Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

The lights in the training room looked particularly cold at two in the morning.

Sweat dripped down Jiang Nian's face.

Yang Zhan's hand was still on his wrist, his brows furrowing more and more tightly.

"wrong."

"What's wrong?"

Jiang Nian opened her eyes.

"Your heart rate didn't increase when you were channeling energy just now."

Yang Zhan released his grip and stared into Jiang Nian's eyes.

“When a normal martial artist circulates their internal energy, their blood and qi will surge. But just now, your heartbeat was as steady as if you were sleeping.”

Jiang Nian was also stunned.

He closed his eyes again to feel it, and indeed, the beating in his chest was steady and powerful, completely lacking the surging feeling he used to have when channeling his internal energy.

"Those marks."

He realized, "They are taking on the burden for my body."

Qin Lao's excited, incoherent voice came from the other end of the communication.

"Energy buffering, distributed energy storage, my goodness, this design is ingenious!"

"This is not a simple genetic marker at all; it is a complete bioenergy management system!"

"Old Qin, speak like a human being."

"That means the marking network in Jiang Nian's body can not only release energy, but also store energy!"

Old Qin spoke rapidly, "And there's a limit to how much storage there is!"

“Look at Jiang Nian’s real-time monitoring data. The marker activity intensity reached its peak and then began to decline slowly, but indicators such as heart rate and blood pressure did not change at all. What does this mean?”

"This indicates that the energy he just absorbed is being slowly released by the labeled network."

Yang Zhan continued, "To maintain bodily functions."

"Correct!"

Old Qin practically shouted, "This system is automatically adjusting! It knows when to save and when to release!"

"Good heavens, what on earth did the organization get this genetic template from?"

The training room was silent for a few seconds.

Su Qing asked softly, "Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Looking back now, it's a good thing."

Old Qin calmed down a bit. "At least Jiang Nian's physical burden has been reduced, and her recovery speed will be faster."

"Are there any precautions?" he asked.

"Yes," Old Qin replied quickly, "Strengthen your own control over the labeling network."

"Continue training."

He looked up. "Professor Qin, I need a detailed structural diagram of the network. The more detailed, the better."

"It's already underway," Old Qin said, "but it will take time. Yang Zhan, can you help test a few projects?"

"explain."

"First, test Jiang Nian's energy storage limit. Have him continuously circulate his internal energy and see when the marking network reaches saturation."

"Second, test the energy release efficiency. After saturation, stop the internal force input and monitor the rate and pattern of energy release by the labeled network."

“Third,” Qin Lao paused, “test the external energy input. Send energy waves of a specific frequency using my equipment and see if the labeled network absorbs them.”

Yang Zhan looked at Jiang Nian: "What's your opinion?"

"can do."

Jiang Nian nodded, "But we need to be careful with the third test. I don't want to be detected by the organization again."

"Don't worry, I'm using a completely different frequency band," Old Qin assured him. "And the power is very low; it's just a trial stimulus."

Training has resumed.

This time, Li Su and Wang Chuang also came in, each carrying a recorder to monitor Jiang Nian's physiological data and energy fluctuations in the training room.

"start."

Yang Zhan retreated three meters away and crossed his arms over his chest.

Jiang Nian took a deep breath, and his internal energy surged from his dantian, circulating along his meridians.

One circle, two circles, three circles.

The marker dots on the network gradually lit up, and the connecting lines, like illuminated circuits, slowly extended within the body.

In real time, Qin reported over the communication channel, "The marker network is activating... wait, this structure..."

He suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Yang Zhan asked.

"Jiang Nian, you just said there are thirty-eight marked light spots, right?"

"Correct."

"But I detected forty-one energy nodes," Old Qin said, his voice strained. "Where are the extra three?"

Jiang Nian immediately performed an internal examination.

Indeed, three extremely dark points of light appeared in the star chart at some unknown time, located very deep, almost buried in the shadows of the internal organs.

"Located in the liver, spleen, and kidneys."

He pointed out the location, saying, "It's very dark; you won't notice it unless you look closely."

"The five internal organs correspond to the five elements..." Yang Zhan murmured, "The liver belongs to wood, the spleen to earth, and the kidneys to water. This system actually aligns with ancient martial arts theories?"

The sound of clattering keyboards came from Qin Lao's end.

"I pulled up the previous scan data for comparison. These three nodes did exist before, but their energy levels were so low as to be negligible. It was today's training that activated them!"

"Is activation good or bad?" Su Qing asked nervously.

"I don't know," Old Qin admitted frankly. "But the five internal organs are the foundation of the human body. If the marking network can even penetrate here... then its integration with Jiang Nian may be far beyond our imagination."

Jiang Nian felt a chill.

But he didn't stop.

