Compensating for Weaknesses

After dinner, Miao Ruolan got down to business. She told him that the most difficult stage of this cultivation technique was the birth of true qi, which couldn't be taught and could only be achieved through personal quiet contemplation.

She had been practicing since childhood, and it wasn't until thirteen years later, during a spring night, that she accidentally triggered it, capturing a fleeting sensation of qi and producing her first wisp of true qi.

Subsequently, this wisp of true qi traveled through the major meridians in her body, slowly growing stronger.

She wasn't slow either; she was three years faster than her father. Her father had spent a full sixteen years to produce this wisp of true qi. Midway, he had even wondered if his ancestors had lied. Therefore, when his disciple betrayed him back then, the old man only felt depressed but didn't strike him, because he could understand the disappointment of his disciple who had worked diligently for five years without any results...

So, facing Lin Xiaosu, she revealed her true thoughts: don't be eager for quick success. After all, in modern society, almost no one practices martial arts, and life goes on, doesn't it? You can take the book back, even a photocopy is fine. You can return the original to me after some time.

Lin Xiaosu's eyes flickered at her reasonable suggestion. "There's no need to take it away; I've already seen it."

He immediately returned the book to her on the spot.

Miao Ruolan felt a mix of relief and disappointment.

She was relieved that he knew when to retreat and wasn't stubbornly persistent.

But she was disappointed that she ultimately couldn't help him.

However, Miao Ruolan had no idea what she meant by her next sentence...

Lin Xiaosu said, "I've already memorized it anyway, I'll give it a try..."

Then, he sat down cross-legged and remained motionless.

Miao Ruolan cleared the dishes, washed them, and also washed the sheets she hadn't had time to wash yesterday. Time flew by, and it was already past four in the afternoon...

Her gaze drifted towards the backyard, her thoughts beginning to wander.

Lin Xiaosu was still sitting in the backyard, not having moved at all.

It's almost five o'clock, aren't you going home?

She genuinely didn't mean to drive him away; in fact, she hoped he wouldn't leave tonight. However, if he really stayed, she was still a little scared. Having never had a man stay over before, she didn't even have any concept of such things. She felt a little scared, a little shy, a little conflicted...

Lin Xiaosu had no intention of leaving at all.

Until after five o'clock, after six o'clock...

Miao Ruolan completely let go of her inner turmoil.

It seemed he was definitely staying the night.

It was already dark.

In fact, Lin Xiaosu should have sensed her inner conflict.

It was the first time they had met today, a man and a woman alone, could he stay the night?

Under normal circumstances, it would be absolutely impossible.

But today, the situation was special.

Lin Xiaosu had completely forgotten the passage of time; he was wholeheartedly focused on this cultivation technique.

Humanity Orchid Heart, wasn't that the strongest comprehension?

Didn't a cultivation technique require comprehension the most?

If I can't even get started with one cultivation technique, what kind of comprehension am I talking about?

I must defend the dignity of Humanity Orchid Heart!

He was full of defiance, but unfortunately, this cultivation technique seemed to be specifically designed to deal with stubborn people like him. All morning, all afternoon, he couldn't even touch the edge of a qi sensation...

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.

It was as if a silver fish had stirred up ripples.

Lin Xiaosu saw a new direction.

This silver fish in his mind!

What was this silver fish?

A consciousness.

Consciousness itself was ethereal, but after obtaining Humanity Orchid Heart, this ethereal consciousness seemed to come alive, becoming tangible.

At that point, qi sensation could not be born.

Let me try pulling this silver fish to that location...

In a single thought, the silver fish reached the mysterious "Spring Return Origin Point"...

With one rotation, Lin Xiaosu's entire body trembled. He captured an invisible ripple that emerged...

With two rotations, a wisp of qi sensation was born.

With three rotations, this wisp of qi sensation flowed down from this origin point, and his dantian felt waves of sharp pain.

The stimulation of true qi became more obvious.

But the pain also became more intense. This silver fish was like a plow in his hands, plowing through uncultivated land...

At some point, Lin Xiaosu was drenched in sweat, large beads of sweat hanging precariously from his forehead.

Finally, with a loud "boom" from within his body, it was as if a door sealed for decades had been opened. True qi transformed into a trickling stream, flowing through his two major meridians, twelve regular meridians, and eight extraordinary meridians...

By the small back gate, Miao Ruolan, holding a tray, stood by the courtyard entrance. With a soft cry of disbelief, the tray in her hands nearly slipped, but she held on tightly, deforming the stainless steel.

Lin Xiaosu slowly opened his eyes, his expression like someone who had finally set down a heavy burden after hours of carrying it, feeling incredibly relaxed and at ease.

Suddenly, he raised his hand, staring in surprise at a layer of grime on his arm. He touched his backside and thought, Damn it!

His clothes were slick, as if the impurities within his body had been expelled all at once.

"You succeeded! You actually succeeded!" Miao Ruolan's face was flushed, and the plates on the tray clattered as she spoke…

"I need to take a shower…" Lin Xiaosu said.

"Come!"

Lin Xiaosu spent a long time in the bathroom.

