Big brother, which film crew are you from?

The malicious whispers outside the window coiled around Lin Fan's neck like icy serpents, choking him. His heart hammered wildly in his chest, and cold sweat nearly soaked through his thin pajamas.

They had actually followed him! And they were planning to break in in the middle of the night!

Fear washed over him like a tidal wave. He was just a weak office worker, completely defenseless, facing several thugs with clearly ill intentions. The consequences were unimaginable. Call the police? His phone was right by his bed, but he wasn't sure if he'd last until the police arrived... Besides, if he made a scene, how would he explain the presence of this mysterious "Brother Tong Tian" who had appeared out of nowhere?

He jolted upright in bed, his movements stiff with tension. His gaze was fixed on the window, covered by cheap curtains, as if he could see through the fabric to the malice writhing in the shadows outside.

In the midst of this extreme fear and panic, his eyes involuntarily drifted back to the figure sitting cross-legged by the wall.

Tong Tian remained in his meditative posture, eyes closed, his face as calm as a bottomless ancient well. The vulgar curses from outside seemed to stir no ripples in his mind. Yet, Lin Fan keenly felt that the faint, sharp, sword-like chill in the room hadn't dissipated. Instead, it surged like an undercurrent in the silence.

Did he... hear them?

Lin Fan wasn't sure. This "ancestor's" perception seemed to work differently from ordinary people.

"Bro... Brother Tong Tian?" Lin Fan lowered his voice, a barely perceptible tremor betraying his attempt to call out tentatively.

There was no response. Tong Tian seemed lost in thought, disconnected from the world.

Lin Fan's heart sank. Was he useless? It made sense, the man was so weak he could barely stand. How could he expect him to fight off several attackers? He was truly grasping at straws.

He gritted his teeth and reached for his phone by the bedside. No matter what, he had to call the police first! Even if he couldn't explain it, it was better than waiting to die!

However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the phone screen--

"Hum..."

A faint hum, like a plucked string, sounded in the silent room.

The sound came from Tong Tian.

He still hadn't opened his eyes, but Lin Fan clearly saw his right index finger, resting on his knee, move infinitesimally. This tiny gesture seemed to pluck an invisible string, and the sharp chill permeating the air suddenly condensed, intensifying!

It was no longer a faint aura, but a tangible, icy will!

"Hiss--"

Outside the window, the lewd whispers and chuckles were abruptly cut off, as if by a sharp blade!

They were replaced by suppressed gasps, squeezed from the depths of throats, filled with indescribable shock and pain.

Then, a series of chaotic and hasty footsteps, accompanied by the rustling of something scraping against greenery, faded into the distance, as if pursued by vengeful spirits.

In just two or three seconds, silence returned outside the window. Only the rustling of the night breeze through the leaves remained.

Everything happened too quickly, too suddenly.

Lin Fan froze on the bed, his finger still hovering a centimeter from his phone, completely stunned.

What happened?

Those thugs... ran away?

Just because... Tong Tian moved a finger? Or was it because of that suddenly oppressive "chill"?

Lin Fan whipped his head around to look at Tong Tian.

Tong Tian slowly opened his eyes.

In the dim light, his eyes were no longer calm like an ancient well. They were like two cold stars, or like the fleeting glint of a sword light at the bottom of a bottomless abyss, so sharp he dared not look directly. Although it lasted only an instant before returning to their deep calm, Lin Fan was sure he hadn't seen wrong.

"Insects chirping, disturbing the peace," Tong Tian said lightly, his tone as calm as ever, as if he had merely flicked away a speck of dust. He didn't even look outside, his gaze fixed on a point in the void with a detached air of a supreme being looking down on insignificant creatures, an air Lin Fan couldn't comprehend.

Lin Fan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat felt too dry to make a sound.

Insects... chirping...

He recalled that when that invisible, icy will erupted, although he wasn't the target, a primal tremor had rippled through the depths of his soul. It was a deterrence that transcended the physical realm and struck directly at the spiritual plane.

This "Brother Tong Tian" was likely far more extraordinary than he had imagined.

"He... they..." Lin Fan finally found his voice, but it still came out a little stammered.

"They have fled." Tong Tian's words were concise. He closed his eyes again, as if the effort had further depleted his already scarce mental energy. "They won't dare come near again for a while."

His tone was one of absolute certainty.

Lin Fan watched him enter his "restoration" state again, his mind in turmoil.

This was absolutely not something an ordinary person could do! Even legendary martial arts masters probably couldn't scare away several ill-intentioned adult thugs with mere presence!

Could it be... that his previous talk of "lost all magical power" and "changes in the Heavenly Dao"... wasn't just rambling?

