Bu Tian Gang

[March 27th. There was no progress with the stone tablet. The Japanese have sent people to continue monitoring the interactions between Fujikawa and the President of the Otowa Consortium, Otowa Yasuhiko. They met twice during this period, which is suspicious.]

[March 28th, Beijing. Zong Ling asked me about how I was doing with keeping notes. I showed them to her, and she seemed helpless, saying that I turned the diary into a work summary. But other than that, I didn’t have much to write about. Keeping a diary was also her suggestion. A few years ago, during a casual conversation, she said that despite living in this world for so long, I still lacked a human touch. I asked her what she meant by a human touch, and she said it was the smell of fireworks. But I didn’t know exactly what the smell of fireworks was like. If I live like an ordinary person, working, eating, and sleeping, wouldn’t that count as having the smell of fireworks?]

[Zong Ling said that ordinary people write diaries to appropriately vent negative emotions or write about things that make them happy. But I neither had anything unhappy to write about nor anything so happy that I wanted to record it.]

[However, I also hoped to live a bit more like an ordinary person, so following Zong Ling’s suggestion, I started writing a diary. I wrote one and burned one, so as not to risk leaking information while being able to review and summarize myself at a certain stage.]

[But I was too busy, and the diary quickly turned into a weekly summary, and now it has become just notes. I hope to continue this habit.]

[March 30th. The background of Otowa Yasuhiko is too perfect. He started from scratch after World War II and made his first fortune during Japan’s post-war industrial boom, gradually developing a huge business empire. He had a smooth journey, almost encountering no obstacles. We asked some colleagues from the Ministry of Commerce, and they said this was almost a miracle in the process of starting a business unless this person had the power to cover the sky with one hand in the successive governments after the war, and competitors dare not offend him. This person is worth investigating further.]

[Zong Ling gave me a book called “Collection of Outstanding Essays by Primary School Students”. She said my notes were like a simple record of events. After she left, I passed the book on to Kan Chaosheng. Even now, I can find a bunch of spelling mistakes in his reports, so this book is more suitable for him.]

[March 31st. He Yu was causing trouble. Not only did he get close to that ordinary person he met on the train, but he also kept urging him to apply to the Special Administration Bureau. The other person isn’t even a person involved in this field, and even if his aptitude isn’t bad, he has already missed the best age for learning. As a member of the Special Administration Bureau, He Yu doesn’t even understand this rule. I deducted three months’ worth of his bonus. If he doesn’t change his ways, he can forget about his bonus this year.]

[Zong Ling once told me that if someone can continuously catch my attention and make me have a sustained thought about them, whether positive or negative, it means that I still have humanity, just not good at expressing it. When she said this, the first person that came to mind was He Yu. Every time I see him, I want to deduct his salary. Is this what they call a bond?]

[Forget it. I don’t want to spend my whole life with He Yu. Sometimes I even think of sewing his mouth shut with a needle.]

[April 3rd. Zheng Sui called me and asked me to go easy on He Yu. He even said that Dong Zhi, that ordinary person, has the talent for cultivation. It’s rare for him to personally call me about such a small matter. That person named Dong Zhi must have caught his eye. I also know that he has talent, but there are many talented people in the world. Even if he manages to pass the exam successfully, it doesn’t mean he can endure the subsequent training exams.]

[I asked Zheng Sui why Dong Zhi was so focused on joining the Special Administration Bureau, and he actually said it was because he saw me slaying demons on Changbai Mountain and found it impressive. I couldn’t accept that explanation. After living for so many years, I know that humans will always have impulsive moments where they do things and regret later. Allowing such a person into the Special Administration Bureau would only waste resources. I cannot agree to it. The Special Administration Bureau isn’t a place for him to play around.]

[April 9th. After the meeting, He Yu asked me about my opinion on Dong Zhi. I told He Yu that I didn’t agree with letting him join the Special Administration Bureau. He Yu showed me the talisman drawn by Dong Zhi and said that he was able to produce such results after seeing him draw it only once. He said that based on the talisman alone, Dong Zhi has rare potential. I asked He Yu about his plans, and he said that his martial uncle has never taken on an apprentice in his life, and he has been looking for a suitable one. If Dong Zhi couldn’t enter the Special Administration Bureau, He Yu wanted to take him back to Hezao Mountain and let his martial uncle evaluate him.]

