Something Happened

The honking cars, crowded buses, and hurried commuters, students scurrying with backpacks – these scenes intertwined, marking the official start of a new day, tense and busy.

There was still time, so Wang Xuan found a small eatery by the roadside. A jianbing, a cup of sweet soy milk, and a bowl of savory tofu pudding. He felt the north-south sweet and savory debate could finally end.

"Came too early?" He realized he was the first to arrive at the office. Liu Xue, young and fond of dressing up, arrived about ten minutes later, and then others trickled in half an hour after that.

There wasn't much to do in the morning. Wang Xuan sent and received a few emails, processed two blueprints briefly, and then quietly resumed his study of Daoist scriptures.

Of course, he was also keeping an eye on his old colleague who loved making phone calls to ask people to go fishing.

"There's definitely something going on," Wang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

Throughout the morning, his old colleague made several calls. He mentioned fishing, a storm last night, and a clear and sunny morning today.

In Wang Xuan's opinion, his old colleague was speaking in code!

Fishing aside, he had personally experienced it in the Greater Khingan Range. The storm last night was definitely a reference to taking down the Gray Blood organization. As for the clear and sunny weather today, it likely meant all parties were going to keep a low profile.

Then... Wang Xuan started suspecting everyone around him!

For instance, the guy with the black-rimmed glasses was on the phone, talking about a night of intense killing, and how he was still drowsy.

The two sisters who loved playing mahjong were also whispering, saying that luck changes, and they'd settle the score next time they were the banker.

And then there was the colleague, who was a bit sentimental and loved composing poetry, who had arrived early with a verse: "I use the sky as my canvas, hanging a string of fireworks, with a bang, exploding so brilliantly, stunning the human world."

Wang Xuan's heart pounded. What kind of people were these?!

Had they all participated in an operation last night, piloting warships to take down enemy spacecraft?

Finally, Wang Xuan even started to feel something was off about Liu Xue, the young woman next to him, who was applying lipstick with a small mirror. She said the color of this lipstick wasn't quite right; she preferred a tragic, vibrant red, a hue with a touch of mournful sorrow, which possessed a serene, otherworldly beauty.

Listen to that! Everyone in the room was speaking in code. Wang Xuan felt a headache coming on. He sat there, maintaining a calm facade, forcing himself to quiet his mind and focus on his Daoist scriptures.

Finally, it was lunchtime. His colleagues, chatting and laughing, invited Wang Xuan, the newcomer, to try a new restaurant outside the design institute with them.

Wang Xuan ate without much flavor, his mind elsewhere. He wanted to ask them about it, but he was afraid of being too abrupt or direct.

After lunch, his old colleague, being more seasoned, approached Wang Xuan privately. But one sentence almost made him turn and leave: the old colleague asked if he wanted to go fishing.

Having had a dangerous experience in the Greater Khingan Range, nearly being locked onto by a Gray Blood organization's spacecraft, Wang Xuan no longer wanted to get involved in similar trouble.

"Young man, you're still young. You still have passion, you still have youth to shed tears over. Cherish it."

Wang Xuan asked him with a blank face if he wanted him to be bait again.

"What are you thinking? I just want to invite you to go fishing at the abandoned mechanical plant behind the design institute. It's been derelict for years. There's a small lake there, overgrown with reeds now, and the wild fish are plump."

Wang Xuan looked at him suspiciously. Was his old colleague subtly admitting he was that high-ranking official from the exploration organization?

"It's me." As if sensing his thoughts, the old colleague admitted it directly. "Let's go. We just finished lunch. We can talk as we walk and fish for a while." He was well-prepared; his old, red "Rising Sun" car's trunk was filled with all sorts of fishing gear.

On the way, Wang Xuan couldn't help but ask about the identities of his colleagues in the office.

