Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 387: 286, Regression

What identity does the old man hold?

There were quite a few candidates within the Li family who matched the age profile, even including a handful of elders with authority.

However, Qing Chen knew that, given Uncle Li Dong’s character, he would only confide his secrets to those he trusted most.

Before his long journey, Uncle Li Dong had arranged everything for Qing Chen, waiting for the young man to gradually unveil the world.

Thus, Qing Chen already had an answer in mind regarding the old man’s identity.

Yet, the old man did not disclose Qing Chen’s secret, and Qing Chen did not unmask the old man either; the two shared a knowing smile as if by some silent agreement.

...
Qing Chen thought for a moment and asked, “So when the Ancestor of Knight handed over the Heartless Bronze Bell, was there an agreement that one day it should be returned to its original owner?”

The old man lamented, “Right now, what I really want to do is throw you into Dragon Lake and have you swim back to Feiyun Courtyard through the icy waters. Can you focus on less peculiar things when you ask about matters?”

“Ah,” Qing Chen said, as he fiddled with the fishing line, making the hook swim in the water, “Does the Li family have any other cultivation methods?”

“No more, the rest either have too low a limit or come with side effects,” the old man spoke lightly, “Besides, you are an outsider, so stop coveting the Li family’s possessions; it’s not easy gathering such assets.”

Qing Chen thought, the old man is claiming poverty to keep his possessions safe, even invoking the vast wealth of the corporates.

At that moment, the old man turned and stared intently at his arm, yet discovered nothing: “Strange, how exactly did you manage to catch the Dragon Fish yesterday?!”

Qing Chen chuckled, the Puppeteer on his hand was transparent, could you see it?

The next moment, his fishing line started shaking violently again, and Qing Chen ran off with the Dragon Fish he pulled from the water.

The old man watched, dumbfounded.

During this time travel, aside from dealing with Zhang Chengze’s matters, Qing Chen spent almost all of his time holed up in the semi-mountain villa, enjoying the serenity.

Every day apart from walking around the Zhixin Courtyard, he stayed in his dorm, immersed in the world of “winning people over with virtue,” facing the life-and-death challenge of “ultimate trust.”

According to the original plan, after obtaining the cultivation methods, he should have promptly taught the Li family descendants, partly to improve their combat abilities and partly to make the descendants more convinced of him.

Qing Chen also tried to translate some of the cultivation methods given by the old man, using his sporadic memories of Tibetan script, but he failed.

Everything had to wait until after his return to be fully translated.

In the meantime, Qing Chen secluded himself in his dorm, rarely visiting Feiyun Courtyard.

However, what was meant to come, would eventually come.

On the night of the last day before his return, Xiao Ying suddenly knocked on his dorm door, making faces as he said, “Boss Chang Qing asked me to call you to Feiyun Courtyard, seems like something important is going on.”

Qing Chen glanced at the countdown to returning, 00:30:00.

The last half hour.

He serenely got up and headed to Feiyun Courtyard, where Li Changqing was already waiting in the yard, on the stone table a metal box for holding Genetic Potion was still laid.

Li Changqing opened his mouth and smiled, “I have been timing it, exactly one month since your last injection of Genetic Potion tonight. I know you want to advance quickly to D-Class, so the Genetic Potion is already prepared for you.”

Qing Chen looked delighted at the metal box, caressing its surface as if he could not bear to let go.

“You’re usually so aloof, not at all like a young man,” Seeing Qing Chen’s happiness made her feel happy as well, “How about it, I didn’t break my promise to you, did I?”

“Thank you,” Qing Chen said, “I’ve been searching for a long time in the black market, never saw a Genetic Potion sequence numbered 003 or higher, I thought I’d be stuck at E-Class my whole life.”

“Come,” Li Changqing picked up the metal box from the stone table with one hand, and with the other hand, she pulled Qing Chen toward Feiyun Courtyard.

When entering the main building of Feiyun Courtyard, Qing Chen was shocked to find that its security and servants had been dismissed at some unknown time, leaving it empty…

Li Changqing walked with him along the empty corridor, her black skirt swaying, her high heels tapping on the wooden floor.

Around her waist, a thin belt was wrapped tightly, accentuating her slender figure.

Qing Chen felt increasingly uneasy, but he had no choice but to continue walking.

Just then, Li Changqing chuckled, “Feiyun Courtyard seems a bit desolate without people around, it’s kind of scary.”

“Uh, if you’re scared, you can call back the security and servants, otherwise, I’m also a bit scared,” Qing Chen earnestly said.

The fear the two of them spoke of was not the same at all…

Moreover, on the night the Fourth District was attacked, Li Changqing had already demonstrated her exceptional level of cultivation, jumping from the tenth floor as if nothing happened.

In this private setting, Qing Chen really couldn’t beat her.

Li Changqing smiled, “What are you afraid of? Don’t overthink it. I’m worried about you shouting out in pain after the injection of the Genetic Potion and being heard by them. I don’t mind, but I’m afraid your pride won’t withstand it.”

Qing Chen breathed a sigh of relief inside, so that was it.

Indeed, in Li Changqing’s eyes, he truly had to be injected with the Genetic Potion tonight.

Everyone knew that the injection of the Genetic Potion was extremely painful, and there wasn’t much Li Changqing could actually do to him.

Li Changqing led him to a side room in Feiyun Courtyard and gently closed the door.

Then, in front of Qing Chen, she opened a metal box and took out the middle syringe labeled FDE-003, “Do you want me to help you with it? But you’ve injected yourself twice before, so you should be more skilled.”

Qing Chen smiled and took the azure-colored Genetic Potion from Li Changqing’s hands, saying, “I’ll do it myself, it’s just a muscle injection, quite simple.”

Li Changqing smiled, “Don’t you need to hide in the bathroom to inject? Can I watch?”

“Of course,” Qing Chen replied.

As he spoke, he briefly examined the Genetic Potion, then without hesitation, proceeded to stab it into his thigh.

However, the moment his arm dropped through the air…

The countdown to return hit zero.

The world plunged into darkness and then light returned.

Qing Chen was back on Xingshu Road in the Outer World, still holding the 003 Genetic Potion in his hand.

The young man took a sealed glass bottle from the bedside table, pushed all the Genetic Potion into it, and then took out an adjusted syringe of azure medicinal liquid from the side.

This substitution strategy was something he had thought of 18 days ago.

If he had to make the injection in front of Li Changqing, to ensure his safety, he definitely could not inject the actual Genetic Potion, especially since injecting 003 directly without having injected 004 or 005 would be fatal.

And in that instant of return, the Time Traveler had sufficient time for Qing Chen to switch them.

In fact, Li Changqing’s sudden question about whether he wanted to hide in the bathroom to inject might have been a test to see if he was the Time Traveler.

After all, the Time Traveler could also store the Genetic Potion internally and bring it back to the Outer World for a switch.

But what Li Changqing didn’t know was that the existence of Knight Vital Energy allowed Qing Chen to take the Genetic Potion back with him.

That was something other Time Travelers couldn’t do.

…

No extra updates today, something came up at home. Just the usual 7,000 words, I’ll continue to pay it back tomorrow.