Chapter 1: The Five Thunders Token

May in Yangcheng was already very hot.

Scattered white clouds drifted in the sky, and the unblockable sunlight shot straight down, piercing through the mottled tree shadows to become points of Jin Guang, still dazzling to the eyes.

Gu Zhao walked out of the job fair in the school gymnasium; the air conditioning's effect instantly dropped to zero, leaving him feeling only a wave of stifling heat.

"How was it?" a voice suddenly sounded beside him.

"Not great." Gu Zhao recognized the voice, shook his head, and said, "It's either sales or customer service."

Zhang Hang spoke with slight surprise, "Didn't a single one hire programmers?"

"There was." Gu Zhao nodded, then pouted, "But they only hire master's graduates."

"Puhaha!" Zhang Hang laughed loudly, then threw an arm around Gu Zhao's shoulder. "What kind of job are you looking for? Programmers all work nine-nine-six; isn't it better to go back and take over your old man's shift?"

Gu Zhao was speechless. "My old man is still in his prime; he doesn't need me to take over yet."

"Then just be a landlord!" Zhang Hang said with a mischievous grin. "Play for a few years first, then take over the shift later!"

Gu Zhao glanced sideways at Zhang Hang. "Can't you have any ambition?"

"I have plenty of ambition, okay!" Zhang Hang said with righteous indignation.

Zhang Hang counted on his fingers as he calculated for Gu Zhao. "I don't study well, so I can't find a good job. Earning three or four thousand a month in hard labor might not even cover my medical bills if I get sick from exhaustion.

If I don't work, I can use my time to enjoy morning tea, play games, watch livestreams, and exercise. A healthy body, a good mood, and maybe I can even find a girlfriend."

Zhang Hang looked at Gu Zhao. "Tell me, isn't that much more worthwhile than working?"

Gu Zhao felt his teeth ache. "You have many properties, so you have the logic!"

Gu Zhao and Zhang Hang had been classmates since middle school; they lived not far apart, their personalities matched well, and they easily became friends.

Both their families ran factories and did business, but in recent years Gu Zhao's family business had proceeded steadily, while Zhang Hang's family business had taken a leap forward, so they had more houses stored up in Yangcheng.

"If I were you, I wouldn't look for a job either; let's film videos instead. We explore shops in Yangcheng, and once we go viral, we take ad deals. We can have fun and make money!" Zhang Hang urged Gu Zhao.

"I'm not filming shop-exploration videos." Gu Zhao snorted. "Taking money to speak against my conscience would damage my Dao heart."

Zhang Hang was speechless. "What era is this? Why are you still cultivating a Dao heart? Don't modern Monks and Daoist Priests run martial arts schools and wellness centers to make money anyway?"

Zhang Hang took out his phone, opened Doukuai, and pulled up Gu Zhao's account. "Look at the videos you posted. The BGM and background have some novelty, but what the heck are you talking about?"

Gu Zhao glanced at Zhang Hang's phone screen and said calmly, "The Three Lights Righteous Qi Cultivation Method and the Great Star Talismans and Spells."

Zhang Hang: "..."

"What's the bloody use!" Zhang Hang complained. "Are you selling cinnabar and yellow talismans and spells on Doukuai?"

Gu Zhao was too lazy to deal with him and walked straight off campus. "Anyway, I won't take ad deals. My grandpa taught me that to maintain health and longevity, one's heart and qi must be smooth and harmonious."

"You haven't even got a single stroke started; go viral first and then talk. With over three hundred followers, you can't get ad deals anyway!"

Zhang Hang caught up to Gu Zhao and continued offering schemes. "If you want to gain followers, why not film Duan Zi?"

Gu Zhao asked while walking, "What kind of Duan Zi?"

Zhang Hang smiled. "How about a hero saving a beauty? Didn't you learn that from your grandpa? You fight quite well."