[I knew what He Yu had in mind. Once Dong Zhi entered the Hezao Sect, even if he took his first steps into the cultivation world, I wouldn’t have any reason to stop him from applying to the Special Administration Bureau.]

[After work, Dong Zhi’s background report happened to be ready. He has a clean record for three generations, and his background is clean. After graduating from university, he worked in an art-related job at a game company. After resigning, he went to Changchun for a trip and coincidentally met us. With this background, it would be impossible for him to serve in a frontline department, but he might have a chance if he wants to join the logistics department of the Special Administration Bureau. However, I don’t plan to tell He Yu for now.]

[April 10th, Beijing. He Yu brought Dong Zhi into the Special Administration Bureau and let him stay in his own dormitory. He might not want his bonus this year.]

[He Yu assured me that Dong Zhi had carefully considered his decision to apply for the Special Administration Bureau and it wasn’t a momentary impulse.]

[Let’s observe for now.]

[April 15th, He Yu’s junior brother, Cheng Hui, got into trouble, maybe related to demons.]

[Dong Zhi is just an ordinary person who doesn’t know anything, yet He Yu wants to bring him along. I know that He Yu wants to temper him and prove to me that Dong Zhi has potential in that aspect. This action is dangerous, but I didn’t stop He Yu. He needs to learn how to take responsibility for things and the safety of others. He still lacks a broader perspective in this regard. Only when real danger arises can it make him alert.]

[He Yu is the most promising person in Group 2, but his flaws are also obvious. I can’t always be by his side to guide him, sheltering them from the wind and rain above their heads. They must grow on their own. I won’t let him risk the lives of ordinary people, so I made some arrangements with Dong Zhi, just in case.]

[April 17th. As expected, something happened.]

[If I hadn’t been vigilant in advance and communicated with Dong Zhi through telepathy yesterday, the two of them might have been trapped inside the enchantment forever. He Yu won’t receive his bonus next year either.]

[After my warning, Kan Chaosheng and Zhong Yuyi probably won’t dare lend money to He Yu anymore.]

[April 20th. Dong Zhi’s performance exceeded my expectations.

[They were able to subdue the Archfiend in Guangzhou. He played an important role in that.]

[I rarely change my mind once I’ve decided on something, but I did indeed misjudge this situation.]

[April 25th. Dong Zhi added me on WeChat. It seems like he’s afraid of me disapproving, so he’s very cautious in his attitude and didn’t say much. However, I can tell that he has a rich imagination because his Moments are filled with his experiences from various travels. Even his conversation with a taxi driver during their trip to Guangzhou was described in great detail. It’s quite interesting.]

[May 1st. I finished my work early today, and when I sat on the couch and picked up my phone, the first thing I did was check Moments. After reading a few posts, I realized that it’s not my usual habit. When did this start?]

[May 2nd. It probably started when I found Dong Zhi’s Moments interesting.]

[May 5th. I no longer need to directly visit He Yu to see when he’s playing games because his Moments are filled with updates about his game progress. Dong Zhi’s Moments, on the other hand, are like a lively world filled with fireworks, which is very interesting.]

[It seems like I mentioned finding his words and experiences interesting for the third time. What does this imply? I’ll ask Zong Ling one of these days.]

[May 7th. The demonic qi has resurfaced. The battle is far from over.]

[May 18th. There have been frequent incidents of demonic activity in various places, and they should be interconnected.]

[May 21st. There are indeed unusual movements from the Japanese. Dong Zhi mentioned inviting me for a meal a few times. I agreed, but I’ve been too busy recently and can’t find the time.]

[May 22nd. I saw him practicing his talismans.]

[In terms of an ordinary person’s progress, he’s truly making leaps and bounds. Although he’s still weak and lacks sufficient judgment and vigilance, he has his own strengths. I think Zong Ling was right. Humans are much more complex than I imagined. Previously, I mostly saw the darkness in human nature, and when it came to outstanding character traits, I compared them to Yu Qian and concluded that they fell short. But in reality, there are quite a number of humans who may not come close to Yu Qian but haven’t reached the point of darkness either, just like Dong Zhi. He has weaknesses as well as courage and enthusiasm for life.]

