Chapter 253

The old man's words left Zheng Fa silent.

Tang Mudao said: "To be honest, the data I can access isn't the most precise or complete… some of it still has very high confidentiality levels."

"On the other hand, to quickly locate candidate spirit-wood thunder, using a high-performance supercomputing platform is also a method—but such tools are only accessible to major academic institutions and government agencies."

Zheng Fa understood what both meant.

He fell into thought.

He was naturally a cautious person, preferring to take things step by step.

On the other hand, Zheng Fa had always viewed the modern world as a sanctuary—not because everything modern was good, but because he was already exhausted from the Xuanwei Realm and simply wanted simplicity here.

To him, the modern world was, on one hand, a place to acquire knowledge and conduct experiments.

On the other, it was a harbor for relaxation.

But then he thought of Zhang Shijie and the others…

"What do you think…"

The moment he spoke, the others understood he had already leaned toward a choice.

The old man fell silent, only glancing at Tang Mudao.

Among these people, Tang Mudao was likely the most skilled in this area.

"Most importantly, Zheng Fa—what exactly are you trying to achieve…"

Zheng Fa looked at him, puzzled by his phrasing.

"Simply put—are you seeking power and status, or merely collaborative research?"

Zheng Fa understood his meaning, paused, then replied: "For me, the value lies in collaborative research."

Tang Mudao nodded, as if grasping his intent: "Then it's relatively simple—you, with your temperament, pose the least threat to society…"

Hearing this, Zheng Fa suddenly realized:

To the authorities, he was an uncontrollable variable—think of the qigong craze of decades past, think of ancient sects.

Zheng Fa's pursuit, in fact, would put many at ease.

Tang Mudao continued:

"First, we must demonstrate respect for social order."

"Second, we must clearly state our intentions."

"Third, as Professor Bai said, we must demonstrate our value."

Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod.

He glanced at Bai Lao and Tang Lingwumin beside him.

None of them were fools; they all knew that taking this step would drastically alter their lives.

Zheng Fa made this choice because of the crisis in the Xuanwei Realm—there was a real need.

But for Bai Lao and the others, it was something else entirely.

Bai Lao seemed to read his gaze, snorted, and said: "You think too much."

…

Hongshan lies in the distant suburbs of Jingcheng, with distinct seasons.

It was late winter now; the mountain's vegetation was withered, covered in dead branches and fallen leaves, appearing desolate.

Down the mountain, the innkeeper still wore a thick down jacket, livestreaming as usual.

But with the bitter cold, even viewers had dwindled—his livestream was emptier than the mountain's scenery.

He wasn't in a hurry, just chatting with a few regular viewers.

They were longtime followers; he felt at ease, speaking as if with friends.

"Goddess Hongshan? I didn't believe it before, but last time I did!"

He vividly recounted his visit to the Goddess Hongshan temple.

The livestream viewers, of course, didn't believe him.

The innkeeper swore: "If I'm lying even half a word, I'll never find a wife in this life!"

At that moment, a viewer sent a comment:

"Is that even a curse? Who hasn't been married?"

The innkeeper froze, feeling a pang of sympathy.

"Fine then! If I'm lying even half a word, I'll never make a fortune in this life!"

"…"

That oath… was brutal.

It instantly silenced the livestream viewers.

After a moment, the same viewer sent another comment: "Bro, I want to believe you, but what you're saying sounds too fantastical…"

The innkeeper shook his head, as if giving up, and said: "Whether you believe me or not, I'm not lying… if you don't believe it, just treat it as a story."

"Only a fool would… whoa!"

The innkeeper froze, confused by the viewer's outburst.

He saw the comment: "Look behind you!"

"Turn around!"

"Your goddess has manifested again!"

He turned—and his mouth dropped open in disbelief.

Behind him, the once silent and desolate mountainside had suddenly burst with life.

From peak to foot, tree after tree bloomed, blade after blade of grass sprouted.

Amid the gray chill, the mountain's red and green seemed imbued with sacred vitality.

The birds and beasts of the mountains seemed awakened by this spring.

Their chirps and calls echoed through the woods.

Watching this, the innkeeper suddenly felt a strange thought—something momentous had happened.

…

Watching the evergreen talismans scattered across the mountain, Bai Lao nodded: "That's enough."

Tang Mudao added: "Now we just wait for people to come to us."

Zheng Fa glanced at Tang Lingwumin beside him; she was holding her phone, messaging someone.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm chatting with my mom," Tang Lingwumin said, looking up in surprise. "I told her if I can't be reached in a few days, don't worry."

"..."

Zheng Fa stared, then looked at Bai Lao and the others.

All of them were slightly dumbfounded, then chuckled.

Tang Lingwumin simply lacked social experience.

Zheng Fa's experience was unlike ordinary people—he hesitated only because he found it troublesome, but honestly, he feared nothing.

Tang Lingwumin, however, came from privilege, had always had an easy life, and tended to overestimate the gravity of things.

But still…

"So… aren't you afraid?"

Bai Lao glanced at Zheng Fa and asked with a sigh and a smile.

Tang Lingwumin held her phone, thought for a moment, then shook her head: "As long as we're together, I'm not afraid."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa couldn't help but smile slightly.

…

Three days later, in the dusk, a black car silently entered Hongshan; the driver was a young man with a straight posture, and the passenger was a woman with short hair, her face solemn and troubled, her age impossible to discern.

On her lap lay a file folder, its flap open, revealing page after page of documents.

The first document bore Zheng Fa's photograph.

The woman stared at the files, murmuring to herself.

"Twelve years old, parents died in an accident, personality changed drastically."

"Five years confined to home, reclusive."

"High school grades skyrocketed; ranked first in the city."

"Since middle school, extremely diligent, showed no other special traits."

"Interpersonal relationships…"

"Financial status…"

"Hobbies…"

"Community committee evaluation…"

Each document contained an extremely detailed account of Zheng Fa's past.

Besides him, the folder held files on Tang Lingwumin and others.

Looking at these files, the woman frowned, seemingly unable to comprehend.