"Such an old-fashioned, soap-opera Duan Zi!" Gu Zhao complained. "Who watches that kind of Duan Zi nowadays? Nowadays, people watch stories where I try to save a beauty, only to run into a honey trap and get asked to pay compensation."

"Just film it like that; it's guaranteed to go viral!" Zhang Hang gave a thumbs-up. "You play the unlucky martial arts expert, and I'll play the person scamming you along with the beauty."

"I truly thank you!" Gu Zhao was speechless.

"Eh?" Zhang Hang then realized Gu Zhao wasn't heading to the school cafeteria but toward the school gate. "Aren't you continuing to submit resumes this afternoon?"

"It's too competitive; why bother submitting? I'm sleeping this afternoon!" Gu Zhao declared sharply.

After having lunch with Zhang Hang, Gu Zhao walked into a small residential complex not far from the school and returned to his home.

This house was newly bought by his parents when Gu Zhao entered university, serving as his residence besides the school dormitory; it had rarely been used before, until he moved in this year for his internship and seclusion to write his thesis.

Then Gu Zhao got used to living there; he moved almost everything from the dormitory over, leaving only the collection of his graduation certificate from the school.

Throwing his schoolbag onto the sofa and changing into loungewear, Gu Zhao went to the balcony, sat facing the sun, and habitually began seated meditation to cultivate Qi.

Gu Zhao's skills were all taught by his grandpa.

According to his grandpa, their lineage also had a transmission, but it had long ago severed ties with the orthodox Daoist sects and only circulated among the common people; what he learned counted as traditional culture, and it would be a pity if it were lost.

In Gu Zhao's father's generation, the campaign against feudal superstition combined with economic reform meant no interest in cultivating the Dao or martial arts; they gave up early and threw themselves into the army of commerce, achieving some success.

By Gu Zhao's generation, living standards had improved, the nation gradually grew strong, national confidence rose, and the internet added to the information flow, making Gu Zhao interested in these things.

Thus, under his grandpa's guidance, he began to learn, practicing for a full ten-plus years.

Even though his grandpa had passed away, Gu Zhao had already formed the habit.

Sitting cross-legged, forming the Shen seal with his hands, eyes slightly closed, spirit present in the mind, one exhale and one inhale, the breath long and continuous.

Gu Zhao bathed in the warm sunlight, imagining the True Sun Qi pouring into his body, circulating within, and transforming into his own strength.

After exhaling and inhaling for about fifteen minutes, Gu Zhao ended the practice, opened his eyes, and sensed his own state.

Hmm... no change.

Of course there was no change!

Just clear-minded and bright-eyed, smooth breathing, much more spirited, and the morning's irritability swept away completely.

Gu Zhao stretched and prepared to stand up.

At that moment, he suddenly felt a wave of heat in his chest.

Gu Zhao was startled and quickly pulled out the wooden plaque hanging around his neck.

It was a piece of lightning-struck jujube wood, half the size of a palm, red with black streaks; the front was carved with a deity statue and incomprehensible symbols, while the back was carved with a Talisman and Spells, containing the two characters "Five Thunders."

Gu Zhao simply called it the Five Thunders Token.

This was something passed down by his grandpa; it was said to be the token of their lineage. Legend held that the Patriarch received divine transmission in a dream, and upon opening his eyes, a thunderbolt struck from a clear sky, hitting a jujube tree next door; the Patriarch found it strange and investigated, obtaining it from within.

Gu Zhao had worn this token for several years; he had been exposed to the sun before, but when had it ever been this hot?

Staring at the Five Thunders Token in his hand, Gu Zhao suddenly felt the token tremble in his palm, pulse after pulse.

"What's happening? It moved on its own!"

Gu Zhao was stunned, his mind momentarily blank. He sensed an aura surrounding the token and felt a pulsing suction force emanating from it.

Gu Zhao instinctively leaned closer to the token, focusing his spirit to perceive it.

In the next instant, he felt darkness before his eyes, then the entire person vanished from the balcony, leaving only a faint, dissipating "Woa..."