strokinit Chapter 90 Night Talks and Choices
Chapter 90 Night Talks and Choices
Chapter 90 Night Talks and Choices
As night fell, the west wing was deathly silent.
The oil lamp flickered dimly, casting two elongated shadows on the wall.
Jia Shouren sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the ground.
He threw the letter at his feet.
Gu Shenyan sat at the table, holding a book called "The True Explanation of the Five Elements" in his hand, but did not turn a single page for a long time.
The air was so stuffy it was hard to breathe.
"Senior Brother Gu————"
Finally, Jia Shouren spoke.
His voice was hoarse and trembling slightly.
"Um?"
Gu Shenyan put down the book and turned around.
"Song Qingyuan—he just came to see me."
Jia Shouren raised his head, his round, chubby face filled with struggle and pain: "It's over by the outhouse."
"He gave me a booklet, saying it was a quick and easy method."
"He also said that as long as I listen to him, he can guarantee that I will pass every test in the future."
Gu Shenyan remained calm, as if he had expected this: "What are the conditions?"
There is no such thing as a free lunch, especially not a free lunch for someone like Song Qingyuan.
"The condition is—"
Jia Shouren gritted his teeth, as if he had made a tremendous decision: "Let me monitor you."
"Tell him everything you usually do: what kind of kung fu you practice, what talismans you draw, and even what you say."
"And I also want you to add something to your ink at the crucial moment."
Jia Shouren's voice was almost inaudible.
Gu Shenyan simply looked at him quietly.
This silence only intensifies the other person's suffering.
"Senior Brother Gu!"
Jia Shouren suddenly stood up, pulled a thin booklet from his pocket, and slammed it to the ground: "I didn't agree!"
"I want to improve my skills, but I'm afraid of being called back home to sell fabric."
"But although I, Jia Shouren, am fat and stupid, I am not the kind of despicable person who would betray his friends for personal gain!"
"You taught me the Thick Earth Talisman, without minding that I'm slow, explaining it to me again and again."
"I'll remember this kindness!"
"That bastard Song Qingyuan, what does he take me for?!"
The fat man was so excited that his whole body was trembling and his eyes were red.
Looking at the booklet on the ground, Gu Shenyan finally relaxed the tension in his heart.
He walked over, picked up the booklet, and casually flipped through a couple of pages.
[Scan complete]
[Item: Blood Burning Spirit Enhancement Technique (Fragment)]
[Evaluation: This is an unorthodox method that forcibly enhances control over spiritual energy by burning one's life essence. Long-term practice will damage one's foundation and shorten one's lifespan.]
"It really is a harmful thing."
Gu Shenyan sneered, and with a flick of his palm, the booklet instantly turned into dust.
"Brother Jia, thank you for your trust."
He patted Jia Shouren on the shoulder, his tone solemn.
Jia Shouren wiped the snot and tears from his face: "What are you thanking me for? I don't do anything immoral."
"But Senior Brother Gu—what should I do?"
"If it doesn't work out in six months, I'm really finished."
Gu Shenyan pondered for a moment, then his gaze sharpened.
"Since Song Qingyuan wants to play, then we'll play along to the end."
"Brother Jia, do you believe me?"
"I believe you! Of course I believe you!"
"it is good."
Gu Shenyan walked to the table, spread out a sheet of white paper, and wrote two large characters:
【Study Alliance】
"From today onwards, we are allied."
"It's no longer about going it alone, but about sharing resources and exchanging information."
"I will review what I learn each month and write it down as essential notes."
"It contains my most straightforward understanding of the Five Elements' generating and restraining relationships, as well as—some special techniques."
This so-called special technique is, of course, the optimal solution he derived through his cheat code.
Jia Shouren's eyes widened: "This—this is too precious!"
"Senior Brother Gu, this is your unique secret technique!"
"A single tree cannot support a forest."
Gu Shenyan shook his head: "The reason why Song Qingyuan dares to be so arrogant is because he has the resources of the Song family and that small group behind him."
"If we want to win, we have to stick together."
"Moreover, the two of us alone are not enough."
Gu Shenyan looked out the window, towards the direction of the east wing.
"We need one more person."
The next morning, under the locust tree.
Han Sushuang looked at Gu Shenyan in front of her, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"An alliance?"
She reacted as if she'd heard a joke: "Senior Brother Gu, you're not kidding, are you?"
"Although my Han family is not a great family, we are not lacking in talisman resources."
"Why should I ally with you—especially with that fat guy?"
Gu Shenyan remained calm, took out a piece of paper from his pocket, and handed it over.
"Senior Sister Han, please take a look at this first."
Han Sushuang took it with a puzzled look, and her expression changed after just one glance.
That was a reflection on "the harmony of the five elements".
There are no profound theories above; they simply use concise language to reveal a key trick for the conversion between the metal and fire elements.
This trick was precisely the bottleneck that had been troubling her for a long time.
"This—you figured this out yourself?"
Han Sushuang looked up, staring at Gu Shenyan in shock.
"Just my humble opinion."
Gu Shenyan smiled and said, "Senior Sister Han has a strong family background and a solid foundation, but perhaps she can refer to my approach when it comes to the flexibility of the Five Elements transformation."
"This piece of paper is just one part of the shared materials within the 'Academic Alliance'."
Han Sushuang held the paper tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.
She's a discerning person.
This thin sheet of paper is worth a fortune.
"What do you need me to do?"
She's a smart woman; she knows there's no such thing as a free lunch.
"Resources, information."
Gu Shenyan bluntly stated, "The Han family has some connections in the provincial capital, and we need some materials that cannot be purchased through formal channels."
"Also, information regarding next month's field training."
Han Sushuang remained silent for a moment.
She was weighing her options.
Gu Shenyan's potential has far exceeded that of an ordinary newcomer.
Forming an alliance with him might be a sure-fire way to make money.
"it is good."
Han Sushuang raised her head, a resolute glint in her eyes: "I'll join."
"But I have one condition."
"Please speak, senior sister."
"I want to be the team leader for next month's practical training."
Gu Shenyan smiled: "No problem."
Late at night, the three of them gathered in the west wing.
Gu Shenyan was explaining to Jia Shouren in detail.
-
"Brother Jia, your problem is not that you lack spiritual energy, but that you try too hard to control it."
He pointed to the talisman on the table: "The Earth element is heavy and substantial; what you need to do is not 'lift,' but 'sink.'"
Imagine your aura as a stone falling into water.
"Don't worry about how it falls; let it sink on its own."
Jia Shouren nodded as if he understood, and picked up his pen to try.
This time, he did not deliberately guide the spiritual energy, but instead relaxed his wrist.
The tip of the pen glides across the talisman paper, and spiritual energy flows down with it.
Although the lines are still somewhat crooked, the sense of stagnation has disappeared.
"It's done!"
Jia Shouren exclaimed in delight, "It feels so much smoother!"
Han Sushuang, who was standing next to her, pursed her lips, but still tossed over a roll of parchment: "This is some introductory material on earth element talismans from my Han family. Take a look."
"Don't hold us back later."
Jia Shouren was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.
Seeing this, Gu Shenyan felt somewhat relieved. About two hours later, the other two left.
"Song Qingyuan————"
Gu Shenyan's lips curled into a cold smile.