Seized by the System

Fang Ning was just going to leave as Anderson told him about Wang Lei.

They mentioned his abilities as well as the report they were currently working on.

As soon as Fang Ning had heard it, he was ecstatic. ‘Finally. some good news!’

In his joy, he promised to promote them to a deputy warden.

Anderson was overjoyed. That move was a really clever one.

As soon as the third floor of Draconic Arcane Realm was put into use, they realized the electricity was a problem.

‘Generating electricity with gas was simple, and Sir Warden did not seem to care for the little money it cost, but it did pollute the air and affect the quality of life. After all, the arcane realm was not large. Looks like Sir Warden was someone who cared about the quality of life.’

After getting the promise, Anderson thought, ‘Hmph, Lei Tian, you just wait.’

Fang Ning walked out of the prison. After Anderson’s experiment was done, he would no longer need to worry about the System stopping his electricity. Having solving a weak spot, he was delirious.

His next move was to solve the internet disruption from the System. ‘Should I set up a large scale LAN?’

The Draconic Penitentiary had plenty of people. In those inmates’ free time, it would be nice to have them produce content.

If the Draconic Penitentiary lack people, he could connect it to two other places.

After the Yin Energy arcane realm was redone, it could house up to a hundred billion people. It was an area of a hundred thousand square kilometers. If it was filled with Harmonic Yin Yang Energy, it would be very habitable for people as it was good for health.

‘Wouldn’t that have solved all my worries?

‘I no longer have to worry about the mental health of other people affecting their production of novels and games.

‘I no longer have to worry that Sir System would stop my internet—wait, no, that still goes on.’

Fang Ning’s thoughts were shooting in all directions, and soon realized something odd.

He asked the System, “You said you killed Wang Lei and it gave you sixty million experience points?”

The System said, “That’s right. What do you want?”

Fang Ning said in confusion, “But Anderson was just questioning his spirit in the office. I remember you said before that if spirits entered the System Prison, you wouldn’t get any experience points. Last time, you killed Lei Tian before the Heavenly Axiom resurrected him and was captured into the Draconic Penitentiary.

“Wang Lei had nothing like that. I could see it clearly, you captured him directly.”

The System said, “That’s right. That’s why I said it was my birthday present from Axiom Daddy. I suppose it would be gone after today, so don’t talk to me, I want to farm experience points.”

‘Crap,’ Fang Ning was speechless, “I don’t believe that. It must be some unknown reason. Wang Lei and Lei Tian should have something similar that a situation like this might transpire. Could it be that the real Wang Lei had already died, and this Wang Lei was formed by Demonic Energy?”

Fang Ning brainstormed, but the System ignored him and immediately went to farm monsters.

Unfortunately, until the dawn of the second day, the System no longer encountered good things like this.

The System rules had not changed. If spirits were captured into the System Prison, they would not give experience points, not both.

The System returned to the farmhouse and continued its cultivation.

…

In the morning of the second day, the sun had spilled all over the farmhouse’s courtyard. The Boston ivy had bloomed all over the courtyard, bringing with them the taste of summer.

Fang Ning was still snoozing in bed when the rapping of a Chinese temple block woke him up.

“Sir, since when did you open up a temple? Why are you striking it so early in the morning and waking me up?”

“You got two things wrong. One, I didn’t open a temple; two, it’s not early in the morning, it’s ten o’clock. I noticed you’re getting lazy again. Did you forget to work overtime again now that I stop making sure that you do?”

The hollow sound of the temple block was still ongoing, which forced Fang Ning to wake up really quickly.

He told the System, “Go take a look.”

“What for? It’s not affecting me,” the System said.

Fang Ning said, “It wouldn’t affect you, but it would affect me. Please help me block out the sound.”

The System said loudly, “Why should I? Someone’s waking you up for me. The sound of the temple block can reach the deepest depth of your heart, it would be a really good alarm clock.”

Fang Ning almost vomited blood. ‘Damn, Sir System is such a sly thing.’

He said helplessly, “I’m awake now. I want to work, so ask the temple block guy to go away, it’s affecting my work efficiency.”

As he finished, the sound of the temple block disappeared from the System Space.

Fang Ning was speechless. ‘That’s right, the System was pragmatic, it wouldn’t chase the source of the sound away, it would continue using the sound tomorrow.’

Fang Ning had no choice other than his ultimate weapon. “A hundred thousand experience points, let me use my body for two hours. I have to see who’s knocking that thing at our doorstep.”

“You could’ve said earlier. Look at you, you’re too kind.”

System Notification: [The System paused its control of the Host.]

Fang Ning resumed control of his body and stormed out of his bedroom, searching for the noisemaker.

He wanted to see which person it was who dared disturb his beauty sleep!

Soon, he found the source of the sound.

The source was in front of the farmhouse estate’s entrance, which was about one kilometer away from the bedroom. That showed the noisemaker’s technique.

A middle-aged man dressed in a black robe was floating in the air in a seated position, his eyes were closed, and he was knocking on a golden temple block.

Fang Ning observed the man. There was an indescribable quality about the man that Fang Ning had never seen on other people.

Fang Ning stood quietly without interrupting him.

Soon, the sound of the temple block came to a halt. The middle-aged man opened his eyes and sized Fang Ning up.

He smiled and asked, “Almsgiver Fang, are you doing well?”

Fang Ning nodded. “Thank you for your greeti– wait, what did you call me?”

Fang Ning was shocked. Fortunately, the System controlled his facial expression so he did not look aghast.

There had never been anyone who managed to find out his true identity. The closest person to him was Anderson, but even they did not know his true identity.

“Heh.” The man smiled again. “Vigilante A, actual surname Fang. Thirty years old. He was awarded a heavenly gift one day and soared to the skies as a dragon. No one else knew this, but it doesn’t escape Zhi Nan’s gaze.”

