(Special thanks to our four new allies: [Yan Ruyu's English], [Handsome Mu Yi], [Xiaodan], and [Ke Xi]! Bow~)
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Chapter 18 [Where Is It Hidden?]
Two days passed quickly.
In the past two days, Chen Yan did not leave his house. When he was hungry, he ordered takeout. When he got tired of it, he cooked two dishes himself.
The ordered greenstone strips hadn't arrived yet, so the formation couldn't start.
Chen Yan spent half of his time each day meditating and practicing the Primordial Qi Transport Technique, feeling the pleasant sensation of Primordial Qi entering his body—anymore and he couldn't take it. With low cultivation, the body could only bear so much Primordial Qi.
After kicking Lu Sisi into the water last time, his Primordial Qi (Merit?) increased again. Over the past two days, Chen Yan tried to practice a new Miracle Art from the secret manual.
Law.
This isn't a single Miracle Art but a set of them.
Within this set, there are various rune techniques: Defense, Attack, Control, Concealment…
There are quite a few of them.
The training threshold varies; some are easier while some are harder.
But different rune techniques can be learned individually.
This set of Law was selected by Chen Yan from the secret manual—its criteria are the same as the Spirit Gathering Array: low threshold, high ceiling.
And it has comprehensive functions.
Defense is a defensive spell. Once mastered, it condenses Primordial Qi into a defense spell when danger arises.
The others, like Attack and Control, involving elements like water and fire, are self-explanatory.
Chen Yan is a cautious person.
His Primordial Qi cultivation isn't high, so the first one he chose to practice was…
Escape Rune Technique!
Escape... means running.
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The Escape Rune Technique is easy to train. After two days, Chen Yan's Law Order—Escape Rune Technique was already at the beginner level, and the rest would depend on his Primordial Qi cultivation.
The higher the cultivation, the faster and farther one can run. The lower the cultivation, the slower and shorter the distance.
After mastering the Escape Rune Technique, Chen Yan closed his courtyard gate and practised jumping around the courtyard for two days.
From the east end to the west end of his courtyard, which was about a hundred meters.
Using the Escape Rune Technique, the Primordial Qi condenses and then releases according to the incantation…
His body moved like a swallow skimming water, and in three leaps, he could cross from the east end to the west end!
Moreover, during the process, he had a feeling of "flying close to the ground."
This feeling made Chen Yan extremely happy!
When he first mastered it, it was like a child getting a new toy, and he spent an entire afternoon playing in the courtyard.
If he weren't afraid of being seen, he would have loved to go out on the main road and fly around a few times!
"Damn, the courtyard is still too small. When I master the Concealment Rune, I have to try it on the main road!
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The night they arranged to perform the ceremony, Assistant Yan arrived shortly after ten o'clock, as promised.
Chen Yan, who always kept his word about taking money to solve problems, had his three treasures ready and greeted Assistant Yan with a smile before leaving.
As for Luo Qing, he completely ignored Chen Yan.
Assistant Yan brought three cars that slowly drove into the villa's garage.
Two business cars and one sedan.
Chen Yan noticed a few people getting out of one business car, probably subordinates of President Fang or Luo Qing.
The other business car clearly wasn't for passengers.
Through the car windows, Chen Yan vaguely saw the seats were removed and it was filled with things covered by yellow cloth. He had no idea what they were.
But Chen Yan was principled; he promised not to return.
However, after Assistant Yan and the others went into the villa garage and closed the doors of both the garage and the courtyard…
Chen Yan strolled for a bit, took a turn at the road, and circled back to the right side of his villa.
He just sat on the roadside within the community, with flower beds and green zones behind him, and his villa's courtyard wall further back.
He promised not to go inside but didn't say he couldn't be outside.
Sitting there by the flower bed for over half an hour, Chen Yan browsed his phone, thinking they should have started by then.
Midnight, which is from eleven o'clock onwards.
He had left at ten-thirty and had been sitting here for almost forty minutes.
Checking the time, it was already 11:10 PM.
Chen Yan took a deep breath, manipulated the Primordial Qi in his body, and infused it into his eyes.
Opening Celestial Eye for Qi Observation, he silently calculated the Destiny Cycle method…
He quietly, with his breath much lighter than usual, used the "Celestial Eye" to observe the direction of his villa's courtyard wall, feeling the Qi fluctuations inside…
A minute passed…
Five minutes…
Ten minutes…
Chen Yan waited for nearly twenty minutes.
It had already been winter for quite some days. At almost midnight, it was extremely cold outside, and Chen Yan's nose was red from the cold.
With his Primordial Qi initiation, his hearing was sharp enough that he could hear Luo Qing's voice from his courtyard despite the courtyard wall.
With heightened senses, Chen Yan faintly heard Luo Qing's mumbling, carried by the wind, in a strange accent…
It sounded similar to how his grandmother used to chant and cast spells in the countryside.
No matter how intensely Chen Yan used the Celestial Eye Qi Observation Skill to sense…
there wasn't a single trace of Qi fluctuation.
