"No, the Nether-Demons haven't caused any trouble recently. They seem to be looking for someone, and they look quite anxious," Welcome said.
"Looking for someone?" Zhang Shan mused. "Could they be looking for you?"
"Why would they look for me?"
"The Gengnu Diamond Scepter!"
Clap!
Welcome clapped her hands in realization. "That's right! We now have all the components of the Gengnu Diamond Scepter, and only we, the Hidden Ones and Technique Masters, know where the main body is kept. Lufa must be dying to kidnap me and force the location out of me!"
"Exactly!" Zhang Shan nodded. "So, to prevent Lufa's conspiracy from succeeding, you should just give the Scepter to me!"
"Impossible."
"Why?!"
Welcome crossed her arms and said coldly, "Guarding the Gengnu Diamond Scepter is a secret treasure that our Hidden Ones have protected for generations. Until I acknowledge you, I will never hand it over!"
In reality, Welcome didn't know the exact location either; she had only heard her grandmother mention that it was kept inside the Demon Suppression Tower...
"Oh? Acknowledge?~" Zhang Shan leaned closer to Welcome and smiled. "What kind of acknowledgment are we talking about?"
Faced with his masculine presence, Welcome's face turned slightly red. She looked away and stammered, "That... well... it depends on your performance..."
While Zhang Shan and the others were guessing, Lufa had located Qiao Shefei and Kuffins.
However, Qiao Shefei had no intention of returning to help Lufa. After beating the Nether-Demon who came for him half to death, he went back to his apprenticeship at the barbershop.
Kuffins was the same; he ignored Lufa entirely and continued his life as a wanderer. He had recently started dating a girl and was currently immersed in a sweet relationship.
Crash!
"Bastards! These three bastards!" Lufa angrily smashed a teapot and roared, "I didn't work so hard to resurrect them just so they could play house with Earthlings!"
Although Anmixiu had helped him drive back the Punishment Heaven Armor earlier, he had vanished into thin air since then. Qiao Shefei and Kuffins, whom he had finally found, were now openly slacking off.
"I have fewer than seven warriors left, and Kula is under strict watch. Without the Captains' help, we are definitely no match for those Armors," Lufa thought. "Must I really compromise?"
"No! Once he gets the Ares (Shura) Armor, I'll be even less of a match for him!"
Lufa could tamper with the summoners of the three main Armors, but he couldn't touch the Shura Armor. After all, the Shura Armor was a true wonder—an embodiment of universal laws, existing on a completely different level. Its power was terrifying!
Lufa believed that if he handed the Shura Armor to Zhang Shan, he would be killed the moment Zhang Shan got his hands on the summoner.
"And that kid said King Peir has been deposed... I wonder if it's true..."
After several confrontations, Lufa had developed deep doubts about the information Zhang Shan had shared.
"General, why don't we just kidnap the Hidden One and force the location of the Scepter out of her?" Kubixiu suggested.
"Idiot! Do you think I don't know where the Gengnu Diamond Scepter is?!" Lufa snapped. "The Hidden One and the Technique Master hid the treasure right in front of me back then! I know exactly where it is. It's just that its location is constantly shifting, and it will take some effort to find it."
Lufa's ranks were thinning, and the frequency of their attacks had decreased recently. Zhang Shan finally enjoyed a few days of peace.
Lately, he had been wearing the Diamond Armor to sell goods via livestream. The results were excellent, bringing in millions in a single night—even the wealthy Welcome was getting a bit jealous.
"Everyone, that's all for today's stream. If you want to interact more with an Armor Hero, you can go to the Punishment Heaven Armor's room next door. His communication skills aren't great, but it's fun to tease a 'silent blockhead'!"
[Punishment Heaven: ...6]
[Hahaha! What a good brother! Even after ending his stream, he's driving traffic to his buddy!]
[Let's go, brothers! Time to tease the blockhead!]
Closing the stream, Zhang Shan deactivated his armor and flopped onto the ground with a blissful smile.
"Making money as a celebrity is so easy. In just a few days, I've paid millions in taxes!"
Welcome was speechless, still trying to adapt to this new era.
