Chapter 5: Crystal

"Master, I feel like something is not right."

"What is not right?"

"That student from the other day—I discovered he had been tracking and investigating Li Jiatu for a long time. Li Jiatu once filed a report, claiming he might have been attacked and retaliated against by him. Furthermore, I found that his grades at their school are top-tier, and his cultivation talent is extremely strong. His father is Professor Chen Jinguang; in that era, students at prestigious schools studying history mostly learned Controlled Spells to some degree. In their eyes, this world has no secrets."

"Being able to find these things is already enough," the older police officer said, taking a bite of noodles. "But if it was his doing, you at least have to explain the following points—"

"The Lan Country military has extremely strict control over its own military-grade spells and weapons. The reason the Puluo people were able to obtain them is because the ones supporting them were the Lan Country themselves. How could a student from Yiguo obtain a Tracer Technique or a Tracer Launcher?"

"It would be very difficult to buy them on the Deep Net, too."

"If it were just the Tracer Technique, usually the Tracer Technique requires reaching the mid-to-late Second Tier. The Lan Country's Tracer Technique requires even more, needing the Third Tier. How could someone who only purchased a Spirit Sea Opening Potion half a year ago meet the requirements? Of course, there are still other possibilities within this."

"However, the last point is absolutely impossible—"

"He did indeed leave class on time at 17:00 and walked home with his classmates. During that time, he only went to a public restroom once, and his classmates were standing outside waiting for him. A High-level Practitioner might be able to fly to the southern suburbs over twenty kilometers away in such a short time, if Bai City didn't prohibit flying."

"Then it could still have something to do with him," the young police officer continued. "For example, he contacted the Puluo people through the Deep Net and provided detailed intelligence on Li Jiatu and his father."

"This matter is very simple. Once some sect in Puluo that doesn't dare to reveal its name stands up to take responsibility for this, the case will be closed, we will be liberated, and everyone will be happy," the older police officer said while eating noodles, then peeled a clove of garlic. "However, your ideas are still quite good."

"Regardless of whether they did it or not, they will still stand up and announce they are responsible."

"Don't add trouble for yourself and others. The kid has the Great Exam coming up, top-tier grades, and a limitless future. As for the two who were killed or injured, everyone knows what kind of character they had..."

"Yes."

The older police officer glanced at the young man and continued eating his noodles.

Returning to the bedroom, before starting today's cultivation, Chen Shu's thoughts flew far away again.

That was half a year ago.

Li Zhu and Yu Tong were his classmates. To say how close their friendship was, it wasn't exactly that close. They would go to the arena to play games together occasionally, which was quite fun, and sometimes they would eat a meal together on the road or in the arena. Chen Shu actually quite liked hanging out with these two classmates.

Sometimes Ning Qing would show concern for Chen Shu's studies, and they would help Chen Shu provide cover, though naturally, they couldn't hide it from Ning Qing.

But one time, coming out of the arena, while crossing the street and still discussing where to hide next time so they wouldn't be discovered by the witch, they saw two beams of car lights crashing toward them at high speed.

The other party showed no signs of slowing down.

Chen Shu was naturally agile, but how could two classmates who hadn't even opened their Spirit Sea dodge it? Chen Shu only had time to pull Yu Tong, who was closer.

The car lights shattered into fragments, blindingly bright.

Li Zhu later died after emergency treatment failed.

Yu Tong was seriously injured and was discharged from the hospital a few days ago.

Thanks to advanced medical technology, while bringing the dead back to life is impossible, regrowing flesh and bone is not much of a problem.

Chen Shu went to visit him; it basically wouldn't affect his subsequent life or cultivation, but repeating a grade was unavoidable.

The perpetrator was about the same age as them, had been drinking and taking drugs, and fled after causing a death. Although his family background was very good, he was still sentenced to twenty years in prison.

In this world, the average life expectancy is higher, so twenty years is not considered long. But at the time, Chen Shu also felt that it was about right—although it was a vibrant life, a person in his class who should have had a limitless future, and an honest and decent family, he could be considered to have received the punishment he deserved, right?

That is how the law is written.

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

Guess what? The person was out for medical treatment.

And he happened to change into a new car.

Sometimes I really can't understand why there are such people. The end of life hides the ultimate equality among humans. In this era, who isn't a Cultivator?

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

He had nodded at the time.

Yu Tong also said the same, don't let him off.

Yu Tong meant not to sign a letter of forgiveness to reduce his sentence; presumably, Li Zhu meant the same thing, right? So Chen Shu did just that, firmly refusing to sign any forgiveness agreement.

Later, Chen Shu also went to file complaints, petitioned, and even tried to seek help from the internet, but it wasn't of much use.

The rule of law in Yiguo is still quite a bit worse than in his previous life. Fortunately, a scholar who is nationally famous in a certain field still has a certain social status, and everyone respects them, so Chen Shu didn't encounter any difficulties during this process. It was Yu Tong, whose family background was ordinary, who endured great pressure while supporting and cooperating with him. Tsk, just saying it feels dirty.

Chen Shu is truly a very lazy person.

If I had known it would be this troublesome, I wouldn't have promised him. Anyway, he was going to die, so just fooling him would have been enough.

But since I already promised, what other way is there?

There is no way.

Living a life again is truly not easy; one must live well.

It's not just about surviving, but living well: eating well, playing well, sleeping well, having a clear mind, and being at peace internally.

Pretending nothing happened makes my mind too unclear and my heart too uneasy; I wouldn't even be able to sleep.

Now it's fine.

