Chapter 5: Alas, My Poor Window

With the "Comprehensive Guide to Meridian Pathways" in hand, Zhang Ze couldn't help but chuckle. After familiarizing himself once more with the twelve main meridians, he began preparations for his breakthrough. The next step was to connect these twelve primary meridians.

He let out a long breath. After instructing Fatty, Zhang Ze set out to attempt his breakthrough. According to his own whimsical thoughts, this was to be his first step toward becoming the protagonist of the world!

Unbeknownst to Zhang Ze, who was eager for a breakthrough, he had already become someone else's target.

The middle-aged man was robust, quite different from Wang Chao, whom Zhang Ze had met before.

"The goods are on this young man," he muttered as he read a message on his phone. Zhang Ze's photo appeared right after. "Keep a close watch on this kid." Another notification sounded, and yet another message popped up. Ignoring them, the middle-aged man quickly disappeared around the corner.

As his figure vanished, Li Sanqing arrived just in time.

"An accomplice of Wang Chao?" he mumbled, and followed at a leisurely pace.

"Captain Wang, regarding the arrest of Wang Chao, are we not intervening?" In the Mengyang County Detective Division, a young man approached Wang Ting.

"Wang Chao is at least a second-rank martial artist, and a practical one at that. We can't meddle in his affairs," Wang Ting said, glancing around at his colleagues in the office.

In truth, within the Mengyang County Detective Division, besides Wang Ting himself, there were several first-rank martial artists, and even some of the second rank. But compared to people like Wang Chao and Li Sanqing, these officials, though they held ranks, were almost negligible in terms of real combat power.

"Even Li Sanqing would have a hard time catching up with Wang Chao at this point," Wang Ting continued. "But their lower-ranked associates may still appear." He gazed out the window, deep in thought.

Zhang Ze, for his part, was not inexperienced—he’d failed a few breakthroughs before and had learned a thing or two. In a short time, he had already located the primary positions of seven meridians. But as time dragged on, his state began to deteriorate.

A cellular strength of 120S would make breaking through to first-rank martial artist an easy task for anyone. Normally, a strength of 100S was already enough to connect the twelve main meridians. But Zhang Ze was encountering significant resistance.

His cellular strength was dropping fast—soon it had fallen below 100S. Yet, he had already fixed the positions of nine major meridians. A strength of 100S should have sufficed for the final three, but Zhang Ze remained deeply uneasy. With a thought, his system panel changed:

Wealth: 143,000
Cellular Strength: 125S

With the disappearance of 25,000 units of wealth, Zhang Ze’s cellular strength was restored by 25S. Satisfied after checking his stats, he continued on. One had to admit, he truly valued his own life.

What Zhang Ze did not know was that, across the street in the same floor of the opposite building, the middle-aged man was watching him from the window. Frowning, the man had noticed Zhang Ze’s abrupt shift. It was common for people to fail locating all the main meridians in one go when reaching the cellular strength limit. That was when pre-prepared pills became critical—such as the First-Rank Strengthening Pill, which anyone attempting a breakthrough would have at hand.

But that was the key: "This kid didn’t use any pills just now, did he?" The middle-aged man muttered, intent on observing further. His eyes landed on the black satchel beside Zhang Ze. Without further delay, he set one foot on the windowsill.

With a crash, the window shattered and the middle-aged man appeared directly in Zhang Ze’s room.

"Damn!"

"Fatty, you—" Zhang Ze was at the critical moment of determining his last meridian. The sudden commotion startled him, disrupting his internal meridians. When he saw the burly intruder, Zhang Ze’s spirit deflated instantly.

The man’s physique radiated a powerful sense of oppression, but it was not just his size—it was something more.

"A martial artist! And not just first-rank!"

Certain in his mind, Zhang Ze eyed the man warily. Forcing himself to steady his chaotic meridians, he asked in a meek voice, "Brother, what’s going on?"

The man ignored him, grabbing the black satchel at his side. "What’s inside?" he asked nonchalantly.

Seeing his actions, Zhang Ze guessed his identity at once. "Big brother, I’m just here waiting for someone—I have no idea what’s in there..." His voice trailed off, growing weaker.

"He’s doing this on purpose," Zhang Ze thought bitterly. "A martial arts expert like him can’t tell I’m making a breakthrough?"

"Are you confirming your twelve meridians?" the man asked. "Why did your cellular strength just drop and then rise again?" He stared at Zhang Ze suspiciously.

Before Zhang Ze could answer, Liu Fatty burst in, breaking his train of thought.

"Little Ze, are you alright?" Fatty asked, swallowing nervously as he took in the broken windows and the formidable visitor. Even without Zhang Ze’s explanation, Fatty could tell this man was no ordinary person.

"Uh... You two talk, you two talk..." No sooner had the words left his mouth than Fatty vanished from sight.

The man paid him no mind, his gaze never leaving Zhang Ze.

"I had a First-Rank Strengthening Pill in my mouth before starting the breakthrough," Zhang Ze explained. The man’s suspicion eased considerably. After a moment’s silence, he said coldly, "A limit of 100, and even a coward like you can reach it."

With a look of disdain, he unzipped the satchel and began to check its contents. When Zhang Ze saw what was inside, he was filled with bitter regret.

"Damn it, with so many pills inside, I should have packed up and run," Zhang Ze cursed inwardly, calculating his next move.

The zipper of the black bag screeched in protest, but the man didn’t bother to count the pills any further.

"Kid, you’re really useless," he said before Zhang Ze could respond, and then vanished as suddenly as he had appeared.

Zhang Ze’s condition worsened from the shock. Grunting in pain, he quickly sat cross-legged to resume sorting out his meridians.

"Little Ze?" Fatty poked his head in, calling softly. "Get lost—can’t you see I’m busy?" Zhang Ze snapped back, turning around—only to be startled by the sudden appearance of a young man.

"Someone was just here. Which way did he go?" Li Sanqing’s sharp gaze made Zhang Ze uncomfortable all over.

After a while, Zhang Ze finally calmed down, thinking dryly, "They’re all a bit off..."

But his reply was quick: "He took the stuff and jumped out the window."

Only then did Zhang Ze realize this was the man he’d met on the street the previous night.

"Anqing Martial Bureau," he noted, catching sight of the logo on the man’s jacket.

Li Sanqing took Zhang Ze’s answer, turned to look out the window, but saw no sign of the middle-aged man.

"This is my number. If you remember anything, contact me immediately." He placed a note on Zhang Ze’s bed.

Before leaving, Li Sanqing added, "Next time you attempt a breakthrough, find a quieter place."

After both men had gone, Zhang Ze stared at the shards of broken glass on the floor, utterly bewildered.

"What the hell is going on with these people?"