ryethenovel Chapter 22 Kan Water Amulet
Chapter 22 Kan Water Amulet
She looked at Li Shancheng: "I'll go with you. The ability of the off-center array eye is biased towards reconnaissance and rapid action, which is suitable for this type of mission."
"I'll go too," Xu Qingqing said immediately.
"And me," Liu Wei added. "I understand Hanshan Technology's experimental methods, so I might be able to identify their setup."
Jiang Han pondered for a moment: "Yes, but we need to be fully prepared. There are still eleven days until the night of the full moon. During this time, Hanshan Technology will definitely deploy defenses around Shuanglong Bridge. You need to conduct reconnaissance and evade them. If possible, arrange countermeasures in advance."
He took out three dark blue jade pendants from his sleeve: "These are 'Kan Water Amulets,' which can automatically activate a water shield when attacked, lasting for ten seconds. Although the time is short, it's enough to react."
Su Yan then gave each person a red feather: "The Fire Feather, when lit, will produce a bright light and high temperature, and at the same time send out a distress signal. Jiang Lao and I will both receive it."
Editor-in-Chief Qin also took out the prepared items: several specially made invisibility talismans, a compass that can detect energy traps, and a box of vibration alarms disguised as ordinary pebbles.
"Shuanglong Bridge is a public area, crowded during the day and patrolled at night," said Editor-in-Chief Qin. "The best time for reconnaissance is between 3 and 5 a.m., when there are the fewest people, but Hanshan Technology may also choose this time to strengthen its security."
"We can split into two groups and go at different times," Li Shancheng suggested. "On the first day, Senior Su Yan and I will go to familiarize ourselves with the environment and possible defensive arrangements. On the second day, Xu Qingqing and Liu Wei will go to observe and record from different angles."
"Good plan." Su Yan gave him an approving look. "But don't call me senior, it makes me sound old. Just call me Sister Su."
After agreeing on a preliminary plan, Jiang Han suddenly asked a question: "Li Shancheng, is there any record of 'Seven Star Resonance' in the knowledge transmitted by the Book of Light?"
Li Shancheng searched his memory: "Yes. The Seven Star Relics resonate with each other, and the closer they are, the stronger the resonance. If one relic is activated, the others will also react."
"So, if we find and protect one of the relics in advance, it might disrupt their plans," Jiang Han said. "The Tianquan relics are their main target, but the other relics cannot fall into their hands."
"The question is, where are the clues to the other relics?" Su Yan asked.
Li Shancheng closed his eyes and delved deeper into the legacy of the Book of Light. This time, he wasn't searching for specific locations, but rather the patterns of connection between the relics. Gradually, a complex star map took shape in his mind, with seven points of light arranged according to a specific pattern, connected by bands of light.
"The locations of the relics follow the laws of celestial phenomena." He opened his eyes. "If the Tianquan relic is at Shuanglong Bridge, then the locations of the other relics should be distributed according to the relative positions of the Big Dipper. The relic corresponding to the Kan position should be... in the northwest of Kyoto City, in a place with water."
"Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace?" Xu Qingqing guessed.
"Or a reservoir in the northwest suburbs," said Editor-in-Chief Qin, "but that's still too large a scope."
Liu Wei suddenly remembered something: "In some of the notes left by Engineer Chen, he mentioned the 'Seven Star Positioning Method.' She said that Hanshan Technology uses complex algorithms to calculate the location of the relics, which requires inputting astronomical data, geographical coordinates, and... array energy readings at the same time."
"In other words, they may have already determined the location of more than one relic." Su Yan's face darkened.
"We must speed things up." Jiang Han made the decision. "Su Yan, you and Li Shancheng will go to Shuanglong Bridge tonight to scout. Qin Yunfeng, you try to use the energy of the Wen Shu array eye to deduce the possible locations of the other relics. I will contact old friends in the metaphysical community to see if there are any legends or records about the whereabouts of the relics."
Before the rally ended, Jiang Han emphasized again: "Remember, safety first. If you encounter a situation you can't handle, retreat immediately. Only by staying alive can you have a chance to continue fighting."
Su Yan transformed into flames that dissipated in the wind, while Jiang Han merged into the thin mist; the two departed in their own ways. The protective array on the open ground slowly extinguished, leaving only faint aftershocks of energy.
On the way back, Li Shancheng remained silent. Xu Qingqing noticed something was wrong with him: "What's wrong?"
"I'm thinking... if I'm a descendant of the guardians of the literary realm, then my parents..." Li Shancheng said hesitantly, "do they know about this? Or are they also part of this secret?"
Editor-in-Chief Qin glanced at him in the rearview mirror as he drove: "I've investigated your family background, Shancheng. Your parents are indeed ordinary people, at least on the surface. But bloodlines can sometimes skip several generations, or exist in a hidden way. They may have no idea who their ancestors were."
"Should I tell them?" Li Shancheng asked.
"Not now," Editor-in-Chief Qin said firmly. "Knowing this will only put them in danger. Hanshan Technology may already be aware of you, and if your family gets involved..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
Liu Wei said softly, "Engineer Chen also has a family, parents and a younger sister. To protect them, she cut off all contact and even faked going abroad to work. Sometimes, not telling the truth is also a form of protection."
Li Shancheng gazed out the window at the fleeting street scenes. Ordinary people waited for buses at the bus stop, bought breakfast at breakfast stalls, and sent their children to school... They were completely unaware of the impending crisis. And this ignorance, in a sense, was fortunate.
