My bizarre resurgence: My price is the ability to trade everything.

Chapter 29 The Secret of the Seven Stars

It was already evening when we returned to headquarters.

The last rays of the setting sun streamed through the corridor windows, casting orange-red patches of light on the floor. I dragged my weary body toward Su Mingyue's analysis room, my mind still replaying the ancient inscriptions on the stone tablet.

I pushed open the door and saw her staring blankly at a pile of documents.

Su Mingyue's appearance surprised me. She is usually full of energy, focused on analyzing various data and clues, but at this moment, her eyes were somewhat unfocused, and the documents in front of her were spread out, but she hadn't touched a single word.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"The inscription." She didn't look up. "The inscription you photographed from the stone tablet."

"Is there a problem?"

"There's a big problem." Su Mingyue looked up, her expression grave. "Come and look at this."

There was a heaviness in her voice I had never heard before. This tone made my heart tighten, and I involuntarily quickened my pace.

I walked over and saw a map of Jiangcheng displayed on the screen in front of her.

The map was marked with seven red dots, forming a dipper shape. I recognized that shape all too well—the Big Dipper.

"This is..." I frowned.

"Seven areas in Jiangcheng with unusual patterns," Su Mingyue said. "These seven areas were compiled by me based on data from the past three months."

"But I hadn't noticed the connection between them before."

"Until I saw the inscription on the stone tablet."

She clicked on a picture.

The image shows a magnified section of the inscription on the stone tablet, which is engraved with seven strange symbols. These symbols resemble some kind of ancient script, with intricate strokes and an air of antiquity.

"These seven symbols correspond to the names of the seven stars of the Big Dipper," Su Mingyue said.

"Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, Tian Ji, Tian Quan, Yu Heng, Kai Yang, Yao Guang."

"And the positions of these seven symbols correspond exactly to these seven red dots on the map."

I stared at the map, my heart pounding.

A chill rose from the soles of my feet and shot straight to the top of my head.

"You mean... these seven areas are part of a formation?"

"That's right," Su Mingyue nodded, "and it's a very ancient formation."

"What's your name?"

"Seven Star Formation."

Su Mingyue pulled up a document.

"This is information I found in ancient books," she said.

"The Seven Star Formation first appeared in the mid-Tang Dynasty."

"It's a formation used to 'stabilize the boundaries of rules'."

"The principle behind the formation is to place 'rule anchor points' at seven key nodes in the city."

"These anchor points will form a stable energy field, suppressing the strange forces within the area."

"In other words, the reason Jiangcheng has been able to maintain relative stability is because these seven anchor points are at work."

I looked at the seven red dots on the map.

Each red dot represents an area in Jiangcheng with unusual rules. Strange events, sacrifices, and miracles have occurred there. And now I know that behind those areas lies an ancient formation.

Are these anchor points... still operational?

"Theoretically, it should still be there," Su Mingyue said, "but according to my data, two of the anchor points have already weakened."

Which two?

She tapped on the map.

"Tian Shu and Tian Quan."

"These two areas are precisely where the most bizarre events have occurred recently."

I was silent.

The Tian Shu area is an abandoned factory on the eastern outskirts of Jiangcheng. A serious and mysterious leak occurred there, resulting in the deaths of many people.

Tianquan District is an old residential area in the west of the city. Recently, a series of disappearances have occurred there, and the investigation has reached a stalemate.

If Su Mingyue's analysis is correct, then it means—

Jiangcheng is slowly losing its balance.

The "Seven Stars Returning to Their Positions" ceremony at Guixu aims to accelerate this process.

"There's something even more important." Su Mingyue's voice pulled me back to reality.

"What?"

"According to the inscription, the maintainer of the Seven Star Array is the balancer of each generation."

She turned to look at me, her eyes filled with complex emotions. In those eyes, there was sympathy, worry, and a hint of an emotion I couldn't decipher.

"In other words, maintaining this formation is your mission."

