Chapter 8: Tang San, the Eavesdropper

Gu Chen walked to the center of the circular clearing, standing exactly where the character "Heart" was inscribed.

"Sit cross-legged, close your eyes, and immerse your mind into the 'Heart' character to perceive its meaning," the young girl’s cold, clear voice echoed. It was ethereal, like a mountain stream flowing through a stone cavern in the dead of winter.

Gu Chen sat down, the image of the "Heart" character he had just seen surfacing in his mind. He sank his consciousness into it. He felt as though the character were moving, yet stationary; it seemed both infinitely close and impossibly distant. This sensation of being on the verge of grasping it, only to have it slip away, made Gu Chen’s spirit restless.

"The heart contains all things, yet it is troubled by all things. You must first calm your own heart," the cool voice spoke again, right beside his ear. It was so close he felt as if her body were pressed against his, causing his heart to pound uncontrollably.

"Hold your breath and focus your spirit. Perceive the Heavenly Principle in all things. Ignore that voice; it is but a demon of your own heart..."

"I truly wonder why this boy has become tainted by such evil," the girl muttered to herself.

Hearing the voice from a distance, Gu Chen realized he had been hallucinating. What was happening to him lately? Why did such wicked thoughts keep surfacing in his mind?

Gu Chen frowned, reflecting on the six words the girl had spoken: *Perceive the Heavenly Principle in all things.* Did it mean he must experience and practice the Heavenly Principle within his own heart, regardless of his environment? And what was the Heavenly Principle in his heart? Was it kindness?

His sister was kind and virtuous, yet she died a miserable death. His master practiced medicine to save the world, believing that kindness and the Great Dao would endure, yet his master was hounded to his death. In this life, his mother lived a life of peace and non-contention—yet whom had she offended? She lay bedridden, enduring the agony of sickness day after day.

Was kindness a mistake? No. It was the failure to purge evil, and the indulgence of the Heavenly Dao that allowed such evil to exist. Since Heaven and Earth are unkind, treating all living things like straw dogs, then let me become the most wicked person in the world! I will fight against the heavens, fight against the earth, fight against men, and fight against all the injustice in this world!

I must become strong. With this firm, resolute conviction, Gu Chen’s heart gradually calmed. He looked at the heart in his mind once more; it no longer flickered. The bright red character pulsed like a beating heart. *Thump, thump, thump.* With every beat, an inexplicable power surged into his body. He felt as if he had merged with the surrounding environment; even without opening his eyes, he could clearly perceive everything around him. He felt the girl looking at him, smiling—a bright, beautiful smile, like a white peony blooming under the scorching sun, innocent and radiant.

"Congratulations. You have passed the test of the Profound Heart Technique. You are qualified to learn it."

"You may open your eyes now, put on your clothes, and I will transmit the first three volumes of the Profound Heart Technique to you."

Gu Chen obeyed, opening his eyes and walking over to the girl to dress. The girl’s slender, porcelain-white fingers tapped lightly on his forehead, and a flood of information poured into his mind.

The Profound Heart Technique was a miraculous work that synthesized the strengths of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Confucianism taught, "There is the human heart, and there is the Daoist heart"; Buddhism said, "The heart is the source of all evil," while also saying, "This heart is Buddha, this heart creates Buddha"; Taoism taught, "When the heart is still, all things are without ripples..."

The Profound Heart Technique prioritized the state of "no object, no self," acting according to one's heart. Even when doing "evil," one must do so with composure and without a shred of guilt.

The first realm, the Qi-Induction Realm, uses the heart as a guide to draw in the myriad energies of heaven and earth to perceive the Great Dao.

The second realm, the Mirror-Reflection Realm, uses the heart as a mirror to reflect the forms of all things, and uses all things as a mirror to reflect the essence of the heart. One grinds the gathered energy into a mirror of the heart to observe all things and taste the truths within them.

The third realm, the Hidden Sea Realm, realizes that all schemes are mere trifles, and only self-strengthening invites the help of Heaven. Life is rarely a smooth path, and those who find no fruit must eventually seek enlightenment. With a heart hiding a vast sea, eyes blind to worldly vanities, one finds splendor in the changing tides and rides the clouds across the four seas.

"Time is up. It is time for you to return," the girl’s cold voice sounded.

Gu Chen looked at her with reluctance. "Master, what is your name? How can I find this place again?"

"Ye Jingshu. When you have mastered the Profound Heart Technique to perfection, you will naturally return here. Go now."

Ye Jingshu’s soft, slender hand flicked gently. Gu Chen felt a fragrant breeze brush his nose. When he opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by three breathtaking women. He recognized two of them: Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong. The third was dressed in a tight black outfit, her figure incredibly hot, and her beauty was in no way inferior to the others. Most importantly, she possessed a cold, aloof charm that kept others at a distance—a trait Gu Chen particularly appreciated. He understood such icy women better than most; they were hard to conquer, but once you truly won them over, they would be yours heart and soul, and your life of happiness would begin.

"You’re awake?" Xiao Wu’s fuzzy ears twitched, her large, cute eyes fixed on Gu Chen with a charming smile.

