Domestic Zone: You already have a system, why join a chat group?

Chapter 3 Causal Connections↑

Bertrand Russell: "With a grateful heart, I thank you."

Han Li: "If it's useful to you, fellow Daoist, that's good."

Inside the cave, Han Li pressed his temples.

The flow of time in their different worlds is not the same. They only enter the same frequency when observing the chat group. That is, only three days have passed on Russell's side, while nearly two months have passed on his side.

To complete the task assigned to him by Russell, he has devoted himself wholeheartedly to the task for the past two months, working tirelessly day and night.

Xiao Yan: "If you ever have the chance to come to Dou Qi Continent, I'll treat you to a big meal then."

Xiao Yan was much more relaxed, since Yao Lao was the one who modified the cultivation techniques; he was just a porter of the techniques.

Russell: "Heart emoji.JPG"

After leaving the chat group, Russell turned his attention back to reality and hesitantly took out a cocoa pod.

This thing is said to be effective on elves, so it should have some effect on humans too. After all, according to the Sailor Moon, he is now considered a humanoid elf. The only problem is that cocoa fruit is from the Kingdom of Rock, so I don't know if it will be incompatible.

Without further hesitation, he opened his mouth and put the cocoa fruit into his mouth. The fruit melted instantly in his mouth, turning into a sweet, warm current that flowed down his throat.

Thump! Thump! Thump...

The sound of his heartbeat was exceptionally clear in the silent stone chamber. As the effects of the cocoa fruit began to take hold, Russell first felt a cool sensation spreading from his dantian to his limbs and bones.

it works!

A glint flashed in Russell's eyes, and the Northern Darkness True Qi in his dantian began to circulate along the meridians in a grand cycle, gradually calming down after opening up all twelve meridians in his body.

Bertrand Russell

[Life Level: White → Blue]

An unprecedented feeling of ease and fullness spread throughout my body, as if I had been freed from invisible shackles, and my five senses became much clearer.

Russell clenched his fist, feeling the Northern Darkness True Qi flowing through his meridians, and couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised. The effects of cocoa fruit were actually this good.

In the game, cocoa fruit is the lowest tier of experience fruit, providing only a mere 1000 experience points.

In reality, after taking that bite, he would believe it if you told him he had taken a minor elixir.

If cocoa beans are this effective, then kidney tonics and systolic...

As Russell was pondering this, a noise suddenly came from the cave entrance. Clang, clang—someone was knocking on the door knocker on the iron gate.

If he wasn't a time traveler, then Duan Yu would be the only one who could have come to Langhuan Paradise after Wu Yazi and Li Qiushui left.

In just a moment, Russell determined the timeline he was in. If that's the case, then he had caught up with the plot.

With a chuckle, Russell also stood up and headed towards the cave entrance.

Since Xiao Yan and the others can trigger the lottery, then Duan Yu should be able to as well.

At the entrance of the cave.

After knocking on the door, Duan Yu listened intently for a moment, but there was no response. He hesitated for a moment, then gently pushed towards the heavy iron door. Unexpectedly, the moment his hand touched the door, before he could exert any force, the iron door was pulled open from the inside.

Duan Yu stumbled, quickly regained his balance, and looked up to see a young man dressed in simple blue robes with a rather unique air standing inside the door, looking at him with a half-smile. He hurriedly cupped his hands in a bow and said, "I am Duan Yu. I have come uninvited and have trespassed into your esteemed residence. I hope the master will forgive me."

Russell emerged from the cave and had just arrived in front of Duan Yu when the system gave him a notification.

【Ding】

[The host has come into contact with the story character Duan Yu (Qing). The current causal connection is 0%, triggering a lottery draw. Do you wish to draw now?]

really.

Russell nodded to himself. It seemed he would need to interact with the important characters from the original work more often in the future.

"My name is Luo Su. I cultivate here. Young Master Duan, are you a disciple of the Wuliang Sword Sect? How did you find your way here?" Luo Su led Duan Yu into the cave and asked casually.