"Impossible. How can there be no Qi fluctuation when performing a spell?"
Chen Yan was puzzled for a moment before suddenly realizing and then laughed.
Ha, what expert? Just a con artist.
So, President Fang got tricked.
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Figuring out the situation, Chen Yan no longer felt like staying out in the cold. He stretched and walked towards the community gate.
He booked a ride to the East City University City to find an internet café for an all-night session.
In this upscale villa area, there were no internet cafés nearby.
He didn't want to bother looking elsewhere either.
Better to head back to the familiar internet cafés near the school—comforting.
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In a two-story old commercial building in an alley behind a commercial street near school.
The old sign had four colored characters: Extreme Internet Café.
Chen Yan walked in, feeling the warm comfort from the air conditioning inside, like spring.
And... the smell of a boys' dormitory in summer!
The air was filled with smoke and the smell of instant noodles, the sound of keyboards, and occasional swearing.
Sweeping his gaze over the first-floor hall, most of the hundred or so computers were occupied, probably by students from nearby schools spending the night.
Chen Yan walked up to the counter and smiled, "Boss lady, open a computer for me, all night!"
The boss lady, who was watching a historical drama on her computer, lifted her eyes and gave Chen Yan a flirtatious look.
"Oh, Xiaoyan? It's been a while since you came."
"I graduated," Chen Yan said. "I didn't bring my ID, can you swipe me in?"
The boss lady casually pulled out an ID from a pile, stood up, leaned forward, and scanned it on a machine.
Beep.
Chen Yan took a deep breath.
This boss lady was truly something.
She looked about thirty, with large eyes and a small face, having a natural allure enhanced by the mature charm unique to women her age…
Her figure was especially… incredible.
Standing up, half-bending over, and leaning slightly forward…
This posture could mesmerize eight out of ten men.
No wonder during university, the guys used to joke about it.
Staying overnight in an internet café? With money, overnight with the boss lady, they joked!
The boss lady, used to being watched by students, didn't mind Chen Yan looking at her.
But none dared to be disrespectful as her brother was not to be messed with!
Bulky, dragon tattoos, and a bald head…
And she had three like that!
Often seen hanging around the store.
One even had a crescent scar on his head, supposedly from a knife fight when he was younger!
With those three brothers, she sat firmly in her shop.
"Machine 46, go ahead."
The boss lady fiddled with her computer before tossing Chen Yan a key.
Chen Yan caught it and added, "Get me a bowl of instant noodles, with sausage and an egg for a late-night snack."
The boss lady beamed, "People with jobs do spend more freely."
She then yelled, "Xiaogu! Machine 46, instant noodles, add sausage and egg!"
"Got it."
Suddenly, Chen Yan heard a clear voice from the aisle behind a row of machines.
Turning to look, he saw a girl's back.
Wearing a somewhat old-fashioned black cotton coat—hmm, that looked familiar.
A thick braid hung down her back.
The girl, with her back to Chen Yan, was sweeping up cigarette butts.
Glancing at her, Chen Yan turned back to the boss lady, "Hired someone?"
"No, can't afford to hire anyone," the boss lady munched on chips, "She's a pitiful soul. Yesterday, I saw her wandering outside the shop for hours, so I invited her in for noodles.
Turned out she came to Jinling Prefecture to find someone, got her money and phone stolen, and couldn't even afford food."
Chen Yan chuckled, "You should've taken her to the authorities. The police."
"She refuses," the boss lady whispered, "I suspect she might be a runaway. Won't see the cops.
I pitied her, so I let her stay a few days.
During the day she looks for the person, and comes back by six at night to sweep and serve as a waitress.
Late at night when it's quiet, she sleeps in the store room's back steel bed.
No pay, just two meals a day."
Listening to this, Chen Yan felt…
It was half believable.
The boss lady avoided the cops, likely for her own reasons.
Internet cafes often had violations—like fire safety.
And her brothers looked like trouble, probably with past issues.
She wouldn't invite the police.
But her intention to help was genuine.
In these times, seeing someone in need and offering a meal was rare. Bringing them back, providing food and shelter, was even scarcer.
Chen Yan didn't dwell and went to play games.
Playing for a while, with headphones on, he didn't notice other sounds.
Suddenly, a hand reached over, placing a steaming bowl of instant noodles on his desk.
While gaming, his arm raised, hitting the bowl, a few drops of soup splashed on his hand.
Before he could react, a clear voice behind him quickly apologized.
"Sorry."
Then left.
Chen Yan was stunned.
The voice was pleasant.
But…
Why did that 'sorry' sound familiar?
He wanted to turn and look, but a voice in his headphones shouted.
"Get to the top lane! Where are you! Come on!"
He quickly refocused and continued gaming.
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In the storeroom, the Gu girl quickly hid, peeking through the door at the internet café hall.
She recognized Chen Yan.
Wasn't it him she snatched the chicken bucket from the other day?
Fortunately, he didn't recognize me.
Sighing, she sat on the steel bed, pondering.
So many days…
Where on earth had that detestable Chen Family hidden!!
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