Helping each other with countless me.

Chapter 600 looks kind of delicious, doesn't it?
The sunlight fell perfectly on his face, and his smile was refreshing, carrying a sense of relaxation he had never felt before. Liu Huizi felt a sudden stirring in her heart, as if she were seeing a boy from many years ago, before he was shrouded in gloom.

She suppressed the complex emotions surging within her, quickened her pace, and naturally walked alongside him toward the teaching building.

"How was your summer vacation? You look much better."

Liu Huizi turned her head to look at him, her tone carrying just the right amount of concern—neither too warm to avoid making him uncomfortable, nor too distant. This was the balance she had figured out over the years for getting along with her childhood sweetheart.

Since the unexpected death of Li Zhongren's parents, he sold his old house and moved away, and it's as if his soul has been taken away from him.

When they met again in high school, Liu Huizi almost didn't recognize him. The boy who used to be cheerful and playful had become silent and gloomy, with empty eyes. He seemed to have a thick barrier between himself and everyone, including her, his former neighbor and playmate.

She tried to approach him several times, but was always blocked by his cold silence. Over time, they became just nodding acquaintances in the corridor.

But she always remembered that friendship.

When she was a child, her father died in an accident, and she and her mother depended on each other for survival. Life was very difficult. Li Zhongren's family never treated them differently because of their background. Li's mother would always give her candy with a smile, and Li Zhongren would also take her, his "little shadow," to climb trees and raid bird nests.

Later, when the Li family suffered misfortune, her family wanted to help but were powerless to do so, and this sense of helplessness weighed heavily on Liu Huizi's heart.

So, seeing that Li Zhongren seemed to have emerged from the shadows, she was genuinely happy for him, even though the change was somewhat abrupt.

"It's alright. I found a place to work, it's quite good for personal development. What about you? What did you do during your summer vacation?"

Li Zhongren smiled and replied.

"What else can I do? Help my mom manage the family flower shop, and occasionally look at the old books left by our ancestors."

Liu Huizi said softly that those were ancient notes about perception and purification passed down through generations of her Liu family.

Her ancestors were rumored to be the great witch Kikyo Takayanagi from the Warring States period of Japan. Those books were also left by her ancestors, but for many years, no one has awakened the witch's bloodline, so those books have become just a memory.

It wasn't until her generation that she unexpectedly awakened her bloodline and became a witch, which not only improved her family's living conditions but also led her into a completely new world.

However, having received Huadu's education over the years and knowing the principle of keeping one's wealth hidden, Liu Huizi has never revealed it. Instead, she has secretly used her abilities to earn some profits for her family and then used those profits to study the knowledge left by her ancestors.

However, at this moment, as she walked alongside Li Zhongren, she could clearly feel it.

My childhood sweetheart is different now.

It wasn't that she was "possessed" or "contaminated" by anything. Her family's inherited spiritual vision could distinguish that distorted and filthy aura, which Li Zhongren did not possess.

On the contrary, she felt a restrained yet powerful "vitality," like a dormant volcano, calm yet containing astonishing power.

This is a change that ordinary exercise cannot bring about.

"Did some kind of fortuitous encounter occur?"

Liu Huizi pondered to herself.

In this era, fortuitous encounters are commonplace. After all, twisted power and fortuitous encounters are two sides of the same coin. Perhaps fate has finally shown a sliver of pity to this unfortunate boy? This realization brought her a sigh of relief.

Along the way, the two, who hadn't spoken to each other for a long time, began to chat constantly.

What about the new semester's courses? Which teacher is the strictest? Will there be any "surprises" in the cafeteria food?
Past experiences, things from my childhood, one by one
Both of them felt as if they had returned to their childhood.
When they reached the fork in the road leading to the second year of high school, Liu Huizi stopped, hesitated for a moment, and then extended an invitation, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

"Zhongren, are you free tonight? Come to my house for dinner. My mom hasn't seen you in a long time."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhongren's eyes flickered slightly, as if he had remembered something, and the smile on his face became more genuine.

"Okay, I'll definitely be there."

"Then it's settled, we'll walk home together after school?"

Liu Huizi smiled and her eyes crinkled.

"it is good."

Li Zhongren nodded and turned to walk towards his classroom.

Watching his departing figure, Liu Huizi took a soft breath and a faint smile appeared on her face.

