Chapter 16: Patrol

Turning his head to look at Zhao Tianxing, who was still rooted to the spot, Zhang Yu urged, "Get to work, Little Zhao! Lazing around here, are we?"

Zhao Tianxing hastily caught up, unable to resist glancing back at Bai Zhenzhen, who was carrying dishes, thinking, "If I told this back at school, they'd never believe it. Bai Zhenzhen is actually working a part-time job? Did something happen to her family?"

After another patrol, Zhao Tianxing followed Zhang Yu into a deserted emergency staircase. He saw Zhang Yu suddenly sit down in a meditative posture and said, "Don't just stand there. Let's rest for a bit."

Zhao Tianxing: "Huh? But the captain told us to keep patrolling. What if he finds out..."

Zhang Yu: "The art exhibition hasn't even started yet. What's there to patrol? Besides, in this Central Building, what problems do you think could even arise?"

Smiling, Zhang Yu added, "Besides, didn't you want to chat with me? It's a good opportunity to talk about your path as a security guard."

Hearing this, Zhao Tianxing remembered Wang Hai's instructions.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu dropped a bombshell: "Being a security guard is all about slacking off!"

Zhao Tianxing: "Huh?"

Zhang Yu continued, "Whether you patrol a few more times or a few less times, will your pay change?"

Zhao Tianxing hesitated, then asked, "I guess... not?"

Zhang Yu then asked, "With us here, or without us, will the security level of this venue be lowered?"

Zhao Tianxing scratched his head. "I guess... not? But..."

Zhang Yu: "But the time we steal is our own."

"Alright, I'll rest for a while. We'll go out again later when the art exhibition officially starts."

Watching Zhang Yu close his eyes and begin to cultivate, Zhao Tianxing became anxious, fearing that their superiors would discover their truancy.

Glancing again at Zhang Yu, who was completely immersed in his cultivation, Zhao Tianxing admired the other man's ability to seize every moment to practice, yet also thought he was far too audacious...

"Wait, wasn't I supposed to chat with him about buying medicine? How did I get dragged into talking about slacking off..."

Suddenly, Zhao Tianxing's eyes flickered. He pondered Zhang Yu's words, lost in thought.

Zhao Tianxing was the type of person who wasn't good at socializing, yet was sensitive and thoughtful, always caring about other people's feelings, easily overthinking things.

Now, recalling what Zhang Yu had said, he realized that it all seemed to align with his own actions.

"Whether I ask him a few more questions or a few less, will Teacher Wang Hai not guide me?"

"If Teacher Wang Hai lacks me to investigate, will he be completely unable to find anything out?"

"Did Zhang Yu already see through what I was trying to do? Was he deliberately hinting at me, telling me to slack off too?"

Thinking this, Zhao Tianxing looked at Zhang Yu again, who was cultivating, and felt that the other man's breathing seemed to have become unfathomable.

Accompanied by the flow of magical power throughout his body, Zhang Yu pushed the Cycle Gathering Technique to (13/80) after circulating his power for one major cycle, and the art exhibition finally officially began.

...

"As expected of an art exhibition organized by Ms. Li. The guests who come are all wealthy and powerful."

Looking at the guests attending the art exhibition, Zhao Tianxing couldn't help but sigh.

Although he didn't recognize who these people were, he could tell from their luxurious clothing and accessories that each of them was worth a fortune.

Even though Zhao Tianxing's father was a small leader in a company and their economic situation was considered good, he could still recognize that many of the luxury goods these people were wearing were things his family could never afford.

Just then, Zhang Yu whispered, "Old Zhao, look at that!"

Following the direction of the other man's gaze, Zhao Tianxing immediately saw a golden figure walking in, surrounded by people.

He focused his eyes and realized that the person's skin was like a layer of gold foil, reflecting faint golden light.

Zhang Yu asked curiously, "What is that? A robot?"

Zhao Tianxing quickly covered Zhang Yu's mouth, nervously watching to see if the golden man had looked at them. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Then, Zhao Tianxing removed his hand and explained, "That's the Songyang City Director of the Immortal Rhythm Group. Don't say anything rash."

"Immortal Rhythm Group?" Zhang Yu curiously looked at the golden man and asked, "Then how... does he look so shiny?"

Zhao Tianxing explained, "That's a Dharma Frame, don't you know?"

Seeing Zhang Yu's blank expression, Zhao Tianxing figured that the other man's family probably didn't have access to such things, so he patiently explained, "Dharma Frames... how should I put it? They're like prosthetics, but much stronger than prosthetics."

"Moreover, in terms of Immortal Dao technology, Dharma Frames have already expanded to the entire human body."

"It's like being able to use magical artifacts to replace any part of the human body, and greatly improve various abilities while retaining the original functions."

"But only those with magic power above 100 can implant Dharma Frames into their bodies..."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu's eyes flickered. He knew that 100 magic power was already the upper limit of what could be reached in the Qi Refining Realm.

He asked, "Is it that you can implant Dharma Frames with 100 magic power, or do you have to be at the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Zhao Tianxing: "100 magic power is enough, but this person is a true Foundation Establishment cultivator, comes from a famous family, and graduated from Myriad Arts University."

Zhang Yu understood. A Foundation Establishment Ancestor graduated from university and came to fry fish in this tier, showing off in front of them, a bunch of stubborn Qi Refining cultivators, to get a kick out of it.