[Perhaps this is the human touch that Zong Ling wants me to experience? But why didn’t I sense this in He Yu and instead feel it in Dong Zhi? Perhaps this is what Zheng Sui called a destined connection.]

[June 3rd. Busy.]

[Dong Zhi continues to make progress. He thought I’m not aware, but I’m always paying attention.]

[Liu Qingbo is also good, but his advantage lies in starting earlier than Dong Zhi.]

[Perhaps I should take on an apprentice.]

[June 5th. Yu Buhui contacted me. We are both swords forged by Ou Yezi, so strictly speaking, we should be considered brothers*. However, we don’t have the traditional human concept of kinship, and our personalities are very different. Yu Buhui strongly opposes me taking on a human as an apprentice, and I know his reasons. Humans live for no more than a hundred years, and they are far more fragile than us. When they die, my lifespan still stretches far ahead. From a human perspective, it’s an investment with disproportionate returns.]

*Clarity: Most likely Yu Buhui is the sword Yuchang (鱼肠) (Fish Intestines), as the [Yu] in his name means fish (just like how the Long in Long Shen derives from the sword that he is, Longyuan). The Yuchang is a short dagger said to be capable of cleaving through iron as if it were mud. Used by Helü of Wu to assassinate his uncle, Liao of Wu. It was hidden in a cooked fish presented to King Liao at a banquet. As a result of the assassination, the blade gained a reputation for causing its user to be disloyal.

[But I don’t agree with his viewpoint. The mortal realm shouldn’t be solely guarded by us. Ultimately, it should be entrusted to ordinary people, a society composed of countless sentient beings is the world.]

[June 18th. The exams for this year are about to begin. It’s clear that Dong Zhi wants to become my apprentice, but I’m still observing to see if he can withstand the subsequent tests. For the first time, I feel anticipation for the uncertainty of things. I hope he won’t disappoint my expectations. When he sends messages, he often includes unnecessary chatter, but it’s clear from his happiness or lack thereof. Occasionally, when I’m not busy, I will exchange a few words with him. His emotions are quite contagious. Seeing him happy also brings me joy. Recently, it seems like I’ve been using a lot of adjectives and similar words of expectation.]

[Is this what Zong Ling referred to as human touch?]

[In any case, being born as a human, I have no regrets.]

……

During the several-hour voyage, Liu Si didn’t disturb Dong Zhi while he was interpreting the notebook, but he had been silently observing his companion all along.

Seeing that the other finally looked up with red eyes, Liu Si asked with concern, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” As soon as Dong Zhi replied, he realized that his voice was completely hoarse.

He had been immersed in Long Shen’s notebook, completely oblivious to the passage of time. If the plane hadn’t landed, he wouldn’t have realized that several hours had already passed.

Liu Si considerately handed him a bottle of water and informed him, “After we land, we’ll have to transfer to another vehicle. It’s likely that we’ll spend the night on the road, and we won’t reach the nearest location to the Lengele Gorge until at least tomorrow noon.”

Dong Zhi nodded to indicate his understanding.

The two of them disembarked the plane with their luggage and boarded the waiting jeep. Dong Zhi didn’t put the notebook back into his backpack; he held it in his hand the entire time. After a few hours of cramming, he had become much faster at reading the notebook. Apart from occasionally needing to take photos to send to Cheng Hui for translation assistance, he could remember most of the common characters. Even if he couldn’t recognize them, by referring to the context of the surrounding sentences, he could make educated guesses.

Long Shen had a stable mindset, with the focus of his days primarily on work. There were hardly any intense emotional fluctuations like those experienced by ordinary people, but that didn’t mean he was an emotionless immortal.

Likes and dislikes, mistakes and expectations—they all existed in his writings. Through those flowing words, Dong Zhi seemed to witness Long Shen slowly descending from the divine pedestal, his character becoming more well-rounded.

If he hadn’t read this notebook, he might never have known about the tiny details and secrets hidden within Long Shen’s everyday life.

The car started, carrying them towards the Kunlun Mountains.

