Entering Shidu!

When Ye Huan walked through the door, Su Haisheng had already returned. He was a middle-aged man in his early fifties with a buzz cut, spectacles, and slight graying at his temples. "Come on, Xiao Ye, help me bring out the dishes. Time to eat," Su Haisheng said with a grin. "Right away," Ye Huan answered quickly. Steaming-hot dishes were laid out on the table. Before the meal, Su Haisheng picked up a liquor bottle and gestured toward Ye Huan. Ye Huan waved his hands hurriedly. —The day was only half over; he still needed to remain vigilant and clear-headed. Surviving the day came first. Su Haisheng looked rather surprised. Normally, this kid would never turn down a drink. Had his temper changed today? "Oh, right, congratulations first! Your aunt might not know yet, but you've been promoted to the Bureau of Investigation." Su Haisheng picked up some meat with his chopsticks and placed it in Ye Huan's bowl. "What? That's wonderful news! We have to tell Su Ni too," Zhao Lingyi said delightfully. "I already told Xiao Ni. She actually found out before I did," Su Haisheng said. Ye Huan shoveled rice into his mouth with his head lowered, quietly sifting through his memories. —Su Ni had gone out of town. Word was that an ancient sect had accepted her. In this era, traveling between cities and joining a sect was no easy feat. The wilderness was perilous in the extreme. Ordinary people were simply not qualified to travel between cities. The distances between cities were vast. Hiring martial artists as escorts cost a fortune. Secondly, academically, the various disciplines of knowledge were complex and profound, examinations brought immense pressure, and one also needed a certain level of martial prowess. Almost all who could enter a sect were martial artists. There were only two exceptions. —Either a genius in a particular field, or someone backed by a jaw-dropping background. Su Ni was a prodigy in mechanical research. Back in high school, she had already authored several specialized research papers on mechanical dynamics that were widely cited and proven extremely useful for machinery manufacturing. She was a talent whom multiple sects had competed over. She had only returned home once recently. Yet his predecessor hadn't paid much attention to it, only remembering Su Ni once saying with a deep sigh, "Technology can't truly advance... the minerals and energy sources are all out in the wilderness..." Setting aside these thoughts, Ye Huan spoke up: "How did Sister Su Ni know about my situation?" "When I was getting off work earlier, she called home and mentioned it," Su Haisheng said. Ye Huan tried hard to recall the relationship between his predecessor and Su Ni. —Numerous images surfaced in his memory, all scenes of Su Ni looking after his predecessor. Living under someone else's roof while she was so outstanding, his predecessor had felt inferior and subconsciously resisted contact. Their relationship had always remained distant. *Ring ring ring—* The cell phone rang. Ye Huan took it out and looked; it was indeed Su Ni. "Speak of the C—" Ye Huan was about to say the idiom when he suddenly realized something was wrong. This world had no Cao Cao. Others would become suspicious. He had to be more careful with his words from now on and not give himself away. Wary and cautious, he immediately changed his greeting: "Hello, Sister Ni." "Xiao Ye, congratulations on getting into the Bureau of Investigation. I heard you were assigned to Investigation Section One?" A gentle female voice sounded. "Yeah, Sister. You even know that?" "Did you report in today?" "Not yet. My file was incomplete, so I came back at noon to get the paperwork together." "I see... What are your plans going forward?" "I just want to stay alive and earn a bite to eat. In any case, I don't want to do anything too dangerous," Ye Huan said with a chuckle. Flippant and casual, half-serious and half-joking. It matched his predecessor's tone of voice perfectly. This way, the other side wouldn't be suspicious. The other end went quiet for a few seconds. "Xiao Ye, hearing you think that way sets my mind at ease." The female voice sounded somewhat gratified as she continued: "I sent you some things—valuable books on various combat techniques and wilderness knowledge. You need to carve out some time and study them properly." "Sister Ni, do you want me to join a sect in the future?" Ye Huan asked. "How would you know if you don't try? The outside world is vast. I hope you can come out and see it too." "...Alright, I'll work hard." "Hand the phone to my mom. I'll chat with her for a bit." "Okay." Ye Huan handed over the phone. Watching Zhao Lingyi chat with her daughter, a thought stirred in his mind. Curious, he asked Su Haisheng: "Uncle, what really happened at the mine?" —His predecessor had been the type who knew nothing and lost his life in complete confusion. Su Haisheng was different. As an accountant for the corporation, he was effectively part of lower-middle management and might know far more insider details than Ye Huan, a mere security guard. Su Haisheng took a sip of liquor, a bite of vegetables, and a mouthful of rice. Eating with great relish, he answered: "Word is they uncovered an ancient tomb. The news was originally sealed tight, but somehow that mutated martial artist barged inside." An ancient tomb! Ye Huan felt a jolt in his heart. Back on Earth, he and his professor had been conducting a rescue excavation of an ancient tomb. Both sides involved tombs. Could there be some connection between them? Was there some secret? Perhaps— Could he go back? "Has work resumed in the mine yet?" Ye Huan gripped his chopsticks tighter, asking with feigned calmness. Su Haisheng shook his head vigorously: "Not a chance. Nearly two hundred people died, nothing but blood and mangled corpses. Who would dare go down there?" "That gruesome?" Ye Huan said. "They say with so many deaths, it might attract unknown horrors, so the entire mine shaft has been sealed off. The police and the army are stationed at the mine, keeping strict guard." Su Haisheng lowered his voice. Ye Huan was silent for a long moment before lowering his head to continue eating. It was out of the question