Fang Ning shrunk back into the System Space and told the System, “It’s bad, this is bad. The cat’s out of the bag, someone found us out…”

The System said nonchalantly, “Let it be then, what are you afraid of? You think you’d never spilled the beans before? Everyone was just afraid of me, that’s why they didn’t call us out.”

Hearing that, Fang Ning calmed down.

After the night before, he had already determined that the System would never run away, so he had nothing to worry about.

He had already become strong. Even regular people of high positions would have a substitute, so what did it matter how many fake identities he had?

Fang Ning asked coolly, “Oh, you are Zhi Nan… Hey, so you are the famous Demon Lord Zhi Nan? I heard he has nine avatars of wisdom, so which one are you?”

“Heh,” the middle-aged man smiled yet again, “all of us are Zhi Nan, but none of us are Zhi Nan.”

Fang Ning’s head ached trying to understand that. ‘You motherf**ker, I hate it when these dudes go cryptic. Video games are easier to understand…’

He said to the System, “This dude is your Axiom Daddy’s real birthday gift! Nab him and you’ll probably get seven to eight billion experience points…”

“No.”

Fang Ning was shocked and immediately checked the System Map. Curiously, he could not even see the man on the System Map.

After being worshiped in Qi City, he could not see even a yellow dot on the map.

“What’s happening? He was not on the map!”

“This question should be answered by you,” said the System loudly.

Fang Ning ignored the idiot and engaged Demon Lord Zhi Nan again.

“Your demonic highness’ arrival had dulled the brilliance of my residence… This area is filled with righteousness and morality, no evil could penetrate its defenses. It is not suitable for evil to drop in and visit. I don’t want to violate the precept of harming others today, so I shall let you go.”

Fang Ning said in his most righteous voice.

“Heh,” Zhi Nan shook his head and formed an anjali mudra. “My visit on this fine day was to lead you to nirvana, Almsgiver Fang. I have three scriptures that I wish to share with you.”

‘What the–’ Three imaginary crows flew past Fang Ning’s head.

‘ “Share” my foot. I have yet to marry, I don’t wanna be a monk.’

Fang Ning shook his head. “I have my own path of cultivation that clears my path to the heavens. You can keep your scriptures for your own perusal.”

“My scriptures can make even the plainest people become a dragon, they can alleviate the world of worry and relieve living beings from suffering. Don’t you want to have a look?”

The black-robed man said with confidence.

“Nope.” Fang Ning shook his head immediately.

‘Uh?’ A tiny hint of surprise colored Zhi Nan’s face.

His smiles returned, “Allow me to say it in a different way. After reading these three scriptures, you will no longer need to eat or sleep. Your lifespan will extend limitlessly, it will be like a paradise on Earth.”

Fang Ning expressed his confusion. “Are you trying to con me? If it’s so beneficial, why would there be so many ways to cultivate in the Upper Realm? Everyone would just follow yours.”

“Heh,” Another smile. “A mandarin orange is called a mandarin orange in Huainan, and it became a bitter-orange in Huaibei ¹ ; The Upper Realm recognizes only power, but here, it’s much more fun. The three scriptures should be able to gain traction in this realm, and you are the perfect candidate to be its successor.”

Fang Ning was intrigued and said, “Let me have a look at them.”

Zhi Nan did not answer, but he pushed the golden temple block lightly toward Fang Ning’s direction and hovered away.

“Strike the temple block ten thousand times, and you will see.”

‘Bastard…’

Fang Ning grabbed the golden temple block and stared at the man’s silhouette helplessly.

“Why can’t we farm this idiot?” Fang Ning asked, unwilling to give up.

“Like I said, you answer it.”

Fang Ning was heading back with the temple block and met up with Zheng Dao, who was checking up on the formations.

Following his instinct, Fang Ning asked, “Butler Zheng, did you hear any strikings of a temple block just now?”

Zheng Dao answered in puzzlement, “No, I didn’t. Venerable One, isn’t that a temple block you are holding? Could it be that a Bodhisattva gave it to you?”

“Close enough. Alright, go get yourself busy. Things are getting busier now, so if you can’t handle it all by yourself, just hire a few assistants, paying from the budget you have.” Fang Ning instructed after giving it a thought.

“Thank you for your advice.” Zheng Dao left.

Fang Ning returned to his bedroom and continued returning to the System Space with the golden temple block.

‘Ten thousand times, my arms will be crippled.’

A thought came upon Fang Ning. “Sir System, two hours are not up yet, has it?”

“Nope, it’s only been twenty minutes, you can still use the body.” The System said fairly.

“Help me with striking the temple block. Can you get ten thousand strikes in within an hour and forty minutes?”

“Sure, easily,” said the System. The temple block began making hollow knocking sounds.

“Wait a second, strike it at the smithy.” Fang Ning said while pressing his hand against his head.

…

The middle-aged man appeared in a park in a southern city after leaving Vigilante A’s estate.

Flowers bloomed in the area, and a river coursed through the land spilled with bamboo plants. It was an ideal place for sightseeing, but few people were around at the moment. Even if there were some occasional visitors, they were senior citizens with gazes of nostalgia.

“Heh, all humans suffer because of their physical bodies…”

He smiled, shaking his head, and strolled to the side of an old man. He said, “Old sir, I have three scriptures that can get you out of your hardship, would you care to have a listen?”

The old man’s eyes glazed as he nodded.

Zhi Nan held his smile as he began uttered the words on the scripture. As he did so, he looked toward the north.

‘Heh, Almsgiver Fang, when you have struck the temple block enough times for the scriptures to appear in front of you, you would not be able to pull away from it…’