The internal energy continued to circulate, and the light of the marking network grew brighter and brighter.

Cold sweat began to bead on Jiang Nian's forehead.

"How do you feel?" Yang Zhan stared intently at him.

"support."

Jiang Nian gritted her teeth, "Like a balloon being blown to its limit."

"Can we continue?"

"can."

Sixth lap.

The brightness of the labeled network reached a new peak, and the monitoring instruments in the training room even emitted a slight hum.

That's an alarm indicating excessive energy radiation.

"Energy storage reaches 68%!"

Old Qin exclaimed, "Jiang Nian, stop! You're going to overload yourself!"

Jiang Nian also wanted to stop.

"It's actively extracting!" he growled. "I can't stop it!"

Yang Zhan stepped forward and placed his palm on Jiang Hou's heart.

A surge of powerful internal energy rushed in, forcibly severing his internal energy circulation!

"Uh!"

Jiang Nian's body jolted, and he almost fell off his wheelchair.

The training room was completely silent.

The only sounds were the beeping alarms from the instruments and Jiang Nian's heavy breathing.

"Are you alright?" Su Qing rushed over, holding a towel and warm water.

Jiang Nian waved his hand, took the water glass, and took a big gulp.

“Just now…” he caught his breath, “the marking network tried to take over my internal energy circulation at the last moment.”

Yang Zhan's expression turned serious: "Are you sure?"

“I’m sure.” Jiang Nian closed his eyes and recalled, “It’s like autopilot trying to grab the steering wheel. If you hadn’t intervened in time, it might have succeeded.”

Old Qin remained silent for a long time during the communication.

"It seems our fears were justified."

"So Jiang Nian can't store too much energy in the labeling network?" Li Su asked.

"Correct."

Qin Lao affirmed, "At least until we fully understand its operating logic, the energy storage level should ideally be kept below 50%."

Wang Chuang glanced at the recorder: "The peak value just now was 68%."

"Just a little bit."

Su Qing said with lingering fear.

"Should we still do the second test?" Li Su asked.

“Do it,” Jiang Nian said, “but change the plan. I won’t circulate my internal energy; you can directly send energy into my body and see how much the marking network absorbs before it becomes saturated.”

Old Qin immediately objected: "Too dangerous!"

“Therefore, Instructor Yang needs to be ready to cut off the flow at any time.” Jiang Nian looked at Yang Zhan, “And this time we’re not testing the upper limit, but the reaction mode. We’ll stop when the energy input reaches forty percent.”

Yang Zhan stared at him for a few seconds before finally nodding.

"Listen to you."

The second test begins.

Qin Lao remotely controlled the energy transmitter in the training room and adjusted it to the predetermined frequency.

An invisible energy wave passed through the air and entered Jiang Nian's chest.

The marked network lights up instantly.

But this time, the way it lit up was very different.

Not all the points of light lit up at the same time, but rather the light spread outwards like ripples from the main node on the chest.

One lap, two laps...

Energy waves are continuously input.

The energy storage level of the tagged network is slowly increasing.

"It's reached thirty percent." Li Su stared at the monitoring screen.

Old Qin said, "Continue, stop when it reaches forty percent."

Energy input is steadily increasing.

"stop."

Energy wave interruption.

"The release test begins," said Old Qin. "We will monitor the energy release pattern."

Everyone held their breath.

The energy storage level of the tagged network began to decline.

"The release rate is very uniform," Wang Chuang noted as he recorded the data.

"It's decreasing by an average of 0.7 percent per minute. At this rate, it would take nearly an hour to fully release it."

Where did the released energy go?

"Most of it is used to maintain ginger's basal metabolism."

Qin Lao adjusted the biochemical data.

Jiang Nian did feel a warm sensation all over her body, as if she had just soaked in a hot spring.

The numbness and itching at the wound site were significantly reduced, replaced by a comfortable warmth.

At this moment, Bai Yongxu's communication request suddenly appeared on the encrypted channel.

"Jiang Nian, Yang Zhan, stop the test immediately."

Bai Yongxu's voice was unusually urgent: "There's a new situation in the South China Sea."

"What's going on?" Yang Zhan asked.

"That large piece of equipment has been deployed." Bai Yongxu pulled up satellite footage. "It left the base half an hour ago, heading northwest at a very high speed. Based on its course and speed..."

He paused for a moment: "The target might be the Ping Triangle area."

The air in the training room seemed to freeze.

"Are you coming for me?"

Jiang Nian's voice was calm.

“It’s highly likely,” Bai Yongxu said, “but we’re not sure of its purpose. It could be a transport vehicle carrying more people and equipment.”

"Estimated arrival time?" Yang Zhan asked.

