Chapter 51: A Chance Encounter with Ji Qinglan
Chapter 51: A Chance Encounter with Ji Qinglan
“He’s just a student. How can he be so skilled?”
The man on the sofa didn’t believe it. His opponent was just a college student in his early twenties. Even if he had trained since before he was born, he couldn’t be that amazing, could he?
“I didn’t believe it at first either. But after testing him a little, I immediately understood how formidable he was. That’s why I retreated right away.”
The middle-aged man replied respectfully.
“Oh? How did you test him?”
The sofa man asked calmly.
“He caught five consecutive attacks of mine with bare hands.”
“So he truly is an expert.” Hearing this, the sofa man understood instantly. “But the task assigned by our client must be completed. There’s one last chance. Should you fail, we’ll find someone else.”
With that, the sofa man tossed out a check. Without lingering, he stood up and walked into the shadows behind the sofa. Moments later, a luxurious car sped away from the small Western-style building.
The middle-aged man’s hand holding the check trembled slightly. Gone was his earlier composure and calm. Instead, he felt an unprecedented weight pressing on him. This mission wasn’t as simple as he had thought.
Thinking back on it now, accepting this task had indeed been reckless. He should have investigated the student’s background thoroughly before deciding whether to take the job.
It was too late now. Either that student dies, or he himself perishes. If the mission fails, he would be the first person the sofa man would eliminate!
Facing the power behind the sofa man, the middle-aged man knew he stood no chance.
With a bitter laugh, he entered a room. Pressing on an inconspicuous groove in the wall, the bed instantly slid aside, revealing a secret passage below.
He descended into the tunnel. Below, however, the furnishings were utterly modern, with everything one could need. The dilapidated house above was merely a facade.
All the staff who had originally built this place had been killed. No one knew it existed.
Sitting by the computer, the middle-aged man pulled up Lin Mu’s file again. He began scrutinizing it carefully, line by line, not daring to be the least bit careless. Unfortunately, the information was extremely sparse. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find any clues.
Unwilling to give up, he went over it several more times. Finally, he had to admit that going through this information wouldn’t yield any way to deal with Lin Mu. Disappointed, he started planning for full-time surveillance, preparing to personally uncover Lin Mu’s weakness.
Having been a professional killer for so many years, this much he was confident about. All he needed was a period of observation. Anyone’s weakness would eventually show itself.
“Whoosh!”
The middle-aged man suddenly looked up. His right hand flashed, and a silver streak shot out. A throwing knife landed squarely in the center of a portrait on the opposite wall. The person in the painting was Lin Mu.
The following week passed peacefully. Lin Mu went to class every day, returned home to cultivate, had meals with the three girls, and went shopping. There were no more assassination attempts.
Since encountering the killer, Lin Mu had been keeping a close eye on Li Guangrui. However, he didn’t seem to notice any suspicious behavior. Lin Mu felt the assassin might not have been sent by the Li family after all. It was highly likely someone else had used the Li name as a cover.
As for who wanted him dead, Lin Mu’s thoughts raced. He simply couldn’t think of anyone who harbored such deep hatred towards him. Unable to resolve this, he dared not relax for even a moment.
Saturday arrived quickly. None of the three girls had gone home this week. After dinner, Lin Mu suggested going out for a walk to unwind. Song Yuru immediately agreed, but the other two remained unmoved.
“What? Aren’t you joining us?” Lin Mu asked, puzzled.
“What would we go for? To be third wheels?” Ye Zixi retorted sarcastically.
“What third wheels? Come on, it’s fine.” Lin Mu scratched his nose.
“We won’t go. Oh, and Yuru, don’t forget about tomorrow night,” Ye Zixi shook her head.
“Aiyo! I nearly forgot! Tomorrow night is Situ Xiu’s birthday party!” Song Yuru gasped.
“All you remember these days is A-Mu. What else is there?” Ling Xuanrong teased immediately.
“It’s not like that!” Song Yuru stuck out her tongue. “Then let’s skip the walk tonight. The three of us should go shopping for clothes instead!”
“Now that’s more like it! You still retain a shred of humanity!”
Ye Zixi nodded, a trace of satisfaction showing in her expression.
“But what about A-Mu alone?” Ling Xuanrong asked.
“Let him go for his walk by himself. He doesn’t want to go shopping with us anyway. Last time completely traumatized him!” Song Yuru giggled.
“Alright. Go early and be back early. Don’t stay out too late.”
Lin Mu nodded and left the house alone.
For his evening stroll, Lin Mu chose the campus of Donghai University. Inside was a large park, a popular spot for students to relax and unwind in the evening.
Walking into the park, Lin Mu idly wandered around. Before long, he arrived at the lotus pond. The lotus flowers in the pool were vibrant green buds yet to fully bloom.
Closing his eyes, Lin Mu inhaled deeply, savoring the faint, sweet fragrance of the lotuses. He became completely immersed in the tranquil atmosphere.
