Chapter Thirty-Five: Unexpected Outcome

  On the second day, I got up early in the morning. Although I didn't have insomnia, considering that the new sky was too mysterious, I couldn't figure out why he brought me back last night, so I didn't dare to sleep soundly and practiced for most of the night. I only slept hastily at dawn, but strangely, after not sleeping for long, I wasn't sleepy at all, instead, I felt energetic and refreshed.

  I attribute this effect to the True Classic of the Diagrams, because Lan Jie told me that ancient Chinese martial arts had many strange effects, which were not just about nourishing life as is now commonly said, let alone being a mysterious "door" in Daoist mysticism. Li Huaguang revered Daoist mysticism so much precisely because he too had once had a strange encounter and seen a superior person.

  So this greatly stimulated my desire to explore the true scriptures, holding the ultimate divine technique, not hurrying to cultivate it, what are you waiting for? Isn't there a saying that one should drink dew in the morning and absorb the essence at night? The rising sun in the morning is very beneficial for cultivation, so I got up early to start cultivating.

  Gently walking out of the house, through a sea of flowers, to the edge of a small river and a pond, taking a deep breath, "Ah" the fresh air here is really not covered, standing here, the elegant and quiet environment can make people forget all their worries, living here, prolonging life will not be a legend, it's absolutely a great place for health preservation and retirement.

  Find a clean and flat stone, slowly lie down, make the pose of the first picture of the True Scripture of Graphs, soon, I entered a mysterious and profound state.

  Although I was curled up, I felt myself flying in the air, the clear flowing water, the fresh flowers nearby, the green trees far away, and even the sound of people sleeping in the house, all slowly appeared in my mind.

  "A fish, a fish" A fish poked its head out of the water to breathe, what's even more incredible is that I felt its presence, I think the fish was just a few inches away from me, wanting, and even just stretching out my hand could catch it.

  But I didn't catch it, I just quietly watched it, watching the fish lift its head to breathe, then flick its tail and dive back into the water, open its mouth, suck in the plankton in the water, and swim towards the depths.

  After finishing with the fish, I came to the 'flower' sea behind me, strolling on the small path in the 'flower' sea, occasionally lowering my head to smell the fragrance, watching the 'flowers' swaying in the clear wind, watching them blooming in the morning sun.

  A small bird flew into the cluster of 'flowers', flying to my side, it seemed to have discovered my existence, and even forgot to peck at the insects on the petals, raising its head to gaze at me, with a curious and yearning look in its eyes for this unseen and harmless species.

  I never thought that a little bird could show such an expression to humans, and I didn't think I could understand the bird's eyes either. Suddenly, my playful heart was stirred up, and with a wave of my hand, the bird hopped and flew over to my side. It lifted its beak and pecked at my foot, as if saying "Is this a new type of delicious bug? It's so big, it'll last me a long time!"

  "Chirp, chirp", it pecked twice, but felt nothing. The little bird flapped its wings and flew away.

  What a scammer! Growing up like this and still can't eat, I seem to have heard the bird's voice.

  A streak of dawn, through the gap in the distant mountain peaks, 'shot' into the Valley of the Immortals, giving everything on earth a golden cloak, making it look exceptionally soft and gentle.

  Ah, this is the sunshine. I lift my head to gaze at it. The morning sunshine is gentle, just like the sunset, but compared to the sunset's duskiness, the morning sun has an extra dose of vitality.

  This feeling is so great, I sighed in my heart, stretched out my hand, wanting to catch that sunrise.

  Catching the sunlight, it's a beautiful fairy tale, but what's incredible is that when I stretched out my hand, the sunlight was really caught by me, like a soft scarf wrapped around my hand, a warm current entered my body, so comfortable that it made me want to moan, this feeling was too wonderful, making me reluctant to leave, slowly closing my eyes, wanting to permanently own the feeling of this moment.

  By the water pool, I didn't see that the rising sun had already hung high in the sky, but at this time, the Shennong Valley was indeed another scene. By my side by the water pool, the sunlight seemed to have curved and covered me with a seven-color robe, so beautiful that people dared not blink their eyes, fearing that such a beautiful scene would disappear if they blinked.

  But I couldn't see, it doesn't mean others can't see. Not far from me, an old man with a white beard wearing a white martial arts uniform was staring at me with his eyes wide open, but the color of his eyes was indeed getting more and more intense.

  …….

  "Damn, it's so hot! What's going on?" I felt a stinging sensation all over my body and jumped up with a start. Rubbing my butt, fortunately, it wasn't scorched yet. Shit, I almost forgot that it's July now and the sun can get scorching hot just shortly after rising.

