"What?" Lu Zihan and Ren Yi both gaped in surprise.
"What's with those looks?" Lu Qing laughed at the sight of the two boys looking like they had never seen the world before.
"When we Anomalies do things, why would we need to be as tedious as Humans?"
"There are Anomalies in this world that feed on knowledge or memories. Since various rules and abilities can be condensed into crystals, why shouldn't knowledge and memories be the same?"
She further explained, "This crystal won't increase your rank progress, but it can pour the knowledge it contains directly into your minds."
"However, you'll still have to review and organize it yourselves afterward to truly master it."
"This... must be very expensive, right?" Ren Yi couldn't help but ask again.
Even without guessing, he knew that Anomalies that fed on knowledge and memories must be extremely rare.
And those capable of condensing knowledge into crystals were the cream of the crop among them.
"Zihan's father made them, so they're free." A proud smile appeared on Lu Qing's face. "Otherwise, why did you think our family was so wealthy?"
"Uncle Zhou... is amazing," Ren Yi said sincerely.
He had met Lu Zihan's father before he awakened.
In his memory, the man was a refined, middle-aged man with a thin mustache. He never expected him to be such a powerhouse.
A powerhouse was right by my side all along!
Ren Yi immediately turned to Lu Zihan and patted his shoulder. "Young Master, I'm sticking with you from now on!"
With that, he unhesitatingly tossed the energy crystal into his mouth.
The crystal looked hard, but it had the texture of ice cream, melting the moment it touched his tongue.
The next second, Ren Yi felt as if a heavy bundle had been placed in his mind.
When he focused his mind to perceive it, the 'bundle' instantly unfurled. A massive amount of knowledge surged into his mind like a trickling stream, incredibly clear.
"Alright, you can do your reviewing when you rest," Lu Qing clapped her hands.
"Let's head downstairs now. Everyone is ready for the feast."
Ren Yi quickly withdrew his focus, stopping the organization of the knowledge in his head, and followed Lu Qing and Lu Zihan back to the first floor of the wooden building.
The moment he entered the main hall, Ren Yi was stunned by the sight.
The hall at this moment could only be described as a chaotic assembly of monsters.
It seemed all the Anomalies in the Lu Family Courtyard had gathered here.
Fu Ye was the most orderly one present, dressed in a dark, perfectly pressed robe, standing with his hands at his sides by the staircase.
Seeing Lu Qing lead the two down, he immediately bowed. "Madam, Young Master," he said in a steady voice.
The dining table had been prepared by A-mu into an 'unprecedented spectacle.'
The 'spectacle' here referred to the fact that the various cups and plates on the table were stacked high like small mountains, reaching from the tabletop into the air. Anything that couldn't fit was simply piled on the floor.
The food on the plates was all sorts of bizarre; Ren Yi had never even seen most of them.
A-mu had also revealed a bit of her Anomaly form. Her originally honest smile was stretched into an exaggerated grin that almost reached the back of her head. Her eyes, however, were full of warm laughter as she busied herself with the final touches on the last few dishes.
The floor was even livelier. Five or six round watermelons were piled together, bumping into each other like bouncy balls.
Each rind was printed with a mischievous human face, and the sounds of "hee hee hee" laughter rose and fell.
Only, they lacked the soul-piercing quality from before, making them look rather comical.
The main entrance was blocked tight by a massive Wutong Tree.
The tree looked as if it had just been uprooted from the mud, its gnarled roots exposed and supporting it like octopus tentacles as it 'stood' on the ground.
It was simply too large; the eaves of the door barely reached its canopy, pinning it firmly outside. It could only pathetically extend a dozen or so emerald vines into the hall, waving them slowly as if to join the fun.
Perhaps due to his first impression, Ren Yi looked at the stuck Wutong Tree and felt it was somehow... pitiful.
Wait, was someone missing?
Ren Yi scanned the room and finally spotted a black-and-white striped fox-like creature in the shadow of a pile of plates.
It was the Shadow Anomaly that had been curled in Lu Qing's arms earlier. It was huddled in the shadows, its ruby-like eyes staring intently at the food on the plates, looking ready to pounce.
"Everyone has worked hard." Lu Qing clapped her hands. Her voice was gentle yet piercing, instantly quieting the noise in the hall. "Thank you all for looking after Zihan and Xiao Yi during this time. I won't waste time with pleasantries. Let's eat!"
The scene went quiet for a brief moment before erupting into total chaos the next second.
Ren Yi watched as the various Anomalies lunged at the food, each using their own special abilities.
A-mu's mouth, which stretched to the back of her head, suddenly opened wide, vacuuming up the dishes on the table like a bottomless pit. The watermelons rolled over to the plates, using the mouths on their rinds to crunch through the food. The Wutong Tree's vines flexibly coiled around plates, sending food into its trunk...
He finally understood why A-mu had revealed her Anomaly form. It was simple: her mouth was huge.
Following Lu Qing's signal, Ren Yi and Lu Zihan quickly joined in.
He picked up something that looked like a green chicken leg, took a bite, and his eyes lit up.
The taste was excellent, somewhat like perilla bullfrog. After swallowing, a warm current flowed down his throat into his stomach, making his whole body feel warm and cozy. He even felt a faint sense of relaxation that made him want to reveal his True Form.
These ingredients probably weren't cheap either.
Ren Yi quickly ate a few bites to line his stomach, grabbed a bottle of shimmering drink, and found the black-and-white fox—the Shadow Anomaly—burying its head in the food pile.
Sensing someone approaching, the Shadow Anomaly immediately stood up on its hind legs in alert, its front paws guarding the food beneath it as its ruby eyes glared at Ren Yi warily.
Ren Yi hurriedly explained, "Ahem, well, Senior... I came to apologize for my previous behavior. I was a bit too into character back then and accidentally overdid it."
"Oh, you're here to apologize."
Seeing that he wasn't there to steal food, the Shadow Anomaly instantly relaxed and spoke in human tongue.
What came out of that furry fox face was actually a deep, gravelly voice like a middle-aged man's.
"What's there to apologize for? It's not your fault," it said indistinctly, its mouth still stuffed with food.
"It was I who didn't do my job well. I'm the one who should reflect. Don't call me Senior, that's too formal. Just call me Lord Cha!"
Ren Yi was stunned by the gravelly voice and the name.
Lord Cha? So he really is a Cha?
It seemed that in his distant memories, there was indeed some sort of inexplicable connection between watermelon patches and the creature known as a Cha.
Before he could think further, Lord Cha sat down boisterously on the pile of food behind him. His front paws moved like they were on double speed as he shoved food into his mouth, saying indistinctly, "To be honest, kid, you've got a good head on your shoulders."
"But don't get cocky. Madam lowered the Instance difficulty on purpose for you two this time. We were all bound by rules. Next time, I'll definitely let you see Lord Cha's true capabilities!"
Ren Yi sat down on a nearby pile of food following his lead and took the opportunity to flatter him.
"Of course. Your ability is amazing, Lord Cha. You brought down that flying one in an instant. Could you give me a hint? What is your ability? Is it related to shadows?"
Rate on N.U.