"That's also... the reason why Balancers throughout history have died young."

"What did you say?" I was stunned.

It felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over your head.

"You heard me right." Su Mingyue pulled up another document. "This is my statistical analysis of the lifespans of Balancers throughout history."

The document lists a series of data:

First-generation balancer: Lifespan 38 years

Second-generation balancer: Lifespan 35 years

Third-generation balancer: Lifespan 42 years

Fourth-generation balancer: Lifespan 31 years

Fifth-generation balancer: Lifespan 36 years

Sixth-generation balancer: Lifespan 29 years

Average lifespan: 35.2 years.

None of them were over 45 years old.

I stared at those numbers, feeling as if something was blocking my mind.

35 is old.

That's the golden age of life. Some are just starting a family, some are just beginning to make progress in their careers, and some are just beginning to experience the beauty of life.

For those who strive for balance, 35 is the end.

"These balancers all lost their lives while maintaining the Seven Star Array," Su Mingyue said.

"The formation needs a constant infusion of energy to maintain its operation."

"And the source of this energy is the lifespan of the balancer."

"One formation, seven anchor points."

"Each anchor point consumes a certain amount of its lifespan each day to maintain itself."

"Over time, it adds up to a huge sum."

My hands started to tremble.

It wasn't fear, but an indescribable anger.

"So... this is the meaning of the balance of costs?"

"It's not just about transfer and distribution," Su Mingyue nodded. "The essential function of the cost balance is to provide energy for the Seven Star Array."

"The Balancers can wield the power of the scales because they bear the responsibility of maintaining the formation."

"This responsibility, in return, grants control over the balance of power."

"But at the same time, it also leads to a continuous depletion of lifespan."

I slumped into the chair.

My mind went completely blank.

The sky outside the window had completely darkened, and only the flickering light from the computer screens illuminated the analysis room. Su Mingyue didn't turn on the lights; the data floated silently in the darkness, like a kind of unspoken mockery.

I've always thought that the balance of costs is a blessing.

It is a gift I received after inheriting my father's bloodline.

It is my capital to fight against the bizarre, and my reliance to stand firm in this dangerous world.

But now I realize that it wasn't a gift at all.

This is a kind of shackle.

A curse bound to one's bloodline.

From the moment I was born, I was destined to bear this responsibility.

I will use my life to protect a formation that no one knows who set up.

On what grounds?

This question kept echoing in my mind.

"Xiao Fan." Chen Xuan's voice came from the doorway.

I looked up and saw him and Zhao Tiezhu standing in the doorway. They both had serious expressions on their faces, clearly having heard Su Mingyue's analysis.

"We've all seen Mingyue's data," Chen Xuan said as he walked in. "It's true."

"So... from the very beginning, I had no choice?" I asked.

My voice sounded calm, but only I knew what was churning inside.

"Yes," Chen Xuan said.

"What?"

"You can choose not to maintain the formation," he said. "If you choose to abandon it, the Seven Star Formation will completely collapse within a few years."

"By then, the entire Jiangcheng will be swallowed by the eerie."

"Millions of people will die."

"But you will survive."

I was silent.

Is this what choice is?

On one side is one's own life, and on the other side are the lives of countless others.

What a cruel choice.

"Isn't there a third way?" I murmured.

Maybe there is. I told myself. There must be.

"Maybe," Su Mingyue said.

"What?"

"The third layer of the cost-benefit balance—resolution," Su Mingyue said, looking at me. "It's what your father is researching."

"If we can find a way to 'resolve' it, perhaps we can maintain the formation without sacrificing our lifespan."

"But that will take time."

"It will take a very, very long time."

"But Jiangcheng can't wait that long."

"So the choice now is..." I clenched my fist.

"Either consume your lifespan to maintain the formation and slowly die."

"Either abandon the formation and watch Jiangcheng be destroyed."

"Is it right?"

No one answered.

Because that's the truth.

"I don't accept it." I stood up abruptly.

