"Gentlemen, gentlemen, can we make an exception? I'm here to see Master Wang Ye, and I truly mean no harm."
Just as Qingshui and Wang Ye reached the laboratory door, they heard this voice from outside.
"I apologize, Mr. Chen, but it's my duty. Without a key card, you won't be allowed in. Even a piece of paper thrown into the trash here gets inspected before being destroyed. Forget about being one of the Ten Elders; even the chairman of Nadou Tong has to follow the rules."
The security guard, an old man sitting in the guard booth by the door, shook his head at a bald man in an ochre-red Tang suit, his expression unyielding.
The bald man was Chen Jinkui.
Qingshui's laboratory was the most crucial place in all of Peking University, and perhaps one of the most important places in the entire Capital City, even the whole country.
Countless forces wanted to get their hands on any research findings or information from within.
The security personnel protecting this place were all transferred from certain departments, and many of them were expert Anomalous Humans.
For instance, Old Man Qin, the doorman security guard, was re-hired after retiring from Nadou Tong's intelligence department. He was quite capable, especially as a professional in intelligence gathering and counter-intelligence.
Old Man Qin naturally recognized Chen Jinkui, a Ten Elder of the Anomalous Human World and the current head of the School of Techniques.
And precisely because Chen Jinkui was the head of the School of Techniques and one of the Ten Elders, he hadn't been arrested as a spy.
"Hey! Master Wang! Professor Zhuo! Jinkui is so glad to finally see you two!"
Chen Jinkui spotted Qingshui and Wang Ye emerging from the door from afar, immediately stretched out his hand, and shouted, wanting to jump over the barrier and run forward, but Old Man Qin stopped him again.
If Chen Jinkui actually jumped in, Old Man Qin would lose his job.
Wang Ye instantly felt a headache brewing.
He was now working with the big shots, so why were people from the old circle still clinging to him?
"Teacher Zhuo, about this…"
"You handle it. Just remember, I'm protecting you now. Whatever Chen Jinkui wants to do to you, he won't be able to."
Qingshui nudged Wang Ye with his chin, signaling him to go resolve it himself.
"Hurry up and send him away. If we're late, we'll miss today's freshly carved roast duck."
Hearing this, Wang Ye straightened his chest and went to talk to Chen Jinkui.
The latter's expression quickly became complicated, then he suddenly knelt down, about to kowtow to Wang Ye on the spot.
"Master Wang, please have mercy on me, Kui'er. Kui'er is sick, a sickness of the heart, and only Master Wang can cure it. If not, then please accept me as your disciple! Even if it's just serving you tea and water, washing clothes, and cooking meals, Kui'er would be willing! Master!!"
"Please, Old Man Kui, you're the head of the School of Techniques, a prominent figure in the Anomalous Human World. How can you kowtow to a junior like me?"
"It's only right for a disciple to kowtow to his master. This School of Techniques is nothing compared to the unique skill you possess, Master. Please, just let me see it!"
Chen Jinkui cried and pleaded to Wang Ye, snot and tears streaming down his face.
Others coveted the power of the Wind-Rear Strange Gate, but Chen Jinkui was truly obsessed with the art of divination, desperately seeking the highest mysteries within Qimen Dunjia, to the point of almost becoming deranged.
"I haven't agreed yet."
Wang Ye's usually calm, Buddhist-like demeanor was on the verge of collapsing.
With Qingshui present, he believed Chen Jinkui wouldn't resort to underhanded tactics.
But he also feared Chen Jinkui would just relentlessly pester him and keep harassing him.
If he had to run into Chen Jinkui every day, would he even have a life?
Yet, with Chen Jinkui acting like such a persistent nuisance, Wang Ye truly couldn't do anything about him.
A pleading look from Wang Ye's eyes shot towards Qingshui.
"Chen Jinkui, right?"
"Yes, it's me, Professor Zhuo! No, Grandmaster Zhuo! You're Master's mentor, so Kui'er is your grand-disciple."
"Alright, I don't have grand-disciples like you. To be my disciple, you'd need at least a master's from Peking University or Tsinghua University, and a Ph.D. from a 985 university, wouldn't you?"
"Jinkui knows he's not worthy of your regard. When I was young, my family was poor, and I couldn't afford college. I could only follow the elders of my sect to practice feng shui for a living. But please, you and Master…"
"Enough, stop whining. Wang Ye isn't your master, and I'm certainly not your grandmaster. As for the Wind-Rear Strange Gate, let alone you, even I can't learn it now. If you did, you'd either die or go crazy."
