Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 71

Seeing that he had nothing to say, the airline security personnel said, “Your ID was so good that you almost fooled me.”

Because it’s real!

The corners of Dong Zhi’s mouth twitched. “Don’t lose my ID, otherwise I won’t be able to report in.”

The other party was incredulous. “Report to who?! Yourself?! Do you need to be accompanied by someone to transfer you to a mental institution?”

Dong Zhi: …

It was really impossible to talk about it. He had the urge to overturn a table.

He gave up and said, “I have other documents on hand. Do you want to take them together for inspection?”

The airline security personnel. “That’s just right. We do have to verify your identity. Thank you for your cooperation.”

He took Dong Zhi’s backpack, found the ID documents inside, and also found a pile of yellow paper and cinnabar.

“You’re really devoted to the act. Fortunately, you didn’t bring any controlled weapons. Otherwise, we really would have to turn around.”

Dong Zhi said weakly, “There are controlled weapons. They are in the checked baggage. I have already said that I am from the Special Administration Bureau.”

The airline security personnel did not believe him. “Are you joking? At any rate, this didn’t cause any major disasters this time, or you’ll be looking at three years in prison!”

He rummaged through his backpack, then checked Dong Zhi’s pockets and couldn’t help but sigh.

“You didn’t bring a lighter or matches. How did you ignite it just now?”

Dong Zhi: “It was talisman fire. The talisman paper ignited spontaneously. Do you believe me?”

The airline security personnel. “I don’t believe you.”

Dong Zhi rolled his eyes. “Then I’m a pyromancer and I can spit out fire when I open my mouth!”

The other party showed him an expression of: “you just said you didn’t escape from a mental hospital”.

Dong Zhi had finally experienced what it meant to be indisputable.

Han Qi didn’t wake up, and her bodyguard and assistant both agreed that Dong Zhi had done something to her. If it weren’t for the airline security personnel, they would have pummeled him by now. Dong Zhi told them that Han Qi was fine, but they didn’t believe him, so he could only keep his mouth shut.

The other passengers thought that it was some kind of terrorist attack and could only cradle themselves in fear. They endured the difficult few hours of the plane ride. It wasn’t until it safely landed that they felt reborn. Dong Zhi was taken to the airline security office, while Han Qi was transported to the infirmary for examination.

“Let’s talk about it. Why did you create panic on the plane? Do you know that your behavior almost caused a catastrophe!”

Facing the interrogation, Dong Zhi said helplessly, “I am really from the Special Administration Bureau. Please contact them. Either He Yu or Long Shen can verify my identity. I have their number on my phone.”

The person in charge of the integration was a young man who had just graduated from college. When he heard this, he said suspiciously, “How do I know that you’re not all in cahoots with each other? And what is the Special Administration Bureau? I haven’t heard of it at all!”

Fortunately, the person he caught was Dong Zhi. If it had been Kan Chaosheng, he would have turned the security office upside down a long time ago.

In the next moment, the young man watched Dong Zhi break free from his handcuffs. It stunned him for nearly three seconds before he became furious and was about to slam the table.

Dong Zhi said politely, “As you can see, it’s not like I can’t run away, but it’s not necessary. Would you please verify my identity? Your boss may not know, so his boss must. If we have to jump through all these hoops like this every time a special event happens in the future, it will greatly delay the Special Administration Bureau’s ability to take action. Do you want to stand idly by and watch as passengers on a whole plane die together?”

The young man stared at him for a long time before finally calling for his superiors.

Dong Zhi lay down on the table, took out the phone, and rummaged through his contact list. He originally wanted to call Long Shen, but he was afraid of being scolded for getting into trouble so soon, so he called He Yu instead.

“Hello?” There was a weak response from that end. “Xiao Dongdong, have you landed?”

“I’ve landed, but I ran into trouble. Now I’m in custody and being treated like a prisoner.” Dong Zhi briefly explained what happened.

He Yu listened and said, “I see, it’s just a trivial matter. The Special Administration Bureau has docking channels with other departments. Most likely, they haven’t had time to enter the newcomers on the list yet, so that’s why you didn’t appear. I’ll just call and explain.”

He spoke easily, and Dong Zhi also breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, don’t tell Master. I’m afraid he’ll scold me.”

He Yu wailed, “When you were here, the boss took care of you, and he didn’t have time to bother with us. As soon as you left, he remembered that we still exist. Laozi’s legs are still broken, yet he actually had the heart to let me go on a business trip! This is too inhumane! No, he’s not human, but does he have any reason left in him!”

With black lines covering Dong Zhi’s face, he quickly hung up the phone and stopped the continuous wailing from the other end of the line.

As soon as he hung up the phone, Dong Zhi saw the bodyguard who had accompanied Han Qi coming in from outside. He looked around and saw Dong Zhi sitting on the table and strode forward aggressively, looming as most of his body covered the table. His hand reached out and pulled at Dong Zhi’s collar.

Dong Zhi avoided it and kicked the table forward, catching his opponent off guard and causing him to fall onto the table. Another bodyguard wanted to rush up and hit him when the staff reacted and stopped them.

“What are you doing?!”

“How dare you fight in the security office?!”

Dong Zhi shouted, “Brothers and sisters of the police, they want to beat me up!”

Due to the stark contrast between Dong Zhi’s harmless face compared to his opponent’s dressed in suits and sunglasses, security didn’t have time to ponder why Dong Zhi wasn’t wearing his handcuffs but instead subdued the bodyguards who seemed to be more threatening.

The bodyguard didn’t dare to resist, so he could only yell at Dong Zhi, “Miss Han hasn’t woken up yet, and it’s all your fault! You must be responsible! Officer, you can’t let him go. This person caused personal injury to Miss Han on the plane just now and should be locked up!”

At this moment, the young man in charge of the integration just ran back panting. “Dong Zhi, our leader wants to see you!”

The bodyguards thought that they were colluding and were planning to let Dong Zhi go, so they kept hollering and yelling. The scene became chaotic, and it wasn’t until the leader of the young man came over that the chaos calmed down.

The other party was a middle-aged man. He said to the bodyguard, “We have verified that this comrade is indeed a public servant of our system. At that time, there was something wrong with Miss Han, so he had to take action to stop it.”

The bodyguard shouted, “What kind of public servant? Why don’t you dare say which department he’s in? You officials are just protecting each other. Just you wait. We’ll expose this to the media immediately, so that you can’t afford to get away with this!”

“Then you plan on exposing the way Miss Han was acting just then?” Dong Zhi spoke up unexpectedly.

The bodyguard was taken aback for a moment and said sternly, “I don’t know what you are talking about!”

Dong Zhi smiled and said, “You’ve been by her side all this time. Haven’t you seen her behave strangely? This shouldn’t be the first time she has done something like this on a plane, right? This you should know in your heart.”

The security personnel next to him looked weirdly at him when he heard Dong Zhi’s unscientific words.

Dong Zhi narrowed his smile and said stiffly, “If I hadn’t happened to be on the plane and stopped a catastrophe in time, let alone her, even you, and everyone on the plane, would have suffered!”

The bodyguard was frightened by his words; his face turned pale, and he was unable to speak. He didn’t know whether it was because he was too frightened or felt guilty.

Dong Zhi guessed that it was the latter because what he said just now was also nonsense. He had been with He Yu and the others for a while now and had picked up on some of their skills and become quicker-witted. Judging from the bodyguard’s behavior, it was possible that his guess was right.

“Miss Han is fine now. I just put her to sleep for a while, and she will wake up soon. I have to verify my identity with their leader, so I won’t leave for a while. If she doesn’t wake up, you can come find me. My documents are still here.” Dong Zhi said.

As he finished speaking, the bodyguard’s phone rang, and a girl was talking hurriedly at the end. The volume was so loud that even Dong Zhi could hear it.

“Where are you? Miss Han was woken up. Sister Zheng said to not let that person go before Miss Han goes to the hospital for an examination and to make sure everything is okay!”

The two bodyguards looked at each other and finally decided that one would go back and the other would stay here to watch Dong Zhi to prevent him from running away.

Dong Zhi was led back into the office by the middle-aged man. He seems to be a leader who was higher ranked than the officers here.

The leader took the initiative to get up and shake hands with him and said, with a smile, “I’m sorry. As you know, the Special Administration Bureau is not well known to the public. Our colleagues failed to verify your identity for a while, so it caused you some trouble.”

Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “It was I who caused you trouble. This time it was all a misunderstanding.”

The leader was very satisfied with his calm attitude and became even more enthusiastic. “Is there a confidentiality regulation for this accident on the plane? If so, you can write a report and directly explain it to your leader. If Ms. Han’s side insists on holding you accountable, we’ll try our best to stop it.”

Dong Zhi said, “This time she was the cause of it. There’s something corrupt on her body that caused the accident. If she still wants me to be held accountable, let her come to me.”

The leader had heard of the mysterious Special Administration Bureau, but only in name, as he had never seen anyone from it. He only heard rumors that they were hiding talented and powerful people. Looking at Dong Zhi, who had a calm and gentle demeanor, he found that he wasn’t as surprised as he thought.

Listening to what Dong Zhi had said, the leader couldn’t help feeling curious, but he knew that he shouldn’t ask according to discipline, so he had to hold back.

The young man saw that his leader had personally taken Dong Zhi in, and after a while, he was personally sent out. They were talking and laughing with each other that he couldn’t help but feel uneasy, worried that Dong Zhi would be petty and scold him in front of his leader, so he hurried forward to apologize.

