Chapter 45: Mountains and Rivers Small Hotel

Night in Panzhihua perhaps possesses a different temperament unique to this city. Li Fengyin walked along the streets with Amy, deciding to head straight for the Shanhe Small Inn, which was the designated meeting place for the following day.

Moreover, the other faction within the Soul Suppressing Temple would also arrive tomorrow, arrangements having already been made by Dong Yunpo.

Upon entering the narrow alley and finally locating the wooden plaque of the inn, Li Fengyin realized that this might not be a place frequented by ordinary people.

Pushing open the side door, Li Fengyin stepped into the inn lobby, with Amy following closely behind in her hooded cloak. As the two entered, the people scattered around the tables and the counter instantly cast their gazes upon them.

Li Fengyin walked straight toward the counter, where a child of about thirteen or fourteen was tending the shop.

Amy said nothing, though she was already prepared for a conflict.

To local bullies, the sudden arrival of an unfamiliar face is often perceived as a threat.

Li Fengyin quickly completed the accommodation registration. However, rooms inside the inn were only accessible after 10:00 PM, meaning they had to remain in the ground-floor lobby for the time being.

Finding a secluded table, Li Fengyin sat down. Amy remained standing slightly behind and to his right, unconsciously exerting a heavy pressure on the others, causing those scrutinizing or malicious gazes to gradually look away.

Ordering a cup of jasmine tea, Li Fengyin sipped it in silence, glancing at the clock on the wall. The hands pointed to 9:30 PM; they only needed to wait half an hour longer before they could enter their guest room.

No matter how one looked at it, the people here were far from simple, and they dressed in all sorts of eccentric styles—though, of course, their varied attire had its reasons.

Just as the sound of falling rain echoed from outside, a boy of sixteen or seventeen entered through the side door, stomped his feet with great effort, and broke into a grin, walking straight toward the table where Li Fengyin sat.

It was Falling Feather Broken Trace.

"Fengyin, you actually arrived a bit earlier than me."

Broken Trace's voice was crisp. Before sitting down, he silently crushed a rhinoceros beetle that was wandering under the table, and in the next moment, he reached out and plucked a needle from Li Fengyin's clothes.

Only then did Li Fengyin realize that someone had quietly tried to pull a fast one on him without his noticing.

Amy raised her hand, on the verge of grasping the sword strapped to her back, while the middle-aged woman carrying a back basket and raising rhinoceros beetles immediately turned her head and walked out the side door.

Another woman, with numerous silver needles inserted into her hair bun, silently nodded in apology, and once again, the entire lobby lapsed into a quiet atmosphere.

The sound of rain outside was growing heavier. That was how the south was—rain could suddenly start falling out of nowhere, and just as suddenly stop, leaving the air saturated with a faint watery mist.

"Fengyin, do you know what kind of tricks these people have?"

Disregarding the gazes of the others, Broken Trace said directly, "They are nothing more than salted fish who have merely grasped the surface of things."

"Salted fish who have merely grasped the surface of things..."

Even Amy murmured softly to herself, as if the phrase carried a kind of poison.

Li Fengyin nodded, then asked, "Where did you get so much experience?"

"I've been out knocking about since I was very young," Broken Trace replied. "Some experiences are just second nature to me, though I lack higher education."

"Well, we can complement each other."

Li Fengyin took a sip of tea, and the surrounding atmosphere finally grew peaceful.

At last, the clock on the wall pointed to the hour of ten, and the guest rooms on the second and third floors were now open.

"Room 312."

Li Fengyin glanced at the room card in his hand, swiped it, and opened the door. This time, Amy was staying in the same room with him—though, of course, nothing out of line would happen.

It was an unassuming inn, yet the interior was quite comfortable, possessing all necessary amenities despite its compact size.

"Will it still rain tomorrow?"

Amy stood by the window and suddenly asked this question.

"It probably will. This is the rainy season."

Li Fengyin's response was simple, followed by a question: "Is there anything different about the rain in the future world?"

"There is no such thing as good rain in the future."

Having said that, Amy lay down on the bed and gradually entered a state of dormancy.

"Good rain knows its season," Li Fengyin murmured, looking out the window. "Perhaps it's a good omen."

........

At some point, Shen Liangxin's quantum entanglement with Li Fengyin had transformed into a deep attachment, something she hadn't even noticed before leaving Shangbei City.

The third experiment regarding quantum entanglement proved that rapid consciousness connectivity could be achieved regardless of geographical distance.

The mere thought that she had once lost her head and achieved quantum entanglement with that trash professor left Shen Liangxin speechless. Fortunately, she had met Li Fengyin.

In fact, the research results of Shen Liangxin's work still had to be reported. Quantum entanglement, for instance, might serve as a means of wartime communication and thought sensing, and could even be used to interrogate prisoners, directly extracting their innermost thoughts and ideas.

After organizing the data on quantum entanglement from the first experiment up to the present, Shen Liangxin submitted her research report.

"This laboratory seems ready to be handed over to someone else."

Holding a cup of coffee, Shen Liangxin stubbornly continued to analyze the data output by quantum computing: "However, as quantum entanglement continues to deepen, trying to sever it will also become difficult. Perhaps it is bound to the hearts of both parties."

In Shangbei City, Shen Liangxin walked out of the laboratory alone and came to the internet café where she had first met Li Fengyin, choosing even the exact same seat.

Beside Shen Liangxin, the seat remained empty; Li Fengyin's presence was no longer to be seen.

"Is there an interval within eternal tribulation?"

Shen Liangxin murmured to herself, "Tonight, I'm reaching the Asura rank!"

...........

At the Shanhe Small Inn, Li Fengyin found it somewhat difficult to sleep, yet he did not wish to disturb Amy, so he simply crossed his legs and assumed a meditative posture.

Sensing his own body, as well as his consciousness and thoughts, he elevated his perspective to a god-like vantage point, gaining a much clearer understanding of his inner self.

Though he had been educated in certain philosophies since childhood, Li Fengyin realized that he ultimately leaned toward idealism.

Time flowed on, and the next day arrived swiftly. When the rising sun cast its light into the room, Li Fengyin opened his eyes. To his surprise, even after staying up all night, his mental energy had not suffered much depletion.

"Energy consumption is divided into two types: first, consuming external energy while the internal aspect is enhanced; second, consuming internal energy while the external aspect is enhanced."

Li Fengyin suddenly recalled his previous theory. "Perhaps, once I understand this principle, I will be able to apply energy even better?"

He opened his right hand, and a black circular mirror surface materialized above his palm. Clenching it into a fist immediately after, the circular mirror vanished just like that.

He was attempting to develop his abilities, though currently he could manage at most three mirrors simultaneously, and only his hands were capable of unleashing the [Null Mirror Technique].

"As for defense, it's quite satisfactory," Li Fengyin judged, "it's just that the offensive aspect is somewhat lacking at present."

And just as he gazed obliquely at the mirror surface, Li Fengyin's eyes instantly lit up.