43: Chapter 43 98%

In his perception, there was no abnormal energy on the roof, just ordinary tiles and wood.

But when he looked into the distance.

Behind the Bookstore was an old residential area, with roofs stretching out in an unbroken expanse.

He suddenly felt something.

It was very faint, almost negligible.

But that feeling... it was like something was slowly flowing between the roofs of those old houses.

It wasn't wind, it wasn't rain; it was some kind of more secretive 'thing'.

He concentrated to feel it, but the sensation vanished again.

Was it an illusion?

Or was the precision of [Anomaly Perception] too low to capture it?

He noted down the location of the leaks, climbed down the ladder, and closed the skylight.

When he went downstairs, Old Wu was bookkeeping behind the counter. "How is it?"

"There are three obvious cracks, and a few tiles are loose." Chen Zhen showed him the locations he had noted. "It would be best to repair them before the typhoon hits."

"It's too late for that." Old Wu shook his head. "We'll have to wait until the typhoon passes. I just hope it doesn't leak too badly."

Chen Zhen thought for a moment. "Grandpa Wu, is there something special about that old residential area behind our Bookstore?"

Old Wu looked up. "Special? They're just old houses, what could be special about them?"

"I just feel... the Qi field of that area seems a bit different."

Old Wu stared at him for a few seconds and then smiled. "You kid, your senses are quite sharp."

He put down his pen, stood up, walked to the window, and pointed at the old houses behind.

"That area used to be the grounds of the City God Temple before Liberation. Later, the temple was demolished, and residential buildings were built. But the older generation says that place... has always had something 'off' about it."

"What kind of something?"

"It's hard to say." Old Wu shook his head. "Some people passing by at night claimed to hear the sounds of an opera performance, but when they went to check, there was no one there. Others say that on rainy days, you can see water dripping from the eaves of the old houses, but the water is golden—though, of course, that might just be the reflection of the streetlights."

He paused. "Old Gu once studied that area too. He said the earth veins there were a bit 'clogged,' and the Qi didn't flow smoothly, which is why strange things easily happen there. But that was just talk; there was no proof."

Chen Zhen recalled the faint flow he had sensed on the roof earlier.

Clogged earth veins.

Qi not flowing smoothly.

So, was that flow the 'Qi' trying to clear the blockage?

He noted this in his mind and didn't ask any further questions.

[Potential Anomaly Area Discovered]

[exploration dimension Experience + 25]

[Clue Association Network Updated: New node 'City God Temple Site' added, connected to 'Earth Vein Node']

The System made another entry.

...

By 3:30 PM, the sky was already as dark as dusk.

The wind grew stronger, rattling the Bookstore's windows.

Old Wu looked outside. "Head back early today; the rain is coming soon."

"Alright." Chen Zhen packed his things. "Grandpa Wu, you should close up early too."

"I know."

When Chen Zhen walked out of the Bookstore, the sky was already covered in dark clouds.

The wind whipped up dust and leaves, stinging his face.

He pulled his jacket tight and walked quickly towards home.

Halfway home, large, bean-sized raindrops began to hammer down.

It wasn't a drizzle; it was a downpour, pitter-pattering, soaking the streets instantly.

Chen Zhen ran under the eaves by the roadside to take shelter, but the wind was too strong, blowing the rain in at an angle, making it impossible to stay dry.

He simply gave up on hiding, took a deep breath, activated [Physical Optimization], and began to run through the downpour.

The rain hitting his face was freezing, but inside his body, he was warm.

The shouzhong token and the Qi in his Dantian were continuously providing heat.

Once he started running, his breathing and footsteps became clearer amidst the sound of the rain; every step was steady, and he didn't stumble even on the slippery road.

When he reached the entrance of his residential complex, he was soaked to the bone, but he wasn't out of breath, and his heart was calm.

The old man at the gate saw him and was stunned. "Young man, running in such heavy rain?"

"Exercising." Chen Zhen wiped the water from his face. "Sir, the typhoon is coming; you should take care and stay safe too."

"I know, I know. Hurry home and change your clothes!"

...

When he arrived home, his mother was already frantic. "In such heavy rain, why did you run back? Couldn't you have waited at the Bookstore?"

"Running back is faster." Chen Zhen changed out of his wet clothes. "Mom, don't worry, I'm in good health; I won't get sick from the rain."

"Go take a hot shower!" His mother pushed him into the bathroom. "Drink some ginger soup after you wash up!"

The hot water washed over him, dispelling the chill from his skin.

Chen Zhen stood under the showerhead, feeling the interplay between the hot water and the warmth inside his body.

After being caught in such a downpour, not only did he show no signs of catching a cold, but he felt his pores were clear, as if the last bit of turbid Qi in his body had been washed away.

When he came out after showering, his mother had already prepared the ginger soup.

The hot, spicy ginger flavor warmed him from his throat down to his stomach.

"Your dad just called and said the factory let out early, and he's on his way." His mother said. "With such heavy rain, I don't know if he'll be able to catch a taxi."

"It'll be fine, Mom. Dad knows what he's doing."

Mother and son sat in the living room, listening to the torrential rain outside.

The wind howled, as if trying to rip the windows open.

The trees in the complex were being blown about, swaying wildly.

Chen Zhen suddenly remembered the 'Listening Force' the old man mentioned.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on listening to the rain.

At first, it was just a chaotic blur.

