Chapter 300: Planning
Chapter 300: Planning
Chen Chuan contemplated the matter of the Secret Serpent Sect and decided to give it a try.
In fact, he had come across this project on the Secret Serpent Sect's platform before, but he didn't choose it at the time because he found the paid project to be expensive, and he had some concerns. However, now that Cao Guixi was vouching for him, he wouldn't miss this opportunity for advancement.
After expressing his willingness to accept the offer to Cao Guixi, he sat for a while longer, finished his tea, and then left.
Ding Shu sent him off and returned, saying, "Young Master, I've already given the monthly quota of Treasure Ointment and some trial medication information from Jade Bag Apothecary to Little Brother Chen."
Cao Guixi said, "Good, Ding Shu, thank you for your effort."
Ding Shu glanced at him.
Cao Guixi said, "Ding Shu, if you have something to say, just speak up."
Ding Shu said, "Young Master, regarding the trial medication channel of Jade Bag Apothecary, if Little Brother Chen finds it useful, he will naturally be grateful to you. But if it's not helpful, then it's fine...
Little Brother Chen is still young, and he may not realize it now, but if his progress slows down in the future and someone incites him, saying that it's due to the trial medication, he might blame you instead."
Cao Guixi shook his head. "Little Brother Chen has a strong will and isn't easily swayed by others." He gazed into the distance, his voice carrying a hint of desolation, "Sometimes, we have to seize the opportunities before us, or else we might regret missing out on even greater opportunities later on."
Ding Shu remained silent, letting out a soft sigh.
After leaving Ink Sticker Mountain, Chen Chuan drove back. Midway, he received a notification on his Boundary Token informing him that his vehicle ownership application had been approved, and the ownership of the two vehicles had been transferred to his name.
At the same time, he was also notified that his temporary pass was valid for another half a month, and he was required to obtain the necessary driving documents within this period.
At the end of last month, he had paid a fee to the Processing Bureau and relevant departments, and now he finally had a result.
The Gader car was not expensive since it was an ordinary vehicle, so he paid for it himself. However, the Silver Lightning had a higher charge because he didn't need it regularly, so he discussed it with Wu Bei and Lao Qi.
The two of them agreed that such a good car should be kept, and it was evident that it hadn't been driven many times. In the end, they used public funds to obtain the ownership, allowing all three of them to use it whenever needed.
Now that he had the car, he needed to find time to take the driving test.
However, in Central City, this was very easy. Even if one's driving skills weren't up to par, they could pay a fee to connect to a non-active consciousness entity through the Boundary Token for guidance and assistance. With this support, he gradually became familiar with the process, so obtaining a license shouldn't be difficult.
Upon returning to the Mystic Palace Tower, he opened the materials Ding Shu had given him about Jade Bag Apothecary.
The reason he hadn't agreed immediately was that if Jade Bag Apothecary only wanted him to test the medication, it would be fine. But if they wanted to observe and test him for an extended period, that would be troublesome.
Perhaps because of the different circumstances, the conditions seemed relatively relaxed, but upon closer examination, the initial requirements were not low.
The requirements stated that the applicant should be at least a Third Limit combatant and undergo official testing, with a probability of entering the Third Limit at sixty-five percent or higher.
This medication had likely been in development for some time, not just the past two months. The reason Cao Guixi didn't mention it last time was probably because the initial test results were low.
However, this presented a contradiction. Those who met these requirements already had a high chance of entering the Third Limit, whether sooner or later.
But the unknown risks of a new medication] were too great. It might harm the body or deplete potential, so one would undoubtedly be cautious in such matters, perhaps even choosing to avoid it altogether.
Moreover, aside from those combatants trained by the company itself, few combatants would allow their bodies to be examined by the company, letting others easily access their personal information.
Perhaps for this reason, Jade Bag Apothecary made certain compromises. They only required the test subjects to submit a report each month according to their requirements and answer some company questions. If the subjects felt uncomfortable, they could discontinue at any time. Additionally, if the test subjects purchased the company's medications in the future, they would receive a discount.
After considering this, Chen Chuan was inclined to agree. He contacted Ding Shu via the Boundary Token, expressing his willingness to accept the offer, to which Ding Shu replied that he would make the arrangements and asked him to rest assured.
After settling this matter, he went to the training room for his daily workout. His current focus was on sword techniques, which were part of this semester's assessment. A high score in the assessment could potentially improve his academy's evaluation points.
