Chapter Sixteen: The Activation of the Portrait of Court Ladies (3/5)

The little swallowing python had to consume a great amount of meat. It devoured these corpses one after another, and soon, crackling sounds began to emanate from its body as it digested the food. Its form would expand with each meal, growing larger as it ate. In merely a dozen minutes, it had consumed an entire person, bones and all.

Originally, Yang Fan hadn’t intended for it to eat human flesh, but there was no other choice. Zombie flesh was not only devoid of nutrition but actually harmful to the little python. The mutated beasts had yet to appear, and the flesh of the insectoids was the best option, but there were still more than ten days before they would emerge.

While the python was eating, Yang Fan rested quietly. The ordeal outside had drained much of his energy, and after firing seven shots from the Desert Eagle, his strength was further depleted. Now, he was in a weakened state. If he didn’t rest, facing the coming challenges would be impossible.

He practiced the meditation and breathing techniques from the Yellow Emperor’s Heart Sutra—after all, the Yellow Emperor was famed for his mastery of bodily cultivation in legend. This method surpassed others by far. As Yang Fan entered a meditative state, his stamina recovered swiftly, regaining almost ten percent of his strength in an hour.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he finally awoke. The atmosphere had shifted; the terror from before was gone. The python had finished its feast on the eleven corpses, blood still staining its jaws, coiled around his side. Its body had grown to over a meter in length and was now as thick as half a palm, doubling in size.

“Gluttons are easy to raise,” Yang Fan said, stroking the python’s muscular body. He then returned it to the pet space, where it transformed back into a lifelike tattoo on his left arm. Anyone unaware would think it nothing but body art, but anyone who made that mistake would pay dearly.

“All right. Are any of you system inheritors?” Yang Fan asked, sweeping a casual glance at the bloodstained ground as he addressed the seven girls. These seven, though not quite school queens, were at least class beauties. Had this been peacetime, no doubt they would have been the center of attention.

Now, though, their hair was disheveled, their clothes messy, their faces haggard—a sight to move one’s heart to pity.

The girls exchanged confused glances, unsure of what Yang Fan meant.

Clearly, among the six, not one was a system inheritor—they were all ordinary people. Yang Fan felt a headache brewing. There were six more girls upstairs, and seven here, making thirteen in total—a heavy burden, a real obstacle to his future plans.

As he pondered what to do, he used the Lady’s Eye to gauge their feelings toward him. All were at C-level, mere gratitude. Yet the Lady’s Eye’s prompt was clear: all could be taken in. He found this exasperating.

Though a man, Yang Fan was not one to pluck wildflowers at will. He could be charming, but not base; to take advantage of others was not his nature. He refrained from forcing anyone, but worried for their safety all the same.

If they followed him, they would be a hindrance. If not, they’d likely fall to zombies or be abused by other men. Yang Fan was deep in thought when suddenly, the system’s voice sounded in his mind.

“Player has awakened the Portrait of Beauties ability. The Portrait of Beauties has now awakened.”

“Congratulations. Portrait of Beauties has awakened, and its initial abilities are now active.”

[Special Equipment]

Portrait of Beauties

Equipment Quality: Silver

Equipment Potential: Legendary

Effect 1: Can accommodate living beings, but only women; within, a new world may be developed, and anything can be cultivated.

Effect 2: Can condense the Lady’s Eye, which will automatically select suitable companions to assist the host in dual cultivation, ascending together to immortality.

Effect 3: Every woman taken into the Portrait of Beauties increases the host’s overall abilities by 1 point.

Effect 4: Any woman who becomes a companion within the Portrait of Beauties can, based on her rating, grant the host a special state.

Note: This is the immortal treasure with which Xuanyuan the Yellow Emperor achieved divinity—a rare celestial relic.

—

These were the attributes after the Portrait of Beauties awakened—two new ones, both astonishing. To be “accommodated” by the Portrait—what if he took in a thousand? Ten thousand? Would that mean ten thousand extra points to his abilities?

Yang Fan was shocked, but quickly deduced that there must be limitations. Such an overpowered item couldn’t exist; otherwise, with so many women in the world, he could just keep recruiting endlessly. Even a hundred million women would mean a hundred million points—one punch might rival the power of a nuclear bomb. No, there had to be a fatal restriction.

Yang Fan scrutinized the Portrait of Beauties repeatedly, this time using the Zombie’s Eye, and indeed found a hidden restriction:

Any woman to be accommodated must at present have at least half the maximum beauty rating, and their attitude toward the host must be at least C-level. To grant a 1-point overall increase, her potential must be at least seven, and her attitude toward the host must be at least B-level (good).

So, there was no such thing as invincible equipment. The passing mark was a five or six—meaning the girls had to be at least above average, and the potential value of seven eliminated half the current seven. Plus, their attitude toward the host had to reach B-level, which would take time.

Yang Fan sighed, but wasn’t too disappointed.

“Activate the Portrait of Beauties,” he commanded without hesitation. Instantly, a crimson portal appeared before him, two meters tall and half a meter wide.

He turned to the stunned girls. “If you want to live, go in.”

They looked at one another in shock and fear, dreading that they might be leaping from the wolf’s den into the tiger’s lair. Yang Fan said nothing more, silently counting to ten. If none entered, he would close the portal and leave.

On the sixth second, someone stood up—it was the girl who had nearly been violated at the start. The others followed, emboldened by her lead.

“Thank you,” the last girl said, her yellow dress stained with tears, forcing a fragile smile as she passed.

Yang Fan’s heart was suddenly moved. He smiled, patted her shoulder, and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”

She nodded and stepped through the portal. Yang Fan followed, with Zhu Liang close behind, but at the threshold, he was barred entry.

“Men can’t go in,” Yang Fan said, leaving Zhu Liang at a loss for words. The older man shot him a rude gesture, then sat down, patting his pockets and finding a pack of cigarettes. He grinned, pulled one out, and was just about to light it—when he realized he didn’t have a lighter.

“Damn,” Zhu Liang muttered, squatting down beside the portal to wait for Yang Fan to finish quickly.

—

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