"You're right, Kui'er, I am crazy. Learning the art of Qimen Dunjia is like learning mathematics in university; nine out of ten will go mad. Kui'er is especially mad! But as long as I can glimpse the mysteries of the Wind-Rear Strange Gate, then I…"
"Chen Jinkui, are you testing my patience?"
Qingshui frowned.
This guy was so annoying.
"Grandmaster…"
"Uncle Qin, Brother Yue, would you two kindly escort Chen Jinkui out? If he continues to bother us, it means he's disrupting my work, and I'll have to apply for a restraining order."
Not far away, about ten meters from Qingshui, the shadows on the ground writhed, and two figures emerged.
One was Yue Qian, and the other was a middle-aged man in a black mandarin jacket.
This was Qingshui's other bodyguard, Zhang Ding, an elite transferred from the Ministry of State Security.
He was a congenital Anomalous Human whose ability allowed him to disappear into shadows with an object of some mass, ignoring all terrain obstacles to escape. It was similar in principle to the Wang Family's Divine Coating.
Although his raw power wasn't as strong as Yue Qian's, his ability was crucial for protecting Qingshui's life.
If danger arose, he would take Qingshui and disappear into the shadows to escape.
Besides the two of them, another Anomalous Human named Chen Dong also served as Qingshui's bodyguard. He was stronger than Zhang Ding but slightly weaker than Yue Qian. However, he was a master of talismans and carried a second-grade Spirit Invocation Talisman from the imperial treasury, which could summon Lord Guan to possess him.
While this couldn't replicate the power of the historical Lord Guan, who famously intimidated all of China and was unrivaled, it was enough to grant him invincible power against anyone below the absolute top tier for a short period.
If he truly encountered someone of the absolute top tier, this talisman could save his life.
But Chen Dong was currently on rotation and wasn't here.
"No, Grandmaster! Master! I, Jinkui, am sincere!" Chen Jinkui bellowed, his arms held by Old Man Qin and Yue Qian.
He desperately wanted to pull out his Bagua coins, but the last vestiges of rationality in his brain told him that if he so much as thought about making a move here, it wouldn't just be a question of whether he could get the Wind-Rear Strange Gate; it would be a question of whether he could even keep his life.
At the very least, he'd be locked up and lose his freedom.
I'll let it go this time. I'll find another opportunity later!
Chen Jinkui was dragged out, still yelling.
Wang Ye helplessly covered his head. "What do we do now? It looks like Chen Jinkui won't give up easily."
"No matter. If you can't stand it, just teach him directly. Whether he can learn it is his business. If you want, you can even set a few conditions for him, demanding he do things for you." Qingshui said, watching Chen Jinkui being escorted away.
"But isn't that setting him up? With the way he is, he'll either be trapped in the inner landscape or his consciousness will be lost in the endless changes of heaven and earth, at best turning into a lunatic. And you're saying I should still set conditions for him to do things for me? Isn't that a bit too much…"
"You're quite conscientious, kid, but others might not be conscientious towards you. If killing you could get them the Wind-Rear Strange Gate, do you think that old man would directly kill you?"
Wang Ye, as a generation born under the red flag in an era of peace, was still too conscientious.
He seemed lazy and easygoing, not competing or striving, but in reality, he was very responsible. After calculating some things in the inner landscape, he was willing to risk his life to make changes.
Normally, he blended in with the world, content and at ease, cultivating in seclusion. But when it was time to engage with the world, he could actively take on responsibilities.
If he truly had no desires, he should have stayed on Wudang Mountain to cultivate for his entire life, and no one would have discovered that he had mastered the Wind-Rear Strange Gate.
This had a hint of "Laojun carrying a sword to save the common people."
Entering the Dragon-Tiger Bureau was for the sake of seeking constant tranquility.
What he sought was not his own tranquility, but the tranquility of the Anomalous Human World, this larger circle.
"Alright, you and your family will be fine. In any case, try not to let this matter affect your main business. If Chen Jinkui takes a desperate risk, someone will do the dirty work for you." Qingshui waved his hand and walked towards the cafeteria.
"This… you wouldn't, would you? Chen Jinkui is just annoying; he hasn't done anything to cross the line."
"Why else would it be called 'dirty work'? And I won't be doing it. After he bothers you once or twice more, someone will automatically take action for you. They might even give you some pointers."
Wang Ye frowned slightly, deep in thought.
Someone else will do this dirty work?
Bother me once or twice more?
That means there are others watching me, and they're on my side, and they can even give me pointers.
Could it be…
A guess silently rose in Wang Ye's mind.
Qingshui didn't pay much attention to Chen Jinkui.
Although this man was one of the Ten Elders, a prominent figure in the Anomalous Human World, he was no longer on the same level as Qingshui.
He also knew very well that even without him, Wang Ye would be fine.
