Old Chen was beaten up all night?!
Wang Xuan heard this and, strangely, didn't feel sorry for him; instead, he wanted to burst out laughing. Of course, to avoid provoking Old Chen, he pretended to massage his temples and rubbed his face, fearing Old Chen would see his unsympathetic grin and take revenge.
Taking the chance, Wang Xuan let out a laugh before turning serious. "Old Chen, you need to understand that the world is about balance. When you gain something, you also pay a price. This is a terrifying martial art that surpasses the Great Diamond Fist—it's not easy to attain," he added, sighing for effect.
Old Chen, always sharp and strong, wasn't easily fooled. He sneered, "And you? Why weren't you beaten?"
Wang Xuan was puzzled too. Why did Old Chen get punished when the same tactic had worked for him? He thought about suggesting it might be a character issue, but kept it to himself, insisting, "I also paid a price!"
Old Chen, already irked, shot back, "What did you give? From female sorcerers to ghost monks, it was me doing the work!"
Old Chen felt aggrieved, realizing he was always the one to clean up the mess without any reward. "Come on, Old Chen, don't be so dramatic," Wang Xuan replied, needing to compare misfortunes to keep things even.
After sharing some fictional "tragic backstory," Wang Xuan added, "Besides, using your logic, you paid with Qingmu."
Old Chen's expression turned hostile. "Are you reminding me that you owe us both?"
Wang Xuan also wondered why Old Chen had been punished—was it a karmic backlash? "I swear, I just hit him once and got what I wanted! Calm down, let's recap your experience and think of a way out together."
"You really want to know the details of my beating?" Old Chen glared, clearly frustrated with recent events.
Wang Xuan, wanting to stay safe, quickly shifted topics. "By the way, which branch of Buddhism does Pufa Temple belong to?"
"Eh?!" Old Chen paused, realizing something important.
Wang Xuan had casually mentioned this to seek clues about the ancient temple, but suddenly had an epiphany. "Zen Buddhism!"
"Mind is Buddha!"
"Seeing one's nature to become Buddha!"
The *Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch* states: upon hearing the words, one attains sudden enlightenment, recognizing one's true nature and the inherent freedom of all phenomena.
"Old Chen, they're talking about sudden enlightenment, following the true heart. Like me, I acted from the heart, though slightly disrespectfully... but was accepted. You, on the other hand, clearly had ulterior motives, scheming over their scriptures, yet pretended to be righteous. If I were the old monk, I wouldn't tolerate you either!"
Old Chen looked up at the sky, wanting to sigh and say nothing more. Once Zen was mentioned, he realized the crux of the problem and turned to leave.
"Old Chen, do you want me to teach you the remaining moves?" Wang Xuan eagerly offered, wanting to help.
"No need, I'm afraid your moves aren't standard!" Old Chen rejected, determined to confront the ghost monk and strip him of his scriptures.
That night, Old Chen indeed obtained what he sought and no longer suffered from insomnia. From that day on, he secluded himself in a small courtyard outside the city, practicing that martial art diligently.
Qingmu and the others disappeared into the depths of the Greater Khingan Mountains without a trace, and Wang Xuan's life quieted down. Old Chen granted him a long vacation, allowing him ample time to study the old arts.
He also flipped through the Daoist texts, not to uncover any legacy but to understand the jargon and terminology for a deeper grasp of ancient secret methods.
During this time, he had deep talks with his parents, who were supportive of his prospects for further studies in New Star due to his excellent performance at the company, leaving no room for sorrow or reluctance—his comforting words were useless.
Thinking back, he realized his parents had always been this way, carefree, without a hint of parting sorrow. It eased his mind; had they been tearful and reluctant, he might have hesitated to leave.
Soon, Qingmu started sending messages, telling Wang Xuan he was suffering terribly, finally understanding the pains of his master's nightly struggles—sleepless and even struck by lightning!
He explained that he was caught in the crossfire, suffering consequences beyond his control.
The female sorcerers' methods to manipulate the current world became increasingly astounding, launching large-scale "mental lightning" assaults in the underground experimental fields targeting everyone.
