Chapter 112

The bronze piece glowed with a faint cold light under the lamp, those ancient symbols seemed alive, silently speaking of a forgotten secret.

Where is the missing part?

Just who is that skinny old man?

Where did those black-clad assassins come from?

Lin Zhen, what big move is he holding back?

Zhang Jun picked up the bronze piece, feeling an icy chill pierce his hand.

Mo Tianhe arrived even sooner than expected; before he even entered the house, his urgency had already seeped in.

He didn't stand on ceremony, lunging straight to the table, eyes blazing as he fixed on the bronze piece just taken up, still bearing a hint of bloodiness, beside which lay Zhang Jun's dark, dull slice.

The old man leaned in close, his nose almost touching it, fingers trembling as he wanted to touch but dared not, muttering under his breath.

"This… this ghostly script…" he snapped his head up, voice changing tone, "It's from the Medicine Sect! No mistake!"

Medicine Sect?

Zhang Jun's heart gave a jolt.

"It's that legendary Medicine Sect said to revive the dead and grant strength like a demon," Mo Tianhe exclaimed, face reddening, his cane tapping the ground, "My family's old books mention it a bit—said they were formidable, both physicians and masters, ruling heaven, earth, and evil spirits! Then somehow they vanished overnight, as if evaporated from the world!"

He spoke with flying spittle: "This thing is absolutely left by them!"

Zhang Jun felt a bit dazed.

Do the heretical ways the old man taught—acupressure, qi-guided needles, those weird prescriptions—match the Medicine Sect's methods that Old Mo spoke of?

His adoptive master always said he picked him up, never mentioning his background… could it be…?

His heartbeat skipped a beat.

Beside him, Lin Xue tensed slightly.

It was slight, almost imperceptible, but she lowered her head and her fingers curled unconsciously—a tiny motion that did not escape Zhang Jun's eyes.

Her reaction to the two words "Medicine Sect" was off.

"What a pity, just this tiny piece." Mo Tianhe kept turning it over, face full of regret, "The lines on it look like a training diagram, somewhat resonating with the energy in your bodies, but too much is missing to make sense of. To figure it out, we need more fragments like this."

No sooner had his words faded than the door knocked; Su Muqing rushed in, her face still bearing lingering anxiety.

"Just got the news!" She handed over an encrypted tablet, "In the capital, there's an internal antiques exchange next week, highly confidential. Word on the street says an item said to be an ancient Medicine Sect treasure will surface—no one knows exactly what, but many hidden forces have their eyes on it!"

The capital.

Medicine Sect.

Fragments.

Origin.

The clues all twisted together at once.

"I'll go." Zhang Jun blurted out.

"I'll go with you." Lin Xue's voice followed immediately, still that icy tone, "I'll keep an eye on you so no one buries you if you die out there."

Zhang Jun turned to look at her, hoping to read something from her expressionless face, but saw nothing.

Fine.

"Good."

With the decision made, things become easy to handle.

Having settled affairs at Huichun Tang, he left the company to Su Muqing to monitor remotely, while the old Mo family head slapped his chest, saying he'd watch over Binhai.

The night before departure.

Zhang Jun's encrypted phone suddenly buzzed.

An anonymous text from an unknown number arrived, just a few words, no context, and the sender's address couldn't be traced.

"The capital's waters are murky; watch out for those surnamed Lin and Qin."

The tone of this speech…

Kun!

Zhang Jun gripped the phone, his knuckles whitening slightly.

Lin? Qin?

Kun never fires blanks.

This muddy venture in the capital is deeper than he imagined.

He tucked the two icy fragments close to his body, feeling their hardness press against his chest.

The light in the next room was still on.

Lin Xue… just how much is she hiding?

"Let's go." He whispered to the Mo family disciple waiting outside.

The capital… we'll see.

In the capital, even the air differs from Binhai.

It's not the salty fishy smell of the seaside, nor the medicinal herb fragrance drifting from the Mo family estate.

Here the air feels heavy; breathing it in feels oppressive.

Skyscrapers, overcast skies—always giving the sense that eyes are hidden everywhere, coldly watching you.

Traffic flows, horns blaring with an impatient, rule-bound vigor that weighs on the chest.

The hotel Su Muqing arranged is decent, quiet enough and looks safe.

Just as the two set down their belongings, the room door was knocked.

Thump thump thump.

Zhang Jun opened the door.

Outside the door stood a young man, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wearing a crisp suit, his hair slicked shiny, chin lifted, bearing the air of someone used to being fawned over.

Behind him stood two more people, silent and mute, like two iron towers.

The young man didn't wait for Zhang Jun to speak, strode in on his own, glanced around, then fixed his gaze on Zhang Jun—his manner not like looking at a person, but more like appraising a price.

"Zhang Jun, Doctor Zhang?"

Zhang Jun didn't respond, let him look.

"I am Lin Feng, of the Lin family of the capital." The young man announced his name, his tone carrying a sense of entitlement, "My elders sent me over to say hello."

Lin Xue had somehow walked to the window, her back to them, watching the endless flow of traffic outside.

Her fingers unconsciously scraped across the cold glass.

"Done with the greetings?" Zhang Jun poured himself a cup of water, lifted it, but didn't drink.

Lin Feng's expression stiffened for a moment; he obviously hadn't expected such a lack of face.

He stepped forward two paces, almost pressing up against Zhang Jun.

"Doctor Zhang, sensible people don't talk nonsense."

"The coastal matter is over."

"This is the capital—deep waters, and many formalities."

"Don't ask what you shouldn't, don't go poking around. Stay away from people you shouldn't touch." He tugged at the corner of his mouth, a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

The veiled threat could not be more obvious.

He had come for Lin Zhen.

Zhang Jun held the water cup, unmoving.

Lin Feng had a surge of internal energy roiling within him, wanting to show off but unable to control it, making it messy and chaotic.

That surge tugged at Zhang Jun's own pure yang power, setting it stirring as well.

He ignored Lin Feng's face, which practically shouted "I'm awesome," and instead focused on the opponent's chaotic internal energy.

Urgent, agitated, empty.

Like something whipped up with a strong drug, it looks imposing on the surface but is hollow underneath.

In several key meridians, the qi and blood are twisted, the traces of forcing through are all too obvious.

"You've gone astray in your cultivation." Zhang Jun finally spoke, his voice flat, as if commenting on the nice weather.

He set down the water cup.

"Rushing ahead without a solid foundation has injured your very roots."

"The qi is flowing along the Yangming meridian but can't sink down, it's all stuck in the chest."

"If this continues…" He paused, not finishing the thought.