The Nameless Book

The sun was shining brightly when Yun Jingheng stepped out of the hotel.

Winter comes earlier in Star Luo City than in Ming Capital. The November wind already carries a chill, but the sky is a clear, bright blue with not a cloud in sight.

People came and went on the street, various soul-guided vehicles shuttled at low altitudes, and the faint sound of street performers playing music could be heard in the distance.

He stood at the door for less than half a minute before he saw Ye Xinglan walk out of the hotel.

She was wearing a white dress today, her hair casually draped over her shoulders, and she looked much gentler than usual.

"Have you been waiting long?" Ye Xinglan asked with a smile as she walked towards him.

"No, I just arrived too."

Yun Jingheng naturally took the small cloth bag from her hand, weighed it in his hand, and asked, "What's in it?"

"Here you go. I saw it this morning at a shop near the hotel, and I thought you'd like it."

Yun Jingheng opened the cloth bag, inside was a palm-sized metal plaque, its surface engraved with dense patterns, resembling some kind of array diagram.

He turned it over and glanced at the back, where a line of small characters was engraved. "Star Luo City Soul Tool Expo, 37th Commemoration".

"An expo?" Yun Jingheng looked up.

"Yes, I heard today is the last day," Ye Xinglan said.

Yun Jingheng carefully put away the metal plaque, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Shall we go take a look?"

The two walked along the main street towards the city center. The November wind, carrying a chill, swept through the streets and alleys, causing a corner of Ye Xinglan's skirt to flutter. She reached out and pressed it down, glancing sideways at Yun Jingheng.

"What are you looking at?" Yun Jingheng asked.

"Didn't you notice how crowded the streets are today?"

Yun Jingheng looked around and indeed, it was much more lively than yesterday.

All the shops on both sides of the main street were open, with each signboard featuring a more elaborate and dynamic projection than the last. There were also vendors hawking their wares along the roadside, selling everything from snacks and souvenirs to low-level Soul Tool.

"It's probably because of the expo," Yun Jingheng said. "Everyone's rushing here on the last day."

Ye Xinglan didn't reply, her gaze falling on a small stall by the roadside.

It was a stall selling accessories, set up on a dark blue velvet cloth, covered with all sorts of trinkets: hair clips, bracelets, brooches, mostly made from scraps of Soul Tool —cheap but exquisite.

She squatted down in front of the stall, picked up a pair of earrings, and looked at them.

The earrings have a very simple design, with two pale blue gemstones the size of rice grains set in a silver base, refracting a delicate light in the sunlight.

"You like it?" Yun Jingheng squatted down next to her.

"Not bad." Ye Xinglan put down the earrings, picked up another pair, compared them, and finally picked up the first pair.

The shop owner, a middle-aged woman, smiled and said, "Young lady, you have excellent taste. These earrings are made from discarded level-three soul-guiding gems. Although their energy has been depleted, the colors are beautiful, and they're perfect for wearing as souvenirs."

Ye Xinglan paid, put the earrings into her small bag, stood up, and continued walking.

Yun Jingheng followed half a step behind her, his gaze casually sweeping over the surroundings, taking in everyone who passed by.

This wasn't intentional; it was a habit he'd developed over the past few days. The presence of those Black-Robed Figure made him afraid to completely relax in any public place.

Ye Xinglan seemed to notice his state, and suddenly slowed down to walk alongside him.

"Don't be too nervous," she whispered. "It's broad daylight, Star Luo City isn't that safe."

Yun Jingheng hummed in agreement, but his gaze remained fixed.

The expo was held in a large exhibition hall in the city center. From afar, you could see a building that was entirely silver-white. A huge soul-guided screen on the exterior wall was playing promotional videos for various Soul Tool, and the sound was so loud that it made people's ears buzz.

There was a long queue at the entrance, mostly young people and families with children, chattering about which exhibition area was the best.

Ye Xinglan took out two invitations from her bag and led Yun Jingheng through the side door.

Where did you get this thing?

