Ryan was speechless at Albert's ability to take advantage of the situation. He asked curiously, "Don't you want to ask what this 'half-rescue' really means?"
Albert shook his head with a wry smile. "I won't ask anymore. I believe the immortal can handle it properly. Besides, my situation can't get any worse than it already is. Ever since... the incident, I've been living in constant fear—afraid that one day, I'd be discovered and forever become a disgrace to my sect. At least now, I feel somewhat relieved."
It seemed that after the string of emotional blows he had just suffered, Albert had completely let go of his pride and worries.
Since things had reached this point, Ryan didn't bother beating around the bush. He pulled out a contract and said plainly, "Sign this, and I'll get started. Everything you need to know is written on this paper."
Albert took the contract and carefully read its terms. It stated that he would teach Ryan all his martial arts techniques, while Ryan promised not to transmit those techniques to anyone in his own world. In return, Ryan would regenerate Albert's lost organs—but only to restore him to his original, healthy state, without enhancing any capabilities or powers.
In other words, the restored parts would allow Albert to regain his original voice and physical appearance—beard, tone, and masculinity included—but not their most "functional" aspect.
Albert gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "That's better than I imagined. After all, my child's already grown up, and I never really considered having another son."
Without hesitation, he signed the contract.
As soon as he signed, Ryan heard the voice of the Myriad Realms Grocery Store echo in his mind:
"Acquired: Huashan Long Fist, Huashan Swordsmanship, Huashan Inner Energy, Yangwu Sword Style, Western Movement Sword, Taiyue Three Green Peaks, Jade Maiden's Nineteen Swords, Zixia Divine Art, and the Exorcism Sword Manual."
A stream of blue gas emerged from Albert's body, transforming into nine physical books that flew into place on Ryan's bookshelf.
Seeing this, Ryan finally relaxed. He said to Albert, who was still bound by vines, "I could fully restore your capabilities now—but if I do that, your Exorcism Sword Technique will become ineffective. You wouldn't want that, would you? Plus, you don't have enough merit points to have everything. Since you're hoping to pave a future for the Huashan Sect, I assume your martial arts must remain intact. That means you'll have to give something in return."
Having signed the contract, Albert now understood the rules of the Myriad Realms Grocery Store. He knew that once the deal was sealed, neither party could go back on their word. That gave him peace of mind.
After hearing Ryan's explanation—that a full recovery would nullify his martial arts technique—Albert nodded resolutely. "Then let's do it your way. For the Huashan Sect, I am willing to make the sacrifice."
Ryan couldn't tell if Albert was genuinely sincere or just putting on a show, but at this point, it didn't matter. He assumed that after undergoing this kind of "surgery," Albert would take his words seriously. With the physical issue resolved, perhaps Albert wouldn't fall into the same psychological extremes as he did in the original timeline.
With that in mind, Ryan signaled to Green Snake to tighten the vines holding Albert in place. Then, he retrieved a treatment needle obtained from radiation and injected Albert with two doses.
At first, Albert didn't move at all. But then, his whole body began to tremble violently. He twisted, trying desperately to scratch the part of his body that was regenerating. Luckily, Ryan had anticipated this. He had Green Snake wrap the vines even tighter, restraining Albert's limbs. Still, the vines creaked with tension.
Curious, Ryan asked, "What's happening?"
Green Snake's response surprised him. "The force coming from him... it's weighing several tons."
Ryan was stunned. Was this the effect of inner energy?
This made him even more excited about his gains.
Ten minutes later, the creaking finally stopped. Ryan signaled for Green Snake to release him. Albert collapsed, his face pale as gold leaf, his clothes drenched in sweat. He looked like someone who'd just been pulled from a river. But in stark contrast to his physical exhaustion, his eyes sparkled with joy. Despite Ryan still standing before him, Albert dropped to the floor.
He placed his hand on the regenerated part of his body and cried out in a choked voice, "It's back… It's really back!"
Tears mixed with sweat ran down his face.
Then, still kneeling, Albert said in a trembling voice, "Immortal, I was blind before and offended you many times. Yet you didn't hold a grudge and even restored me… I am deeply ashamed. I swear, once I return to the human world, I will do good, earn more merit, and atone for my sins."
Ryan gave a small nod. "That's good to hear. In the future, if you ever need something, just silently chant 'Grocery Store of All Worlds' and open any door. If I see that your merit is increasing and your sins are decreasing, then you'll be able to trade for what you need."
Then he showed Albert the various goods available in the store.
"I will obey the Immortal's will," Albert replied solemnly. After admiring the magical items—which he clearly viewed as treasures of the heavens—Albert stepped back, adjusted his robes, and bowed deeply again. "I will return to the mortal world now. I will definitely return to visit you in the future."
With that, he turned and walked out of the store.
Moments later, Ryan received a system notification:
"Detected significant change in world fate. Offset points earned: +28."
A pretty decent harvest, all things considered. It seemed Albert had undergone a major psychological shift after the procedure. With the "hardware" problem solved, maybe his "software" wouldn't go down the wrong path again. Hopefully, the new trajectory of his life would be different.
Satisfied, Ryan walked over to his shelf and examined the newly acquired martial arts manuals. As he skimmed through them, he noticed that the descriptions of inner strength were surprisingly similar to how he managed his spiritual power.
On a whim, he followed the method outlined in the Huashan Inner Energy manual and circulated his spiritual power accordingly.
As the spiritual power flowed into his arms through the pathways described, he walked over to a counter, lifted it with one hand, and was surprised by how light it felt.
"So they're compatible…"
Spiritual energy and internal force had common ground.
Feeling pleased with the discovery, Ryan chose to infuse all martial arts—except the Exorcism Sword Technique—into himself. The system displayed the required cost:
Huashan Long Fist, Huashan Swordsmanship, and Huashan Inner Energy – 1 offset point each.
Yangwu Sword, Western Movement Sword, Taiyue Three Green Peaks, Jade Maiden's Nineteen Swords – 3 points each.
Zixia Divine Art – 7 points.
"It's surprisingly cheap," Ryan thought.
He authorized the system to proceed.
A flash of light enveloped him, and moments later, the process was complete. The system explained:
"Martial arts and internal techniques are essentially methods for manipulating internal energy. Spiritual energy, being of a higher order, can fully substitute for internal energy. Infusion optimizes the meridian pathways for spiritual energy usage."
No wonder the infusion cost was low—Ryan's spiritual energy was of Taoist lineage, just like these techniques. That made compatibility nearly perfect.
Fully satisfied, Ryan leaned back and smiled.
This guest had definitely been worth the visit. Not only had he acquired a complete martial arts set, but he had also earned a net gain of 6 offset points.