The car performed well, and the driver specialized in navigating mountain roads in the military, driving smoothly. Dong Zhi closed his eyes slightly to rest in the car and then opened the notebook to continue reading.

……

Kunlun Mountain.

The edge of the collapsed pit has been completely tainted black by demonic qi. The talismans around it were trembling, and there were faint signs of demonic contamination on the talisman papers.

Long Shen sat cross-legged outside the formation in the north direction with his eyes tightly closed. Threads of demonic qi emerged from the pit and slowly converged in his direction. Long Shen was like a magnet, gradually absorbing more and more demonic qi.

On both sides of him, seven people sat at the edges of the passage. They weren’t too far nor too close to Long Shen. Each person had a golden rune suspended in the air in front of them, forming a circle around Long Shen, as if trapping him in the middle.

To avoid disturbing them, He Yu and Song Zhicun kept their distance, even subconsciously lowering their voices when speaking, afraid of startling them.

“Boss Song, when can we get the jade token from Mount Longhu?” He Yu asked.

Song Zhicun’s brows had not relaxed in the past few days. “I just contacted them. The person sent by Sect Master Zhang has already arrived at the foot of Longhu. However, the procedure to retrieve the jade token is quite cumbersome. It requires the signatures of all current elders of Longhu. If Sect Master Zhang personally returns, it might be easier. But now he’s unable to leave the formation, and there might be obstacles on the side of Longhu.”

He Yu suppressed his anger. “It’s already come to this. Are there still people who disagree?”

Song Zhicun shook his head. “People have diverse minds. Do you think everyone will consider the bigger picture? The jade token is the treasure that guards Longhu Mountain. Sect Master Zhang alone doesn’t have the authority to dispose of it at will. It definitely requires the consent of the majority. If someone feels that he won’t return after leaving, perhaps they could take the opportunity to become sect leader.”

The Longhu Sect was a large family with many capable individuals. Correspondingly, there were naturally more conflicts than in the smaller sects like the Hezao Sect. He Yu had heard similar rumors before, after all. Song Zhicun had been a director for many years, so he immediately thought of details that He Yu might not have noticed.

He Yu couldn’t help but feel anxious. “Then what do we do here? Without the replacement spiritual artifact, the boss can’t leave the formation!”

Song Zhicun sighed. “Can’t you see it? When he proposed this method, he didn’t think about a replacement spiritual artifact. He intends to seal the demonic qi completely at the cost of his own sacrifice!”

He Yu anxiously said, “But the boss clearly said that Dong Zhi has a way to save him, as long as the replacement spiritual artifact arrives…”

Song Zhicun lightly asked, “Do you really think Dong Zhi has a way?”

He Yu trembled slightly.

Song Zhicun continued, “No one is a god, unable to foresee every outcome. So before doing anything, we must always prepare for the worst. I don’t know if he left a way out with Dong Zhi, but I know that when he decided to do this, he had already prepared for the sacrifice of his own life. Remember the Martyrs Cemetery we must visit when new recruits join? That represents the conviction we uphold.”

He Yu gazed into Song Zhicun’s calm eyes, unable to utter a word.

Song Zhicun: “Not just him, but also your master, me, and all of us. We all think the same way.”

“But…” He Yu struggled to speak, unsure of what to say.

He wanted to say that Long Shen would never deceive anyone, that Dong Zhi was Long Shen’s apprentice, and perhaps Long Shen had truly imparted some secret techniques to him. He wanted to say that Long Shen possessed a semi-immortal body and that there were very few in this world who could rival him. But he also remembered Long Shen’s words in the tent, about how he should remain calm and take responsibility for his actions, not act impulsively. Now, those words seemed like parting instructions.

He Yu had always felt that he had two families, one being the Hezao Sect and the other being the Special Administration Bureau. The former nurtured him, and the latter encompassed his entire life and work. Whether it was Long Shen, Kan Chaosheng, Zhong Yuyi, Song Zhicun, and others, or later Dong Zhi, Liu Si, and the others, without the Special Administration Bureau, he wouldn’t have met these brothers and friends. Even Deputy Director Wu Bingtian, whom he usually found annoying, He Yu didn’t want to see him leave the Special Administration Bureau. Because for him, each person was like an indelible mark within the bureau, an imprint in his life. No one could be replaced.

