Striving for Science C54

He slowly lowered his head and saw his hand, tightly clasped around Dao Nian's. In that instant, he understood what his older sister had just said.

"You didn't even remind me." Shen Chang'an released Dao Nian's hand and mumbled softly, "Now people will misunderstand."

"Misunderstand what?" Dao Nian looked down at his hand with a blank expression, seemingly unaware of the meaning behind his sister's words.

Shen Chang'an quickly shook his head: "Nothing." After understanding, he felt even more awkward. "I'm going to sleep."

As he climbed onto the upper bunk, he heard Dao Nian say, "I never care what others say."

Shen Chang'an's legs went weak, and he almost fell off the bunk. He weakly poked his head out and asked in a small voice, "So you knew?"

Dao Nian squinted his eyes, pretending not to have heard.

Shen Chang'an couldn't do anything about him, so he shrunk back into his bunk. However, this time he didn't pull the curtain. He felt that the conductor from before was suspicious.

Should he wait until Dao Nian fell asleep and then find that conductor to ask for clarification?

The plan was clear, but his body wasn't strong enough. He vaguely heard Dao Nian sigh and then fell asleep.

The entire carriage was quiet, everyone lost in deep slumber. Dao Nian opened his closed eyes, reached out and grabbed in the air. The conductor who had hurriedly left just now knelt before him.

"Who... who are you?" The conductor trembled all over. What was even scarier was that he realized that even though he was speaking so loudly, everyone in the carriage remained completely silent.

"Theft, greed, deception..." Dao Nian ignored the conductor's question, calmly listing his crimes. "And murder. You shall be punished with the destruction of your soul."

"Please spare me, Lord." Under Dao Nian's gaze, the conductor couldn't move a single inch. At this moment, he began to regret why he had been greedy after seeing the thick yang energy emanating from this person. He had merely killed a conductor, disguised himself as him, and come onto this train to absorb some yang energy. Why was he so unlucky?

With such powerful abilities, and no lack of money, why would he come to take the train, and not even the first-class carriage?

"Being a skin-changing ghost, yet harming a righteous soul." Dao Nian reached out and peeled off the conductor's skin. The skin-changing ghost, lost the cover of the human skin, revealing its incredibly ugly appearance and body.

Ignoring his pleas and fear, Dao Nian extracted the conductor's remaining soul from his body. The conductor's three souls and seven spirits were incomplete. After being rescued by Dao Nian, he just stood there foolishly, devoid of any joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

"Go." Dao Nian tapped him, and the conductor's eyes instantly regained their brilliance. Before he could even express his gratitude, he saw this handsome man casually open a door leading to the underworld and threw him in.

He probably didn't know that the luckiest moment of his life was being personally sent to the underworld by Dao Nian.

After rescuing the remaining soul that hadn't been completely digested in the skin-changing ghost's body, Dao Nian said indifferently, "So ugly."

As soon as he spoke, he reached out and made the skin-changing ghost disappear into thin air. He turned his head and looked at the bed where the middle-aged man was lying. The curtain there was shaking like waves on the sea.

"Please spare my ghost life, Great Immortal." Before Dao Nian could speak, the middle-aged male ghost rolled off the bed on his own. "I didn't dare harm anyone. At most, I just... just borrowed things and didn't return them."

After he died, he couldn't reincarnate and couldn't leave this train, so he could only be a lonely ghost. Later, he accidentally discovered that as long as someone voluntarily gave him something or lent him something, he could leave the train for a day.

From then on, he embarked on the path of borrowing things from people and never returning them.

"Not everyone can see me, and those who can see me may not be willing to lend me things." The middle-aged man had a fierce appearance. Even when he made a crying face, it was hard to feel any pity for him. "I dare not borrow anything valuable from people. At most, I just borrow tissues or a newspaper or something."

The more he thought about it, the more heartbroken he became. The middle-aged male ghost couldn't help but cry out: "Great Immortal, staying on this train every day, watching others chatter and laugh, is truly too painful. I really don't dare harm anyone." He then pulled out a crumpled ten-yuan bill from his body. "This is the most valuable thing I've borrowed."

Dao Nian didn't bother with him, kicking him out of the car with a single foot: "Don't come back."

The middle-aged male ghost lay on the tracks, watching the departing train: "That immortal, he's not lame, is he?"

Then why was he pretending to be disabled, even using a wheelchair? Are the high-level practitioners nowadays all so unique in their hobbies?

***

Shen Chang'an was woken up by Shen Tu. He looked up and saw that the other passengers in the carriage were already packing their bags, preparing to get off.

"Mr. Shen, we're almost at the capital." Shen Tu handed him a wrung-out towel, "Wipe your face, someone will pick us up after we get off the train."

"Oh." Patting the towel on his face, Shen Chang'an was deeply self-critical. Was he a pig in a previous life? How could he sleep so soundly through last night's situation?

After getting off the train, before Shen Chang'an could ask where their ride was, he saw several men and women in suits gather around, helping them carry all their luggage. They called him "Sir" repeatedly, their attitude so respectful it was almost flattering.

"This is..." Shen Chang'an asked Shen Tu in a low voice, "Why are they so enthusiastic?"

"These are all the boss's employees."

"Sir, you've worked hard. We've arranged three cars for you. Please choose whichever one you like."

