In Magic Skill Class, Li Xiaoshuang had everyone review the Sword Control Technique before starting on the new lesson: the Rain Walking Technique.
Xianmen High School didn't just teach Slaughter Techniques; they also offered some Life Magic.
A lot of the students were pretty excited.
After all, for most students, they might go their whole lives without ever using a Slaughter Technique after graduation. These small, everyday spells, however, were a different story. They could actually be useful for finding a job.
Rumor had it that even photographers nowadays needed the ability to alter local weather conditions to get hired.
During the second period, Elixir Medicine Class, Ding Dawei let the class run late as usual.
After they had finally made it to the end of class and he had assigned the homework, he suddenly announced, "I almost forgot something. Starting today, Chen Che will be the class representative for this subject. Let's give him a round of applause!"
"Chen Che, I hope that starting today, you will properly fulfill your responsibilities as a class officer!"
With the entire class watching, Chen Che had no choice but to stand up.
In truth, aside from the unique aspects of Alchemy, the duties of a class representative at Xianmen High School weren't much different from those at a regular high school. It was mostly just collecting and handing out homework, along with passing on any tasks from the teacher.
Lin Yi whispered while clapping, "If I don't turn in my homework in the future, make sure you don't write my name down."
"Me too!"
Qi Fengzhu fiddled with his calculator. "Old Chen, you've made it! Now the rest of us get to ride your coattails to heaven!"
It wasn't just them. Several other boys who were usually quiet also came over to greet him.
After school, they even enthusiastically invited Chen Che to go to an internet cafe with them, offering to cover all the fees and treat him to drinks and snacks.
He never thought he'd face such a test of character—and outright bribery—on his first day as a class officer. But Chen Che refused without a second thought.
He planned to head to the backstreets after school.
The unopened side chamber in the Cave Mansion had been weighing on his mind.
Stepping into the lock shop, he saw the same little girl as before. She looked up and asked:
"Are you here to buy something?"
"Where's your dad?"
"My dad went out."
The girl stared at Chen Che for a few seconds before recognizing the regular customer. She quickly stood up, not only making him a cup of tea but also offering him a stool. "Please wait a little while. My dad went out to pick a lock for someone. He should be back soon."
Seeing that she was about to start making small talk, as if she were afraid he might leave, Chen Che waved his hand dismissively.
"Go on with your homework. I'll just look around while I wait for him."
Chen Che knew that for locksmiths like Master Wu, selling locks from the shop was just a side gig. Their real job was picking locks for clients. They usually left as soon as they got a call and were sometimes out of the shop for most of the day.
Sipping his tea, he surveyed the various locks in the display counter.
The mortal locks weren't anything special, but the locks for Cultivators were quite diverse. Most used an Array as the 'lock' and items like Jade Scrolls or pieces of Jade as the 'key'. They only differed slightly in style.
"Huh?"
In a secluded corner of the shop, Chen Che discovered a peculiar box. It wasn't labeled as any particular type of lock, but the image on it was certainly unique: it depicted a woman wearing a pair of oddly designed briefs, made of a material that looked like neither gold nor jade.
The text next to it read:
[One 'lock' to guard the gate, impassable by ten thousand men.]
[Go out with confidence, and 'lock' up your dignity.]
"You're too young to have any use for that kind of lock."
Just as Chen Che was about to open it and see what sort of wondrous item could supposedly lock up one's dignity, the screech of brakes and Master Wu's voice came from behind him.
He turned to see Master Wu parking his small electric scooter. Looking utterly exhausted, Master Wu walked over to his workbench, grabbed a bottle of water, and took several large gulps. GLUG, GLUG, GLUG. Then he collapsed into a chair, panting from exhaustion.
"What's got you so exhausted?"
Chen Che was a little curious.
"Picking locks, what else? Today's was a real pain. I left at nine this morning and didn't even stop for lunch. It took me a good six or seven hours."
Master Wu rested in his chair for a good while before catching his breath. Noticing the skeptical look on Chen Che's face, as if doubting his abilities, he added:
"A Tier Three Door Lock!"
"A Tier Three Door Lock? You can open those?"
Chen Che found it hard to believe.
'He looks like an ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator. How could he open a Golden Core Level lock?'
"I'm a professional!"
Master Wu offered him a cigarette. When Chen Che declined, he lit it for himself, took a drag, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"As the saying goes, 'Amateurs watch the show, but pros see how it's done.'"
"An Array Lock, no matter how peculiar its design, is still just an Array at its core. As long as you can analyze its type, composition, and structure, cracking it isn't as hard as you might think. Of course, that's assuming the lock isn't rigged with a Killing Array. Otherwise, our profession would be a high-risk one."
Chen Che nodded.
The locks sold on the open market were mainly for anti-theft purposes.
But the Array Locks on certain secret Immortal Sect sites were a different story—they were downright terrifying. Without the correct method, they could incinerate a person in an instant.
"I haven't asked why you're here. Don't tell me you couldn't open that lock from last time?"
Master Wu asked.
"I got it open. I'm here about something else today."
Chen Che nodded, took out his phone, and sent over the video he'd taken of the side chamber. "Take a look at this first... Can you crack this Array?"
Lounging in his chair, Master Wu glanced at the video. His nonchalant expression instantly turned serious. He watched it again, this time meticulously, and couldn't help but frown. "Where do you keep finding these weird Array Locks?"
He replayed the video several times, muttering a complaint before turning to ask, "Er... I've never seen this type of Array Lock before. It's even more complex than the last one. What brand is it?"
Arrays were hundreds, even thousands of times more complex than simple locks.
The major lock manufacturers in the cultivation world would print the lock's schematics in their instruction manuals. Locksmiths like him spent their days studying these manuals, mastering the trade. If he knew the brand, he could find the manual, which would make opening it much easier.
"I don't know either."
Chen Che shook his head and invented a friend on the spot to explain.
"A friend of mine found it online. He said this lock is incredible and that no one can open it, so I got a little competitive!"
Master Wu rubbed his temples and sighed. "I've been picking locks all day and I'm a bit tired. If you're not in a hurry, come back tomorrow. I'll take a good look at it tonight and analyze it. If you're in a rush, you could try another locksmith."
"I'll come back tomorrow, then!"
They had worked together several times, so Chen Che trusted him.
Besides, he knew that for a Cultivator, mental exhaustion was a sign of having over-exerted their spiritual energy. In that state, they were like an ordinary person who hadn't slept for days; their reaction time, cognitive abilities, and analytical skills would all be significantly diminished.
If it reached a certain point, it could even lead to sudden death.
As he was about to leave, Chen Che suddenly remembered something else. He took out his phone, scrolled through it, and found the photo he had taken in the main hall of the Cave Mansion. He showed it to Master Wu, hoping he could identify the Array. To his surprise, the moment Master Wu saw it, his expression changed dramatically and he immediately grabbed his phone.
"What are you doing?" Chen Che grabbed his hand.
Master Wu stared at Chen Che.
"I'm calling the police!"