I will be stronger after the remake

Zhao Yeman said, "Count me in too."

"Well, this matter has nothing to do with Benefactor Zhao, there's no need to force yourself."

Ling Chong hadn't really considered inviting Zhao Yeman. After all, she wasn't affiliated with the local Psionic Management Bureau; she was a guest. This wasn't an enemy attacking their doorstep, so there was no reason to trouble the guest.

"Having received your hospitality, I should reciprocate in some way. Moreover, since the other party is a traitor who has joined a cult, dealing with him would be an act of chivalry, and it would also have the effect of revealing my spiritual essence to me. It can be said to be killing two birds with one stone."

Zhao Yeman was good at reading people's expressions. Seeing that Ling Chong still had some concerns, she guessed what he was thinking and said, "Don't worry, I'm not an arrogant person. I don't think I'm a prodigy who can defeat stronger people. If I really encounter a third-level spiritual energy user, I will definitely stay far away. But I don't think the other party will act alone. He will definitely bring a few helpers. I will deal with the minions. You can concentrate on dealing with the leader."

Having said all that, Ling Chong had no choice but to agree.

"Me, me, me! I want to go too!"

Yu Shujiang raised her hand and said.

Before Ling Chong could speak, Tang Ping interjected, "No, what help can a first-stage psychic be? Would you just cause trouble?"

Yuan Ji's strength is beyond doubt; she even made Fu Zhengyi look bad. Although Zhao Yeman was defeated by Tang Ping in three moves, she still managed to make it all the way to the finals of the martial arts competition, making her one of the best in her class.

Yu Shujiang puffed out her cheeks in a bit of anger and said, "I won't participate in the battle. I'll just stay in the rear and be a healer. If any of you get injured, I'll treat you. That way, I can be of use and there won't be any danger."

Tang Ping said, "Don't forget, my spirit is a 'bhikkhu' who is good at healing. I don't need you to be my wet nurse. You are still a student. Go to class properly."

“Aren’t you a student too? Sister Yuan and Sister Zhao are college students, and they haven’t graduated yet. You can’t say that high school students are students, but college students aren’t students.”

"College students are really different from high school students. We can skip classes and not do homework whenever we want. Can you do that?"

Yu Shujiang smiled slightly and said, "I can too, because I've already been recommended to Wuhan University, and the teachers are eager to grade one less student's homework."

Tang Ping was taken aback: "Is that so? Can someone be admitted to a top-tier high school without taking the entrance exam?"

Ling Chong coughed and said somewhat awkwardly, "Yes, we can. As long as we step in, we can contact universities for special admissions. If you pass the assessment, you can become a guaranteed admission student. And the whole process is legal and compliant. After all, there are special admissions programs for outstanding athletes in universities. And you know the physical qualities of psychic users. As long as they are not the weak type of psychic, they can basically pass the assessment."

Although Yu Shujiang's spiritual level "Random Immortal" does not belong to the martial arts type, she is still a well-rounded, all-around warrior with no weaknesses. In terms of physical fitness, she is neither the best nor the worst. It is just that her cultivation level is still shallow, only reaching the level of a national first-class athlete.

Tang Ping said, "If you go through this special admission method, you can only become a sports student in the future. Unless you use connections to get in through the back door, you won't be able to change your major."

Yu Shujiang blinked and asked in return, "Why change my major? All I need is that diploma. It doesn't matter whether I'm a sports student, a liberal arts student, or an engineering student. I'll definitely work for the Psionic Administration Bureau in the future, so my major doesn't matter. In fact, the diploma itself is just something to appease others and doesn't serve any purpose other than saving face."

Has this girl fallen into depravity so quickly?

I still remember when we first met, she was a hardworking, top-performing class monitor, but now she can enjoy privileges without hesitation.

Even if you get a guaranteed admission, you still have to attend classes seriously; that's a student's duty.

"But I don't want to be a student. I want to be a psionicist. It's just that I have no choice but to use the identity of a student to cover it up due to the realities of life. Besides, the knowledge I learned in high school is basically useless in real life. I don't plan to develop in an academic direction, so it doesn't matter whether I study or not."

