Stealing Heavenly Secrets

Outside the window, the sky was fully bright.

He packed up, stowed the transcribed "Stealing Heavenly Secrets" in his bag, and prepared to leave.

The house lacked a lived-in feel—it really wasn't suitable for an extended stay.

Otherwise, he'd easily have nightmares.

Stepping out the door, he ran into his neighbor Li Zhong again.

Seeing Li Zhi with a bag on his back, looking like he was about to leave, Li Zhong said, "Xiao Zhi, not staying home a few more days?"

Li Zhi replied, "Uncle Zhong, the shop's short-handed—I can't be away long. Tomorrow's the weekend, foot traffic's heavy, and I can't keep the doors shut. If I don't head back, the pedestrian street management office will be calling to nag me to open up."

Li Zhong nodded. "Making money's the priority. How about you eat lunch at my place before you go?"

Li Zhi said, "I just ate at home. Uncle Zhong, I didn't realize you could hold your liquor so well. Next time I'm back, I'll bring you a few more bottles of good stuff, and we'll drink our fill."

Li Zhong laughed. "Then I'll be waiting for that good wine. Don't worry about the house—I'll keep an eye on it for you. No one's climbing over the wall into your place."

Li Zhi thanked him. "Sorry for the trouble, Uncle Zhong."

After that, Li Zhong saw him off to the village entrance where his car was parked.

Watching Li Zhi drive away, Li Zhong wore a satisfied smile and thought to himself, "If only Da Peng had half the knack that Li Zhi kid's got. Maybe I should have Da Peng follow Li Zhi and learn the trade."

Once he merged onto the highway, Li Zhi's mind wasn't on driving anymore.

Where exactly should he go to uncover the true meaning of those "Oracle Bone Script" characters?

Should he seek out those cultivators hidden within formation barriers?

Or visit famous mountains and great rivers to call on Taoist priests and try his luck?

But after thinking it over carefully, neither approach was quite right.

If "Stealing Heavenly Secrets" was a powerful cultivation method, he'd be in danger.

If "Stealing Heavenly Secrets" wasn't a cultivation method but a scripture expounding the principles of heaven and earth, he'd still be in danger.

Having "Stealing Heavenly Secrets" in his hands felt like holding a hot potato.

It wasn't that Li Zhi was painting a worst-case scenario.

It was that the three characters he recognized—"Stealing Heavenly Secrets"—could indeed spark endless imagination.

If it really was a method for stealing the secrets of heaven, its value would be immeasurable.

It'd be like a mortal bringing the "Nine Secrets" to a cultivator and asking for specific cultivation instructions.

No different from courting death.

The cultivators in the world of Zhe Tian didn't care about everyone getting along—they were all struggling across, ceaselessly struggling across.

Almost every cultivator's hands were stained with blood.

And that blood wasn't just from enemies—the innocent blood among it was far from few.

Finally, Li Zhi seemed to recall something—Ye Fan and the others seemed to recognize bronze inscriptions.

In an instant, an idea struck him.

Back in the city, Li Zhi didn't go home or to the shop. Instead, he drove straight to Ke University.

That was the university Ye Fan attended.

The archaeology department at Ke University was one of the top-ranked in the country.

Arriving at Ke University, Li Zhi asked around a bit and soon found the archaeology department.

Unfortunately, his wish didn't come true.

University professors weren't like high school teachers—they didn't stay on campus year-round teaching.

And Li Zhi wasn't some prominent social figure. Rushing in to pay a visit, he unsurprisingly got the cold shoulder.

Reflecting on it, he realized he'd been too impatient.

Deciphering Oracle Bone Script wasn't something that could be done overnight.

Stopping a male student walking out of the archaeology building, Li Zhi said, "Excuse me, classmate—can you help me with something?"

That male student dodged him unexpectedly, shot Li Zhi a contemptuous look, and walked off without a word.

"Are college students these days this rude?" Li Zhi grumbled inwardly.

Then he stopped two more male students, and both gave him the same expression.

It left Li Zhi utterly baffled.

Getting turned down back-to-back made him start to doubt his own looks.

He glanced at his handsome face on his phone screen—nothing scary about it.

Had he picked up something unclean at home?

