In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 12 Preaching
night.

Lu Zhao invited Zhang Like to a late-night food stall outside the border station for drinks, hoping to gather some intelligence along the way.

As the head of the border defense service team and the superior of all grassroots border guards, Zhang Like inevitably has to handle many things.

No sooner had Lü Jinshan been scolded than Zhang Like found out.

Before Lu Zhao could even ask, Zhang Like said gleefully, "Old Lu, I have some good news for you. Lu Jinshan might not be feeling well lately."

Lu Zhao raised her glass and clinked it against his, asking calmly, "What do you mean?"

"The other day, about that green bandit." Zhang Like stirred the pot with his chopsticks and scooped up a large piece of tripe.

“The incident happened suddenly, and because the other party was already close to the border, we were afraid that he would escape completely, so we asked you to shoot him yourself.”

Lu Zhao took a sip of wine, said nothing, and gestured for him to continue.

“Your report mentioned possible hidden items, but Lü Jinshan just didn’t order a search of the mountain.”

Zhang Like couldn't hide his smile as he described the scene with great enthusiasm: "When the special task force came down and saw the report, they immediately dragged our station chief over and gave him a good beating! I heard that Team Leader Lin was pointing his finger at him and yelling at him, and our Station Chief Lü could only keep his breath down and dare not utter a sound."

The last sentence surprised Lu Zhao, who asked, "They are not in the same system, so theoretically Lü Jinshan does not need to be responsible for her."

"Theoretically, the person in charge of the cafeteria is on the same level as me, so he has to be subservient to me. But that Team Leader Lin must be someone important; she has an innate air of nobility. I wonder whose daughter she is."

Zhang Like was quite curious, and after only a few brief encounters, he sensed that the other party was extraordinary.

Lin Zhiyan is decisive and efficient in his work, but he doesn't follow rules and regulations very well.

Such people are either hotheads or born into wealth, and are inherently rule-abiding.

Once he becomes the head of the task force, it's highly unlikely that he will be appointed by the county government in the former position.

Lu Zhao didn't care much: "It's not expensive for me."

“You’re just taking your anger out on others,” Zhang Like joked. “If I were you, I’d quickly find a beautician to do your makeup. Who knows, we might be able to learn from their strengths and use them against them.”

"If I were you, I'd find a tailor to sew your mouth shut."

"Tsk, you have absolutely no opportunistic spirit."

After exchanging a few playful insults, Zhang Like straightened his expression and steered the conversation back on track:

"A large-scale search of the mountain is expected to begin tomorrow. You are familiar with Ant Ridge and are also a mental superhuman. If you find it first, it's best not to make a fuss."

Lu Zhao remained silent, his eyes filled with a searching gaze.

"If you hand over the items now, the credit will still be yours, and Lü Jinshan can make amends for his mistake. But if you delay for a while, he will at least be accused of negligence, or even be punished."

Without Lu Zhao's prompting, Zhang Like had already reached the same conclusion as him.

Border stations are part of the regular battalion-level organization and have three sets of personnel: the commanding officer, the service personnel, and the supervisors.

In terms of power structure, the core team consists of the station chief, the instructor, and the deputy station chief on duty.

Station Chief Lü Jinshan, as the highest-ranking military officer, was in charge of all operations.

The supervisory officer is in charge of discipline and ideological development and has significant oversight power over the station chief, but he is usually largely out of the public eye.

Zhang Like, the captain of the duty brigade, is responsible for duty deployment and case-related operations. He has considerable authority and information control, especially in specific cases and operations.

As the station chief, Lü Jinshan wielded the most power, but he was also subject to checks and balances from his subordinates. Otherwise, the border station could easily become a local tyrant on the border, or even promote and encourage smuggling trade.

This has almost become the norm; if a problem occurs at a border post, it is inevitably related to smuggling.

If the other party doesn't reveal any flaws, Zhang Like wouldn't be foolish enough to go against his superior. But if the other party does reveal a flaw, then he shouldn't be blamed for handing over the knife.

After all, because of Lu Zhao's matter, the other party had been making things difficult for him frequently over the past year.
-
Returning to his room, Lu Zhao's consciousness sank into his mental world.

He traversed the layers of spiritual tsunamis and arrived once again in the Primordial Chaos Realm.

The old Taoist priest sat cross-legged, looking at you with gentle eyes: "Layman, today you feel a strange sensation in your mind. Is it due to external influences?"