"What's important isn't the knowledge learned in class, but the way you learn it. Doing exercises isn't just about memorizing the types of questions, but about developing a way of thinking about how to solve them."

“But I do study outside of class. I not only learn spiritual arts and martial arts, but also memorize a lot of medicinal herbs and prescriptions. My dad says that this is the only way to maximize the effect of spiritual energy.”

This spiritual power naturally refers to "toad pounding medicine." Only when the medicinal materials are prepared can the summoned toad quickly refine the corresponding medicine; otherwise, it can only help restore spiritual power.

Tang Ping was silent for a moment, then asked, "Judging from your tone, are you thinking of skipping a grade and going straight to university?"

Yu Shujiang seemed to have been prepared for this, nodding and saying, "Yes, I plan to go to university after finishing my first year of high school. Anyway, sports students don't need much knowledge. Besides, high school life is too boring, and my classmates are all very immature. I'm not the protagonist of a Japanese manga. Now that I've experienced the excitement of being a psychic, why would I want to stay in school?"

"Chinese high schools are not like Japanese high schools. They don't let students leave at three or four o'clock, and there are no colorful club activities. It's all just studying and doing exercises, which is a real waste of my precious youth."

"For the poor, studying hard and getting into a good university through the college entrance examination is the most cost-effective way to improve themselves. But I am not poor. For me, there is more than one way to grow. There is no need to compete with them. Rather, I would rather switch to another track and give them the rankings. That would be a real benefit. Staying would only harm others and myself."

"In the end, our games are educational, the Spring Festival Gala is educational, and TV dramas are educational, but education itself is not. Education is for selecting people, and I have already passed the selection process, so there is no need for me to suffer the torment of exam-oriented education."

This lengthy discourse stunned Tang Ping.

Is the Celestial Spirit Rank really that strong? It can actually make a person's mind so quick and intelligent!

Why did I only awaken my spirituality after the college entrance exam? Couldn't I have awakened earlier and enjoyed a carefree high school life?

After listening, Ling Chong chuckled and said, "Although I don't agree with some of Yu Shujiang's outrageous arguments, I think Yu Shujiang makes more sense between the two of you. When it comes to the actual fight, Tang Ping, you will be responsible for restraining that former head of the Armed Forces Department. You won't have time to treat others. When carrying out a mission, the division of labor should be clear. It is a last resort to do two jobs. You only do this because you don't have enough manpower."

Tang Ping compromised, "Okay, but you have to promise me you won't get involved in the fighting. Try to stay away from the battle as much as possible, and don't rush in to help whenever you see a crisis. Because what you see as a crisis may not be a real crisis, and even if you get involved, you may not be able to help. You're more likely to be a hindrance."

Yu Shujiang pouted and said, "I'm not that bad, am I? At worst, I can just use my spiritual magic to snipe from a distance."

"No, what if they discover your existence, realize your weakness, and decide to take you hostage? In that case, how can I disregard your safety and shout 'Kill all hostages' while focusing on attacking the enemy?"

Tang Ping looked solemnly into the other person's eyes and said, "You have to promise me you won't participate in the battle, otherwise no matter how nicely you put it, I won't take you with me on this mission."

Yu Shujiang was somewhat unwilling, but still said, "I agree to your request. Is it necessary to treat me like a thief?"

Now that the lie detector had passed, Tang Ping felt relieved. She waved her hand and said, "This is called being cautious to avoid big mistakes. There are often such plots in movies and TV dramas. The protagonist is having a smooth time dealing with the villain, but then someone in the team makes a stupid mistake, and the villain seizes the opportunity, and suddenly the situation reverses, and they are in danger. In the end, they rely on a bit of the protagonist's halo to force a comeback... We can't just gamble on luck like that, can we?"

Yu Shujiang was speechless.

After discussing it, the group immediately set to work. Too lazy to pack their luggage, they booked tickets and took the high-speed train to Changde in neighboring Hunan Province, even buying business class seats.

"So this is what business class is like. It's my first time sitting in it. It's spacious and comfortable. Is this what it's like for someone who doesn't care about money?"

