382: Chapter 382 Sorry, my killing intent was too strong.

The Smiling Demon, or rather, Cheng Jiashu.

He stood right there at the entrance of the glowing door, looking like a distinguished guest invited to visit.

The familiar layer of green light flickering on him like fireflies appeared exceptionally striking in this pure darkness.

As he looked around, Cheng Jiashu's gaze revealed undisguised surprise and admiration, alongside his curiosity.

"Tsk tsk, simply amazing!"

Cheng Jiashu let out a heartfelt exclamation and took a few steps forward.

His gaze swept from the mirror-smooth obsidian floor all the way up to the starry Universe and Void Realm on the dome.

It finally locked onto the golden sphere of light floating mid-air in the center of the grand hall.

The moment he saw the sphere of light, the smile on Cheng Jiashu's face slightly froze, and his footsteps came to a halt.

He could clearly feel the oppressive might emanating from that sphere of light, a surge of pure energy far exceeding mortal limits washing over him.

That was definitely not a power an ordinary superhuman could possess.

It was more like the manifestation of some... rule, at least on the level of a Saints Relic.

Instantly, violent waves even more intense than Fang Cheng's stirred deep within Cheng Jiashu's heart.

It was just like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, opening his eyes to a whole new world.

How could this be possible?

Cheng Jiashu clearly remembered that just a few months ago, the man before him was still a "rookie" who needed to be taught the basics of how to disguise his superhuman identity.

But now, not only had he constructed such a magnificent and stable palace of consciousness, but he also possessed this unheard-of golden energy entity.

In comparison, the spiritual Secret Realm that he himself had managed to build only after nearly a decade of time, struggling on the countless edges of life and death and through Meditation...

was merely a dark space where the outline could barely be recognized, without even a decent floor.

Comparing the two, it was simply the difference between a royal palace and a thatched cottage.

Just how many secrets did this person... hide?

He knew Fang Cheng's talent was extremely high, but he didn't expect it to reach such a degree, and he even possessed such an enviable Opportunity.

Cheng Jiashu silently raised this man's danger Rank by another level in his heart.

At the same time, he realized that all his previous probings probably only touched the tip of the iceberg.

Fang Cheng stood directly beneath the golden sphere of light, his figure casting a sharp silhouette.

His expression was calm and waveless, allowing the other party to examine his Memory Palace, while the thoughts in his mind were spinning rapidly.

What surprised Fang Cheng was not Cheng Jiashu's arrival, but the way he arrived.

His own Memory Palace could be said to be the most private and core Domain in the world of consciousness.

Without his guidance, it was absolutely impossible for an outsider to easily discover this place, let alone pay a visit.

"How did you find this place?"

Fang Cheng's voice echoed in the empty hall with a trace of chilliness.

"I remember I don't recall revealing the contact incantation to anyone."

"Just a little trick."

Cheng Jiashu's smile did not wane. He strode forward, leisurely pacing around the hall as if appreciating a work of art.

"Do you want to learn? I can teach you."

This reply was understatement itself, carrying a hint of superiority on the level of knowledge.

Fang Cheng ignored his rhetoric and analyzed to himself as if talking to himself:

"In the boundless Void Realm of consciousness, without a clear beacon, trying to find a specific spiritual Secret Realm is no different from searching for a needle in a haystack."

"Unless..."

Fang Cheng paused, his sharp gaze locking onto Cheng Jiashu.

"You possess some kind of spatial teleportation ability similar to a search engine."

"A search engine?"

Cheng Jiashu was amused by this novel vocabulary:

"That metaphor is very apt, but it's not that exaggerated."

Cheng Jiashu knew this question could not be avoided, otherwise it would make him look like he had ulterior motives.

Moreover, he didn't want to appear too aggressive at the moment, so as not to arouse the disgust of this "socially anxious" kindred spirit.

Thinking of this, a trace of helplessness flashed through Cheng Jiashu's heart.

To be honest, he didn't want to visit uninvited in this manner either.

Because this would make him seem very impolite and lacking in upbringing, and easily arouse the other party's vigilance.

But he truly had no other choice.

The first time, by the seaside of Qingshui Bay, he figured out Fang Cheng's morning exercise route and deliberately ran to wait in the abandoned lighthouse on the cliff, even using a signal light to attract attention.

For this, he even prepared a whole set of rhetoric and probing plans.

As a result, the other party was completely unmoved and directly ignored him.

The second time, just this morning, he paid a personal visit, stood at Fang Cheng's doorstep, and knocked on the door for a long time.

He could clearly sense that Fang Cheng was inside the house.

But the other party simply refused to open the door, treating him like air.

Both attempts were met with a closed door.