Whatever he went through, it's always a good thing that he can get back on his feet. The only worry is whether she, now that she has gained power, will be in even greater danger.

After all, as the saying goes in Huadu, "Those who are good at swimming drown."
Dividing line

The morning's schedule was packed, and for Li Zhongren, who had just "returned" to campus life, every minute was filled with a barrage of new and exciting information.

The first lesson was "The History of Modern Huadu," which mainly tells the story of how Huadu was rebuilt from ruins after the "Great Collapse" and how it gradually established its current social structure.

The teacher on the podium spoke in a calm tone, but the content made Li Zhongren secretly alarmed.

Behind the calm and objective words in textbooks lies unimaginable carnage, resource struggles, and tests of humanity.

The second lesson was "Basic Mathematics," which was relatively simple. Li Zhongren listened to it effortlessly, thanks to his enhanced thinking skills and the foundation he had built.

But his attention wasn't entirely focused on the formula; instead, he was observing the students in the classroom.

Most people seemed somewhat distracted; after all, in this perilous world, pure mathematical knowledge seemed far less important than how to identify twisted objects and how to escape an attack.

This widespread restlessness made Li Zhongren realize even more how precious the power he possessed was.

The third lesson was the highlight: "Introduction to Twisted Biology".

The class was taught by a middle-aged male teacher with a serious face and a mechanical prosthetic arm. He was said to have been an active hunter who retired due to injury and then became a teacher, so the content of the lecture was very practical.

Today's topic is "Identification and Initial Response to Common Parasitic and Possessive Twisted Creatures".

The teacher played some processed video materials.

In the picture...
People infested by "shadow worms" will have an unnatural second shadow under the light.

Those possessed by the "Whisperer" will mutter to themselves when no one is around.

The teacher explained things very well, but most students still just went through the motions. After all, ordinary people have no ability to resist the danger of twisted forces. This knowledge is actually more of a kind of future popular science, betting that some teenager will awaken based on the twisted forces in a crisis. In that case, this knowledge will become an aid.

So, while the other students were getting sleepy, Li Zhongren was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Throughout the morning, Li Zhongren was like a highly efficient sponge, rapidly absorbing the world's common sense, rules, and potential dangers.

These courses not only filled in his knowledge gaps, but also acted like a key, constantly triggering the fragments of memories left by his predecessor, connecting those vague pieces with the systematic knowledge system. In short, after this morning's knowledge bombardment, he was able to completely absorb the knowledge base left by his predecessor.

It utilizes the human ability to make associations; otherwise, much knowledge and memory would be difficult to activate without encountering a corresponding event.
The lunch break bell rang, and Li Zhongren closed his notebook, letting out a long sigh. With the help of his super spider-sensor, he had finished fixing the last loopholes in this body. Now, no one could tell that he was a transmigrator, unless someone forcibly read his memories. Unfortunately, no one could do that. Sharing the underlying logic of the space, one could lose consciousness, but no one could read any memory from one's mind.

Then comes the recipe.
Starting today, attending classes will no longer be of much use to him; the only useful thing is his identity as a student. Therefore, he plans to skip class this afternoon to disrupt the market and turn that precious formula into real power.

The lunch break bell sounded like a clarion call of liberation. Li Zhongren was the first to stand up, quickly packed his textbooks, and followed the crowd out of the teaching building.

He didn't go to the cafeteria, but went straight to the school gate.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling, but he walked briskly, with a clear goal in mind.

When he hailed a taxi and told the driver his destination, "District 9 Twisted Market," the driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror, seemingly surprised that a student in a school uniform would go to such a place, but didn't ask any further questions.

As the car drove through the increasingly chaotic and crowded streets, an indescribable smell began to fill the air, a mixture of disinfectant, rust, rotting plants, and some strange spice.

The surrounding buildings gradually showed irregular growth and twisted patterns, like living, sick giant beasts.

This is District 9, a region on the edge of the Flower City where the lawless and the land of order intersect.

The taxi stopped at the market entrance.

Li Zhongren paid and got out of the car. As soon as his feet touched the slightly sticky ground, a mixture of various faint and distorted auras rushed towards him.

The market before us is less a market and more a vast nest built of rough metal and mutated wood.