An absurd, yet increasingly clear thought, presented by the ironclad facts before his eyes, emerged uncontrollably--

This "ancestor" he had taken in might, probably, perhaps... really not be an ordinary person. He might even truly come from some... world he couldn't comprehend?

The thought made Lin Fan dizzy. He shook his head vigorously, trying to suppress this shocking idea.

"Thank... thank you." Regardless, the immediate crisis was averted, and Lin Fan offered his heartfelt thanks.

Tong Tian didn't respond, seeming to have retreated into his own world.

Lin Fan lay back down but could no longer sleep. The amount of information he had received tonight far exceeded the worldview he had built over his twenty-plus years. He stared at the ceiling, replaying the bizarre scene in his mind, and Tong Tian's eyes, which occasionally held a non-human glint.

It wasn't until dawn broke that he finally drifted into a dazed sleep, utterly exhausted and mentally chaotic.

It felt as if he had just closed his eyes when the piercing sound of his alarm clock violently yanked him from his light slumber.

Lin Fan struggled to turn off his alarm, his head feeling like a lump of paste and his body aching all over. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up, instinctively looking towards the wall first.

Tong Tian was still sitting there, his posture almost identical to when Lin Fan had gone to bed, not even a crease in his robes out of place. It was as if he hadn't slept all night but had been frozen in time. The morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled shadows on him, making him look more like a lifeless sculpture.

"Morning..." Lin Fan greeted habitually, his voice hoarse.

Tong Tian slowly opened his eyes, glanced at him, and nodded slightly in response. His complexion seemed a little better than last night, but still pale, and the depth and aloofness in his eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Lin Fan climbed out of bed and began his routine as a salaryman, a race against time to wash up and get dressed. Throughout the process, he could feel a gaze, faint yet present, resting on him, filled with scrutiny and inquiry.

When he picked up the smartphone, which had been charging all night and had a slightly worn casing, that gaze seemed to intensify.

Lin Fan unlocked the screen, habitually glancing at the weather and news push notifications.

Just then, Tong Tian suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible confusion: "This object... what kind of magic artifact is it? It can display text and images?"

Lin Fan's movements paused. He looked up and saw Tong Tian frowning slightly, staring at the phone screen in his hand. His gaze wasn't that of someone looking at a common electronic device, but more like observing an unseen Innate spiritual treasure imbued with strange rules.

"Magic artifact?" Lin Fan chuckled, shaking his phone. "This is a phone, big brother. For making calls, going online, playing games... essential for modern people. Don't you guys use these on... uh, on set?"

He nearly swallowed the word "set" back down, but he couldn't find a more suitable term.

"Phone? Calls? Online?" Tong Tian repeated these unfamiliar words, his frown deepening. He tried to sense the "magic artifact" with his divine sense but found its internal structure extremely complex and precise, containing an energy flow he couldn't understand, not driven by spiritual energy, and a vast number of extremely fine "runes" (circuits?). This completely exceeded his understanding of "magic artifacts."

"How does this object operate? What is its energy source? What great principles do these flashing runes represent?" He posed a series of questions, his tone serious, as if seeking counsel on a crucial matter concerning the Dao.

Lin Fan's scalp tingled from his questions. How was he supposed to explain? Circuit boards? Programming? Electromagnetic waves? He was a liberal arts major; he barely understood it himself!

"That... it's a long story." Lin Fan scratched his head, deciding to use the most common and understandable method. "Just think of it as... um, a box that lets you talk to people remotely, see things happening far away, and look up tons and tons of knowledge... like an enhanced version of clairvoyance and clairaudience?"

This explanation was obviously too simplistic, and Tong Tian's eyes clearly showed dissatisfaction. However, he seemed to realize that Lin Fan wasn't an expert in this area and didn't press further. His gaze remained fixed on the phone, as if trying to see through it completely.

Lin Fan quickly shoved the phone into his pocket, afraid the esteemed gentleman would ask him to take it apart next.

After washing up, Lin Fan looked at Tong Tian's ancient robe, which, while still appearing extraordinary, was now somewhat wrinkled after a night of tossing and turning, and he hesitated.

"Um... Brother Tong Tian, is this the only outfit you have? Do you want to... change?" he asked tentatively. Walking around town in that would definitely attract a 300% rate of stares; he didn't want to be gawked at like a monkey in a zoo.

Tong Tian looked down at his sleeves and said calmly, "This is my dharma clothes. Although its spiritual light is contained, it is no ordinary item. Why would I need to change?"

Dharma clothes? Lin Fan's mouth twitched. Fine, if you say so.

"It's not about whether it's good or not," Lin Fan tried hard to organize his words. "It's... you'll be too conspicuous walking around outside like this. Nobody here dresses like that."

