Old Chen Returns

In the deep autumn, the pouring rain caused a large number of yellow leaves to fall from the mountains, revealing Great Black Mountain's originally dark surface. Shrouded in mist and rain, it became even more dim and eerie.

Wang Xuan rushed into the rain without looking back.

The six snipers were seasoned and ruthless. Fearing that Wang Xuan would deal with them after finishing off the man in black, they directly deployed energy cannons, disregarding the fate of the man in black.

These were professional killers, willing to get their hands dirty for money and possessions. To ensure their own survival, they could readily abandon and even kill their employers.

After Wang Xuan eliminated them, he didn't regret it. It was just that this was his first time killing someone, and he felt a strong sense of unease. He ran wildly through the rain, trying to alleviate the indescribable emotions, splashing mud and water everywhere.

He exerted all his strength, sprinting at his maximum speed through the rain. He didn't stop for dozens of miles, his body covered in sweat mixed with rain as he entered the small town.

He slowed his pace, adjusted his breathing, bought new clothes to replace his torn jacket, and then took a leisurely stroll by the small lake in the town, holding an umbrella.

He was contemplating his next move. Since he began practicing the Old Arts, his peaceful life had vanished. Looking at the misty small lake, he thought of various possibilities.

Since he couldn't choose a different path, if he wanted to preserve his peaceful and tranquil life, he could only become stronger, walking the path of the Old Arts to legendary heights!

"Qing Mu, Old Qing, you... you actually blocked me?!" Wang Xuan tried to contact Qing Mu, but his calls wouldn't go through. He realized he had likely been blocked two days prior.

He was speechless for a moment, then the deepest curse from Little Wang emerged: "Qing Mu, you're next. You can't escape no matter what!"

In New Star, within a certain manor, Old Chen wore a Bagua robe inside and a purple-gold kasaya outside. He held a begging bowl in one hand and a whisk in the other, with bright red cinnabar markings on his face. He was listless, with heavy dark circles under his eyes. He couldn't take it anymore; if he didn't hear from that expert soon, he would return to Old Earth in a couple of days.

When Black Tiger contacted Qing Mu by phone to inform him that Little Wang was looking for him, Qing Mu's hand, which was holding a cigarette, trembled. He was reluctant to respond.

But then Feng Zheng and Old Mu contacted him one after another, telling him that Little Wang needed to see him about a matter of life and death.

Qing Mu sighed. He had no choice but to contact Wang Xuan. He couldn't even get a few days of peace. He had a bad feeling about this.

As expected, as soon as he connected with Wang Xuan, he heard a resentful voice on the other end of the phone: "Old Qing, you're finished. I have a feeling it's about to be your turn!"

Qing Mu was a bit exasperated. "Shut up. Are you bothering me again because you're alone?"

"No, don't overthink it. Something happened on my end!" Wang Xuan quickly and concisely recounted the vicious ambush incident at Great Black Mountain.

"Old Qing, isn't our exploration organization semi-official, cooperating with the country? Yet, in just half a month, I've been assassinated three times. This exploration organization is really losing face. Some people are lawless, treating Old Earth like their backyard? What's the point of keeping such forces, whether they are Zaibatsu or involved in other fields, if we don't uproot them?"

Even though they were separated by the phone, Qing Mu could feel Wang Xuan's anger.

Qing Mu said, "Alright, stop talking. I'll have someone handle this immediately. For now, pretend nothing happened, and don't let it affect the normal lives of your family and friends."

This was precisely what Wang Xuan wanted. After all, there were seven bodies left at Great Black Mountain. If they were discovered, or if he called the police, the small town would inevitably be thrown into chaos, and the peaceful lives of his family and friends would be shattered.

The exploration organization was semi-official, so it was most appropriate for Qing Mu to find someone to handle the matter.

After ending the call, Wang Xuan went straight home, showered, and fell asleep. He still felt uneasy. Before falling asleep, he engaged in some visualization to sort out his emotions and adjust his mindset, bringing himself back to a state of peace and tranquility.

In reality, his psychological resilience was very strong. He dared to visualize the Female Daoist practitioner with blood streaks on her face as a Celestial Maiden, dancing and singing joyfully in his dreams. Naturally, he could also quickly resolve his current problems.

In the evening, Wang Xuan woke up. His body was full of energy, and his spirit was high, dispelling the previous gloom. He had put the incident behind him.

From this day forward, he would approach future events with a completely different mindset.

Outside, the sky was filled with red clouds, a vibrant sunset indicating a good weather day tomorrow. Wang Xuan's mood also gradually improved. He had dinner with his parents and had a hearty appetite.

In the evening, Wang Xuan watched TV with his parents and chatted until past nine o'clock before returning to his room. He gently tapped his desk with his finger, carefully recalling the day's experiences, which had been truly dangerous.

The man in black was incredibly powerful, achieving extraordinary feats in the realm of Old Arts. Wang Xuan had been exhausted at the end, lying on the ground unable to move, almost shot dead.

"Inner Scenery Realm... it came and went so suddenly, I can't actively control it," he sighed. Today, in such a desperate situation, he had triggered his Super-Sense. This chance encounter had saved his life.

However, he could not rely on this special state at all. Who could guarantee he would have such luck next time?

He had reason to believe that if he developed such psychological dependence, he would surely die next time. If he himself believed he might trigger his Super-Sense at a critical moment, would it still be a life-or-death situation? His mind and body would subconsciously think it wasn't!