"We have various kinds of snacks on board. Which kind would you prefer?"

"Accommodation has been arranged. It's a traditional-style manor. If you don't like it, we also have other styles of gardens prepared…"

Shen Chang'an had heard stories about lickspittles, but he never thought he'd see a live version.

"Chang'an." Dao Nian ignored the enthusiastic men and women, raised his index finger, and motioned for Shen Chang'an to come closer: "What do you like?"

"Me?" Shen Chang'an looked at the three luxury cars parked in front of him, "They're all pretty good."

"Then choose whichever you want."

The handsome men and beautiful women who were flattering Dao Nian all turned their heads to look at Shen Chang'an, then gave him expectant and bright smiles.

"Then this one." Shen Chang'an closed his eyes and pointed at one, and two men and women immediately cheered and opened the car door, welcoming Shen Chang'an and Dao Nian into the car.

This was his first time riding in such a stretched limousine, and Shen Chang'an felt the urge to take out his phone and take a selfie, but he resisted. He was now Dao Nian's companion, and he absolutely couldn't do anything that would embarrass him.

When they arrived at their accommodation, Shen Chang'an realized that when the reception staff said they had prepared a manor, they meant a real manor, no compromises.

He secretly searched the accommodation price on his phone and found that it cost nearly six figures for a night, so scared that he almost dropped his phone.

Standing on the second floor, he opened the window. Everywhere he looked was a beautiful view, with bridges, flowing water, and a profusion of flowers. Holding the snacks the reception staff had brought, Shen Chang'an lay in a rocking chair and sighed: "The joy of the rich is truly boundless."

"You like this garden?" In Dao Nian's opinion, this garden was really quite ordinary. The plants were all common varieties found in the mortal realm, unable to automatically absorb spiritual energy. Not only did it lack a spirit gathering array, but the courtyard was also cramped. "It's yours."

"Ah?" Shen Chang'an held the plate of snacks steady, taking two deep breaths, "Never mind, I'll just come here to mooch occasionally." Then he whispered, "This garden, is it yours?"

"No." Dao Nian said confidently, "But if you like it, then it's mine."

"Stop, stop..." Shen Chang'an put down the plate of snacks and clutched his heart, saying, "Thank goodness I'm a man, otherwise I would have already fallen under your suit pants?"

"Is gender important?" Dao Nian asked.

"What you're saying is..." Shen Chang'an's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly glanced at Dao Nian with the corner of his eye, finding his expression normal, as if the words didn't have any other meaning.

Noticing Shen Chang'an secretly looking at him, Dao Nian simply raised his head and let him look.

Dao Nian was so open and aboveboard, it must be that he was being shameless and thinking too much.

Shen Chang'an, Shen Chang'an, Dao Nian treats you like a brother, but you think he wants to be intimate with you, what a dirty mind you have!

"Uh, they said there's a hot spring pool downstairs. I'm going to go take a dip." Shen Chang'an stood up, feeling a little guilty, and ran downstairs.

"Sir," Liu Mao said, hearing the hurried footsteps downstairs, "Have you ever considered that Mr. Shen might discover your identity?"

"That won't happen."

"What if…"

"There are no ifs, ands, or buts. I am the Heavenly Dao."

Alright, you're the heavens, you have the final say. Liu Mao poured Dao Nian a cup of tea, thinking silently to himself, but there's also a saying, 'Man can conquer Heaven.'

***

The yao cultivator who was responsible for receiving Dao Nian went crazy with excitement after he left the garden.

"It seems the news from the southern yao cultivators is correct. The Lord really has a human he cares about deeply."

"That human little brother looks so cute when he smiles. I like him."

"Wake up! Who gave you the dog's courage to dare to compete with the Lord for a man?"

"I'm a dog by nature, so of course I gave myself the courage."

"Stop the nonsense. This time, the Lord is coming to the Imperial Capital. We don't know how long he'll stay. Do you know what you need to do to make the Lord happy?"

"Provide the highest quality service."

"Provide the freshest ingredients."

"Send... send... a beauty?"

"They've all gained sentience, but their brains are still so dull." The leading yao cultivator angrily smacked their heads one by one. "To please a man, the most effective way is to please his woman."

"But the Lord doesn't have women, sir." The dog yao retorted.

"Dog brain!" The leading yao cultivator hit him hard on the head again, "Although he doesn't have a woman, he has a man he values. No matter what era or race, sweet nothings by the bedside is still useful. So, from now on starting today, what is our slogan?”

The yaos were at a loss. When did they decide on the slogan?

"Please Mr. Shen! Do you remember?"

"Remembered!"

***

The next morning, Shen Chang'an was about to go to the Security Department to report on his work. As he was leaving, he saw the round-faced, round-eyed receptionist from yesterday walking towards him with an enthusiastic smile. "Mr. Shen, where are you going? We can give you a ride."

After saying that, he pointed to a row of luxury cars parked neatly behind him: "Which one do you like?"

Shen Chang'an looked at the row of luxury cars outside and fell silent.

"This one is globally limited edition, driving it out will definitely be incredibly cool and have a 100% head turn-back rate."

"Don't like it? Then look at this one, low-key luxury with substance, a symbol of status, a reflection of taste…"

He just wanted to go out and report his work, not attend an annual gala. Young man, your flattering attitude is so standard and sincere, it makes me feel scared, you know?