Dong Zhi smiled. “Now do you believe that I’m not crazy?”

The young man felt very embarrassed. “The incident on the plane happened so suddenly that they had to deal with it urgently. I acted in accordance with the regulations, so don’t hold it against me!”

Naturally, Dong Zhi would not make things difficult for him. Everyone had their own duties to perform. He looked at the trembling appearance of the other party and guessed that they had just joined the workforce, so he said, “Can I trouble you with one thing?”

The young man hurriedly said, “Of course!”

Dong Zhi took out the registration card Long Shen gave him. “I had checked in an item that needed to go through a special channel, so I had to go to the baggage claim office to get it. With this incident that happened just now, I don’t know where my luggage is. Can you please get it for me?”

With such a trivial matter, the other party agreed immediately and went to help him pick it up.

At this time, several more people came into the security office. A woman wearing a mask and sunglasses, a big hat on her head, and a silk scarf wrapped around her neck was leading them. She was covered from head to toe, and coupled with an entourage next to her, they were more likely to attract people’s attention.

“There he is!” The assistant next to Han Qi pointed to Dong Zhi, and the group of people walked towards him.

The staff member next to him stepped forward to stop them. “Is there anything wrong?”

Before Han Qi said anything, the assistant girl next to her said to Dong Zhi, “You just caused unknowable personal injury to Miss Han on the plane. Miss Han is going to the hospital for a physical examination, so we ask that you please come with us.”

While the contents of her sentences were polite, her tone was the opposite.

Dong Zhi felt annoyed. “I had saved her just now. How could I cause her any harm? Even if there is harm, she did it herself.”

The little girl raised her eyebrows and said. “Don’t try to avoid responsibility!”

Dong Zhi said to Han Qi, “If you really suspected me of wrongdoing, you wouldn’t come here just to ask the guilty party to follow you. You’re just here because you want to know what you’re entangled with!”

Han Qi finally took off her sunglasses and mask and said. “My assistant was impolite just now. I apologize on her behalf. Would it be convenient to find a place to talk?”

Dong Zhi refused. “It’s inconvenient.”

Han Qi: …

It just so happened that the young man came back with his sword case. Dong Zhi thanked him and then said to Han Qi, “I can’t solve your problem, Miss Han. The person who tied the bell needs to untie it*. You must know who to look for. Also, before the matter is resolved, I suggest you stop flying and implicate other innocent people. Otherwise, your sins will be even greater.”

*(解铃还需系铃人) Idiom referring to who the person who caused the trouble, is the one who has to solve it.

Han Qi’s face changed color, turning red and pale.

Dong Zhi didn’t bother waiting for her to react as he picked up his things and left.

With the delay of the flight, coupled with the incident he just went through, it was almost midnight when he got onto the bus to head towards the city.

Lucheng was a famous tourist city, and it was currently in peak tourist season. Even this late at night, the lights were still bright, and voices could be heard endlessly. However, he was originally said to report at 8 PM, but now it was past midnight. Feeling annoyed, he quickly dialed the contact number of the branch office, and it rang for a long time before someone came to pick it up.

“Who?! It’s the middle of the night!” The other party’s voice was lazy, most likely due to being abruptly awaken from bed.

Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “Hello, I am Dong Zhi. I’m the newcomer who was supposed to report in today, but the plane has only arrived just now due to delays. I’m really sorry. Should I go directly to the office or report back tomorrow morning?”

The other party yawned and said, “Just come directly!”

—

The meeting was a bit long, so when it was adjourned, everyone was hungry. Long Shen didn’t follow them to dinner but went back to the dorms.

When he came to his room, he was about to open the door when he suddenly remembered Dong Zhi’s words before they parted. He paused the movement of inserting his key into the keyhole for a while before picking up another key and opening the room opposite to his.

The occupant had left, and the building was empty. Everything was all packed up neatly, so Long Shen spotted the item on the coffee table with just a glance.

It was a painting. To be more precise, it was a sketch. The picture was drawn in pencil and had only been colored halfway through.

In the deep underground, the glazed grass grew slightly in the corners. Under the cliff, there were thousands of corpses and ghosts, which showed a terrifying scene. Standing on the cliff was a man with his back against the mountain wall. He was slender as he held a sword in one hand while looking down to the bottom of the cliff.

His face was cold, but he seemed compassionate. In the darkness, he was fearless and held no hint of sorrow or joy, incompatible with his surroundings, as if he was a god who had fallen from the heavens.

Thousands of bones covered the landscape as if it was hell on earth, and he, above the hell, in the corner of the light of that day, was not tainted with any filth. 

Long Shen hadn’t thought about that scene when he was in the cave, but it turned out to be like this from his apprentice’s pen. He couldn’t help but be stunned.

Perhaps because it was done in a hurry and the other party didn’t have enough time to put it into a frame, all he saw was a lonely piece of paper that was almost too thin to hold in his hand.

A white cat passed by his feet and its tail curled along his heel. Long Shen put the drawing on the table and turned to feed it.

When he finished changing the cat’s water bowl, he turned around and saw that Longlong had jumped onto the chair and was resting his two front paws on the coffee table, looking at the drawing curiously. His nose was extremely close, as if he was eager to try it.

Long Shen stretched out his hand and pinched the cat’s neck, causing it to let out a dissatisfied meow, as if it was protesting his stinginess. He took the drawing away and back to his room, opened a large book, and sandwiched the painting in the middle of it.

The furnishings in the room are as simple as they can be. While it seemed like his five internal organs* were complete, there was still a feeling of emptiness. In the past, Dong Zhi had often complained that there was no feeling of home here. He complained that Long Shen lived too simply and didn’t know how to enjoy life, so he bought some pillows and furnishings to put in his room.

*(五脏) Refers to the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

It wasn’t because Long Shen had no aesthetics. He just rarely cared about things outside of his body, but he didn’t interfere with the layout either and let Dong Zhi tinker to his liking.

Every night before Dong Zhi left Beijing, he would stay here and talk until he was driven back to bed. There was a half-opened bag of nuts on the coffee table and there were even indentations on the sofa where he had sat and laid down.

If he forbade him to eat more, Dong Zhi would act pitiful and say that he was too hungry and couldn’t sleep. Later, Long Shen had bought him nuts that were good for his health, so he ate them as snacks. After dinner, his mouth wouldn’t remain idle.

Long Shen shook his head and picked up the snacks and put them back in the cupboard, thinking that when Dong Zhi returned to Beijing, he would have to look for food all over his house again.

His gaze inadvertently swept across and stopped on the pot of plants, the yulu that was given to him before Dong Zhi became his apprentice.

Since he couldn’t raise it, he could only use a cheating method by forcibly injecting vitality into it to bring it back to life.

Now it only needed to be watered once in a while when he remembered to. There was no need to fuss over taking care of it as it would live happily until the end of its life. Its leaves were like petals flowing brightly under the lamp, glittering and translucent, telling secrets in silence.

Dong Zhi didn’t know that injecting vitality into the yulu had more than one effect.

At this moment, Long Shen stretched out his hand and touched its leaves gently. The yulu trembled slightly, as if it had been awakened from a nap and couldn’t wait to pour out all the words that were hidden in the bottom of its heart.

The thoughts of someone were held deep within the plant and flowed from it through Long Shen’s fingers and into his mind.

“Boss Long is too good. Do you think I can really catch him?”

“He doesn’t even have a girlfriend. If we just skip directly to a boyfriend, will that scare him?”

“In his eyes, I should be a candidate to be his apprentice. If I confess, will he kick me out of the Special Administration Bureau? Would it be safer to wait until after the training exam is over?”

“If I can gain his favorability again, maybe he’ll understand.”

A familiar voice, a familiar intonation. It sounded a little worried, a little uncertain. It seems that someone was playing with the petals on the yulu and was talking to himself.

Long Shen remained motionless. He looked at the yulu, but his eyes became colder and colder, as if he could completely freeze it.

A powerful breath came from his finger that caused the delicate yulu to instantly be covered with a thin layer of frost.

“Meow~”

The doors to both rooms weren’t closed. The white cat, who didn’t know what being full of food and drink was, had wandered in from the other room. It seemed to be frightened by Long Shen’s breath as it stood by the door, only daring to show one side of its fluffy head.

Long Shen’s cold and hard jawline slowly melted with its cry. He stretched out his hand and touched the yulu, causing the frost to melt, allowing it to regain its vitality.

The cat seemed to sense that the danger alarm had been lifted, so it moved towards Long Shen and looked up at him. Long Shen stood there for a moment before he bent over and picked up the white cat and sent it back to its room. Then he turned around and took the Qingzhu Sword with him to the rooftop.

Pushing the door open, he was greeted with a sky full of stars and the sound of the gurgling streams. In this space, there were no seasons, only day and night.

Long Shen raised his head and stood still for a moment, then suddenly threw the sword up, jumped up, pulled it out of its scabbard while in midair, and spun his body as he whirled the sword around.

If Dong Zhi was here, he would be able to recognize that it was the Bu Tian Gang that he had been practicing continuously these days. However, Long Shen’s moves were more proficient and experienced. It matched the sword seamlessly, exerting Bu Tian Gang’s power to the extreme.

Tian Gang footwork, Tian Gang swordsmanship, and Tian Gang qi were all combined into one.

The roping technique which united the heavens, the axis which bound the earth, the brilliance which turned the wheel of the sun, the splendor which blended the stars and the moon, crossing the big dipper. The army order was too weak, beckoning qi of the world, gathering might from far and wide, the plumage of the palace goes under change as the five mountains* collapse.