"Where is this? Why am I here?"

"This is Shrek Academy. You passed out, and Teacher Zhao brought you back. He was the one who changed your clothes, too."

"This..." Gu Chen was extremely embarrassed. It was the first time in his life he had been seen naked by a middle-aged man.

"Don't worry, Teacher Zhao has a tight lip and won't tell anyone your secrets!"

Gu Chen saw them laughing; their smiles were wanton and malicious. Even the woman in black couldn't suppress her amusement. Zao Wou-ki must have spilled his secrets. Ever since Gu Chen’s former self had confessed his feelings to Xiao Wu and been humiliated by Tang San, he had been bullied often. To look tougher, he had tried to hire a tattoo artist to ink dragons on him, but the fraud he paid three gold soul coins to had tattooed something that looked like neither dragon nor snake—it was hideous. Since then, he had never dared to use a public bath for fear of being laughed at.

"Well, beautiful ladies, do you need something from me?"

Most people would be overjoyed to be surrounded by three such beauties, but not Gu Chen. He had studied Taoist secret texts and possessed some knowledge of traditional medicine; through human physiological reactions, he could calculate a person's fortune in the short term. Looking at Xiao Wu’s bright eyes, he saw himself reflected: his brow was dark, his eyes dull, his lips dry—a sign of great misfortune!

"We're looking for you, of course, for something good. Gu Chen, tell us, which of us is the most beautiful?" Xiao Wu asked abruptly.

Gu Chen’s mouth twitched. He knew the soul-crushing interrogation had arrived. If he hadn't learned the Profound Heart Technique, he wouldn't have known how to answer.

Gu Chen narrowed his eyes, scanned the three, and said slowly, "Forgive my bluntness, but everyone here is trash."

The three women were stunned, never expecting such a brash remark. Just as they were about to explode, Gu Chen continued, "The Master said: 'Only women and small men are hard to deal with. If you are close to them, they become insolent; if you keep your distance, they resent you.' Women value their looks, small men value their lives."

"Both of these, in the face of my righteous spirit, are trash."

"Xiao Wu, Zhuqing, beat him up... Since he knows women are hard to deal with, he still dares to offend them. Looks like his skin is itching."

Ning Rongrong was enraged and lunged forward with her fist first, followed by Xiao Wu and the woman in black.

"Oh... oh... that feels so good!"

When the words "that feels so good" left his mouth, Tang San, who had been hiding at the door with a smirk, mocking Gu Chen as a fool, saw his expression darken.

Just moments before, when Ning Rongrong’s delicate fist was about to strike him, Gu Chen had summoned his Silver Needle Martial Soul and quickly wrote four words on his palm: *Someone is outside.* He showed it to the three women. Being clever, they immediately understood why Gu Chen had spoken such suicidal words.

He was protecting himself. At this hour, the person at the door was either Zao Wou-ki or Tang San. Zao Wou-ki was away at the Soto City Grand Arena. It couldn't be him, and he wouldn't hide at the door to eavesdrop anyway. Thus, it had to be Tang San. Whether he was there to apologize to Xiao Wu or simply checking if she had developed feelings for someone else, it was unclear.

If it were the former, and he had come openly, Xiao Wu might have accepted. But now, she felt disgusted. Tang San had changed; he no longer trusted her as he once did. Ever since they had clashed, they had been avoiding each other. Today, Zao Wou-ki had intended to bring Tang San along to have the three women train Gu Chen. Xiao Wu was skilled in close combat, Zhuqing in agility and stealth, and Ning Rongrong in support.

Actually, Xiao Wu and Zhuqing were enough, but Oscar had somehow offended Ning Rongrong, and she had insisted on staying to spar. Besides, having waited so long for a newcomer, she wasn't about to miss such an opportunity.

Guessing it was Tang San outside, Xiao Wu intentionally tried to provoke him. She turned her fist into a claw and pressed down on Gu Chen’s shoulder, making him gasp with pleasure.

"What are you doing?" A voice filled with suppressed anger sounded from the doorway.

A handsome man walked in. His eyes met Xiao Wu’s, and they quickly looked away.

"Teacher Zhao asked you to guide the new student. What are you doing? What is this display?"

"You must be Tang San, right? The three seniors are guiding me, can't you see?"

"Senior Xiao Wu is helping me clear my meridians, making my absorption of soul power faster. I’m already a third-rank Soul Master."

"Ning Rongrong and this beautiful senior are helping me temper my body. I feel much stronger now."

Gu Chen released his Martial Soul, the Vajra Bear. His fur had become more golden and lustrous, and his frame significantly more robust. The reason for his sudden breakthrough was that he had activated the "Qi-Induction" of the Profound Heart Technique.

By drawing in the world's energy and clearing his heart, he made it easier to absorb soul power. By provoking the three women into attacking him, he had been absorbing the aura of their anger to temper his own body. Furthermore, he had intentionally made those lewd sounds to irritate Tang San. Although Gu Chen didn't consider himself a saint, he despised eavesdroppers above all else. In his words, for a person to act like a sneaky rat—he, Gu Chen, disdained to associate with such trash.