He had already stored all the decorations in the cave, including the jade carvings, in his system space, so he wasn't worried that Duan Yu would suddenly go mad.

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Duan Yu's face as he explained, "Young Master Luo, you may not know this, but I was actually heading to Wanjie Valley. I got lost along the way and ended up here by mistake."

"The Valley of Ten Thousand Calamities?" Russell's face revealed a playful expression. "Does Young Master Duan find life utterly meaningless and intend to end his own life?"

"How could that be!" Duan Yu shook his head repeatedly, panicking, "Young Master Luo, how could you have such thoughts? I am the only son in my family, and I am not yet married. I haven't seen enough of this beautiful land, how could I want to die?"

Russell looked puzzled: "That's really strange. Doesn't Young Master Duan know that Wanjie Valley and Gusu Mantuo Manor are two different places. One is known for its ruthless killing of anyone with the surname Duan who enters the valley, and the other is known for its fondness for burying Dali people in the ground like fertilizer."

"Such a thing is true!" Duan Yu clicked his tongue in astonishment. The connection to Dali and the surname Duan was so obvious; he'd be a fool not to guess who they were targeting. "But why? Could it be that they have some kind of grudge against the Dali Duan family?"

"I don't know the specifics, but it's said to be related to the romantic affairs of your Duan family's Prince Duan."

Alright, the case is solved now. The father's philandering has come back to haunt his son.

Duan Yu swallowed hard. He knew his father's character better than anyone. If it weren't for his womanizing, his mother wouldn't have stayed at the Jade Void Temple for so many years.

Of course, none of that matters to him. What's most important right now is what he should do.

If he didn't go to Wanjie Valley, not only would his poison take effect after seven days, but Miss Zhong would also be doomed at the hands of Sikong Xuan. However, if he did go, he would still be killed by Valley Master Zhong. The only good thing was that Miss Zhong wouldn't have to die.

Oh, Dad, you've really screwed over your son!

Russell didn't think much about what Duan Yu was thinking.

He led Duan Yu into the room, took out the silk scrolls containing the Northern Darkness Divine Skill and the Lingbo Steps, pushed them in front of Duan Yu, and said, "It is fate that we have met. I find Young Master Duan to be handsome. How about you join my Free and Unfettered Sect?"

This is not just polite talk; he has a bright future ahead of him and would never stole someone else's opportunity.

Of course, this excludes disputes over right-of-way; the main road is long, and everyone should rely on their own abilities.

Duan Yu refused without even thinking, saying, "No, no! I appreciate Young Master Luo's kindness, but I have only ever enjoyed reading the classics and studying Buddhist and Taoist teachings since I was a child. I am not only completely ignorant of martial arts, but I also have absolutely no interest in it. So, this matter of becoming a disciple is absolutely out of the question, absolutely out of the question."

"I'm not taking you as my apprentice; I'm passing on my skills and mantle to you on behalf of my master," Russell corrected.

"Isn't this the same?" Duan Yu said with a bitter face, bowing repeatedly. "Young Master Luo, please let me go. I really have no interest in practicing martial arts."

[Causal connection↑]

Current causal link: 25%

As soon as Duan Yu uttered those words, the system reacted immediately, and the causal connection increased by 25%.

Although the system didn't explicitly say so, Russell could roughly guess that this thing was probably related to a lottery.

Once this causal connection reaches 100%, the system might just unleash something big.

Russell walked and thought, his pace quickening. Duan Yu, trying to keep up, hurriedly said, "Young Master Luo, please slow down! I can't keep up!"

"Sorry, I was thinking about something." Russell snapped out of his reverie, slowed his pace, and led Duan Yu through another exit into Langhuan Paradise.

Upon arriving outside the cave, Duan Yu looked out and saw a raging torrent of water, a vast river with towering, rugged cliffs on its banks. Judging from the situation, they had reached the banks of the Lancang River.