*General term used for the five famous mountains in Chinese traditional culture. They are Huashan, Hengshan, Tarzan, Hengshan (different [heng] character), Songshan.

This is Bu Tian Gang.

Long Shen’s figure almost turned into light and shadow under the starlight. Wherever he went, grass and leaves would whirl, boulders would shatter, and the waterfalls would flow backwards. Even the stars in the sky began to rotate slowly around him.

A bright glow appeared in the sky in the distance. Before the long night passed, it was like dawn was approaching. Suddenly, lightning flashed in the sky, as if someone had torn a hole in the night, quickly spreading down.

In the next moment, a pair of hands came out of the middle of the lightning and tore apart the darkness on both sides.

The elegant woman walked over from the other end of the “night curtain” with a smile. “I must say, the weather has changed so suddenly. It seems that you are dancing with your sword here, so I came to quickly stop you. Although there’s an enchantment here, your energy is too large, and it can easily affect the weather outside. It’ll cause an uproar if you’re attracting the sun and moon towards you.”

She stretched out her hand and turned two stones into stools, then walked over and sat down. Starlight fell to the ground as he stood there. Long Shen raised his hand, causing the Qingzhu Sword in his hand to fly out, inserting itself back into the scabbard that was on the ground with perfect precision.

“Why is Zong Lao here?”

“You’ve been making such a ruckus for a while now. How could I not come?” Zong Ling pulled out a tea set from nowhere, scooped some water into the teapot from the stream nearby, and covered it with her hand for a moment. The water inside was immediately steaming hot enough to boil the tea.

“It’s been a long time since I saw you practicing your swordsmanship. It was truly a feast for one’s eyes. Unfortunately, I’m afraid you’ll pierce through the enchantment, so I had to stop you. What’s going on? You’re in a bad mood?”

Long Shen sat down on the other stone stool and did not deny it. “It’s a bit messy.”

Zong Ling laughed. “How rare. I thought you have never been happy or sad with things concerning yourself. Is it because of what’s going on inside the bureau? Wu Bingtian? The Japanese?”

Long Shen shook his head.

While the matter of the stone tablet was difficult, he’s not the only one in the Special Administration Bureau, that’s investigating it. With the joint efforts of everyone, sooner or later, there would be results.

While Wu Bingtian could seem difficult, Long Shen had worked with him for many years now and knew that it was mainly due to their different ways of thinking.

There were many powerful figures in the Special Administration Bureau. One could say it was a department that held a lot of resources and potential. Therefore, there were many who paid close attention to it and many who intervened. It was inevitable that you would run into numerous opinions and contradictions. Long Shen didn’t want to deal with these trivial things, so he hadn’t made much progress for so many years in the Bureau. Otherwise, with his ability, he wouldn’t just stop at his current rank.

Zong Ling smiled slightly. “Since it’s not a business matter, then is it a private matter? I haven’t heard that you have a girlfriend or boyfriend!”

Long Shen: “Zong Lao is still so humorous.”

Zong Ling: “If you live longer, you should be happier. Otherwise, how can you be worthy of existing in this world? You’re too oppressive and self-suffering. Why bother living so meticulously? When you’re free, just like humans, you should sing, dance, play, and fall in love. Isn’t that a great feeling?”

Long Shen paused for a moment before saying. “Mortals have a limited life span. Their lives are only like spring and autumn for me. No one wants to see themselves aging while their lover’s face doesn’t change.”

Zong Ling chuckled. “That’s just an excuse. If that’s truly so, why haven’t you fallen in love with Tang Jing or Yu Buhui? However, recently, I found that you’ve changed a bit.”

Long Shen picked up his teacup and took a little sip, then looked at her when he heard her words.

Zong Ling said, “If I had said this before, you would only say that life is a lifetime of plants and autumn*, and each has its own ways of living. This time, though, it’s different. Did you encounter an opportunity?”

*(人生一世草木一秋) Saying referring to one’s life is very short, like spring and autumn.

Long Shen put down the teacup. There was still half remaining, but he was no longer in the mood to drink.

Zong Ling: “Is it related to your apprentice?”

Long Shen was silent.

Zong Ling smiled and said, “I have seen that child a few times. He has a soft heart, but there is no shortage of determination. With your help, he will definitely be able to become a great weapon in the future. However, I don’t believe that you’re worried because he’s not training hard or is being disobedient, right? Can you tell me?”

Seeing that Long Shen still didn’t answer, she stopped asking questions and looked up to see the cirrus clouds in the sky being pushed away by the wind.

“If you’re not saying anything, it means that your heart is already a mess. It must be that something has happened to you concerning Dong Zhi.”

Long Shen finally confessed. “He said he likes me.”

Zong Ling raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t this normal? A disciple would normally admire their master. Do you not like this disciple?”

Long Shen’s expression finally showed a trace of discomfort. “It’s not like between a master and apprentice, but one between a man and a woman.”

Zong Ling’s face showed surprise, which then turned into a smile.

“I see. It’s no wonder that the child was very close to you as soon as he came in. Everyone else usually backs away from you, yet he was wholeheartedly determined to worship you as his teacher.”

Long Shen said lightly, “I’m afraid he worshipped me as a teacher, but he had no intention of learning anything.”

Zong Ling: “Why do you think so? Is he not devoted to his studies? Or did he ever overstep towards you?”

No. He didn’t think so.

In retrospect, the other party did take the initiative to hug him, and there were peculiarities in his words and actions. In fact, Dong Zhi had already vaguely expressed his tendencies, but because he had never accepted an apprentice before, hearing Wu Bingtian and Song Zhicun talk about the importance and love for their disciples and children, he inadvertently followed suit and wanted to give his best for Dong Zhi.

Long Shen thought that this was the way to show his love for his apprentice by being strict and demanding of him in regard to his cultivation while being tolerant and making concessions to him in private affairs.

When he heard the voice inside the yulu, he was so surprised that there was even a trace of anger.

Zong Ling’s tone was very relaxed. “If you think that he is not sincere in worshiping you as a teacher, has no intention of learning from you, and does not study seriously, you can expel him. Why be so angry? With your capacity, there must be many young heroes rushing to worship you as their teacher. Isn’t there one name Liu Qingbo? His qualifications seem to be good. I heard that he was competing with Dong Zhi to be your disciple, no?”

Long Shen looked at the Qingzhu Sword in front of him and unexpectedly remembered the scene of Dong Zhi holding it cautiously as if he had obtained a treasure.

“I won’t accept apprentices anymore.”

Zong Ling: “I understand your mood. You feel as if you have been deceived, but what if he had never thought of deceiving you?”

Long Shen was silent.

Zong Ling smiled. “You’re smart. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice anything at all. Perhaps you’re just subconsciously refusing to admit it and didn’t want to think about it. Looking back, why is it just him that’s special to you? There are so many hardworking and talented people, but why did you lean towards Dong Zhi instead of them? Since you mention life expectancy, why didn’t you recruit an apprentice that’s like you? In my opinion, it seems your reasons are just trying to convince yourself otherwise.”

She raised her head and looked at the stars, and the flickering light made her eyes distant and deep.

“Even if we have a much longer life span than mortals, we still have many regrets that we can’t ask for and miss in our whole life. Long Shen, don’t be like me. You won’t know regret until you lose it.”

She slowly closed her hand, as if trying to grasp the stars. Unfortunately, the seemingly close distance was as vast as the sea.

“Don’t betray your heart.”

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Dong Zhi’s busted. This was a very good chapter. Long Shen, listen to Zong Lao. She’s wise.

Long Shen’s concern regarding life expectancy is pretty valid. This reminds me of my other translation I did: When You’re Older. It’s related to my other translation project: Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day. It’s a story about a couple where one person suffers from a disease that prevents them from aging and the other is a normal person.

It’s a short read (only 8 chapters) but it’s pretty dog abusive, but if you can handle sadness, I do recommend you read it as it describes similarly the situation Long Shen envisions by falling in love with a mortal.

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<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>

Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 70

Long Shen moved slightly, and it was like a quiet beauty had come to life and walked out of a painting.

“All packed up?”

Dong Zhi nodded and said worriedly, “I’m carrying the Changshou Sword. What should I do? Controlled weapons aren’t allowed to be checked in!”

Long Shen: “We’ll go through a separate procedure. I’ll take care of it.”

Dong Zhi felt relieved. If Master was going to handle everything, then there wouldn’t be a problem no matter how difficult it was. Long Shen was like a mountain, stable and reliable. With him, many problems could be solved.

As he was about to leave, he couldn’t help but think back to whether Long Shen had forgotten the things he had said so he couldn’t help but chatter.

“Master, when I’m away, take good care of yourself. Don’t forget to eat and rest, and don’t always stay up late and work overtime, otherwise your body won’t be able to handle it.”

“Master, how are you going to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival? Are you going to spend it with He Yu, Lao Zhong, and Kan Chaosheng?”

“You usually accept express delivery, right? I’ll mail you some specialty products from Lucheng later!”

The noise kept buzzing in his ears that Long Shen couldn’t help but say, “Be quiet for a bit.”

Dong Zhi finally shut up.

Long Shen said, “If I am not by your side, you must also practice diligently, and you can’t slack off.”

“Okay.”

“Although you have recovered most of your qi now, you must never invite god again in the future. Bu Tian gang works well with your kung fu tona, so don’t fall behind.”

“Okay.”