Tong Tian looked up at Lin Fan's T-shirt and jeans, then glanced through the gap in the curtains at the occasional pedestrians on the street wearing modern clothes. He seemed to understand. He was silent for a moment and said, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do?"

"Yes, yes, yes! When in Rome, do as the Romans do!" Lin Fan nodded vigorously, like a pecking chick. He quickly rummaged through his wardrobe. He didn't have many clothes, mostly cheap basic items. After searching, he managed to find a plain white cotton T-shirt that was a size too big and a pair of black sweatpants with good elasticity.

"Try these on first? They might not fit perfectly, just make do?" Lin Fan handed him the clothes.

Tong Tian looked at the soft "common cloth" without any runes or energy fluctuations, and the strangely styled pants, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes again. But he finally took them and walked towards the bathroom.

A moment later, the bathroom door opened.

Lin Fan looked up and was instantly stunned.

Tong Tian emerged wearing the ordinary white T-shirt and black sweatpants. The clothes didn't fit perfectly; the T-shirt was a bit tight, outlining his smooth and strong muscle lines, and the sweatpants were slightly short, revealing his delicate ankles.

However, this completely ordinary modern attire, when worn by him, somehow exuded a... runway supermodel aura? It even gave him a sharper modern feel than when he wore the ancient robes, though the ancient charm ingrained in his bones was still undeniable.

His ink-black hair was casually draped down, creating a strong visual contrast with the simple modern clothing. His handsome face was expressionless, and when his gaze swept over, it still carried that condescending scrutiny.

It was incongruous, yet inexplicably harmonious.

Lin Fan had to admit inwardly that some people really look good even wearing a sack.

"Acceptable." As usual, Tong Tian gave a two-word evaluation, seemingly acknowledging the comfort of these "mundane clothes" (?).

Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that he could accept it.

Next was breakfast. Given the success of the instant noodles last night, Lin Fan did the same again, making two bowls of noodles this time with added eggs and ham, a deluxe version.

Tong Tian looked at the familiar food in the bowl. This time, he didn't make any comments about "turbid energy." He naturally took the fork, his movements much more practiced than last night, and began to eat quietly and quickly. Although he still ate fast, a trace of his former elegance returned.

Lin Fan watched him, the feeling of "raising an ancestor" growing stronger in his heart.

After breakfast, Lin Fan faced a serious problem: he had to go to work.

Leave Tong Tian alone at home? He looked at the man's apparent ignorance of modern society and couldn't rest easy. If nothing else, what if he curiously touched an electrical outlet, the gas stove, or something similar... the consequences were unimaginable.

Take him to the company? Lin Fan imagined the scene of bringing this "brother" with an aura of two meters eighty, with long hair and an ancient style (even though he changed clothes, his demeanor hadn't changed), into the office building, and felt that his career might end today.

As if sensing Lin Fan's difficulty, Tong Tian put down his fork, wiped his mouth with a paper towel (he had mastered this action), and said calmly, "You may go as you please. I will meditate here and do not need to be attended to."

His tone was calm, as if he truly intended to meditate there all day.

Lin Fan hesitated for a long time, but ultimately couldn't rest assured. He thought for a moment, took out paper and a pen, and wrote down his phone number along with some basic precautions: don't open the door for strangers, don't touch the kitchen switches or gas, don't go outside, boil water if you're thirsty, etc.

He handed the note to Tong Tian: "This has my phone number on it, which is... um, a kind of remote communication magic artifact number. If there's anything urgent, you can contact me with this." He pointed to the spare old phone he had left on the table (which he had specifically found and charged last night), "I've set this phone up for you. Press this green button, and you can call me."

Tong Tian took the note, glanced at the crooked handwriting, then looked at the old phone, and nodded, indicating he understood.

Lin Fan gave a few more instructions, then, with the anxiety of a "father sending his child to kindergarten on the first day," he left, looking back repeatedly.

Squeezing onto the subway, which could turn people into canned sardines during rush hour, Lin Fan finally swiped his card just in time to enter the company building. After clocking in and sitting at his desk, he felt more exhausted than if he had run a marathon.

However, before he could even catch his breath, his project manager's greasy face loomed over him.

"Lin Fan, where's the initial version of the requirements you were supposed to finish yesterday? Let me see." The manager tapped his desk, his tone carrying its usual impatience.

Lin Fan's heart tightened. He had been so busy dealing with the "ancestor" last night that he had only completed half of the requirements.

"Manager, that... I'm still working on it. Something came up yesterday, and it caused a delay..." Lin Fan explained, bracing himself.

"Something came up?" The manager raised an eyebrow, his voice escalating by an octave. "The company hired you to work..."