Chapter 112: A Well-Rounded Plan
Irene felt that even among Yu Sheng’s vast collection of heretical Door ideas, this latest one stood out as exceptionally unorthodox.
Yet, on the other hand, each of this guy’s ideas always carried that peculiar, sinister charm that made it impossible to ignore. After the initial shock and amazement, the little doll found herself increasingly fascinated by the “concept.” Absurd, eerie, and in direct violation of both the basic principles of Dollcraft and the foundations of Alchemy theory, it nonetheless…
[Shouldn’t we at least try it? Trying doesn’t hurt.]
“See? You think it’s a good idea too,” Yu Sheng, having caught the changes in Irene’s expression, grinned with satisfaction. “And it’s not just the skeleton—I’m thinking of casting you a full set of parts from concrete. That stuff mixes with blood way better than lotus roots…”
Irene froze again, her face twitching. After a moment of hesitation, she murmured, “Isn’t that a little too ridiculous?”
Yu Sheng replied solemnly, “Clay is earth. Concrete is also earth. That’s how I see it.”
Irene: “…I-I guess?”
“I should’ve stopped by the construction market during the last Door-run,” Yu Sheng muttered with a tinge of regret. “Could’ve picked up a bag of cement and some rebar… Oh, and I’ll need proper tools—welding machines, angle grinders—hope they’re not too expensive.”
To Irene’s ears, these terms sounded entirely alien to anything Alchemy should involve.
But Yu Sheng didn’t linger on that topic. Waving dismissively, he said, “No rush. For now, just get used to this extra body. Jot down any suggestions for improvement. Next time I mold you a new one, I’ll aim for an upgrade.”
He was brimming with excitement, as if this whole endeavor brought him immense joy.
He then strode to the edge of the platform, called over Miss Foxy, and pointed to a patch of land beside the crude stone hut that resembled an oversized Matchstick box.
“Let’s raise the Chicks here. I’ll whip up a simple coop first. Once they grow and the Valley’s vegetation gets ‘boosted,’ we can release them.”
As he spoke, the ground trembled slightly. Stones emerged from beneath the soil, forming a fenced enclosure complete with a water trough and feeder—basic, but functional.
Miss Foxy blinked, reached into her storage tail, and pulled out a group of Chicks, setting them inside the enclosure. She filled the feeder and water trough—her tail seemed to contain everything one could need.
As she worked, the Demon Fox Maiden wore a look of earnest care and joy, tinged with a touch of doting affection.
That affection, of course, was for future roast drumsticks, grilled wings, spicy chicken, smoked chicken, stewed country chicken…
“I’ll divert a water channel here later,” Yu Sheng said as he watched Miss Foxy tending the Chicks. “There’s a spring over by the old grove—not far from here. Next time I visit, I’ll bring more tools and materials. Gradually build this place up. Eventually, this Valley will be our Hotel’s base…”
“Having a base sounds great,” Irene mused nearby, “but the problem is, only you can open the Door. Every time Miss Foxy comes to feed the chickens, she’ll need you to open it. Isn’t that a bit inconvenient?”
Yu Sheng frowned slightly.
That was something that had been bothering him lately.
While the Door was incredibly handy, if he had a team and a fixed base like this Valley Camp, having a Door only he could open turned into a limitation. Irene and Miss Foxy couldn’t enter or exit the Valley Camp freely, which meant it technically wasn’t a true base for all Hotel members.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Yu Sheng said, lost in thought. “If I could establish a permanent portal here—one that doesn’t need me to maintain it, one that you can all use—that would solve the issue.”
“Can that be done?” Irene blinked. “Sounds like there’s no clear method.”
“Look, this place is an Otherworld. All Otherworlds have their own access points. I merely destroyed and overwrote the original entrance to this Valley,” Yu Sheng explained with scholarly seriousness. “The key lies in re-establishing a ‘public access point.’ As for methods… I do have some ideas.”
Now it wasn’t just Irene—Miss Foxy paused in her Chick-counting, ears perking up with keen curiosity.
“Benefactor has a plan?”