“If there is anything you don’t understand, just ask me. Also, if you don’t have enough money, tell me.”

Dong Zhi felt like laughing. His master had the mentality of an old father that was always worried about his children not having enough money, but this kind of Long Shen had a more human touch. Even if he didn’t need it, he would still take advantage of it.

“Master, I think many disciples in a sect will light a natal lamp when they leave for a long trip, so if something happens outside, the sect can know. Would you like to give me one too? If I lose my life outside, you may not even know.” He wasn’t afraid of cursing himself, so he said it straightforwardly.

The natal lamp was also known as the soul lamp, and it was related to a human’s life. When the candlelight was dim, it meant the person was in danger or in poor condition. When the light was extinguished, it meant the person was likely dead.

Long Shen said, “No need.”

After a pause, he added, “If something happens to you, I will know.”

Long Shen didn’t say any more, and Dong Zhi didn’t ask either. He thought to himself that his master had some methods that were secretive.

It wasn’t currently rush hour, so the car arrived at the airport quickly. Dong Zhi took his luggage and went to go through the check-in procedures while Long Shen took the Changshou Sword to check in. He was very efficient. Just as Dong Zhi had completed the formalities, he had already returned and handed over a card to him.

“After getting off the plane, just take this to the check-in office to pick it up.”

After that, Long Shen raised his hand and glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. Let’s go through security.”

Every line at the security checkpoint was very long. Usually it would take about 40 minutes to go through.

“Then, Master, I’m leaving!”

Long Shen nodded.

Dong Zhi tilted his head and smiled. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

Long Shen: “I said everything that needed to be said in the car.”

Dong Zhi opened his arms. “Then let’s have a farewell hug.”

Long Shen didn’t move. Dong Zhi had now developed a thicker skin. If the mountain refused to move, then he would go to the mountain. He took a step forward and hugged Long Shen.

The airport was always bustling with people coming and going, and partings and reunions were commonplace. Their hugs couldn’t be more common than those around them, but what wasn’t common was their appearance. One was cold and the other warm, just like complementary poles.

Long Shen let him hug him for a while before stretching out his hand and patting him on the back.

“You should go.”

Dong Zhi let go of his hand. “Master, I left you a parting gift. In my dormitory, before you hand over the key to He Yu, go in and take a look and take the gift away.”

Long Shen frowned slightly. “What gift?”

“You’ll find out once you go and have a look!”

Dong Zhi was afraid that he would refuse, so he quickly turned around and left after speaking. With every step he took, the farther away he got from Long Shen.

He picked a security line at random and started queuing up, but he couldn’t help but look back. The figure of the man was no longer there.

Dong Zhi took a deep breath, then picked up the phone to say goodbye to He Yu and Kan Chaosheng.

Long Shen drove back to the Special Administration Bureau. It was rare that he had a free day today, and there wasn’t any official business to deal with, but he still sat at his desk to read documents for a while.

His phone was buzzing, one after another. When he glanced at it, he saw it was a text from Dong Zhi.

[Master, I’m getting on the plane.]

[Due to air traffic control today, the flight was delayed, again.]

[Note that again was purposeful since every time I would depart from the capital, I have never arrived on time.]

[Master, I’m so hungry. It’s been over half an hour and the plane hasn’t even taken off yet. I regret that I didn’t eat more before I went out. Your cutest apprentice is afraid that he’ll starve to death on the plane.]

Long Shen ignored all the dribbled nonsense and finished reading his documents. The other party had stopped sending him messages, so he surmised that he was either too hungry and fainted or the plane had already taken off.

His landline phone on the desk rang, and Long Shen picked it up. After listening for a while, he put the phone down and thought to himself, “he knew it’, then sent separate texts to He Yu and the others.

Zhong Yuyi replied quickly, but He Yu and Kan Chaosheng did not text back. He didn’t know if they had seen his text or not. After waiting for a while without an answer, he got up and went downstairs to He Yu’s office.

Not surprisingly, he saw Kan Chaosheng with He Yu. They were both lying on the sofa, both with a phone in their hands, as their bodies staggered along with the fighting simulation in the game. They were so engaged that they didn’t even notice Long Shen when he opened the door and came in.

They were going to send Dong Zhi off, but when they heard that Long Shen was doing it for them, they didn’t show up at all. They just sent a text saying goodbye and hurried to play games.

Long Shen stood by the door. Seeing that the two were completely immersed and didn’t notice his arrival, he chose the most direct way to wake them up by cutting off the internet.

When He Yu saw the prompt that the game was offline, he couldn’t help but let out a cry, and when he raised his head, his expression immediately changed to a smile.

“Oh, boss, what kind of wind blew you here today? If you have any instructions, just tell me. Why bother to visit in person?”

Long Shen: “I sent you a message, but you didn’t reply.”

He Yu and Kan Chaosheng felt a little guilty when they heard his words. They were in mid-battle just now, so when they saw a message pop up, they quickly swiped it away. Now they’re cursing themselves for being so stupid and that they didn’t read the content.

Long Shen: “Next time, I’ll open an account and keep killing you until you stop playing.”

He Yu, Kan Chaosheng: ……

This threat was too cruel. The two of them followed Long Shen into the conference room with drooping heads.

He Yu originally thought that it would be a general meeting, but when he arrived, he found that there were people in Group One and Group Three. Except for Song Zhicun, who went to Japan, Wu Bingtian was also there.

There was now an unwritten rule in the Bureau that if Director Jiang, who’s not in charge of any specific affair, wasn’t there, that would mean the meeting was business as usual.

He Yu and Kan Chaosheng looked at each other, and quickly sat up straight.

When everyone gathered, Wu Bingtian cut to the chase and said straightforwardly, “For this meeting, I hope everyone will strictly abide by the principle of confidentiality. The level of confidentiality involved in this incident is top secret.”

Everyone’s expressions became serious after these words came out.

Wu Bingtian: “I believe that everyone already knows about the previous situations. First on Changbai Mountain, and then in Yinchuan, we have found two stone tablets. According to research and verification from all parties, the history of these stone tablets is likely to be traced back to the Qin and Han Dynasties, and even before the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Although the runes on the stone tablets haven’t been cracked yet, it’s been preliminarily determined that the content should be related to the suppression of demons. In other words, these two stone tablets that have been unearthed may be part of a larger demon suppression array.”

“The current situation is that a group of foreigners may have obtained more information about the stone tablets from other channels than we have. Their goal is likely to destroy these stone tablets. The stone tablet on Changbai Mountain has been severely damaged, and even if it’s repaired, it will not be the same as before. Fortunately, Boss Long and Boss Song had led a group of people to stop the conspiracy in Yinchuan, recovered some of our losses, and managed to preserve another stone tablet.”

“Last time, Boss Long and the others found a mural in northwest Inner Mongolia with runes similar to the ones on the stone tablet. At that time, they had no idea what they were, so it had to be put on hold for the time being. Later, when they linked it with the Yinchuan incident, they learned that those murals were probably clues to the stone tablets. From Changbai Mountain to Yinchuan, it spans thousands of miles. It’s foreseeable that this talisman array will be unimaginably huge. Now, we hope to get inspiration from the discoveries from these two places, so it could lead us to find more stone tablets rather than passively waiting for the Japanese to get ahead again, leaving us to clean up their mess.”

This remark had become common now. The Bureau had held many meetings on this matter during this period of time. He Yu and Kan Chaosheng later went to Yunnan and didn’t participate, but when they heard this tune, they couldn’t help but yawn secretly.

Then they heard Long Shen said, “We tentatively divided the talisman array into eight regions. Assuming that the stone tablet on Changbai Mountain represents the northeast, and the stone tablet near the tomb of the Western Xia King refers to the northwest, then secret searches will be carried out in six places of east, west, south, north, southeast, and southwest. The southeast direction is tentatively designated as the Putuo Mountain area, and the south is tentatively assigned to the vicinity of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King. He Yu and Kan Chaosheng are responsible for them. The north is tentatively designated as near Xiangshan and The Thirteen Tombs, which we have assigned to the Rong Sheng group. There are currently two in the southwest direction. One is tentatively designated as the Guanghan area, which is assigned to the Ding Lan group. The other is the area from Xi’an to Xianyang, which can also be extended to Weinan, and that’ll be assigned to the Zhang Heng group. The last area to the east is tentatively designated as the area of Zijin Mountain and the Qinhuai River. I will transfer Yu Buhui back and he’ll be responsible for it.”

If it was Wu Bingtian who said this, after he finished speaking, he would add another sentence like, “Do you have any opinions?” Although he may not have listened to them, it reflected on his approachable temperament.

However, since it was Long Shen, he had a completely different style. There was no fluff, and when he spoke, it was concise and straight to the point. There was no nonsense in arranging tasks and it hit all the key points that needed to be delivered.

He Yu was so frightened that he had to choke back his half yawn. Although Long Shen didn’t ask them for their opinions and simply gave the orders, he couldn’t help but say, “Boss, my leg is still lame, so why am I responsible for two places?”

Long Shen said, “Zhong Yuyi and Kan Chaosheng will assist you. When you’re there, the branch office will try its best to provide support, including the newcomers who’ve joined this year. They have been assigned to various offices, so you can put forward your needs to them.”

He Yu pointed to Chaosheng. “Can he help me? It would be nice if he didn’t make trouble!”

Kan Chaosheng stared at him fiercely but didn’t dare to make a move because Long Shen was there. Still, the small expression on his face clearly said it all, ‘Just wait and see. After this meeting is over, if I don’t bite you, Laozi can’t be called a Jiao.’