Wearing the free slippers, Yuan Ji reclined the chair completely, lay down, and let out a comfortable hum.

Ling Chong reminded him, "We're not going on a sightseeing trip."

"Relax when you should relax, and concentrate when you should be tense. That's my way of relaxing. If you have anything to tell me, just say it. I'm here to listen."

Ling Chong had no choice but to proceed with the original plan and explain the details of the mission to the group: "The former head of the Armed Forces Department is named Cao Poshi, and the one who defected with him is named Qian Jiajun. I've already mentioned Cao Poshi's spirit type. Qian Jiajun's spirit type is a rare plant type, a first-stage spirit plant and a second-stage treasure plant. It's an auxiliary spirit type, so we don't need to worry about it too much."

“Cao Poshi!” Yuan Ji suddenly straightened up, his eyes shining. “No wonder he sounded familiar. I remember now. This guy is a well-known master in the martial arts world, nicknamed Snake Shadow Eagle Feather. Ten years ago, he was the one who reached the top of Mount Tai Martial Arts Tournament, looking down on all the heroes. My master even said that he had already mastered the hidden strength at that time, but he hadn’t met a worthy opponent. Later, he suddenly disappeared from the martial arts world. Everyone guessed that he went abroad or went into seclusion because he couldn’t find a worthy opponent. It turns out he became a psionicist.”

"He's also a master of internal energy?" Ling Chong asked incredulously. "But I've never seen him use any similar skills."

Tang Ping said, "Hidden force is a trump card, and there's usually no chance to use it. Besides, weren't you previously in the Public Security Section? Even if he used hidden force, you wouldn't have had a chance to see it."

"That's true... It feels like masters of internal energy have suddenly become worthless. Before I knew anything about internal energy, I had never seen a single one. But now that I've learned more, they're popping up everywhere. I'll never complain about the problem of powerful characters being as common as cabbages in the later stages of leveling-up novels again." Ling Chong couldn't help but complain.

Chapter 226 Folk Legends of Changde

Tang Ping said, "Putting aside the leveling-up trope you complained about in web novels, you had absolutely no concept of internal strength before this. Even if a master of internal strength stood in front of you, you wouldn't recognize him."

Ling Chong thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "That seems to make sense."

Yu Shujiang said worriedly, "This Cao Poshi was a master of internal strength ten years ago. It's impossible that he's still stuck in the same place after ten years, right?"

Yuan Ji nodded and said, "The transformation from hidden strength to mastery is a process of quantitative change leading to qualitative change. As long as he has mastered hidden strength through his own cultivation, then the next step is nothing more than grinding away at the bottom. If he has not been lazy for ten years, he will definitely have entered the mastery stage."

Yu Shujiang said, "So he must be a master of internal energy now?"

“It’s hard to say,” Yuan Ji shook his head. “If he experiences the wonders of spiritual energy and finds that martial arts are no match for spiritual energy, and focuses all his energy on cultivating spiritual energy, it’s not impossible that he won’t make any progress in ten years.”

Ling Chong said, "The chances are probably slim. Although I'm not very familiar with Cao Poshi, I often see him practicing martial arts at the training ground in the unit. The stone locks and wooden dummies in the training ground were made by someone he paid to have built."

Tang Ping also said, "Didn't you mention before that he learned Xingyi Quan before becoming a psionicist, and then learned Shaolin Quan after becoming a psionicist? It's clear that he didn't give up martial arts. Moreover, judging from the types of his spirit attributes, all three of his spirit attributes are obviously good at fighting, so there's no reason for him to give up martial arts."

At this moment, Yuan Ji lay back down and waved his hand, saying, "Relax, relax. Although it sounds strange, martial arts are not very helpful to psychics. We are not participating in a martial arts tournament this time, and there is no requirement to not use psychic energy or techniques. Once we enter actual combat, internal strength will not play a significant role. As long as we guard against the opponent getting close, even a master of internal strength will have no use. Of course, we cannot completely ignore it."

