CHAPTER 206: AN’AN’S PLEA, ZHANG YU’S PLAN

Yue Jincheng and Si Zhouyu watched as the bill ticked upward with every breath they took, each digit stabbing deeper into their hearts.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen strolled along a shaded path in the protected zone, the endless stretch of forest before them gradually easing the weight on their minds.

Inhaling the oxygen from their canisters, Zhang Yu remarked wistfully, “The first time I came here, I didn’t bring an oxygen tank. Every breath had to be careful, as if wasting a single moment would cost me everything… I never even stopped to enjoy the view.”

Bai Zhenzhen nodded slightly, her eyes on the tranquil forest bathed in moonlight. As she walked slowly along the path, she felt her spirit ease—something that had become increasingly rare.

It struck her then that she hadn’t gone for a walk like this in what felt like ages—without cultivation, without study, without purpose. Just walking with Zhang Yu.

And that very feeling—of walking beside him with nothing to do—was the most relaxing thing of all.

“If only there could be a day,” Bai Zhenzhen murmured, “when we don’t have to study or cultivate… when we can daze off however we want, walk however we want, waste as much time as we want… That’d be nice.”

But even as she said it, a soft sigh escaped her lips. She knew all too well how impossible that dream was in Kunxu.

The pressure of the Foundation Establishment exam loomed over her like a shadow.

And Yun Jing’s overwhelming strength was a thorn in her heart—a constant reminder that while she was resting, the “Immortal Capital Gentleman” might still be grinding ahead.

But Bai Zhenzhen was so tired. From the moment she entered high school, it had only grown worse. She could already see that every year to come would be even more exhausting.

Sometimes, she could barely breathe.

“At least,” she whispered, “let’s relax just a little while we’re here…”

Just then, the sharp whoosh of fists through air snapped her out of her thoughts. Turning her head, she saw Zhang Yu practicing again.

You little tryhard… Bai Zhenzhen opened her mouth, then gave a helpless sigh and joined in the training.

Inwardly, she lamented, “This is the fate of high schoolers—if you don’t want to be left behind, giving your all is just the starting point.”

Next to her, Zhang Yu cursed silently as the chill from the Anti-Monitoring Ritual faded in his mind. “This stupid ritual doesn’t even give me a second to rest…”

Still, though the two squeezed every moment for cultivation, they didn’t dare draw on the spiritual essence around them—not with their current state of poverty. A single breath could bankrupt them.

Back in the shadows, Yue Jincheng and Si Zhouyu scowled as they watched the two begin training.

“They’re cultivating here?” Yue Jincheng gritted his teeth. “I’m almost out of money to keep up with this…”

“Give me your phone,” Si Zhouyu sighed.

“This is our company’s employee loan portal. Just borrow a bit from here.”

Yue Jincheng blinked. “Our company has that?”

“Of course.” Si Zhouyu chuckled. “What company doesn’t? Financial services for employees, early promotions and early enjoyment—that’s the motto.”

“Haven’t you always wanted a raise?” He gestured at Yue Jincheng’s phone. “Apply for a ‘raise trial’—you’ll get an advance loan every month.”

Yue Jincheng wasn’t keen on this “early trial” nonsense. But if he wanted to keep tracking Zhang Yu, he had no choice but to take out another loan.

Grudgingly, he bit the bullet and borrowed some cash.

Just when Yue Jincheng began to worry that today’s surveillance might be a bust, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen suddenly moved again, heading toward a Red Tower Breeding Facility. ṛΑＮȏ𝐁ÊŞ

Inside, the red panda An’an was surprised to see them. “You guys? What are you doing here? And how’d you get in without a reservation—just bought tickets?”

Due to lack of funds, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen hadn’t visited the facility’s spirit vein in a long time.

Zhang Yu smiled. “We’re not here to cultivate, just looking around.”

Bai Zhenzhen ruffled An’an’s head. “An’an, did you lose weight?”

An’an replied absentmindedly, clearly preoccupied.

Zhang Yu noticed right away that something was bothering her—but with his own problems piling high, he didn’t have the time or energy to worry about someone else.

Finally, An’an couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“You’re not coming here to use the spirit vein anymore, are you?”