Zhang Shan lay on the floor and opened Xiao Tian's stream. He saw the guy selling snacks. Although he couldn't do a live tasting because of the armor, the title of "Armor Hero" made the taste test irrelevant. In just a few days, Xiao Tian had also paid hundreds of thousands in taxes. Of course, only Xiao Tian knew his true income; even Youzi didn't know his savings.
After finishing dinner with Welcome, Xiao Fei and Qing Zizai pushed the door open and entered.
"Hmm? Where's Xiao Tian?" Xiao Fei asked.
"Out on a date with his girlfriend, probably. He's been busy lately," Zhang Shan replied.
Just then, the door opened again, and Xiao Tian walked in with Youzi.
"Oh, you're all here?" Xiao Tian said, surprised to see Xiao Fei.
"Hmph! You're back just in time!" Xiao Fei smiled mysteriously.
Once Xiao Tian sat down, Xiao Fei announced, "Listen up! I have grasped the mysteries of the Flying Shadow Armor. I can take the final step and achieve Armor Upgrade at any time!"
Zhang Shan looked at Qing Zizai behind Xiao Fei and saw the man's face full of helplessness. Instantly, Zhang Shan knew what was going on. Qing Zizai was likely so annoyed by Xiao Fei that he made up an excuse to fool him.
I have a feeling something's going to go wrong... Zhang Shan felt an ominous premonition.
However, thinking of his own current strength, he didn't panic. Xiao Fei might have been fooled, but he himself was truly on the verge of an upgrade. Zhang Shan felt he only needed a catalyst to upgrade his armor and crush a full-power Lufa.
Xiao Fei bragged for a bit and then left in a hurry, mentioning a party he had to attend. After he left, Zhang Shan nudged Welcome. "Comrade Yang, how did you find Xiao Fei in the first place?"
"He just came in to eat. I saw he met the criteria, so I had him sign the contract!" Welcome stared with her big, innocent eyes.
"Alright then..." Zhang Shan felt helpless. Was there even one reliable Hidden One? Xiao Tian was tricked into signing as a child; Xiao Fei and himself were signed just because they stopped by for a meal. He was fine because he knew the plot, but as for the original Diamond Armor summoner, Xiao Gang...
If the signing process for Xiao Fei and Xiao Gang was the same, that's a bit terrifying.
Xiao Tian said to Zhang Shan, "Ren, I've made some money recently and plan to buy a house. Do you have any recommendations?"
"Buy a house?" Zhang Shan looked at him in shock. "You're not planning to take out a mortgage, are you? Little brother, take it from me: in this era, the biggest taboo is overspending. Do what you can within your means. Don't step into the 'Three Borrowings' or fall into the 'Five Elements'!"
Xiao Tian's eye twitched. "Where do you hear these things... I've just made some money and wanted to have a home of my own here."
Zhang Shan thought for a moment. "If you want to buy, I suggest a second-hand home. Or, if you're not in a hurry, I suggest you do livestreams for another two months. Once you've saved enough, buy a big villa—that's the real life!"
Speaking of villas, Welcome got interested. "If you're talking about villas, I actually know a great place!"
Zhang Shan was stunned. "Wait, your family owns a villa?"
"Not my family! I just happen to know a place with great scenery!" Welcome snapped. "My family is only moderately wealthy; we don't have money for a villa."
"Oh I see"
"Hey! What's with that tone?"
Seeing Welcome pout, Zhang Shan quickly changed the subject. "Let's talk more about that villa. If the beautiful Welcome remembers it, it must be a great place!"
Welcome brightened up again. "Yes! It's called the Qingshan Villa District. They are six-story detached houses with basements and private pools. Just thinking about it makes me feel happy!"
Zhang Shan's eye twitched. "Welcome, is it possible that we are still quite poor and can't afford a luxury home worth hundreds of millions?"
"..."
Welcome fell silent. A few seconds later, she forced a smile. "Well, I was just giving a suggestion... just a suggestion. It depends on your own situation..."
Realizing he wouldn't get a practical suggestion from Welcome, Xiao Tian looked back at Zhang Shan. "Ren, so you're saying I should buy a second-hand house?"