  "Hey, this can't be right. With so many trees and a small stream nearby, how can it be so hot?" But the next moment, I felt that something was off. If the environment here is so easily heated up, would it still become a top-notch villa area? I reached out to touch the ground beside me, and indeed, it was cool and chilly.

  "So, the question arises" I supported my chin with a thoughtful look, what's going on here? Just now I saw those birds and fish, and the sunshine, what's going on? Is it a dream? Zhuangzi dreaming of butterflies?

  "Cough, cough, this strong man, you don't need to suspect, it's indeed you who spent four hours here practicing and absorbing the essence of heaven and earth that made the stone warm." Just as I was about to fall into deep thought, a loud and powerful coughing sound came from behind me.

  But a sentence from the strong man almost made me fall, I wiped it, does this look like a strong man? However, when did someone appear beside me, how didn't I know? And four hours, damn, how can it be so long? How come I feel like it's just a short while? And what's with you old man, don't you know that sneaking a peek at someone practicing is taboo? In ancient times, one would be hunted down for this.

  "Do you know what's going on?" I asked, pointing to the floor. I didn't know how long he had been sneaking a peek at me practicing, but I was still being cautious and trying to sound him out carefully.

  "Of course, it's precisely because you're practicing this extraordinary skill that you've absorbed the essence of heaven and earth around you. You've even absorbed the sunlight, which is why the area around you has become so hot. Don't believe me? Try touching other places, and you'll find that the temperature on the ground is much lower than it is around you." The old man chuckled as he stroked his white beard.

  I gave him a glance, and this person looked quite good in temperament, with a bit of an air of nobility. However, compared to the noble people I've seen before, he was far inferior. Not to mention Xian Feng Dao Gu's otherworldly elegance, even that left-handed emissary looked more pleasing to the eye than him. So, with a skeptical mindset, I reached out and touched his side.

  Ice, in 'touch', cool, I wiped it again, and it was really hit by him, this is indeed caused by me, haha, it seems that I have cultivated the divine skill, oh no, should be cultivated into the first layer of the True Classic of the Diagrams, from now on I can learn Fa jue, hand jue, draw talismans to subdue demons, set up arrays to kill enemies, thinking about it is really exciting.

  "Cough, cough, young man, don't get too excited. I've lived for over 70 years and have seen many strange people and things in this world. However, the kung fu you're practicing is something I've never seen before. Would you be willing to explain it to an old man like me?" The old man couldn't bear to look at my silly grin anymore.

  I gave him a white eye, and you who don't know each other want to ask about someone's cultivation method. Are you sick? What kind of person would so actively tell you that? In ancient times, the law was not passed on to six ears, this is a common practice in all industries. If there is any behavior of stealing a teacher, it will be a mortal enemy. Therefore, unless the relationship is really close, it is rare to talk about one's own cultivation method and tell others.

  But anyway, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll tease you, old man. Who let you watch me practice in silence?

  "Alright, old man, let me tell you, my kung fu has a real origin. I wouldn't normally tell anyone, but looking at your attire, you're definitely not an ordinary person, and you can live here... Ah, got sidetracked! Anyway, when I was seven years old, a beggar came to our house and asked for 10 bucks. At that time, 10 bucks was my half-yearly allowance, no way would I give it to him even if he killed me! Later, he said he'd exchange it for the 'Tian Di Ba Huang' secret manual, also known as the 'Unbeatable Supreme Mastery'. He said after mastering it, one would be invincible in the world. It looked pretty cool, so I made the trade. After 20 years of hard practice, I've finally mastered this divine technique. From now on, I'll surely unify the martial arts world and become legendary for eternity! Hahaha!"

  The old man clenched his fist, and the joints immediately crackled. He looked at the young man in front of him who was spouting nonsense, wondering if this was really the same person who had grasped the rhythm of nature just a moment ago, whose every breath could affect the surroundings. Was he possessed or something? He really wanted to crack open his skull and see what he was thinking, how he could come up with such ridiculous lies.

  "As soon as I saw the old man's gaze, which was like watching a monkey perform tricks, I knew that I was indeed performing like a monkey, and it was that particular monkey. Alright, to prove that I wasn't here to make fun of him, I had to seriously tell him: 'Sir, martial arts are what practitioners rely on for their livelihood, how can you casually ask others about them? You should be more mindful next time.'"

  Well, said in a rather serious tone, I walked away with my hands behind my back, not wanting to chat with this old man anymore, it's pointless. Now it's almost noon, damn it, I'm starving, might as well go get something to eat first.

  Back at Hsin Tian's home, Hsin Tian was not there. Instead, it was Xing Mei reading a magazine, while the several maids cum bodyguards were busy preparing food.