“Please… could you come back to cultivate here?”

With her tail drooping, An’an looked so pitiful that Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen exchanged a helpless glance. They’d already spent their emergency fund—where would they get money now?

Besides, both of them were approaching the 100-unit limit of Qi Refining. They didn’t need the spirit vein as urgently anymore. Even if they had the money, they’d prioritize buying Techniques.

Seeing their silence, An’an grew despondent.

Bai Zhenzhen asked softly, “Is it Xiong Wenwu? Is he in trouble?”

An’an nodded. “Red Tower High School started a new body-refining experiment class. But aside from good grades, you have to pay a fee to get in. Wenwu doesn’t have enough money. His grades are slipping.”

“I wanted to help him out, but my salary’s too low…”

“If you two came to cultivate here again, you wouldn’t even have to tutor him. Just a bit of money would help.”

Bai Zhenzhen turned to Zhang Yu. “Should we tell Yu Xinghan about this? He probably needs access to a spirit vein too.”

“He’s going to spend money anyway—might as well come here. It’s cheaper.”

Zhang Yu rubbed his chin. He’d gotten to know Yu Xinghan pretty well recently and understood the guy’s mindset.

“If there’s a margin to earn by cultivating here, that guy would definitely go for it. And he’ll keep it a secret.”

He nodded and asked An’an, “We can’t come ourselves, but we can send someone who can pay. Would that help?”

An’an’s eyes lit up. Her furry head bobbed in excitement.

Zhang Yu said, “Then it’s settled. I’ll reach out later.”

After handling that matter, Zhang Yu asked, “Hey, do you have access to your security footage?”

Soon, he and Bai Zhenzhen were in the monitoring room, where every corner of the facility played across the screens.

Zhang Yu quickly spotted Yue Jincheng and Si Zhouyu. “Can you rewind to when they entered?”

An’an blinked, surprised. The old, out-of-the-way breeding base rarely saw any visitors. Yet today, in addition to Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, two others had come?

She quickly scrubbed the footage back.

As the video played, Zhang Yu thought, “So they came in not long after us…”

“Looks like they really are tailing us.”

“They don’t look familiar,” Bai Zhenzhen said. “Might have used body modifications or FaceMod.”

Zhang Yu wasn’t surprised—he could change his appearance too.

“But no matter the disguise, they had to buy tickets. That transaction was recorded.”

He smirked inwardly. “Alright, let’s string them along a bit longer. Burn some more of their cash, rattle them.”

“And once they’ve gathered enough footage of us ‘training’...”

He glanced at the Thunderclap Sigil on his phone.

Left to him by Zhang Pianpian, it could summon the patrol squad within a minute.

Zhang Yu had already coordinated with Yun Ni, the patrol captain. He could activate it anytime.

This was the opening he, Fu Ji, and Bai Zhenzhen had planned to catch Deng Bingding off-guard.

“Deng Bingding may be one of the Sixth-Rank Sifang Wandering Gods, but even so, she can’t overstep her bounds here in Songyang City.”

“But if we catch these two spies—and they happen to have footage of me practicing Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation from the Foundation Establishment exam—Deng Bingding could invoke exam information confidentiality to intervene here.”

Zhang Yu knew plans never kept up with reality. Still, that was the general outline. If something went wrong, they’d improvise.

As his thoughts settled, he, Bai Zhenzhen, and An’an said their goodbyes and left the monitoring room.

They headed back down the familiar path—only to run into Yue Jincheng and Si Zhouyu, who were pretending to be casual tourists admiring the Demon-Kin students in the study room.

But their full attention was locked onto Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.

They trailed behind cautiously. Yue Jincheng glanced at his ever-growing bill, his expression twitching.

“If this keeps up, I’ll burn through the loan…”

“And who knows if they’ll even do anything today? What if they’re just wandering around aimlessly?”

A fresh university grad, Yue Jincheng was already saddled with a parenting loan, a college loan, and the cost of cultivation-enhancing drugs. He didn’t have much to begin with.

The thought of spending everything and walking away empty-handed filled his chest with frustrated rage.

Should he take out another loan?

No raise in sight, just more debt piling up?