Zhao Yeman laughed and said, "I also think there's no need to worry too much, but for different reasons. Even if the other party is really a master of internal energy, don't we have two of them on our side? Snake Shadow Eagle Feather, who climbed Mount Tai and laughed at all the heroes, is certainly powerful, but Cloud Hand Skyfall, who shook East Asia and crushed the unconvinced, is no pushover either. We can take this opportunity to witness firsthand who is the true number one martial artist between the invincible one ten years ago and the invincible one four years ago."

Just as Tang Ping was about to make a modest remark, Yuan Ji suddenly sat up straight, staring at him with some surprise, and said, "You are actually Yun Shou Tian Qing!"

Now it was Tang Ping's turn to be surprised. He thought everyone already knew his identity. After all, he had never hidden his identity when he traveled around challenging martial arts schools, and he had not deliberately avoided this matter now. So, Fu Zhengyi and Zhao Yeman could easily find out his past achievements with a simple check.

Zhao Yeman was clearly as surprised as Tang Ping, and asked with a puzzled look, "You didn't even make the connection?"

“How could I possibly make that connection?” Yuan Ji retorted confidently. “The name Yun Shou Tian Qing only appeared for a short time six or seven years ago, and I haven’t heard that he was particularly powerful. My master’s friends said that he was a very promising young man with a bright future. Then he suddenly disappeared without a trace. I always thought that he was another prodigy who failed to live up to his potential. How could he be associated with a master like Tang Ping?”

Tang Ping initially found it absurd, but upon reflection, he realized that his reputation in China was indeed not very prominent. After all, when he challenged martial arts schools in China, he always did so behind closed doors and never made a big fuss. It seemed that the defeated school masters deliberately avoided the matter to protect their own reputation and did not help him gain fame.

Even if some of the martial arts school owners were upright and honest, seeing that their peers had not mentioned the matter and were trying to minimize the impact, they naturally could not refuse everyone's request and could only go with the flow.

However, this only applies to China. Tang Ping's actions after going abroad were quite high-profile, causing quite a stir. Once the two identities are linked together, the assessment of "a promising future" seems ridiculous.

“Wait a minute, you just said ‘Shaking East Asia and crushing those who dare to disagree,’ does that have anything to do with Cloud Hand Skyfall?” Yuan Ji wasn’t stupid and quickly realized the key point. “There was a guy called Taiyue Madman who seemed to have done something similar, but he disappeared afterward. Everyone said that he was too arrogant in Southeast Asia, a place full of gangsters, and was killed by hired gunmen.”

Zhao Yeman scoffed and said, "Taiyue Kuangke and Yunshou Tianqing are the same person."

Yuan Ji looked at Tang Ping, who nodded. Yuan Ji then said thoughtfully, "So you fought all over the country but couldn't find a worthy opponent, so you went abroad?"

Tang Ping nodded helplessly.

"Then those shameful people in China initially lowered their opinion of you to save face, but after you made a name for yourself abroad, they felt that the contrast between the two was even more ridiculous. So they deliberately concealed the truth that the two identities were actually the same person. In addition, you stopped appearing in the martial arts world, so no one exposed this misunderstanding, and it just continued like that?"

What else could Tang Ping say but nod again: "That's probably how it is."

Zhao Yeman asked curiously, "People in the martial arts world are just burying their heads in the sand and deliberately ignoring this matter. They don't have the power to cover it up. You only need to ask someone to investigate a little to find out the truth. After all, Yun Shou Tian Qing and Tai Yue Kuang Ke appeared almost one after the other, which is basically telling you the truth openly."

Yuan Ji snorted and said, "I'm not like you, holding a grudge after losing in the finals. Why would I bother investigating Tang Ping?"

Zhao Yeman, feeling awkward, lay back down in her seat.

Ling Chong realized that these two women seemed to be incompatible, so he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Cao Poshi joined the Guiling Sect. Last time, he tried to use local intelligence as a pledge of allegiance but failed, so this time he took matters into his own hands. I guess he's after the mythical ruins."

The last time the Jiangcheng Spiritual Energy Management Bureau was ambushed by members of the Guiling Cult, it was because Cao Poshi leaked information. As we all know, the Guiling Cult has always been very interested in mythical ruins. If we want to gain their trust and reward, starting with mythical ruins is undoubtedly the best solution.