But the guardians' responsibility is precisely to protect this ordinary life from being disrupted.
That afternoon, they prepared for their nighttime reconnaissance in Qingyun Lane. Master Qin instructed Li Shancheng on how to use the newly acquired magical artifacts, especially the energy detection compass. The compass needle could not only indicate the energy intensity but also distinguish the energy type—the natural energy of the array eye was a soft blue-white, the siphon energy of Hanshan Technology was dark red, and the energy of cultivators varied from person to person.
"Su Yan's energy signature should be a warm orange-red color with a sense of dynamism," Bishop Qin explained. "If you detect similar signatures on the Twin Dragon Bridge but feel 'cold' or 'mechanical,' then you are likely a practitioner of Cold Mountain Technology."
Xu Qingqing and Liu Wei were studying a detailed map of Shuanglong Bridge and recent surveillance footage. Although Cheng Xu was still recovering from his injury, he provided remote technical support, hacking into the public surveillance system in the Shuanglong Bridge area and providing an analysis of the population movement over the past week.
"There are two patrol shifts at night, at 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.," Liu Wei said, pointing to the screen. "But between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., the bridge area is completely unattended. However, in the last three days, the surveillance cameras on the bridge have experienced several abnormal power outages during this time period, each lasting about ten minutes."
"They're testing jamming equipment, or... they've already deployed something on the bridge," Xu Qingqing deduced.
At 6 p.m., Li Shancheng received a message from Su Yan: meet at 11 p.m. at a parking lot two kilometers away from Shuanglong Bridge.
To avoid attracting attention, Li Shancheng and Xu Qingqing set off separately. Li Shancheng rode a shared bicycle, while Xu Qingqing drove with the equipment. Liu Wei stayed in Qingyun Lane to assist Bishop Qin in analyzing the data.
As night fell and Kyoto's city lights began to twinkle, Li Shancheng strolled through the streets, feeling the familiar pulse of the city. But he now knew that beneath this surface, the rules of another world were at work. An ancient tree on a street corner might be an energy node, runes might be hidden on the walls of an old building, and even among the pedestrians he brushed past, there might be cultivators or demonic beasts lurking.
When I arrived at the parking lot, Su Yan was already there. She had changed into a dark tracksuit and was carrying an inconspicuous backpack, looking exactly like a night runner.
"On time." Su Yan glanced at his watch. "Where's Xu Qingqing?"
"She was driving the equipment from behind."
"Have her wait in the parking lot as backup," Su Yan said. "The Shuanglong Bridge area isn't large; too many people would only make us more easily spotted. The two of us will conduct reconnaissance lightly, and retreat immediately if anything goes wrong."
Upon arrival, Xu Qingqing agreed to the arrangement. She distributed the equipment to the two of them: an energy detection compass, miniature night vision goggles, special glasses (that could see energy flow), and communication headsets.
"Keep communication open. If there's any situation, I'll be there within three minutes," Xu Qingqing said.
At 11:30 p.m., Li Shancheng and Su Yan approached the Shuanglong Bridge area. They didn't take the main road but instead followed the path along the river. The riverside park was quiet at night, with only the occasional sound of cars in the distance and the flowing of the river.
Su Yan suddenly stopped and drew a simple rune in the air with his finger. The rune emitted a faint red light, illuminating the ground ahead—there was an almost invisible energy line, ten centimeters above the ground, spanning the path.
"Warning runes, trigger-activated," Su Yan said in a low voice. "Once triggered, the person who placed them will receive an alarm. Cold Mountain Technology has already deployed them here."
She carefully crossed the energy line, with Li Shancheng close behind. They continued forward and discovered three more similar setups, some in the trees and some in the grass, forming a loose perimeter.
"Amateur level," Su Yan commented. "The setup is too obvious, and the energy fluctuations are unstable. Either it's a novice's doing, or it's intentionally misleading."
"Intentionally misleading?" Li Shancheng asked, puzzled.
"Set up some easily detectable traps to lower the intruders' guard, and then hide the truly deadly traps in key locations," Su Yan explained. "Be careful, the real danger may be in the most unexpected places."
They arrived at the south side of the Twin Dragon Bridge. The ancient bridge lay silent in the night, the stone dragon statues on the railings casting long shadows in the moonlight. There were no lights on the bridge, only the faint glow of distant streetlights barely illuminating its outline.
Li Shancheng activated the energy detection compass. The pointer wobbled slightly, pointing to the third pier in the center of the bridge—consistent with the information he had obtained from the Book of Light. But in addition, the compass detected at least five different energy sources distributed around the bridge, two of which were moving.
"There are two people on the bridge and three on the riverbank below." Su Yan confirmed through his special glasses. "Energy characteristics... the two have that cold, mechanical feel of Cold Mountain Technology. The three are uncertain, but they are definitely not ordinary people."
"How do we avoid them?" Li Shancheng asked.
Su Yan observed the guards' movement pattern for a while: "It's regular; they cross patrol every five minutes, with a fifteen-second blind spot each time they cross. We need to seize that opportunity, quickly get onto the bridge, and check the third pier."
They waited for the next patrol overlap. Time ticked by, and Li Shancheng could hear his own heartbeat. This wasn't the first time he'd faced danger, but each time he felt the same tension.
"Now!" Su Yan shouted in a low voice.