120: Chapter 120, that poem by Xiaochi, was it really written by you?

"Miss Shen, what a coincidence to meet you here."

On the shaded path leading to the zither dao lecture hall, Tang Liu caught up with Shen Lingfu in a few steps and greeted her with a smile.

The corners of his mouth curled into what he considered an incredibly sunny arc, and a look of surprise at a "chance encounter" appeared on his face just right.

Shen Lingfu paused slightly and turned her head.

Seeing it was Tang Liu, her moist eyes widened slightly.

A hint of surprise also cooperatively surfaced on her fair face: "Young Master Tang? Are you also going to the zither dao class?"

Tang Liu nodded with a smile, his tone familiar:

"Yes, some time ago, seeing Miss Shen talking eloquently in the zither dao class was truly admirable.

I wonder if it's convenient for Miss Shen to walk together today?

I happen to have some troubles regarding the zither dao that I would like to ask you about."

Shen Lingfu smiled slightly and nodded: "Young Master Tang is too polite. It's not a matter of asking; it's just a mutual discussion. Walking together is certainly fine."

As expected, she didn't refuse.

Seeing this, an imperceptible flicker of passion flashed deep in Tang Liu's eyes, and he felt secretly proud.

Before, his eyes only held his adopted sister, Tang Xiaowu.

His mind was full of how to protect his sister, and he had no leisure to pay attention to other girls in the academy.

But since Tang Xiaowu had treated him like that, Tang Liu believed he had finally seen through women.

Just a few days ago, when he went to the capital's largest firm, 'Treasure Pavilion', to purchase Cultivation resources...

He had accidentally caught a glimpse of that haughty shopkeeper of Treasure Pavilion being extremely respectful, bowing and scraping toward Shen Lingfu.

Tang Liu kept it in mind and did some digging after slipping a bit of silver.

Good heavens, this Shen Lingfu was actually the Young Pavilion Master of Treasure Pavilion!

At the thought of Treasure Pavilion's vast, nation-rivalling wealth, Tang Liu's mind became active.

The 'Divine Turtle Art' he Cultivated, though it had a solid Foundation and made him invincible among his peers...

Before the Life Fire Realm, its Cultivation speed was slower than a turtle's crawl, requiring a massive amount of Heaven And Earth Treasures to build up.

As a penniless commoner, where was he supposed to get so many resources?

This Shen Lingfu was simply a mobile, human-shaped treasure vault!

As long as he could win her over, with the financial power of Treasure Pavilion, wouldn't his strength advance by leaps and bounds?

Moreover, Tang Liu had absolute confidence in his own talent.

He firmly believed that with his Aptitude, as long as he showed even a little bit of brilliance, he could definitely capture Shen Lingfu's gaze.

The facts were indeed as he expected.

After their interactions during this period, he found that Shen Lingfu was not only extremely friendly toward him...

Sometimes she would even cover her mouth and chuckle, her eyes curving into crescents, because of a few jokes he told.

Was there even a need to think about it?

Shen Lingfu definitely had feelings for him!

Otherwise, why would the dignified Young Pavilion Master of Treasure Pavilion chat with him here every day?

But Tang Liu also knew that when fishing for such a big prize, one couldn't be too hasty.

So during this time, he went to great lengths to manufacture "chance encounters" with Shen Lingfu.

And before every encounter, he would go to the Library Pavilion to frantically flip through books, memorizing a few extremely obscure and profound questions about the zither dao.

This allowed him to cater to her interests while subtly showing off and displaying his "inner depth."

It was simply perfect.

As the two walked side by side, Tang Liu frowned slightly, pretending to be in deep thought.

He posed a question about a Zither score Incomplete Manual that he had stayed up all night to memorize.

After Shen Lingfu heard it, a flash of disdain, as if looking at an idiot, crossed her eyes for a split second.

But she didn't reveal a trace of it on the surface.

As the Young Pavilion Master of Treasure Pavilion, she had been raised in the cutthroat business world since she was a child, and her ability to read people was already maxed out.

Tang Liu's clumsy "chance encounters" and deliberately prepared "profound questions" during this period...

He thought they were seamless, but in Shen Lingfu's eyes...

It was like someone trying to hide their nakedness by running in circles—just making a fool of himself from every angle.

In her eyes, this kind of person wore their intentions on their face.

Wanting to woo this Young Miss?

A toad really wanting to eat swan meat.

However, Shen Lingfu didn't speak up to mock him.

What she loved most was leading these self-righteous "Genius" types along like walking a dog.

Giving them a little sweetness, a few vague hints.

When the time was right and these men thought they had captured her heart...

She would use the most innocent expression to drain all sorts of benefits from them.

After all, those who could enter the Heaven Class, even commoner Martial Artists, always held one or two life-saving trump cards or Opportunities in their hands.

"Young Master Tang's question is indeed quite tricky..."

Shen Lingfu's red lips parted slightly, her voice as soft as water.

She subtly moved half a step to the side, maintaining a "just right" safe distance.