for the near future. As the only surviving security guard, if you ran back to a sealed crime scene, what would your reason be? He would definitely be suspected. Besides, even this world's authorities had mobilized their forces to seal the mine, fearing the arrival of "unknown horrors." A petty security guard like him had better not court death. Staying alive came first. He would wait until everything settled down before attempting to investigate. "The Bureau of Investigation should have people there," Ye Huan said. "Quite a few people from the Bureau arrived. Word is they had a falling out with the army—both sides are competing to go down into the mine to investigate," Su Haisheng said. Ye Huan nodded, speaking no further. The meal ended. Ye Huan took the initiative to wash the dishes. Once everything was done, he returned to his bedroom and shut the door. He assumed a boxing stance and silently circulated his cultivation formula. —Iron Hand was not merely a few striking maneuvers; it possessed a complete, specialized boxing training method. This sacrifice had elevated the technique by another level. With nothing to do at the moment, Ye Huan simply began practicing, taking the opportunity to observe his own condition. *Knock, knock, knock!* Someone knocked on the door. "Xiao Ye," Su Haisheng's voice came through. "Coming!" Ye Huan withdrew his stance and went to open the door. Su Haisheng stepped in and said in a low voice, "What Xiao Ni mentioned—take it to heart." "Joining a sect?" Ye Huan asked. "Don't be fooled by all the martial arts halls in the city; most of them are half-baked outfits. Even the famous, prominent halls take pride in sending students into the sects every year," Su Haisheng said. "Why?" Ye Huan asked curiously. "A place like a martial arts hall can be opened as long as the hall master has decent skill. "But for the Empire to let you operate one, you must shoulder the corresponding responsibilities—you have to head into the wilderness to complete all sorts of missions. "Once the master dies in the wilderness, the hall falls into decline." Su Haisheng spoke earnestly. Ye Huan listened with utmost attention. These were matters his predecessor had never understood. Only a middle-aged man like Su Haisheng, who had lived through more than half a lifetime and weathered all kinds of trials, could see the true picture clearly. Moreover, he genuinely had Ye Huan's best interests at heart. Su Haisheng continued: "Sects are different. A sect is a super-organization with a heritage spanning at least hundreds, even thousands of years, having never severed its lineage of knowledge and skills, filled with an endless stream of masters. "The death of one or two experts won't cause severe damage to a sect's strength. "Once you enter a sect, your file is registered in the Human Empire's civil service roster. "If you're willing to come out of the sect and take up work, the Empire guarantees job placement." Guaranteed job placement? Ye Huan was slightly taken aback. He truly hadn't expected to hear such a familiar, vintage term in an otherworldly realm. "Not just placement—promotions, better pay and perks, and all kinds of commendations will lean in your favor. "Your fellow sect brothers and sisters will also enter various industries, becoming your allies down the road. "—In society, your status is officially recognized." Su Haisheng finished in one breath. Ye Huan understood now. In Earth terms, joining a sect was tantamount to getting one foot inside the establishment. Not long ago, a small town on the northern frontier was overrun by demons. In the end, three sect disciples interning there had banded together, fighting desperately until reinforcements arrived to save them. The incident had been widely celebrated. The identity of a sect disciple enjoyed extraordinarily high social recognition! "All right, I'll work hard," Ye Huan said. Su Haisheng was deeply gratified. He patted Ye Huan's shoulder and said: "That's the spirit. Work hard. Your uncle and Zhao Lingyi saved up some money long ago. If you have a shot at it, don't worry about the money." Having said his piece, he walked out. The door clicked shut. Ye Huan remained still for a moment. Once his mind calmed, he resumed circulating his cultivation technique. Before long, a warm current flowed along his arms, entered his shoulders, diffused through his spine, and descended to his waist, legs, and feet. Ye Huan eased his breathing, not daring to move. At this moment, all the power in his body was concentrated in his feet; with just a slight exert of force, he would stomp a hole right through the floorboards. Ye Huan slowly channeled his technique. —Sure enough, the warm current gradually flowed back up from his feet, converging at his waist and abdomen. "Come on," Ye Huan muttered under his breath. The warm current dispersed into his limbs and bones, spreading throughout his entire body before steadily turning scorching hot. It was time! Following the technique's instructions, Ye Huan adjusted his breathing method in coordination with the corresponding blood-qi circulation, maintaining this surging heat at an elevated level. A full fifteen minutes passed. Suddenly— the surging heat scattered, surging to various parts of his body and encircling ten locations. Ye Huan couldn't help clenching his fists. Beyond In-Rank. He had broken through to the Shidu realm! Those ten locations were Baihui, Fengchi, Yuzhen, Xuanshu, Shendao, Zhiyang, Jinsuo, Neiguan, Hegu, and Yongquan. Ten acupoints in all! With every acupoint unblocked, a martial artist's strength would rise another level! Ye Huan extended his hand, fingers held together in an open palm, and waved it forcefully. *Whoosh—* A gust of wind whipped up inside the room. Items on the desk clattered to the floor, and an erotic magazine was blown into the air, tumbling a few times before slapping onto the bed. Generating a gale with bare hands. —Just the wind stirred up by a wave of his hand could do this! Zhao Lingyi's voice drifted in from outside: "Xiao Ye, the wind is picking up tonight, and it's going to rain. Remember to shut the window!" "Got it!" Ye Huan called back, then went back to feeling the changes within his body.