"It was sent by the Star Luo Imperial Family family, but they didn't want to come here."

Upon entering the exhibition hall, Yun Jingheng's attention was instantly drawn to it.

The exhibition hall was enormous and divided into several areas, each with a different colored signboard above it—civilian area, military area, academic area, cutting-edge area, and there was also an area specifically displaying replicas of Soul Tool, with a gold signboard.

"Where to go first?" Ye Xinglan asked.

Yun Jingheng's gaze swept back and forth between the several areas, finally landing on the golden sign at the very back. Just as he was about to speak, Ye Xinglan gently tugged at his arm.

"Let's go over there first."

Ye Xinglan pointed towards the emerging talent zone, a smile playing on her lips. "At the last expo, you spent two hours in the replica section, leaving me standing outside drinking two cups of tea."

Yun Jingheng was taken aback for a moment, then remembered that matter.

That was two years ago, when Heaven Dou City was holding an expo. He was stuck in the replica area and couldn't get out. Ye Xinglan waited for him in the rest area for more than an hour, and finally came to find him with two cups of tea that had gone cold.

"...That was an accident," Yun Jingheng said.

"Yeah?"

Ye Xinglan tilted her head and glanced at him, her tone slightly teasing, "So this was also an accident?"

Yun Jingheng opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Ye Xinglan smiled, released his arm, and walked towards the replica area first.

She took a couple of steps, then turned back and waved at him. "What are you standing there for? Come on."

Ye Xinglan's voice pulled Yun Jingheng back from his daze.

He smiled, quickened his pace to catch up with her, and they entered the replica area side by side.

After walking around for a while, the two lost interest because the things there were somewhat... uninteresting.

The two decided to check out the emerging talent section.

There were more people here than in other areas, mostly young Soul Engineer and students, who were gathered around the various booths, discussing things enthusiastically.

The exhibits are not as sophisticated as those in the military section; some could even be described as rough. However, each piece is accompanied by the creator's introduction and design concept, which are full of imaginative ideas.

Yun Jingheng stopped in front of a booth.

On the display stand was a row of uniquely shaped Soul Guide Pens, each with a tiny gem embedded in its tip, and next to it was a metal plate for testing.

"Soul Guidance Engraving Pen," the explanatory plaque read, "An active soul guiding array engraving tool that can perform precise engravings on metal, wood, and stone surfaces with an error of no more than 0.1 millimeters."

Yun Jingheng picked up a pen and tried it out. He lightly turned his wrist and drew an arc on the metal plate. Soul Power flowed out through the pen tip, leaving a uniform shallow mark.

He raised an eyebrow. "This is interesting. The accuracy is good, but the battery life is a bit lacking."

"Could you please not--"

Before Ye Xinglan could finish speaking, a gentle male voice suddenly came from beside her.

"The energy circuit of this pen does have room for optimization, but as a mobile tool, it's already quite accurate."

Yun Jingheng turned his head.

The speaker was a young man who looked to be in his early teens or early twenties, wearing a dark gray short jacket over a white shirt, looking clean and neat.

His features weren't particularly striking, but his eyes and brows exuded a comfortable, scholarly air, and he wore a natural smile as he held a half-open exhibition brochure in his hand.

Yun Jingheng's fingers almost unconsciously touched the bracelet on his wrist.

But then he noticed that the man's posture was very relaxed, and his gaze was calmly fixed on the Soul Guide Pen on the display stand, without any intention of aggression.

"You understand this?" Yun Jingheng put down his pen and asked casually.

"I know a little," the young man said as he walked over, picked up another soul-guided pen, and twirled it in his hand.

"I specialize in Soul Tool manufacturing, so I'm quite interested in this kind of portable engraving tool."

"You mentioned 'poor battery life' earlier, and you've hit the nail on the head—this pen has a fixed energy storage capacity for its gemstones, and it needs to be recharged after fifteen minutes of engraving, which reduces its practicality."