"At the current speed, it will enter the East China Sea by tomorrow evening at the latest."

Bai Yongxu said, "But if it sails at full speed, the time may be brought forward to noon tomorrow."

“I still have time,” he said.

"What do you want to do?" Bai Yongxu asked warily.

"After filming tomorrow's scenes," Jiang Nian said, "then I'll go back to base. If the organization needs to find me, let them come to the base. Fighting in the city will result in too many casualties."

"No!" Su Qing was the first to object. "Teacher Jiang, it's too dangerous!"

“It’s precisely because I’m in danger that I can’t stay in the city.” Jiang Nian looked at Yang Zhan. “Instructor, what do you say?”

Yang Zhan remained silent for a few seconds.

“I agree,” he finally said. “Can the crew finish filming by tomorrow afternoon?”

"We can finish filming this morning."

Jiang Nian said, "Director Zhang said there are only a few reshoots left."

"Okay." Yang Zhan turned to the communication screen. "Old Bai, arrange the transfer for tomorrow afternoon. It must be absolutely covert."

“It’s already being arranged.”

Bai Yongxu said, "But Jiang Nian, you need to think this through. Returning to the base means you may have to face the organization's main force directly."

“I know,” Jiang Nian said, “but some battles cannot be fought in the city.”

Communication ends.

No one spoke in the training room.

Li Su and Wang Chuang began packing up the equipment, while Zhao Qing and Zhou Yan whispered to each other outside the door.

With red eyes, Su Qing changed Jiang Nian's dressing, her movements even gentler than usual.

"Teacher Jiang," she said softly, "aren't you really afraid?"

"I'm afraid," Jiang Nian said honestly, "but I'm even more afraid of implicating innocent people."

He looked out the window.

The sky was still dark, but a faint gray-white tinge had already appeared in the east.

It's almost dawn.

"Go and get some rest," Yang Zhan patted him on the shoulder. "Make sure you're well-rested. Tomorrow won't be easy."

7:00 AM, film and television base.

The atmosphere on set today is noticeably different.

Although it was still the same familiar faces and equipment, there was an invisible pressure in the air.

Director Zhang Yi, holding a walkie-talkie, said in a voice an octave lower than usual: "Attention all departments, let's hurry up today and wrap up as soon as we're done filming."

When Lin Wan walked over, her eyes were a little swollen, clearly indicating that she hadn't slept well.

“Teacher Jiang,” she handed over a thermos, “ginseng tea. I didn’t sleep well last night, and I thought you might need some too.”

"Thank you." Jiang Nian accepted it. "You don't look well. You can ask for leave if you're not feeling well."

Chen Xiao, on the other hand, was in good spirits. As soon as he arrived, he pulled Jiang Nian aside to go over the lines: "Teacher Jiang, I've been thinking about this scene all night. Listen to this and see if the emotion is right..."

The filming started smoothly.

The reshot scenes were all dialogue scenes, which Jiang Nian was able to complete while sitting in a wheelchair.

But during the third scene, an accident occurred.

That was a scene where Lu Chenxi was talking to her family in the ward.

According to the script, the family member should become emotional and slam the door and leave.

The veteran actor playing a family member wasn't in good form today; he slammed the door too hard, and it bounced off the wall and crashed straight into Jiang Nian's wheelchair!

"Watch out!" the stagehand exclaimed.

Jiang Nian almost instinctively raised his hand to block.

The bandage on my arm tightened instantly, and a tearing pain shot through the wound.

But the anticipated impact did not occur.

The door stopped less than ten centimeters from his arm.

It wasn't that I was being pulled back; it was more like hitting an invisible wall, making a dull "thud," and then slowly swaying away.

Everyone was stunned.

The veteran actor's face turned pale: "I'm so sorry! Teacher Jiang, are you alright? I... I didn't mean to..."

Jiang Nian waved his hand: "It's nothing."

He looked down at his hands.

In that instant, he didn't even have time to mobilize his internal energy.

Lin Wan leaned closer, her voice trembling, "I think I saw..."

"What do you see?" Jiang Nian asked.

"Light."

Lin Wan said uncertainly, "It was a very faint gold color, and it disappeared in a flash."

Yang Zhan walked out from behind the monitor, his expression calm: "It's probably just a reflection. Director, shall we continue filming?"

Director Zhang Yi wiped the sweat from his brow: "Continue, continue! Props team, check the door!"

Shooting continues.

But in the time that followed, Jiang Nian could clearly feel that the way the staff around him looked at him was different.

Humans instinctively feel fear towards things they cannot understand.

During the lunch break, Zhang Yi called Jiang Nian aside.

“Jiang Nian,” the director lit a cigarette.

"Tell me the truth, who exactly are you?" (End of Chapter)