Chapter 71: Zong Cheng Returns

A few days earlier, Geng Yang cautiously descended the stairs under the dim emergency lighting, trembling amidst the night’s darkness. He carried a small flashlight with him.

It was fortunate that this flashlight used to be his seven-year-old son’s toy; otherwise, he wouldn’t have found a suitable light source at home. However, Geng Yang dared not openly turn it on. Attracting anything or anyone would be disastrous.

The night was pitch-black, but having lived in this neighborhood for around seven to eight years, Geng Yang knew the paths between the main residential buildings clearly. Thus, without any major issues, he reached the base of Duan Wenxuan’s building by feeling his way along.

Having never engaged in any illegal activities before, Geng Yang tightly gripped the kitchen knife in his hand at the building entrance. After mentally steeling himself for a moment, he slowly began ascending the staircase.

Duan Wenxuan’s apartment was on the ninth floor, and as Geng Yang approached, his heartbeat grew increasingly rapid. When he reached the fifth floor, still carefully climbing the stairs, there was a sudden loud bang—the door of one of the residences on the fifth floor opened.

“Ah!” Geng Yang jumped, startled by the sudden noise.

The door opened to reveal a middle-aged man dressed in a thick down jacket and wearing a wool cap. Carefully holding a candle in his hand, he was also taken aback upon seeing Geng Yang fully armed with a clothesline pole tied to a fruit knife. Instinctively, the man closed the door slightly, leaving only a narrow gap.

“Who are you?” Through the crack, the middle-aged man cautiously asked, “I’ve lived here for years, but I haven’t seen you around.”

Geng Yang felt a surge of panic, his heart pounding fiercely. ”…Tenant, I’m a tenant at Duan Wenxuan’s place on the ninth floor.”

A slight change crossed the middle-aged man’s expression. “Oh, a tenant? I know Duan Wenxuan; he owns two units here.”

Gasping for breath, Geng Yang said, “Then I… I’ll head up now.”

“Wait.” The middle-aged man called out to Geng Yang, “Duan Wenxuan’s previous tenants were from out-of-town. When Little Peak Mountain started changing, they moved back home and ever since then, the units remained unrented.”

Geng Yang began feeling anxious once more.

Through the narrow gap, the middle-aged man met Geng Yang’s gaze. “I know what you’re after. Duan Wenxuan used to run a general store, and during the time when supermarket goods were hard to find, I even saw his employee Qu Huachi delivering him substantial amounts of rice, noodles, and other essentials.

Considering it’s been only a little over a month since then, he definitely wouldn’t have finished them all. Moreover, he’s not at home now. By sneaking here, aren’t you planning to steal?!”

Despite the cold weather, tension caused beads of sweat to form on Geng Yang’s back, while his hands trembled from the chill. The contrasting sensations made Geng Yang’s entire body lightly shiver.

The middle-aged man inside displayed expressions of anticipation and cunning. “Let’s make a deal. I have plenty of candles and quite some salt at home. If you go to Duan Wenxuan’s place for rice and flour, you must come down afterward and exchange some with me at a favorable rate.

This deal is quite fair; you won’t be losing out either. With no electricity now, candles are highly useful for lighting. And salt, being an essential item, can sometimes be more valuable than food itself.”

Earlier this year, the middle-aged man’s father passed away. During the funeral arrangements, they had leftover mourning candles. Deemed unlucky, these items were initially meant to be disposed of, but the old lady insisted on keeping them, feeling it would be wasteful to throw them away.

As for salt, it was from two or three years ago when the old lady, prone to overreacting, spread rumors that Xuanlan Star’s salt supply would run out and urged people to quickly stock up. In one go, she purchased more than a dozen boxes of salt, greatly infuriating her son and his wife.

However, now it turned out beneficial - something none of them anticipated. The old lady’s habit of hoarding various miscellaneous items proved unexpectedly useful this time. Even the paper boxes previously cluttering her room were now being taken out to burn for warmth.

Geng Yang immediately understood; the middle-aged man must have also set his sights on Duan Wenxuan’s food supplies. But with peace and lawfulness prevailing for a long time, everyone had grown accustomed to refraining from illegal actions. The middle-aged man likely hesitated, fearing to take risks himself—what if power is restored tomorrow and police patrols return?