As he spoke, he put the pen back on the display stand, looked at Yun Jingheng and Ye Xinglan, his gaze lingering on their faces for a moment before settling on the school badges on their chests.

"Shrek's?"

The young man's eyes widened slightly, and a hint of surprise appeared in his voice.

Before Yun Jingheng could speak, Ye Xinglan nodded faintly, "Mm."

The young man's expression visibly changed; it wasn't an exaggerated surprise, but rather a sudden light in his eyes, a wider smile, and he even leaned forward slightly.

"It really is Shrek Academy," he said, his voice filled with undisguised excitement. "I've heard since I was a child how powerful Shrek's Soul Guidance Department is, but I never expected to run into them here."

He extended his hand, his tone becoming more formal. "My Zhao Yu'an, a native of Star Luo City. I'm currently studying at the Star Luo Royal Soul Engineer Academy, majoring in Soul Tool Design."

Yun Jingheng reached out and shook his hand. "Yun Jingheng."

"Ye Xinglan."

Ye Xinglan also briefly introduced herself and politely touched her fingertips together.

Zhao Yu'an withdrew his hand, his gaze shifting between the two people, and suddenly smiled, "You're here to visit the expo? I've been here for two days already, and I'm quite familiar with the various exhibition areas. Would you like to come along? I can give you a tour."

Yun Jingheng glanced at Ye Xinglan.

Ye Xinglan showed no expression, but nodded slightly, meaning "It's your decision."

"Sure," Yun Jingheng said. "There are some exhibits that I feel are a bit off, and I'd like to talk to someone about them."

Zhao Yu'an's eyes lit up. "That's great! I'd also like to hear the insights of Shrek students."

The three walked forward side by side, with Yun Jingheng in the middle, Ye Xinglan on his left, Zhao Yu'an on his right.

Zhao Yu'an introduced the exhibits next to him very naturally, speaking in a calm and unhurried tone. He explained the principles, advantages and disadvantages of each piece in great detail, showing that he was indeed an expert.

For the next hour or so, the three of them explored the entire emerging talent zone and academic zone.

Zhao Yu'an was indeed a good guide. He knew the background and technical specifications of each exhibit like the back of his hand, and his way of speaking made people feel very comfortable.

It's not the kind of showing off, but a genuine desire to share what you love.

Yun Jingheng and he got along very well. The two of them stood in front of a model of a Soul Guidance Cannon and argued for a full twenty minutes, from the layout of the energy circuit to the engraving process of the array. Neither of them convinced the other, but neither of them got angry either.

Ye Xinglan stood to the side listening, occasionally interjecting a word, but mostly just quietly watching Yun Jingheng gesturing animatedly.

She was all too familiar with that expression.

Yun Jingheng only acts like this when he talks about Soul Tool; his eyes light up, and he comes alive as if something has been ignited within him.

Zhao Yu'an also noticed this. While Yun Jingheng was studying a part, he turned to Ye Xinglan and whispered, "Is he like this all the time?"

Ye Xinglan nodded. "They can't move when they see Soul Tool."

Zhao Yu'an smiled and said, "You two are a perfect match."

Ye Xinglan glanced at him.

Zhao Yu'an immediately raised his hands. "Truth or dare."

Ye Xinglan didn't reply, but a small smile curved her lips.

After browsing for another half hour, Zhao Yu'an glanced at the time and said apologetically, "I have to go now, I have class this afternoon. I really enjoyed visiting the expo with you all today."

"Me too," Yun Jingheng said. "Your points about energy conduction are very interesting; I'll have to think about them carefully when I get back."

Zhao Yu'an took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over. "This is my contact information. Let's talk again when we have the chance. How long are you staying in Star Luo City?"

"It's not certain yet," Yun Jingheng said, taking the business card and putting it away. "I'll probably be staying for a while longer."

"That's great! I'll treat you to dinner another day."

Zhao Yu'an waved to them, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Ye Xinglan watched his retreating figure and said, "He seems like a nice guy."