Old colleague Chen Yongjie was stunned at first, then couldn't help but burst into laughter. "What are you imagining? Do you really think our 'retirement' office is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, all non-human? They're just a group of normal men and women who love playing games, playing mahjong, feeling sentimental and reciting poetry, dressing up, and watching horror movies. The only abnormal ones are you and me."

Wang Xuan was speechless. He didn't recover for a long time, finally saying, "You're the abnormal one. I'm perfectly normal!"

Chen Yongjie looked at him in surprise. "Perfectly normal? I heard you slapped a beautiful woman's face off and killed five people in a few days."

"That's slander and defamation! I've never killed anyone!" Wang Xuan quickly corrected him. He was law-abiding; he had only injured five people in self-defense.

"It's all pretty much the same," the old colleague nodded.

Wang Xuan didn't bother explaining further. He just wanted to know what his old colleague's identity was and why he was working in such an inconspicuous place.

The old colleague led him to the lake in the abandoned mechanical factory, cast his fishing rod, and said, "I am Qing Mu's master. I travel between New Star and Old Earth. No matter which side, I need a leisurely job as a cover. Don't you like it here too?"

Wang Xuan understood immediately upon hearing this. Qing Mu had made preparations and precautions long ago, roping him in to be near his master as soon as he graduated.

Even if Wang Xuan hadn't chosen to join the exploration organization back then, with this old colleague around, he would likely have been persuaded to join sooner or later.

"You guys planned this!" Wang Xuan sighed. But what else could he say? His old colleague had revealed his identity and shown his sincerity.

"Don't hold any grudges. We made meticulous calculations and arrangements last time. The Gray Blood organization's spacecraft posed no threat to you. They would have been destroyed if they dared to show themselves. Anyway, let's not talk about that. I heard you're practicing the Golden Body Art. Here's a gift for you."

The old colleague handed him a book. It looked old, carrying the sense of age and wear.

Wang Xuan took it and opened it, examining it closely, a look of surprise on his face. The book recorded various plants, minerals, and strange creatures.

"Is this reliable?" After flipping through a few pages, he felt like a new world had opened up.

For example, the book mentioned Moonlight Silver, an extremely rare and special mineral. When struck, it would ooze silver liquid that needed to be consumed immediately, otherwise, it would evaporate quickly, dissipating like the bright moonlight.

For ordinary people, consuming a little could revitalize their flesh and blood. However, it was most effective for those practicing the Golden Body Art and Iron Cloth Shirt, acting as a great tonic that could accelerate physical improvement.

There was also a certain Golden Mushroom. Ground into powder and simmered into soup, it could increase bone density, nourish the bone marrow, and produce more active new blood, thereby gradually improving the entire body's constitution.

The more Wang Xuan read, the more unbelievable it seemed. He had never heard of these things before. He felt that even with an encyclopedia, he wouldn't be able to find these items.

For instance, it later mentioned a type of Mountain Snail that lived in mountain rocks, a rare mountain treasure. If caught, dried, and ground, consuming a tenth of an ounce daily for half a month could extend one's lifespan by five years.

The more Wang Xuan read, the less he believed it. He had flipped through books like the Compendium of Materia Medica in his spare time, but he had never encountered such bizarre and strange things.

Old colleague Chen Yongjie spoke, "Don't disbelieve. These things are recorded in the Daoist Ancestral Court and Buddhist Ancient Temples. This book is just a compilation, with some strange items from the Pre-Qin Bamboo Slips added."

Wang Xuan was taken aback. "But after so many years, has anyone seen them? They've been extinct for who knows how long."

"They can't be found on Old Earth now, but that doesn't mean they don't exist in deep space," the old colleague smiled.

Wang Xuan keenly noticed that he mentioned deep space, not the New Star, and sensed something subtle.

His old colleague yanked hard on his fishing rod, shaking his head regretfully. The fish had gotten away. He continued, "Over the past decade or so, people have gradually obtained some of these rare items. Although the quantities aren't large, they've caused quite a stir. Yes, some have even discovered Earth Immortal Grass, but unfortunately, they can't pick it."

