Out on the road.
Bai Zhenzhen nudged Zhang Yu with her shoulder from time to time, wearing a sickly-sweet smile. "Yuzi, you've been playing with that forever."
"Let me have a go, won't you?"
"This thing's worth a hundred thousand! A hundred thousand!" Zhang Yu clutched the registry book tight. "You're so strong, what if you break it by accident? You couldn't even pay for it."
"And wipe your drool—it's about to get all over my registry book."
Bai Zhenzhen watched with pitiful eyes as Zhang Yu kept huffing on the registry book and polishing it, then said coaxingly, "Let's make a trade, then. You let me play with the registry book, and I'll lend you whatever of mine catches your eye."
Seeing Zhang Yu still poring over the registry book with total concentration, Bai Zhenzhen grabbed his hand in a sudden huff, then broke into a sweet smile and shook his arm. "Big brother Zhang Yu~ let me have a little play, won't you?"
Zhang Yu clapped a hand over his own eyes, feeling as if he'd just stared straight at an ancient god. "Stop it, right now. Don't make me sick."
"Hmph! Weak spot exposed." Bai Zhenzhen snatched the registry book right out of his loosened grip.
Zhang Yu rolled his eyes. "Ugh, fine—you can play with it a while. Give it back to me when we reach the station."
Bai Zhenzhen shook her head with a sigh. "A man with roots always has his weak spots."
"Look how airtight the doorplank man is today."
"Yuzi, my advice to you is to get yourself neutered early and wipe that weakness right off..."
Zhang Yu snorted. "Do you still want to borrow my registry book or not?"
They kept walking until they reached the station, where Zhang Yu parted ways with Bai Zhenzhen under her reluctant, lingering gaze and set off for home.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, a figure took a call from Su Haifeng.
Su Haifeng: "...So that's how it is. He's become a Divine Assistant under Zhang Pianpian's protection now, so we can't use the school's usual methods against him for the time being."
"Also—he has a registry book. A temp worker on the patrol team gets at least one free charm a day..."
Zhou Tianyi gave a faint nod and said calmly, "Understood. We need to move before he gets used to the registry book and the charms. And today he's just used up his one free charm... so today is my best chance, isn't it?"
Su Haifeng: "If you're going to act, do it fast. The sooner the better—go find him right now."
Zhou Tianyi nodded. "Got it. Once I finish what I've got in hand, I'll go to Zhang Yu."
Su Haifeng, puzzled: "What's so important it can't wait till later?"
Zhou Tianyi shook his head. "Some things can't be delayed for even a single second."
"Don't worry. It won't take long, and it won't get in the way of dealing with Zhang Yu."
After hanging up, Zhou Tianyi's body stirred, and beneath his feet it was as if a gust of wind erupted, hurling him like a bolt of lightning down the street ahead.
Tightening the food-delivery bag strapped to his back, Zhou Tianyi's soles cracked against the concrete with a bang as he accelerated again.
Dealing with Zhang Yu mattered, but his customer had bought the punctuality guarantee, so he had to finish his current order before he could go to Zhang Yu.
Ever since the evil god had awakened his potential, the more feverish his footsteps grew, the faster his spirit power flowed, the stronger his body became—and even his training in leg techniques sped up accordingly.
So, to train and earn money at the same time, he'd finally chosen to deliver food under a hidden identity.
He still remembered his first day on the job: the soups and broths in his delivery bag sloshed everywhere, and not only did a customer curse him out royally, the platform clawed back a hefty several-hundred-yuan fine.
Back at the delivery station, the station master poured him a glass of water and told him to hold it in his hand while he delivered. As long as the water didn't spill, the food would be fine.
From that day on, his orders grew more and more numerous, and his platform rank climbed higher and higher.
And somewhere along the way, Zhou Tianyi noticed the world around him seemed slower and slower. It was only when he asked the station master that he understood: the world wasn't slowing down—he was speeding up.
If not for the need to conceal his strength, he was perfectly confident he could top the year every single monthly exam.
After dropping off his last order and watching the money land in his account, Zhou Tianyi let out a light sigh of relief.
"Now then... time to go find Zhang Yu."
Before long, Zhou Tianyi arrived at the foot of the apartment building where Zhang Yu lived.
*According to what Zhang Yu said, he can't cultivate inside the rented room, so he goes to practice at that unfinished building nearby every day,* he thought to himself.
*All I have to do is wait until he heads to the unfinished building, then strike.*
...
The moment he returned to his rented room, Zhang Yu washed his face and then began fiddling with the registry book in his hands, planning to study its functions carefully.
After all, even though he'd cast a binding charm today, the whole thing had been rushed, and with all the running around before and after, he'd never had time to properly study the registry book on his own.
He pressed his palm to the registry book, and as spirit power flowed from his palm, his fingerprints, palm lines, and spirit power all passed recognition at once.
A flash of golden light crossed the charm surface, and a yellow background emerged—just like a sheet of charm paper. As long as Zhang Yu's fingertip traced lightly across it, he could draw charm after charm.
Then Zhang Yu lifted his palm gently, and the registry book floated up to hover in front of him.
Zhang Yu waved his hand left and right, and the registry book drifted along with his palm, keeping close in front of it.
"This follow-around mode is pretty handy. No need to hold it—all I have to do is draw charms."
His fingertip pressed the very bottom of the registry book, then slid upward, and the charm-paper background changed once more, revealing rows of records.
Believer's name: Zhang Yu
Realm: Qi-Refinement
Overall faith level: 1
Zhang Yu looked further down to the names and insignia of the Eight Divine Offices, each marked with its faith level.
Because he had never raised his faith level at all, his standing in all eight offices sat at the default level one that came with owning a registry book.
He tapped casually into the Myriad-People Ministry, which sat at the very top, and the scene in the registry book shifted—out of the spirit world emerged a divine temple.
Behind layered tiers of red walls and golden tiles, heavenly dragons danced and phoenixes circled. A great god radiating five-colored light stood mightily within the hall, one hand forming a Taoist hand-seal, a breath of compassion wafting toward him, his half-lowered eyes seeming unable to bear the suffering of the world.
This was the leading orthodox deity of the Myriad-People Ministry, the Myriad-Born Great God.
And before Zhang Yu, three options surfaced in the registry book.
1. Prostrate Worship
2. Make Offerings
3. Ask for Guidance
Beneath the "Ask for Guidance" option lay a sheet of gray, shrouding mist—it seemed that because Zhang Yu's faith level was too low, more options were hidden there.
Staring at the three choices, Zhang Yu thought, *What does "prostrate worship" mean?*
Curious, he tapped it—and then watched as a line of text rose up in the registry book: *The Myriad-Born Great God senses your reverence.*