Wu Bingtian looked around at everyone present and said with a gentle smile. “Only by clarifying the division of labor and performing your respective duties can we be more efficient. If you have any questions, just ask them.”

Zhang Heng from Group One asked, “Leaders, I want to know the meaning of such a division? Can we really find the stone tablet if we go there?”

Wu Bingtian said, “Of course there is a reason for this division. Based on the previous excavation experience of the previous two stone tablets, they were found on Changbai Mountain and Helan Mountain. This is the common point that they both share, so we have reasons to believe that other stone tablets are most likely buried in famous mountains and rivers, or under a certain royal mausoleum. However, China is too big, and the people who laid this array obviously have deep intentions. When we can clarify the exact location, we can only roughly make such a judgment.”

Everyone nodded, obviously agreeing with this view.

Long Shen said, “Our speculation may be right or wrong, so you need to verify it. While looking for the stone tablet in the corresponding locations, you should pay attention to nearby cultural relics and monuments. They mainly contain clues about the stone tablet on them.”

After the bone dragon incident on Changbai Mountain, the Special Administration Bureau had already planned to find the whereabouts of the other stone tablets, but because they had too few clues, it was like finding a needle in a haystack, so ultimately it couldn’t be accomplished. This time, with the discovery of the stone tablet under Liang’s tomb, it gave them a glimmer of light in the heavy fog.

After the collapse of the alter, the Special Administration Bureau invited many capable people to go down and seal the alter again. They also added many talisman arrays, sealed the space of the alter separately, and watered the soil layer, burying it deep. In addition, they sent people there to continue guarding and patrolling the area. If there were no accidents, it’d be difficult to damage this stone tablet again.

—

Dong Zhi had sent several messages in succession, but they all failed. He wasn’t surprised, because he knew his messages were too flighty and his master was such a sullen person. When Long Shen was busy, he wouldn’t even recognize his own parents, so it was normal that he wouldn’t reply to his messages. It just so happened that the reminder that the plane was about to take off sounded, so he turned off his phone and fastened his seatbelt.

He was sitting at the front of the aisle, next to a middle-aged man, who was already fast asleep before the plane had taken off and was snoring from time to time.

When he looked outside the window, he saw the sky getting darker as the sun was setting, covered by dark clouds. The journey alone seemed long and lonely. No one would resist excitement. If there was any, it was because they were afraid of the desolation that would come when the excitement ended.

Dong Zhi originally thought that he was used to living alone and should adapt quickly, but the moment he walked through the security gate, he had already begun to miss his training days with the Special Administration Bureau.

Even when he was separated from the group in Liang’s Tomb, he knew there were countless companions walking in the dark, but now he had to set foot on the unknown road alone. There was also Long Shen. They had never really separated, and he had started to miss him.

Dong Zhi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, got rid of distractions, and began to simulate the whole set of the Tian Gang’s footwork and swordsmanship in his mind.

Under Long Shen’s two-week conditioning, his body had improved greatly compared to when he was first discharged from the hospital. He was no longer short of breath and there wasn’t any palpitation as before. As his Master said, even Zhong Yuyi may not be able to withstand the frequent invitation of gods, not to mention he had invited three righteous gods in a row, which was a great drain on his body and spirit. His illness hit him hard like a mountain, and it would come and go, so he could only slowly recover his vitality.

When the plane entered the stratosphere, the turbulence gradually decreased. The flight attendants dimmed the airport lights to allow passengers to rest. Some people were talking in low voices, while others chose to nap. Not far away, the flight attendants were tidying up their dining cart. This was the quietest moment in his several-hour-long journey.

Dong Zhi couldn’t help being distracted as he thought to himself how Long Shen would react when he saw what he had left behind.

As soon as this thought occurred, he heard a scream.

The woman’s voice was high, and her scream sounded like the noise of a dolphin, which made everyone’s ears tremble. It was full of horror, as if she had encountered the most terrifying thing in her life, causing the entire cabin to be alarmed.

Dong Zhi’s seat was in the high-end economy class, which was behind business class and in front of economy class. Together with the screams from the people in the business class, he had gotten up and reacted faster than others as he opened the curtain and moved forward.

The scream came from a woman with exquisite makeup on, who looked a little familiar at first glance, as if she had been in a TV series or movie.

Dong Zhi didn’t chase stars, so he didn’t think too much of it. He saw that the other party was still sitting in her seat but was shrinking back into it, and was waving her hands frantically, as if to prevent something from pouncing on her, but there was nothing but empty air in front of her.

Not only Dong Zhi, the flight attendant, the airline security personnel, and the people around her also reacted. They all looked around but didn’t dare to step froward. Her companion didn’t know why she was reacting like this and wanted to stop her, but it only made the woman even more frightened.

“Miss Han, what’s wrong with you?!”

“Qiqi, calm down!”

The airline security personnel rushed over when they heard the sound. “Miss, please calm down. If you need help, you can contact our flight attendant. You’re disturbing the peace and order of the airplane!”

The stewardess also tried to comfort her. “Miss Han, are you uncomfortable? I can try to see if there are any passengers on board who is a doctor!”

“Don’t come, don’t come. All of you, don’t come over!” The woman’s horrified eyes swept across them, as if there wasn’t a flight attendant in front of her but a hideous looking demon. Her complexion was blueish-pale, and her beautiful face was reduced to extreme fear.

From the names he heard others call her, combined with her recognizable face, Dong Zhi finally remembered who the well-known star was.

Celebrities and idols are everywhere these days. After making contact with Hui Yiguang, public figures were not particularly new to Dong Zhi. However, this Miss Han Qi was more famous than Hui Yiguang. Her status was close to that of the number one female in a big-budgeted TV series. If Hui Yiguang were to meet her, she would most likely try to curry favor with her.

Right now, Han Qi was behaving less like a public figure and more like a hysterical woman. Although she didn’t scream like she did just now, her behavior was becoming stranger and more erratic.

The flight attendant was overwhelmed, trying to appease her but was also stopping the passengers who came forward to watch the excitement.

“Miss Han, do you have any needs? If this continues and affects the flight, we can only ask the captain to land nearby or return back to the airport. In this case, the impact will be great.”

Han Qi’s lips quivered as she put her hand around her chest. Trembling, she lowered her voice. “Don’t you see it?”

See what? Everyone looked at each other blankly.

The flight attendants and the airline security personnel had begun to suspect that the big star might have mental problems.

Han Qi’s assistants and bodyguards were desperate. Everything was fine before they got on the plane, but suddenly this happened.

Dong Zhi saw that something was off. When the flight attendant came to persuade him to go back to his seat and sit down, he ignored her and took a step forward.

“Let me see her.”

“Sir, are you a doctor?” The flight attendant asked.

Dong Zhi shook his head. “Her condition is not quite like a mental illness.”

Han Qi’s bodyguards regarded him as a fan with bad intentions. Hearing what he said, they showed vigilance and stepped forward to stop him.

At this moment, Han Qi screamed again, “Where is it going?! Oh my god! It’s going to the captain’s cabin! Stop it, don’t let it go!”

The airplane they were on had no first class, with business class the highest tier. In front of business class was the cabin door, a bathroom, and a dining room. After that, there was a narrow aisle in the middle that led to the captain’s cabin.

No one knew what she was talking about. Dong Zhi followed her gaze and saw a pool of stains faintly appearing on the ground of the passage leading to the captain’s cabin, but before he could fix his eyes to see it clearly, it quickly flashed away.

Others may think that they were seeing things, but Dong Zhi was now an “insider of the industry” and could smell the unusualness at once.

Without a second thought, he took out a Sunlight Talisman and threw it in the direction of the captain’s cabin and recited a spell quickly in a low voice.

“The heavens give birth to water, the earth gives birth to fire, the heavens give birth to wood, the earth gives birth to gold. The five central palaces, subdue malignity, overcome disasters, and eliminate all traces of evil! Go!”

Before the talisman touched the hatch of the captain’s cabin, it had already caught fire in mid-air, and the fire instantly became larger and turned into a ball of flames. Everyone screamed, and before the airline security personnel could bring the fire extinguisher, the fire was already gone. It was like a picture of editing failure. Together with the talisman paper, the thing completely disappeared, not even leaving any ashes behind.

“It’s gone!” Han Qi murmured, finally calming down, but her eyes were still focused in the direction they were staring blankly.

Dong Zhi took out a brush and cinnabar, and while everyone was still unresponsive, he quickly tapped Han Qi’s forehead, causing her to close her eyes and fall softly back in her seat.

“What are you doing?!” The bodyguard was furious, thinking that he had done something to Han Qi, and swung at him.

Dong Zhi avoided sideways, stretching out his hand to stop the opponent’s strength.

“I’m not harming her. She’s just been haunted by a nightmare. She’ll be fine when she wakes up.”

Everyone looked at each other. The scene just now was still in front of them. It was too unbelievable and greatly beyond their usual understanding of the world. It was too idiotic for them to suddenly believe the words of a complete stranger.

The airline security personnel and the flight attendant glanced at each other. The former stepped forward and pressed on Dong Zhi’s shoulder, while the latter was quietly blocking Dong Zhi’s way.

“Your behavior just now almost caused a fire. You have violated aviation safety regulations. I hope you can cooperate with our investigation.”

