Road of 289 Craftsmen

Xin Hai City, West Mountain Road.

At least this morning, Li Qingming was genuinely mountain biking.

As the breeze brushed past his ears and the scenery became increasingly expansive with the ascent, his thoughts grew clearer with the altitude.

In this continual climb, even the Jokester's conspiracies were left far behind. If the destination was the No. 1 Secret Realm, then the vistas along the way were merely inconsequential filler, relentless climbing was the only theme.

Approaching noon, a refreshed Li Qingming finally arrived at his destination—a Mid-Mountain Villa.

Specifically, it was a cyber Mid-Mountain Villa.

The Mechanical Housekeeper greeted him at the gate, face-recognition for entry.

Inside the courtyard, an automatic weed-removal machine was silently at work, while drones patrolled overhead on random paths.