Crystal

"Master, something doesn't feel right."

"What doesn't?"

"That student from the other day. I found out he'd been following and investigating Li Jiatu for some time. Li Jiatu even filed a report saying he might be attacked in retaliation. I also checked his grades at school—they're among the best, and he's exceptionally talented at cultivation. His father is Professor Chen Jinguang. Back then, most history students at prestigious universities learned at least some Regulated Spells. The world holds no secrets from people like them."

"You did well to find all that." The older officer took a bite of noodles. "But if he did it, you'll have to explain a few things—

"The Blue Nation military keeps an extremely tight grip on its military spells and weapons. The Puluo People can get them because Blue Nation supports them. How could a student from Yi Nation get his hands on the Tracer Technique or a Tracer Emitter?"

"You'd have a hard time buying either on the Deep Web, too.

"And if it was just the Tracer Technique, that usually requires at least the middle or late Second Tier. Blue Nation's version has even higher requirements—the Third Tier. How could someone who only bought a Spirit Sea Opening Potion six months ago qualify? Of course, there are other possibilities there.

"But this last point is absolutely impossible—

"He got out of class at exactly five and walked home with his classmates. He only stopped to use a public restroom, and his classmates waited outside. A high-tier cultivator might be able to fly more than twenty kilometers to the Southern Suburbs in that little time. If flying weren't prohibited in Bai City."

"He still might be connected," the younger officer persisted. "Maybe he contacted the Puluo People through the Deep Web and gave them detailed information on Li Jiatu and his father."

"This case is simple. Once some Puluo sect that won't dare show its face claims responsibility, we close the case, we're free, and everyone's happy." The older officer kept eating his noodles and peeled a clove of garlic. "Still, it's good that you're thinking."

"Whether they did it or not, they'll claim responsibility."

"Don't make trouble for yourself or anyone else. The kid's about to sit his big exam. Top grades, a bright future. And those two who were killed or injured—everyone knows what they were like..."

"Yes, sir."

The older officer glanced at the young man and went back to his noodles.

Back in his bedroom, before starting the day's cultivation, Chen Shu's thoughts drifted away again.

It had happened six months ago.

Li Zhu and Yu Tong were his classmates. They weren't exactly close, but they had a great time playing games together at the Arena, and sometimes ate together on the way or while they were there. Chen Shu liked hanging out with them.

Sometimes Ning Qing checked on Chen Shu's studies, and they helped cover for him. Naturally, they never fooled her.

But one day, as they left the Arena and crossed the road, they were still discussing where to hide next time so the Witch wouldn't find them when two headlights came hurtling toward them.

The driver showed no sign of slowing down.

Chen Shu was quick on his feet, but how could two classmates who hadn't opened their Spirit Seas dodge in time? He only managed to yank Yu Tong, who was closer to him, out of the way.

The headlights shattered into fragments, blindingly bright.

Li Zhu died despite the efforts to save him.

Yu Tong was badly injured and had only been discharged from the hospital a few days ago.

Thanks to advances in medicine, they couldn't bring back the dead, but mending flesh and bone wasn't much trouble.

Chen Shu had visited him. The injuries wouldn't affect his life or cultivation much going forward, but he couldn't avoid repeating the school year.

The driver was about their age. He had been drinking and taking drugs, then fled after causing a death. Even with his wealthy family, he was sentenced to twenty years in prison.

People lived longer in this world, so twenty years wasn't that long. But at the time, Chen Shu had thought it was about right. A living person had died—a classmate who should have had a bright future, from a decent, hardworking family. Still, the driver had received the punishment he deserved, hadn't he?

That was what the law said.

Then, a few months ago, Chen Shu saw him again.

And what do you know? He was out for medical treatment.

He'd even gotten himself a new car.

Sometimes Chen Shu truly couldn't understand people like that. The ultimate equality between human beings lay hidden at the end of life. In this day and age, who wasn't a cultivator?

Chen Shu hadn't forgotten what Li Zhu had said to them before he died: "Don't let him off..."

Chen Shu had nodded then.

Yu Tong had said the same thing. Don't let him off.

Yu Tong meant they shouldn't sign a letter of forgiveness to reduce the sentence. That was probably what Li Zhu had meant too. So Chen Shu hadn't signed one. He refused outright.

Later, Chen Shu filed complaints and petitions. He even tried seeking help online. None of it did much good.

The rule of law in Yi Nation still lagged far behind that of his previous life. Fortunately, a nationally renowned scholar in a particular field still had some social standing and people's respect, so Chen Shu hadn't faced much difficulty in the process. Yu Tong's family, on the other hand, was ordinary. They came under tremendous pressure for supporting and cooperating with him. Tch. It felt filthy just talking about it.

Chen Shu really was a lazy person.

If I'd known it'd be this much trouble, I wouldn't have promised him. He was dying anyway. I could've just said whatever to placate him.

But I already promised. What else can I do?

Nothing.

Getting another life hadn't been easy. He had to live it well.

Not just survive, but live well: eat well, have fun, sleep well, live without a knot in his heart, and face himself with a clear conscience.

If he pretended nothing had happened, that knot would never loosen. His conscience would never rest. He wouldn't even be able to sleep.

Now it was all right.

Li Jiatu had died in an accident. Everyone was happy.

