Zhou Guifang gave her son a big piece of rib, and said to her husband:
"I'm planning to start tutoring tomorrow, I can't waste the summer vacation two months... doesn't our son want to go to the Martial Arts Dojo?"
Old Zhang took a bite of rice:
"An old customer cleared some debts, plus the remaining savings, just enough for the tuition, tomorrow we'll let Fusheng go to the Martial Arts Dojo."
He paused and laughed:
"With the vacation just started, a few students are eager for lessons... how long has it been since we traveled? Why don't we go to Dongling Snow Mountain tomorrow and enjoy a few days?"
As he spoke, Old Zhang reached out to brush away the chalk dust on Teacher Zhou's hair.
"Dongling Snow Mountain."
Zhou Guifang seemed tempted:
"What about our son?"
"The Martial Arts Dojo provides food and lodging," Zhang Wentao said with a smile. "The child finally overcame the hardest hurdle, we should also relax and enjoy some alone time."
Zhou Guifang thought for a moment and nodded:
"Alright, a couple of days of rest would be nice."
Zhang Fusheng gnawed on a rib, mumbling:
"So, in your plans, there's no option for taking me along, right... don't worry, don't worry, I didn't intend to disrupt your two-person world either."
He paused and said seriously:
"Dr. Zhang, Teacher Zhou, you can start preparing for retirement; I'll take care of you in the future."
The couple exchanged a smile, Teacher Zhou added another piece of stewed rib to their son's plate:
"Alright, alright, we'll wait to enjoy your fortune, but mom and dad aren't ready for retirement yet, we're still young and can save up more for your wedding fund!"
...
After dinner.
Back in his small room, Zhang Fusheng rubbed his bulging belly, the smile on his face dissipated a bit.
It seems that the Lower Three Districts aren't very peaceful these days.
Otherwise, dad wouldn't be in such a hurry to take mom on a trip.
After dinner, Zhang Wentao specifically reminded him to stay at the Martial Arts Dojo for the next few days... the dojo would be safe.
Did dad find out something?
Zhang Fusheng quietly pondered, trying to calm down, and practice the Sunrise Basic Contemplation Technique and Third Set of Standard Breathing Technique.
In his mind, he activated the ancestral acupoint at his brow, contemplated the breaking dawn and rolling morning clouds, while adjusting his breath, attempting to use the standard breathing technique to induce the flow of qi and blood throughout his body,
Contemplation went smoothly; amidst the hazy dawn light and morning clouds, he could vaguely sense the invisible 'mysterious factor' in the air, but unsurprisingly, the breathing technique failed again.
Contemplation technique relies on enlightenment, but can also be ground through time—Zhang Fusheng ground for three years and finally reached entry level, able to visualize the ancestral acupoint at his brow, and sense the mysterious factor,
but this alone is not enough for cultivation; it requires the breathing technique to cooperate, to mobilize the qi and blood throughout the body, incorporate the mysterious factor into the body, and send it in a regulated manner throughout the body.
And the breathing technique relies on root bone; without good root bone, no matter how one cultivates the breathing technique, it's hard to mobilize the qi and blood throughout the body, and even impossible to absorb and transport the mysterious factor.
In short, it's a blockage of qi and blood, depletion of vital energy, or stagnation of the meridians.
Zhang Fusheng happens to have it all.
Normally, someone with his 'Three-Body Constitution,' unless cultivating a top-notch secret breathing technique or having a genuine master personally guiding him, almost cannot achieve entry-level in breathing technique.
He doesn't have a top-notch breathing technique, nor can he afford a master.
"A martial artist's first refinement requires the contemplation technique to guide the mysterious factor, cooperating with the flow of qi and blood, transporting the mysterious factor throughout the body, circulating around the body, tempering the skin and membrane..."
Zhang Fusheng muttered to himself:
"I'm stuck at the step of qi and blood flow, unable to progress at all."
"If relying on 'purchase,' what do I need the most?"
"Enlightenment, root bone, or... ready-made cultivation?"
His mind raced with thoughts, he wrote the words enlightenment and root bone on paper, and then immediately followed with 'must first have enlightenment and root bone.'
According to the understanding naturally gleaned from the contract information, purchasing cultivation allows one to directly acquire the other party's cultivation progress,
and also choose to acquire years of cultivation.
For example, buying one year of cultivation, the other party would regress to the state of arduous cultivation from a year ago, while oneself would gain a year's worth of cultivation results from nothing—but if one's talents are terrible, progress will remain slim.
