Chapter 63: Sightseeing and Leisure

"It's probably useless now. It relies on solar energy to provide illumination, yet it can only light up the path ten meters ahead..."

"At night, lighting up the path ten meters ahead is still better than stumbling around in the dark, isn't it?" Qi Tian asked, puzzled.

Mount Wudang was not originally designed with any power-generating equipment, and tools like this flashlight were entirely novel curiosities. He touched the device like a curious child, trying to figure out how to turn it on.

"Stop fiddling with it. It only works under the sun during the day!"

"Oh! You mean... it can't provide light once it leaves the sunlight?" Qi Tian paused, asking with a hint of confusion.

"Yes," Elder Jingyun replied after a brief hesitation upon hearing Qi Tian.

"Then it's completely useless! Who had such poor taste to buy this thing?" Qi Tian immediately lost interest and placed the flashlight back on the shelf.

Suddenly, he felt a strange shiver. Looking up, he found Elder Jingyun staring at him with a face ashen with anger. He kept his eyes locked on him, and at first, Qi Tian didn't understand why. But as he recalled what he had just said and considered the elder's expression, he suddenly felt incredibly awkward.

"Elder Jingyun... don't misunderstand! Don't misunderstand! I was just saying whoever manufactured this flashlight had poor taste!" Qi Tian said, his face tense, hands waving back and forth, his internal embarrassment fully exposed.

The atmosphere was deeply awkward.

"Fine! No need to be so nervous! I'm not petty enough to hold a grudge against a junior," Elder Jingyun shook his head and sighed, wrinkles appearing on his face.

This caught Qi Tian off guard, and he felt a secret jolt of alarm, wondering if the elder’s mysterious smile meant he was planning to settle scores later. Just as he was about to plead for mercy, he noticed Elder Jingyun stuffing a heap of items—a folding shovel, rope, and gas masks—into a bag all at once.

"Elder Jingyun, we're going underground! Why bring gas masks?"

The shovel and rope were understandable, but the gas masks seemed inexplicable. Qi Tian, filled with questions, finally asked.

"You're still young! You don't understand!" Elder Jingyun held up two fingers, waving them at Qi Tian with an air of profound mystery.

"Do you need me to carry anything?" Qi Tian automatically ignored the "you're still young" comment. Although he desperately wanted to retort, the thought that he and the elder were separated by nearly a generation made him only grimace. Seeing that the elder's small bag was full, he immediately added in a fawning tone.

"Do you even need to carry anything, Senior Brother?" Elder Jingyun replied with a tone that sounded half-mocking and half-praising.

"..." Qi Tian froze. Was he really that vengeful just because he made one comment about his poor taste? If Elder Jingyun could hear his thoughts, he would surely be furious.

Back when he was younger, he had seen this novel gadget called a flashlight and had endured the pain of parting with a spirit stone to buy it. One had to realize that a single spirit stone was enough to cover the entire living expenses of a family of three for two years—a huge sum! In the end, he discovered it was just for show and couldn't actually be used. If Qi Tian hadn't provoked him, he would have long forgotten about it.

In this carcinogenic century, lithium batteries, graphene, and any battery capable of storing electricity were strictly forbidden from production. People had discovered that their bodies contained trace amounts of negative ions. Coupled with the disappearance of the Azure Planet's ozone layer and the pollution of the external air, physical abnormalities and bizarre diseases had followed one after another. Nuclear and magnetic energy only exacerbated the activity of these negative ions in the air. Consequently, the state had officially banned them.

Street vendors didn't dare to sell them openly. Thus, this flashlight could only convert solar energy into electricity and could not store it permanently. This had long been a scar on the elder's heart.

"Let's go! Brothers, it's time to save some people!" Elder Jingyun hoisted the stuffed bag onto his back and immediately called out to the others in the room.

"Understood!" They all raised their heads and shouted in unison. The volume was immense; they had clearly undergone special training, which was why their voices were so synchronized and booming.

"Let's go together, direct disciple!" Elder Jingyun said softly.

"Yes, yes!" Qi Tian replied hurriedly, rushing to follow him.

After walking for a while, they realized it was very noisy outside, and the sounds were almost entirely from girls.

"Why is it so noisy outside? Can so many people gather at the entrance of the Law Enforcement Hall now?" Elder Jingyun reached a corner, saw the crowd of girls at the entrance, and asked, puzzled.

"Elder Jingyun, they are looking for Senior Brother Qi Tian, saying they want to go save people! They are clamoring to get in, and I didn't dare let them!" The elder maintaining order at the door heard Elder Jingyun's question and replied quickly, casting a glance at Qi Tian, who was walking behind.

"Save people?" Elder Jingyun was stunned for a long moment, unable to process this.

"Qi Tian, did you think the Sect Master sent you here for a sightseeing trip? You were sent here to redeem yourself through service, yet you brought all these girls! You have disappointed me greatly!" Elder Jingyun said, his face cold, his chest heaving slightly with anger.

Originally, the mission to save people had been assigned to their Law Enforcement Hall by the Sect Master. He hadn't expected the Sect Master to have Qi Tian, a senior disciple, take on the task to redeem himself, effectively stealing their credit. He was already dissatisfied with the Sect Master's actions, and he hadn't expected him to go even further. Did he really think that with the Sect Master's protection, he could do whatever he pleased?