Chapter 1406: Chapter 1354: Noticing
Manbao’s consciousness once again sank into the system, unable to help but bargain with Keke, “Recording a video for an hour actually costs ten thousand points, isn’t that too expensive? And what if nothing happens during that hour? Can I specifically choose to record when they’re discussing secrets?”
“No,” Keke replied, “Host, you are not close to the palace. Scanning over there also consumes a lot of energy, and for such a large area, recording requires a substantial amount of energy as well.”
Manbao immediately grasped the key point Keke revealed and said, “You don’t need to record everything around, I just need you to focus on the Crown Prince. Just record what happens around him.”
Keke went silent, further confirming Manbao’s suspicion. She didn’t rush it, allowing it to remain quiet. After a long while, Keke’s voice sounded again in her mind, “Host, after further consideration, we’ve decided to record only within ten meters around Li Chengming. As long as it’s within my scanning range, it’s only ten thousand points for twenty-four hours.”
That’s still quite expensive…
While Manbao was still contemplating whether to negotiate further, she felt a sudden jolt in her heart and quickly responded in her mind, “Okay!”
Manbao felt relieved. In her mind, Keke, which had been very quiet, made no waves, directly revised the quote and handed it back to her.
Manbao first deducted ten thousand points for it, then said, “Let’s monitor for a day first.”
Keke’s energy spread out and then retracted, saying, “The target is not within range.”
Manbao: …
Keke didn’t provide further explanation.
Manbao exited the system with an innocent expression as she looked at Bai Shan.
Bai Shan asked with concern, “How is it, what did Uncle Zhou say?”
Manbao replied, “The Crown Prince is not in the Eastern Palace right now.”
“Then where is he?”
Manbao lethargically shook her head, “It can’t go too far. The Eastern Palace was already at the furthest edge it could reach.”
Manbao finally felt that she had been a bit lazy recently and said, “I want to buy a mule and a donkey to send over to it.”
Although Bai Shan couldn’t understand, he still nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll buy them.”
Manbao took out a silver ingot and gave it to him.
Bai Shan looked at the money in his hand, frowned slightly, but didn’t refuse it. He only asked, “Want to buy a few more?”
“No, just one.”
There’s no point in having more. Only creatures that haven’t been recorded before will earn bonus points on their first entry. Subsequent recordings won’t yield many points unless the encyclopedia actively issues a task.
She wasn’t going to do anything unprofitable.
Bai Shan noted it down, realizing he had quite a few tasks to do.
Bai Erlang and Sanya brought the quilts to the front. Seeing the lights still on in the study when they returned, they couldn’t help but run and look in from the window, “What are you guys talking about for so long? We agreed to go shopping tomorrow, and we also need to check out the enrollment at the Imperial Academy. My eldest brother already went to bed over there, and you guys still aren’t sleeping?”
Manbao immediately got up, “Sleeping!?”
Bai Shan also got up and sent her to the door first, “Go in and rest, don’t overthink it.”
Manbao nodded and turned around to go inside.
Bai Shan waited until she closed the door before turning back to go to his room, only to find Bai Erlang looking at him speechlessly.
Bai Shan raised an eyebrow, “What’s up?”
“Nothing, I just feel you guys are way too clingy. You live right next door, and you never used to see her to the door,” Bai Erlang said, “No wonder Third Head and the others have opinions about you; even I have opinions now, humph!”
After snorting, Bai Erlang turned and went back to his room, slamming the door shut.
Bai Shan…
He shrugged his shoulders and turned back to his own room next door.
Manbao lay on her bed, didn’t hear from Keke for a long time, and gradually fell asleep. In the middle of the night, maybe sensing that she woke up, Keke suddenly spoke softly, “The Crown Prince went to the palace at the time and happened to be out of the scanning range.”
Manbao woke slightly, murmured an “um,” and asked, “Is it because of that stone then, is there a system or someone watching us?”
Keke did not answer.
Manbao asked, “Keke, you are different, aren’t you?”
After a long silence, Keke said, “No one can override my permissions to monitor you. The main system can only extract my records.”
Manbao’s eyes twinkled, and she closed them, falling asleep with peace of mind.
Keke also fell silent, and neither the person nor the system spoke further.
Early the next morning, everybody woke up to a bustle.
Bai Shan brought wash water for Mr. Zhuang; after freshening up and changing clothes, Mr. Zhuang stepped out, noticing the courtyard filled with so many youths. It was then he belatedly realized that besides the old him, everyone in their courtyard was young.
And there were quite a few.
Early on, everyone was either sweeping the yard or rolling up their sleeves to help fetch water in the back courtyard. Upon seeing Mr. Zhuang, they all paused their actions, respectfully bowed, and greeted him as “sir.”
In the entire courtyard, except for Third Head, Sanya, and Fourth Head, all the other youngsters had studied under him.
Even so, Third Head, Sanya, and Fourth Head had all emerged from the same school, so it was fitting for them to call him their teacher as well.
Moreover, he had even given them their names.
Mr. Zhuang nodded and, after breakfast, called Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang to ask, “What kind of school are you looking for Lixue (Third Head) and Ligu (Fourth Head)?”
The two exchanged a glance, then simultaneously turned to look at Manbao.
Manbao thought for a while and said, “Mainly, it’d be up to the teacher. Both scholarly knowledge and character of the teacher should be excellent.”
Mr. Zhuang smiled and said, “Got it, I’ll inquire around. It’s still the first month, and most schools haven’t resumed classes yet. For now, they can study with Bai Shan and the others under me.”
Manbao’s eyes lit up, and with Third Head and Fourth Head, she respectfully responded with a “yes.”
Mr. Zhuang, being older, admittedly had limited energy. Manbao checked his pulse and wrote down a couple of medicinal diet recipes for Aunt Rong to prepare for him.
Then they, including Bai Shan, left Mr. Zhuang alone to rest properly.
Today, Mr. Zhuang didn’t leave, and neither did Manbao.
Zhou Liulang and the others had the day off and went shopping with Bai Shan and the rest.
The group went on foot, not even taking a carriage, and left in a grand procession.
After seeing them off at the door, Manbao turned around and went back inside, shut the door, and entered the teaching room to study the stone, still needing to learn about its makeup, principles of illness caused by radiation, and so forth.
Now, the stone was enclosed within a transparent frame, suspended in the middle, slowly rotating.
Manbao leaned in to examine it closely and asked Keke, “Will I get poisoned as it is now?”
“No, its radiation has already been isolated.”