Very Close to God, Yet Too Far from Man

"Finally, got caught."

Zhafu sat cross-legged on the ground, holding a piece of a hand bone in his hand, scraping a knife across the surface with each stroke, leaving behind a thin line.

The bone dust fell to the floor, a small white pile.

Jiang Yeqiu sat across from him, with a low table between them, on which sat a few dishes of food and a jug of wine.

At that moment, Jiang Yeqiu was pouring himself a drink. When he heard this, his motion paused for a beat.

"Lin Zhiming?"

"Yeah." Zhafu didn’t lift his head, the knife blade curving along the bone surface.

Jiang Yeqiu downed the wine in his cup, wiped his mouth, and said, "Will it drag us into it?"

"No."

Zhafu finally looked up, raised the hand bone to his eyes for a quick inspection, frowned at the pattern, then lowered his head and continued scraping.

"I already cleaned out his mind long ago, completely reshaped his memories. In his own perception, the Bone Ring was a good find he made himself, and everything he did was entirely his own idea.

No matter how much the Yaranto Awakening interrogates him, even if they question him until the end of time, he’ll stubbornly swear he did it all alone—because to him, that’s the truth."

Even hypnosis or truth serums would yield the same result.

Jiang Yeqiu poured another cup of wine.

"Your methods are pretty impressive."

Zhafu put away the knife, stuffed the hand bone into a leather pouch, and patted the bone dust off his hands.

"I can only say it’s passable. If I hadn’t lost all my magical instruments, it wouldn’t have come to this."

"Killing him outright would have been more troublesome. If a person suddenly dies and his cause of death can’t be found, that would really attract attention. Letting him live, letting him bear all the blame—a living scapegoat is better than a dead one. You understand, don’t you?"

Jiang Yeqiu didn’t respond. Of course, he understood.

He had been careful enough lately. The moment he felt like he was being watched, he cut off all contact with Zhafu—not just meetings, not even a single phone call.

Even if he was just nearby.

Going to work and coming home, eating and sleeping, he lived more regularly than a monk in a temple.

Investigators had watched the area for days, searched for days, and found nothing in the end.

Only after they withdrew did he dare to come see Zhafu.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Yeqiu spoke first.

"As for Chu Lintian, we’re backing off."

Zhafu’s hand paused mid-motion, and he tilted his head to look at him.

This was rare. He remembered Jiang Yeqiu had been very invested in Chu Lintian’s affairs before, bringing it up every few days. How had he suddenly softened?

"I used the Bone Ring once, and the Yaranto Awakening showed up."

Jiang Yeqiu toyed with his wine glass, spinning it a couple of times. "It means Chu Lintian has deep ties with them. Making another move would be asking for death."

His tone was calm when he said this.

Not out of fear—it was a trade-off after calculating the costs.

Zhafu let out a laugh instead.

"You’re even smarter than I thought. I always like making friends with smart people."

Between the two, some things didn’t need to be said out loud.

"Oh, and with Lin Zhiming caught, his position is vacant."

Zhafu picked up the wine, sniffed it, then set it down. "Weren’t you always looking to climb the ranks?"

Zhafu figured that with Lin Zhiming caught, Jiang Yeqiu could definitely get promoted again.

Jiang Yeqiu laughed and waved his hand.

"What are you thinking? I’ve only been with the company a short time. Climbing this fast already makes me stand out too much. With Lin Zhiming’s spot open, the headquarters will definitely send their own people to fill it. They won’t let it come cheap to me."

"Then what’s your plan?"

"Find a reason, then switch places."

Jiang Yeqiu said this casually, as if talking about what to eat for dinner.

But Zhafu noticed the light in his eyes.

"You’ve already set your sights."

"Tianyun Century."

Zhafu chewed over the name.

He didn’t have much reaction—he had little interest in the business world of modern society—but he recognized that when Jiang Yeqiu said that name, there was solid confidence behind it.

"Jiang Chengshan," Jiang Yeqiu added.

"A benefactor who helped me leave the village. But I want more. You know that feeling, don’t you?"

Zhafu saw his reflection in Jiang Yeqiu’s expression.

He saw himself.

Hadn’t he once killed his own teacher to gain more?

Interesting.

He looked at Jiang Yeqiu leisurely, "How are you so sure I’ll help you?"

"Because we’re the same kind of people, and our interests align."

"You’re right, and it’s logical."

Zhafu nodded, tied the leather pouch around his waist.

He didn’t care which company Jiang Yeqiu went to or who he connected with. He only cared about one thing.

"I still need time for my magical instruments—two months, maybe three. During that time, I won’t make a move, so I don’t get caught by the Yaranto Awakening."

"Don’t worry."

"One more thing."

Zhafu stood up and looked down at Jiang Yeqiu sitting at the table. "Don’t cut off the money for my support."

Jiang Yeqiu nearly choked on his wine.

He looked up at Zhafu’s expressionless face, not sure whether to laugh or curse.

An occultist crafting evil instruments, saying "support me" without batting an eye.

"We’re on the same string."

Zhafu had already turned and was walking toward the door.

He paused at the threshold, didn’t look back.

"I’m serious. Quality bone materials aren’t easy to come by these days."

The door closed.

Jiang Yeqiu sat there for a moment, staring at the closed door, then picked up the jug to pour himself another drink.

He pulled out his phone, scrolled through his contacts, and found Jiang Chengshan’s number. He thought about it, but didn’t dial.

No rush.

The bait had to sink deep before the fish would bite.

--- The system: Bad guys never jump out and tell you they’re up to no good ---

On Lin Mo’s side, he had also received Liu Zheng’s report.

He knew very well that the other party was just a fall guy, and Liu Zheng knew it too.

So Liu Zheng and his team would definitely continue investigating.

Setting that aside, Lin Mo put on his school uniform, ready for class.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Ning Qingcheng heading downstairs first.

"Senior Brother, morning. I have duty today, so I’ll head out first."

"What kind of duty requires you to leave this early?" Lin Mo asked casually.

"I have to stand guard at the school gate."

So she’s really become a student now.

"Alright, go on, then. Remember to eat breakfast."

"I’ll grab a bun on the way."

And with that, Ning Qingcheng was gone.

As for her safety, Lin Mo wasn’t worried at all.

Then Xie Yuling came down slowly after her.

"Qingcheng’s in such a hurry. Looks like she’s fully settled into this life," Xie Yuling said.

"It’s good. Experiencing ordinary life helps people become more normal. You don’t know how many out-of-touch people I’ve met in Tianjing—ones who are close to gods but far from humans."

Lin Mo’s words made Xie Yuling shake her head. "We still need to be careful. I’m worried they’ll act irrationally."

"Don’t worry. No one can touch me, even if they try."

Just last night, Lin Mo had reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core.

Breaking through to the Nascent Soul was just around the corner.