In such a case, his behavior would directly lead to his arrest.

Unwilling to risk it, the middle-aged man cautiously listened for any movements near the door, hoping someone else would lose patience first. Then, without actively participating, he could simply exchange goods with those who do engage.

Candles and salt, indeed, were crucial at this moment.

Geng Yang pondered briefly, fearing that if he refused, the middle-aged man might raise an alarm. Any ensuing chaos was not what Geng Yang desired; he just wanted to quietly take some supplies and leave.

“Alright.” Geng Yang steadied himself against the staircase and stood up again. “However, it’s agreed that how much I exchange will depend on the situation. If there truly isn’t much available, I can only give you a small portion in return.”

The middle-aged man immediately flashed a friendly smile and softly said, “No problem, no problem. That makes sense, indeed. Let’s introduce ourselves properly later. In case any issues arise down the line, we might need to help each other out.”

One doesn’t strike someone who is smiling, and moreover, the middle-aged man’s point was valid—there could be instances where mutual assistance would be necessary.

After exchanging their names, Geng Yang noticed the middle-aged man’s expression urging him to hurry along. Without further delay, he continued slowly climbing the stairs.

He quickly reached the ninth floor.

Geng Yang rubbed his numb hands and gradually pulled out items like screwdrivers from his sleeves. He planned to remove Duan Wenxuan’s door lock, which, although taking some time, would make less noise.

Having worked consistently at construction sites, he also had some carpentry skills learned from his hometown. Previously, tasks like fixing locks, light bulbs, and plumbing were always done by Geng Yang himself, so removing a door lock wouldn’t be difficult.

“There’s movement.”

Next door at the Zong Cheng residence, a man with a buzz cut sitting by a brazier suddenly opened his eyes. Beside him, unexpectedly at home after being absent for several months, was Duan Wenxuan.

Strangely enough, considering Zong Cheng’s poor physical condition, one would expect him to be heavily bundled up. However, he was dressed more lightly than the person next to him, who clearly had exceptional presence just from a glance.

“Is Wenxuan back?” A genuine smile immediately spread across Zong Cheng’s face as he rose to open the door.

Seeing Zong Cheng move towards the door, the person beside him halted him, “Something seems off.”

Lao Hongfeng, a bona fide special forces soldier, had successfully carried out decapitation operations on real battlefields. In matters of danger assessment and survival skills, Zong Cheng placed great trust in him.

In fact, their decision to leave the underground air raid shelter during the spiritual tide outbreak and return to their neighborhood was largely influenced by Lao Hongfeng’s expertise. After ensuring the safety of his parents and Cao Yan along with her family, Zong Cheng realized that Duan Wenxuan hadn’t entered the base. Previously, he had given the ticket meant for Duan Wenxuan to Qu Huachi instead.

Duan Wenxuan had mentioned having his own extraordinary encounters, but Zong Cheng still felt somewhat uneasy.

In particular, the Sunflower Heart Sutra and Sunflower Pressure Point Strike techniques given to him by Duan Wenxuan raised concerns. Initially, Zong Cheng didn’t fully appreciate their significance, but later he realized just how valuable this set of martial arts truly was.

During this time, due to his exceptional abilities, his teacher took great interest in him, granting Zong Cheng the fortunate opportunity to meet Liao Yangsu and his teacher Tang Tianlu on one or two occasions.

It was said that Liao Yangsu originally worked as a minor doctor before unexpectedly becoming involved in the mysterious incident surrounding the paper figurines needed by the Duan Clan’s young master. This misfortune turned into fortune when he subsequently apprenticed under Tang Tianlu, a martial artist affiliated with the Duan Clan.

Now, Liao Yangsu continuously studied alongside Tang Tianlu. When constructing the air raid shelters, An City specifically sought out and carefully invited Tang Tianlu to consult on any potential issues or weaknesses.

Tang Tianlu may not have been knowledgeable in architecture, but he understood the peculiarities of mystical phenomena well. By identifying relevant supernatural aspects, appropriate protective measures could be implemented for the air raid shelters.

