143: Chapter 143 Nanjo

On Monday morning, when Chen Zhen walked into the classroom, he found a new notice posted on the blackboard.

"Countdown to the Senior Year Joint Examination: 6 days."

A thick red line was drawn underneath, looking like a wound.

Zhang Meng was sprawled on his desk, his face pressed against his textbook, eyes closed, unsure if he was asleep or playing dead. Chen Hao was in the front row, head bowed, working on problems. His pen tip moved swiftly, and he was already on his third sheet of draft paper. Su Xiaoya wasn't reading a novel; she was flipping through a thick English vocabulary book, her brows furrowed and her lips moving.

Chen Zhen sat down and pulled a piece of paper out of his drawer.

It wasn't for drawing talismans, but for making a plan.

The Joint Examination had to be taken, Xishan had to be visited, and Nanshan also had to be visited. People with sensitive Physique needed follow-ups, the Composite Rune Array needed testing, the spiritual plants needed care, and the seed needed to be nourished. There were many things to do, so he would take them one by one.

He wrote on the paper: Monday to Friday, review, draw talismans, handle daily tasks. Weekend, Nanshan.

After writing, he folded the paper and tucked it into his textbook.

The bell rang for the end of class, and Su Xiaoya turned around. There was a faint blue tint under her eyes—not as heavy as before, but not completely gone. "Chen Zhen, how is your review going?"

"It's okay."

"What do you mean by 'okay'?" She stared at him. "You ranked third in the city last time. What place do you want to get this time?"

Chen Zhen didn't answer. Su Xiaoya waited for two seconds, sighed, and turned back.

At noon, Chen Zhen didn't go to the cafeteria. He left the school gate and walked towards the east side of the city.

Downstairs at Li Xiuying's building, a middle-aged man was fixing a bicycle. He was squatting on the ground with wrenches and screwdrivers spread everywhere, and the chain was covered in black oil. When Chen Zhen walked past, the man looked up at him once, then lowered his head to continue tightening the screws.

Chen Zhen went upstairs and knocked on the door.

Li Xiuying opened the door, wearing that old cotton-padded jacket, her hair pinned back with a clip. When she saw Chen Zhen, her eyes brightened. "You're here? Come in and sit."

Chen Zhen walked inside. On the coffee table lay a talisman, its color a pale blue—Calm.

"How have you been lately?"

Li Xiuying sat on the sofa and picked up the talisman to look at it. "Quite well. Those things don't come anymore. Occasionally one comes, stands far away, takes a look, and leaves."

She put the talisman back on the coffee table. "This thing of yours is more effective than taking medicine."

Chen Zhen took a few new talismans from his pocket and handed them to her. "These are new; the effect is better. Please give them a try."

Li Xiuying took the talismans and looked them over repeatedly. "Where did you get so many?"

"I made them myself."

Li Xiuying stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded and put the talismans into her pocket.

"Stay for a meal. I'm making dumplings."

Chen Zhen shook his head. "No, I have other things to do."

Li Xiuying stood up to see him to the door. "Then come next time. I'll make them."

She paused. "What was your name again?"

"Chen Zhen."

"Chen Zhen." She nodded. "I'll remember it."

In the afternoon, at the Secret Base. Chen Zhen pushed open the door. Zhou Rui was squatting in front of the blackboard, staring at the Composite Rune Array, holding a pen in his hand and copying the runes onto paper.

Shen Nian was standing next to the spiritual plant rack, holding a magnifying glass to inspect the flower bud of that Mutant Seedling. Hearing the movement, he turned his head. "The bud has grown again, from the size of a soybean to the size of a peanut."

Chen Zhen walked over and squatted down. The flower buds on the back of the leaves were plump, and the outlines of the petals were becoming clearer. The color had changed from pale gold to golden yellow, like little suns.

"It's growing faster and faster," Shen Nian said.

"Yeah."

Chen Zhen stood up, walked to the center of the array, sat down, and used Internal Vision on his Dantian. The seed was still spinning, and those patterns were still glowing. He took out the two jade plaques, placed them in front of him, reached out to touch them, and injected spiritual power.

Both jade plaques lit up simultaneously, their light resonating with the Composite Rune Array. The concentration of spiritual power in the entire Secret Base rose by another notch.

The system panel popped up a notification.

[Composite Rune Array · Strength +5% · Current 305%]

[jade plaque resonating · Progress 2/4]

Chen Zhen withdrew his hand and looked at the two jade plaques. He was still missing Dongshan and Nanshan. The one for Dongshan was inside the seed, and he couldn't take it out. The one for Nanshan hadn't been found yet.

He stood up and walked to the blackboard, staring at the Composite Rune Array.

Three layers of runes, clockwise, counter-clockwise, clockwise. Three gears meshing. What would happen if he added Nanshan? Four directions, four dot arrays—would it form a complete circle?

He picked up a piece of chalk and drew a sketch in an empty corner of the blackboard. Four points: East, South, West, North, connected to form a circle. The center of the circle was the Heavenly Pillar. The Heavenly Pillar was the center, and the four mountains were the boundaries. The area enclosed by the boundaries was the array.

He put down the chalk.

He had been to the Heavenly Pillar; there were giant stones, runes, and the Original Body there. What would happen if he gathered all the runes from the four mountains and activated them at the Heavenly Pillar?

He didn't know. But he knew the System was guiding him in that direction.

In the evening, Chen Zhen returned home.

His father was in the study looking at blueprints, and his mother was in the living room knitting a sweater. He changed his shoes, entered the house, and walked to the door of the study.

"Dad, after the Joint Examination, I want to take a trip to Nancheng."

His father looked up. "Nancheng? What for?"

"To visit a friend."

His father stared at him for a few seconds. "Male or female?"

"Male."

His father nodded and didn't ask further.

Chen Zhen returned to his room and closed the door. He sat at his desk and took the plan paper out of his drawer.

He added a line after "Weekend, Nanshan": "After the Joint Examination, Nancheng."

Nanshan was in Nancheng.

The System hadn't given him a mission, but he knew there was something there.