Theo's prep-work at its finest

Theo returned to the inn only on the morning of the next day.

He didn't worry about leaving his disciples behind for so long. The few days that he spent with them proved that those kids were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves.

And Theo didn't hesitate to make use of that as much as he could.

Whenever he would leave in the latter half of the day, he would either tour the city to learn the layout of its streets or make use of that knowledge by replicating his cup-play in different parts of the city.

Just like with any new trick in the book, it was only a matter of time before people would learn about it and grow immune. And so, Theo was making sure he would milk all there was to earn from his method.

Theo would go out to earn once every two or three days. At the cost of spreading the news even faster, Theo opted to pick his companions for the trick whenever he would go out rather than sticking with the same exact person. Yet, even this precaution only managed to give him a little time before the local ganks grew aware of his presence.

The first meeting went exactly as Theo expected.

Two men would come out and stop him in the middle of one of the alleys he was using to move around the place.

Even though he was in his good, cultivator's robes, they still nailed him down, proving that before their eyes, his work disguise of a simplistic man in plain clothes, was just a joke.

The encounter, however, ended pretty much a minute later.

There were no threats or unnecessary violence. Both parties were, after all, just business people doing business. And it just so happened that Theo's play took place on a certain's group territory.

They asked for no unreasonable terms. A healthy cut of Theo's earnings in exchange for protection and management of routes for two weeks. After that time, the method would become exclusively theirs with Theo being banned from ever using it in the city again.

Once again, an awful proposal for someone who didn't know any better. An exchange no different than robbery.

But Theo was more than happy to shake on it.

'In two weeks, hardly anyone will fall for it,' Theo thought, holding back his smile as he saw the two men turn around and leave. 'By then, it will be no different profit-wise than your usual cup swindlers. And I get their full support and protection for… just that?'

Theo shook his head before doing exactly what he did when leaving the disciples to train on their own.

He rushed to make the most out of the opportunity.

That's why, by the time Theo returned to the Inn, he was borderline fainting from exhaustion.

He kept on repeating the same play over and over again. He introduced some changes proposed by the gambling group he joined hands with, turning the entire thing more prone to fail but also far more profitable for each successful act.

Yet, just like THeo decided to make the most out of the opportunity, his new partners did the same. That's why, when he returned to the Inn, Theo was several levels more tired than his disciples who just finished up with the first round of their training.

Thankfully, while he was dead tired, Theo returned seven and a half thousand gold coins riches. Or rather, he would return richer by that amount, if he didn't instantly throw this money all at his inn.

Half of a thousand gold coins came along in the form of a group of craftsmen who visited along with Thoe's return.

They intruded to Theo's disciple's shock and surprise, paid the kids no mind, and focused on taking measures of the Inn's kitchen. And a mere moment later, most of them rushed out, leaving only three men to stay back and remove all the broken parts of the inn's prep room.

Theo spent a thousand ordering all sorts of tools, mock weapons, and supplies he could use to improve the life of his disciples.

'Only by keeping them happy and content can I expect them to keep on doing their absolute best!' Theo rationalized while on his shopping spree before throwing the six thousand gold coins left on the cultivation materials.

The rejuvenating grass already became a staple part of everyone's meals. Theo's stockpile of pills for when his disciples would all advance to the third stage kept on growing. He even started to introduce more types of herbs in an attempt to make the most optimal mix that would be the most beneficial for the cultivators in the second stage.

And then, there were Theo's spiritual stones.

By the time Theo returned, he had consumed a total of eleven of them.

They were arguably the biggest sink to Theo's wallet… and they brought no results whatsoever.

'I hoped I would raise my mana attribute by one rank at least, by now,' Theo thought as he sat down in the corner of the inn and alternated his eyes between his disciples and the artisans working on his kitchen.

Theo's eyes turned heavier by the moment. He could feel himself floating away into the sweet state of sleep…

When it struck him.

He opened up his eyes and glared at Narid for a moment before moving his eyes over to Kaya.

'Did they break through right now, or did I just fail to notice it before?'

It's been only a single day since Tiana advanced.

After thinking about her case for a while, Theo decided her innate talent wasn't in cultivation… but in her ability to consume the nutrients from the herbs.

If others would take five parts of energy from their meal, Tiana's body would extract seven units. As such, after just a few days of keeping up with Theo's training regime while consuming herb-rich meals he prepared, she managed to pull ahead.

'A great kind of perk to have in a world where consuming spiritual energy from external resources is a must,' Theo admitted his jealousy to himself before focusing back on the situation at hand.

Tiana managed to pull ahead… but the rest of Theo's disciples didn't lag behind all that much. And so, either right now or sometime since he left, both Narid and Kaya got to break through the mortality barrier, becoming beginner cultivators!

Theo, despite how tired he was, rushed into his usual spot where he quickly drafted the chants for his disciples. This time, however, this act gather all that much attention.

After congratulating those who advanced, all of THeo's disciples returned to their former tasks.

'Huh?' Theo twitched, taken aback by the near complete lack of reaction to the event. Yet, it took him only a moment to understand.

'I'm not shameless enough to act as if I don't know how insane this growth rate is,' Theo thought. He knew full well how much quicker his disciples advanced from the norm. And as the usual timing wasn't a secret or anything, his disciples were pretty likely to know that too.

That is why, those who advanced, didn't dare to waste a second of their blessed time with Theo. And those that have yet to advance…

'Well, that part is obvious,' Theo thought once he caught some hints of anxiety on Luo's and Hugo's faces.

'Should I tell them?' he asked himself, considering the options that lay ahead. 'I guess I could,' Theo decided before taking in a deep breath and stepping into the middle of the inn.

To the side, the workers diligently worked away at fixing the Inn's kitchen and replacing its tools with the stuff of the highest grade Tom found in the auction house. On the other side, his disciples continued to diligently train, pushing themselves to the limits so much, they could put all the gym junkies from Theo's former world to shame.

A perfect scenario for what Theo wanted to do.

"Gather up, everyone," he called his disciples while sitting far enough from the workers not to bother them but close enough to let them easily listen to his lecture. "It's time I explain my view on cultivation in some more detail!"