As the first rays of morning sunlight spilled gently through the window, Yu Sheng opened his eyes, only to behold four Irene dolls sprawled haphazardly across his bed.

Half of his body dangled precariously off the edge.

To be fair, a single 66.6-cm doll didn’t occupy much space. Even if she rotated a full three hundred and sixty degrees in her sleep, the disturbance would still be minimal. But four dolls tumbling around was an entirely different story—each night was like enduring twenty sets of drunken martial arts, punctuated occasionally by surprise flying kicks and headbutts. Anyone would find this unbearable.

Thinking about the barrage of punches and kicks he’d suffered overnight, Yu Sheng sighed deeply, questioning if agreeing so readily to make new bodies for this little doll was a grave mistake. Groaning with an aching back, he pushed himself upright from the edge of the bed, ready to go brush his teeth, when sleepy mutterings rose behind him:

“Morning… yawn…”

“I dreamt I got into a fight.”

“Why are you up so early today?”

“I’m wrapped up in the blankets! Help, get me out!”

Yu Sheng sighed again, turned back, and pulled free the small figure squirming helplessly beneath the covers. While doing so, he grumbled, “You really need to sleep somewhere else, or at least spread out your bodies a bit.”

Immediately, he was met with a four-fold chorus of protest (it used to be only three):

“Why? Your room is so big—can’t I even have a small corner?”

Yu Sheng glared back, exasperated. “Look at how many bodies you have now! My bed, plus the bedside table, can barely hold you. I was practically sleeping on the floor this morning!”

At his words, the Irene dolls glanced around, looking at one another with embarrassed faces and scratching their heads in unison. “Hey, don’t be so strict… Let’s make do for now. When I have even more bodies, I promise I’ll put a few up in the attic.”

“No more excuses! I’ll order some doll storage boxes online later. From now on, keep one main body on the bed—the rest of you, into the boxes,” Yu Sheng waved his hand dismissively, cutting off Irene’s babbling, “Goodness, you’re silently taking over my sleep space…”

Predictably, a four-channel chorus of whining erupted again from the dolls.

However, Yu Sheng knew from experience that if he ignored her for three minutes, peace would return to the world.

His strategy worked perfectly once more—by the time he finished washing up, Irene seemed to have completely forgotten the threat of being packed into boxes. She was happily scurrying around the room again.

But one of the dolls clearly lagged behind the others, noticeably slower in her movements.

Surprised, Yu Sheng asked, “Your Pro max body hasn’t recovered yet?”

“It’s mostly fine now, just heavier than the others,” Pro Irene stopped her morning run and stretched slowly, muttering thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s because I overused energy last time? I probably need to be fully charged to recover completely…”

“Your recharge speed is ridiculously slow,” Yu Sheng instinctively frowned. “You’ve been charging since yesterday, and you’re still not at full energy?”

Hearing his complaint, Irene threw up her hands helplessly. “It’s not like I can do anything about it! I don’t understand that ‘Ancient Method of Cultivation’ Foxy talked about, nor do I know how to gather spiritual energy from nature. And I can’t eat stuff like Foxy to refine spiritual power either—maybe I should just chew on a power cord?”

Yu Sheng laughed instantly. “Go ahead, try chewing one. Once you’re charred, I’ll toss you into the washing machine.”

The little doll let out a shriek and lunged at him. However, due to her sluggish reflexes, she slipped as soon as she jumped, skidding flat onto the floor at Yu Sheng’s feet.

Completely accustomed to her antics, Yu Sheng casually scooped her up and cleaned her off. Afterward, though, he found himself distracted, staring absentmindedly out the window.

Irene had already forgotten her indignation and grew curious instead. “What are you looking at?”

“I don’t know why,” Yu Sheng hesitated, “but ever since I woke up today, I’ve felt a bit uneasy.”

“Your Spiritual Intuition acting up again?”

“No, it’s not Spiritual Intuition, just a gut feeling,” Yu Sheng concentrated briefly before shaking his head. “But I don’t sense danger exactly, probably not something bad.”

Irene pondered this and suddenly brightened. “Want me to perform a divination for you?”

Yu Sheng was startled. “You can do that?!”

“Of course! I’m an Alice Doll, my Mysticism stat is maxed out!” Irene proudly patted her chest. Immediately, her four bodies ran to the bedside table, coordinatedly opened a drawer, and took out a deck of playing cards. Then they sat in a circle on the floor, shuffling and drawing cards solemnly, chanting while they worked:

“I’m telling you, my divination skills are incredible. Card divination and crystal divination are just the basics—I can even do Divination by Divine Wine! First, you get a golden goblet—a gold-plated one is fine, then pour sacred wine—or cooking wine if needed—then you light special incense—or mosquito coils will work—and watch the visions form in the wine…”

Yu Sheng stood quietly beside the tiny doll, Irene, listening to her endless murmuring. After some time, he grew doubtful. “…But why does it look to me like you’re just playing Landlord against yourself?”