Combining his past experiences of repeatedly delivering postcards to no avail, Cheng Jiashu reached a conclusion.

The man before him perhaps truly suffered from some severe social anxiety disorder.

He was powerful and brutal, but at the same time extremely introverted and shy, disgusted with physical contact with people.

"Since you are unwilling to see me in reality, meeting in the place you are most familiar with and feel safest should be fine, right?"

Cheng Jiashu thought to himself and spoke:

"It's very simple."

He decided to reveal a part of the truth to gain a sense of trust.

"Actually, I live near your house."

"The physical distance in the real world will, to a certain extent, also be mapped into the world of consciousness."

Cheng Jiashu raised a finger, his voice exceptionally clear in the dark hall, his posture resembling a patient and guiding mentor.

"Every single one of our consciousnesses, in this boundless dark Void Realm, is like a star or a spark of firefly."

"The vast majority are dim and almost imperceptible, but there are always a few that are exceptionally bright."

He looked at Fang Cheng, his eyes carrying profound meaning:

"Every day when I enter deep Meditation, I can sense the flashing points of light in the surrounding world of consciousness."

"One of them emits a light and aura very similar to you, whom I saw in the spiritual Secret Realm last time."

"So out of curiosity, I tried to establish a connection, and to my surprise... I succeeded on the first try."

Of course, how it actually succeeded depended still on personal ability.

After listening, Fang Cheng understood instantly.

"This morning, the person who knocked on the door was you."

"It was me."

Cheng Jiashu admitted it frankly, but did not reveal the fact that he lived right downstairs, retaining a little secret.

Fang Cheng's thoughts spun rapidly, naturally recalling his encounter during morning exercise.

The flickering lights in the abandoned lighthouse amidst the seaside fog...

Just as he wanted to bring this up, Cheng Jiashu seemed to see through his thoughts and spoke a step ahead:

"Speaking of which, the last time we met was in that shabby chat room of mine."

Cheng Jiashu's tone carried a bit of self-deprecation, while also quietly closing the distance between them.

"At that time we talked about Jiang Chen, that old ghost was blown to smithereens by a missile, but his soul did not dissipate, and it's very likely he had long prepared a trump card and transferred to a new body."

"During this period of time, I took some time to investigate and search for his traces."

"The archaeological site over at Xishan has been completely blockaded by the military, guarded airtight."

"I sneaked in once and found that a huge deep pit had been dug out in the core area, but it was completely empty inside, as if something had been transferred."

"Afterwards, I visited the abbot of Gufeng Temple, a very interesting old monk who seemed to know some inside information, but his mouth was tight and he refused to say anything, only repeatedly muttering 'evil obstacle'."

"However, I wasn't without gains; at least I got a vague clue from him."

The corners of Cheng Jiashu's mouth hooked into a confident arc:

"Jiang Chen used to entrenched himself in Xishan for a very long time in history, so before he was jointly Sealed by the imperial court and aristocratic families, the trump card he secretly left behind must also be hidden within this Xishan area."

"Centering on the archaeological site, I screened all villages and towns within a twenty-kilometer radius."

"Although a Ghoul is powerful, it needs to feed. As long as it is still active, it will definitely leave traces. I believe finding it is only a matter of time."

Cheng Jiashu spoke eloquently, not rushing to state his true purpose, but choosing a topic of mutual concern as an entry point.

This was the way clever people conversed: first build resonance, then plot other matters.

Hearing this, Fang Cheng slightly nodded in appreciation:

"You've done quite well. If you find Jiang Chen's exact traces in the future, be sure to notify me."

"Of course no problem."

Cheng Jiashu smiled, having already prepared a draft in his mind, and then very naturally stated his purpose:

"Right, visiting this time, there is another very important matter I want to tell you."

"The battle on the night of the dock warehouse, over two hundred people of the Red Tiger Gang were slaughtered by you, and the scene was cleaned up so well that even the police couldn't find any clues."

He paused, his tone immediately turning solemn:

"However, the backing behind the Red Tiger Gang is extraordinary; that is an international organization called 'Noah'."

"I've crossed paths with them a few times. This organization is full of experts, and they act tyrannically, seeking revenge for even the smallest grievance."

"If they manage to track down who the culprit is, it might be very troublesome. They might send the most elite 'Pursuer' squad, or even dispatch experts from the Board of Directors at headquarters, fighting to the bitter end."

Cheng Jiashu's words seemed to be telling Fang Cheng relevant intelligence, reminding him to be cautious and careful.

But they also implied that you had gotten into big trouble, and I am the only one who can help you.

However, the man standing beneath the golden sphere of light was expressionless, like a statue.

Making all his probings fall on empty space.

