Striving for Science C99 pt1

"You can talk in your sleep?" Dao Nian looked at Shen Chang'an, who was bundled up in bed like a silkworm, and walked to the bedside to pull his blanket. "Stick your head out, don't suffocate yourself."

"I don't even care about my face anymore, what's the point of being shy?" Shen Chang'an mumbled from under the covers, "I'm tired, I want to rest."

Dao Nian chuckled at his words, patting the lump under the covers, "Then you sleep for a while, I'll go downstairs and get you breakfast."

After waiting for a minute, hearing no objection from Shen Chang'an, Dao Nian smiled and turned to leave. As he reached the door, he paused and turned back, only to see a sliver of the covers pulled back, revealing Shen Chang'an peeking at him.

The moment he turned around, the sliver closed again.

Hearing the door close, Shen Chang'an poked his head out from under the covers, grimacing as he rubbed his waist. Someone who usually hated exercise, could, at times, unleash a surprising burst of energy and stamina.

He lay on the bed, grinning and chuckling, pulling out his phone and opening the group chat.

Chang'an: Morning~

Zhang Gu: It's almost eleven, not morning anymore, thanks.

Wu Wei: Even though it's just two words and a squiggly line, I can see someone's overflowing happiness. What's going on, is it…

I'm a Ghost: What?

Wu Wei: From now on, Chang'an will be a complete man.

I'm a Ghost: …

Chang'an: Hehehe.

Cai Ran: Don't brag, I'll block you if you keep bragging.

Chang'an: Don't be stingy.

Wu Wei: You have time to feed us dog food, why not go and keep your lover company? I refuse to eat dog food.

Chang'an: My dear is going to get me breakfast.

Wu Wei: Get out!

Wu Wei left the group chat.

Successfully driving away a single dog, Shen Chang'an felt his sore waist and legs relax. He tossed his phone aside, yawned, and rolled over to continue sleeping.

***

"Sir, what kind of porridge would you like?" Old Zhao asked, preparing to make breakfast porridge after hearing Dao Nian's request.

"Any kind will do, just the ones Chang'an usually likes." Dao Nian stood at the doorway, chin slightly raised, "Remember to add a few red beans."

"Red beans?" Old Zhao was taken aback, "But the porridge Chang'an usually likes, if you add red beans, it won't taste very good."

"Then just add a few." Dao Nian wasn't going to change his mind, "Once it's ready, bring it upstairs. Remember to knock."

Old Zhao: "..."

What's wrong with you? If you want to drink porridge, just drink porridge. Why do you have to add red beans?

After Dao Nian left, Uncle Zhao called Shen Tu over and told him what had just happened: "What does the Master mean? Does he think the breakfast porridge I made is not interesting enough?"

Shen Tu frowned, pondered for a long time, then shook his head: "I don't understand either."

"What's there to think about?" Yu Lei, who usually liked to be straightforward when thinking about things, walked over, "There's an unwritten rule in some parts of the human world, that is, after a man and a woman have their first intercourse, they should eat a bowl of red bean rice. The Master is showing off to you, that he's gotten closer to Chang'an."

"The Master... shouldn't be so childish, right?" When he said this, Shen Tu didn't have much confidence, because he wasn't sure if the Master, in love, would become childish.

Old Zhao hesitated, but he thought that if it was the Master, it was possible for him to do such a thing.

"So what's the point of you thinking about it?" Yu Lei took a steamed bun from the pot and ate it while saying, "Just do what the Master says, why bother guessing?"

Shen Tu: "..."

No wonder they say that ignorant people are the happiest.

No wonder the barrier around this house didn't open last night. The barrier wouldn't dissipate, so they wouldn't dare to go out. Now that things are clear, they should be able to go out and take a look, right?

Shen Tu took a deep breath, walked to the hall, and opened the door that had been half-closed.

As soon as the door opened, he saw ice crystals hanging from the treetops. The sunlight shone on the ice crystals, refracting colorful light.

Shen Tu took a deep breath and suddenly widened his eyes.

The whole world was enveloped in a thick layer of spiritual energy, and all living things seemed to be full of vitality, as if a long drought had met a sweet rain, and the rainy weather had finally seen sunshine. Everything was so fresh and unbelievable.

He couldn't help but take a few more breaths, consciously guiding the spiritual energy into his body.

In recent centuries, the spiritual energy in the world has become less and less, and he hasn't felt this feeling of being enveloped in spiritual energy for a long time.

"This is..." Old Zhao, who followed him out, was also stunned. This comfortable feeling of bathing in vitality was something that happened nearly a thousand years ago.