Zhou Sheng treasured Wang Ye, his grand-disciple who had learned the Wind-Rear Strange Gate, so much that he would occasionally transform into some creature to watch over Wang Ye.
Compared to Zhang Zhiwei, the strongest individual combatant in the world, he certainly couldn't compare. But he should be stronger than older generation top masters like Lu Ci. In a horizontal comparison, he should be similar to Zhang Huaiyi, who also comprehended one of the Eight Unique Skills.
Zhang Huaiyi had traveled across half of China, killing a large number of older generation masters from various sects, only to be dragged to his death by Tangmen's Elixir Bite.
The strength of Elixir Bite was that even if you couldn't defeat your opponent, you could still trade blows with them due to its almost unresolvable toxicity.
Zhang Huaiyi could neutralize the Qi poison of Elixir Bite with Qi Body Origin, but he couldn't neutralize other parts of the toxin, which ultimately led to his exhaustion and death.
In the era before Zhang Zhiwei, Zhang Huaiyi was definitely an absolute top-tier figure.
Zhou Sheng was likely not much worse than Zhang Huaiyi, and in some aspects, he was even more troublesome than the Old Heavenly Master and Zhang Huaiyi.
If he wanted to, he could transform into another appearance, or even another species, hiding where no one could find him. If he truly wanted to cause destruction, the danger would be even higher.
Without a conflict of interest, Qingshui was too lazy to antagonize Zhou Sheng.
After a simple lunch at Shaoyuan, Qingshui and Wang Ye returned to the lab and worked diligently for the rest of the afternoon. Yet again, they encountered someone blocking the entrance.
Evening had passed; in September, the sky was almost completely dark.
Wang Ai, the head of the Wang Family, leaning on a cane, and Wang Bing, with a plaster still on his face and carrying a box, stood together at the entrance, waiting quietly.
Wang Ye's headache worsened.
Could it be that they're all like Chen Jinkui, coming to pester me?
"Professor Zhuo, and young friend Wang Ye, I am Wang Ai. I apologize if my visit is an imposition, but I hope you will forgive me."
Wang Ai had a benevolent smile on his face as he waved to Wang Bing.
"Bing'er, come quickly and pay your respects to Professor Zhuo and Daoist Wang."
Wang Bing somewhat awkwardly greeted Qingshui.
"Hello, Professor Zhuo, and you too, Daoist Wang. This is a gift for you, Professor Zhuo."
This child had been soundly beaten by Qingshui at the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony.
Anyone would feel awkward after that, let alone Wang Bing, who had been spoiled since childhood.
"Elder Wang, you're too kind. Wang Bing, you too. You two must have been waiting for quite a while, haven't you? What can I do for you?"
Qingshui glanced at the small box in Wang Bing's hand, then at Old Man Qin.
The latter nodded slowly, indicating that the box had been checked and was not dangerous.
"Professor Zhuo works for the country and its people; your time for study is exceptionally precious. An old man like me can't afford to delay you from important matters, so I could only wait for you out here," Wang Ai said with a chuckle.
Wang Ye breathed a sigh of relief.
Good, it didn't sound like they were here for him.
"This old man's visit today is, firstly, to pay my respects to you. Secondly, it's a personal wish of mine. I'd like to ask you to kindly discipline my good-for-nothing great-grandson on my behalf. To be honest, Bing'er has been spoiled by me all these years and has developed an unruly nature. I was hoping to find someone capable to teach him a lesson.
But I largely don't think much of the people in this circle. My old friend Lu Ci only cares about the Lu Family's bloodline, and Bing'er would only be able to marry into the Lu Family. As for Old Heavenly Master, there are some conflicts between him and me, so..."
This old man was quite interesting.
The Four Great Families truly deserved their reputation as major powers that had stood alongside various sects in the Anomalous Human World for many years.
The Eight Unique Skills were certainly powerful and had extremely high potential, but his Wang Family already possessed Spirit Control and Summoning, as well as the Divine Coating Secret Technique. Wang Bing didn't lack paths to reach the peak of the Anomalous Human World, nor did he lack the necessary resources.
As for a patron, Wang Ai himself was one of the biggest patrons in the Anomalous Human World, second only to Zhang Zhiwei.
It was just a pity that he was now over a hundred years old. Even with excellent health preservation, he didn't have many days left to live.
He looked hale and hearty now, but his time might be up in another two years.
He had to find another patron for Wang Bing, preferably one even greater than himself.
Because he didn't believe that, with Wang Bing's abilities and personality, he would be able to protect himself in a few years.
Once Wang Ai was gone, the Wang Family, though still one of the four great families, might not be able to protect Wang Bing.
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Read 1111+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Join our Discord: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------