Thinking that, Li Zhi began lifting his arms and legs, checking for anything unusual on himself.

"Pfft, haha." Maybe it was the sight of Li Zhi's ridiculousness, a girl's laughter suddenly came from behind him.

Li Zhi immediately turned to look in the direction of the sound.

A girl wearing large, black-framed glasses that could almost cover half her face was walking down the stairs in front of the archaeology department building.

There were actually female students in the archaeology department?

Maybe those guys earlier ignored him because of same-sex rivalry.

Li Zhi quickly stepped forward, a slight smile on his face, and said, "Excuse me, classmate. Could you help me with something?"

The female student looked Li Zhi up and down, then said in a tone like she'd seen it all before, "Uncle, your pickup line is way too old. If you want to chase a girl, at least bring a bouquet of flowers. Showing up empty-handed with a fake luxury car keychain—what girl would go with you?"

Li Zhi was stunned for a moment, then said, "Classmate, what are you talking about? I'm not here to find a girlfriend."

"You're not here waiting for Xia Siyu?" the female student asked curiously.

"Who's Xia Siyu? Why would I be looking for her?" Li Zhi said.

"Then what are you standing here for?" the female student asked.

"I'm here to find Professor Gao Peijun," Li Zhi said, suddenly realizing why those male students had been so hostile earlier—it was all a misunderstanding, thinking he was here to chase the archaeology department's beauty.

"Looking for Old Man Gao?" The female student looked at Li Zhi strangely, then asked, "You're not from our school, are you?"

Li Zhi said helplessly, "Obviously not. If I were from your school, why would I be getting the cold shoulder here? I'd just go straight to Professor Gao Peijun's office."

"What do you want with Old Man Gao?" the female student asked.

"I heard Professor Gao is an expert in Oracle Bone Script research and has deciphered quite a few characters. I have an article written in Oracle Bone Script and want to ask for his advice," Li Zhi said.

The female student looked at Li Zhi doubtfully and asked, "You're really not here to pick up girls?"

Li Zhi said, "Do I look that much like a pervert? Desperate enough to come to school to hit on girls?"

The female student pushed up her glasses and nodded, "Alright, it seems you really are here for Old Man Gao."

Hearing the female student's casual address for Professor Gao Peijun, Li Zhi realized their relationship might be special, so he seized the opportunity and asked, "Classmate, do you know where Professor Gao's office is? Is he free now? Can I visit him?"

"Did you bring that article written in Oracle Bone Script? Let me see it." The female student seemed skeptical that Li Zhi actually had such an article.

Li Zhi looked at her warily and said, "It's priceless, not for public display."

"Tch." The female student shot Li Zhi a contemptuous look, then turned and walked away.

Li Zhi immediately chased after her, calling out, "Classmate, do me a favor. We can talk things out. If you introduce me to Professor Gao, I'll pay you for your trouble."

The female student ignored him completely and kept walking away.

Li Zhi caught up again and said, "How about five hundred? If that's not enough, I'll give you a thousand."

Seeing she still wouldn't respond, Li Zhi shouted, "Two thousand. Two thousand is enough for a month's living expenses. Don't be greedy."

At that, passersby turned their gossipy eyes toward them.

The female student flushed with anger, spun around, and yelled at Li Zhi, "Shut up!"

Li Zhi said, "Classmate, just an introduction, and you pocket two thousand. That's a great deal."

The gossipy stares from the surrounding students nearly made the female student lose her composure.

Then she shouted loudly, "We don't even know each other. Why should I take your money?"

As soon as she said that, the girl immediately realized how it sounded.

She quickly added, "That's not what I meant."

Then she pointed at Li Zhi and yelled, "Stay away from me."

"Sisi, what's wrong? Is he bothering you?" Just then, a striking figure suddenly emerged from a small garden path nearby, came up to the bespectacled girl, and said.

"Xiao Man, let me explain. I don't even know him." Afraid of being misunderstood by her good friend, the female student immediately grabbed the hand of the girl named Xiao Man.

The pretty girl pulled Sisi behind her, then stood in front of Li Zhi and asked, "What's your name? You're not from our school, are you? If you keep harassing Sisi, I'll call security."