Thank the Puluo People.

Heaven had eyes after all.

"Phew..."

Chen Shu let out a long breath, cast aside his stray thoughts, and began his cultivation for the day.

Yi Nation's cultivation method was used throughout the world. Strictly speaking, it was a form of the Capture Method: the cultivator used the power of the soul to actively draw suitable spiritual energy from the jumble of energies between heaven and earth. Natural spiritual energy that didn't match well enough was filtered out, making conversion easier.

It was superior to the Breathing Method and the Attraction Method.

Four hours later, he poured his spiritual energy into the Crystal.

This was no ordinary Crystal.

Chen Shu had first seen it when he was very young. Back then, few of his memories from his previous life had awakened, and he was still a child much like any other. As he recalled, his parents thought it was some little trinket he'd picked up somewhere. He remembered losing it, even throwing it away, but it always came back on its own.

Only later did he gradually remember that he had seen it in his previous life. He'd known it for a long time.

After years of experimenting, he had discovered a few of its useful properties.

Several days later.

Early morning.

At last, a Puluo civilian organization stepped forward to claim responsibility for the two recent attacks, winning itself a hefty wave of brainless fans back home.

Chen Shu paid it little mind. After breakfast, he sat down at his computer and logged into Wide and Narrow Alley on the Deep Web.

He couldn't be bothered to go to an internet café.

It was a street-style trading platform on the Deep Web, with an interface, features, and way of doing business quite different from ordinary shopping sites. It wasn't the largest Deep Web marketplace, but its content was more restrained than that of other sites, its management was more orderly, and it sat closer to the "surface web." Chen Shu liked it.

People could buy and sell plenty of illegal or restricted things there, along with things that were inconvenient to trade openly, without being easily traced by the police.

But it was crawling with scammers and freeloaders.

The odds of getting ripped off were extremely high.

Chen Shu's username was "Greens and Jade-White Soup."

It was the username used by the protagonist of the first gaming novel he'd read in his previous life.

Mr. Cat, meanwhile, was someone he'd been trading with for years. On the Deep Web, a reliable, steady trading partner like that was both important and hard to find.

Sometimes Chen Shu sold Mr. Cat knowledge-based material for money. He had no choice: cultivation was too expensive for a student like him to afford on his own. But the tasks Mr. Cat posted had grown harder and harder over the past two years. His money was increasingly difficult to earn, forcing Chen Shu to keep learning and improving. Sometimes Chen Shu felt Mr. Cat deserved a great deal of credit for his progress.

At other times, he bought—or mooched—cultivation knowledge from Mr. Cat that was hard to obtain in Yi Nation.

Chen Shu wasn't particularly interested in who Mr. Cat was in real life. The world was vast, with all kinds of intelligent beings. They might never cross paths outside the web.

Guessing each other's identities was just a way to pass the time.

The page finished loading.

Several unread messages were flashing.

Mr. Cat: You there?

Mr. Cat: You're fucking absent again. We agreed on eight tonight. When are you going to break this habit?

Mr. Cat: I'm numb.

Mr. Cat: Good morning the next day /sarcasm

Chen Shu yawned.

Greens and Jade-White Soup: I was reading about the principles behind Bodyguard Divine Light last night and got carried away. By the time I looked up, it was late, so I went to bed.

Mr. Cat: Thanks for the effort.

Mr. Cat: Time and place?

Greens and Jade-White Soup: At the earliest, it’ll have to be after the big exam. Security along the border is so tight during the exam, and it’s tight everywhere else too. I’m afraid something might go wrong.

Mr. Cat: Go on.

Greens and Jade-White Soup: You said somewhere by the sea would be convenient, so let’s make it Sea Beast Harbor. There’s a South Mountain outside the city, with a cemetery on it. Plot 1999 in Section Three—it’s diagonally across from the entrance to the cemetery at the very top. Hide the thing somewhere nearby, and hide it well. Don’t put it in front of a headstone. Some people specifically steal offerings.

Greens and Jade-White Soup: Will that work?

Greens and Jade-White Soup: You can check the exact location on a satellite map and street-view map first. Use Yi Nation’s maps. They’re very clear.

Mr. Cat: I’ll need to check.

Mr. Cat: Contact you again at ten this morning?

Chen Shu yawned again.

Yi Nation’s big exam was today, yet Mr. Cat insisted on contacting him in the morning. It was hard to say whether Mr. Cat was testing if he had anything to do with the exam.

Greens and Jade-White Soup: Sure.

He shut down the computer.

Chen Shu picked up a small bag, took an umbrella, and went out.

Rain still poured over the city. The mist left a thin haze hanging over the road, and the streets were quiet. Not a single car honked.

There was only the clamor of the downpour.

Suddenly, a tremendous noise rang out—

Rumble!

He thought it was thunder at first, but it was duller and rolled on longer, startling many pedestrians.

Chen Shu stopped and looked toward the sound.

It seemed to have come from across Mirror Sea.

The rumbling faded. Chen Shu had no time to dwell on it and continued on his way beneath his umbrella.

A car soon stopped beside him. Seeing that he was an exam candidate, the driver asked which examination site he was headed to. It was less than a kilometer from home, so Chen Shu thanked him and politely declined.

The big exam had begun.