114: Chapter 114 The Old Man

It was 11:00 PM on Wednesday. Chen Zhen sat alone in the Secret Base.

Seventeen points of light rotated slowly within his Dantian, emitting a soft, pale golden glow.

He stared at them for a long time, then took out the four fragments that had not yet undergone Fusion.

They lay quietly in his palm, echoing the points of light within his Dantian.

Only the last one was missing.

But he was not in a rush.

He put the fragments away, stood up, and walked over to the pots of Spiritual Plants.

The six pots of Spiritual Plants glowed faintly in the night.

The golden leaves of the four soul-calming grass plants were particularly striking in the light of the Talisman Array; the flowers had withered, but the branches were covered in tiny seeds.

The Mint leaves were as thick as jade, feeling warm and smooth to the touch.

The wild soul-calming grass had grown into a patch, with new seedlings crowding the entire pot.

He crouched down and began to transplant them.

There were seventeen new seedlings in total; he dug them out one by one and planted them into new pots.

He infused Spiritual Qi into the soil to accelerate their adaptation to the new environment.

Busy until 1:00 AM, the seventeen pots of new seedlings were lined up neatly against the wall.

Including the original six pots, there were twenty-three in total.

He nodded with satisfaction and stood up.

He walked to the workbench, took out paper and a pen, and began to write.

It was not drawing talismans, but writing a "Spiritual Plant Maintenance Guide."

From watering to fertilizing, from light exposure to Spiritual Nourishment, from pest control to harvest timing, it was written in detail and clearly.

After finishing, he placed the guide on the spot where Zhou Rui usually sat.

Then he lay down and closed his eyes.

The seventeen points of light rotated slowly.

He fell asleep.

At 6:00 AM on Thursday, Chen Zhen opened his eyes right on time.

Zhou Rui had already arrived and was crouching in front of the row of new seedlings, holding the guide and reading it intently.

Hearing the movement, he turned his head.

"Master, did you write this?"

Chen Zhen nodded.

Zhou Rui looked down at the guide and was silent for a few seconds.

"Master, I..." He paused. "I don't know what to say."

Chen Zhen stood up and walked to his side.

"Take good care of them. If you let them die, you are responsible."

Zhou Rui was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"Yes!"

At 7:20, Chen Zhen stepped into the classroom.

Zhang Meng was in the back row catching up on homework. Seeing him enter, he called out as usual: "Help! Lend me your math homework to copy!"

Chen Zhen threw his workbook over.

Zhang Meng caught it and buried his head, copying furiously.

Chen Zhen walked to his seat and sat down.

The girl sitting in front, Su Xiaoya, turned around, her eyes bright.

"Chen Zhen, my mom said those talismans you posted yesterday are very impressive."

Chen Zhen looked at her.

"How does your mom know?"

Su Xiaoya lowered her voice: "My mom said she could feel it. She said the aura emitted by those talismans is the same as the Protective Talisman she uses."

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

Su Xiaoya waited for two seconds, then smiled.

"Anyway, I don't understand it. But she said thank you."

Chen Zhen nodded.

Su Xiaoya turned back around.

In the last row, Zhou Rui looked up at him, then lowered his head to read again.

Chen Hao turned his head from the front row and glanced at him.

"Chen Zhen, do you have any of those talismans from yesterday left?"

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"You want some?"

Chen Hao was silent for two seconds.

"My sister has been suffering from insomnia recently, and I want to let her try one."

Chen Zhen took a Calming Talisman out of his pocket and handed it to him.

Chen Hao took it and was stunned for a moment.

"This... is too valuable, right?"

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"If it works well, tell me the results."

Chen Hao took a deep breath and put the talisman away.

"Thank you."

At noon after school, Chen Zhen went to the cafeteria.

He got his food and found a seat.

He had only taken a few bites when three people walked over carrying their trays.

Zhou Rui, Zhang Meng, and Chen Hao.

Zhang Meng sat down heavily and began to eat in big mouthfuls.

Chen Hao sat opposite Chen Zhen and looked at him.

"Chen Zhen, I have a question."

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"Ask."

Chen Hao was silent for two seconds.

"Who exactly are you?"

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

Chen Hao waited for two seconds, then sighed.

"Forget it, pretend I didn't ask."

He lowered his head to eat.

Zhou Rui watched from the side with a hint of a smile on his lips.

Halfway through the meal, someone walked over carrying a tray.

Yun Xi.

She sat down next to Chen Zhen and began to eat.

Zhang Meng looked up at her.

"Why do you come every day?"

Yun Xi ignored him and continued eating.

After finishing the meal, Yun Xi looked at Chen Zhen.

"Those three have arrived. See you tomorrow?"

Chen Zhen thought for a moment.

"Tomorrow afternoon."

Yun Xi nodded.

"I'll arrange it."

She stood up and left.

