Chapter 5

This storage courtyard is relatively simple and crude.

Upon entering the courtyard gate, one finds a spacious courtyard. The ground is very clean, without a single weed, and is covered with fine sand, leaving only wooden walkways in the middle and on both sides.

Around the courtyard are storage rooms for items. These storage rooms have long been emptied, except for one at the back that has been converted into a training room.

There are not many people in the courtyard. Only three craftsmen from the family, following orders, are in the training room helping to adjust the training equipment made from the Babylonian battery.

Zhu Lingwu waved his hand to have the servants and attendants who followed him stay outside the courtyard gate, allowing only Liangcai to continue following him inside, as he was in charge of everything here.

"Master, rest assured, I have everything prepared. However, Master, Lord has instructed that you are not to practice this kind of cultivation technique. If anything dangerous happens again, we servants cannot bear the blame!"

This young servant, Liangcai, though only twelve or thirteen years old, is mature for his age and quite clever, which is why he became the most trusted servant of the previous owner of this body, Zhu Lingwu.

If things went as planned, when Zhu Lingwu grew up and moved out to start his own household, Liangcai would follow and become a major steward in Zhu Lingwu's household, having grown up together and earned his trust.

Of course, Liangcai's parents and ancestors were also stewards under the Zhu family. From a young age, he was educated on how to serve his master well, earn his trust, and do anything for him. He had always followed Zhu Lingwu's orders diligently.

However, now that the moment had come, Liangcai was somewhat worried. After all, the family was still under the control of Zhu Lingwu's stepfather. If Zhu Lingwu's cultivation caused any more trouble, Liangcai and his family would be implicated.

Previously, when the previous owner of this body was struck by lightning and brought back to the Tongshan County Office as a charred corpse, if that eight-year-old child hadn't suddenly run out without telling anyone, Liangcai and the other attendants would have been punished.

Even so, he and the other attendants who often followed Zhu Lingwu were each given fifteen lashes after the incident. They would have been beaten to death if Zhu Lingwu hadn't been saved.

At the time, Liangcai didn't think much about following Zhu Lingwu's orders, as he needed to secure his position. But now, he was afraid.

"Don't worry, I have my own plans. Didn't you say the magical devices can now control the electricity, and it won't kill anyone? Besides, I'm just here to take a look! Remember, don't let my father know about this!"

Zhu Lingwu glanced at Liangcai. In his world, children of this age would still be playing with their parents. But in this world, children of this age could already read people's minds. The little tricks Liangcai used might have fooled the previous eight-year-old, but not Zhu Lingwu.

"Master, I'm worried about your health. Last time, it scared us to death! Fortunately, the family's ancestor used divine techniques to save you. However, Lord already knows about this!"

Liangcai carefully chose his words. Since Zhu Lingwu took over this body, the most trusted servant of the previous owner could sense the changes in Zhu Lingwu.

"Father already knows? Then he has already seen these magical devices! Liangcai, you've been too meddlesome!"

Zhu Lingwu was not surprised. His stepfather was actually quite concerned about him, unlike the tragic family relationships in the novels of his original world.

Given the magnitude of the previous incident, it would be strange if his father didn't have his attendants keep a close eye on him.

The Tongshan County Office was not so large that his actions could go unnoticed by his father. Liangcai only told him now, and Zhu Lingwu could see through his intentions—clearly, he didn't want to offend either side.

But he had to put on an act.

"Master, I can't be blamed for this. It was Aji who secretly reported it. I was questioned by Lord and had to tell him. Lord also came to see and found it safe and interesting, so he allowed me to continue. However, after seeing the finished product, he instructed that Master should not use it for cultivation casually."

Liangcai put on a委屈 (wronged) expression, as if he had been forced. Aji, who usually didn't get along with him, was still a servant who could speak a few words in Zhu Lingwu's presence.

At such a young age, he already knew how to use such tactics to threaten and undermine his rivals.

Zhu Lingwu was genuinely worried. What kind of world was this, where children of this age already knew such tactics? Although somewhat naive, it was truly frightening.

Thinking of this, Zhu Lingwu reminded himself to be more cautious and not reveal his true identity. Unless he could successfully cultivate and build a foundation, he couldn't escape this mundane world and the constraints it imposed.

So, Zhu Lingwu deliberately turned his head to look at Liangcai, putting on a childishly sulky expression, huffed, and walked along the wooden walkway in the center of the courtyard.

Liangcai glanced at Zhu Lingwu's back, seemingly calculating something, then turned to look at the courtyard gate and followed a few steps behind.

The servants and attendants waiting outside were secretly watching. They knew little about what was happening inside and didn't dare to inquire, as it was against the rules.

They couldn't help but think about the things Liangcai was doing, but since everything was ordered by Zhu Lingwu and they hadn't been given the task, they had no choice. Aji, in particular, had the most complex expression.

Soon, Zhu Lingwu arrived at the training room. The three craftsmen inside quickly stood aside and bowed to him.

The room was about a hundred square meters, with no skylights and few windows, so the lighting was not good.

Several lamps were placed around the room, and the reflection from the copper mirrors helped illuminate the center of the training room.

On the surface, there was nothing special about the training platform, which looked like a small bed with a cloth covering and a cushion for sitting in a cross-legged position.

At first glance, it didn't seem like a place for martial arts training but rather for cultivation and qi refinement. However, the storage room lacked a dedicated array for gathering spiritual energy and was not a place where spiritual energy naturally converged, making it almost useless for cultivation.

Zhu Lingwu looked at the training platform and nodded in satisfaction. He then turned and walked around to the back of the platform, where he could see the intricate setup.

There were about nine half-meter-high ceramic jars arranged in sequence, connected by copper wires wrapped in leather. More complex wiring was placed nearby, and two copper wires were connected to two small copper rods, allowing the practitioner to touch them on the training platform.

On the back side of the training platform, there was a lever that seemed to control the amount of electricity released by the Baghdad batteries, allowing the practitioner to choose the desired level of electricity.

"Very good! Have you all finished the adjustments?"

Zhu Lingwu asked, clearly satisfied.