Suddenly, the Zhenqi within his body began circulating rapidly – a feeling much stronger than before. This was because he hadn’t reached the Spirit Gathering Realm earlier. Back then, his Zhenqi was scattered chaotically through his meridians.
Now that his Dantian was open, all his Zhenqi flowed into it. This sudden acceleration felt completely different. Scanning his surroundings sharply, Lin Mu’s gaze settled on a familiar white figure.
Ji Qinglan had been peacefully sitting in the pavilion, enjoying the lotus pond under the moonlight. Suddenly, her Zhenqi accelerated for no apparent reason, making her heart race. She only just managed to calm it down.
Before she could look around properly, a man had already entered the pavilion. It was the same man she had seen previously in the cafeteria and on Wushuang Peak.
Seeing the expressionless woman in white, Lin Mu relaxed his control over his own Zhenqi. The energy instantly surged out from his Dantian, racing through his meridians.
His eyes locked onto the woman in white. Soon, he noticed her discomfort – a flush had crept onto her pale face. Slightly sensing it, he realized she was desperately trying to suppress the Zhenqi wildly coursing through her Dantian.
“Don’t suppress it. Relax your control. Let it flow naturally.”
Lin Mu suddenly spoke. Then, he slowly took a seat on a bench opposite her in the pavilion.
“What’s your name?”
The woman in white bit her lip as she asked.
“I’m Lin Mu. And you?”
“Ji Qinglan. Why does my Zhenqi go wild every time I see you?”
Ji Qinglan stared at Lin Mu, almost grinding her teeth. This man – nothing good ever happened whenever he appeared.
“That… I truly don’t know. But I’ve noticed there seems to be a strange pull between us, drawing us together.” Lin Mu shook his head with an awkward smile.
Ji Qinglan stared coldly at Lin Mu for a long moment before speaking. “Come with me. Let’s see if we can figure this out.”
Lin Mu nodded and followed Ji Qinglan to the far end of the park, a secluded and dimly lit grove where students rarely ventured.
“Let’s begin!” Ji Qinglan stopped abruptly and turned around.
“Huh?” Lin Mu was momentarily stunned, failing to grasp her meaning.
“I said, let’s connect our Zhenqi. We need to see what relation exists between our energies.”
Ji Qinglan stated coolly.
Slowly raising her hands, an intense chill immediately radiated from her body. A thin layer of frost formed on the grass beneath her feet.
Lin Mu finally understood. Concentrating, the Zhenqi within his Dantian surged forth, flowing rapidly through his meridians and gathering in his palms.
Their palms touched.
Instantly, the Zhenqi within both their bodies spun wildly. As the speed constantly increased, it surged violently towards the point of contact – the center of their joined palms.
However, the moment their respective streams of Zhenqi met at their connected palms, an immense force erupted without warning. Both were simultaneously blasted several meters apart.
“Are you alright?”
Lin Mu immediately asked with concern, noticing a trace of blood at the corner of Ji Qinglan’s lips.
“I’m fine. Just a minor internal vibration. I’ll be alright after a bit of recovery.”
Ji Qinglan waved her hand dismissively. She gently pressed down with both hands, steadily calming her agitated Zhenqi.
In that brief moment, both their streams of Zhenqi had become noticeably more refined. It wasn’t an increase in quantity, but a higher level of purity. They both realized this almost instantly.
“You too?”
Lin Mu noticed the flicker of pleasant surprise in Ji Qinglan’s eyes.
“Yes. Truly purified. I can feel the power of my Frostglaze True Qi has increased slightly.”
A hint of excitement even touched Ji Qinglan’s usually impassive face.
“It seems we can cultivate together often going forward,” Lin Mu said, visibly pleased. Anything that enhanced their strength was definitely worth pursuing. “This is greatly beneficial as it purifies the quality of our Zhenqi.”
“Where did your Internal Cultivation Method originate from?”
Though Ji Qinglan knew it was taboo for Martial Artists to ask such things, she couldn’t resist.
“My Cultivation Technique? It was taught to me by an old monk when he came asking for alms at my home,” Lin Mu made up casually. “What about you?”
“I cultivate my family’s ancestral method. It was supposedly quite famous in the past, but nobody’s managed to reach its higher realms for a very long time.” Ji Qinglan also disclosed her origins.
“How about we try again? See if there are any other effects?”
Lin Mu suggested.
Ji Qinglan naturally agreed. Soon, their Zhenqi connected once more. Slowly, they began guiding their energies to circulate. As the Zhenqi spun faster and faster, Lin Mu focused intently, striving to synchronize its frequency perfectly with Ji Qinglan’s.
Just as his control grew steadier and better, their Zhenqi suddenly and unexpectedly intertwined. In the blink of an eye, they merged together seamlessly, like milk blending into water, becoming indistinguishable from each other.