Tang Ping, being a perceptive person, immediately replied, "What famous myths and legends are there in Changde, Hunan?"

There are many local myths and folk tales, but only three are worth mentioning.

"One story goes that long ago, in Changde, there lived a poor mother and son. The mother spun and wove day and night, while the son eked out a living by chopping firewood. One day, the son bought a basket of eels and went to release them into the Yuanjiang River. After the eels entered the water, they lingered and refused to disperse. The son was puzzled, so he went into the river and dug them open. He found a box inside. He took the box home and discovered that it was a treasure bowl. If he put a small item in it that day, many precious things would appear the next day."

A few days later, a golden rooster suddenly flew to Changde. Local legend says that the place where the golden rooster landed was a good place to build a city. However, at that time, Changde was full of rivers and very little land, so it was impossible to find a place to build a city. People remembered the treasure bowl in the mother and son's house, so they borrowed it to build a city. They put some small wooden strips and mud in the bowl, and the next day a large piece of land would appear. Everyone happily built a city on the land.

"A few days later, the son went to ask for the basin back. People were worried that if they returned the basin, Changde City would sink. So they made an excuse that they would return it when the first watch was struck. From that day on, no one in Changde struck the first watch anymore; they started striking it from the second watch."

After hearing this, everyone looked at each other with strange expressions.

Tang Ping coughed and spoke first: "It's normal for myths and legends to not conform to current moral standards. We don't need to worry about the details. Take the Cowherd, for example. He was just a thief who stole clothes and was morally corrupt, but the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl still became a classic example of love. And then there's Chang'e, who was just a little fairy who embezzled her husband's property..."

"elder brother!"

Yu Shujiang protested, and Tang Ping could only shut up, since the meaning had already been conveyed.

Yuan Ji was still indignant: "If I were the protagonist, I would rather let Changde City collapse than not take back the treasure basin. At worst, I can just find another place to rebuild the city. It's one thing for me to offer up the treasure out of high moral character, but it's another thing to be deceived."

Tang Ping advised, "That's why we shouldn't delve into it too much! In short, if that traitor came for this story, then without a doubt, his target is the treasure bowl. The monsters that might appear include eels and golden roosters, as well as the resentful protagonist."

Ling Chong nodded and continued, "The second story is about Changde, which used to be called Wuling. There were many hills nearby. One day, a woodcutter went up the mountain to chop wood and met two Taoist immortals. They were a brother and sister who had come to Changde to travel. The woodcutter thought they were the young master and young lady of a wealthy family who had nothing to do after eating and came here to enjoy themselves. So he casually cursed, 'Two young dogs with nothing to do, wandering around here.'"

"When the brother heard that they were being insulted, he was so angry that he wanted to turn the martial arts world into a sea and drown the woodcutter. The sister, however, was kind-hearted and wanted to save the woodcutter and the local people. But her magic was not as good as her brother's, so she suggested that the two of them not use magic to cut out scenery. Whoever cuts it out first would win, and if she won, she would spare the woodcutter's life."

"The older brother thought it would be fun to play like this, so he agreed. The two of them used tree branches as scissors and leaves as paper, cutting and cutting. The younger sister gritted her teeth and kept cutting to protect the people. She cut out all the scenic spots of Wuling, such as the morning mist of Wangzhu and the majestic Yangshan. The older brother had only cut out half of it and had to admit defeat."

"Because the younger sister's name was Achang, people changed the name of Wuling to Changde in gratitude for her kindness."

The group exchanged glances again, their expressions conveying a sense of unspoken understanding.

Yuan Ji sharply commented, "In terms of storytelling alone, it's not as good as the first one! At least the first one makes you feel indignant after hearing it, while the second one only leaves you with one thought—'Is that all?'"

Tang Ping defended, "Local folk tales are all like this. If the plot were really dramatic and full of stories, it would have become famous long ago. But this story doesn't even have an animal in it. I really can't imagine what it would be like if it evolved into a mythical relic, or what kind of monsters would appear."

