READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 12: Trope Factory
Feng Fan glanced at his reddened hand, still throbbing from the pain, and let out a heavy sigh. "Forget it. I'll try the Qi Cultivation manual for now," he muttered, resigning himself to a less painful alternative.
He reached for the cauldron lid, carefully placing it back on top to seal away the torment for another time.
Feng Fan picked up Basic Qi Cultivation Arts and began reading. The book wasn't particularly thick, making it a relatively quick read.
Although it lacked any illustrations, the language was straightforward.
The manual detailed the initial process of cultivation: the practitioner must sit cross-legged, inhale deeply through the nose, and exhale through the mouth. This breathing cycle would continue until they could sense the presence of qi in the atmosphere.
Once this foundational step was achieved, the next phase involved absorbing qi through the entire body and guiding it into the dantian, located on his lower abdomen.
'I wonder what makes this manual different from other Qi Cultivation guides,' Feng Fan mused, his brow furrowing slightly. 'Since I can't access another book for now, it might be worth asking Qinqin about her initial steps to compare.'
His curiosity grew as he tried to understand why nobody could successfully practice it.
Feng Fan sat down cross-legged, positioning himself as instructed in the manual, and began to regulate his breathing. Following the book's guidance, he inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled through his mouth.
At first, his mind wandered restlessly, a remnant of his Earthly habits—constant distractions from high-dopamine activities like social media and endless scrolling.
Focusing felt foreign, even arduous, as the urge to move tried to take over him.
After a few minutes of persistence, his restless thoughts began to fade.
Gradually, his breathing became rhythmic, his heart rate steady. For the first time in his life, he felt himself entering a state of calm and focus, the world around him beginning to blur as he immersed himself in breathing.
Minutes blurred into hours, and Feng Fan lost all sense of time.
It wasn't until the menial disciple arrived with his meal that he even realized how long he'd been sitting. If not for the interruption, he felt he could have kept going indefinitely—his mind unusually clear and at peace.
The problem, however, was glaringly obvious—he couldn't feel anything at all.
Despite the calmness and mental clarity he achieved, there was no sign of qi—no mysterious energy coursing through his body, no spark of enlightenment. Just... nothing.
While it was refreshing to set his thoughts aside for a while, the outcome left him frustrated. "So this is what cultivating nothingness feels like," he muttered under his breath, suppressing the urge to chuck the manual across the room.
As Feng Fan ate, he continued thinking. "I need a point of reference," he thought, tapping his chopsticks against the bowl. "Maybe the issue with this manual is the method of sensing qi. I should consult Qinqin and see how she started her cultivation. At least that'll give me something to compare."
After finishing his meal, Feng Fan quickly took the qi stones sack and put it inside his robes before leaving his room to find Xue Qiang and ask about her cultivation experience. However, a realization struck him mid-step: he had no idea where her room was located.
He began asking random disciples for directions until one finally pointed him the right way.
Just as he rounded a corner, he collided with someone—hard.
THUD!
Feng Fan stumbled to the ground from the impact but scrambled back to his feet almost instantly. "Uh, sorry about that. Are you okay?"
He turned to see the person he had bumped into and froze—it was Huang Xue.
The moment their eyes met, his connection ability was unintentionally activated, and her thoughts came flooding into his mind.
'Ah, I'm so clumsy…' she lamented internally.
Outwardly, her face betrayed no emotion as she shot him a cold look. "Why don't you pay attention to where you're going?"
The mismatch between her icy tone and her internal thoughts confused Feng Fan.
'Ah, goddamnit. Why did I say that? I didn't mean to be rude… How am I ever going to make friends like this?' she thought, berating herself.
Feng Fan stood there, utterly baffled. His gaze flickered between her expressionless face and the apologetic chaos in her mind. 'What the hell… Why are this girl's thoughts and her words so completely different? Are all pretty girls insane?'
"So-Sorry, I didn't mean to hit you, sister Huang Xue. Are you alright?" He said.
Her tone softened slightly as she stepped back. "Just watch where you're going next time."
'That sounded too harsh again, didn't it? Why am I like this?!' She thought.
Feng Fan nodded, deciding it was best not to get involved. He wasn't close to Huang Xue, and her erratic behavior was none of his concern. 'If she's crazy, that's her business.', he thought.
"All right, I'll be more careful. Thanks, Sister Huang Xue," he said, maintaining a polite tone.
Noticing that she was still on the floor, he extended a hand to help her up. It was the least he could do after bumping into her.
Huang Xue hesitated for a brief moment, her thoughts spilling into his mind again. 'Oh no, he's being polite. Should I take his hand? Will he think I'm weird if I don't? Ugh, I'm overthinking again…'
Feng Fan suppressed a sigh. Why is her mind a whirlwind of overthinking?
She finally accepted his hand, her touch as light as a feather, and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "Thanks," she mumbled, her voice barely audible.
'I hope that didn't seem awkward…' She thought.
Feng Fan gave her a polite smile, quickly withdrawing his hand. 'Yup, definitely crazy,' he thought. "No problem," he replied, already turning to leave.
Before Feng Fan could take another step, Huang Xue called out, her voice sharp with urgency. "Wait! Feng Fan!"
He stopped and turned, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Huang Xue seemed to wrestle with herself for a moment. 'This is my chance to make a friend! I can't let it slip by!'
Feng Fan almost smirked. 'A pretty girl struggling to make friends? This feels odd... Aren't people supposed to flock to girls like her?
She blushed deeply, her words tumbling out in a nervous rush. "I… I heard you don't have good talent and might have trouble with qi cultivation. In my room, there's a qi-gathering array. You can practice there if you want… I mean, I wouldn't mind…" Her voice trailed off, so soft by the end that, if not for hearing her thoughts, he wouldn't have understood.
Feng Fan stared at her for a moment, conflicted. 'Should I refuse? She's obviously trying hard, and I can't help but feel pity for her. I'm not exactly swimming in friends myself too.
He sighed internally. 'All right, what's the harm? Making friends with a future powerhouse could come in handy someday. Who knows, I might need help taking down some arrogant young master.'
He smiled faintly, breaking the awkward silence. "Thanks, Sister Huang Xue. I'd appreciate that."
Huang Xue's face lit up with joy for a fleeting moment before she quickly masked it with an icy expression. "Fine, follow me then," she said, her voice laced with feigned indifference. "But don't get the wrong idea. I'm only doing this because I feel pity for you. And... well, I did bump into you earlier and made you apologize all by yourself."
Feng Fan nodded, maintaining a warm smile, though his thoughts were less composed. 'This girl… she's a fucking Tsundere! I've been isekai'd into a damn trope factory!'