Cultivation by Trial and Error

Holding a bowl of rice noodles, Lin Lan sat down next to Chen Hai.

"Chen Hai, I have something to ask you!"

Looking around and seeing no one paying attention to this spot.

She leaned closer to Chen Hai's ear and whispered, "Yesterday during the day, I didn't see you in class. You should have been sick and taken a sick leave."

"At that time, you showed up on the hill behind the school. You definitely know something, right?"

As she spoke these words, Lin Lan didn't know what came to mind, but a few blushes flashed across her small face.

"Lin Lan, why are you suddenly asking this? Didn't someone say to pretend that we didn't meet last night?"

Chen Hai chuckled and responded with a laugh.

"Don't try to fool me. I just want to know why you were on the hill behind the school last night!"

Lin Lan rolled her eyes at Chen Hai and covered her mouth with a giggle.

She leaned in front of Chen Hai again, "It was definitely you playing tricks last night, scaring that guy away, right?"

She was genuinely concerned about this.

After all, a woman's curiosity can kill a cat.

Qian Bing, that beast, cried and fled in a pathetic manner; there had to be a reason.

If this matter wasn't cleared up, Lin Lan probably wouldn't be able to sleep well for several days.

"Which guy? Lin Lan, what are you talking about? I don't understand."

While nibbling on a steamed bun, Chen Hai casually responded.

"You are always tricking people!" Pouting her lips, Lin Lan muttered discontentedly.

Chen Hai didn't respond and ignored her, just focusing on eating his steamed bun.

Occasionally, he would choke a bit, then quickly grab the cup of warm water beside him and take a few gulps.

"Chen Hai, why don't you have porridge or soymilk instead of just two steamed buns in the morning?"

Seeing how Chen Hai wolfed down his food, Lin Lan kindly asked.

If it had been before, she certainly wouldn't have cared about Chen Hai's affairs.

But now, subconsciously, she believed that Chen Hai had scared Qian Bing away and saved her from humiliation. This was a huge favor to her.

Naturally, she should try her best to repay Chen Hai.

"Does porridge and soymilk cost nothing? I'm poor at home, and I get just a little pocket money each day. Of course, I save wherever I can!"

Chen Hai was straightforward in his response.

He received only a few yuan for living expenses every week.

Usually, he had to save as much as possible. This time when he returned to school, he had to buy books and areca nuts, and more than half of his living allowance was spent.

With more than ten days left until the monthly break and going home, Chen Hai naturally had to save some.

"Chen Hai, wait a second…"

Lin Lan was stunned, said goodbye to Chen Hai, and then turned and left.

It was only a minute or two, and she returned with a cup of soymilk, sitting down next to Chen Hai again.

"Here, this is on me!"

Lin Lan placed the cup of soymilk in front of Chen Hai and said.

"Lin Lan, do you have a lot of pocket money?"

"A cup of soy milk costs a dime, the same price as a bun, but it doesn't stave off hunger. Buying this stuff is just a waste."

"Your father is still in the hospital. If you really have extra money, wouldn't it be better to keep it for yourself?"

Although he said this, he ultimately accepted Lin Lan's kindness.

He took the cup of soy milk and took a delightful sip. He had to admit, it tasted really good!

"Nobody generally knows about my father being in the hospital!"

"You must have heard about it last night, and you won't admit, it was you who scared that guy off!"

Lin Lan rolled her eyes at Chen Hai then explained, "My current father is actually my adoptive father. He's a bachelor and has never married."

"Over a decade ago, when he was scavenging in a neighboring province, he found me at an abandoned construction site and took me back with him."

"I still have a little memory of my childhood. I was the only child of my birth parents, and they never gave up looking for me. Just a few days ago, they found this place."

"In the past few years, my biological father has been a contractor in Yuedong Province, and it seems he's done very well."

"Considering the college entrance exam is coming up soon, they decided not to take me back to Yuedong yet. But after the exam, I'll definitely have to go there."

"After all, I have to go back. After finding me, my adoptive father didn't report to the police; he just took me straight to Wuyang Town."

"Strictly speaking, what he did was abduction. If I don't go back, my birth parents will definitely hold him accountable, and he might end up in jail for several years..."

Lin Lan began to tell her story. If she hadn't brought it up herself, Chen Hai would never have known her life had been so tumultuous.

Chen Hai wasn't much of a talker, but he was a very qualified listener.

The two of them chatted fervently here, not far away, a man with a buzz-cut, his face unfriendly, occasionally glanced over here.

This person, named Zhang Yong, was a classmate of Chen Hai and Lin Lan.

However, he was close to the school bully Qian Bing, and usually they hung out together.

Right now, his eyes flickering, it was uncertain what this guy was thinking!

At Wuyang Town Middle School, breakfast time was only forty minutes.

After breakfast, returning to the classroom, a full day of learning finally began.

As a typical poor student, Chen Hai could immerse himself in the study of the Nameless Ancient Book to the point of forgetting to sleep and eat.

However, as soon as he picked up a textbook, his mind would wander, and he'd begin to doze off.

"Isn't it said in the novels that, after successful cultivation, one can have a clear mind and an extraordinary memory, and no matter what one studies, things can be done twice as well with half the effort?"

"I've already entered the second stage of Tao Cultivation, 'Night Tour,' so why do I still study the same old way?"

"Maybe, while I have the time, I should study the contents of the ancient book, or delve into some of that bizarre knowledge in my mind!"

After several attempts and continual failure to get into a studying state, Chen Hai finally set his heart, tossed aside his textbooks, and began to delve into his Taoist Skill cultivation.

"Keep the Divine Soul in the Heavenly Court, which is where all gods belong, and the spirits of all immortals reside."

"Visualize the air of celestial stars entering through the crown, inch by inch, merging with the Divine Soul, and reincarnating illusions."

"The Divine Soul can feel coolness, heat, sourness, spiciness, see heavenly palaces and maidens, Shura Evil Ghosts, Heavenly Maidens and Bodhisattvas, gods and Ancient Sages of the world, feel as though one has fallen into reincarnation."

"Feel battlefields and struggles, feel the warmth of soft jade, feel the strict father and kind mother, feel oneself having overwhelming martial power, overturning rivers and seas, feel one's body decaying, white bones accumulating—these various illusions, disregard all, maintain a focused mind, transform at will..."

The description of the visualization method in the ancient book was both mysterious and wonderful.

At first glance, Chen Hai couldn't understand at all what those texts were talking about.

However, as he silently recited and pondered word by word the meanings contained in those texts, he occasionally had flashes of insight, feeling more enlightened.

Immersed in the world of 'Tao,' time flew by swiftly.

"Chen Hai, are we having lunch in the cafeteria or dining out? Shall we go together?"

Unknowingly, the morning had passed, and hearing Lin Lan's voice brought Chen Hai abruptly back to reality.