Confucian and Taoist Cultivation Starting from the Equipment Slot

"That's a special kind of mineral."

Chen Zhuo carefully considered his tone and simplified the information he already knew.

He believed that the matter of Originium was not a secret, and if there really was an underground ruin below, it would be better to know in advance.

It's actually a good thing if people you know have some information in advance.

"It comes from ancient ruins deep in the green mountains."

The ruins contain fragments of some kind of energy source, which were crafted into Originium in ancient times.

According to the master's deduction, there should be a complete energy supply system in the ancient ruins, and Originium is the core component of this system.

Centuries later, the ruins have crumbled, but fragments of Originium have mixed into the marrow of the vein.

As geological changes carried them to different mineral layers, some became rough stones, which were then distributed as worthless slag to the miners of that time.

Some of them were bought by unscrupulous people at the price of raw jade from Qingshan and transported mixed in with the raw stones.

If the stolen goods did indeed contain Originium materials, then the robbers had a very clear target.

They knew the value of Originium, including the potential value of demonic cultivators.

After listening to Chen Zhuo's words, Chen Zheng sat there in silence for a long time.

He was not a dull person; on the contrary, as the eldest son of the Chen family, he had his own understanding of current affairs.

He knew very well that if it really was something from ancient ruins, the entire Qingshan County would undergo a tremendous change.

After a long while, he finally raised his head.

"So, the father may have gotten something he shouldn't have, or he may not have been sure what he got."

However, the robbers became seriously suspicious of his concealment, believing that he was embezzling the goods, so they took action before his next trade trip.

The anomalies I found on my end and the multiple sets of old files you found on your end are connected by this batch of goods.

He pointed to the name that had been crossed out on the list.

"But that's not all; there are still people reporting to the county government."

The city gate records were blacked out, the customs invoices were re-entered, the deputy leader of the Gongyuan Gang and the county clerk had eaten at Chunfeng Tower, and Duan Feng.

If all these pieces of paper are put together, their backs all point to the same government office.

Even if the person in charge of things in this government office doesn't directly participate in every specific action, there must be someone else doing things for them.

At this point, Chen Zheng suddenly said something.

"So the key question is whether Duan Feng is still working at the county government office?"

He looked at Chen Zhuo, who nodded in agreement.

Then he pinched open a paper crane that could carry a message.

Infused with literary spirit, the paper crane swiftly flew into the distance.

Not long after, the paper crane reappeared on the horizon, and a voice reached my ears.

"Yes, the old customs officer said he was promoted to registrar."

Chen Zhuo gave a definite answer.

"You've been promoted."

Chen Zheng repeated the word, his tone carrying a subtle hint of sarcasm.

A clerk who altered shipping documents for others at the customs office was not investigated or punished after the incident; instead, he was promoted to clerk.

The people he needs to protect are certainly more important than his own official position.

Seeing that the matter was clear, Chen Zhuo folded the list again and returned it to Chen Zheng.

"Brother, continue investigating the clues on the goods side. Don't touch the county government line for now."

"There's one more thing. I met some people from the Gongyuan Gang at the Chunfenglou trade fair."

The leader was named Tong Yue. He gave me a document about the mineral vein and said that he used to be the foreign affairs officer of the Gongyuan Gang, but he resigned from the position before the Gongyuan Gang rose to power.

This person also gave me a set of mineral vein data, which I have cross-verified through other channels, and the data is genuine.

He is currently trying to revive the original Tongxin Alliance banner, recruit his old followers, and establish a cooperative relationship with me.

In exchange, I can help them with some public prestige-building work when appropriate.

Chen Zheng nodded, indicating that he understood.

……

Time passed day by day amidst the city defense shifts, the research and development of talismans, and the occasional lectures at the Academy of Literature.

The demons' offensive during the long night gradually weakened considerably compared to the initial half-month period, thanks to the continuous attrition from the Righteous Qi Array and the rotating scholars.

The young students who were initially nervous on the city wall can now chat idly with teacups in between the shadowy battles.

The reclusive scholar was still standing at his workstation next to Chen Zhuo.

His pen, worn smooth from use, never stopped, but it had been used on his last few shifts.

He would occasionally chat during lulls in the fighting, talking about which shop had the best value tea and which stall's sesame cakes kept the longest.

Chen Zhuo's literary talent has steadily increased to 43 points in these days.

Each round of defending the city releases literary arts that slowly but steadily promote the accumulation of cultivation.

Wen Yu's equipment effect is like a silent waterwheel, continuously working during every break in his training.

He began to consciously use "moon" and "fast" in actual combat.

The main reason was that Song Zhiyuan's words, "If a team is dominant in one round, its weaknesses will be exposed when the terrain changes," had been on his mind.

This made him even more eager to improve these two literary skills.

The "Moon's" stealth state was used twice during the small-scale infiltration of demons, and the effect was better than he had expected.

The art of surprise attacks is always effective.

The "Fast" ghost state, combined with the "War" charge, unleashed a combo on the city wall that he had only previously deduced in theory.

However, this improvement in proficiency is not as rapid as the passive surge that occurred with the character "石".

That promotion was truly unreasonable; the proficiency level increased dramatically.

He began to understand why writers liked to create works to gain fame and fortune.

The benefits of having a relationship are real and tangible.

During this period, Song Zhiyuan was rarely seen in the College of Arts.

On a few occasions, Qian Wenbi would take over the morning classes. Chen Zhuo would occasionally pass by the entrance of Yangzhengzhai and see that the doors and windows were tightly closed.

Chen Zhuo asked Gu Qing'e once, when the junior sister was organizing a list of demon materials and said without looking up:

"Master, he's been venturing into the depths of the night countless times lately."

"Every time he came back, he looked exhausted and his scholarly air had completely vanished. He would stay in the study for less than two hours before leaving again."

"I asked him, but he wouldn't tell me. He just told me not to worry and then kept running outside."

Chen Zhuo did not ask any further questions.

He had already guessed what Song Zhiyuan was doing.

Once the clues to ancient ruins are confirmed, the next step is to conduct on-site investigations.

The exact location of the mineral vein fault zone deep in the mountains requires extensive field exploration to pinpoint.

During the long night, only scholars of the rank of Juren (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and Taoist practitioners around Qingshan County were capable of venturing into the long night alone and returning safely.

Each time the master went out, it was probably in the depths of the long night to verify the speculations pieced together from old county records, mineral vein data, and stone fragments.

He envied this ability to move freely through the long night.

I admire the composure of someone who ventures alone into the unknown and finds their way in the darkness.