Then, using the most easy-to-understand language, she clearly explained Tang Liu's so-called "profound" problem.

At the end, she even tilted her head slightly and looked at Tang Liu with an admiring gaze:

"For Young Master Tang to think of such an obscure question, it's clear you've truly put in hard work in the zither dao."

Sure enough, swept by this admiring gaze, Tang Liu felt like his bones had lightened by a few ounces.

He was completely immersed in it, the smile on his face impossible to suppress.

...

In the distance, Chen Shanzhi watched Tang Liu following beside Shen Lingfu, the two of them chatting casually, looking quite familiar.

"How did these two get together?"

Chen Shanzhi rubbed his chin.

Logically, they were heading toward the zither dao lecture hall.

But in the original game plot, this bumpkin Tang Liu knew absolutely nothing about the arts; he was a pure brute.

Now he was actually going to a zither dao class, of all things?

When things are unusual, there must be something fishy.

Chen Shanzhi's mind raced, immediately connecting Tang Liu and Shen Lingfu's identities.

"Treasure Pavilion..."

Chen Shanzhi's brow jumped; he seemed to recall some key plot point.

Could it be that the 'Treasure Convention' organized by Treasure Pavilion is about to start early?

In this eroge game, the 'Treasure Convention' of Treasure Pavilion and the Secret Realms of Four Seas Academy...

Were both extremely important level-grinding nodes in the capital. It was held once every four years.

The convention was divided into two parts.

The first half was a top-tier auction that required an invitation. Divine weapons, Sharp Weapons, high-level Cultivation Techniques, and top-grade Medicinal Pills gathered from all over Great Jiang were all inside.

The second half was the main event—Seizing Treasures through Martial Arts!

Treasure Pavilion would set up an arena and offer extremely generous rewards.

However, this arena had a rule, which was similar to the hidden dragon ranking.

Only Martial Artists under the age of twenty-two could participate.

But in the game's plot, Treasure Pavilion actually had a very deep motive for this competition.

That was to find someone whose Cultivation Technique and Qi and blood perfectly matched the 'Black Turtle Secret Realm'.

To help them go deep into that extremely dangerous Secret Realm and bring out a supreme treasure called the 'xuanwu stone'!

That's right, the Black Turtle Secret Realm.

Just hearing the name and looking at the 'Divine Turtle Art' Tang Liu Cultivated...

In the game from his previous life, this Secret Realm was an upgrade instance tailor-made for the original protagonist, Tang Liu!

In the original plot, Tang Liu shone brilliantly in this competition.

He gained the qualification to enter the Secret Realm, and after entering, his strength soared like a rocket.

Not only did he get the xuanwu stone, but he also successfully latched onto the powerful backing of Treasure Pavilion, receiving a frenzy of investment in massive resources.

"But logically, Tang Liu shouldn't know about the existence of this Treasure Convention yet.

Looking at him now, though, could it be that he knows Shen Lingfu's identity?"

Chen Shanzhi gave a cold laugh.

As a villain, how could he stand by and watch the original protagonist get what belonged to him?

Whether it was for those Heaven-Defying encounters in the Secret Realm or to suppress Tang Liu's growth speed...

He, Chen Shanzhi, was definitely going to this Treasure Convention competition!

The xuanwu stone? It's mine.

Treasure Pavilion's investment? That has to be mine too.

Only... in the game, this Treasure Convention was clearly a major event that wouldn't start until halfway through the semester.

The school year has only just begun!

"Could it be the butterfly effect I caused again, messing up the timeline?"

Chen Shanzhi was a bit uncertain.

It seemed he would have to find an Opportunity to pry some information out of that little green tea, Shen Lingfu.

Thinking of this, Chen Shanzhi clapped his hands.

He turned to look at Jiang Feiyu, who was squatting nearby watching ants fight on the ground, and Murong Yun, who was still rubbing his dark circles.

"Let's go, time to work."

...

Half an hour later.

Jiantian Division, side hall.

"Old Zhao, let's not beat around the bush."

Chen Shanzhi walked into the Jiantian Division, sat on a chair, and tapped his fingers on the table with a rhythmic 'thud-thud':

"Tell me, how many days has our team been patrolling the vegetable market?

When can we be promoted from 'Bronze Level, Low Grade' to 'Bronze Level, Middle Grade'?

It's been so long; no matter how you look at it, we should have been promoted, right?"

Zhao Laosan, sitting behind the desk, didn't show the slightest ripple on his weather-beaten, paralyzed face upon hearing this.

"Soon, soon."

Zhao Laosan's tone was so perfunctory he didn't even want to fake it:

"The Jiantian Division has strict rules. Promotion assessments need to be approved layer by layer by the Head Office.

Your current seniority isn't enough. Go patrol Caishikou for a few more days to settle in."

"Bang!"

Jiang Feiyu slapped the table, the force splashing the water out of the teapot on the desk.

"Bullshit!" Jiang Feiyu glared,

"That team in Class C next door, full of mediocre talents, has earned more points from missions than us.

