Preparation

When he returned to Villa No. 3, Zhou Qing did not turn on the lights. He went straight down into the basement.

This was his private quiet room. Simple spirit-gathering and soundproofing talisman formations were carved into the walls; though their effects were greatly diminished in the Age of Dharma's End, they were enough to ensure the most basic privacy.

He sat down cross-legged. He did not immediately study that "Kunlun" map, but first took out the specially encrypted satellite phone.

He turned it on, entered a long string of passwords, and waited for the connection.

A few seconds later, the call connected. From the other end came a steady, respectful male voice, carrying a trace of excitement so faint it was almost imperceptible:

"Mr. Zhou?"

"It's me."

Zhou Qing's voice was calm.

"Old Li, get ready. In three days, I need to use your plane to go to the northwest."

Old Li on the other end of the line was named Li Guohua. He was one of the most prominent tycoons along the southeastern coast, with a fortune in the hundreds of millions and businesses spread across real estate, finance, and technology.

But very few people knew that five years ago, he had nearly had his entire family destroyed by a curse from Nanyang that had haunted them for three generations.

It was a Six Ding Six Jia Protective Talisman that Zhou Qing had casually drawn that saved his entire family's lives and completely eradicated the calamity.

To Li Guohua, Zhou Qing was his savior, and even more so, a "noble person" he carefully sought to maintain ties with—a gateway to another unknowable world.

"No problem! Mr. Zhou!"

Li Guohua answered without the slightest hesitation.

"I'll make arrangements immediately. The crew, route application, ground reception—everything will be prepared to