For instance, he took three years just to achieve entry-level in the basic contemplation technique.
"Chen Nuanyu."
Zhang Fusheng sat at his desk, writing down this name on paper.
He needs her talent.
But how to buy it?
Why would she sell it?
Unless he can find out what she urgently needs, something her recognition equates to her talent,
And I also want to have something like that, something I can sell to Chen Nuanyu.
Or perhaps, create such a demand for her, create something that would make her willingly sell her talent, without any hint of coercion.
This is very difficult, at least it is difficult for me right now, even feels like I have no starting point.
"If one's talent is high enough to be valued by the Martial Arts Dojo's head and become a true inner sect disciple, not only can the tuition be waived, it's said that there's also a salary, and you can learn the true teachings."
Zhang Fusheng's thoughts spun around:
"To create a demand for Chen Nuanyu, or to discern her needs, I can't do it at the moment. I need to borrow power, the Martial Arts Dojo might be a power, but how to borrow it? How to be valued by the head?"
"Wait."
"I might have been stuck in a mental trap all along!"
His thoughts became clearer as he crossed off enlightenment and root bone on the paper.
In the days since observing the contract, Zhang Fusheng had been in an extremely excited state, and hadn't truly calmed down to think.
"People with high talent are scarce, hard to find, but there are many idiots who train diligently, like Uncle Wang next door, even more foolish than me, trained the contemplation technique for fifty years but can't perceive the mysterious factor, almost no difference from one who's never trained."
"Perhaps I can... pretend to be a genius first?"
Zhang Fusheng took a deep breath, feeling eagerly excited, his thoughts becoming clearer.
Yes!
Pretend to be a genius.
Normally, enlightenment is greater than root bone, because root bone can be made up for postnatally, piled up with resources, but enlightenment cannot.
Of course, those earth-shattering root bones are another matter.
As long as you catch the eye of the Martial Arts Dojo's head, as long as you show extraordinary enlightenment...
"But I've already reached entry level in the contemplation technique. When entering the Martial Arts Dojo, it's said you must first verify progress... entering in three years, though not considered a dullard, is just a completely ordinary person."
Zhang Fusheng decisively stood up.
"I want to forget the contemplation technique, I want to break the results of my contemplation!"
"I want to sell my cultivation progress."
His eyes bright, the contract had already sensed that even losing the ability to contemplate, he could freely summon it.
Although after use, the contract would dim again, the next time it fills up is unknown, but...
"Focus on the present."
"No destruction, no creation!"
Zhang Fusheng pressed the lighter, along with the 'snap' sound, the paper covered in writing was ignited, ashes turning in the air.
A second later.
"Zhang! Fu! Sheng!" Teacher Zhou's magical voice came from the living room: "Are you smoking??"
The paper burnt into ashes, Teacher Zhou rushed in, fuming.
"I didn't!!!" Zhang Fusheng scrambled away, covering his head.
......
Next morning.
Watching dad and mom sweetly pack their luggage, drive away in the car, Zhang Fusheng clearly saw dad give mom a greasy peck on the car.
"Tsk... at home, am I in their way?"
Zhang Fusheng shrank his neck, clutching the bank card in his hand, taking a deep breath.
He didn't rush to the Martial Arts Dojo to pay tuition, instead he knocked on the neighbor's door.
After a while, the door opened slowly, Uncle Wang in a white tank top and shorts, wearing flip-flops, said cheerfully:
"Little Fusheng? Here to share cultivation experiences with Grandpa again?"
"Pretty much, but there's something else as well." Zhang Fusheng handed over a cherished bottle of old wine from dad, grinning: "I want to make a deal with you."
"A deal?"
Uncle Wang joyously accepted the old wine, stepping aside:
"Come on in, we'll talk inside!"
Zhang Fusheng slipped in, closing the door behind like returning home, sitting down on the sofa.
"Little Fusheng, what kind of deal?" Uncle Wang picked up a fragrant pear, thought about it, then switched to a cheaper apple, handing it to Zhang Fusheng.
Zhang Fusheng didn't reach out to take it, contemplating the breaking dawn and swirling morning glow, perceiving the surrounding vague mysterious factor, suddenly he had a special charm about him.
His smile grew solemn.
"Grandpa Wang."
Zhang Fusheng's voice was low and solemn:
"If I can make you sense the mysterious factor, make you reach entry level in the contemplation technique, would you make the deal?"
Uncle Wang froze momentarily, then became alert:
"Are you trying to scam my pension too??"