Miao Ruolan hung her father's clothes on the doorknob and stood in the yard for a long time.

Her chest rose and fell gently as she calmed the turmoil within her heart.

The Spring Return Skill had been mastered, cleansing the body and expelling impurities. This was something she hadn't mentioned to him.

In her estimation, even if he were truly calm and a genius, it would still take years before there was even a slight possibility of such a breakthrough. It wasn't time to discuss the cultivation method's effects yet.

But in just half a day, he had directly broken through.

He had achieved the most difficult part: the initiation!

Was this his miracle?

The miracle of the cultivation method itself?

Or was it a miracle they had created together?

The bathroom door opened, and Lin Xiaosu walked out wearing her father's pajamas. Miao Ruolan suddenly felt that the person walking towards her looked a bit handsome!

This was not an illusion.

It was a fact. Mastering the Spring Return Skill, expelling bodily impurities, and optimizing physical functions inherently included beautification.

Why do you think Miao Ruolan could persist for thirteen years?

The most fundamental goal was beauty.

Why hadn't she succeeded?

Actually, it was a tearful story. She had succeeded!

Initially, she was ugly. After mastering the Spring Return Skill, she became ordinary. Wasn't that also a success?

She couldn't blame her mother for passing on the worst part of her face to her, nor could she blame the ancestral cultivation method for not having a transformative effect. She could only blame her own extremely low starting point. Even with a significant improvement, she was still below average…

"I think I've done it!" Lin Xiaosu chuckled softly.

"You don't think, you have!" Miao Ruolan collected her scattered thoughts and smiled brilliantly.

"I feel like I can also create a marvel, just like you!"

"Like me?" Miao Ruolan was slightly taken aback. "You're talking nonsense again. What marvel can I create?"

Lin Xiaosu walked to the small table and picked up a pebble…

Swish!

The pebble shot out like lightning, embedding itself precisely in the center of a large flower opposite them, as if a dot had been placed on the flower's heart.

Miao Ruolan's eyes lit up. "You saw long ago that the pebbles embedded in this stone were placed using this method?"

"Mhm!"

"Is this your detective skill?"

Lin Xiaosu smiled. "So, our detective agency will definitely not be short of business!"

"I… I already said, I… I really can't do detective work. Cooperating with me is like keeping a freeloader."

"You wish. Do you really think it's easy? Opening a detective agency involves so many procedures, I get tired just thinking about it!"

"Then why do you insist on opening one?"

"Because… because of money. In this society, you can't move an inch without money. My older brother isn't married yet, and my mom is so worried about arranging our marriages. My dad works at construction sites, getting tanned and sweaty every day. I plan to liberate my dad with my own hands first."

"Then I have to liberate my dad too!" Miao Ruolan said. "And my brother. My mom said my brother can only find a partner by spending money in Southeast Asia."

"Has your brother practiced this Spring Return Skill?" Lin Xiaosu asked.

"He's too impatient with things, how could he practice it? At the time, he said something that nearly made my dad furious… He said he'd been practicing for ten years, but felt no energy flow within him except for gas. Thankfully, he didn't succeed. If he had some martial arts skill, with his tendency to act out at the slightest provocation, our family's entire fortune wouldn't be enough to pay for the other party's medical expenses…"

After dinner, Miao Ruolan immediately grabbed his changed clothes and went to wash them.

Once she started washing, Lin Xiaosu no longer dwelled on whether to go back.

Going home to sleep in someone else's father's pajamas overnight seemed a bit inappropriate.

Staying here for a night didn't seem like a big deal, after all, they were partners now, and if nothing unexpected happened, they would be living together at the county detective agency in the future.

He started washing the dishes.

In the backyard, the solar lights were on, casting a soft glow. He washed the dishes, and Miao Ruolan washed the clothes. It was quite harmonious.

The two chatted, and gradually a sense of familiarity grew between them.

Perhaps it was because they had both mastered the Spring Return Skill, making them kindred spirits, or perhaps Miao Ruolan was naturally a very gentle and intelligent person. Regardless, Lin Xiaosu found talking with her incredibly comfortable, and their conversation became increasingly relaxed. By the time it was late at night, they truly felt like old friends who had collaborated for many years.

That night, Lin Xiaosu slept in the guest room.

A gentle breeze blew in from outside the window, the water below rippled slightly, the barking of dogs in the mountain village quieted down, and the starry sky was then covered by dark clouds...

He slept soundly. Perhaps this was the wonderful effect of the Spring Return Skill, which could make one's state of mind exceptionally peaceful.

If he were placed in a team like Chang Ye and Number 88, at least his sleep could be synchronized with theirs; he could fall asleep whenever he wanted.

What about his combat skills?

Could he synchronize with them in that regard?

Lin Xiaosu didn't know, but it wasn't that important.

What was important was that his biggest weakness was being addressed, and there were signs that the future looked promising.

The combat power of genetic experts erupted suddenly; they reached their peak the moment they stepped off the operating table.

But it wasn't like that for practitioners of Ancient Martial Arts. Their cultivation would grow, and this was the source of Lin Xiaosu's confidence