The next morning, the little assistant naturally woke Zhao Xiaodao as usual.
While eating breakfast, Zhao Xiaodao casually probed a couple of sentences and confirmed that the assistant only remembered accompanying her to collect the phone, then returning to the hotel and going straight to sleep.
“What a terrifying hypnosis technique!” Zhao Xiaodao was utterly shocked. “And martial arts, they actually exist for real? This is unbelievable!”
Zhao Xiaodao roughly understood why they had not hypnotised her.
On the surface, martial arts were considered pure fiction, a concept so deeply ingrained that everyone harboured wuxia dreams, yet everyone also knew it was impossible.
Eastern inner energy was just like Western magic and witchcraft: complete fantasy.
Yet the two people yesterday truly knew martial arts!
Zhao Xiaodao reflected honestly. After so many years navigating society, she was hardly inexperienced, but she had never heard even the slightest whisper about this before.
That proved such things really only circulated in an extremely small, tightly guarded circle.
So here was the question.
As the saying goes, wealth not taken home is like brocade walked at night. If ordinary people gained abilities, they would naturally want to show them off and receive praise and recognition.
If those two ever displayed their skills in public, the influence would be earth-shattering, like mountains roaring and seas surging.
They possessed that kind of power, so they must also have the corresponding desire to be seen, yet they endured the loneliness, only indulging in the dead of night in an empty film studio, never revealing anything to the outside world.
Zhao Xiaodao did not know what problems lay behind that, whether there were others like them, or what happened to those who did expose themselves.
But she did know that because she had accidentally stumbled upon a secret they were determined to hide, they had chosen not to erase her memory. Her status had, in an unusual way, turned her into their audience.
She was a celebrity, widely known and adored by fans. Making her their audience was both safe and satisfied their need to show off.
Her little assistant was different. The assistant might sell their secret at any moment for a chance to advance her own position or wealth.
Zhao Xiaodao would never do that. She already had enough money and status; she would not risk offending martial experts who existed far beyond ordinary comprehension for some unknown gain.
That was why they had revealed their true selves to her without hesitation, simply warning her to keep quiet, and from now on they would interact as ordinary friends.
Zhao Xiaodao was, of course, delighted to agree.
She pulled out her phone, opened a chat group named [Martial Alliance], and typed:
Zhao Xiaodao: @Lin Wan @Lu Zheng, bosses, my assistant really remembers nothing at all. This is too amazing!!!
Lu Zheng: Piece of cake. This is the power of the Soul-Shifting Technique from the Nine Yin Manual, the ultimate sleep aid. Guaranteed to make you forget all your troubles in one night, you won’t even remember your own parents. Want to try? @Zhao Xiaodao
Zhao Xiaodao: No no no! This humble girl is scared (pitiful.jpg)
Lin Wan: (helpless.jpg)
Lu Zheng: Film well. If I like this drama, I’ll gift you a beauty and youth-preservation pill. Guaranteed to bring you back to eighteen.
Zhao Xiaodao: (shocked.jpg)
Lin Wan: (sneaky laugh.jpg) We’ll come find you again when we’re free.
Zhao Xiaodao: Yes yes yes!
Lu Zheng: Remember to bring Liu Tianxian and Da MimiMimi next time.
Lin Wan: …
Zhao Xiaodao: …
…
A little while later, Zhao Xiaodao posted an ancient-costume selfie in the group, announced she was off to film, and went offline.
On the other side, Lin Wan put away her phone and looked at Lu Zheng, half amused, half exasperated. “What were you thinking?”
“Finding us an audience, of course.”
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. “Next time we go fight evil or pet big cats, you’ll have someone to share it with, right?”
“Aren’t you worried we’ll take it too far?”
Lu Zheng shrugged. “No photos, no videos, what’s there to fear? And even if it does go wrong, so be it. We can’t really hide forever.”
“Is it time yet?” Lin Wan’s eyes lit up.
Lu Zheng waved a hand. “Of course not, no rush. But having one audience first is fine. Wouldn’t want you bottling everything up.”
“I’m not bottling anything up.”
“Tch. You’ve told me the story about that Japanese school overseas at least eight times.”
Lin Wan: (▼へ▼メ)
…
Exposing themselves to Zhao Xiaodao really wasn’t a big deal to Lu Zheng and Lin Wan.
After all, Lu Zheng’s ability to cultivate qi from traditional martial arts was already on file at the city bureau, and his physical prowess was widely known.
They were just in the habit of keeping one trump card hidden. Skills that didn’t completely defy science were not a huge problem as long as they weren’t displayed in front of massive crowds.
Lin Wan blinked. “Sword qi flying everywhere, you really think that’s not a big deal?”
Lu Zheng rubbed his chin. “It’s just releasing true qi externally. Any ordinary martial artist can do it. Pretty weak, actually. Nothing impressive.”
Lin Wan: “…”
…
Zhao Xiaodao had no idea that, not far from where she was filming, Lu Zheng and Lin Wan were strolling hand-in-hand through the Republic of China-themed area.
“Ooh, another crew. Any celebrities?” Lu Zheng grinned.
“Behave. One Zhao Xiaodao is enough. Don’t add more.”
Lu Zheng stroked his chin. “What about Li Xiaoyao?”
Lin Wan nodded. “That one’s acceptable.”
Lu Zheng: →_→
Lin Wan: =^_^=
“I want to add Tang Ren!”
…
As it turned out, crews with A-list stars were rare. Running into Zhao Xiaodao yesterday had been an anomaly; today’s crew full of generic internet-famous faces was the norm.
Lu Zheng and Lin Wan sneaked closer while staying invisible, only to be assaulted by the visual onslaught and hurriedly retreat. They went straight to a seaside restaurant for a lavish seafood feast to recover.
After lunch, they drove back and soon hit the motorway.
Lu Zheng drove while Lin Wan sat in the passenger seat, scrolling on her phone one moment and chatting with him the next.
“What exactly is this beauty and youth-preservation pill?”
Zhao Xiaodao had posted on her Moments; Lin Wan liked it, then returned to the group chat and suddenly remembered Lu Zheng’s morning message.
“A type of youth-preservation pill,” Lu Zheng said.
“Youth-preservation pill!!!”
Lin Wan whipped round, eyes blazing as if they could shoot fire.
“What’s the big deal? It’s for ordinary people or those with poor aptitude who don’t practise top-tier methods.”
Lu Zheng looked completely unbothered. “You’re cultivating the Taiyuan Profound Scripture. With me here, living a few hundred years is entirely possible, and your beauty will never fade. You don’t need that sort of thing.”
Lin Wan’s eyes instantly sparkled.
She knew her skin had become smoother and fairer since starting cultivation, her looks even more stunning, but she had never imagined living that long, let alone eternal youth…
“Your reward!”
Lin Wan speared a piece of Hami melon from the cooler box and fed it to Lu Zheng.
He swallowed it in a few bites, then said, “I’ve recently worked out several ancient pill recipes. One of them is this youth-preservation pill, or maybe ‘beauty pill’ is a better name. The effect is decent, at least fifty to a hundred times better than any cosmetics.”
“Fifty to a hundred times…”
Lin Wan was speechless. “Then why are you still writing code? Hurry up and start a luxury skincare company and steal all the business from Lancôme, Estée Lauder, the lot!”
Lu Zheng: “…”
