The Programmer Cultivator

”Trying to run? In your dreams! You really think you can come and go as you please? Do you take this for a public market?” Zhang Deming’s expression darkened. Even in the city, he decided to unleash his power.

Rune Summoning: Spirit Nurturing Summoning Technique - Qu Qingxian!

Rune Technique: Enhancement Skill!

Zhang Deming waved his hand, and a sphere of light appeared, merging directly into his body. His aura surged rapidly.

Fueled by the surge in Zhang Deming’s aura, the still-forming Array Light Curtain rapidly completed itself and closed shut.

Within the Array, an illusory window materialized before the Light Gate, attempting to block Zhang Deming.

The Array’s Light Curtain and the illusory window trembled in unison. The Light Curtain Zhang Deming had just created shattered instantly, but the illusory window shattered along with it.

Sheng Yucai had just dived through the Light Gate, his figure barely vanishing. The moment the window shattered, the Light Gate was caught in the backlash. It trembled a few times before shattering into a shower of Spiritual Light.

Sheng Yucai fell out from the shower of Spiritual Light. He looked at the completely unchanged surroundings, and his face turned green.

Zhang Deming watched the man and mouse tumble out, his expression grim. He waved his hand again, and an Array Light Curtain formed even faster, trapping the pair. At the same time, a Water Dragon materialized and swam toward them.

Sheng Yucai saw that Zhang Deming’s aura had now reached the level of Duality, and his pupils shrank. Without another moment of hesitation, a Rune emerged between his brows. The Compass before him spun wildly as he spat a mouthful of Essence Blood onto it.

”A square pond before the front door foretells that deeds will go awry;

If wealth can be traded for disaster’s plight, let an anomaly open a path of flight!”

An illusory pond appeared before them.

The white mouse stared at the pond, its expression stiffening. ”You...”

”Do it now!” Sheng Yucai roared, his voice and expression severe.

The white mouse’s face twitched, but it didn’t hesitate. It tore the small, pendant-like charm—the only one it wore—from its neck and tossed it into the pond.

The illusory pond and the Compass both flashed with light. The pond instantly expanded to the size of a bathtub. As Spiritual Light surged from the Compass and its needle jumped, the man and mouse transformed into streaks of light and disappeared into the device.

PLOP...

With a soft splash, the Compass fell into the bathtub-sized pond and went still.

The Water Dragon, which was halfway to its target, lost its mark. It paused for a moment, then whipped its tail at the pond.

The pond dissolved into a shower of Spiritual Light, revealing a miniature pendant floating at its center.

Zhang Deming paused, slightly taken aback. He controlled an emerald vine, making it coil around the tiny pendant.

The instant the vine touched the Protective Talisman pendant, a peculiar fluctuation spread through the area, and an enormous, illusory balance scale materialized.

A curious expression appeared on Zhang Deming’s face as he perceived the strange wave. It was just a fluctuation, yet he somehow, inexplicably, understood its meaning.

’It basically meant: Transaction complete!’

In that instant, the Protective Talisman transformed into a palm-sized pouch. The shower of Spiritual Light from the dissipated pond slowly faded away.

The Compass that had fallen into the pond, along with the man and the mouse, had all vanished without a trace.

Zhang Deming looked at the pouch on the vine. ’It’s a storage pouch!’ Recalling the peculiar fluctuation from moments before, his expression turned slightly odd.

’So, that fellow cultivates the Artifact Dao and minors in Business Dao Techniques?’

’Considering his Compass specializes in Escape techniques, did I just get tricked into a forced sale?’

Zhang Deming’s expression shifted as he looked at the storage pouch. ’I don’t think I lost out on this deal, though?’

’Well... even if it’s empty, just getting this storage pouch is a win!’

······

Outside Huayue City, over ten li away in a patch of primeval forest, a man and a mouse were abruptly spat out.

Sheng Yucai hit the ground, his legs giving out as he collapsed to his knees. The immense toll of the technique and the loss of his Essence Blood left him deathly pale and so weak he didn’t even have the strength to stand.

The white mouse that had fallen with him, however, was completely unscathed. But right now, its expression was absolutely foul.

”You...” the white mouse said, its face a mask of anguish. ”When you use a damned trick like that, couldn’t you have discussed it with me first?”

Sheng Yucai glanced at it weakly. ”Given the circumstances, if I hadn’t acted when I did, you wouldn’t even have the chance to be here agonizing over ’that bit of money.’”

”That bit of money?!!!” the white mouse shrieked. ”For the auction, I brought almost half of my entire fortune! Thousands of Spirit Stones!”

”Then why’d you throw everything in? You even tossed in the storage pouch,” Sheng Yucai said, puzzled.

”You think I wanted to? With that damned Technique of yours, I was afraid we wouldn’t escape if I threw in too little.

Based on my Perception of that guy’s fortune, I was worried that even tossing in everything wouldn’t be enough for the ’wealth-for-safety’ exchange,” the white mouse said, looking both pained and exasperated.

Sheng Yucai looked at the mouse. ”He’s really that wealthy?”

The white mouse rolled its eyes. ”If he wasn’t, why do you think I had you stand guard the moment we arrived so I could risk making a move here in Huayue City?

My Perception couldn’t get a precise reading, but I know this: his storage pouch is worth more than the two of us combined. He has a fortune of at least ten thousand Spirit Stones...”

······

As his thoughts raced, Zhang Deming took the storage pouch, stuffed it into his pocket, and only then did he turn to face the surrounding crowd.

It may seem like a lot happened, but from the building’s collapse to this moment, only a minute or two had actually passed.

As a result, many onlookers had only witnessed the frantic, final moments and had no idea what had caused it all. They simply stared at Zhang Deming; no one approached, and no one asked what had happened.