Wang Xuan quickly flipped through the book, finding the page on Earth Immortal Grass. Its description was truly captivating; consuming one stalk could extend one's lifespan by two hundred years.

"So, some people over at the New Star are going crazy. Extending life by two hundred years is equivalent to a second birth for ordinary people. As for the old timers in the Zaibatsu and the heads of life research institutes, they're all practically frantic and taking action."

Wang Xuan's emotions were indeed turbulent, but he quickly became vigilant again. This old man loved to "fish" for information. Could he be up to something tricky again?

"It sounds like things are quite lively over there. You're giving me such a book and telling me all this, piquing my interest, but what do you want? Just say it!"

"Young people nowadays have so many thoughts. It's not like our era, where we were all simple, good youths. You're overthinking it again," his old colleague shook his head, then suddenly yanked his fishing rod, finally catching a... soft-shelled turtle.

"Go on, stop messing around, I'm fishing!" The old man took off the turtle and threw it away. In his words, the creature looked like it had just been released, half-dead, not something beneficial.

"The spots to go to the New Star are highly sought after. You need to work hard, young man," his old colleague said this as he was leaving.

However, ever since hearing him talk about these things, Wang Xuan had become wary of him and muttered to himself that it would be better to bypass his old colleague even if he wanted to go to the New Star.

That evening, back home, he practiced the Old Arts and studied the Ascension Stone. He also thought about the wondrous flowers, exotic herbs, and various minerals mentioned in the book.

"Studying Daoist scriptures by day and practicing Old Arts by night, this kind of life isn't bad. I'll consider going to the New Star after some time. For now, I'll see if I can find an Ascension Stone."

Outside the city, there was a thousand-year-old ancient temple that Wang Xuan planned to visit soon.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and he planned to go home early to see his parents. They weren't far away; he visited about once every two weeks.

"There's a mountain near my hometown that seems to have some legends, possibly related to some immortal maiden," Wang Xuan's heart stirred. Although he couldn't visit the thousand-year-old ancient temple for now, he could go to the mountain for a stroll when he went home.

Plans don't always work out. That night, Wang Xuan had a nightmare. He dreamt of a woman in white with red shoes, her long hair disheveled, her beautiful face streaked with two lines of blood, approaching him, almost touching his face, startling him awake.

Ever since he started practicing the Old Arts, his sleep had been peaceful, and he hadn't had nightmares. But today was somewhat strange.

Wang Xuan adjusted his breathing, trying to calm himself, and fell asleep again after a while. However, an hour later, he woke up again, feeling a cold wind blowing on his face, and dreamt once more of the female Daoist practitioner with two lines of bloody tears on her face.

He realized something was wrong; he had encountered big trouble. He never believed in such things, but the reality was that as soon as he fell asleep, he would dream of that woman.

"It seems I won't be able to go home tomorrow." He couldn't figure out what was happening. He didn't want to go back rashly; it seemed he had picked up something bad.

Throughout the night, Wang Xuan fell asleep and woke up repeatedly until dawn. He immediately contacted his old colleague, Chen Yongjie, feeling that even Qing Mu couldn't help.

"There's such a thing?" His old colleague was very serious and didn't disbelieve him. As a seasoned explorer, he had personally experienced some inexplicable abnormal events.

"Don't worry, I'll have someone send you a talisman later. It was personally drawn by an old Daoist priest who lived over a hundred years old; it's very effective."

His old colleague kept his word and had someone deliver it that afternoon.

However, by late at night, the unsettling and strange phenomenon reappeared. The so-called Daoist talisman directly caught fire, nearly igniting Wang Xuan's bedding and his hair, leaving him helpless.

The situation worsened in the latter half of the night. After finally falling asleep, he was awakened by an icy chill. He felt something in his arms; it was covered in fur, and a pair of terrifying eyes opened, staring at him!