"What's going on?"

"Maybe it's because the Heavenly Dao Lord has tasted the joy of love, and his heart is filled with joy, so he has sent down spiritual energy?" Yu Lei looked at this world that was different from usual, "No matter what, it's a good thing."

Old Zhao and Shen Tu didn't say anything.

This wasn't a matter of whether the Heavenly Dao Lord would send down spiritual energy or not, but a matter of the spiritual energy suddenly increasing. Everything in the world, whether it's more or less, has its own rules. If something suddenly increases, it's naturally because it has broken some kind of rule.

This rule is... Heavenly Dao has learned about love?

If that's the case, the spiritual energy of the world should decrease, not increase.

The rules left behind by the Great Dao couldn't be so kind.

***

The happy night that Shen Chang'an and Dao Nian spent together was a night of fear and trepidation for the cultivators in the human world. After ten o'clock last night, they discovered that the celestial phenomena were wrong. They quickly changed into their robes and ran to the roof, facing the cold wind carrying snow, monitoring the celestial phenomena.

Not only them, even the country's satellites began monitoring the sky above the clouds, trying to find the reason for the sudden change in the celestial phenomena.

As soon as they reached the rooftop, they saw colorful rays of light flickering behind the black clouds in the sky. They thought this was some kind of hint of an omen, but it was only the beginning.

From after *zi* hour (11pm-1am), various rays of light kept flashing in the sky, and even divine light appeared from time to time. The rolling auspicious clouds kept flying and dancing, as if heaven and earth were celebrating wildly for something, welcoming the arrival of something.

"Master, Master Uncle," Zhang Gu, wrapped in his not-so-thick Daoist robe, shivered so hard his teeth were chattering, "Don't you think this looks like a light show?"

Uncle Zhang glared at Zhang Gu: "Can you say less?"

"If I don't say anything, my tongue will freeze solid." Zhang Gu looked at the other masters who were unfazed by the wind and rain, shivering even harder, "No matter how the sky changes, we can't decide its direction. What's the point of standing here in the cold wind?"

"For peace of mind," Uncle Zhang said, "There are many things in the world that we can't change with our own strength. But if we don't even have the thought of changing it, things will definitely not turn around. But if we are willing to put our hearts into it, even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance, it is still worth it."

Zhang Gu didn't understand their persistence. In his opinion, these masters had worked hard all their lives, and many things had been done in vain without a good result. But they seemed to have forgotten their past failures. Every time they encountered something difficult and thankless, they would worry themselves sick.

What's the point? What's the use?

Most people look at the results. No matter what they have paid, as long as they don't succeed in the end, in the eyes of many, their efforts and hard work are nonexistent.

"Life is only a hundred years, it's enough to strive towards the direction you are fighting for." Uncle Zhang adjusted his hat, which was blown askew by the cold wind, "You are still young now, you will understand later."

Zhang Gu looked up at the sky where the rays of light intertwined, sniffed and didn't speak. He was only in his early twenties, and he couldn't stand the cold. How did these older masters endure it?

The rays of light flickered for most of the night, until three or four in the morning, when the first rays of dawn lit up the sky, Zhang Gu suddenly felt that the air today was exceptionally fresh. He could even smell the fragrance of the grass and trees, the kind of vitality that winter bamboo shoots emerge from the snow.

"Heaven has bestowed vitality." Yan Yin looked at the succulents on the balcony that had been frozen stiff by the snow, and a new tender leaf slowly grew. He clasped his hands together and chanted scriptures in a low voice towards the east.

"Heavenly Dao is merciful, unwilling to let the vitality of the mortal world be cut off, has it bestowed countless spiritual energy?" Poor Yun Feng, who was good at divination, shivered with his frozen hands. He had calculated several times, but he couldn't figure out what was going on.

Auspicious signs from heaven usually have precursors. But this time, the sudden influx of life force came without any warning. It was as if the Heavenly Lord had suddenly felt in a good mood and decided to bestow spiritual energy without a word.

"The spiritual energy in the human realm is abundant, which is a good thing!" Finally, everyone snapped out of their shock.

"Set up the altar."

"Quickly book flights to Mount Tai."

"Offer sacrifices to heaven!"

Zhang Gu's voice trembled as he said, "Masters, should we go back inside and discuss this calmly?"

It's cold when it snows, and even colder when the snow melts. The sun is already out, yet they're still standing in the snow, debating whether or not to offer sacrifices to heaven. Isn't this self-inflicted torture?

Unfortunately, the masters, who were in a state of ecstatic joy, didn't pay him any attention.