In the morning, the sound of honking cars, crowded buses, hurried office workers, and students running with backpacks interwove, marking the official start of a tense and busy new day.

There was still time, so Wang Xuan found a small restaurant by the roadside. He ordered a pancake, a cup of sweet soy milk, and a bowl of salty tofu pudding, thinking the sweet-and-salty debate between the north and south could come to an end.

"Am I early?" He realized he was the first to arrive at the office. A little over ten minutes later, the fashionably dressed Liu Xue showed up, and half an hour after that, the others started to trickle in.

There wasn't much to do in the morning. Wang Xuan handled a few emails and simply processed two sets of blueprints before starting to quietly study the Dao Zang (Daoist scriptures). Naturally, he also kept an eye on his old colleague, Chen Yongjie, who loved to make phone calls to invite people fishing.

Something was definitely off; Wang Xuan's heart raced. Throughout the morning, Chen made several phone calls—talking about fishing while casually mentioning a storm the night before and a sunny morning today.

To Wang Xuan, it sounded like a bunch of coded messages!

Forget fishing; he had personally experienced the storm in the Greater Khingan Range, so it was clear he was referring to the takedown of the Gray Blood Organization. As for the "sunny morning," it likely meant that various factions were going to keep a low profile.

Then… Wang Xuan began to see problems everywhere! For instance, there was that guy with black-rimmed glasses talking on the phone about "mass slaughtering" all night while still looking drowsy.

The two ladies who loved playing mahjong were whispering about how "fortune cycles," and "next time we'll battle for the dealer."

Then there was that overly sentimental colleague who loved to write poetry; he came in early with a piece: "I take the sky as a curtain, hanging a string of fireworks; with a bang, it bursts so brilliantly, stunning the mortal realm."

Wang Xuan felt a chill—what kind of people were these?!

Had they all participated in some action last night, piloting warships to take down enemy vessels?

Finally, even the young girl Liu Xue, who was applying lipstick in front of a small mirror, seemed off. She complained that her lipstick color was wrong, preferring a tragic red with a touch of mournful elegance, which conveyed a serene, otherworldly beauty.

Listening to the odd conversations around him, Wang Xuan felt overwhelmed. He sat there quietly, forcing himself to concentrate on his studies.

Finally, lunchtime arrived. The atmosphere was good, and his colleagues invited him, the newcomer, to try out a new restaurant outside the design institute.

Wang Xuan found the meal tasteless, his mind elsewhere, and although he wanted to ask them about their strange behavior, he hesitated, fearing it might come off as too direct.

After lunch, Chen Yongjie, the more composed old colleague, approached Wang Xuan privately. However, his first question nearly made Wang Xuan turn and leave: Chen asked if he wanted to go fishing.

After the dangerous experience in the Greater Khingan Range, where he was nearly targeted by the Gray Blood Organization's warships, Wang Xuan had no intention of wading into similar waters again.

"Kid, you're still young, full of blood and passion; you need to cherish it."

Wang Xuan stared blankly, asking him if he wanted him to be the bait.

"What are you thinking? I'm just inviting you to fish at the abandoned mechanical factory behind the design institute. There's a lake there, not too big, with lush reeds and plenty of wild fish."

Wang Xuan looked at him suspiciously; was this old colleague subtly acknowledging that he was a high-level member of the exploration organization?

"It's me," Chen admitted directly as if he could read Wang Xuan's mind. "Let's go; we just had lunch, and we can chat while we fish." He was prepared, with various fishing gear in the trunk of his old red car.

On the way, Wang Xuan couldn't help but ask what kind of people those colleagues in the office were.

Chen Yongjie paused, then couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Where do you think you're going? Do you really think our office is hiding some extraordinary talents? They're just a bunch of normal guys and gals who love gaming, playing mahjong, writing sentimental poetry, dressing up, and watching horror movies. The only abnormal ones are you and me."

Wang Xuan was speechless, struggling to process it, finally responding, "You're the abnormal one; I'm perfectly normal!"

Chen raised an eyebrow at him. "Normal, huh? I heard you knocked a beauty's face out cold with one slap and injured five people in just a few days."

"That's slander! I've never killed anyone!" Wang Xuan hurried to correct him, insisting he only injured five people in self-defense.

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"It's pretty much the same thing," Chen nodded.

Wang Xuan didn't want to explain further; he was curious about Chen's identity and why he was working in such an unremarkable place.

Chen led him to the lake at the abandoned factory, setting up his fishing rod. "I'm Qingshu's mentor. I split my time between the old and new lands, and no matter where I am, I need a low-profile job to cover up. Don't you like it here?"

Wang Xuan instantly understood; Qingshu had long prepared for this, placing him by his mentor's side right after graduation. Even if Wang Xuan hadn't chosen to join the exploration organization, having an old colleague like Chen around would eventually lead him in.

"You planned this!" Wang Xuan sighed, but what could he say? Chen had revealed his identity, showing his sincerity.

"Don't have any mental blocks. Last time, we calculated everything carefully; the Gray Blood Organization's ships posed no threat to you. If they dared to show their faces, they would be dealt with. But let's not talk about that; I heard you're practicing the Golden Body Technique, so here's a gift for you."

Chen handed Wang Xuan a book, its pages worn with age.

Wang Xuan opened it and was astonished. The book documented various plants, minerals, and bizarre creatures.

