He activated the scroll with the power of time and space travel. Thus, in search of greater wisdom, he resolutely began his journey through time and space—shuttling between major universes to witness those utterly different civilizations.

　　In his eyes, wisdom was not limited to spells or magical technology. The various cultures, the different ways of thinking developed by people in different universes, the social environments and structures of different eras, even the diversity between species—all these were priceless treasures to him! And not just to him; in their world, many people might yearn for this “knowledge that can enlighten oneself at any time.”

　　Because, even if, to take the most pessimistic view, this knowledge offered no help to one’s magical attainments, absolutely no mage would ever think that magic was the entirety of their life. Life is so complex, so long yet so short; how to possess a rich and fulfilling soul is the lifelong pursuit of many mages.

Chapter 9 Old King’s World

　　Around two in the afternoon, Emily Clark finished her nap and came downstairs. Rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning, she said, “I’ll go back to get a change of clothes first, then I’ll come back to take over… hmm?”

　　She looked closely and saw William Clark lying on the counter, sound asleep, not making a single sound.

　　Like he was dead!

　　Emily Clark sighed helplessly, walked straight across the hall, pushed open the glass door, and went outside.

　　The sunlight at the end of June was scorching, making her frown. She raised her hand to shield her forehead, but still grabbed a Mobike and rode home.

　　Almost as soon as she left, Old King happened to return from outside carrying a shopping bag. Thinking of his recent shopping experience, Old King still looked a bit embarrassed.

　　He glanced at William Clark sleeping on the counter, took the clothes upstairs, and when he came back down, William Clark had already woken up, looking much better than before.

　　“Mm, you’re back.” William Clark greeted him.

　　“Yeah.” Old King nodded, took a few bills out of his pocket, and handed them back to William Clark: “This is the money left over from buying clothes, I’ll return it to you.”

　　“Uh, you don’t have to be so form—” William Clark glanced at the bills and was momentarily stunned.

　　Good grief, he’d given Old King a total of four hundred yuan, since summer clothes are cheap and he’s not rich! Yet Old King brought back over three hundred and fifty yuan in change…

　　“Where did you buy the clothes?” he asked.

　　“That city seems to be your country’s capital, called Yanjing, right? Then there’s a place called Xizhimen, and there’s a market over there. I saw a lot of people picking out clothes there, so since it’s so popular, it should be pretty good.” Old King said.

　　“Yanjing!!” William Clark checked his watch, then continued to stare at Old King in disbelief. “You got from Jinguan to Yanjing in two hours!!”

　　Old King smiled faintly and said, “Yes. You slept for two hours, and you seem much more energetic than this morning!”

　　“Really?” William Clark was taken aback, but didn’t dwell on it. He sighed, “Maybe it’s because I just had a nap. By the way, before I fell asleep, I kept repeating the first step of the meditation technique. Every time I finish meditating, I feel a bit tired, but then I immediately feel more refreshed. Is that normal?”

　　“……” Old King was silent for a while, then showed a slightly embarrassed expression. “It’s been so many years, I’ve forgotten most of it. But the results should speak for themselves.”

　　“Then when my sister wakes up and comes down to take over, let’s continue learning the next step!” William Clark said excitedly. “By the way, what’s the name of this meditation technique?”

　　“Let me think… It seems to be the Iron Horse Kingdom’s basic beginner meditation technique, set number seven, simplified version.” Old King’s words instantly dashed all his expectations.

　　“……” William Clark.

　　As if seeing the dazed look on his face, Old King quickly added, “But I’ve optimized it. The meditation method is much more scientific than the one originally promoted, and the results should be better.”

　　“Originally… should be…” William Clark fell silent. “The Iron Horse Kingdom is that kingdom that expanded to Yanhu a few hundred years ago, right? Does it still exist?”

　　“It does.” Old King affirmed the resilience of this ancient kingdom. “But it seems to have become a third-world country now.”

　　William Clark forced a wry smile, immediately stood up, and walked out from behind the counter. “Watch the place for me, I’ll go upstairs to see if Emily Clark is awake.”

　　He was just about to go upstairs when he saw Emily Clark come in from outside, wearing a sun hat and carrying a big watermelon. She looked at him and said, “Awake?”

　　“Uh, when did you go out?”

　　“Just now,” Emily Clark said, glancing lightly at Old King.

　　“Then you take over, I’ll go upstairs to rest.”

　　“Wait!” Emily Clark called out.

　　“Huh?”