The stalls were a chaotic mess, selling all sorts of bizarre items: eyeballs soaking in a greenish liquid, slightly pulsating chunks of flesh, shimmering ores, and bone fragments engraved with strange runes.
A diverse group of people moved among them, including fully armed hunters, mysterious guests in cloaks, and local residents with wary eyes.

The air was filled with low murmurs of conversation, haggling, and a faint, almost imperceptible hum that seemed to come from underground.

It is here.

Li Zhongren took a deep breath, not because of the polluted air, but for the upcoming operation.

He concentrated and silently recited in his mind.

"Crossing!"

A faint tremor, audible only to him, resounded from the depths of his mind.

In an instant, everything around us distorted and flickered violently, like a television screen with a poor signal!
Those hideous, twisted marks, eerie energy halos, and bizarrely shaped goods receded and transformed like the tide!
Within just one or two breaths, the scene stabilized.

The noise remains, but the meaning has completely changed.

The bizarre and distorted market from a moment ago has now transformed into a bustling and vibrant large-scale wholesale market for Chinese medicinal herbs!

The antique-style archway bears the plaque "Bai Cao Hui" (meaning "Collection of Herbs"), and the air is filled with a rich and pure aroma of herbs, bittersweet.

The stalls were neatly arranged and piled high with dried roots, leaves, fruits, and mineral powder.

The people haggling were dressed plainly, discussing the quality, age, and price of the medicinal herbs; the mysterious atmosphere from before was gone.

Upon seeing this, he immediately took out the transcribed recipe from his pocket.

Upon seeing it, he almost burst out laughing.

"Alchemy transformed into medicinal cuisine. What a simple and straightforward conversion!"

Li Zhongren was both amused and exasperated, but mostly overjoyed.

This means that the daunting threshold of alchemy has been lowered to a level that he can completely handle!

He quickly sensed the depletion of his internal energy.

Because the Twisted Market itself has stable energy and is constrained by certain rules, as long as he doesn't engage in intense battles or use his abilities here, but merely maintains his transmigrating state, the energy dissipates much more slowly than expected, giving him ample time.

Without delay, Li Zhongren immediately transformed into a purchasing agent, shuttling between the various stalls.

His superhuman senses played a crucial role at this moment, allowing him to easily distinguish the age, quality, and adulteration of medicinal herbs.

Following the list, he efficiently purchased a sufficient amount of medicinal herbs and bought a set of simple tools, including earthenware pots of various sizes, pestles, strainers, and ceramic jars, from a general store.

The whole process took less than twenty minutes.

Carrying large and small bags, he quickly left the market, hailed a taxi on the roadside, and went straight back to his apartment.

Sitting in the car, he closed his eyes to rest, but in reality, he continued to monitor the energy reserves to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Back in his simple but tidy apartment, Li Zhongren immediately threw himself into the "kitchen battle".

He first sorted the purchased medicinal herbs into categories, and then began to prepare the dish according to the steps of the "medicinal diet recipe".

Because I wasn't familiar with the steps, I failed twice. But my super perception had already memorized the entire process, and then, success came.
The medicinal herbs he bought were refined into nearly ten catties.

Yes, ten pounds of finished product!
Pour the ointment into a pre-prepared glass medicine bottle and seal it.

After doing all this, Li Zhongren checked his cheat system; he still had ten units of energy left.

Obviously, as long as there is no fighting, the energy consumption is very slow.

"call"

He let out a breath and turned off the cheat.

The world seemed to tremble slightly, and the scene before my eyes changed instantly!
The familiar, slightly dilapidated apartment walls were back, and outside the window was the sky, unique to this distorted world, seemingly forever shrouded in gloom.

The faint herbal scent in the air had disappeared, replaced by the subtle, decaying, and metallic smell unique to the Twisted World.

Li Zhongren immediately looked at the bottles on the table.

The medicine inside seemed unchanged, still resembling pear syrup, but in his super perception, its internal structure had undergone a complete transformation!

Each vial faintly emitted a gentle yet strange energy. His spider-sense clearly indicated that these potions were the product of a "success," effective, and "harmless" to him.
Why did he find these medicines somewhat tasty?

The original recipe clearly states that this is not for human consumption, but for weapons.
So, what the hell is going on here?
Li Zhongren scratched his head, looking somewhat lost.

Just then, there was a knock on his door.

"Li Zhongren, are you home?"

Liu Huizi's voice came from outside the door.
(End of this chapter)