Uncle Ding paused for a moment on the other end before saying, "The young master asks if you wished to ask..."
Chen Chuan replied, "Yes."
Uncle Ding said, "The young master says that if you have questions, you might as well come to Mount Motie first for a cup of tea."
Chen Chuan nodded. "All right. I'll head over right now."
Over an hour later, inside the Cao family estate on Mount Motie.
Thunderstorms had been frequent these past few days. When Chen Chuan arrived, the rain had just cleared, leaving the sky looking washed clean—a clear, azure expanse with only a few wisps of cloud lingering at the edges.
Sunlight fell across the flowers and grass in the courtyard. A refreshing breeze stirred, sending water droplets clinging to branches and leaves showering onto the moist earth, bringing with it the crisp fragrance of vegetation.
Chen Chuan sat before a sandalwood table. In front of him rested a cup of jade porcelain, from which thin wisps of steam rose, the green tea leaves floating and sinking within clearly visible.
Cao Guixi sat opposite him, still dressed in the manner of an old-era scholar—a loose robe of light cyan, with a jade-white hairpin securing his topknot. He said, "It has been nearly two months. I imagine, Junior Brother Chen, that you are close to a breakthrough..."
Chen Chuan said, "Senior Brother Cao, I can feel that I seem to be standing right at the threshold of the breakthrough. As long as I set my mind to it, I can step across. Yet in my heart, I feel as if something is not quite fulfilled."
Cao Guixi said, "You are breaking through using the old-era method.
"If you feel this way, it means that while your body is prepared, your spirit has not yet reached the point of complete integration and harmony.
"Subconsciously, there must still be something you wish to do right now but have not accomplished, leaving a lingering attachment in your mind. Only by wiping these away can your spirit undergo a thorough sublimation."
He looked at Chen Chuan. "This is a good thing. Most people cannot detect this discordance at all. Either recklessly or hastily, they cross over while insufficiently prepared, congratulating themselves on crossing that line so easily."
He said calmly, "Little do they know that in the future, they will have to spend far more time correcting those errors. And taking a wrong step here may mean never being able to turn back."
Chen Chuan thought it over, then gave a slight nod. He looked up and said, "Thank you for explaining, Senior Brother Cao. I believe I understand."
Cao Guixi gave an acknowledging hum. "Since you are here, finish a cup of tea before leaving. This aged tea may not be as crisp and sweet as fresh tea, but it is mellow and rich, lingering longer on the palate and steadying the mind all the more."
Chen Chuan thanked him, reached out, lifted the cup, and took a sip. The moment he drank, a mellow aroma swirled across his palate. Together with the surrounding scent of greenery, it settled his floating thoughts. In that instant, the communion between self and the outside world seemed to grow incomparably clear.
He sat quietly, watching the leaves and plants outside swaying in the breeze, feeling the rhythm of nature.
After sitting for a long while and finishing several cups of tea, the sunlight was gradually obscured by remnants of clouds drifting from an unknown direction. Uncle Ding walked over and said, "Young Master, it's going to rain again. It might pour heavily this time."
Cao Guixi said, "Junior Brother Chen, I won't keep you. Head back early."
Chen Chuan stood up and bowed slightly to Cao Guixi. "Senior Brother, I shall take my leave. Thank you for your guidance." With that, he followed Uncle Ding out.
Cao Guixi picked up his teacup again to savor it slowly, looking up at the sky. His gaze stretched infinitely into the distance, as if savoring the past, or perhaps looking forward to the future.
Chen Chuan walked out of the estate. Having confirmed that these were not issues inherent to the breakthrough process itself, his mind was thoroughly settled.
As for things he felt he wanted to do but hadn't done, there were actually quite a few. But in terms of what had the greatest impact recently, there was only one.
It was time to resolve it.
When he reached the Jiade car, a stray raindrop drifted onto his cheek—cool to the touch, but remarkably refreshing.
He glanced up. In just this short time, the sky where the sun had hung high was now overcast with dense clouds.
Reaching out to open the car door, he slid inside. Just as he shut the door and fastened his seatbelt, raindrops began pattering down. In what seemed like only a few breaths, the drizzle turned into a heavy downpour.
The windshield wipers swung into motion. With the engine starting up, the headlights pierced the heavy rain like two beams of light, and the car slowly drove out from the estate's front courtyard.
After leaving Mount Motie, he used his boundary credential to pull up the bureau's case records on Wei Wusheng.
The location where the Pei brothers had been killed was found a few days after the incident. Because he had been busy training these past days, he hadn't paid much attention to it. But seeing it now surprised him somewhat.
This place was none other than the very neighborhood where the hotel urban legend had manifested.
He couldn't help but wonder: when had Wei Wusheng appeared there?
Had it been before he resolved the urban legend, or after?
Thinking it through carefully, he felt the former was very likely. Places where anomalies existed were rarely approached by people, and due to the interference caused by urban legends, much boundary credential communication could not transmit normally. It was a perfect hiding spot.
If so, perhaps when he resolved the urban legend that day, Wei Wusheng had been right there—just a street away.
While he was pondering this, a car suddenly sped past his own at high speed, kicking up a massive sheet of water. The view ahead blurred instantly until the swinging wipers quickly cleared the liquid from the windshield.
