greatly.

Yan Zhen answered earnestly, “I’m learning.”

Liu Xiaozi’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Master Yan had fallen for someone and was gathering experience? Nervously, she asked, “What are you learning, Master?”

Yan Zhen replied, “Learning how to speak.”

Liu Xiaozi grew even more anxious. Learning how to speak? Sweet nothings?

Having spent time with Liu Xiaozi, Yan Zhen found this human female different from those in his memories—attentive and meticulous in her service. He felt quite fond of her and saw no reason to hide the truth. Lowering his voice, he said, “I need to learn how to coax my treasure.”

So it was true! Who on earth could be considered a treasure by Master Yan? Liu Xiaozi’s heart shattered.

However, Yan Zhen sighed, his handsome face filled with grief and indignation: “I woke up to find my treasure gone! It must have been stolen! I calculated—it’s in this direction. It’s all my fault for sleeping so soundly. Someone took him away, and I didn’t even notice. He must hate me now—I failed to protect him! I need to learn better words… If he… if he doesn’t forgive me… I… I’ll…”

Liu Xiaozi’s heart twisted as if wringing a handkerchief. Oh no, Master Yan must have been deceived. Stolen? That person definitely ran away! How ungrateful, not knowing how lucky they were!

At that moment, Yan Zhen finished his sentence: “I’ll lock him up.”

Liu Xiaozi’s sorrowful mood abruptly froze, and she stared at Yan Zhen with horror—”Huh?”

Wait… was something off here?

Yan Zhen smiled gently and handed Liu Xiaozi a piece of Five-colored Jade Stone.

Liu Xiaozi was dumbfounded, still struggling to process everything.

Yan Zhen: “Wear it close to you. You’ve worked hard accompanying me these days—consider this your reward.”

Liu Xiaozi stiffly reached out to take it. “…Oh, you’re too kind.”

And… just like that, the topic changed?

She didn’t dare press further.

Now, under the bright sunlight, Master Yan stood there, refreshing as a breeze, still as breathtaking as ever.

But…

Liu Xiaozi couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that this ethereally beautiful figure was suddenly shrouded in a thick, ominous shadow…

Terrifying.