But as he calmed his heart, he slowly began to distinguish the sounds:

Raindrops hitting the window went *papa*, hitting the leaves went *shasha*, and falling on the ground went *huahua*.

Wind passing through the gaps in the buildings went *wuwu*, and blowing against the wires went *wengweng*.

Separated, then merged back together.

A three-dimensional, multi-layered 'Symphony of the Rainstorm'.

After listening for a few minutes, he opened his eyes and found his mother watching him.

"Mom?"

"You just now..." His mother hesitated. "Seemed to be listening to something special?"

Chen Zhen smiled. "I was listening to the rain; different sounds have different flavors."

His mother didn't quite understand, but she didn't press him, only saying, "You child, you're becoming more and more like your maternal grandfather. He also loved listening to the rain, saying he could hear the four seasons in it."

Chen Zhen's heart stirred.

He had never met his grandfather, who had passed away before he was born.

But he had heard his mother say that his grandfather was a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who understood the art of nourishing life and knew Tai Chi.

Could it be... was his grandfather also a cultivator?

At least someone who understood the Dao of nourishing life?

This thought flashed through his mind, and he temporarily pushed it to the back of his heart.

...

After five o'clock, his father returned.

Soaked to the bone, but in good spirits.

"The factory let out early, and I caught a ride with a colleague." His father changed out of his wet clothes. "I saw several trees down on the road."

"Everything okay?"

"No, we drove around them." His father took a sip of ginger soup. "This typhoon is even bigger than forecasted."

At dinner, the family of three sat at the dining table, listening to the wind and rain outside.

His mother's pork rib soup was still hot, and she had stir-fried two vegetable dishes.

Simple food, but in weather like this, it was exceptionally warm.

"The factory held a meeting today." His father said suddenly. "They're holding a skills competition next month, and I've signed up."

"Competition?" His mother asked. "What are you competing in?"

"Maintenance skills: circuits, mechanics, troubleshooting." His father said. "The top three get a bonus and priority for being named an advanced worker."

"Then you must prepare well." His mother served him a piece of pork rib.

"Mm." His father nodded. "I need to read some books and review these evenings."

"Dad, if you need any Materials, I'll help you find them." Chen Zhen said.

"No need, the factory has training Materials." His father paused. "However... those notes you helped me organize last time were quite useful. The logic was clear, and the key points stood out."

Chen Zhen felt a warmth in his heart. "Then should I help you reorganize them?"

"Sure."

...

In the evening, the rain eased slightly, but the wind was still roaring.

Chen Zhen returned to his room and first stood in the stance for five minutes.

His legs were still sore, but he stood steadier today than yesterday.

It was likely that [Stance Training Initial Glimpse] was starting to take effect.

After finishing the stance, his legs and feet felt lighter, as if a burden had been lifted.

Then he lit the ancient wood incense and began to organize his father's maintenance notes.

His father's notes were very detailed but a bit messy.

Fault symptoms, troubleshooting steps, solutions, and precautions were all mixed together.

Chen Zhen used his [Mind Mapping] ability to reclassify and layer the content, drawing out a clear logical structure.

After finishing, he looked at it, and it was indeed much clearer: Fault Type → Possible Causes → Troubleshooting Sequence → Solutions → Preventive Measures. It was like a tree, with a distinct trunk and orderly branches and leaves.

He took the organized notes to find his father. His father looked at them for a few minutes and nodded. "This is good; easy to understand at a glance."

"If you review according to this, your efficiency will be much higher."

"Mm." His father put the notes away. "Thank you."

"It's nothing."

Returning to his room, Chen Zhen summoned the system panel:

[Day 21 Summary]

[Cultivation Gain: +11.89 (Morning Run 0.42 + Learning 0.57 + Learning Upgrade 10 + Cultivate 0.5 + Exploration 0.25 + Other 0.15)]

[Current Cultivation Total: 98.91 / 100]

[Health Dimension: Lv.3 (228 / 300)]

[Learning Dimension: Lv.4 (82.7 / 800)]

[Social Dimension: 83 / 200]

[Skill Dimension: Cooking 58 / 100, Organizing 72 / 100, Hand-drawing Lv.2 (150 / 300), Structural Drafting Beginner (60 / 100)]

[exploration dimension: Lv.1 (185 / 200)]

[Special Status: Stance Training Initial Glimpse; Runners Heart; Investigating Things to Extend Knowledge (3 days remaining); Seeing the Big from the Small; Integrated Power Initial Success; Physical Optimization; Anomaly Perception; Literary Perception]

[Special Notice: Hundred-Day Foundation Building progress has exceeded 98%, nearly complete]

[Time until Hundred-Day Foundation Building completion, estimated remaining: 79 days]

98.91 / 100.

Only 1.09 points left.

Tomorrow, or the day after, he would be able to complete the Hundred-Day Foundation Building and officially step into the Qi Refinement Stage.

Chen Zhen looked at the number, feeling no excitement, but rather a sense of calm, like 'it's finally here'.

It was like climbing a mountain; he had climbed for a long time and finally saw the peak.

There were only a few steps left; no need to rush, just walk up steadily.

He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

Outside the window, the wind and rain continued.

But amidst the sound of the wind and rain, he heard a deeper sound.

The steady breathing of the earth, the sleeping pulse of the city, and inside his own body, that power about to break through the soil.