Sundering Nature

TL: ZhaoEditing: Krisaia

As the elevator made its way down the building, Yun Yiyuan tapped on the handrail, amused by the news he had just received.

“Very well. Do whatever she asks you to do,” Yun Yiyuan said as he hung up the phone. ‘Stone exhibition...  Wu Jia… The fortune-teller… How far you’ve come, Ying Mei…’ 

Upon reaching the bottom floor, a ringing noise was heard. The rather unpleasant smell of the underground parking lot made Yun Yiyuan frown. The spacious parking lot was entirely empty, with the exception of a single black luxurious car. The car slowly approached, and Yun Yiyuan boarded the vehicle before his chauffeur opened the door for him.

“Mr. Yun…”  A trembling voice was heard coming from the passenger’s seat.

“No need to be so nervous, we’re all here to help each other,” Yun Yiyuan said with a friendly smile.

“Yes, yes,” The young man said with reverence, as any sign of friendliness from someone as powerful as Yun Yiyuan was a great honor for him.

“All right, enough time spent chit-chatting. Go tell the Professor and General Shang that money is not a problem for us. We will have all of the preparations set for the laboratory. What you are about to undertake is a great feat which could change the destiny of humanity, and we intend to support your efforts,” Yun Yiyuan said. 

“Thank you very much, on behalf of the professor and the general,” The young man said with a radiant smile.

“However, I do have my own set of conditions.”

“Of course, please do tell us, and we'll do our best to fulfill them.”

“I'll need detailed reports on the progress of your research. We are talking about a lot of money here.” Yun Yiyuan’s tone did not leave any room for negotiation.

“Of course, we had this clause written into the contract. You can be assured that we will respect it,” The young man let out a sigh of relief, as Yun Yiyuan did not ask for the unreasonable.

“Very well, I trust you'll hurry with the relocation of the laboratory. I'll dispatch some people to help you with the process. May we both benefit from this opportunity.” Yun Yiyuan waved his hand at the young man.

“To a fruitful cooperation.” The young man nodded and extended his right hand in Yun Yiyuan’s direction before quickly pulling it back in embarrassment when he realized that the latter did not intend to answer his handshake. He squeezed out one last smile and quickly made his way out of the car.

“Boss, are we really going to be working with them? From what it looks like, they're doing research about…” The driver asked as soon as the young man left. 

“I know exactly what they're doing. This so-called regenerative cell is a charade for the vampiric virus. They’re out of their minds if they think that they can do research about guardians,” Yun Yiyuan said with a cold tone as he stared as the back of the young man, who was the assistant of the researcher in A309. 

“Then why are we…”

“I received information that Li Yiming has gotten himself involved with the military. We need this connection to figure out what he’s up to. Isn't it a convenient time for them to show up at our doors? All I have to spend is pocket money, I might as well consider it charity.” Yun Yiyuan said as he leaned back against his seat and loosen his tie.

“Well thought, boss.” The driver complimented. 

“That aside, are you still in touch with the people from the Merry Couples?” Yun Yiyuan asked as he took out a can of beer.

“You mean that crime organization?”

“Yes.” 

“Their boss gifted me a bottle of wine a few days ago. What about them?” The driver asked, not understanding why Yun Yiyuan asked about such trivial matters.

“Send them the pictures of these two girls.” Yun Yiyuan said as he threw the pictures of Lin Lu and Wu Jia onto the passenger seat. “Consider this a simple... suggestion for their prostitution ring. Let them handle it.”

“Yes, of course.” The driver obeyed, despite not understanding his intentions.

* * *

“Well, I'm not so sure of it in my current state, but what you're looking for should be inside.” Sai Gao pointed at the entrance to an old jade ware shop.

“I wonder what we’ll find in here…” Fu Bo looked at the wooden panel above the entrance — Merry Couples Jadeware. 

“I have no idea.” Sai Gao sighed in frustration.

“Alright, what are we waiting for it?” Fu Bo said as he led the way.

“Bobo!” Sai Gao suddenly cried out. 

“What is it?” 

“I don't think you understood what I wanted to say.”

“What is it?”

“I mean that I physically cannot enter this shop.”

“What?” Fu Bo turned back, only to see Sai Gao, with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, making a visible effort to stop his limbs from shaking. As odd as it seemed, ordinary people walking around him all seemed unaffected.

“I don't think that I can go any further…” Sai Gao said with a severe countenance.

“Then go wait for me at the entrance of the exhibition hall. I…”

“Fu Bo, you know my true identity. The reason why I feel such tremendous pressure is because whatever is inside is a will strong enough to turn the entire world upside down. Normally, it would be impossible for such an entity to exist, even in Heaven's Laws current state. I cannot imagine…”

“That's exactly why I need to go inside.” Fu Bo replied.

“Keep your computer ready. It's probably worth it to give up some of your lifespan so you don't die right away.” Sai Gao knew that he could not talk Fu Bo out of it — after spending the last year together, he knew exactly what Fu Bo’s purpose in life was.

“If don't come back, please go find Li Yiming and tell him about what we found here.” Fu Bo left after stating one last request. 

The interior of the shop was perfectly ordinary-looking, with multiple rows of display stands showcasing rare rocks and jades. On one side was what looks like a giant, shallow pit, in which rested many large ores. As Fu Bo entered the shop, he saw several customers all going on about their own businesses.

Fu Bo held onto his laptop tightly while looking around anxiously for any potential threats or suspicious people. His attention was soon caught by a trio of middle-aged men.

The first man was one who stood out with his rather unique features. He was short, had a wide nose, small eyes, and a large mouth. The almost comical look the man possessed alleviated some of Fu Bo’s nervousness, as he pretended to be checking out an artifact. The fact that he did not seem like a wealthy customer also helped in reducing the attention he received.

“Oh! Mr. Dai! What brings you to my humble shop?” A loud voice was heard as a well-built man wearing jade from head to toe came to welcome the trio.

“I'm just looking around. I'm passing along with a few friends.” One of the men said. 

“What a coincidence! I've just received a new piece of coral. I think you'll like it! How about we go look at it?” The man, who seemed to be the owner of the shop, proposed.

“Coral is not a good idea. it's too inconvenient when it's big and worthless when it's small.” Chen Quan said. 

“This is…?” The owner seemed annoyed by Chen Quan’s remark. 

“This is Chen Quan, teacher Chen. And he is Wang Youfa, Mr. Wang.” Lao Dai introduced his friends. 

“Alright, can we stop wasting time?” Wang Youfa interrupted impatiently. “You sold a stone tablet to him a few days ago, right? We've heard that you had two more. Do you still have them?”

“Oh, that stone tablet? See, Mr. Dai, I told you it was a good buy, and you were hesitating so much!”

“Fine, fine. If we're satisfied with them, we’ll buy both of these as well.” Wang Youfa peeked a glance at Chen Quan and led the way. 

As the four of them walked to the back hall of the shop, Chen Quan’s attention was caught massive Stone which sat in the middle of the pit. It stood at almost one meter tall and depicted an old monk meditating.

‘That stone…’ Chen Quan frowned. The stone gave him a strange feeling, but he decided that the tablets were more important for the time being.