We, experts of the Xuanguan Eleven Apertures, go to Caishikou every day to catch thieves stealing cabbage?

Are you intentionally targeting us?"

Murong Yun also plucked up his courage and leaned in, pointing to his bruised eye circles:

"Exactly! This injury of mine came from hard training and needs to be tested in real combat! Change our mission immediately!"

Zhao Laosan didn't even lift his eyelids, taking a rag to slowly wipe the water stains off the table.

"Rules are rules."

"If you all feel the Jiantian Division is too small a temple for such big Buddhas, you are free to go to the Chief Constable and quit this job."

Completely unyielding!

Chen Shanzhi stared at Zhao Laosan for a while.

He knew this definitely wasn't Zhao Laosan intentionally making things difficult.

They hadn't offended this old fox.

This was clearly someone above pressing down, not daring to assign them dangerous missions.

"Fine, Old Zhao, you win."

Chen Shanzhi stood up and stopped Jiang Feiyu, who still wanted to explode, "Let's go."

The group walked out of the side hall grumbling.

Watching the four departing backs, Zhao Laosan's originally tense, paralyzed face finally collapsed.

He rubbed his temples with extreme exhaustion and let out a long sigh.

"What a sin..."

Zhao Laosan gave a bitter smile.

Any one of these four little ancestors, if pulled out, had a background that could scare someone to death.

The higher-ups were all acting like turtles hiding in their shells, forcing these living Bodhisattvas into his hands.

They even gave a death order: if these four lost even a single hair, Zhao Laosan would have to pay with his life!

"Assign you other missions? Don't even think about it!

Wait until you've patrolled the vegetable market for a month first."

Zhao Laosan picked up his tea mug and drained the remaining cold tea.

"After all, I still want to live a few more years!"

...

Afternoon, the hour of the Monkey.

South City, Caishikou.

Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the crisscrossing shed roofs.

The air was filled with the smell of raw meat, sour sweat, and the complex scent of various fermenting rotten vegetable leaves.

Caishikou was huge, divided into four districts: East, West, South, and North.

To improve efficiency, Chen Shanzhi and the others patrolled separately as usual.

In the afternoon, Shen Lingfu and Ouyang Wanqing, having finished their classes, also arrived one after another to join the street patrol team.

In the West District, in a slightly quieter alleyway.

Chen Shanzhi was leaning against a brick wall covered in moss.

He held a handful of spiced melon seeds he'd swiped from some old lady's stall and was boredly cracking them.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, he flicked his finger.

A melon seed shell, wrapped in a sliver of extremely refined True Yuan, shot out like a hidden weapon!

"Ouch!"

Ten paces away, a young hoodlum who was sneakily reaching for an old woman's waist purse suddenly let out a cry of pain.

The back of his hand had been accurately hit by the melon seed shell, instantly turning red and swollen, stinging like fire.

The hoodlum looked around in terror but found nothing, so he clutched his hand and ducked into the crowd as if he'd seen a ghost.

Chen Shanzhi patted the melon seed debris off his hands without even changing his posture.

This level of True Yuan externalization was as simple as breathing for an expert of the Xuanguan Nine Apertures like him.

"Captain Chen has such brilliant hidden weapon techniques."

A soft, melodious voice that carried a hint of inexplicable coldness suddenly sounded at the mouth of the alley.

Chen Shanzhi looked up.

Ouyang Wanqing, wearing her elegant light water-blue dress, was walking toward him at a steady pace.

She took graceful steps, skillfully avoiding the puddles of dirty water on the ground.

Every move perfectly matched the upbringing of a daughter from a prestigious family.

But Chen Shanzhi was somewhat surprised. Why had Ouyang Wanqing come to his side?

"Miss Ouyang, why aren't you patrolling the East District? Why come to my place?"

Chen Shanzhi didn't move, still leaning lazily against the wall: "What, did the butchers over there start fighting over stall space again?"

Ouyang Wanqing walked up to Chen Shanzhi.

She didn't maintain a polite distance as she usually did, but instead walked straight into Chen Shanzhi's personal space.

She was so close that Chen Shanzhi could smell the faint scent of orchids on her.

"The East District is very quiet."

Ouyang Wanqing tilted her head slightly, her gaze meeting Chen Shanzhi's directly.

"I came to find you."

Chen Shanzhi's brow twitched.

Did this woman take the wrong medicine today?

Usually, she was dignified and virtuous, a Prime Minister's daughter who would lower her head even when saying more than two words to a man.

Now she actually dared to take the initiative to get so close?

"Find me?" Chen Shanzhi asked with some confusion:

"If Miss Ouyang had something to say, you could have asked me at the Martial Arts Arena this morning.

Why bring it up here in Caishikou?"

Ouyang Wanqing walked to the front of Chen Shanzhi and leaned down slightly.

Her exquisite face drew close to Chen Shanzhi's, and her beautiful eyes looked at him with curiosity.

A gentle and pleasant voice sounded:

"Chen Shanzhi, that poem, 'little pond'... was it really written by you?"