Having left the "Necromancer Symposium," Zhong Shenxiu hurried toward his hiding spot, the little girl on his back (for convenience, Zhong Shenxiu had already stashed those bags and the purchased goods in a secluded location).

"What's your name?" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly remembered he didn't even know the name of the little girl riding on his back.

"Robin," the girl whispered softly. "Robin Tranchi."

"Does it still hurt?" Zhong Shenxiu kindly inquired.

"It doesn't hurt anymore."

Zhong Shenxiu knew Robin was lying; how could a body covered in so many abscesses possibly not ache? But knowing this, Zhong Shenxiu chose not to expose the falsehood.

The hiding spot wasn't far; they reached it shortly. After securing his belongings, Zhong Shenxiu decided against returning to the town. He felt he had been out long enough for one day, and there were many things he needed to process. He resolved to return to the stone cave first.

"Hold tight, we're heading back now." Zhong Shenxiu offered a considerate warning, and then he engaged his movement technique, the "Eight Steps of the Heavenly Dragon."

Robin felt the wind rush past her ears as the scenery blurred and flashed by. The sensation was like soaring on the wind, and instinctively, she tightened her grip on Zhong Shenxiu, her curiosity about the young boy who saved her growing even deeper.

In no time at all—the time it takes to eat a meal—Zhong Shenxiu lightly returned to his small stone cave. The speed was truly undeniable.

Gently setting Robin down, he put away the items he had bought and instructed Robin not to move before heading back out. Before long, Zhong Shenxiu returned carrying a large bundle of dry firewood and soon built a blaze.

Then Zhong Shenxiu left again, this time returning with two full sacks of dry leaves.

After spreading the dry leaves to form a makeshift bed, Zhong Shenxiu said to Robin, "For tonight, you can make do sleeping here."

Without waiting for Robin’s reply, he went out again. Zhong Shenxiu spent a good portion of the day coming and going, generally returning each time laden with a pile of strange and exotic items.

On his next return, Zhong Shenxiu was carrying another full bag of things. Seeing Robin staring at him curiously, he quickly walked over, untied the sack's mouth, and asked, "Do you know what this is?"

Robin shook her head. "No."

"Then I'll tell you, and you must remember this: this is called a sweet potato. We'll eat this today. Once you've recovered, I'll take you out to dig for more of these." As he spoke, Zhong Shenxiu pulled out several sweet potatoes and tossed them into the fire.

"Do you know why I threw them into the fire? It’s to roast them. Take this stick and follow my lead." Zhong Shenxiu handed Robin a wooden stick, then picked up one for himself to demonstrate.

Robin awkwardly mimicked Zhong Shenxiu’s movements, using the stick to roll the sweet potatoes in the flames.

Time slowly passed until the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes began to drift out. Robin seemed as if she had never tasted such a thing before; she smacked her lips subconsciously and exclaimed, "It smells wonderful!"

"Smells good, doesn't it? Keep learning from me, and you’ll discover what life is truly about." Zhong Shenxiu was quite pleased with Robin's expression.

From the day's interactions, Zhong Shenxiu realized that the people in this world only knew which plants above ground were edible, possessing absolutely no knowledge of what could be found buried beneath the soil. Zhong Shenxiu sometimes wondered if this wasn't some kind of primitive era, given how severe the deficiency in knowledge seemed to be among the people here.

"See? The sweet potatoes are starting to soften now; that means they are cooked. Okay, let’s pull them out of the fire." Zhong Shenxiu patiently instructed Robin in these basic lessons, much like a teacher guiding kindergarteners.

Robin nodded noncommittally, then, imitating Zhong Shenxiu, used her stick to poke the sweet potatoes out of the embers.

"Alright, now we can eat. But not directly—watch me first, you have to peel the skin off." Zhong Shenxiu was somewhat speechless seeing Robin about to shove one into her mouth the moment he said it was ready to eat.

Finally able to eat, Robin devoured the roasted sweet potato as if she had just escaped a famine zone, wolfing it down.

"Now you know how to eat this! If you want more, roast it yourself; don't expect me to do it for you, understand? You need to start cultivating the habit of self-sufficiency from now on." Zhong Shenxiu admonished Robin, who was eating without any regard for manners.

Robin ignored Zhong Shenxiu; in her eyes, there seemed to be nothing but the sweet potato in her hand, allowing no room for anything else.

Zhong Shenxiu wore an expression of defeat, thinking to himself, It’s just one roasted sweet potato, must she be this focused!

"When you're full, go to sleep by yourself. Don't bother me unless something important comes up!" Zhong Shenxiu wasn't actually very hungry, so he was satisfied after a small piece of sweet potato. Taking advantage of the quiet time, he began practicing the "Xuanwu Art."

The pure spiritual energy, guided by an invisible force, slowly began to surge into Zhong Shenxiu's body, circulating through three full cycles before returning to the spot between his brows.

After several rounds of the "Xuanwu Art," Zhong Shenxiu stopped and stood still—this was his compulsory ritual before sleep every night.

Damn it! When Zhong Shenxiu turned around, even his profound self-control was shattered by Robin. The little imp was still eating! Didn't she fear indigestion?

"Stop eating! If you keep this up, you won't starve to death, you'll burst!" Zhong Shenxiu scolded Robin irritably.

Robin dared not disobey the master’s command, but her eyes kept lingering on the roasted sweet potatoes with reluctant longing, displaying an utterly adorable expression.

"Eating too much of this stuff isn't good for you. Now be good and go to sleep. There are plenty of these sweet potatoes; don't worry about them running out."

Although dawn was breaking, Zhong Shenxiu allowed both himself and Robin a short rest, admitting that after being busy for a whole day and night, he was indeed feeling tired.

Once lying down, neither spoke. Soon, Robin drifted into a deep sleep. From the peaceful look on her face, it was clear she was sleeping soundly, so soundly that she didn't even notice when Zhong Shenxiu got up.

When Robin woke up, Zhong Shenxiu was practicing the Eight Steps of the Heavenly Dragon with intense vitality. Countless phantom images flashed up and down, like a dreamlike dance interpreting the essence of ethereal mystique.

Robin had never witnessed such an imposing and spirited technique; she was momentarily mesmerized!

"Want to learn?" Zhong Shenxiu had already approached her, stopping his movements and standing still.

"Yes!" Robin's eyes showed undisguised yearning.

"I can teach you, but you have to be obedient."

"Robin is obedient."

"Good, that’s good!" Zhong Shenxiu paused, then added, "But first, you need to come into the city with me for a bit."