An afternoon passed by unnoticed.
As evening approached, he received a package from Yangzhi City, which excited him. He guessed it was probably a response from Director Lei.
Opening it, he indeed found a thickly bound notebook with dense annotations on photos and additional notes and gifts. The content was very detailed, and the pages were filled with writing, some in a more elegant script that seemed to be Sister He's handwriting.
Director Lei also informed him that the items he brought were of great value, as they could confirm the connection between an active sect and a certain cult. He would report the situation and, if proven true, would commend him for it.
He also thanked him for the toy he gave to Little Ying, saying that Little Ying loved it. He had bought quite a few toys in Central City, some for his cousins and a few for Director Lei as well.
After tidying up the items, he sat back down by the sofa and began to read through the materials, referring to Director Lei's annotations. Many of the previously unclear parts in the old book became instantly clear.
Director Lei not only provided annotations but also wrote down the origins and reasons for many of the practices, which was no less than personal guidance. After reading through it, he felt that his knowledge about the Esoteric Sect had greatly increased.
Not only that, but Director Lei, after examining these materials, seemed to have guessed what he wanted to do. So, purely from the perspective of Esoteric rituals, he offered additional guidance.
Once he finished reading, he felt ready to attempt the operation.
This time, he needed to perform a covenant ritual, making slight modifications to the original ritual to make the Cat Monster Tale work for him.
He didn't plan to create a new covenant, as the original one likely came at a great cost, possibly even numerous lives.
It couldn't be an ordinary person; it had to be an old sect follower willing to sacrifice their life.
If he were to start from scratch, this step would be essential; otherwise, the monster tale wouldn't respond.
He had a copy of the original book, but if he were to simply extend and modify it, the task would be much easier. The cost for that part had already been paid, and he wouldn't need to sacrifice anything additional.
Moreover, to replicate such a ritual, one needed intense malice and a specific mindset, which wasn't something ordinary people could achieve. Chen Chuan knew he couldn't do it either, so using the original ritual pattern would suffice.
Director Lei also corrected a few traps left over from the old book's rituals. This knowledge was originally only known within the Esoteric Sect to prevent the information from falling into the wrong hands and being used against them.
However, times have changed, and the Esoteric Bureau has thoroughly researched much of the sect's knowledge. Seemingly secret information is no longer exclusive to any one sect and can be easily rectified.
Nevertheless, this knowledge remains esoteric and is still only held by a few. It's not something that a typical Esoteric Bureau member, unlike Director Lei, who is extremely knowledgeable, would understand.
The ritual required a fixed time to be effective. According to the old book's description, the original date chosen was during the middle of the month, so this time, it would be best to also choose a date in the middle of the month. This meant waiting a few more days, but he could use this time to make some preparations.
During the following days, he spent his time studying the ritual, both during the day and before resting at night, to ensure he thoroughly understood it and left no room for error.
On the 14th, after informing Gao Ming, he took the ritual materials and drove to the wasteland in front of Teacher Wu's house. He used the scattered stones and remnants of concrete walls to create a large-scale setup.
To avoid being interrupted or tracked, he asked Wu Bei to conceal his movements.
Once the initial setup was complete, he took out the reference book and began to carefully copy the patterns.
He needed to set up three ritual patterns: the restraining cuff, the resonance nest, and the final covenant. The first two were relatively simple, especially the restraining cuff, which he had experience with twice before. The last one was more challenging.
Since the purpose of the ritual was different, the patterns varied. The ritualist used these patterns to communicate with the monster tale, removing the unnecessary parts and adding in the new requirements.
It looked complex, but Director Lei had already provided guidance on the overall framework. Chen Chuan only needed to follow the fixed patterns. His request was that the monster tale would target a specific person when needed, and he would offer a sacrifice beforehand, but not his own altered organs.
This approach might cause the monster tale to be less ferocious, as previously, it was restrained within a stone statue, almost isolated from the outside world. By giving it a small offering and then asking it to attack, the monster tale would be hungry and more likely to tear into the target.
The monster tale would consider the attack target as a necessity for its survival and would undoubtedly unleash its full power. However, by offering a sacrifice first and then asking it to perform a task, the monster tale's power might not be fully unleashed.
But this made it more controllable, and he had control over the sacrifice. In Central City, finding a heinous criminal was easy.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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