He looked up.
He saw Qi Fengzhu and a girl built like a cylinder, arguing until they were red in the face. A crowd of curious classmates had gathered around them.
He glanced around but didn't see Huang Zhongfei, so he walked over.
When the teacher wasn't around, as a class representative, he had to deal with friction between students.
"What's going on?"
Chen Che squeezed through the crowd.
"Class Rep, he was watching illegal videos during class..." The words had barely left her mouth when the girl with the pillar-like figure pointed at Qi Fengzhu and yelled. Her name was Ying Fuzhen. She had a loud, rough voice, stood five-foot-ten—taller than many boys in their class—and had a very intimidating presence.
WHOOSH!
All eyes immediately snapped to Qi Fengzhu.
Chen Che looked over curiously as well. "What illegal video? Let me see."
"Bullshit!"
Qi Fengzhu's face flushed red. He immediately grabbed his phone to show everyone. "How is a dancing video illegal? You're the one with the dirty mind, so everything looks dirty to you!"
Chen Che glanced at it.
It was a scantily clad young woman doing a seductive dance.
"See? It's a suggestive video!" Ying Fuzhen turned to Chen Che. "Class Rep, tell him! Isn't it?"
Qi Fengzhu shouted, "This is clearly art!"
"Bullshit, it's suggestive!"
"If she can post it, why can't I watch it?"
A few people nearby tried to mediate, but at their age, neither was willing to back down.
Instead, they argued furiously in front of everyone, even trying to drag Chen Che in to act as judge.
If it were in Yunzhou.
Chen Che would've slapped them both and told them to shut up long ago.
But here, he could only opt for a more detached approach.
But before he could tell them to calm down, Lin Yi, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines, suddenly chimed in. "What, don't you two have fists? Why waste so much breath on something a fight could solve?"
The students, never ones to shy away from drama, started to hoot and holler.
"Yeah!"
"Whoever wins the fight is right."
"Why use your mouth when you can use your hands?"
Egged on by the crowd, the two of them froze for a second.
The next moment, Ying Fuzhen shot out a kick, sending Qi Fengzhu staggering backward. His phone clattered to the floor.
Qi Fengzhu instantly saw red. He scrambled up from the floor and lunged at her.
"OHHHH!"
A roar of excitement erupted from the crowd.
Seeing them actually start to fight, Lin Yi yelled excitedly, "Kill! Kill! Kill! I want to see rivers of blood!"
Watching the two grabbing each other's hair and wrestling in a tangled mess on the floor, then looking at the hooting students, Chen Che suddenly felt that familiar weariness wash over him.
...
After school, Chen Che went to a locksmith shop.
As it turned out, Master Wu wasn't there.
Chen Che gave him a call, and the other party said he was out on a lock-picking job. As for the Array from before, it would probably take about another week to crack.
"Why so long?"
Chen Che was a little confused.
"Mm, it is a bit long. First, because this Array is quite complex. I've never seen one like it before, and there are still a few nodes I haven't figured out."
Master Wu explained to him on the phone:
"Second, it's mainly because I don't have the physical object to reference. I can only make calculations based on the video over and over again, which naturally slows down my progress. And sometimes, I have to go out for lock-picking jobs, so I can't focus all my attention on it."
"But rest assured, I'm a professional. I can definitely do it in a week."
On the phone, Master Wu also repeatedly assured him. Once he cracked those few nodes, he would contact him immediately.
Of course.
He also said that if Chen Che was really in a hurry, he could find other locksmiths.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Che pondered for a moment.
He decided to check with other locksmiths anyway. He didn't know if Master Wu had reservations—perhaps worried he was being asked to break into the home of a Golden Core Cultivator and was stalling to make sure it was safe before proceeding.
But to his surprise, the locksmith at the next shop took just one glance before shaking his head decisively, saying he'd never seen such an Array Lock and was nowhere near skilled enough to open it.
Next, Chen Che went to several more shops in a row.
Everyone said the same thing. One of them even took out a business card and handed it to Chen Che:
"In all the Six Continents, there's a locksmith named Wu Neng. His skills are recognized as the best in the industry. I suggest you find him. If even he can't open it, then I'm afraid no one in the Six Continents can."
Chen Che took one look at the card and was stunned to see it was Master Wu's. "Is Master Wu's skill really that high?"
"Of course!"
The locksmith lowered his voice. "He used to be the 'Thief King' of this whole region. There's no Array Lock he can't pick, no door he can't open. He's never failed once. Sometimes, even the Immortal Sect's Law Enforcement Department calls on him for help!"
'Well, what do you know!'
Chen Che was astonished. He never would have guessed the man had such a history. 'No wonder he kept insisting he was a professional.'
"Then why did he..."
"He went straight after his daughter was born."
Since that was the case, Chen Che could only choose to keep waiting.
After all.
The Cave Mansion was right there, and the side hall wasn't going to run away.
The following days were quite fulfilling.
He spent his days attending classes on Earth Element Star and his nights in the Yunzhou Cave Mansion for Cultivation. When time permitted, he'd also swing by the Market. Life was quite comfortable, and every time he visited the Market, he would see Hu Yao at the entrance.
Maybe because they were close in age, they grew friendlier over time.
However.
Things were not always so peaceful. It was a case of "the tree desires stillness, but the wind never ceases."
「On this day.」
After finishing his Cultivation in the Cave Mansion, Chen Che arrived at the Market to find it drastically different.
The Market was noticeably more crowded. The people there either had their faces masked with cloth, their bamboo hats pulled low, or weapons hanging at their waists. A sense of vigilance hung over them whether they were walking or sitting, and a grim, tense atmosphere filled the entire area.
Even at the Market entrance, besides Hu Yao, there were a few more unfamiliar Jinyun Valley disciples on guard.
'Something big must be happening,' Chen Che thought.
"Hey, friend."
Hu Yao greeted him.
"Greetings, Daoist Brothers." Chen Che said, cupping his fist in his palm.
The other few disciples also looked over and nodded in response.
Only one tall and thin disciple not only didn't respond, but also gave him a cold glance.
Hu Yao had long ago revealed that he was not on perfectly harmonious terms with the disciples In the Valley. He had even fallen out with a few of them, and now they didn't even bother with superficial pleasantries.
Chen Che paid it no mind. He gestured toward the Market and asked:
"Daoist Brother, did something happen?"
"News spread from somewhere that a suspected ancient tomb of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was discovered on Yuanhe Mountain."
Hu Yao sneered at the mention of it, glancing at the passing Cultivators.
"These Cultivators heard the rumors and rushed here like madmen. They're all here to fight over the opportunities and Cultivation Techniques!"
"I see."
Chen Che nodded, not particularly surprised.
This was because, in Yunzhou, this was practically the norm.
Low-level Cultivators lacked Cultivation Techniques and opportunities. The moment such news spread, they would fight tooth and nail over it, regardless of whether it was true or false, terrified of being a step behind everyone else.
"Are you planning to go?" Hu Yao asked, turning to look at him.