The Law of Heaven

Chapter 16 Counting Harvest

Chapter 16 Counting Harvest
The alley was even quieter in the dead of night. Under the dim yellow light, swarms of moths rose and fell, cicadas lazily chirped on the trees, and Aihara sat in the courtyard, lost in thought.

Ruan Qi left, leaving behind a strange sketchbook. It is said that she painted all of these pictures herself. Each picture looks like a doodle created by a mental patient during an episode. The style is somewhat abstract, reminiscent of Van Gogh, and even a little eerie.

There seems to be some kind of mystery or hidden secret in those strange colors and lines.

"Is this the Perfection of Heavenly Principles?"

According to the little girl before she left, this was a painting that only Aihara could understand, and he needed to use his Alaya consciousness to perceive it deeply in order to complete the analysis.

It takes about one night for the immortal species that has integrated the ancient relics of the Heavenly Principles to awaken its second form.

Aihara pondered for a moment: "This thing can only help me awaken the second form of Alaya consciousness, but it cannot allow me to further control my abilities. This means that I still need the ordinary Perfection Technique to improve my rank. But this does not mean that the Perfection Technique of Heavenly Principle is useless. After all, the current ability of Alaya consciousness can only be used as an auxiliary. When it comes to real combat, it will not be enough."

Although I'm really looking forward to it, Aihara hasn't tried it yet.

He went to the corner of the yard, squatted down next to the twisted corpse, and searched around. He found a leather wallet, a brand-new iPhone, and silver earrings and rings that looked like high-end luxury brands.

"It's a pity we don't have much cash."

Aihara opened his wallet; he only had three hundred yen in cash.

These days everyone uses that damn mobile payment system; it's already a blessing if you can carry cash with you.

“These luxury items can be recycled on Zhuanzhuan (a second-hand marketplace app). Add to that the watches and gold chains I have, and they should fetch tens of thousands of yuan. If only I had mind control abilities, I could make them reveal their bank card or Alipay passwords and transfer all the money away…” Aihara was still a bit unwilling to give up. He held his phone up to the corpse's face to scan the QR code to unlock it, but unfortunately, it failed.

Because the corpse's face was severely distorted.

In fact, Aihara really wanted to know the information stored on this phone, because Mr. Zhai did not carry any identification documents such as his ID card in his wallet, and no one knew who this guy was or which faction he belonged to.

Although Yi Ran might be able to help him unlock the phone, it's not without risk; someone might come knocking on his door during the process.

Apple iPhones all have location tracking functionality.

Perhaps once Aihara takes the phone out of the Mirage, someone will lock onto him.

Especially for people in professions like Mr. Zhai.

Aihara cannot gamble.

Thinking of this, he suppressed the pain, tightened his right hand, and mercilessly crushed the phone.

The small parts fell from his hands to the ground.

It made a clanging sound.

His heart was bleeding; this was all money.

"It seems that the only way to get information about Mr. Zhai is to go to my uncle's family." Aihara was somewhat relieved that he hadn't acted on impulse and harmed his uncle's family.

This family member is still useful.

"Huh? What is this?"

He searched the body one last time and found a black card with gold trim tucked into the crease of the bloodstained suit. The card was exquisitely crafted, with a clown image inlaid on its surface, and it had a faint, dark luster.

Aihara had never seen anything like this before, and was quite intrigued, so he held it in his hand and played with it.

At that very moment, the clown on the black card suddenly gave him a ghostly smile, like a spirit.

"Fuck!"

Aihara was so terrified by this sight that he threw the cards away, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Although he wasn't exactly timid, what he had just witnessed was still too chilling; there was clearly something wrong with that black card.

"What the hell is this?"

After thinking it over, Aihara decided not to touch the black card again. He would wait until he joined the Deep Blue Alliance tomorrow to inquire about it before making a decision.

Anyway, this is the courtyard of Mirage Tower. You can't come in without an invitation, so I'm not afraid of someone taking it away.

This thing won't grow wings and fly away even if it's left here.

very safe.

"That's it for today."

Aihara packed his things and prepared to go home, but before leaving, he looked at the corpse in the yard and fell into deep thought: "By the way, what should we do with this corpse?"

·
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Half an hour later, Aihara, who had returned home, was humming a song while taking a shower in the bathroom. After thinking it over, he decided to bury the body in the yard. Although it was a little dirty, it was better than having it discovered and the police called.

When he finished showering and changing his clothes, Xiao Si was already asleep on the bed.

This silly little girl, I don't know what she was thinking, insisted that he had secretly joined the underworld. Before going to bed, she even tried to teach him with the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, hoping to persuade him to turn back from the wrong path.

Aihara couldn't explain it at all, and no matter how hard he racked his brains to come up with a reason, he couldn't fool them.