He raised his eyes and looked. Through over a hundred meters of rain and mist, his keen senses clearly caught the license plate number of the rapidly receding vehicle. He immediately reported the speeding car's plate number to the city security department.
Through the pouring rain, he drove all the way back to the Xuan Palace Building, took the elevator up to the forty-ninth floor, and pushed open the dormitory door. From inside came a soft chirp.
He looked over. In a cozy nest constructed of wicker and silken feather fabric, the little creature poked its head out, chirping at him and spreading its wings as if greeting him.
The little creature grew very fast. In just a dozen days, it had grown considerably larger. It looked much prettier than before, its plumage showing richer colors, though naturally its appetite had grown just as much.
Because every day at sunrise this little creature would let out a melodious cry toward the sun, he had given it a name: "Chaoming."
Zou Handan had said this was a failed creation of no real utility, with ornamental value perhaps being its sole remaining merit. Yet he discovered that whatever else could be said about Chaoming, its intelligence was actually quite high.
The most obvious sign was that after receiving its name, it clearly knew the name referred to itself. Ever since, it would respond whenever called. Furthermore, while he was conducting his daily training, it would stay obediently to one side without moving or making any sound, and it would even unpack and eat the food prepared for it on its own.
Only when he relaxed would it make noises and move around. Whenever he entered or left, it would let out a cry to make its presence known.
He walked over, played with it briefly, and replaced the water in Chaoming's nest.
While tending to this, his mind was considering where Wei Wusheng might appear next. If he went actively searching, it might not be effective; it would be better to give the other party an opportunity to seek him out.
He believed that if Wei Wusheng knew, he would certainly come to finish the fight they had left unresolved last time.
After changing the water and placing nutrient fluid into the feeding trough, he stroked Chaoming's smooth feathers a couple of times, then turned and walked to the window. From across the distance, a bright pillar of light could be seen shooting straight into the sky.
That was where the arena venue was located. Commercials and arena tournament matches scrolled continuously along the pillar of light. Even standing inside the building, he could almost hear the clamorous roar drifting from that direction.
He thought for a moment, tapped his boundary credential, and sent a message to Tan Zhi.
"Classmate Tan, are you guys still watching the arena tournament lately?"
Tan Zhi contacted him back moments later.
"Of course! We've been going every day this past month. I'm telling you, the matches are seriously thrilling. The competitors fighting this time are something else. Even though we're only midway through and haven't hit the second half yet, the main advancing contenders have already emerged. The most intense elimination matches are taking place these two days. Why did you suddenly ask about this, Classmate Chen? Do you want to go too?"
Chen Chuan said, "Yes. My training pace has slowed down these past couple of days, so I plan to take some time to go check it out."
Hearing this, Tan Zhi quickly said, "No need to rush if it slowed down. It might just be your body adjusting. Coming out to relax is a great idea. How about we go together tomorrow? We can take the bus arranged by the school—it's safer that way."
Chen Chuan asked, "As a precaution against Wei Wusheng?"
Tan Zhi sighed. "Yeah. I used to think the Pei brothers were formidable, but they ended up getting counter-killed by Wei Wusheng. What a bunch of frauds! That totally killed my hopes for the other bounty hunters, too."
Chen Chuan thought to himself that it wasn't necessarily that the Pei brothers were inadequate; against normal—
Tan Zhi continued, "Right now, aside from the academy, the martial arts arena venue is actually the safest place. The strongest security in Center City is concentrated there. Let alone a single Wei Wusheng, not even a major corporation's security forces could break through. I heard some passengers who were originally on the cruise ship even chose to stay nearby."
Chen Chuan nodded. "All right. Then I'll go with you tomorrow." After chatting for a couple more sentences and agreeing on a time, he ended the call.
When the time came, he raised a hand to acknowledge Tan Zhi waving from inside the bus, while contacting Wu Bei: "Brother Wu, don't conceal my whereabouts over the next couple of days. If anyone looks into me, keep an eye on where the inquiries come from, but don't alert them."
Wu Bei immediately replied, "Understood!" He suddenly grew excited. Having worked with Chen Chuan multiple times, he sensed that something was brewing again—and something big!
After Chen Chuan boarded the bus, he walked over and sat down beside Tan Zhi, exchanging greetings. Before long, all the students going to watch the tournament had arrived. The bus doors slid shut, and the vehicle slowly drove toward the arena venue.
Because traffic was very heavy on the road, the bus moved slowly. Only after twenty-odd minutes did they approach the vicinity of the venue. This was a colossal circular structure whose interior alone could accommodate ninety thousand people. Thanks to the boundary credential, even spectators seated far away could clearly see every detail on the stage.
Beyond that, there was a massive crowd of outdoor spectators. Because the live match could only be viewed within a certain perimeter, a vast number of onlookers gathered outside the stadium grounds.
The surrounding apartments, hotels, shops, parks, and even the rooftops of commercial office buildings were packed with people. The streets were filled with vehicles from the city patrol team and security units. Seeing the Wuyi Academy bus approach, several two-wheeled motor vehicles immediately rode up to guide it, and the bus followed them toward the venue's parking lot.
Chapter 335