“You both remember, don’t you? You’re able to see and open the Door at Wutong Road No. 66,” Yu Sheng reminded them. “Technically speaking, that Door is a similar ‘access point’—a gateway to an Otherworld. Others can’t see or touch it, but I hold the authority to open it. After sharing my blood with you, you gained the ability to open that Door too.”
“Right, yes—!” Prompted by Yu Sheng’s words, Irene suddenly came to her senses, but her brows quickly furrowed. “But the Door at Wutong Road No. 66 exists in a fixed place. It has to stand there first, for Foxy and me to open it. But in this Valley, there’s nothing like that. Every time we enter, the passage you create is conjured out of thin air—once you let go, it vanishes.”
“What if we could stabilize it somehow?” Yu Sheng mused. “Like handcrafting a Door similar to the great Door at Wutong Road No. 66. If we imbue it with power using the Alchemy techniques you taught me—would that work, in theory?”
Irene blinked in a daze for a moment before finally responding: “I taught you that kind of Alchemy?”
“Ahem, I may have… exercised a bit of imagination,” Yu Sheng coughed. “But I think it’s doable—worth a try, right? It’s not like trying costs us anything.”
Irene heard that and muttered inwardly, [As expected, another one of Yu Sheng’s classic ‘give it a try’ ideas.] It seemed that his most uncanny inspirations always ended with that line.
He might as well be called the Sovereign of Trial and Error.
“Well, that gives me plenty to work on for a while,” Yu Sheng declared, quite cheerfully finalizing the plan, already adding new notes to his internal list. “I’ll build a reinforced concrete body for Irene, perfect the Valley Camp, set up a proper vegetable plot next time, dig a water channel, and construct a stable Teleportation Door… Huh, thinking about it, my schedule’s getting pretty full.”
As he spoke, he walked to the edge of the platform, gazing absentmindedly across the vast expanse of the Valley below.
This Valley, once ravaged by the Entity-Hunger, was now in the midst of revival—an accelerated rebirth, catalyzed by Yu Sheng’s deliberate efforts.
The chasms scattered across the land were slowly being filled in. The crumbling mountain faces in the distance now showed visible signs of healing. And those sparse green sprouts that had emerged near the ruins on the first day—had, without notice, spread far and wide.
Pale green shoots extended along the undulating terrain of the Valley Floor, among them tender shrubs. They were remnants of the vitality this Valley once held—lost in the depths of a darkened world, now breaking through the soil again, yearning for sunlight.
A sense of grounded peace welled up unbidden in Yu Sheng’s heart. He looked upon this landscape, the corners of his mouth curving upwards. “This place… truly is a good place.”
Footsteps echoed behind him. The Demon Fox Maiden approached with two Chicks cupped in her hands, her gaze tentative as she addressed him. “Benefactor, I want to raise these two at home. Is that okay?”
Yu Sheng turned to see the Fox Girl staring up at him, golden-red eyes brimming with hope. The Chicks in her arms peeped softly, carefree and content.
He blinked. “These two are…?”
“Plain Boiled and Salt Baked,” Foxy responded at once.
Yu Sheng: “…”
So those were the Fox Girl’s named Chicks.
She really meant to raise them as pets!
His own Fox Girl was now not only raising chickens, but giving her favorites names like Plain Boiled and Salt Baked—even Yu Sheng had to admit that was a bit cursed. Yet under her pure and eager stare, he ultimately suppressed the mocking words on the tip of his tongue. Keeping a straight face, he nodded: “Alright. I’ll find you a cardboard box when we get back. You can raise them on the balcony.”
Foxy instantly brightened. “Thank you, Benefactor!”
Just then, Yu Sheng felt something buzz in his pocket, followed by a persistent ringing.
He pulled out his phone—and saw Li Lin’s name flashing on the screen.
But before answering, he froze.
…There’s signal?
There’s signal inside the Valley?
Yu Sheng remembered vividly: back when this Otherworld was still the Night Valley, no signal existed here. That was why Little Red Riding Hood, Li Lin, and the others had been trapped, unable to contact the outside world.
But now—there was signal?
Could this too be one of the changes brought about by the aftermath of the Feast?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. After a brief hesitation, Yu Sheng picked up the call: “Hello?”