Chapter 7: The Proper Use of Qi Luck

Zhang Jian's gaze swept over rows of tall bookshelves.

Zhang Yi opened this study to him, with no restrictions, nor did he forbid him from touching other ancient texts.

But Zhang Jian's gaze instantly fell toward the direction of the hidden chamber.

For some reason, he recalled in his mind the dozen or so peculiar talisman scrolls in the hidden chamber.

At first glance, he had vaguely felt a strange sensation.

Zhang Jian thought to himself, if there's a chance, he must go in again to take a look.

He was still stirred with curiosity.

Everyone has such curiosity.

But Zhang Jian suppressed it.

Since Zhang Yi trusted him, allowing him to come and go in this private study, he naturally wouldn't be so foolish as to pry into Zhang Yi's secrets.

Everyone will have secrets.

Especially some people don't like others probing into their secrets.

"Although the Nurturing Origin Health Preservation Classic's health-preserving function is quite peculiar, it still lacks a bit of domineering power and is missing the cultivation method for the next stage; one must still find a new internal cultivation method to break through!"

His gaze mainly fell on a portion of the internal cultivation methods on the bookshelf.

He did not get up or move.

He had already browsed through them.

The few internal cultivation classics on the bookshelf were mostly incomplete.

They were even inferior to the Nurturing Origin Health Preservation Classic.

Zhang Jian gazed at the vast sea of classics; he could only try to find something on his own, which he felt awkward to mention to Zhang Yi.

However, Zhang Jian had another method.

That was a cup of golden qi luck he had plucked from the ancestral hall a few days ago during the ancestor worship.

Zhang Jian recalled the cup of golden qi luck bestowed upon him by the "forefather".

That golden qi luck has always been on his person.

He only needs to imagine it with his intent, and it can manifest.

In his eyes, that cup of golden qi luck now appeared.

The usage is simple: just make a wish toward that cup of golden qi luck.

Such qi luck often can fulfill some small wishes, going with the flow.

For example, during his first provincial exam, he originally had a certain chance of being eliminated—such as when the exam grader was in a bad mood while reviewing papers, or after reading the gazette feeling depressed—but after using the golden qi luck, he had a certain chance to avoid that situation.

Of course, if he turned in a blank paper, even using that cup of qi luck would hardly reverse fate; it would merely give him a sliver of hope.

This is the conclusion Zhang Jian drew from multiple trials.

And now, if he uses that cup of qi luck to make a wish, it might create an opportunity.

Especially since Zhang Yi harbors goodwill toward him.

As Zhang Jian focused his intent, he had already made a decision.

"Make a wish, hoping to find within half a month an internal cultivation method suitable for myself to break through!"

When Zhang Jian made the wish, he listed each of the most important keywords separately.

First is suitability, second is breaking through, third is internal cultivation method.

As for the half-month period,

Zhang Jian hopes to increase that probability.

After all, one day's time is too tight.

After he made the wish, he immediately saw the cup of golden qi luck above his head dissipate at a visible speed, scattering into the vast heavens and earth.

After that cup of golden qi luck dissipated, Zhang Jian immediately focused his energy on the rows of bookshelves and began searching.

Inside the hidden chamber

Zhang Yi was at this moment playing with a red bead in his hand.

This is a strange object he obtained a few days ago after killing a petty thief who had sneaked into the Zhang residence to steal.

It is called a "strange object" because it emits a faint glow all over, like a gemstone, yet also like a naturally nurtured "luminous pearl"!

Zhang Yi has studied it for a while, but he still cannot figure out its origin.

At this moment, Zhang Yi suddenly had a brainwave; as his intent moved, a blast of yin-cold inner energy shot from within his body and entered the red bead in his hand.

In an instant, the bead in his hand suddenly swelled up, emitting red light.

"It works!"

His expression lit up with joy; just as this thought arose, his face instantly turned horrified, his figure transforming into a moving shadow as he darted toward the hidden chamber's door.

At the same time, he threw the red bead toward the corner.

But at that very moment, the swollen red bead suddenly exploded.

The entire hidden chamber shook as if the earth were moving and mountains trembling.

Zhang Jian, who was searching the classics, was startled by the sudden burst of noise.

Boom—!!

The whole study seemed to be shaking.

Zhang Jian stared blankly at the inside of the hidden chamber.

"An earthquake?"

He instinctively wanted to rush out, but his steps halted in an instant.

With the clatter of the loom, the hidden compartment opened, and Zhang Yi, covered in ash and dirt, crawled out from the hidden chamber, his whole body scorched black, as if he were made of charcoal.

Seeing Zhang Yi turn into this appearance, Zhang Jian instantly opened his mouth: "Ah… this!"

Soon he came to his senses, quickly stepped forward and helped Zhang Yi up, while glancing inside the dark room—everywhere was black smoke, many bookshelves had been blown apart.

In a corner, many stones were still rustling down.

Zhang Jian hastily pulled Zhang Yi out.

"Uncle Yi, what's this…?"

"Don't mention it, it was a Fire Thunder Pellet explosion! I fell for that little bandit's sneak attack!"

At this moment Zhang Yi climbed to his feet, staring at the dark room still spewing black smoke; he felt a bit unsteady and gritted his teeth.

He didn't know what had happened; normally he would never be so impulsive, yet he had fallen into a bandit's trap—this was almost unimaginable.

Zhang Jian's eye twitched, yet a hint of strangeness faintly rose in his eyes.

He had already seen where Zhang Yi fell; from his sleeve dropped a scorched page of an ancient book.

Although part of the ancient book's pages were burned, a few large characters could still be made out!

"Heavenly Gang Infant Skill!"

Zhang Jian glanced at it, but Zhang Yi remained grim-faced and paid no attention to the fallen ancient book.

Just then, outside the study, hearing the commotion, Zhang Lu rushed in, but was quickly blown out again.

At this moment Zhang Yi wore a sullen expression, looking at the part of the bookshelf outside the study that had also collapsed, his eye twitching.

These were all his precious treasures, plus the several rows of bookshelves inside the dark room, where he had stored much of his painstaking work.

For these treasures, he had busied himself with fighting and killing for most of his life.

This time his loss was not small.

And to rearrange everything would be even more troublesome.

Zhang Yi's face was dark, the whisk in his hand almost being torn apart.

He muttered resentfully without cease.

Zhang Yi glanced again at the pitch-black study, smoke billowing, his eye twitching, and said to Zhang Jian:

"Brother Jian, my study has collapsed, and it's not convenient for others to come and go here……"

He spoke in a negotiating tone.

"Uncle Yi, just leave it to me!" Zhang Jian gave a slight nod.

This is a good thing; he had been hoping for it.

After all, the dark room still held many priceless classic books.

Zhang Yi nodded, his face full of ill omen as he left.

Zhang Jian secretly smiled inside; he had long seen that Zhang Yi was irregular in his daily routine and also not fond of cleaning.

The study before had been a mess.

Now, Zhang Yi handing over the study to him to save trouble was hardly surprising.

But he still hadn't expected that after that cup of qi‑luck wish, it would actually give him the chance to enter the dark room so quickly.