The sky was already bright as he looked out the window.
After tidying up, Li Zhi put the copied "Stealing Heavenly Secrets" into his bag and prepared to leave.
The house lacked any human warmth and truly was unsuitable for a long stay.
Otherwise, it was easy to have nightmares.
When he walked out of the house, he ran into his neighbor, Li Zhong, again.
Seeing that Li Zhi was carrying a bag and seemed about to leave, Li Zhong said, "Xiao Zhi, aren't you staying home for a few more days?"
Li Zhi said, "Uncle Zhong, the shop is short-handed, so I can't stay away for long. Tomorrow's the weekend, and there'll be a lot of customers. We can't keep the shop closed. If I don't go back soon, the pedestrian street management office will call and urge me to open for business."
Li Zhong nodded. "Making money is important. Why don't you have lunch at my place before you leave?"
Li Zhi said, "I already ate at home. Uncle Zhong, I didn't expect you to hold your liquor so well. When I come back next time, I'll bring you a few more bottles of good liquor. We'll have a proper drink together."
Li Zhong laughed. "Then I'll wait for your good liquor. Don't worry about your house. I'll keep an eye on it for you. I won't let anyone climb over the wall and get inside."
Li Zhi thanked him. "Sorry for the trouble, Uncle Zhong."
Afterward, Li Zhong saw Li Zhi off to the place at the village entrance where he had parked his car.
Watching Li Zhi drive away, Li Zhong wore a satisfied smile and thought, If only Da Peng were as capable as this child, Li Zhi. Perhaps I should have Da Peng follow Li Zhi and learn how to do business.
Once he entered the highway, Li Zhi's thoughts were no longer on driving.
Where exactly should he go to learn the true meaning of those "Oracle Bone Script" characters?
Should he seek out the cultivators hidden within those Array Barriers?
Or should he visit famous mountains and grand rivers and ask Taoists there, taking his chances?
But after thinking it over carefully, neither approach seemed appropriate.
If "Stealing Heavenly Secrets" was a powerful cultivation method, he would be in danger.
If "Stealing Heavenly Secrets" was not a cultivation method but a scripture explaining the principles of Heaven and Earth, he would still be in danger.
"Stealing Heavenly Secrets" had become a hot potato in his hands.
It wasn't that Li Zhi was assuming the worst.
Rather, the three words "Stealing Heavenly Secrets" that he knew truly invited endless speculation.
If it really was a method that allowed one to steal the secrets of Heaven, its value would be immeasurable.
It would be like an ordinary person carrying the Nine Secrets and asking a cultivator about the specific method of cultivation.
There would be no difference from seeking death.
The cultivators in the Shrouding the Heavens World didn't care about everyone getting along peacefully. They were all struggling across, struggling endlessly.
Almost every cultivator's hands were stained with blood.
And that blood belonged not only to their enemies. The blood of innocent people was by no means uncommon.
At last, Li Zhi seemed to remember something. Ye Fan and the others seemed to recognize Bronze Script.
In an instant, he came up with an idea.
After returning to 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.
Ke University's archaeology department ranked among the best in the country.
After arriving at Ke University, Li Zhi made a few inquiries and found the archaeology department.
Unfortunately, his wish wasn't fulfilled.
University professors weren't middle-school teachers. They couldn't possibly stay at school year-round to teach.
Moreover, Li Zhi wasn't some prominent public figure. When he rashly went to pay a visit, he unsurprisingly received a cold reception.
Reflecting on it, he realized he had been too impatient.
Deciphering Oracle Bone Script wasn't something that could be accomplished in a single day.
Stopping a male student who had walked out of the archaeology department's teaching building, Li Zhi asked, "Excuse me, could you do me a favor?"
Unexpectedly, the student dodged him, gave Li Zhi a disdainful look, and walked away.
Are today's college students all this rude? Li Zhi complained inwardly.
Afterward, he stopped two more male students, and they all wore the same expression.
That made Li Zhi even more baffled.
Being rejected one after another made Li Zhi start to wonder whether there was something wrong with his appearance.