As more and more guests arrived, Zhang Yu also saw two other individuals who seemed to possess Dharma Frames. One had eyes like gemstones, and the other had a halo floating behind his head. Their style was completely different from the other rich people around them.

These two and the golden Immortal Rhythm Group Director seemed to be three centers, attracting Qi Refining cultivators from time to time, who wished they could kneel down and kowtow to them.

Zhao Tianxing seemed to have gradually adapted to his security uniform and no longer seemed so uneasy looking at the guests coming and going.

During their patrol, the two of them inadvertently overheard some of the guests' conversations.

Some were marveling at Ms. Li Xuelian's wealth and generosity.

Others were praising how excellent the paintings on display were and how much they should be worth.

Naturally, some people were also talking about the martial arts illustration painted by a Golden Core True Man.

"Brother Li? Could it be that you also came to comprehend the illustration of celestial combat drawn by Senior Starfire himself?"

"Naturally. If any teenage genius under the age of 18 can master the martial arts within, Senior Starfire will directly take them as a disciple. This news has long spread throughout our Songyang Immortal Dao world. How could I not come?"

"No way, there's such intel?" Zhang Yu thought, "And it's spread throughout the Songyang Immortal Dao world? How come I don't know?"

Could it be that small fry in the Immortal Dao world aren't worthy of knowing?

However, Zhang Yu suppressed his doubts for now and decided to fulfill his duties as a security guard.

He approached the person who had been speaking and politely said, "Sir, are you alright?"

The young man, with his sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, clearly looked like an extraordinary person. He looked at the security guard in confusion. "What could be wrong with me?"

The young man said proudly, "I am Lian Tianji from Ziyun High School. Can't you see I'm chatting with my friend?"

Zhang Yu and Zhao Tianxing looked at each other and then at the so-called 'friend'.

It was a box placed on the table. The surface of the box was covered with a special wood grain and was about the size of an urn.

Zhang Yu couldn't help but think, "Schizophrenia? Driven crazy by studying?"

However, Zhang Yu knew something about Ziyun High School, which the other man had mentioned. It was a key high school even more prestigious than Songyang High School, one of the three famous schools in Songyang City, which the past Zhang Yu had never even dreamed of applying to.

It was said that the successive principals of Ziyun High School were known for their cruel methods, outrageous pressure, and hellish school rules.

Compared to it, the various things in Songyang High School were nothing more than a drop in the bucket. The legendary school caste system, where poor students ate in the toilet, and the weak were supposed to kneel to the strong... all of these rules were enough to terrify students from other high schools.

Looking at Lian Tianji, who was talking to an 'urn' in front of him, Zhang Yu couldn't help but lament that Ziyun High School had really driven people crazy.

But just then, the 'urn' spoke, "Brother Lian, these two security guards must have misunderstood."

"I am Li Xingyu, a Soul Cultivator from Mangshan High School."

Mangshan High School? A Soul Cultivator?

Zhang Yu remembered. Wasn't that the high school he had tried to apply to before?

Although he knew that Soul Cultivators, besides having lower total scores required for the college entrance examination and following a specialty path, also had the requirement of abandoning their physical bodies.

But looking at the 'urn' on the table, he was still shocked: "Mangshan High School has really turned people into ghosts."

Zhang Yu quickly apologized with Zhao Tianxing and left. Then they saw that after Lian Tianji and Li Xingyu exchanged a few more words, four propeller-like things extended from the 'urn', and it flew away like a drone.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Yu secretly rejoiced that the original owner of this body had not chosen the path of a Soul Cultivator in the end. Otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to achieve the... ethereal and refined look, so what kind of Immortal cultivator would he be?

"Wait, the Soul Cultivator doesn't even have a physical body. How is he planning to practice the martial arts in the illustration of celestial combat?"

Then, he remembered the information about the illustration of celestial combat that the two of them had just mentioned.

"If that's the case, then I'm afraid there will be many teenage geniuses under the age of 18 coming to this art exhibition? Just to try to master the peerless martial arts within the illustration of celestial combat?"

Thinking this, Zhang Yu became even more excited about this art exhibition.

A salary of 400 yuan per hour, not only does he get money and get to watch a show, but he also has the opportunity to comprehend peerless martial arts. Who says this job is not good? This job is great.

He turned to look at Zhao Tianxing beside him and asked, "How about it, Old Zhao? Are you interested in the peerless martial arts in the illustration of celestial combat?"

Zhao Tianxing naturally shook his head.

He had a good understanding of his own abilities. This kind of thing, which sounds like only true geniuses or rich people can master, has nothing to do with ordinary people like them.

Not only was he not interested, but he was also feeling a sense of shrinking back. Even if the illustration of celestial combat was unveiled later, he wouldn't even want to try it, fearing that he would become a clown in front of everyone.

A moment later, Zhao Tianxing, who had gradually adapted to his identity as a security guard, wished he could cover his face and run away, and immediately take off his security uniform.

Zhang Yu glanced at Zhao Tianxing, who quickly turned his back, and followed the direction the other man had been facing. He immediately spotted a few familiar faces.

"Oh? Isn't that Qian Shen? And a few others seem to be from our school, right?"

Qian Shen was the academic genius who consistently ranked second in the grade, behind Bai Zhenzhen.

Zhang Yu patted Zhao Tianxing on the shoulder and said, "Old Zhao, look, aren't those classmates from our class?"

Zhao Tianxing quickly grabbed Zhang Yu and pulled him over, saying uneasily, "Quick, turn around. Don't let them see us."