# Chapter 413: The Hidden Danger of Not Increasing Evolution Rate
Xu Huo left some food for the two children and departed the lower district. District 011's welfare system was relatively complete—the welfare home could provide basic living guarantees for orphans. To showcase the benevolence of the upper class, they also had targeted sponsorship programs.
So-called targeted sponsorship meant that sponsors provided all living expenses for orphans without assuming an adoption relationship, covering everything from living costs to schooling. If a child tested suitable to become a player after starting school, they would also receive agent support. Typically, such children would work for their sponsors after growing up.
If the sponsored child had mediocre talent, they would be abandoned later.
No welfare home was a pure land, but this was still the best option for orphans in the lower district.
When Xu Huo returned to Rose Castle, Butterfly Lady had just arrived back as well.
Butterfly Lady's channels were different from his, making it easier for her to obtain information.
"This matter is simply an internal power struggle within the City Hall," she said. "A high-ranking official in City Hall had a leaker under them, which dragged down an entire faction. Correspondingly, the White Epaulets were also affected. Aside from the original players in this game, the only ones who benefited were the Black Epaulets."
"In ten days, the Enforcement Department will have a large-scale personnel reshuffle. At the critical moment, the White Epaulets' path for advancement was blocked by the Black Epaulets."
Xu Huo wasn't surprised. Where there was power struggle, there would be people hitching a ride. Logically, the leakers from Rongxin Group, led by Zheng An and others, should have connected with Zhao He from City Hall. And Zhao He contacting outsiders might not have been purely for personal gain—he could have been acting on someone else's orders, splitting the spoils afterward.
Of course, he hadn't succeeded. Before the supplies were finalized and delivered, Rongxin Group had already dealt with Zheng An and the others. Wouldn't this have alerted Zhao He and his people?
Rongxin Group had received advance warning, but they only cleaned up their internal personnel. This was normal—they didn't need to catch the buyers. There had always been people eyeing the weapons, so they didn't wait for the sea station to receive the supplies.
Or rather, they were confident they wouldn't alert the enemy. People working in City Hall might not be so dull—at least someone in Zhao He's team had intercepted this information.
The Black Epaulets wouldn't take benefits for nothing; they must have played a key role in this.
And the subsequent encirclement and cleanup work was merely putting the achievements on display.
"Most of those who mixed onto the ships and the flying vehicle team were lower-district players. The later transport aircraft belonged to a free player organization from another city. They originally wanted to take advantage of the situation, but ended up losing more than they gained—the Black Epaulets killed a third of them." Butterfly Lady twirled her small fan. "This time, the Black Epaulets made a huge splash. There will definitely be celebration banquets everywhere for the next half month."
Pretending not to understand the hint in those purple eyes, Xu Huo asked, "Did any other high-level players show up?"
"Maybe one or two. But anyone who survives to become a high-level player isn't stupid. The Black Epaulets and City Hall's weapons and personnel movements couldn't have been completely without traces." Butterfly Lady said, "Only outsiders who are fools would rush over."
Xu Huo glanced at her. "Are you cursing me or yourself?"
Butterfly Lady snorted with laughter, her eyes flickering. "Are you really not going to look up your old flame?"
Xu Huo smiled. "Even if you don't like me, do you have to set me up like this?"
He had been in District 011 for quite some time now, yet his evolution rate hadn't increased. Was it because he couldn't afford to buy evolution agents?
Careful people would inevitably think deeper.
He Pu had researched agents due to illness. Didn't he know about the Perfect Evolution Potion? If he knew, then this woman might also know, and she could see why his evolution rate hadn't been increasing.
Butterfly Lady covered her lips with a light laugh. "Ah, I almost forgot to remind you—if your evolution rate doesn't increase for a long time, it might arouse suspicion."
"Thanks for the reminder." Xu Huo prepared to go upstairs and rest.
"By the way, what's your relationship with those two children?" Butterfly Lady called out from behind him.
"No relationship."
"So you're saying it's pure kindness?" Butterfly Lady seemed to mock him.
Xu Huo's lips flattened, and he didn't say anything more.
Over the next few days, both of them were busy with their own affairs, generally leaving early and returning late. After coming back, they would engage in spiritual sparring.
When Butterfly Lady was in a good mood, Xu Huo had it easier. When she was in a bad mood, he would get a thorough beating inside.
Not a literal beating, but spiritual damage. Twice, after leaving her spiritual world, Xu Huo had nosebleeds.
Therefore, after five days, Butterfly Lady said to him, "I can't take you into the spiritual world for a while. Rest up before coming back."
"Do you have any other props for bringing people into the spiritual world?" Xu Huo said. "I'm planning to enter the next instance."
"No." Butterfly Lady warned, "Don't try to run before you can walk. Against opponents of the same level, you might cause confusion, but if it comes to real fighting, you still need real weapons. If you encounter high-level players, your advantage could become a disadvantage. You don't think only those who have undergone spiritual evolution understand that the spiritual world contains materialized objects symbolizing one's spiritual state, do you?"
"Keeping an advantage is just being prepared." Xu Huo had made significant progress these days—at least his spiritual world had evolved once more.
Butterfly Lady hesitated briefly, then gave him a hollowed-out copper ball shaped like a fragrance sachet.
"This is a prop I used in the early stages of my spiritual evolution—the Binding Star Sphere. It can create an environment of spiritual confusion within a three-meter radius, but only for five minutes." She said, "Whether you can make your spiritual world useful depends on you."
"Thank you. I'll return it after I come back." Xu Huo accepted it. It was a C-grade prop.
"No need." Butterfly Lady waved her hand. "I have no use for it anyway... Have you bought your ticket for District 011?"
Xu Huo smiled. "Don't worry, I'll come back."
Butterfly Lady glared at him. "What? You think I care about you?"
"Not at all. I'm just reminding you that as long as I'm not dead, you can't take Rose Castle." Xu Huo said.
Butterfly Lady turned around, paused as if she wanted to say something more, then looked back—but Xu Huo was already gone from where he had been standing. She shook her fan, took off the hair clip from her head, and a warm light descended from above her, like a faint flame burning away her originally feminine attire.
The gorgeous, complex red dress transformed into a sharp black top and black pants. Her golden, slightly curly shoulder-length hair became waist-length black hair. Her facial features also changed drastically from before. Apart from those purple eyes, there was no trace of her previous allure—instead, she appeared cool and aloof.
Flicking her black long hair, she said to Mr. Dong, "You hid Uncle Fan Xiao's body, didn't you? Take me to him. I want to see him."
"I don't know where Mr. He Pu is," Mr. Dong said. "Miss Bai Kou."