Chapter 11: A Stroke of Fortune?

“That night was truly…”

A torrent of emotions—worry, joy, and more—flashed through his mind.

Chen Xian exhaled deeply. He had lost count of how many times he had pored over the Dragon-Tiger Elixir Scripture.

Throughout his readings, Chen Xian gained tremendous insight. He found his White Crane Fist becoming increasingly refined, and his understanding of the art deepened continuously.

This was a fateful encounter—an unexpected and extraordinary one.

Chen Xian’s eyes gleamed with newfound clarity.

As the White Crane Fist progressed, its physical conditioning demands lessened, failing to stimulate further transformation of the body.

Yet, during that night’s study, without him realizing it, the White Crane Fist grew purer. His physical conditioning and control over internal energy both strengthened markedly.

It was a marvelous metamorphosis.

And this was merely the result of one night’s study.

One must remember, even before practicing the Dragon-Tiger Elixir Scripture, he had achieved such progress. Imagine the transformation that would come from truly cultivating the scripture.

At that moment, Chen Xian felt a quiet gratitude swell within him.

Fortunately, he had wrestled the previous night, which led him to this precious scripture.

Had he not gone then, he would have missed this earth-shattering opportunity entirely.

In the future, chances to obtain such a profound martial legacy would be exceedingly rare—perhaps nonexistent.

With this thought, Chen Xian’s heart found some calm.

“Good thing I went last night.”

“Now that I’ve returned everything to its original place, even if someone were to follow a trail, they would never suspect the scripture had been read.”

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

The joy of possessing such a monumental opportunity yet remaining detached from it was truly delightful.

After tidying his room, Chen Xian looked toward the east. The sun had not yet risen, but a streak of fiery red had already appeared on the horizon.

“Looks like another day of bright sunshine!”

Chen Xian thought, pleased by the clear weather.

Today was the first day of school registration at the academy, but there was no rush—it could wait until the afternoon without issue.

Thus, he took his time, retrieving the transcribed scripture from his bedroom and resumed his study.

---

The more Chen Xian read, the more he cherished the scripture, unable to part with it.

“No wonder this Dragon-Tiger Elixir Scripture is the legacy of the Heavenly Master’s Mansion on Dragon-Tiger Mountain. No wonder it directly leads to the divine and indestructible path of martial arts. It’s truly profound and boundless.”

Chen Xian mused, engrossed, unwilling to be distracted.

…

Meanwhile, outside the academy, in a modest inn, Gu Feng rubbed his hands together, excitement and anticipation shining in his eyes.

“What could possibly be there?”

“Could it be some treasure? If I get to see it, I might just become the protagonist of my own novel. What an incredible coincidence!”

“Ha! This is exhilarating!”

As a freshman at Tianlan University, Gu Feng technically shouldn’t have been out here now, but he had arrived early to secure a rental near campus.

If he came later, finding a place to rent would become nearly impossible.

Many students sought housing off-campus, and Tianlan University was situated on the city’s edge, backed by mountains—a tranquil, secluded area.

Available rentals were scarce, forcing him to come early.

Yet despite searching all day until nightfall, he hadn’t found a suitable room.

Reluctantly, he rented a room at the inn. Before sleep, he stood by the window with his telescope—a habit he had maintained for three years.

Since the strange laws implemented by the Great Xuan, numerous rumors had circulated.

As an honest adolescent, how could he not be curious? Almost every high school student owned a telescope, and he was no exception.

Last night, through his lens, he saw a figure toss something into the trees.

Though too distant to discern the figure’s face or the object’s nature, and unable to see where the figure went after leaving the woods, the suspicious behavior afterward—seemingly wiping away traces—alerted him.

He sensed something was amiss and grew even more curious about the object tossed.

For safety’s sake, he did not act rashly, choosing instead to continue observing.

Because of this, he barely slept the entire night. Now, at dawn, he was growing restless.

Still, he restrained himself, planning first to watch during the day to see if anyone appeared. If the area remained deserted all day, he would then cautiously investigate the tree.

With this resolve, Gu Feng’s gaze remained fixed through the telescope, unwavering.

---

In the city, the Law Enforcement Squad.

Inside a sealed chamber forged from special steel, a towering man over two meters tall was shackled with iron chains.

Surrounding him stood several officers.

They were members of the Law Enforcement Squad, tasked with capturing Yu Qijiu.

“Captain, this guy is incredibly formidable. My brothers and I nearly lost our lives at his hands.”

“We interrogated him all night, tried every method available, but the stubborn fellow wouldn’t utter a word.”

“We have no clue where he’s hidden the item he took.”

One officer spoke with a helpless expression.

Captain Wang An then addressed the group.

“He’s a martial artist, and not just any—he belongs to the Worshipper Sect. You know very well who those people are. Ordinary methods won’t make him talk.”

As for him remaining silent, once he’s sent to those labs specializing in the Worshipper Sect, it won’t be up to him anymore.

“Regarding the missing item, we’ve kept a close watch on him. He hasn’t had the chance to pass it to any accomplices or transmit it abroad using technological means.”

Wang An snorted coldly.

“This is the Great Xuan. No information leaves without our permission.”

“If we don’t allow it, not a single word will get through.”

“So, don’t worry excessively. As long as the item remains within Great Xuan, we will find it, sooner or later.”

Hearing this, the officers breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“From Jiangzhou to Suzhou, you’ve all worked hard. Tomorrow, you get a day off.”

Their faces lit up with joy.

“Thank you, Captain!”

“Long live the Captain!”

Watching their youthful enthusiasm, Wang An smiled faintly. He then approached Yu Qijiu, who remained bound in chains, and looked at him silently.