"Yes," Yun Jingheng nodded, "He's the kind of person who genuinely loves Soul Tool, not someone who's after fame and fortune."

The two wandered around the exhibition hall for a while longer, quickly glancing over the few exhibition areas they hadn't had time to see before, before reluctantly leaving.

When I left the exhibition hall, it was already getting dark, and the streetlights were on, casting a warm yellow glow across the entire street.

The distant high-rise buildings were brightly lit, and the projected advertisements of various colors reflected each other, adorning the night sky of Star Luo City with dazzling lights.

"Are you hungry?" Yun Jingheng asked.

"A little," Ye Xinglan said.

"When I came in just now, I saw a shop across the street--"

Yun Jingheng stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

His gaze fell on something not far ahead.

On the street corner, a boy in sportswear was standing there, opposite a girl in gorgeous clothes, followed by a group of tall people.

The girl stood with her hands on her hips, chin held high, her lips moving rapidly as if she were saying something rather impolite.

And that boy—tall and handsome, with a stubborn, unyielding spirit between his brows.

Who else could it be but Tang Wulin?

Ye Xinglan also saw it, her brows furrowing slightly. "That's... Wulin?"

"Um."

Yun Jingheng nodded and started walking in that direction.

He had never seen that girl before, but judging from her attire and the attitude of the maid behind her, she was most likely a young lady from some prominent family in Star Luo City.

Tang Wulin's expression was not good; his lips were pursed into a thin line, and his hands were in his pockets, as if he was trying hard to endure something.

Yun Jingheng quickened his pace, about to call Tang Wulin's name--

A figure bumped into him from his right.

The force wasn't great, but it came very suddenly.

Yun Jingheng's attention was entirely focused on Tang Wulin, and because the other party's movements were so light and quick, he didn't have time to dodge.

He felt a slight brush against his shoulder, and instinctively turned to steady himself, bending his arm to shield his chest, trying to push the person away.

"Sorry, sorry--"

A hoarse voice hurriedly uttered a sentence, and the person had already passed by him, walking very quickly and disappearing into the crowd in the blink of an eye.

Yun Jingheng frowned and subconsciously glanced back.

All I could see was a figure wearing an old dark gray coat, hunched over, walking with an odd gait, as if his right leg was not very strong, limping, and he quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"What's wrong?"

Ye Xinglan had already walked to his side, and following his gaze, she saw nothing.

Someone bumped into me.

Yun Jingheng withdrew his gaze, stretched his shoulder where he had been bumped, and felt no abnormality.

"Did you steal something?"

Ye Xinglan's eyes immediately sharpened as she scanned his entire body.

He paused for a moment, then asked, "When did you get a book?"

Yun Jingheng lowered his head.

His right hand was bent and wrapped around his chest at some point, with a book wedged between his forearm and abdomen, as if someone had stuffed it in from the side. He instinctively closed his arms and hugged it.

The posture was somewhat comical, like a student carrying textbooks to class.

The book is small, about the size of two palms, and less than two fingers thick.

The cover is a dark brown hard leather, with worn-out edges, indicating that it is quite old.

The cover had no text, only some faint dark patterns that gleamed Youyou under the streetlights.

Yun Jingheng blinked.

He had absolutely no recollection of how the book ended up in his arms.

In the instant he was hit, he instinctively raised his hand to block and turned to the side to absorb the force, focusing all his attention on maintaining his balance.

If someone slipped something into his arms during that brief moment—

He couldn't feel it at all.

This technique is incredibly fast.

"Is it that person?" Ye Xinglan asked in a low voice, her gaze already following the direction in which the limping figure had disappeared, but the crowd was so dense that she could see nothing at all.

Yun Jingheng didn't rush to open the book.

He tucked the book under his arm, touched himself with his fingers, and found that his storage bracelet was still there, and everything in his pockets was still there; nothing was missing.

It's just one more book.

"Let's go find Wulin first," he said.

Ye Xinglan glanced at him, nodded, and didn't ask any further questions.

The two of them quickly walked towards Tang Wulin.