External objects?

Lu Zhao was stunned for a moment, then immediately thought of the life bone.

But how did the old Taoist know this? Could he observe the real world?
The divine aperture is the spiritual body, but Lu Zhao himself did not notice anything unusual. He instinctively became a little wary and answered truthfully, "I found a life bone in the mountains and intercepted it from a bandit."

The old Taoist stroked his beard and said, "This item is beneficial to the spirit and soul; you can make good use of it."

"My life development level is only 35 points. My current body is not suitable for absorbing and devouring other life bones... Uh, does the Daoist Master understand life development?"

Lu Zhao racked his brains but couldn't come up with an explanation for the time being.

In ancient times, the classification of supernatural life bones was not as simple as the five categories we have today. The ancients would distinguish them according to their destiny and fate, which could give rise to dozens or even hundreds of terms.

Life development can be roughly divided into six stages, each with different characteristics, but the common point is the merging of similar items.

That is, with each advancement to the next level, one can strengthen their supernatural abilities by consuming life bones of the same type.

Lu Zhao needs to wait until he advances to the second tier to improve his supernatural abilities.

By accumulating these, each supernatural power has a path to becoming a great supernatural power, the final form of which is one of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend supernatural powers.

"Different names, but the same meaning."

The old Taoist priest nodded and gestured for him to sit down.

Lu Zhao sat cross-legged on the futon, his back straight as a spear, his military bearing inadvertently revealed. If you draped a Taoist robe over him, probably no one would mistake him for a Taoist priest.

He still isn't quite used to sitting cross-legged.

"Layman, you may do as you please here."

Lu Zhao no longer straightened his back or bent over; his posture became relaxed.

The two sat facing each other and resumed the teaching session.

Their relationship resembled that of a teacher and student in a school; the old Taoist priest taught without explaining the reasons, and Lu Zhao did not need to pay tuition for his lessons. It was as if their very existence in this space had already established their roles as teacher and student.

"Today we talk about nature and life. What we call nature is spirit, intention, and awareness."

"As Zhuangzi said, 'The body preserves the spirit, and each has its own rules and principles, which are called nature.'"

"Sex is the way bestowed upon humanity by Heaven and Earth, and it has its own inherent rules."

"The essence of self-cultivation is to break free from the inherent rules of human nature and transcend the entanglements of the seven emotions and six desires. One should not follow the crowd externally, nor distort one's true nature internally, but rather conform to the way of nature in order to attain true freedom."

The old Taoist priest narrated the profound scriptures, which were thousands of words long, in a smooth and flowing manner, without pausing for a moment.

After reading it, he gave Lu Zhao the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to think about it.

Today, the old Taoist priest's lecture was much more difficult, and Lu Zhao was so confused that he had to chew on every single word.

The education system at the Imperial Capital Academy emphasizes the cultivation of well-rounded individuals, requiring the study of both literary and martial arts. Lu Zhao also had some knowledge of ancient supernatural powers and fortune-telling, and his major, spiritual studies, resonated with the human nature described by the old Taoist priest.

He was able to grasp the underlying logic, understand the literal meaning, and connect it to the theories of modern spiritualism.

However, these theories were insufficient for Lu Zhao's understanding. The old Taoist priest's description was like a skyscraper, and he could only stand at the bottom and touch the corner of the building.

Lu Zhao had no choice but to write down the contents and raise his questions later.

When the time was up, the old Taoist priest asked, "Did you understand, layman?"

Lu Zhaocheng shook his head honestly: "I only have a superficial understanding. I can barely grasp the literal meaning and some conceptual connections, but to say I 'understand' it, I'm afraid I've only scratched the surface."

He was used to the clear definitions, logical deductions, and experimental verifications of the modern education system, and he always felt a bit out of place with this kind of metaphysical teaching that required "insight."

But Lu Zhao was also very talented; he was able to sense that the old Taoist's teachings were even more profound.

He couldn't understand the scriptures using his existing knowledge, but he could find answers to previously obscure points of knowledge through a corner of the scriptures, thus providing explanations for his past self.

Spiritual cultivation lies in understanding; the more you understand the world, the more resilient you become.

The old Taoist priest smiled but did not answer: "It's alright, the time is not yet ripe. With diligent cultivation in the future, the time will come naturally."

"..."

(End of this chapter)