But now, the cruel reality was right in front of him, forcing him to face it.

He knew deep down that he had long had a premonition, but he was unwilling to admit it.

With a loud bang, the silence between them was shattered!

Song Zhicun and He Yu quickly turned their heads towards the sound, only to see the talisman suspended in front of Sect Master Xin’s forehead suddenly emit a brilliant red light and crack under the tremendous noise, on the verge of shattering.

The position defended by Sect Master Xin couldn’t hold up anymore! Both of them inwardly cursed, almost simultaneously rushing forward. Without saying a word, He Yu positioned himself behind Sect Master Xin and performed a sealing gesture to reinforce the seal.

“Take him away, quickly!” Song Zhicun shouted.

The two panicked members of the Special Administration Bureau immediately moved to support Sect Master Xin, who was bleeding from the corners of his mouth and had a complexion as pale as paper. Song Zhicun swiftly sat down, taking his place.

“Boss Song!” He Yu couldn’t help but speak up.

“Stop the chit chat! Reinforce the seal quickly!” Song Zhicun didn’t even turn his head.

Determined, He Yu bit his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of blood onto the talisman paper. With a hand seal, he sent the talisman back to its original position, and a momentary flash of red light passed over the runes, causing the cracks to disappear.

The instability of the formation this time was due to a sudden surge of demonic qi emerging from the abyssal passage. Besides Sect Master Xin, the other six positions were also affected by the shock, but Long Shen in the center absorbed it in time. Perhaps due to the limitations of one person, Long Shen couldn’t absorb such a large amount of demonic qi in a short time. As a result, the remaining small portion that escaped caused the disruption in front of Sect Master Xin.

Although the minor disturbance subsided, everyone couldn’t let their guard down. They saw that Long Shen, surrounded by the array, was engulfed in swirling black demonic qi, as if the demons were eagerly enticing him to fall, echoing the evil thoughts hidden within him. The demonic qi raged and screamed, attempting to assimilate Long Shen and drag him into an irreversible abyss.

Long Shen’s expression remained relatively calm; he didn’t move. He didn’t appear to be tainted by the demonic qi. However, when Song Zhicun’s gaze fell on him, the slight stability that had just been restored shattered again.

Song Zhicun saw that Long Shen’s hands, originally forming seals in front of his chest and abdomen, were now clenched tightly, whitening his knuckles. It was evident that he was exerting force subconsciously.

Song Zhicun knew that Long Shen was struggling against the intertwined internal and external demonic qi. Perhaps he could “fight poison with poison” and ultimately overcome them. However, this possibility was extremely slim. The more likely scenario was that Long Shen would absorb all the demonic qi into his own body and then plunge into the depths of the abyss, self-destructing along with them. At that point, it would be much easier to completely seal the passage.

But he sincerely hoped that this possibility would never come to pass. He hoped that miracles existed in this world, that the heavens would be moved and send down the gods to save them. However, Song Zhicun knew that no matter how much they fantasized, it was unrealistic. The only ones who could save them were themselves, and all he could do was to hold his position in the array.

……

Dong Zhi noticed that in the notes, his presence gradually increased around July.

At that time, Long Shen had already developed the idea of accepting him as an apprentice, but he continued to observe in secret. Oblivious to Long Shen’s thoughts, Dong Zhi remained cautious and excited, creating as many opportunities as possible to interact with his “male god”, feeling jealous of Liu Qingbo, and secretly delighted that Long Shen lent him the Qingzhu Sword for practice.

Meanwhile, Long Shen had meticulously outlined a teaching plan tailored specifically for him in the notebook. It covered everything from basic qi cultivation to talismans and swordsmanship, including hand movements, postures, and the challenging aspects where Dong Zhi tended to make mistakes.

Every word and sentence carried a sense of responsibility that Long Shen rarely revealed.

Kinky Thoughts:

I always thought Long Shen fell for Dong Zhi too suddenly. With these diary entries, it seems that feelings had already developed long before. I’m really glad this was established.

Poor He Yu… At this rate, he’s going to be working for the Special Administration without pay.