Zhang Shan nodded. "Right. Buying a new house is too much trouble. Better to get a ready-to-move-in second-hand place. Given your current situation, you won't be living there for very long anyway."
Xiao Tian thought about it and felt Zhang Shan had a point. He had made a lot of money in just a few days; after a while longer, he really wouldn't care for a small apartment. "But it's still good to have a house in the city for convenience."
They spent the next few days analyzing locations.
A few days later, in a small forest.
"Haaaah!"
Zhang Shan summoned the Diamond Armor, his body radiating golden light. The powerful Extra-Dimensional energy shook the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
A few minutes later, Zhang Shan suddenly lost steam and knelt on one knee. "Dammit! Failed again!"
Zip! He deactivated the armor and sat on the ground, feeling discouraged. He felt like he was on the verge of a breakthrough, yet he couldn't quite shatter that barrier. What am I missing?
Just then, Welcome's voice sounded in his ear. "Ren, Ren! More Armor Heroes have appeared online to sell goods! They say they're the Fire Dragon Hero and the others!"
"Huh?" His train of thought was interrupted. Zhang Shan was confused. "Wait, let me see!"
He opened the short-video app, and the first thing he saw was a livestream recommendation for the Fire Dragon Hero. Clicking in, he found the Fire Dragon Hero was selling... techniques?
"Southern Style Boxing?" Ren curiously placed an order. The next moment, a red light landed beside him!
"Holy crap?!" Startled, Zhang Shan picked up the book, which still smelled of fresh ink. Looking at the diagrams and annotations inside, he fell silent.
Why wasn't I a Light-Shadow Armor summoner?!
He sighed and began to study the manual. "Oh? It's the real deal?"
Ren was no longer a novice; the moment he saw the techniques, he knew it was authentic. For the next few days, he immersed himself in the world of boxing. For some reason, he felt no lack of familiarity when learning the techniques, as if they were tailor-made for him.
Click~
Welcome pushed open the door. Seeing Ren still immersed in the manual, she crept up behind him and suddenly shouted, "Ya!!"
Despite the shout, Zhang Shan wasn't startled at all. He pulled Welcome onto the sofa and smiled. "Please, I could hear you opening the door from a mile away."
"Hey! How did you know it was me? Xiao Tian lives here too, you know!" Welcome said defiantly.
"I couldn't help it. Even before you entered the room, I smelled an enticing fragrance~"
"Hmph! Smooth talker~"
After their usual banter, Welcome asked, "You've been reading those books for a while now. When do you plan to head out again? All the brand sponsors are being snatched up by the other Armor Heroes!"
"Snatched? Then let them be," Zhang Shan said nonchalantly. "I've made plenty of money. Later on, I plan to just live in Lufa's spaceship—it's much better than anywhere on Earth."
"Huh?" Welcome looked dazed for a moment. "So that's what you're planning..."
"Yeah, what did you think?" Zhang Shan flipped a page and continued reading.
"Er... I thought you were planning to... forget it, not important!" Welcome clapped. "It's decided! Tomorrow we go to the Demon Suppression Tower to find the Gengnu Diamond Scepter!"
"Oh? Is my probation period over?" Zhang Shan turned around, looking at Welcome with delight.
"No! Don't overthink it!" Welcome said, acting like a tsundere.
"You say no, but I feel like I've passed!"
As Zhang Shan leaned in, Welcome's ears turned bright red! She stammered for a long time, looking completely flustered. Seeing her so vivid and charming, Zhang Shan tilted her chin up. Their eyes met, and the air in the room filled with an intimate atmosphere.
Just as their faces drew closer, Welcome suddenly cried, "Wait a second!" She pushed Zhang Shan away and said, "Wait! I only agreed to let you pursue me... we're moving too fast!"
Zhang Shan laughed quickly. "Sorry, sorry! I got ahead of myself! Hahaha! First time falling in love, I couldn't help it~"
Hearing this, the corners of Welcome's mouth curled up slightly. "Hmph! I'm leaving! Remember to find me at the Demon Suppression Tower tomorrow!"
"Got it! See you tomorrow girlfriend-chan"
"Ya~ You're going to be the death of me!"