Chapter Five: Unexpected Resolution

The woman sitting across from Chen Jin was dressed entirely in black and white; her whole being seemed painted in those stark tones, as if she were a character from an old monochrome television. Chen Jin pretended not to notice her, and she, in turn, appeared oblivious to his presence, her gaze fixed solely on the snack shop owner standing at the stove.

Nervously, Chen Jin ate his soup, avoiding conversation with Li Han; he simply focused on consuming his soup and fried buns with determined vigor. In no time, he paid for breakfast for all three, left the shop, and did not wait for Li Han or the other sales assistant.

Only after stepping outside did Chen Jin finally breathe easy. Even after experiencing miraculous powers in that inexplicable other world, and gaining supernatural abilities himself, he still found the ghostly figure—who had terrified him since childhood—utterly frightening.

He turned cautiously, glancing back at the snack shop. The ghostly presence was gone; the strange black-and-white woman had disappeared. Yet, Chen Jin caught the snack shop owner’s gaze. That brief exchange made him feel an uncanny surge in his spirit, as if a glass of icy water had been poured over his head, leaving his mind chilled and alert.

Then, as if compelled by some unseen force, his body carried him to his furniture store, where he entered his office, sat in his chair, and suddenly felt his spirit collapse—a dizzy, sleepy haze enveloped him.

Ding… dong… ding dong… ding… dong… ding dong ding dong… ding… dong…

Just as Chen Jin was about to succumb to sleep, a clear, melodious sound rang out—not from his ears, but from within, as if echoing in his soul. The sound resembled ancient chime bells softly struck as a beautiful woman danced. The enchanting tone resounded from its first note to its lingering echo, filling Chen Jin’s mind.

His drowsiness melted away, leaving only a serene clarity. Every inch of his body felt transparent and pure, like ancient ice from the Antarctic continent.

“Nine thoughts are born, converging into one intent; perceive the heavens and earth, unite earth, wind, water, and fire…”

In his sharpest moment of clarity, a cascade of thoughts surged within Chen Jin. Endless streams of information welled up, flooding his mind.

He saw countless things—memories from age three up to the present flashed before him. In an instant, his mind was saturated with recollections; fragments once shattered now connected seamlessly, forming a complete whole.

Books he had read and forgotten resurfaced, filling his mind. Yet, though his mind was full, it was not crowded. With every new memory, his mind seemed to expand, like a balloon growing larger as it is inflated—except his memory capacity was even more resilient, ever accommodating, never reaching a limit.

Chen Jin didn’t know if boundless memory was a blessing, but for now, he was delighted: all the memories he cherished returned, though those he wished to forget did as well, bringing both joy and sorrow.

The restoration lasted about three minutes. When it ended, Chen Jin felt refreshed and poured himself a cup of hot tea. The fragrant steam filled his nose, its warmth and moisture soothing his soul.

“Mind settled,” Chen Jin murmured as he slowly raised the cup.

This was the state of “mind settled.” Chen Jin hadn’t expected it to come so quickly; he thought it would take a month or three. Wu Song had told him that reaching this stage varied for each person—sometimes a blink, sometimes ten days or a year. Chen Jin hadn’t imagined he would achieve it in just one day.

He savored the benefits of this new clarity and pondered the identity of the snack shop owner across the street. The glance that ushered him into this state was clearly no ordinary look; it carried some mysterious power, perhaps a supernatural spell.

Thus, the real world was not as peaceful as the twenty-odd years of life Chen Jin had assumed; hidden currents might stir beneath the surface.

He considered visiting the shop owner, but after being almost incapacitated by a mere glance, realized the man’s powers far surpassed his own—perhaps he could kill Chen Jin with a single finger.

Deciding to wait and see, Chen Jin knew the importance of patience, a lesson learned from years wandering and working alongside his father. He was no longer the reckless youth who would dash against a wall; he was now a mature, prudent young man.

His newly lucid mind urged caution—he would pretend to have succumbed.

Meanwhile, the first page of the black leather book drifting in Chen Jin’s mind revealed several words:

“Spirit-loss spell.”

This spell could cause an ordinary person to lose a segment of memory.

Seeing these words, Chen Jin understood the significance of the shop owner's glance. It was meant to make him forget what he had just witnessed. Why? Did the owner know Chen Jin had seen his wife's ghost? Was he trying to erase that knowledge?

So, he wasn't intending to harm Chen Jin?

Based on the information from the black book, Chen Jin reached this conclusion. But he would not, for that reason, approach the owner, slap him on the back, and say, "I saw your wife. You used a spell just now. You must be a cultivator, right? Me too! Let's be friends!"

More likely, the owner’s anger at his secret being revealed would result in a swift slap to Chen Jin’s face, followed by a sword spell that would slice off his head.

Therefore, Chen Jin decided to pretend he was affected by the spirit-loss spell, acting as if he had forgotten seeing the ghost of the owner's wife.

Fortunately, they seldom crossed paths—Chen Jin rarely ate breakfast there—so there would be no issues.

Still, Chen Jin resolved to frequent the shop more often, to investigate how the owner possessed magical abilities, and why his wife remained a ghost at his side.

Now that he had begun cultivation, Chen Jin had no intention of stopping at the “mind settled” stage. At the very least, he aimed for immortality, to help his parents and sister ascend as well.

Thus, he needed to explore the existence of cultivators in the real world—and there was one right across the street. How could he ignore such an opportunity?

Hoo…

“The air is rather murky,” Chen Jin remarked, inhaling deeply.

He referred not to the mixture of gases around him, but to the elemental energy essential for cultivation. In his eyes, the world’s spiritual energy was indeed turbid, though a few breaths were still tolerable.