"Is that so."

Fang Cheng was silent for a moment before finally reacting, taking a step forward, his tall figure appearing even more oppressive.

"Thank you for your reminder."

As if sincerely thanking the other party for providing important intelligence, he then muttered to himself in a low voice.

"Since the Noah Organization is so powerful, it seems I must be a bit more careful when going out in the future."

"Every day I must hide in dark corners like a rat, reducing all unnecessary public appearances just to barely survive."

The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Cheng Jiashu's ears, causing the corners of his mouth to twitch slightly.

He always felt that Fang Cheng's words sounded like sarcasm.

Yet on that sincere face, not a trace of irony could be discerned.

"You don't need to worry too much either."

Cheng Jiashu suppressed the sense of anomaly in his heart and followed up on the conversation:

"I also have a deep blood feud with them; I will never reveal any news about you."

"And... we now have an excellent Opportunity to take the initiative and strike first."

At this point, he finally revealed his true intentions.

"People from the Special Investigation Team found me, hoping to cooperate with me to deal with the Noah Organization together."

"The commanding officer at the head, you might have heard of him, is Gao Jin, the captain of the First Action Team of the Special Investigation Team."

"I've investigated, the Noah Organization has a biotech company called 'Noah Pharmaceuticals' in Dongdu, carrying out shocking human experiments behind the scenes."

"As long as we can find conclusive evidence and expose the hidden sins of Noah Pharmaceuticals to the public, while we might not be able to overthrow the entire Noah Organization, at least we can sever their claws and teeth in Dongdu and completely drive them out of the Xia Country."

Cheng Jiashu retold Gao Jin's rhetoric.

"By then, both you and I will regain our freedom, exempt from the disturbance of the Noah Organization, and return to normal lives."

Fang Cheng listened silently, but a trace of imperceptible ripple flashed in his eyes when Gao Jin's name appeared.

Seeing that Fang Cheng seemed moved, Cheng Jiashu thought his rhetoric had worked, and immediately struck while the iron was hot, probing as he asked:

"Speaking of which, I've always been curious."

"That note that reminded me earlier that the Noah Organization had set a trap targeting me and asked me to meet by the seaside... was that given to me by you?"

Fang Cheng raised his head, a trace of just-right confusion showing on his face.

"A note? What note? I don't know what you're talking about."

His expression was as innocent as a true outsider.

Cheng Jiashu gave him a deep look and sighed in his heart.

Still refusing to admit it?

"It's like this..."

Cheng Jiashu decided to change strategy, speaking while carefully observing the changes in Fang Cheng's expression.

"Last month, I was targeted by people from the Noah Organization. During that period, I was on tenterhooks every day."

"Later one day, I was driving on the street and almost hit a few punks. One of them secretly stuffed a note into my car."

"The note said that the Noah Organization had already laid out an inescapable net and was preparing to catch me, and also asked me to meet at midnight at the abandoned lighthouse on the cliff in Qingshui Bay."

Speaking of this, his voice carried a trace of grievance, like a resentful woman abandoned by her lover.

"That night, it was raining heavily. I managed to escape from the encirclement of the Noah Organization with great difficulty, braving the howling wind and torrential rain to rush to the appointment, and as a result... I was stood up."

"Sigh, at that time I was both cold and hungry, standing alone and desolate in that pitch-black lighthouse from midnight until dawn, rain beating on my body like blocks of ice."

"Pity, the person I was waiting for never appeared..."

Fang Cheng listened to his account expressionless, as if it had nothing to do with him whatsoever.

Seeing this, Cheng Jiashu let out a soft sigh, waved his hand, as if sweeping away those "grievances":

"Sigh, let's not talk about this matter. Perhaps that mysterious person was unwilling to show up and had their own unspeakable difficulties."

His words took a turn, pulling the topic back on track once more, looking intently at Fang Cheng with burning eyes.

"Fang Cheng, I now formally invite you to participate in the operation together to deal with the Noah Organization."

"This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime Opportunity to uproot the Noah Organization's branch in Dongdu in one fell swoop and resolve a major trouble in our hearts."

After speaking, his eyes tightly stared at the mysterious and powerful man in front of him, full of anticipation.

Fang Cheng stood quietly without answering immediately.

After considering for a moment, he finally spoke:

"Sorry, my mental state hasn't been too good lately."

"Some time ago, I also went to Gufeng Temple. The abbot in the temple gave me guidance, saying that my murderous intent is too heavy and I am entangled by baleful qi, requiring quiet cultivation."

"So, I've decided that from now on, I will abstain from killing, eat vegetarian food, chant Buddhist scriptures, and properly cultivate my moral character."

(End of Chapter)