Through discreet inquiries, Zong Cheng learned that even within the Duan Clan, teachings of inner strength cultivation methods, regardless of their tier, were not easily imparted. Most individuals only received basic instruction in rudimentary combat techniques.

Not only was the Sunflower Heart Sutra comprehensive, but during his cultivation, Zong Cheng discovered it belonged to the superior tier of techniques. While Liao Yangsu struggled against the peculiar chill brought by the spiritual tide, he found that utilizing this inner strength significantly alleviated its effects.

Duan Wenxuan had effortlessly provided him with this set of teachings early on, leading Zong Cheng to surmise that Duan Wenxuan must have experienced quite a remarkable encounter. On one hand, Zong Cheng felt happy for Duan Wenxuan, yet on the other, he harbored concerns.

Fortuitous encounters don’t just happen without consequences; while unexpected gains can be beneficial, they can also cause harm.

Especially in this instance, if Duan Wenxuan hadn’t left the base, there wouldn’t have been any issue. Zong Cheng initially planned to return and contact Duan Wenxuan, only to discover that during the peak of the spiritual tide, someone had taken him away.

Through elevator surveillance footage, Zong Cheng saw a peculiar gothic girl eerily smiling at the camera, along with an expressionless young man and a handsome youth dressed in a white suit, all escorting Duan Wenxuan as they departed swiftly.

Unable to reach him by phone added further worry.

Zong Cheng decided not to return to the base, considering it was merely the first wave of the spiritual tide, and given his physical condition, he knew he would be safe. However, his teacher insisted on taking him away, deeming his actions reckless. After some thought, Zong Cheng managed to create a simplified version of the Sunflower Heart Sutra and demonstrated his acquired inner strength abilities.

His strategy proved highly successful; overnight, Zong Cheng became a protected individual. As for the origins of this martial technique, An City authorities did not delve too deeply.

With mysticism resurging, peculiar phenomena abounded. Scrutinizing its roots could potentially fuel the modern tendency towards conspiracy theories, leading to numerous disillusioned youths guarding secrets tightly and viewing Hanming Country as their imagined enemy.

Thus, upon receiving the simplified version of the Sunflower Heart Sutra from Zong Cheng, his personal information was promptly transferred to the Registry of Files, with Yang Kai designated as the primary liaison.

Simultaneously, the simplified Sunflower Heart Sutra began widespread cultivation within the regular military forces due to its ability to resist the coldness brought by spiritual tides. However, an issue arose: In theory, the simplified version should have been easier to cultivate according to Zong Cheng, albeit resulting in comparatively weaker inner strength development.

Yet among the soldiers in An City who practiced it extensively, only fewer than a hundred showed rapid progress. Approximately three hundred others achieved average advancement, likely needing three to four years for notable results. The remaining practitioners progressed at a snail’s pace, suggesting that any significant effects might take over a decade.

This alarming ratio increasingly troubled Yang Kai. It seemed to validate some experts’ predictions: mystical transcendent powers require specific innate talents, lacking general applicability across individuals.

Shifting focus away from Yang Kai’s situation, let’s consider Zong Cheng. Due to his insistence, he has now successfully become a protected individual and can stay at home. Naturally, Yang Kai assigned Lao Hongfeng to guard him.

Zong Cheng undoubtedly possessed exceptional martial talent; compared to others, his inner strength cultivation progressed like a rocket. Combined with his mastery of the Sunflower Pressure Point Strike, most adversaries stood little chance against him.

However, Zong Cheng lacked practical combat experience and was not particularly attuned to survival instincts. Therefore, having Lao Hongfeng by his side remained crucial.

Without any objections, Zong Cheng stepped back a few paces and quietly asked, “What seems amiss?”

Lao Hongfeng gave Zong Cheng a reassuring look before swiftly moving to the door. He flung it open while simultaneously shining a powerful flashlight through the opening.

Geng Yang, already guilt-ridden, nearly jumped out of his skin and collapsed onto the floor in fright.

“Don’t move.”

As Geng Yang regained his composure, he found himself under the cold gaze of a man dressed in military attire, holding a gun that glinted menacingly, its dark muzzle pointed directly at his head.