After that, they tried to handcuff him. Dong Zhi thought it was funny as he shrank his hands away to avoid it and hurriedly said, “I’m from the Special Administration Bureau. You may not have heard of it, but your boss has. Please contact the ground. When we land, I’ll cooperate with your investigation, but the plane will not turn back. I am not a dangerous person, and my behavior just now will not cause any harm to the plane.”

The Special Administration Bureau does not disclose its identity to the outside world, so many people did not know that there was such a department. The airline security personnel were naturally suspicious. They felt that Dong Zhi was either a psychopath or a cunning criminal, but they also wanted to evade any kind of responsibility.

Dong Zhi reached into his pocket while his opponent was not slow to react. He thought he was going to draw out some dangerous weapon, so he was quick to stretch out his hand to stop him. Dong Zhi blocked the airline security personnel with one hand and took out his work permit.

“This is my ID. I can leave it with you for the time being. You can also contact the ground to check my identity.”

He stretched out his hand and took the initiative to let the airline security personnel handcuff him.

The airline security personnel was skeptical as he took the ID and went into the captain’s cabin while he asked the flight attendant to monitor Dong Zhi.

Dong Zhi didn’t expect his “courageous deed” to cause such trouble. The only advantage that he got from it was that he had upgraded his seat, free of charge, as there were many vacant seats in business class. Labeled as a “dangerous person”, he was arranged to sit here for surveillance.

The flight attendant sitting next to him felt that this young man with black hair and fair skin didn’t look like a psychopath, let alone a bad guy. More importantly, she had witnessed Han Qi’s strange behavior from start to finish.

When the big star got on the plane, she wore sunglasses and looked like she was thousands of miles away. She didn’t say much, and if she had any needs, all communication was done through her assistant. She had never spoken to any of the flight attendants in person. There were many fans of Han Qi among them, and they wanted to come forward to ask for a group photo, but after seeing her behavior, they decided against it. In private, they couldn’t help but think that the big star seemed bigger than an emperor, which made it difficult to get close.

Because of this, Han Qi’s arrogance was a stark contrast to her neurotic behavior just now. At that time, the plane had been flying steadily. The flight attendant had unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to prepare food when she suddenly saw Han Qi almost jumping out of her seat. She saw a ghost-like expression on her face and watched as she started screaming and flailing around. The problem was, there was a partition on one side and no one else was around.

Recalling Dong Zhi’s words and actions, the flight attendant couldn’t help but feel a bit strange in her heart. She couldn’t help but whisper, “What happened to her just now?”

Dong Zhi whispered back, “I couldn’t see clearly, but it seems there was something abnormal that was bothering her.”

The stewardess looked horrified. “Then, is it wiped out?”

Dong Zhi said, “I have already burned it with talisman fire just now. If it’s not something powerful, then it should be wiped out.”

What he didn’t say was that, after listening to Han Qi’s yelling just now, it was likely the aim of that thing was the captain’s cabin. If it was allowed to enter, who knew what would happen? Perhaps the entire plane would suffer an unpredictable, serious consequence. However, Dong Zhi felt that telling the flight attendant this would only make her more afraid, so he purposefully concealed it.

When the airline security personnel came out of the captain’s room, his face did not look around.

“We contacted the ground, and the Special Administration Bureau does not have someone like you.”

Dong Zhi blurted out, “Impossible!”

“What’s impossible!” The airline security personnel was angry as he was scolded for this. “The plane almost turned around because of you. You’re coming with us when we land!”

Dong Zhi was speechless. Just great. He was originally going to report for duty, but now he had become a suspicious person. Facing the eyes of the airline security personnel who looked at him like he was mentally ill, he helplessly said, “I can verify my identity when we get off the plane.”

Facing the eyes of the airline security personnel who gave him a look like he was mentally ill, he said helplessly, “I can verify my identity when I get off the plane. Have you ever seen a psychopath that can speak so coherently?”

The airline security personnel. “That’s hard to say. Last time, my colleague met one, and they talked about physics and mechanics for a long time. It turns out that he was suffering from a particularly serious condition. He had escaped from a mental hospital and was caught halfway.”

Dong Zhi: ……

---

<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>

Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 69

The sweet scent of osmanthus flowers filled his nose, and when he raised his head, Dong Zhi saw an osmanthus tree with low hanging branches that was in full bloom. He picked off a small branch of flowers and handed it to Long Shen.

“Borrowing flowers to dedicate to Buddha*.”

*(借花献佛) Idiom referring to borrowing other people’s items to entertain guest or give them away.

Long Shen took the osmanthus branch, then looked at the osmanthus tree and saw a full moon on top of the osmanthus tree, then remembered that the Mid-Autumn Festival* was approaching.

*Also known as the Moon/Mooncake Festival, it is a festival celebrated in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Macau. Its popularity rivals that of Chinese New Year. It celebrates three fundamental concepts: gatherings, thanksgiving, and praying.

Dong Zhi also raised his head.

“Master, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. Why don’t we leave in a few days? Otherwise, it’ll be so desolated to spend the holidays alone!”

Long Shen glanced at him. “Don’t push your luck.”

The reason their assignment was delayed was because Director Jiang wanted to hold a mobilization meeting. This was a special exception. If they had to wait until the Mid-Autumn Festival… Why not just leave until after New Year’s? Then there would be another Mid-Autumn Festival in that new year, and at that rate, they’d never leave.

He used to spend his Mid-Autumn Festival alone, but later spent it with He Yu and Kan Chaosheng, so he had no sense of reunion.

Hearing what he said, Dong Zhi wasn’t depressed and instead smiled. His eyes suddenly lit up as he said, “Master, wait for me here for a while. I’ll be right back.” Then he ran away.

Long Shen looked at his fast steps as he ran into a cake shop. After a while, he ran out with a box and stuffed it into his hands.

“Freshly baked meat mooncakes with crispy skin and tender meat. I’ve eaten them before, and they’re pretty good. Anyway, I can’t enjoy the moon with you this year, so this box of mooncakes will represent me and accompany you! I hope you’ll be like this box of mooncakes every year in the future, full and happy.”

With a smile on his face, Dong Zhi quietly put the trinket he was holding in his hand into his pocket. It was a small gift he got for buying a box of mooncakes, a shiny pink heart-shaped keychain. Dong Zhi wanted to give it to Long Shen, but he hesitated and decided against it.

It felt like he was hiding it quietly in his mind, packing it up so that no one would find out.

Long Shen never accepted gifts, no matter how cheap or expensive they were. It was blazing news that he accepted the yulu plant and then became a disciple. Dong Zhi obviously knew his master’s style very well. Before Long Shen had a chance to speak, he blocked his words by saying, “Apprentice filial piety to one’s master can’t be regarded as giving gifts and accepting bribes, right?”

Of course not.

Long Shen took the box, but frowned slightly, wondering if the situation needed a gift in return.

Of course, he has contact with friends from the same generation, but this doesn’t apply to He Yu and the others, because they are his subordinates. Besides, He Yu and Kan Chaosheng are two monkeys that are very good at rubbing their noses and eyes. Today they’ll give him a box of mooncakes, and tomorrow they’ll dare come and ask for a bonus.

While Dong Zhi is a subordinate, he’s also his apprentice. Taking on an apprentice for most of his life was like raising a son. In the afternoon, Song Zhicun and the others talked about their son’s achievements, filial piety, and how considerate their children were and didn’t bother them. Long Shen listened to them. He felt that it would probably be an equivalent amount of effort to take on an apprentice.

What can I give him? I can’t gift him a box of mooncakes in return, right?

Dong Zhi didn’t know what he was thinking, and asked, “Has anyone given you a Mid-Autumn Festival gift before?”

Long Shen nodded first, then shook his head. “Yes, but except for the unit’s issuance, I have confiscated everything else.”

Dong Zhi: “How did you spend the holidays before?”

Long Shen: “Working overtime.”

Dong Zhi almost choked, but he didn’t give up. “What about big festivals like National Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Chinese New Year’s?”

Long Shen said, “Write reports, practice, and deal with accidents.”

He seemed to find it so fulfilling that it made Dong Zhi powerless to complain.

“Then do you feel lonely and bored?”

Long Shen said lightly, “No.”

Because he was alone from the beginning, he naturally never knew what loneliness or boredom was.

“That’s fine. Going forward, you’ll at least have a lovely apprentice to accompany you during Chinese New Year’s!” Dong Zhi said, smiling. His face was getting thicker to the point where he had reached a state of transformation.

Long Shen looked at the “lovely apprentice” and decided not to tell him that he would increase the intensity of tomorrow’s practice for the time being, so he could be silly for a while longer.

Sure enough, the next day, Dong Zhi began to scream for days.

Long Shen was stricter than before, and the meeting time was also advanced from the original 5 a.m. to 4 a.m. He would suddenly be called to the rooftop in the middle of the night without warning and then be attacked without any indication. Either Long Shen would do it in person, or when he didn’t show up, he would send a eudemon, similar to the shikigamis used by the Onmyojis, to mercilessly practice killing him.

Under these circumstances, Dong Zhi had to mobilize what he had learned and try his best to cope. He originally thought that Long Shen’s trial would at least guarantee his basic safety, but after he was hit by the eudemon and his face was covered in blood and his head was almost swallowed by its mouth, he knew that Long Shen meant business.

Dong Zhi wanted to cry without tears.

He knew that what his master was doing was for his own good, so he could develop his ability to protect himself in the future and greatly improve it, so as not to lose his life, but the reality was that it was built on blood and tears.

A week passed quickly.