  It was ready soon, and I didn't know if it was breakfast or lunch. The maids left the living room, leaving only the two of us eating. The dishes were rich and delicious, but I just kept my head down and ate, while Xing Mei started chatting with me.

  He first asked some basic questions, and then turned to Kang Cheng. I could tell that this person was also quite familiar with Kang Cheng, and he talked a lot about his past experiences with her. As he spoke, I couldn't help but recall my own experiences with Kang Cheng and shared them with him.

  After a long conversation, especially when Xing Mei knew that I had helped him when he needed it most in Kang Cheng, his eyes became much friendlier towards me, at least he wouldn't ignore me anymore.

  After finishing dinner, Hua Xintian seemed to be timing it just right, and as soon as he finished putting away the bowls and chopsticks, he came in. After entering, he didn't pay much attention to his wife, but instead asked me to follow him to the study room.

  "Lin Hao, Lin Hao, I didn't expect you to be so capable of stirring up trouble. I sent someone to investigate your background and only then did I realize that you're now a celebrity in both the underworld and the legitimate world. Everyone is paying attention to you now." As soon as he entered the study, Hsin Yu-Tian sneered at me, not bothering to hide the fact that he had sent someone to dig up dirt on me.

  "What's wrong, are you afraid? If you're afraid, I can leave, and I'll leave right away." I also replied with a cold smile. To be honest, I didn't really trust Heng Xintian at all. I always felt that he had many secrets behind him, and people like this were very scary. Moreover, now that I've opened up my meridians and cultivated the first diagram of the True Classic of the Graph, there are too many things I can do. As long as you give me some time, I'll quickly grow up.

  "I'm not afraid, I've never been afraid of anyone or anything since I started my journey. If you insist on leaving, I won't stop you, but personally, I hope you'll stay because you're the best friend of Kang Cheng and I want you to see me take revenge for him."

  "Revenge, how easy is it to talk about? You're not an ordinary person either, you know what the Three Gods' Path is for, do you dare to take action?" I coldly sneered. Revenge, sounds good, but do I have the strength to do so?

  "The three gods will be finished in half a month, you don't have to worry about avenging, but I can tell you that the three gods will definitely be done for. Do you still want to leave now?" Hao Xintian said with great confidence.

  "In half a month, it's that fast? Alright, if you can really do it, I, Lin Hao, owe you one. If there's ever a chance for me to return the favor, I'll definitely risk my life to help you. Without hesitation, I've decided to stay. Li Mingxue also fell into San Shendao's hands and her fate is unknown. If I don't avenge her, I'll feel uneasy for the rest of my life."

  "There's no need to risk your life, but when necessary, I hope you can take a chance and lure them out. After all, they've never forgotten about finding you, it seems like they're paying close attention to what's in your hand." Xīn Tiān said, pointing at my right hand.

  I slowly clenched my fist, then covered it with my left hand, blocking Haru's line of sight. My wariness towards him increased again - if he had even investigated this, it meant he also knew about the legend of the Wheel of Rebirth. And the richer a person is, the more they fear death, so maybe he would make a move against me at any moment.

  Perhaps I was too vigilant, but Heng Xintian's eyes flickered with a hint of unusual color. He then opened a bag and took out an apple-shaped phone, saying "Use this phone for now, it's been modified to be anti-eavesdropping and anti-trojan. You're currently the target of many forces, and if you're exposed, it will have too much impact on me. So I hope you'll put away your original phone. Also, try not to use QQ, WeChat, or Weibo for now, or else you might get exposed without realizing it. As for your parents, I'll send someone to keep an eye on them. If anyone tries to harm them, I'll intervene."

  Anti-eavesdropping? This is a spy gadget, and it's even the legendary Kid 6. This is awesome! No need to say more, I'll switch to this phone immediately. As for my previous broken Xiaomi, let's take out the battery first.

  "Alright, thanks for the cooperation. This afternoon I'll have someone send over some clothes. And I also want you to bring out the people from the Three Gods' Path. I won't mistreat those who are loyal to me." After finishing speaking, Xia Tian stood up and answered a phone call, then seemed like he was in a hurry to leave again.

  "Wait a minute, I'll ask you something presumptuous, what kind of person are you and which force do you belong to?" I asked loudly as Xiaoxin Tian was about to leave.

  "You'll find out who I am later, but when no one is around, you can call me Zilongshi." Hsin Tian replied with a smile.

  Damn it, dragon shit, and it's even purple, what the hell is this? I'm expressing that my IQ is not enough to understand how someone would come up with a name like this.