If that were the case, it would be a dead end. He wouldn't survive even with nine lives!

So Wang Xuan sighed. After experiencing this, it would become increasingly difficult to trigger his Super-Sense. The Pre-Qin Daoist practitioners must have had some conventional methods.

Unfortunately, all sorts of bamboo slips and ancient sect records had fallen into the hands of New Star. He had no books to consult.

"Should I start with Meditation? Theoretically, reaching the highest state of Meditation, known as the Bodhisattva Realm, allows one to stand firm in the void of time," Wang Xuan pondered.

His current method, the so-called Super-Sense state, should fall under the category of Daoist Unity of Man and Heaven. Buddhism also had similar paths.

"Entering the highest state of Meditation is quite difficult," Wang Xuan frowned. Even esteemed monks found it hard to enter that state after a lifetime of cultivation. Those who had such experiences had already disappeared in the old era.

On Sunday morning, the sky was indeed clear and cloudless, with morning glow filling the small town. Wang Xuan brought gifts to meet his two childhood friends. One liked various new warship models, and the other liked figurines of beautiful women.

Great Black Mountain was definitely off-limits. After meeting his two friends, Wang Xuan told them there were black bears in the mountains and that they shouldn't go there unless necessary for safety.

"I like this deep-space warship model. I tried to ask someone to buy it for me several times, but it was out of stock. Today, I finally got what I wanted!" Zhao Mo was very happy, then he started to mock Lin Xuan next to him, saying, "A boy who never grows up!"

Lin Xuan, fiddling with his anime girl figurine, retorted, "A man is a boy until death. Always have a young heart and always like beautiful things. You're only in your early twenties and you don't like beautiful women anymore, which means your mindset is old. Look at me and Wang Xuan, we're always youthful, we know how to appreciate, and we always have eyes looking for beautiful scenery."

Zhao Mo said, "I'm getting married in about a year and a half, so go play with your figurines. As for Wang Xuan, hehe, his aesthetic level has long surpassed figurines; he likes real people, good."

The two brought a cardboard box containing a small yellow dog. It was sturdy, and they said it was a purebred mountain dog puppy, asking Wang Xuan to take it back to the city to raise.

Wang Xuan shook his head. "Forget it, I don't have time to take care of it now. I won't raise it."

When he was eleven or twelve years old, he had raised a small spotted dog, but it died within half a year. He couldn't eat for two consecutive days, and he was very sad. After that, he never dared to raise another pet.

Yun City was not large. After lunch, the three of them took a walk around the city and chatted for a long time. Wang Xuan knew that this peaceful life was about to pass, and he cherished the present moment.

He felt that the time for him to go to New Star would not be far off.

In the afternoon, Wang Xuan bid farewell to his parents and began his journey back to Ancheng, his place of work.

The next few days were very peaceful. Wang Xuan spent his days studying Taoist scriptures and his nights practicing the Root Method and Body Arts, feeling incredibly fulfilled.

With the thought of caring for an old colleague, he called Qing Mu during this time. He asked Qing Mu to send his regards to Old Chen and, by the way, to inquire when Old Chen would be returning.

Qing Mu almost dropped his phone. Today, someone he knew who had returned from New Star brought him a message: Old Chen wanted him to help arrange things at a thousand-year-old temple outside the city. Old Chen intended to stay there for a while, which meant... Old Chen was coming back soon!

Qing Mu was a bit panicked. It was clear that even going to New Star hadn't protected Old Chen; he'd still been through a terrible ordeal, just as Wang Xuan had predicted. In the end, he had to "return to his homeland."

He naturally thought of Wang Xuan's words: he was next. He felt uneasy, worried that Little Wang's seemingly blessed mouth might actually curse him.

He pretended to be calm and shared some news with Wang Xuan, saying, "The identity of the man in black is not simple. He used to be a distinguished guest of some elderly figures from the Zaibatsu. His name is Sun Chengkun. He's a scholar, a professor, and his strength was once incredibly formidable. However, he suffered a severe injury at the age of forty, and his body developed serious problems, causing his strength to decline significantly. Otherwise, he would be much more powerful than he is now."

Wang Xuan was surprised. The man in black was even stronger than he had imagined. It was true that he was someone who had walked far down the path of the Old Arts and achieved extraordinary accomplishments.

"Now that we know his identity, let's continue to investigate. Their three attempts were not only targeting me but were also a serious provocation to the exploration organizations," Wang Xuan urged. This matter couldn't be left unresolved; it had to have a conclusion.

According to the man in black's pessimistic hints, there were people and forces far beyond his reach and ability to confront. The implication was that he should just endure it.

But to be repeatedly assassinated and still endure it, pretending nothing happened, was not Wang Xuan's style. He was determined to investigate secretly until the end.

The next day, Old Chen returned and took up residence in the thousand-year-old temple outside the city.

Qing Mu felt flustered. He happened to be away from Ancheng, so he sent Black Tiger to handle the arrangements and ensure Old Chen was settled in.

Later that day, Old Chen called Qing Mu and told him not to leak the news yet, absolutely not to tell Wang Xuan that he had returned. He didn't want to see that kid right now.

In fact, Wang Xuan didn't want to see him either. Who would willingly jump into a pit a second time, to actively seek out an "ominous old man"?

His primary task at this stage was to improve his own strength. Therefore, on the weekend, he got up early and headed out of the city towards the thousand-year-old temple. He wanted to take a look and see if there were any rare treasures – Ascension Stones.