It seems I'll have to avoid her for a while, or maybe I can find an opportunity to turn her into an immortal being, which would save me a lot of unnecessary trouble.

If possible, it would be best if love could become an immortal species.

First and foremost is safety.

Because of their wicked second uncle, Xiangyuan and Xiangsi were already being targeted by certain forces. They had no choice but to become stronger in order to protect themselves.

Aihara had previously considered having Kosuke live in the Mirage.

However, my second uncle had repeatedly warned that no one other than the owner and guests should enter the Misty Tower, otherwise it would ruin the feng shui.

Aihara never stayed overnight in the Mirage Tower back then.

Of course, there are no tokens to express longing.

Even if you wanted to go in, you couldn't.

It's a real shame that Aihara, as the boss, didn't have any extra tokens to let her in.

Even if we assume that Xiaosi could stay at the shop, she can't stay there forever; otherwise, what's the difference between that and being in prison?

So it makes no sense.

Becoming an immortal being is the best choice.

Secondly, there's the future.

Compared to ordinary people, immortal beings have stronger physiques and can even possess superpowers that transcend reality. As long as they don't compete with their own kind, they can make a name for themselves wherever they go and live a comfortable life with ease.

But all of this is on the premise that Aihara has to get through this first, and only after he has gained a firm foothold can he bring his sister in, that way it will be safe.

Faced with a mysterious world full of uncertainty, Aihara never thought of backing down or turning back. The routine of daily life was too boring for him, and he would look forward to an unknown adventure.

Aihara stood by the window, the transparent glass reflecting the dim lights of the night and his own shadow.

After a brief period of thought, he summarized three principles for going out from now on.

First, lie low.

Second, curry favor with powerful figures.

Third, they hide and cling to powerful figures.

Aihara firmly believed that as long as he followed these three points, he could reach the pinnacle of immortality and become the strongest.

He went back to his bedroom and found his second uncle's diary.

My second uncle was a very flamboyant man who considered himself a cultured person and loved to put on scholarly airs. He was keen on recording what he saw and heard and then bragging about it when he was drunk. Therefore, this diary can be said to record the so-called highlights of his life, but it also vividly reveals the old man's sleazy and despicable nature.

Aihara frowned as he flipped through his diary and finally found the record of his trip to Thailand.

"On April 14th, I went to Hongzhaofang for a foot massage."

"On April 16th, I met Master Bailong, and we had a pleasant meeting."

"On April 18th, I went to Hongzhaofang for a foot massage again."

"On April 20th, I had a discussion with Master Bailong."

"On April 21st, I took Master Bailong to Hongzhaofang for a foot massage. Today's foot massage girl was the top performer, A Xiang, with big breasts, a slim waist, and long legs. The master's comment was that she was very moisturized."

"On April 26th, Master Bailong gifted me with the Divine Incense. This is a closely guarded secret of Bailong Temple, extremely precious. The specific formula is 7 grams of relic powder, 5 grams of ambergris, 6 grams of musk, 10 grams of agarwood, 10 grams of lavender, 14 grams of Polygonum multiflorum, and 16 grams of Poria cocos. It is prepared using ancient methods and must be blended in an extremely yin place during a full moon. The quality of the finished incense will vary significantly depending on the quality of the raw materials."

Aihara nodded in satisfaction.

My second uncle indeed wrote down the recipe.

This is typical of my second uncle's nature; whenever he acquires something good, he likes to get to the bottom of it, noting down its place of origin and production process to satisfy his collecting obsession. As for why the secrets of Bailong Temple were eventually leaked, my second uncle did mention it to him back then. It's said that when the master got drunk, he even revealed how many illegitimate children he had, so this little secret was nothing to him.

and many more.

Aihara suddenly realized a problem.

In fact, Aihara had also complained about his second uncle back then.

Because my second uncle wasn't a very responsible parent. He only cared about his own enjoyment after he got money, traveling all over the world, eating, drinking, having fun, and whoring.

However, Aihara eventually came to terms with it.

Parents have an obligation to raise their children.

Children do not actually have the right to demand love from their parents.

Love is something that requires mutual consent.

Don't force it.

That's just how my second uncle is; no one can persuade him otherwise.

But is this really the case?
After Aihara took over the Misty Tower, the first customer he encountered required the Incense of the Passageway.

Among the collection left by my second uncle was a kind of incense that could communicate with the divine. He even thoughtfully wrote down the recipe in his diary, as if he had been waiting for this day to come.

Aihara shook his head.

Perhaps he was overthinking it and excessively romanticizing the deceased.

My second uncle is no longer here.

These questions are destined to remain unanswered.

Aihara must focus on the present moment.

