Chapter 188: Overseas Secrets: A Diligent Search for Clues

Sleeping soundly in the empty dormitory, Su Jie recalled a poem.

“Sleeping Immortal, Sleeping Immortal,

Reclining on the Stone, Forgetting the Years,

The Three Lights Subside, the Nature is Perfected…”

This is a poem by Zhang Sanfeng, called “The Hidden Dragon’s Chant.”

It describes a state of mind, profound and mysterious, rarely understood.

But Su Jie seemed to have a spiritual connection with this ancient sage through reading his works.

It describes the relaxed state of being while sleeping, witnessing the convergence of dragon and tiger, the formation of lead and mercury, and the cultivation of the inner elixir—an ancient Taoist practice, similar in essence to the “Great Corpse State.”

The “Great Corpse State” is a sleeping method in yoga, while “The Hidden Dragon’s Chant” is the authentic Taoist method of sleeping.

Eating and sleeping are essential aspects of life, not to be neglected.

After advancing to the “Living Dead” realm, Su Jie became increasingly attentive to these two major life events, gaining deeper insights.

“Su Jie, sleeping?” Just as he was half-asleep, contemplating his mental state, Zhang Manman strode in. “I’ve made some progress on the matter you asked me to investigate.”

Hearing Zhang Manman’s words, Su Jie leisurely sat up in bed.

To others, he was just a lazy student who liked to sleep, showing no particular unusual qualities. Winter break had started, and many students were packing up to go home, but he showed no sign of moving, still sleeping in his dormitory.

But to Zhang Manman, every move Su Jie made was pure and natural, carrying an air of carefree detachment.

Sitting on his dormitory bed, he exuded a leisurely, carefree air, like a hermit in the mountains.

With a slight shift in demeanor, he resembled a bodhisattva seated on a lotus throne, so steadfast that even karmic retribution could not intrude.

In short, in her eyes, Su Jie was becoming increasingly unfathomable.

“We haven’t seen each other for a hundred days. How much has your strength improved?” Zhang Manman couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s alright, it’s improved a bit. If I were to encounter Feng Hengyi again, I could hold my own against him, but completely defeating him and bringing him to justice would be difficult. I can sense that if his straight punch were paired with a weapon like a military dagger, its lethality would increase at least tenfold.” Su Jie also had a great deal of knowledge about weapons. These days, besides practicing ring combat with Liu Long, he had also been researching various hidden weapon techniques with him.

After retiring, Liu Long stopped studying ring techniques and instead focused on traditional methods.

With the support of Su Jie’s “Living Dead” realm, his skills in various weapons and hidden weapon techniques had greatly improved.

Su Jie was also exploring which weapon would be best suited to utilize the “Hoe Strike” technique.

He finally discovered that while the “hoe,” “samurai sword,” “dagger,” “spear,” and even “club” were all good, the most effective was the “assassin’s claw,” or “Wolverine claw.”

The essence of the “Hoe Strike” move lies in the tiger’s hunting instincts. Tigers have sharp claws and teeth, while humans lack them, putting them at a natural disadvantage.

If the disadvantage of claws could be overcome, the move’s power could be maximized.

Of course, Su Jie’s five fingers were now extremely strong. With full force, a downward strike could easily tear a person’s face to shreds, let alone with a steel “assassin’s claw.”

“I won’t waste any more words,” Zhang Manman casually sat down. “I’ve made some progress on the matter you asked me to investigate last time. We’ve roughly found out where your sister is conducting her research.”

“Where?” Su Jie’s expression turned serious.

Whoosh!

Zhang Manman opened a world map, her finger moving gradually until she pointed to seven or eight locations: “I’ve obtained a lot of secret information from my family. After researching it, and considering the movements of the Haoyu Group overseas, I’ve roughly narrowed it down to these eight places. But if you want detailed information, only my father probably knows.”

“Your father?” Su Jie knew that Zhang Manman’s father, Zhang Hongqing, was one of the world’s top experts, having broken through the “Living Dead” realm, though he didn’t know if it was the “Enlightenment” or “Completion” realm.

As for “Emptiness,” some people in this world might have reached it, some might not.

Odley was very likely the closest to that realm, or had already crossed that threshold.

“Would you be interested in visiting my home during winter break?” Zhang Manman said. “Although my father lives elsewhere, he comes home every year for a family gathering during the Spring Festival. I think your cultivation levels are extremely high; why not exchange ideas? It would be extremely beneficial for you and my father as well.”

“Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for an outsider like me to attend your family gathering?” Su Jie inquired.

“It wouldn’t be appropriate for an ordinary outsider. Even Master Ma or Master Luo wouldn’t do,” Zhang Manman laughed. “But who are you? You’re a living dead. In ancient times, you’d be like Patriarch Chongyang, the founder of a sect. With that kind of status and cultivation, you could suppress all directions. Even the emperor would give you face. Didn’t Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty give Zhang Sanfeng a huge amount of money to renovate Wudang Mountain? And Qiu Chuji met Genghis Khan and asked him to stop the killing—these are historical facts.”

