After the monsters inspected the old inn, ensuring not even a rat remained, Wen Wen released his black chains to envelop the entire establishment.
The old inn itself was a colossal containment subject. Although its abilities were useless to Wen Wen, he could not afford to ignore it.
Within the chains, the massive inn gradually shrunk, eventually resembling an architectural model. Wen Wen then pulled it into the containment facility.
"This excursion is officially concluded. It's time for you all to return."
Wen Wen snapped his fingers, and the monsters vanished one by one. Only Wen Wen, Feng Baosheng, and the large pit left by the inn's foundation remained.
After Wen Wen gave Feng Baosheng a sum of money and sent him away, Gong Baoding arrived with Zou Xiaomin and a team of assistants.
The aftermath of the factory where Red Beard was located was not yet completed, and here Wen Wen had caused another major disturbance. Seeing Wen Wen, Gong Baoding felt an immediate surge of anger.
It would have been acceptable if Wen Wen had left behind some benefits, but wherever Wen Wen passed, it was like a plague of locusts – leaving nothing of value, only trouble.
Zou Xiaomin, however, was overjoyed. Seeing that Wen Wen appeared somewhat fatigued, she blushed and moved closer, intending to give him an affectionate embrace.
During Wen Wen's absence these past few days, she had observed couples in love and discovered that their souls emitted a specific pheromone that solidified their affection. As a psychic, she could artificially release this pheromone, subtly influencing a man to develop feelings for her. Continuous proximity would allow her to exert this influence persistently.
However, as soon as she approached Wen Wen, she felt an invisible force push her back. Attempting to approach again, she was pushed back once more. This time, some force was used, propelling her further away.
Wen Wen looked at Zou Xiaomin with confusion, wondering what on earth this woman was doing, approaching him only to retreat.
Unwilling to yield, Zou Xiaomin charged at Wen Wen. Then, with a 'slap', her left cheek turned slightly red, marked by four delicate finger imprints.
Wen Wen rubbed his hair and looked at her blankly, asking, "You're..."
"You... you actually hit me! I don't like you anymore!"
Zou Xiaomin covered her face and burst into tears, running away from Wen Wen.
Wen Wen remained in place, utterly bewildered.
"I don't know what happened, but she said she doesn't like me anymore. I suppose that's a good thing."
...
A cold wind blew, and Chai Yun suddenly woke up. Her first instinct was to check if she was unharmed. Only then did she realize she was standing at her doorstep. Her expression was one of bewilderment; it felt as though something had happened, yet also as if nothing had.
The bag in her hand felt heavy. Upon opening it, she discovered stacks of cash. A quick count revealed approximately two hundred thousand. One hundred and fifty thousand was enough to cover her father's medical expenses, and the remainder was sufficient to help her family overcome their financial difficulties.
"What on earth is going on..."
As she was pondering, the front door of her house was opened, and her mother rushed out, embracing her and weeping. Her husband was critically ill, and her daughter had been missing for fifteen days, making her appear to have aged over a decade in a short span.
Gently patting her mother's back, Chai Yun smiled. Regardless of what had happened, she was home now, and the past no longer mattered.
...
Three days had passed since Wen Wen dealt with the old inn. For these three days, Wen Wen had mostly remained in the containment facility. After three days of recovery, Wen Wen had finally returned to his peak condition.
During this time, he had tested Red Beard's physique and found that even with the simultaneous use of Red Beard's and Sharkman's physiques, his strength showed no significant improvement. It seemed the power barrier still existed. Unless Wen Wen's 'Black Body' advanced to the Intermediate Cataclysmic level, his strength would remain capped at the early stage of Advanced Cataclysmic, even when utilizing two monster physiques.
However, advancing the 'Black Body' to the Intermediate Cataclysmic level would likely take a considerable amount of time. Fortunately, with his previous experience, Wen Wen was not surprised by this.
In addition to resting, Wen Wen had also undertaken another task: expelling the demonic nature from the sword embryo. This sword embryo was crucial to Wen Wen, and he wanted to refine it into its most suitable form. After Red Beard's reckless manipulations, the demonic nature within the sword embryo had become excessive.
The so-called demonic nature essentially consumed the wielder with bloodlust, driving them to only desire to cleave with the sword. For Wen Wen, this was a minor issue. Having undergone numerous trials, Wen Wen possessed immense resilience and could tolerate some demonic influence. However, the demonic nature of this sword embryo was so potent that it would spontaneously fly up and attack people if left unattended. Therefore, Wen Wen had to mitigate it to some extent.
Wen Wen's method for expelling the demonic nature was simple and direct. He fashioned a cross from the Creation Church using pure silver and placed it outside the sword embryo. He then delivered this cross to Pu Guang, the angel's cell. Upon seeing the cross, Pu Guang treated it as a sacred treasure, enshrining it within his cell and offering daily prayers to it.
In just three days, the cross had acquired a degree of exorcising power. The demonic nature within the sealed sword embryo was also rapidly diminishing. It was estimated that in another ten to eight days, the demonic nature would be weakened to an acceptable level for Wen Wen.
Having completed his recovery, Wen Wen had two matters to attend to. The first was to educate Red Beard and ensure he served as a reliable tool. The second was to recruit Barcode into the containment facility and then devise a plan to integrate the Barcode Organization into the Foundation.
Red Beard had awakened the day after his capture, but this was Wen Wen's first visit to him.
"How's it going? Are you finding your accommodations here to your liking?" Wen Wen asked, sitting outside the cell.
"Hmph!" Red Beard turned his head away, refusing to acknowledge Wen Wen. Through conversations with other monsters, Red Beard had a general understanding of this place but did not wish to be servile like the others.
"Tsk, quite the temper." Wen Wen stroked his chin, contemplating how to make Red Beard obedient. For Red Beard, neither violence nor psychological humiliation was a viable option. This was because Wen Wen required Red Beard to act as his craftsman, and if his mental state were destroyed, the quality of his creations would likely decline. Although Red Beard could not cause trouble after the chain implantation, even a bad mood could affect the forging quality of super-powered items. The materials used were all Wen Wen's property, and he did not wish for waste to occur due to such reasons.