The chair made a screeching sound as it scraped against the floor.

"Xiao Fan—"

"I don't accept this option," I interrupted Chen Xuan. "There must be another way."

My voice was firmer than I had expected. Perhaps it was anger that gave me the strength, or perhaps it was that stubborn streak deep in my bones that was at play.

"The Seven Star Array has existed for over a thousand years."

"Over the past thousand years, there must have been people who tried to break this cycle."

There must be another way.

I looked at Su Mingyue.

"What other discoveries have you made in your research on inscriptions?"

Su Mingyue thought for a moment.

"The inscription mentions a term—'original restoration'."

"Original restoration?"

"This means that if we can find the 'origin' of the formation and repair its energy cycle, the formation can operate on its own and no longer need external forces to maintain it."

"But the inscription doesn't say where the origin is."

"They didn't say how to fix it either."

I took a deep breath.

"Then let's go find it."

"What are you looking for?"

"Find the origin of this formation," I said. "Find the person who set it up over a thousand years ago."

"What exactly is his purpose?"

"Why use the life of a balancer to maintain this formation?"

There must be a reason.

"If we can find the cause, we might be able to find a solution."

Chen Xuan remained silent for a while.

The air in the analysis room seemed to freeze. The distant sounds of the street outside drifted in through the window, sounds that seemed to come from another world, completely out of place with the topic of our discussion.

"This direction is worth exploring," he concluded, "but we can't rush it."

"First, we need to confirm the complete information about the Seven Star Array."

"The specific locations of the seven anchor points, the patterns of energy flow, and the degree of weakening."

"These all require on-site investigation."

"Secondly, Guixu won't stand idly by either."

"The 'Seven Stars Returning to Their Positions' ceremony was clearly aimed at exploiting the weaknesses of the formation."

"We must first prepare our defenses."

"at last......"

He glanced at me.

There was concern, worry, and something else in that gaze that I couldn't understand.

"You need to improve your strength as soon as possible."

"Our current capabilities are far from sufficient."

I nodded.

"I see."

"Starting today, I will intensify my training."

"The data recorded regarding costs also needs to be analyzed."

"I need to find a more efficient way to use resources and reduce unnecessary consumption."

"at the same time......"

I looked out the window.

Night had completely enveloped Jiangcheng. In the distance, the lights of countless homes twinkled faintly in the darkness, like scattered stars.

Beneath those lights lie the lives of countless ordinary people. They are unaware of what lies buried beneath this city, unaware of an ancient formation silently protecting them, and even less aware that a group of people are risking their lives to prevent disaster from occurring.

"I'm going to start studying the inscriptions," I said. "Perhaps the answer lies hidden in those ancient characters."

Su Mingyue handed me a document.

"This is all the information I could find about the Seven Star Array," she said, "including ancient records, oral traditions, and some speculations."

"Look at these first."

"Let me know if you find anything."

I took the documents and felt their weight.

This is not just a stack of papers, but the culmination of Su Mingyue's countless days and nights of hard work, and the traces of generations searching for the truth.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Su Mingyue smiled slightly. "We're teammates."

"and......"

Her voice lowered.

"I don't want to see you slowly wear yourself down to death like the previous generations of Balancers."

"There must be a way to break this cycle."

"We'll find it together."

Looking into her earnest eyes, a warm feeling welled up inside me.

Behind all the cold, hard truths, at least there are these people by my side. This makes me feel that even if the road ahead is difficult, it's not entirely hopeless.

"Together."

That night, I spent a long time alone in the analysis room.

As he flipped through the documents compiled by Su Mingyue, his mind raced.

Seven Star Formation.

Seven anchor points.

The unfortunate early death of balancers throughout history.

The "Seven Stars Return to Their Positions" ceremony at Guixu.

This information is like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, from which a vague outline can be discerned.

But it's missing those crucial pieces.

"The origin..." I murmured.

If we can find the "origin" of the formation and repair its energy cycle...

No, that's not right.