Chapter 2030: The Origin of Belonging
"I appreciate the kindness, but I won't be needing it." Xu Huo looked away. "Do the fish and vegetables you usually eat grow out of your body?"
The Painting Woman thought for a moment, then pulled out the nutritional knowledge she had read from the Message Collection Terminal. "Every bite you eat becomes a part of your body."
"That's useless. Better to have the kitchen stew a chicken." Xu Huo smiled. "Take these things to Mr. Dong and ask him to come up here."
The Painting Woman tucked the items away and left. Before long, Mr. Dong came upstairs. He knew what Xu Huo wanted to ask, so he said, "Miss Li Chun wanted human blood, but those young ladies fooled her and gave her animal blood instead. However, I have already explained to them that this was merely Miss Li Chun's momentary whim and does not mean that you are a Cannibal Player."
Xu Huo wasn't too concerned about that. Instead, he said, "Please tell those people that Li Chun doesn't understand things well, and ask them not to join in the nonsense."
Mr. Dong gave a slight bow and silently withdrew from the study.
After a brief rest, Xu Huo entered the sealed space again.
This continued for ten days, until his body could no longer take it and he had to interrupt his attempts.
"Don't you feel like your body is leaking air and your feet are unsteady?" Dr. Deng teased him with schadenfreude. "Young man, you still need to exercise some restraint. I've noticed a lot of people lately trying to build a relationship with Rose Castle. Even the Black Epaulets have sent gifts. Why not pick someone to help you manage the castle?"
Xu Huo also laughed. "You're not short of money anymore, are you?"
Dr. Deng cut off a piece of meat and chewed it slowly. "Money is always in short supply. Your jokes aren't always around."
Xu Huo couldn't be bothered with him. "Don't go out much lately. You still remember that you're on the Black Epaulets' list, right?"
Dr. Deng was very relaxed. "As the tide rises, the boat rises. The Black Epaulets wouldn't dare do anything to Rose Castle now."
"Then do as you please." Xu Huo said. "If you disappear without a trace, I won't know where to find you."
Despite his tough talk, Dr. Deng still valued his own life, so he didn't continue to dwell on the topic.
After the meal, Xu Huo changed into more formal clothes to visit Lady Lily.
This time, Lady Lily received him in a formal meeting room, and even the decorations and arrangements were serious.
"We're old friends now, Lady Lily. If you do this, I won't dare come next time." Xu Huo politely presented his gift.
Upon hearing this, Lady Lily gave him a resentful look. "I knew you weren't meant to stay in a small pond. Now that the Vilna family has their eyes on you, there's no room for anyone else."
Xu Huo smiled without speaking and didn't pick up on her remark.
Lady Lily also knew that he was no longer the newcomer she could casually joke with. After having tea and snacks served, she began to tell him about the situation of the nobles in District 011, mainly mentioning the taboos of some noble families so that he wouldn't offend anyone face-to-face.
"As long as there aren't any particularly intense conflicts, everyone can get along on the surface." Lady Lily said. "Playing both sides isn't impossible, but you have to worry about someone remembering and tripping you up behind your back."
Xu Huo's main purpose in coming was to ask about Huahan Werner's identity.
Lady Lily knew this person. "He is a player of the Vilna family. Sometimes he represents the Vilna family in meetings with other families. He holds a very high seniority in the Vilna family, rarely appears on other occasions, and almost never attends noble gatherings."
"Is he the Super Player of the Vilna family?" Xu Huo asked again.
A flicker of surprise passed through Lady Lily's eyes, and even her tea-drinking motion stopped. After a moment, she let out a "pfft" laugh. "What kind of joke is that? How could Huahan Werner be a Super Player? The Super Player of the Vilna family travels abroad all year round. Even his own family members can't see him, let alone outsiders. Besides, with that kind of identity and strength, how could he be at home receiving guests?"
Xu Huo also laughed. "Has no outsider ever seen that Super Player?"
"Very few have seen him." Lady Lily said. "After all, it's been a long time since District 011 integrated into the game. To become a Super Player, one must be among the earliest batch of players in District 011, much older than all of us. Even my father never had the chance to meet him."
"Even if you ask the younger generation of the Vilna family, most of them probably don't know what their own Super Player looks like."
"Aside from occasionally hearing that he arranges for family members to train in Instance Dungeons, there's almost no other news. Many major events have occurred in District 011 over the years, but very few have actually required the Super Player to step in. The last time the Eerie Sound Knights attacked, he didn't come out either."
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow slightly. "Last time, a Temporal Super Evolver appeared."
"That's not a Super Player." Lady Lily shook the fan in her hand, a hint of pride in her voice. "There are still two or three Temporal Super Evolvers in District 011. That's one of the reasons why District 011 can dominate the E27 Wormhole Point. It's not inferior to District 001 in that regard."
"There is very little information about that Super Player on the Message Collection Terminal." Xu Huo paused, then added.
"Confidential files, of course, cannot be found on public information channels." Lady Lily half-covered her face as she looked at him. "Besides, before a Super Player became the pillar of District 011, they would also receive the patronage of the major nobles, just like you."
"But if you're really curious about the Super Player, you can negotiate with the Vilna family." She said. "Asking outsiders might not get you the answers you want, and it could also make you look suspicious. If the Vilna family truly intends to accept you, your initiative will be seen as sincerity."
"Out of so many people, only you got the black key. You must have something that others don't, something the Vilna family values very much." Lady Lily's fingers rubbed the rim of her cup. "Seattle Werner appearing before you is a signal."
"Power and interests are very tempting, but when it comes down to it, you have to know when to give up. They are nothing compared to your life. To make someone disregard their own life, besides an ethereal belief, the only thing left is a sense of belonging. And since you're not originally from District 011, the most convenient way to create a sense of belonging is to settle down and start a career."
"If you treat District 011 as your home, the home will embrace you unconditionally."
Under Xu Huo's gaze, she paused again, then smiled. "If you really don't like the girls from the Vilna family, you can think of other ways. Handle it properly, and everyone can accept it."
"Of course, I also hope you will stay in District 011. Having a powerful friend is my good fortune."
At this moment, Lady Lily and the nobles of District 011 were a community of interests. Her words were actually hinting that Xu Huo should bring his family to District 011. This would reduce his troubles while also gaining the support of the nobles as quickly as possible. Moreover, not forming a deeper relationship with the Vilna family would be more beneficial to most nobles.