Zhao Yeman said, "Mythological ruins don't necessarily have monsters. They could just be a blessed land. And in this story, there are branches that are used as scissors and leaves that are used as paper. They might turn into some kind of treasure."

Tang Ping analyzed: "The older brother in this story clearly plays the role of the villain. Although there have never been mythical relics that have evolved into humans in the past, gods and demons with human appearances are quite common, so we still need to be on guard."

Ling Chong continued, "The third story is not much to say, as everyone should have learned about it in class; it's about the Peach Blossom Spring."

Yu Shujiang, still a high school student, was quite familiar with the text and immediately questioned, "The original work didn't mention a specific address, so how do you know that Peach Blossom Spring is in Changde?"

Ling Chong was clearly prepared and replied without hesitation: "Because many literary figures throughout history, such as Li Bai, Liu Yuxi, and Su Shi, have left behind precious poems and calligraphy related to Taohuayuan in Changde, and the authorities have also recognized that Changde Taohuayuan is the only officially registered and recognized 'Taohuayuan National Scenic Area,' and it is also the only prototype of 'Taohuayuan Ji' with annotations in the Cihai and Ciyuan dictionaries. This shows that the authorities tend to believe that Changde's Taohuayuan is the Shangri-La described by Tao Yuanming."

“Other places such as Shiyan in Hubei, Yixian in Anhui, and Youyang in Chongqing also have scenic spots named ‘Peach Blossom Spring’, but overall, Peach Blossom Spring in Changde has a more prominent advantage in terms of historical and cultural heritage.”

Tang Ping said, "Peach Blossom Spring has the same problem. There are no monsters or gods in the story. All the characters are ordinary people. There isn't even a single item that could be a magical artifact. I really don't know what it would look like if it were to evolve into a mythical relic."

Yu Shujiang speculated: "Peach Blossom Spring is peaceful and serene, making people want to stay there for a long time. Perhaps its mythological relics are like the 'rotten science book,' where time passes at a different speed. You may think you have only been there for a short time, but in fact, several years have passed."

Zhao Yeman said, "The ending of 'Rotten Science Popularization' is actually not bad. The protagonist's axe just rotted, and he was not affected. If it were like the classic Japanese legend 'Urashima Taro', where people would age after returning from the Dragon Palace and opening the treasure chest given by the Dragon Girl, and would be forced to make up for the time they did not experience, that would be really deadly."

Ling Chong said, "There's no point in discussing things in the air. You should take this opportunity to look up relevant information and background online. That way, you'll be prepared if you encounter something like this. The three most famous stories about the abnormal are the abnormal ones. As for the others that aren't well-known, you can investigate them yourselves or ask the local psychic energy management bureau members. Anyway, we have to work with them this time, and the locals definitely know more than we do."

During the rest of the journey, everyone used their phones to search for information online and devised coping strategies based on the story's content.

Time flies when there's something to do, and they arrived at their destination in the blink of an eye. As soon as they stepped out of the station, they saw the local psionicists looking anxious.

Chapter 227 Catching Adultery

The local psychic was named Jin Tao. He showed everyone his work ID and even logged into his internal network account to prove his identity.

As a classified unit, the Psychic Administration does not publish employee photos like ordinary government agencies. Even if you log into the intranet, you still cannot find other people's photos, you can only see your own photo and the time the photo was uploaded.

Therefore, when two unfamiliar units cooperate on an urgent task, they usually prove their identity by showing their account information if there is no coordination from a higher-level unit.

After confirming that the photo on the account was indeed of Jin Tao and that it was uploaded three years ago, Ling Chong felt relieved and asked, "Why are you here? Didn't we agree to wait until we arrived at your unit to discuss the plan before taking action?"

"It's too late!" Jin Tao said anxiously. "After Director Xiahou discovered the wanted criminal's whereabouts, he sent one of our colleagues who is good at investigation to follow him from a distance. As a result, they found that the other party did indeed have information about the mythical ruins and disappeared on the banks of the Yuan River. Director Xiahou quickly led his men there, but they were ambushed and trapped in the formation. Their fate is now unknown."