Reversing Falsehood and Preserving Truth: All Gods and Gods Are in My Hands

"Whether it's predicting the rule's failure or directly interfering with it..." Chen Mo's eyes were sharp as an ice-cold blade, "This means that the opponent's strength is likely superior to that of the Shouzhen Bureau. If the Shouzhen Bureau has such means, they wouldn't need to conservatively use forgetfulness potions, fabricate lies, and other tedious methods to finish things off every time."

Su Wan's tone was filled with worry and lingering fear: "The hospital explosion was to silence witnesses, but Lu Yu was also in the emergency room at the time... They didn't care about accidental injuries at all; all they cared about was covering up the evidence."

Zhao Lei clenched his fists: "These bastards are too arrogant! Let's investigate right now, find them, and give them a good beating!"

Lu Yu leaned against the headboard, the vitality brought by the spiritual plant's return to its origin improved his complexion considerably: "They can predict or interfere with the rules, and perhaps they understand the underlying logic of this world better than the Guardian Bureau. Maybe they even have clues about Grandma's disappearance."

He paused, and three faint halos of light appeared in his palm in turn: pale green, cyan, and pale gold. "I must find those three spiritual herbs as soon as possible to solve the problem of backlash from multiple Great Daos, otherwise I won't even have the ability to protect myself if I encounter danger again."

"Just focus on recovering!" Su Wan quickly pressed down on his arm. "We'll investigate the clues first. Your job is to rest well until you're discharged."

Zhao Lei and Chen Mo nodded in agreement, and the group finalized their plans before leaving one after another as dusk fell.

With Lunar New Year's Eve just around the corner, the VIP wards at Anhe Private Hospital were decorated with a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Lin Hui pushed open the door carrying a thermos. The moment she lifted the lid, the aroma of pork and cabbage dumplings filled the room with steam. The plump dumplings floated in the broth, piping hot with a homely feel. Lu Jianming skillfully turned on the television in the ward, and the Spring Festival Gala's song and dance program immediately began, the cheerful melody dispelling the distinctive smell of disinfectant in the hospital.

Su Wan followed her father, Su Jianjun, into the room. Su's father was wearing faded work clothes with the cuffs rolled up, revealing his calloused wrists. He was carrying a heavy bag of oranges, their peels glistening with fresh oil.

"Lu Yu, I don't have much to bring, but here are some oranges for you to get some vitamins." He scratched his head shyly, a blush rising on his dark face. "Wanwan said that when the school 'collapsed,' you risked your life to protect her, and I haven't had a chance to thank you in person. It's just the two of us at home, so I thought I'd come and join in the fun."

"I'm here!" Zhao Lei barged in carrying a large bag of firecrackers and nuts, his voice so loud it drowned out the television.

"My parents went out to do business during the Lunar New Year, so the house is all quiet. Why don't we come here and have some dumplings?" He put his food on the table, grabbed a peanut and threw it into his mouth. He glanced at the comedy sketch on TV and immediately burst out laughing.

Chen Mo arrived last, carrying a simple kraft paper gift box containing two yellowed ancient books with worn edges.

"I found this while researching. It's about ancient myths and legends. It helps me pass the time." He sat in a chair in the corner, his gaze sweeping over the steaming dumplings on the table. A barely perceptible warmth flickered in his eyes—he had lived independently for many years, and the laughter and aroma filling the room at this moment allowed his tense nerves to relax for a rare moment.

Lin Hui served everyone a full bowl of dumplings, the porcelain bowl steaming; Lu Jianming smiled and poured Su's father a cup of hot tea, the cup condensing with fine water droplets; Zhao Lei chewed on a dumpling while complaining that the Spring Festival Gala's songs and dances were "not as exciting as boxing"; Su Wan quietly peeled an orange, removed the white pith, and handed it to Lu Yu; Chen Mo flipped through an ancient book, occasionally looking up, amused by Zhao Lei's complaints, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Amidst the commotion, Lu Yu pulled out the sports meet group photo from under his pillow. In the photo, Liu Jing stood on the far right, her moon-white skirt billowing in the wind, her smile gentle.

"Teacher Liu will definitely 'come back'." Su Wan's voice was as soft as a sigh.