Zhang Meng looked bewildered.

"Who exactly is she?"

Chen Zhen didn't answer.

At 7:00 PM on Thursday, in the Secret Base.

Chen Zhen sat cross-legged in the center of the array, the seventeen points of light rotating slowly.

Zhou Rui was drawing talismans in the corner, with twenty sheets of blank talisman paper laid out in front of him.

Shen Nian was studying the batch of new seedlings, holding a small notebook to record their growth conditions.

Yun Xi was leaning against the wall, resting with her eyes closed.

The four of them were busy with their own tasks, and no one spoke.

But the atmosphere was very quiet and very comfortable.

After drawing for an hour, Zhou Rui stood up and walked over with a stack of talismans.

"Master, these are what I drew tonight."

Chen Zhen took them and looked at them one by one.

Twenty Heart-Clearing Talismans, ten Spirit Gathering Talismans, and five Calming Talismans. Every one of them had reached the Mortal Grade · Peak Quality, with stable Spiritual Qi fluctuations and smooth lines.

Chen Zhen nodded.

"You can learn new talismans tomorrow."

Zhou Rui's eyes lit up.

"What kind of talisman?"

"Teaching Talisman."

Zhou Rui was stunned for a moment.

"The kind that was posted in the classroom?"

Chen Zhen nodded.

Zhou Rui took a deep breath.

"Okay!"

At 6:00 AM on Friday, Chen Zhen opened his eyes.

After a night of Cultivation, his Cultivation had increased by another notch.

He stood up and walked to the row of new seedlings.

Overnight, all seventeen new seedlings had grown taller, their leaves unfurling and emitting a faint Spiritual Qi.

He checked them one by one, and after confirming there were no pests or diseases, he turned and left.

The morning classes were uneventful.

After school at noon, Chen Zhen didn't go to the cafeteria.

He returned directly to the Secret Base.

Yun Xi was already waiting there.

"They will arrive at three," she said. "We're meeting at a teahouse in the suburbs."

Chen Zhen nodded.

"Leaving now?"

"Leaving now."

At 2:50 PM, at the suburban teahouse.

The teahouse was not large, but it was elegantly decorated. There were a few potted green plants in the corners, and several landscape paintings hung on the walls.

Chen Zhen and Yun Xi sat by the window with two cups of tea in front of them.

At 3:00 sharp, three people walked in.

The first was an old man, over seventy years old, with white hair, but he looked vigorous. He was at Qi Refining Stage 3.

The second was a middle-aged man, in his early forties, dressed plainly, holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads. He was at Qi Refining Level 4.

The third was The Young Woman, in her twenties, with long hair draped over her shoulders and a cold, aloof temperament. She was at Qi Refining Stage 3.

The three of them walked to the table and looked at Chen Zhen.

The old man spoke first: "Are you the person who collected all seventeen fragments?"

Chen Zhen nodded.

The old man was silent for a few seconds, then sat down opposite him.

The other two followed and sat down as well.

After three rounds of tea, the old man spoke.

"The three of us came today because we want to ask you a question."

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"Ask."

The old man stared into his eyes.

"What do you intend to do by collecting the fragments?"

Chen Zhen thought for a moment.

"I haven't decided yet."

The old man was stunned.

The other two were also stunned.

Yun Xi was drinking tea on the side with a hint of a smile on her lips.

The old man was silent for a few seconds.

"You... haven't decided?"

Chen Zhen nodded.

"I haven't decided."

The old man looked at him with a complex expression.

"Then why were you in such a rush to collect them?"

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"I wasn't in a rush."

The old man opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out.

The Young Woman spoke up.

"Then what do you plan to use the fragments for?"

Chen Zhen thought for a moment.

"Maybe open the Heavenly Road, maybe not go. Maybe perform Fusion on the last piece, maybe not. It depends on the situation."

The three of them looked at each other.

The old man gave a bitter smile.

"We've been worried for months, afraid that whoever collected the fragments would cause trouble. And you just say you haven't decided?"

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

The old man was silent for a long time.

Then he stood up.

"Fine. Since you haven't decided, we won't ask anymore." He looked at Chen Zhen. "I just hope that when you do decide, you make the right choice."

Chen Zhen nodded.

The old man turned and left.

The other two followed and left as well.

Yun Xi watched their retreating figures and laughed out loud.

"I guess they've never met anyone like you in their entire lives."

Chen Zhen didn't speak; he picked up his teacup and took a sip.

At 7:00 PM, in the Secret Base.

Chen Zhen sat cross-legged in the center of the array, the seventeen points of light rotating slowly.

Zhou Rui was drawing talismans in the corner, Shen Nian was recording the growth of the Spiritual Plants, and Yun Xi was leaning against the wall.

Everything was as usual.

He took out those four fragments and looked at them for a long time.

Then he put them away.

The weekend.

Two more days.