“You don’t understand!” Irene—though Yu Sheng wasn’t sure exactly which Irene this was—threw the cards onto the floor. “Divination with cards isn’t about the cards themselves, but about the seer’s insight into destiny! For example, I just read from this game that you’ll face a Bloody Calamity today…”

Hearing that, Yu Sheng instantly relaxed.

[Well, she says I’ll face a Bloody Calamity every single day.]

Meanwhile, at an intersection near Wutong Road No. 66, a tall, handsome young man in casual clothes calmly stepped out from an alley. He walked forward a short way, only to see the road abruptly end, opening into an empty, deserted lot.

“This should be the place…” He paused for a moment, took out a note from his pocket, and examined it closely. “Yes, the address matches perfectly…”

He tucked away the note, glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then cupped his fists respectfully toward the vacant lot. With practiced ease, one hand swept across his eyes while the other swiftly formed several hand seals. His aura subtly shifted, and mystical strands of faint, glowing light emerged, swirling around his pupils.

He opened his eyes, carefully scanning the emptiness before him.

Yet, before he saw anything hidden there, two figures rushed out from a small building marked as a parcel drop-off, sprinting toward him like a gust of wind. They shouted urgently, “Hey! Hey! Stop right there! Don’t move!” “Restricted zone! Restricted zone! Got your permit?”

The young man froze instantly, completely bewildered.

After a brief exchange, he stared blankly at the two Special Affairs Bureau Operatives assigned temporarily to guard this place.

“You’re saying you registered with the Special Affairs Bureau to visit the owner of Wutong Road No. 66?” one of the younger operatives asked, eyes stern.

The young man quickly produced his identification papers. “Yes, exactly! Here’s my permit, signed personally by your Director…”

The operatives examined the documents closely, then confirmed the situation with their phones. After verifying everything, they handed back the permit but still looked puzzled. “You just came here by yourself? Alone?”

“Yes.” The handsome youth nodded confidently. Then he quickly added, “Well, I visited Boundary City some years ago, so I roughly know my way around the Old City District. Besides, this was a private matter arranged by my Esteemed Master; I didn’t want to trouble your Bureau too much. That’s why I handled the paperwork and came alone.”

He paused briefly, then sighed in admiration, “But I never expected the Eminent One’s concealment arts to be this profound, even surrounded by forbidden zones… I’ve been reckless.”

“You sure have!” the second operative groaned, clearly frustrated. “At least check carefully next time! Within a hundred-meter radius of Wutong Road No. 66, activating supernatural powers or using unconventional methods to spy or probe is strictly forbidden. There are warning signs painted all over the nearby intersections! Didn’t you see them?”

The young man looked embarrassed. “…I got here using World Condensing Steps.”

The two operatives glanced awkwardly at each other, muttering quietly:

“I told you we should put those warning signs farther away—a hundred meters isn’t enough.”

“Just moving signs won’t solve the issue. We might need to apply for a disturbance generator from above.”

“That works too… but aren’t we switching shifts in a couple days?”

“Still, let’s file a report first. Got to leave a paper trail.”

“Excuse me…” The handsome young man had waited patiently but finally couldn’t help interjecting. “Could you perhaps inform them first? My master’s orders…”

“Oh, right, right, sorry,” one operative finally remembered, nodding hurriedly. “Please hold on. I’ll call inside the house right away.”

Soon after, the young man stood at the edge of the vacant lot, staring in confusion at a peculiar floor tile. Painted clearly in red were the words: “Beware when Door opens,” fresh enough that a tuft of silvery fur was stuck at one corner—likely from some passing cat or dog whose tail had brushed the paint.

Even now, he couldn’t sense any hidden dwelling or mystical aura whatsoever.

[The Eminent One truly lives up to his reputation…]

Just as he inwardly sighed in admiration, a Door suddenly appeared before him without any sign or warning. Quietly, simply, the ordinary-looking Door opened, revealing an equally ordinary-looking figure.

Xuan Che gazed solemnly at the Eminent One standing in the Doorway.

Yu Sheng stared back at this strikingly handsome fellow.

For several long seconds, neither spoke.

Then—

“You?!”

“Holy—Bloody Calamity!”