The day when everyone was scheduled to report to the branch offices was postponed for another week because Director Jiang wanted to hold a symposium for a few days to mobilize everyone to the grass-roots level of experience, so newcomers wouldn’t be so haughty.

Everyone had personally experienced Director Jiang’s meeting skills, so they would rather report to the branch earlier than have to listen to his drabble.

The worst thing was that Long Shen seemed to know that the meeting was just a meeting with nothing too important being discussed, so the daily practice still hadn’t stopped, and he even deliberately challenged Dong Zhi’s limits by increasing the content and difficulty. This only made Dong Zhi even more miserable; he felt like a wilting cabbage during the meetings.

Director Jiang didn’t need to write drafts for his meetings. He only listed a few outlines and then would talk for hours on end.

The contents of today’s meeting were mainly reminiscing about the history of the Special Administration Bureau, how difficult conditions for handling cases back then were, how it wasn’t easy for their predecessors, and how it’s changing with each passing day. Even the training for the newcomers uses the latest research results from China and the United States. In the past, how could they afford such a luxury?

Everyone had heard these words countless of times before, so they could almost recite them by heart. On a cool autumn afternoon, Director Jiang’s voice was like the sweetest lullaby, lulling them to sleep.

Liu Qingbo held on without yawning. When he turned his head, something amazing caught his eyes. Dong Zhi had fallen asleep. He grinned and couldn’t help but poke his waist.

Dong Zhi felt ticklish, so he moved subconsciously, opening one eye and seeing that it was Liu Qingbo. This only made him close his eyes again and change direction as he continued to go back to sleep.

Are you sure I won’t report you? Liu Qingbo laughed angrily.

Dong Zhi had put a large notebook upright on his desk to block off his face. For the time being, Director Jiang was still giving his passionate speech, so he hadn’t noticed the small movements from the class.

Liu Qingbo glanced to the side again.

Ba Sang was holding a pen in one hand and pretending to take notes, while the other hand was placed under the table and was texting on his phone.

No one knew what Xie Qingling was up to as she led her hands under the desk, pulling silk thread and manipulating her puppets.

Zhang Song laid on the table with a pen and a notebook that he was using to write and draw in. Whatever he was writing was definitely not what Director Jiang was saying.

Li Ying was holding his chin with one hand and was also secretly texting with the other. From the corner of his eyes, Liu Qingbo saw that it was an interface for takeout.

It seemed that no one was listening to the lecture, but Liu Qingbo still didn’t want Dong Zhi to sleep so peacefully, so he stretched out his hand and poked his waist again. After poking three times in a row, Dong Zhi finally moved.

He took his phone and sent a message to Liu Qingbo: [I got up at 4 a.m. today.]

Liu Qingbo quickly replied: [Stealing chickens and dogs*?]

*(偷鸡摸狗) Idiom referring to unscrupulous behavior.

Dong Zhi: [Master asked me to get up and practice.]

This is just showing off, right? Liu Qingbo gritted his teeth and replied: [I want to complain to Director Jiang that you fall asleep as soon as he starts speaking.]

Dong Zhi: [Don’t, Lao Liu. You see that other people are also distracted while you listen carefully. You can also play games. Be a good boy and let me sleep for a while.]

Liu Qingbo: [Have you learned yujian* from Boss Long?]

*Reminder: It’s the ability to use spells to control your sword.

Dong Zhi: [How is that possible? I’m just learning footwork now. Master said that I must be at least your level before I can start to think about yujian, so I don’t even want to think about it now.]

When Liu Qingbo saw these words, his heart was immediately mixed. He was happy that Long Shen had affirmed his abilities, but even so, the apprentice was not himself.

He asked Dong Zhi: [Do you know where you’re going for your internship?]

Dong Zhi: [Master refuses to say. How about you?]

Liu Qingbo told him the place.

Dong Zhi replied with an envious expression: [Congratulations, although it’s an office, it’s also in the provincial capital. I’m guessing I’m not as lucky as you. Master will definitely kick me to some third-tier city. By the way, what should I do if your Feijing Sword can’t be found?]

Liu Qingbo became angry when he saw this: [What else can you do? Help me get it back?]

Dong Zhi knew that he had made a mistake, and hurriedly replied: [I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Master also has a lot of hidden swords. Why don’t I go talk to him and see if he’ll take one out to pay you back?]

Liu Qingbo got angry: [If you have the ability, don’t compensate me with your master’s things!]

Dong Zhi made a pitiful expression: [But I don’t have anything. Even the Changshou Sword was given to me by Master. I can only repay it by working indefinitely for the rest of my life.]

Liu Qingbo was born into a swordsmanship family, so naturally, there were many hidden swords in his family. Although the Feijing Sword was precious, it was not the only sword for him.

He suddenly thought of a question: Does this have anything to do with the reason why he wasn’t accepted by Long Shen?

If the Changshou Sword was given to him, of course he would cherish it, but he’d not treat it as the only one like Dong Zhi.

He asked Dong Zhi: [Did Boss Long teach you how to use swords?]

Dong Zhi answered with no reservations: [Yes. He said that all artifacts have spirits. Before using a sword, you must first establish contact with the sword. Only when the soul fits with the sword can it be handier.]

Long Shen had told these words to everyone when he taught them on the rooftop that one day. At that time, when he heard it, he had a different feeling. Liu Qingbo suddenly understood what his problem was.

He had used many swords since he was a child, and they were all famous swords. The Feijing Sword was his most handy one recently, but it’s not the one that has been with him for the longest time. Although he regretted losing the Feijing Sword, he didn’t have any ideas about trying to get it back.

He sent another message to Dong Zhi: [What would you do if you lost the Changshou Sword in battle?]

Dong Zhi thought Liu Qingbo was still thinking about how he used the Feijing Sword to stab into the giant python’s chrysanthemum, so he apologized: [Sorry, I really didn’t think it through at that time. I didn’t know that you found the chrysanthemum one step faster than me.]

As soon as he saw the word chrysanthemum, Liu Qingbo’s face turned blue, as he absolutely didn’t want to recall that tragic experience.

He interrupted Dong Zhi’s reply, which was divided into several texts, and inserted his own words: [I’m not holding you accountable for it. I’m just asking a hypothetical question. If the Changshou Sword was thrown underwater, what would you do in that situation?]

After a while, Dong Zhi replied: [I would go back and find it.]

Liu Qingbo reluctantly refused to give up: [The river is very deep, and the current is fast. What if you can’t find it?]

Dong Zhi: [Still look for it. This sword has extraordinary significance to me.]

Liu Qingbo: [Is it more significant than the previous Qingzhu Sword?]

Dong Zhi gave a positive answer: [Yes.]

Liu Qingbo was disappointed. His swordsmanship has reached the level of perfection, and even his father said that within a few years, he will definitely be able to become a master of swordsmanship in the country. This made him complacent and arrogant, looking down on others he found beneath him.

He only regarded the sword as a weapon for his hands, and he never thought that swordsmanship was to fit the swordsman’s soul with the sword.

Long Shen didn’t hide anything. Liu Qingbo didn’t take this point he mentioned before to heart at that time. He felt that artifacts were just artifacts and could never be comparable to people.

Dong Zhi waited a long time for his reply, and when he looked up, he saw Liu Qingbo was staring at his phone in a daze. He took a page out of Liu Qingbo’s book and started poking his waist, attracting the other’s glaring eyes.

Their small actions finally caught the attention of Director Jiang.

Director Jiang narrowed his eyes. “That classmate, please stand up. Yes, the one in white clothes. What are you doing?”

He didn’t have much contact with Dong Zhi, nor did he participate in specific affairs, so except for Li Ying, who often took the lead, he couldn’t match the names and faces of the others there.

Dong Zhi stood up with an innocent expression. “Hello, Director. Liu Qingbo has a stomachache, so I want to see if he was okay.”

Liu Qingbo: …

He really wanted to strangle the person surnamed Dong.

Liu Qingbo?

Director Jiang remembered everyone’s names, so he turned his gaze to the other.

Liu Qingbo had no choice but to stand up. “I’m sorry. I felt a little uncomfortable in my stomach, and I didn’t want to affect everyone’s learning, so I just endured it.”

Director Jiang waved his hand mercifully. “If you are uncomfortable, don’t bear it. Go back and rest.”

Dong Zhi reacted quickly, “Then I will help him out.”

Liu Qingbo sharply glared at him, signaling that he didn’t need help. Dong Zhi returned it with a harmless smile: Without me, can you leave here early?

The two left the conference room under the envious gaze of everyone.

Liu Qingbo shook off his hand and said in disgust, “You can go back.”

Dong Zhi smiled and said, “I finally escaped. How could I go back and get caught by myself? I’m going to make up for my sleep. Go and have a good rest!”

Liu Qingbo: …

For the first time, he doubted Long Shen’s eyes. What did the other party fancy about this guy? Ingenious laziness?

Dong Zhi had really wronged Liu Qingbo. He now gets up earlier than a chicken and is forced to go to bed early at night, so he had no time for recreational activities. He was almost paralyzed from practicing his sword every day, so it wasn’t easy to squeeze out a little time to sleep.

After another two days, Director Jiang finally let everyone go, just because the next day was the day of departure. Everyone had already learned that the Special Administration Bureau was determined to isolate them this time, and even Li Ying and Chi Banxia, a semi-public couple, were no exception. One was sent to the south and the other to the north. They looked like the cowherd and the weaving maid* who had been torn apart by the Milky Way.

*Romantic Chinese folk tale that tells the story between a weaver and cowherd whose love was not allowed, and they can only meet once every year.