Initially, researchers from New Star were skeptical, thinking it might be a hallucination caused by some exotic material factor, and brought advanced instruments from New Star for identification and observation.
Moreover, both Ms. Zheng, the founder of the Origin Research Institute, and some from the Old Soil had high hopes for the longevity project and didn't want to halt the experiments.
Clearly, either the researchers would continue the experiments to the end, or the female sorcerers' interventions in the current world would escalate, leading Ms. Zheng and others to directly "experience" the situation.
This incident quickly fell into a stalemate.
Wang Xuan remained patient, waiting for Old Chen and Qingmu while diligently studying the old arts and practicing the monk's martial techniques.
More than a week later, he received several letters from afar.
The first was from Qin Cheng, sent via a deep-space trade team collaborating with his family.
"Old Wang, I've established myself here. By some coincidence, I had the opportunity to recommend you. If successful, you could get a chance to go to New Moon."
In the letter, Qin Cheng provided an address—a branch of a New Star company in Old Soil—for Wang Xuan to reach out to, hoping to increase his chances of success.
"Old Wang, there are good things on New Moon—several rare plants undergoing mutation experiments and large-scale cultivation. Each day, a certain number of dead plants are allowed for loss. It's a painful yet joyous experience. Given my strength, I can only handle one plant every two weeks; that's my limit."
Wang Xuan was intrigued—what kind of potent medicine was he referring to?
"New Moon actually has a Guanghan Palace! I was almost dumbfounded when I got here; it's claimed to be the most luxurious vacation spot in deep space, worth visiting, but given my financial situation, I can only gaze from afar."
Besides some key points, Qin Cheng also shared various trivial matters.
"New Moon is strange; it has a temple claimed to be over two thousand years old, transported from Old Soil. Additionally, a certain ancestral hall of Daoism has also been restored here, supposedly brick by brick from its original site. I feel there's some secret behind it."
Wang Xuan was intrigued yet puzzled as he read this.
Subsequently, letters from Su Chan and Zhou Kun informed him that two classmates had passed away due to unforeseen circumstances.
They expressed their sorrow but didn't mention the causes of death, leaving Wang Xuan to imagine the brutal costs behind every beautiful facade.
Sighing, he noted that within just a month, two classmates had already passed—truly unexpected.
He recalled the last gathering, where those heading to New Star were full of enthusiasm, eager for great achievements; their young faces radiated with confidence, only for tragedy to strike. What a pity!
He too was about to head to New Star, reminding himself not to be careless.
Moreover, he received a handwritten letter from Zhao Qinghan, informing him of the deaths and once again mentioning potential collaboration.
Two days later, Qingmu returned, finally wrapping up the matters in the Greater Khingan Mountains. He didn't go into specifics.
Instead, he turned serious when mentioning Wang Xuan, saying, "There's some unexpected news—someone wants to keep you in Old Soil, preventing you from stepping out."
Wang Xuan frowned; some people's reach was indeed too long, attempting to completely block his path to New Star.
After hearing Qingmu had returned, Old Chen finally emerged from his seclusion, looking radiant. As he said, the monk's martial art was profound, and he had gained significantly, discovering a new path.
Wang Xuan looked at his old colleague, who just recently called the ghost monk a "ghost monk" but now referred to him as a "divine monk." He guessed that soon enough, he'd be calling him a "Bodhisattva."
"Trying to keep Little Wang in Old Soil is ridiculous. Did they even ask me?" Old Chen sneered.
Then he turned to Wang Xuan and said, "Some trouble is brewing. You've always wanted to know how strong I am, right? Want to know what the New Techniques are? Come with me and see."
Qingmu's expression changed instantly. "Master, you can't go! This is extremely dangerous; there's no need for a contest of egos. A slight misstep could mean death."
"I haven't made a move in years. Plus, with some old friends passing away, do they really think the old arts are completely over? They're underestimating us. If this continues, fewer people will practice the old arts, and the foundation will collapse. Moreover, that thing has resurfaced. I must go!" Old Chen said sternly, unlike his usual self, finally looking at Wang Xuan. "You should come with me to see for yourself."