Li Jiatu died in an accident; everyone is happy.

Thanks to the Puluo people.

Heaven has eyes.

"Hoo..."

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

The Yiguo cultivation method is universal in the world. Strictly speaking, it belongs to a type of Capture Method, utilizing Spirit Soul power to actively absorb Spirit Power suitable for oneself from the complex Spirit Power between heaven and earth. Those natural Spirit Powers that are not compatible enough are filtered out, making the transformation process easier.

It is a cultivation method superior to the Breathing Method and the Attraction Method.

Four hours later, he poured the Spirit Power into the Crystal.

This Crystal is also no ordinary Crystal.

Chen Shu had seen it when he was very young. At that time, Chen Shu hadn't awakened many memories of his previous life, and he was still a child who was closer to a normal child. In his impression, his parents both thought it was some little trinket he had picked up from somewhere. In his impression, he had even lost this thing or thrown it away, but it would always return automatically.

Only later did he slowly remember that he had seen it in his previous life and had known it for a long time.

After long-term exploration, he had indeed discovered some of its wonderful uses.

Several days later.

Early morning.

Finally, a civilian organization in Puluo stood up to claim responsibility for these two recent attacks, and they firmly absorbed a large wave of brain-dead fans in their own country.

Chen Shu did not pay much attention to this; after eating breakfast, he sat down in front of the computer and logged into the "Wide and Narrow Alley" on the Deep Net.

He was too lazy to go to an internet cafe.

This was a street-style trading platform located on the Deep Net; its interface, functions, and trading methods were quite different from common shopping websites. It was not the largest trading platform on the Deep Net, but because its content was more harmonious compared to other websites, its management was more standardized, and its position was closer to the "Shallow Net," Chen Shu liked this website very much.

On it, one could buy and sell many illegal, non-compliant, or inconvenient things in reality, and it was not easy for the police to track them.

But it was full of scammers and freeloaders.

The probability of being scammed was extremely high.

Chen Shu's nickname was "Qingcai Baiyu Tang".

It was the ID used by the protagonist in the first online game novel he had read in his previous life.

"Mao Xiansheng" was a trading partner he had known for many years; on the Deep Net, such stable and reliable trading partners were very important and rare.

Sometimes he would sell some knowledge-oriented content to Mao Xiansheng to earn income. There was no help for it; cultivation was too expensive, and it was not something he, a student, could afford. But in the last two years, the difficulty of the tasks released by Mao Xiansheng had become higher and higher, and this guy's money had become harder and harder to earn, forcing Chen Shu to study and improve. Chen Shu sometimes felt that his progress deserved a share of the credit for him.

Sometimes he also bought or freeloaded some cultivation-oriented knowledge from Mao Xiansheng that was inconvenient to obtain in Yiguo.

As for Mao Xiansheng's identity in real life, Chen Shu had little interest—this world was too big, and intelligent beings were diverse; perhaps they would never have any real-life intersection in their lives.

Guessing each other's identities was merely a pastime for leisure.

The loading bar finished.

There were a few more unread messages flashing.

Mao Xiansheng: Are you there?

Mao Xiansheng: You're fucking not there again. We agreed on eight o'clock tonight; when will you ever change this habit?

Mao Xiansheng: Numb.

Mao Xiansheng: Good morning the next day / sarcastic.

Chen Shu yawned.

Qingcai Baiyu Tang: Last night I was reading about the Spell Principles of the Protective Divine Light, and I got absorbed for a moment. By the time I came to my senses, it was already very late, so I went to sleep first.

Mao Xiansheng: Hard work.

Mao Xiansheng: Time and place?

Qingcai Baiyu Tang: At least after the Great Exam. The border lines are so strict during the Great Exam, and everywhere is very strict; I'm afraid of accidents.

Mao Xiansheng: Continue.

Qingcai Baiyu Tang: You said it's convenient by the sea, so let's set it at Sea Beast Port. There is a Nanshan outside the city of Sea Beast Port, and there is a cemetery on Nanshan. Cemetery No. 1999 in District 3, which is at the diagonal corner of the entrance to the cemetery at the very top—hide the item near there. Hide it well, don't put it in front of the tombstone; some people specifically steal offerings.

Qingcai Baiyu Tang: Can you do it?

Qingcai Baiyu Tang: You can use the satellite map and street view map to check the specific location first; use Yiguo's, it's very clear.

Mao Xiansheng: I need to confirm.

Mao Xiansheng: Shall we contact again at ten in the morning?

Chen Shu yawned again.

Today is the Yiguo Grand Exam; insisting on contacting in the morning, it's hard to say whether "Mao Xiansheng" has any intention of testing whether he is related to the Great Exam.

Qingcai Baiyu Tang: Sure.

He turned off the computer.

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

The city was still pouring with heavy rain; the rain and mist made it seem as if a thin layer of vapor was always permeating the road surface. The streets were very quiet, and not a single car honked.

There was only the noisy sound of heavy rain.

Suddenly, a loud noise came—

"Boom—!"

He originally thought it was thunder, but it was duller, longer, and more continuous than thunder, startling many pedestrians.

Chen Shu stopped and looked in the direction of the sound.

It seemed to come from across the Jinghai.

The rumbling sound gradually faded; Chen Shu had no time to think more and continued to hold his umbrella and set off.

Soon a car stopped beside him, seeing that he was an examinee, and asked him which exam hall he was going to. Because the exam hall was less than a kilometer away from home in total, Chen Shu thanked them and declined.

The Great Exam had begun.