"But the problem is that these things are so expensive. Why do we need so much of these precious spices? I can buy ambergris and musk, but what the hell is sarira powder? The production conditions are also a bit harsh. Damn, this is so annoying." Aihara was already overwhelmed when he saw these recipes. The money he had just stolen was not enough, but in order to stick with his guests, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

Once Aihara joins Deep Blue Alliance, he will likely gain access to new channels and resources, which may allow him to easily acquire these valuable raw materials.

But that wasn't his real purpose.

Aihara joined Deep Blue Alliance for only two reasons.

First, determine the cause of my second uncle's death.

Secondly, we need to find out the forces behind Mr. Zhai and eliminate these guys who have been watching him from behind the scenes to prevent future troubles before we can feel at ease.

Exhausted, Aihara lay on the bed, picked up the eerie picture book on the table, placed it on his face, and released his senses. He fell asleep without realizing it.

He fell into a deep sleep again.

He had a dream.

In his dream, he saw the ancient and majestic dragon. Its long and agile body was coiled in the darkness, and its vertical pupils, which flowed with molten gold, seemed to spew flames and lightning. Its high-pitched dragon roar was like thunder, echoing in the sky and on the ground.

A violent dragon's roar swept in, and invisible waves engulfed the city like a tsunami. Skyscrapers collapsed like sandcastles in the wind, overturned viaducts that spanned the sky, crushed vehicles on the roadside, and snapped utility poles in half.

Wherever the dragon roared, everything in its path shattered. The broken asphalt road surface rolled back like ocean waves, and the solid ground cracked as it trembled, leaving bottomless fissures.

It was an apocalyptic scene, with ancient and imposing dragons overlooking the ruined city, as if an ancient civilization had ruthlessly crushed modern society.

Aihara's subconscious was working wildly.

He uttered a strange syllable in his sleep.

That was like the roar of an ancient bell, a dragon's cry.

In a state of unconsciousness, he suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils gleaming with a fierce, molten gold, devoid of any human warmth, only endless coldness.

Aihara's fingers twitched.

The glass window trembled, and the vase on the edge of the cabinet moved with the tremors, splashing water from the bottom. The cell phone on the table floated into the air, and its screen, which had been off, lit up with a faint light, illuminating the dim room.

An invisible realm spread out from Aihara at its center.

·
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The next morning, the melodious bell rang over the playground of Yijuku High School, and students in blue and white school uniforms entered the teaching building one after another, discussing the robbery case from the previous day.

Aihara dropped his younger sister off at the entrance of Class 6, Grade 1, yawned, and went up to the fourth floor to return to his own classroom.

He ran into a few acquaintances on the street who greeted him. He nodded in response as usual, as if nothing had changed, but everything seemed different.

He used to drift aimlessly through school, but now every second he spends is so new and exciting, as if it holds countless possibilities and is full of novelty.

He knew this was because he had already awakened.

It is also because today he will become a hunter and truly step into that unknown and mysterious world.

During morning self-study, Aihara would doze off at his desk; he hadn't slept well for two nights in a row.

Exhausted physically and mentally.

After yesterday's robbery, his classmates were discussing the details of the incident enthusiastically. The noise bothered him a bit, and he inadvertently turned on his phone, only to receive a text message from his sister.

"Brother, I heard your bed creaking all night. What were you doing?"

"Ah? Is there any?"

"I understand your physical needs as a teenager, but you should still take care of your health. This is too intense. How about I introduce you to a girlfriend? Some girls in our class really like you?"

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Aihara understood what the little girl was talking about and immediately became furious.

"You wait until after class, I'm going to break your legs."

"Onii-chan, dame dame..."

Aihara scratched his head. He remembered that he had been looking at the sketchbook left by the guests last night and had fallen asleep without knowing when. He had no idea what had happened.

Now it seems he's caused quite a stir.

It seems that the cultivation of immortal beings is mostly completed unconsciously while they are asleep.

Perhaps this is related to the human subconscious.

Aihara felt it was time to brush up on his knowledge of the supernatural. He fiddled with his phone, found a cloud drive, and rummaged in his pocket for the earphone case.

At that very moment, a fleeting inspiration flashed through my mind, and my brain circuits, like dormant circuits being activated, emerged with intricate matrix patterns that extended to the deepest part of my consciousness, forming an invisible realm.

There was a snap.

The earphone case in his pocket flew into his hand.

Aihara was stunned.

He spread his palms.

The white earphone case floated prominently in the palm of your hand.

He sensed it, that invisible realm.

There is a force within his domain that he can wield at will.

Just like his body.

It's just that you can't see it or touch it.

Aihara was taken aback. As he focused his mind and applied force, a ballpoint pen on the table began to spin in place, rotating as fast as a fan.

Snapped.

The ballpoint pen stopped spinning and stood upright under his mental control—a truly magical scene.