Zhao Lei's laughter abruptly stopped: "Teacher Liu protected so many people with her life; we can't let her sacrifice be in vain!"

Lu Yu stroked the image of Liu Jing in the photo, a resolute light burning in his eyes: "We must not only find out the mastermind behind this and uncover the truth about the illusory spirits, but also protect everyone around us. We must not only not let down Teacher Liu's sacrifice, but also bring Teacher Liu back to our side."

Chen Mo and Su Wan nodded at the same time, their four hands gently overlapping above the photo. Their silent vow, set against the background music of the Spring Festival Gala, conveyed the unique stubbornness and determination of young people.

At this moment, the atmosphere of the Lunar New Year is strong in Zhongzhou City.

Red lanterns hung all over the streets, firecrackers went off one after another, and children chased each other with lanterns in the alleys, their laughter ringing out; red couplets were pasted on the doors and windows of every household, and the aroma of food wafted out of the cracks in the doors and onto the street, exuding the warmth of family reunion.

But behind this excitement, a hidden network of protection has already been laid out.

At a Spring Festival couplets stall on a street corner, a watchman deftly handed couplets to customers. The red paper and black characters reflected the smile on his face, but his peripheral vision kept glancing at the shadows of the street corner. The walkie-talkie hidden among the pile of couplets occasionally emitted a faint static sound.

At the entrance of the mall, two Guardians of Truth stood upright, maintaining order among the crowd. Their vigilance never wavered, and their aura of the Great Dao was as restrained as that of a dormant beast. Even their breathing blended into the clamor of the crowd.

Some of the watchmen disguised themselves as taxi drivers, sanitation workers, or even tourists visiting the temple fair with their families, silently checking for any abnormalities amidst the laughter and joy.

Shennong Mountain on the outskirts of the city is covered in a blanket of snow.

Two men, carrying forged geological exploration credentials, successfully fooled the temporary checkpoint and made their way through the snow towards the deep pit halfway up the mountain. Their footprints in the snow were quickly covered by fresh snow, and they crouched low as they leaped into the pit, turning on their powerful flashlights, the beams piercing the darkness and probing into the depths.

"The previous abnormal traces have been completely wiped away." One of the guardians squatted down, his fingertips tracing the frozen soil at the bottom of the pit. The soil felt hard and smooth. "The technique is very professional."

Another tester turned on the instrument, and only weak noise flickered on the screen, which did not meet the criteria for judging illusory energy at all.

"Strange, how could the traces of the ethereal spirit have disappeared so completely?" Just as he was about to retract the probe, his wrist suddenly trembled violently, and the instrument screen instantly lit up with a blinding red light. "Energy fluctuations! Deep in the mountains!"

The energy was gentle yet powerful, like a spring that had slumbered for millennia suddenly gushing forth, fleeting in an instant. It lacked the sinister quality of illusory energy, instead exuding an indescribable antiquity and mystery. The two guardians exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

This energy is no ordinary thing.

Meanwhile, near Zhongzhou No. 11 Middle School, a septic tank truck suddenly stopped on the side of the road. Pedestrians were coming and going on New Year's Eve, but no one noticed anything unusual—this truck did not have the pungent smell of a typical septic tank truck, but only a very faint, clean scent.

Two men in sanitation worker uniforms jumped out of the car, quickly lifted a sewer manhole cover, and connected a black pipe to a pre-installed interface. The other end of the pipe was connected to a liquid storage tank at the back of the car.

Inside the jar, a pale blue liquid shimmered with a faint golden light. It was the purifying rainwater left behind after Liu Jing cast the forbidden spell, flowing silently in the darkness, exuding a dangerous aura of being coveted.

In just ten minutes, the two completed the transfer, covered the manhole, drove into the night, and sped off towards the outskirts of the city. The red taillights of the car flashed by in the bustling street scene, unnoticed by anyone.

The Spring Festival Gala in the hospital ward was reaching its climax. Zhao Lei hummed along to the song, Su's father and Lu Jianming chatted about interesting things about long-distance transportation, and Lin Hui added a bowl of warm dumpling soup to Lu Yu's bowl.

Lu Yu gazed at the fireworks bursting across the sky outside the window, red, gold, and silver sparks exploding in the darkness, illuminating half the sky. But his eyes showed no lingering interest, only an increasingly clear life goal.