“Living dead aren’t anything special. One bullet is enough to take care of it,” Su Jie smiled. “What kind of help do you want me to give you?”

“Just mutual assistance,” Zhang Manman replied without hesitation. “Our Zhang family is a large clan. Since the late Qing Dynasty, we’ve expanded overseas, now spanning five generations. Every year at our meetings, hundreds of members from both direct and collateral branches gather. Our businesses are incredibly complex, and we redistribute our wealth annually. As you can see, I haven’t received much. If you can help me consolidate my position and secure key roles, I can leverage the Zhang family’s power to gain considerable influence, find your sister’s whereabouts, and even rescue her.”

“In that case, it’s settled.” Su Jie knew his father had a deep-seated hatred for the Zhang family, though he didn’t know the specifics.

Now it seemed Zhang Manman might not even know what happened back then.

Originally, he didn’t want to go to the Zhang family, fearing it would cause even more trouble. But now, only by utilizing the Zhang family’s vast influence could he possibly find out his sister’s current situation abroad.

His father, Su Shilin, swore everything was fine, but Su Jie still felt uneasy.

This concerned his sister’s life; it was better to have double insurance.

It wasn’t that Su Jie lacked confidence in his father, Su Shilin, but rather that lives were at stake. Besides, Su Jie now had his own ideas; in ancient times, he could have founded his own sect. Now, he wouldn’t be swayed by anyone’s opinions.

“You agree? Then I’ll help you with the visa. There shouldn’t be any problems,” Zhang Manman said.

Su Jie had been abroad before, but it wasn’t the same country as Zhang Manman’s family, so he needed to apply again.

“Okay, if I have the opportunity, I really want to meet your father. If we could exchange ideas, it would greatly benefit my martial art,” Su Jie said, still harboring some longing.

Originally, his father, Su Shilin, was also a master, and Su Jie wanted to exchange ideas with him this time. But there was a problem: his father was very reluctant to discuss martial art with Su Jie, always changing the subject.

This made it impossible for Su Jie to have a proper conversation.

Su Jie’s cultivation level had reached a point where he was highly accomplished and rarely had the opportunity to exchange ideas and improve with others.

Even Liu Long, the top MMA fighter in China, offered him minimal help.

Perhaps only exchanges with figures like Odell, Su Shilin, Zhang Hongqing, and Liu Guanglie could provide mutual verification.

“That’s settled then.” Zhang Manman took some of Su Jie’s documents and began processing them through special channels.

The visa was quickly processed. Su Jie packed his things and boarded a plane with Zhang Manman, heading to the other side of the ocean.

After a flight of over ten hours, the plane landed smoothly. The atmosphere of a foreign land was immediately apparent; foreigners were everywhere, conversing in English—a stark contrast to the atmosphere back home.

“This time it went much more smoothly,” Su Jie said, showing no signs of fatigue. “Much simpler than last time.”

Su Jie vividly remembered his last trip abroad to a war-torn region. He had to travel by plane, then boat, then car, taking three or four days to reach his destination. In some places, transportation was inconvenient, requiring him to walk or use a motorcycle, constantly facing the risk of being attacked and shot.

The country where Zhang Manman’s family lives is now a superpower. Although there have been some serious terrorist incidents, it’s generally quite safe, and transportation is relatively convenient.

“We’ll stay in this city for one night, and then head to my hometown tomorrow,” Zhang Manman said. “I’ve already booked a hotel. A few friends are coming to see me today; they’re all bounty hunters. We’ve completed several missions and earned some bounties. Would you like to meet them?”

“Sure,” Su Jie nodded. He was also very curious about the bounty hunter profession.

This profession originated in the era of the Wild West cowboys. At that time, the situation was chaotic, and bandits were everywhere. The government issued bounty orders, allowing cowboys to capture criminals and earn rewards.

It’s still popular today.

Zhang Manman initially joined the bounty hunter team to hone her combat skills and earn some extra money. Later, she wanted to find partners and build her own power base.

The two left the airport, took a taxi, and quickly arrived at a hotel in the suburbs.

The hotel was quite old, with a noisy bar downstairs. Every now and then, you could see drunken burly Black men acting out, while some muscular foreign women gyrated wildly. The alcohol mixed with the neon lights revealed the decadence and corruption of capitalism.

Seeing Zhang Manman and Su Jie enter, several drunken burly men approached, their eyes gleaming with lust, reeking of alcohol. Suddenly, one of them lunged at Zhang Manman, trying to lift her up.

Without even looking, Zhang Manman swiftly elbowed the man in the chest.

The man fell to the ground, struggling in pain.

Swish, swish, swish!

Then, a dagger flashed in her hand, pressed against the neck of another burly man, and she said in perfect American English, “If you move, I guarantee you won’t see the sun tomorrow.”