"Is this reliable?" As he flipped through a few pages, he felt as if he had opened a new world.

For instance, one entry described Moonlight Silver, an extremely rare and special mineral. When broken, a silver liquid would flow out, which had to be consumed immediately, or it would evaporate quickly, vanishing like bright moonlight.

If an ordinary person could drink some, it would invigorate their flesh, but for those practicing the Golden Body Technique or Iron Shirt, it was incredibly effective—a significant supplement that could accelerate physical enhancement.

There was also a kind of golden mushroom; ground into powder and boiled into soup, it could increase bone density and nourish the marrow, producing new blood with enhanced vitality, gradually improving overall physical condition.

Wang Xuan was increasingly skeptical; he had never heard of such things and felt that even a comprehensive encyclopedia wouldn't have these items listed.

The book even mentioned a type of mountain snail, a rare treasure that, if captured, dried and ground, would extend one's life by five years if taken daily for half a month.

The more he read, the less he believed it. He'd casually browsed herbal compendiums before and had never seen any of these peculiar items.

Old colleague Chen Yongjie spoke up, "Don't disbelieve; these things are recorded in the ancestral homes of Daoism and ancient Buddhist temples. This book is just a compilation, along with some curiosities mentioned in pre-Qin bamboo slips."

Wang Xuan was taken aback. "But after all these years, who's seen them? They must have gone extinct long ago."

"They can't be seen in the Old Earth now, but that doesn't mean they don't exist in the Deep Space," Chen smiled.

Wang Xuan keenly noted that he mentioned "the Deep Space" rather than "new star," sensing something subtle.

Chen suddenly jerked the fishing rod, shaking his head in disappointment; the fish had escaped. "These curiosities have been gradually discovered by some over the past decade or so. Though not many, they've caused quite a stir. In fact, someone has even found the Earth Immortal Grass, but it's unfortunate that it couldn't be harvested."

Wang Xuan quickly flipped to the page about Earth Immortal Grass, captivated by its description; consuming a single stalk could extend one's life by two hundred years.

"So, on the new star side, people are going crazy. Two hundred years of life is like two new lives for ordinary folks. For the old geezers in the financial circles and the heads of life research institutes, they're practically going insane and are all taking action."

Wang Xuan was indeed stirred, but he quickly grew cautious again; this old guy loved "fishing." What if he had some ulterior motive?

"That sounds lively over there. You give me a book and tell me all this to whet my appetite. What do you really want?"

"Young people today think too much. In our day, we were all just simple good kids. You're overthinking it," Chen shook his head, then suddenly yanked the fishing rod, finally catching… a turtle.

"Get out of here, I'm fishing!" The old man tossed the soft-shelled turtle away, saying that it looked like it had just been released, half-dead and not worth keeping.

"The spots for New Star are very limited; young man, you need to put in the effort," the old colleague said as they were about to head back.

However, ever since hearing him say these things, Wang Xuan became somewhat wary and suspicious. If he wanted to go to New Star, it would be better to avoid involving his old colleague.

When he returned home that night, he practiced the Old Techniques, contemplated the feathering stone, and thought about the strange flowers, herbs, and various minerals mentioned in that book.

"Studying the Daoist scriptures during the day and practicing the Old Techniques at night isn't a bad life. I'll consider going to New Star later; for now, I'll see if I can find the feathering stone."

Just outside the city, there was an ancient temple over a thousand years old that Wang Xuan planned to visit soon. Tomorrow was Saturday, and he intended to go home early in the morning to see his parents, who lived not too far away. He usually returned home once every couple of weeks.

"There's a mountain near my home with some legends, something about a fairy," Wang Xuan thought, feeling a spark of interest. Although he couldn't visit that ancient temple for now, he could take a trip to the mountain when he returned home.

Plans don't always go as expected. That night, Wang Xuan had a nightmare. He dreamed of a woman in white with red shoes, her long hair flowing, and two streaks of blood on her beautiful face, getting closer to him, nearly touching his face, which jolted him awake.

Since practicing the Old Techniques, he had been sleeping peacefully and hadn't experienced nightmares, but tonight felt strange.

Wang Xuan adjusted his breathing to calm himself and soon fell asleep again. However, an hour later, he woke up feeling a chill and dreamt again of a female practitioner with blood tears on her face.

He realized something was wrong; he was in big trouble. He had never believed in these things, but the reality was that every time he fell asleep, he dreamt of that woman.

"It seems I can't go home tomorrow." He couldn't make sense of the situation; he didn't want to return recklessly, as if he had been tainted by something ominous.

That night, Wang Xuan fell asleep again and again, waking up repeatedly until dawn. He immediately contacted his old colleague, Chen Yongjie, thinking that Qingmu couldn't help him anymore.

"Is this really happening?" Chen Yongjie responded seriously, not dismissing him, as a seasoned explorer who had personally experienced some inexplicable events.

"Don't worry. I'll have someone send you a talisman later. It's been hand-drawn by a Daoist who has lived for over a hundred years; it's very effective."

As promised, the old colleague had someone deliver it in the afternoon.

However, by midnight, the unsettling and eerie phenomena returned, and the so-called Daoist talisman caught fire, nearly igniting Wang Xuan's bedding and hair, leaving him dumbfounded and unable to do anything.

Things got worse in the later half of the night. After finally managing to fall asleep, he woke up to an icy chill, feeling something in his arms—something furry with terrifying eyes wide open, staring right at him!