Gu Meiren went to the northwest, while Ba San was in Rongcheng. Dong Zhi was a little closer to Liu Qingbo as he was assigned to the South China Branch but was arranged in Lucheng.

Since then, it has been difficult for everyone to even see each other, let alone when and how they can reunite, like in Yinchuan, to advance and retreat together.

Thinking of this, everyone couldn’t help but feel a touch of sorrow in their hearts.

Song Zhicun was also accustomed to their appearance. Seeing this, he smiled and said, “Almost every year, we will send away newcomers like you and usher in newcomers for next year. It’s just that this group has been the largest number of people who have passed the examination in the past 20 years. Therefore, not only do the directors but those higher ups have high hopes for you.”

They had heard these words many times in the past, but this time they listened seriously, and no one was distracted.

“I hope that at the end of the probationary period next year, I will still be able to see all of you back here. I hope that no matter what difficulties you encounter, you can all move forward and not forget your original intention. Remember, you’re not ordinary practitioners. You are a member of the Special Administration Bureau. You shoulder the heavy responsibility of subduing and eliminating demons, and the responsibility of defending ordinary people.”

Everyone gave him warm applause after he finished speaking.

Song Zhicun raised his hand and pressed it down, waited for the applause to stop, and then said, “In the evening, the Special Administration Bureau will organize a farewell banquet for everyone. I hope you can all attend.”

Someone joked, “Boss Song, you’re actually inviting us to have a good meal!”

The joke was an allusion. The task of the Special Administration Bureau was to subdue and eliminate demons, but sometimes hitting mice would inevitably affect jade bottles. For example, the incident on Changbai Mountain had left behind a lot of trouble in the aftermath. The county protested that the Changbai Mountain tourist area had been destroyed, so the Special Administration Bureau had to compensate as a symbolic gesture. Thus, the Bureau’s funds were usually tight. Employees’ wages and bonuses couldn’t be deducted for such accidents, so they could only be cut from public expenditures. After Director Jiang took office, he was even more drastic and directly cut nearly half of the public expenditure funds. This was often why people complained that the bureau was stingy.

Song Zhicun laughed. “Of course I have to invite you to have a good meal. Tonight, a few of our directors will pay for it out of their own pockets. How can we make everyone happy if you have to pay for your own meal?”

Everyone cheered when they heard his words, and their sorrow suddenly dissipated. Song Zhicun did what he said, and sure enough, he booked a private room in a famous Huaiyang restaurant nearby.

That night, everyone drank to their hearts’ content. Although Dong Zhi could hold his liquor, he couldn’t keep up with Long Shen when he drank with him last time. At the banquet, he was drinking one cup after another, and soon he became impetuous, and his vision started to blur as he saw everyone around him had three-four afterimages around their figures.

Perhaps it was because they were parting soon, but Long Shen didn’t stop him this time. On the contrary, he made an exception and actually joined the banquet as well. He was good at holding his liquor and drank a lot with everyone. Even Song Zhicun and Wu Bingtian couldn’t keep up as they had to lie down while he sat on his chair looking calm.

“Master, if I knew you could drink so well, I wouldn’t have drunk with you before. I should think of other ways.”

Long Shen looked at his apprentice, who was flushed and even spoke with slurred words. He had no choice but to touch his forehead.

“You’re drunk.”

Dong Zhi smiled. Just as he was about to say something, he was dragged aside by someone.

“Surname Dong, although I don’t like you, you have saved my life. As I man I raise this cup to you!” Liu Qingbo handed over a glass, and his speech was on the brink of slurring as well.

Dong Zhi felt a buzzing sound in his ears. The alcohol was now at its peak. He didn’t hear what Liu Qingbo was saying, and his eyes were confused, and he had lost focus. He kept laughing as he took the glass and drank it all in one gulp, which caused Liu Qingbo to shout “Good!”.

Looking around, others were not in much better condition than he was.

Li Ying and Zhang Song have been arguing since the zombie simulation training. At that moment, after three glasses of alcohol, they seemed to put aside their differences for the time being. The two brothers got together to talk and laugh as they exchanged cups.

Ba Sang and Xiang Yongnian were originally arm wrestling, but later, at the instigation of everyone, they moved on to a drinking competition, which attracted the heckling of the others.

Xie Qingling and a few other girls drank less, but their faces were still flushed as they were also drunk.

Even Wu Bingtian and Song Zhicun inevitably drank too much. One fell asleep on the table, and the other proposed a toast to Liu Qingbo, and started rambling on. No one knew what he was talking about.

Seeing this, Long Shen shook his head, went to pay the bill, and then pulled up Dong Zhi and walked out. The autumn wind was getting stronger, filling the air with the scent of osmanthus flowers. Dong Zhi dressed lightly when he came to the banquet. The chill caused him to shudder, waking him up a bit.

“Master…” he shouted in a daze. His memory had stopped when Liu Qingbo was talking to him.

“Don’t drink too much, or you won’t be able to leave tomorrow afternoon,” Long Shen said.

Dong Zhi nodded and let Long Shen lead him away without resistance. Seeing that Long Shen’s pace was steady as usual, he couldn’t help muttering, “It seems like what you said is true. You can really hold your liquor as no one can outdrink you!”

Long Shen asked, “Is all the luggage packed? Are you taking the cat too?”

Dong Zhi nodded. “I have asked He Yu to take care of it for a few days. When I settle down over there, I’ll bring the cat over.”

Long Shen said, “Let me.”

Dong Zhi: “Huh?”

Long Shen: “I won’t go out for a while.”

Dong Zhi let out a sigh and scratched his head. “Then I will pack up all its litter and cat food and send it to you later.”

Long Shen: “Don’t bother so much. I’ll just come over and feed it after I get off work. He Yu’s used to living in the office. After you leave, there will be no one in that room.”

Dong Zhi felt lightheaded as he tried to discern Long Shen’s words, but his ears kept buzzing and he couldn’t hear clearly. He couldn’t help muttering a few words in his mouth, but Long Shen couldn’t hear him.

He was usually a very chatty apprentice and could always seemingly find things to talk about, but after he got drunk, he was much quieter and didn’t make trouble. Dong Zhi was led back to the dorms and was quiet the whole way. He obediently obeyed Long Shen’s orders. If he was asked to walk, he would have woken up. When he was asked to climb the stairs, he did so. Long Shen led him to his dorm, and after thinking for a while, he took out a card.

“I didn’t know what gift to get you, so take this card and use it if you need money. You should practice more when you have time.”

Dong Zhi took it, and stared blankly at him. “Is it a token of love?”

It seems he was drunk and confused. Long Shen said helplessly, “It’s your Mid-Autumn Festival gift.”

He put the card in Dong Zhi’s pocket, opened the door for Dong Zhi, and watched him fall onto the bed before closing the door and leaving.

When he laid down, Dong Zhi didn’t wake up until noon the next day. He sat on the bed blankly for a long time, and it wasn’t until Longlong jumped into the bed and meowed at him that he began to recall the events of last night, little by little.

Everyone had attended the farewell banquet, and they all drank like there was no tomorrow. Then Long Shen sent him back, and then…

He put his hand in his pocket and found a card. A brand-new bank card.

He didn’t care about changing his clothes as he hurriedly ran out and knocked on the opposite door to his room. No one answered.

In broad daylight and working hours, Long Shen would naturally be in his office, so Dong Zhi went to his office and found him there.

Long Shen frowned, seeing that he reeked of alcohol and his clothes were all crumpled. “You just got up?”

Dong Zhi felt embarrassed, scratched his head and took out the bank card. “There’s still time until my plane leaves at 4. Master, did you give me this card last night? I don’t have anything I need to spend money on, so you should take it back.”

“I’ve given it to you, so just take it.” He never intended to take back what he gave.

In exchange for a box of mooncakes, he got a bank card in return. This deal was so cost-effective. Dong Zhi put the card back in his pocket.

Long Shen resumed approving documents for a while until he looked up and saw that Dong Zhi was still standing there.

“What are you doing, standing there in a daze? Go change your clothes and get something to eat. Then I’ll take you to the airport at 1.”

Dong Zhi suddenly said, “Master, you shouldn’t always work overtime in the future. Although you are also very rich, you have accepted an apprentice now. If you have something you want, I can make money and support you.”

Long Shen raised his brows slightly. “You’re so anxious that you ran over without even combing your hair just to say this?”

“Of course not! I’ll go back and wash up now!” Dong Zhi said, as he ran away.

Men don’t usually have much luggage. For Dong Zhi, he brought with him cinnabar and yellow paper, tools for drawing, his laptop, a drawing board, a few pieces of clothing, and his daily necessities. With everything packed, the most important thing was the Changshou Sword.

He took a shower and changed his clothes. He thought he wanted to leave a good impression on his master before parting, and not that unkempt appearance when he first got up, so he sprayed on a little cologne.

When he arrived at the parking garage, Long Shen was already there, with his back to him, leaning against the car door with his arms crossed around his chest. His legs and feet were slender, and he looked like a picture of a beauty that was bowing her head while contemplating.

“Master!” Dong Zhi walked over quickly while dragging his suitcase.

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Kinky Thoughts:

The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl

The story tells of the romance between Zhinü (織女; the weaver girl, symbolizing the star Vega) and Niulang (牛郎; the cowherd, symbolizing the star Altair). Their love was not allowed, and thus they were banished to opposite sides of the heavenly river (symbolizing the Milky Way). Once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for a single day.

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