He looked at his handsome face on his phone screen. There was nothing frightening about it.
Could he have picked up something unclean while he was at home?
At that thought, Li Zhi began raising his arms and legs, searching for anything strange on his body.
"Pfft, hahaha." Perhaps she had seen Li Zhi's ridiculous display, but suddenly a girl's laughter came from behind him.
Li Zhi immediately turned toward the source of the voice.
A girl wearing large black-rimmed glasses that nearly covered half her face was walking down the stairs in front of the archaeology department's teaching building.
There were actually female students in the archaeology department?
Perhaps those boys had ignored him because of same-sex repulsion.
Li Zhi immediately walked over with a faint smile. "Excuse me, could you do me a favor?"
The female student looked him up and down, then said in the tone of someone who had seen it all, "Mister, your way of hitting on someone is too outdated. If you want to pursue a girl, you should at least bring a bouquet of flowers. Who would go with you when you're empty-handed and carrying a fake-looking luxury-car keychain?"
Li Zhi was stunned. "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 doing here?" the female student asked.
"I'm here to find Professor Gao Peijun." Li Zhi suddenly understood why those male students had been so hostile. It was all a misunderstanding—they had thought he was there to pursue the archaeology department's belle.
"You're looking for Old Gao?" The female student looked at Li Zhi strangely before asking, "You're not from our university, are you?"
Li Zhi said helplessly, "Obviously not. If I were from your university, why would I stand here and get rejected? I'd have gone straight to Professor Gao Peijun's office."
"Why are you looking for Old Gao?" the female student asked.
"I heard Professor Gao is an expert in the study of Oracle Bone Script and has deciphered quite a few inscriptions. I have an article written in Oracle Bone Script and want to consult him about it," Li Zhi said.
The female student looked at Li Zhi suspiciously. "You're really not here to pick up girls?"
"Do I look like a lecher? Like I'm so desperate to pick up girls at a university?" Li Zhi said.
The female student pushed up her glasses and nodded. "Looks like you really are here to find Old Gao."
Hearing the way the female student addressed Professor Gao Peijun, Li Zhi realized that their relationship might be unusual. He immediately seized the opportunity to ask, "Do you know where Professor Gao's office is? Is he free right now? May I go visit him?"
"Did you bring the article written in Oracle Bone Script? Take it out and let me see it." The female student clearly didn't believe Li Zhi had an article written in Oracle Bone Script.
Li Zhi looked at her warily. "It's a priceless treasure. I don't show it to outsiders."
"Tch!" The female student gave Li Zhi a contemptuous look and turned to leave.
Li Zhi immediately chased after her. "Please, help me out. We can discuss anything. As long as you introduce me to Professor Gao, I'll pay you a service fee."
The female student completely ignored him and continued walking away.
Li Zhi caught up again. "How about five hundred? If that's not enough, I'll give you one thousand."
Seeing that the female student still ignored him, Li Zhi shouted, "Two thousand. Two thousand is enough for your living expenses for a month. Don't be insatiably greedy."
His words immediately drew gossiping looks from passersby.
The female student turned around in embarrassment and anger and shouted at Li Zhi, "Shut up!"
But Li Zhi said, "It's just an introduction, and you can pocket two thousand. That's already a great deal."
The students passing by stared at them with such gossiping expressions that the female student nearly broke down.
Then she said loudly, "We don't even know each other. Why should I take your money?"
As soon as she said it, the girl realized that her words could be misunderstood.
She hurriedly added, "That's not what I meant."
Then she pointed at Li Zhi and shouted, "Stay away from me."
"Sisi, what's wrong? Is he bothering you?" Just then, a striking figure suddenly emerged from the garden path beside them and came to the bespectacled girl's side.
"Xiao Man, let me explain. I don't know him at all." Afraid her close friend would misunderstand, Sisi immediately grabbed the girl called Xiao Man by the hand.
The beautiful girl pulled Sisi behind her, then stood in front of Li Zhi and asked, "What's your name? You're not from our university, are you? If you dare keep bothering Sisi, I'll call security."
Before you continue