A Whoosh and a Bang

"Wasn't this simple?"

Qi Zixiao blinked, but then remembered that this world wasn't a cultivation world, and felt relieved.

"Simple?"

Wu Guodong smiled bitterly.

How was this simple? It was clearly insanely difficult, all right? If it were really that simple, how could it have made Qiu Shufeng flee across most of Hua Nation?

"It's pretty simple." Qi Zixiao said honestly, "I just curled my fingers and calculated..."

Wu Guodong: "..."

What the hell did she mean, "curled my fingers and calculated"?!

Did she think this was a movie?!

He wanted to laugh and curse at her a little, but decided to cooperate instead. "Whom did you study under? Was it Ma Yi Divine Calculator?"

"Who is Ma Yi Divine Calculator?"

Qi Zixiao thought for a moment. The Heaven and Earth Grand Deduction Art counted as something she had taught herself, right? So she said, "I have no master."

Well, then!

Wu Guodong spread his hands.

The more she talked, the more absurd it became.

The art of divination actually existed throughout the world. Some believed in it, while others did not.

Wu Guodong did not believe in it. After all, he was a public servant. But everything that existed had a reason, and he had originally wondered whether there might truly be some extraordinary people like that.

But now...

No master? Could this thing really be innate, mastered without instruction?

"Looks like it was a coincidence. Perhaps he happened to obtain a clue about Qiu Shufeng, but didn't want me to know how he got it, so he refused to say?"

Wu Guodong thought to himself.

That explanation made sense. Even the tightest net had gaps. What if Qiu Shufeng had simply left behind some clues that Lin Fan happened to find?

But then Wu Guodong froze.

"No!"

"Qiu Shufeng appeared at Swan Lake and pretended to be part of the salvage crew for two reasons. First, it was the old saying about hiding beneath the lamp—the most dangerous place is the safest."

"Second... perhaps the salvage crew's pay was quite generous?"

"But no matter what, there was one prerequisite: Lin Fan had to 'jump into the lake and commit suicide' first. Only then would the body retriever appear."

"In other words, if everything is linked together, Lin Fan used 'jumping into the lake and committing suicide' to lure Qiu Shufeng out and make him walk right into the net."

"This...!!!"

Wu Guodong was utterly stunned.

He stared at the 'Lin Fan' across from him, his eyes wide.

How was he supposed to explain this?

Another coincidence?

But that would be far too much of a coincidence, wouldn't it? And how many coincidences had there been in this whole affair?! When multiple coincidences came together, they became inevitable!

At that moment, even though Wu Guodong sincerely did not want to believe in anything as fanciful as divination, he could not help asking, "Can you really calculate things?"

"Of course."

Qi Zixiao was still waiting to continue her 'money transaction' with Wu Guodong, so naturally she did not intend to conceal anything.

A person fought for a breath, while a Buddha fought for a stick of incense.

That fellow had looked down on her and refused to let her earn money, hadn't he? Then she would earn it for him to see. She would even earn more than him, and faster!

That was Qi Zixiao's current plan.

And judging from her experience catching this wanted criminal... it was clearly a faster, better, and more profitable path than that fellow's 'bricklaying grand plan.'

Since that was the case, she naturally had to seize the opportunity.

"Really..."

Wu Guodong slowly furrowed his brows and remained silent for a full two minutes.

His mind was in turmoil. For a moment, he did not know whether he should believe her. If he did not believe her, this was too unbelievable. But if he did believe her, it violated the principles he had always held...

"Phew!"

After a long while, Wu Guodong let out a long breath. "Let's leave it at that for today. You go back first. I still have quite a few things to deal with."

Qi Zixiao was displeased when she heard that. "How about I catch a few more wanted criminals for you? I can calculate everything right in front of you. Of course, you'll have to pay me. If you don't pay..."

"I can't calculate it! Yes, I can't calculate it."

Her Highness Saintess had become completely obsessed with money.

Wu Guodong was instantly torn between laughter and tears. "Big brother, do you think wanted criminals are cabbages? Can you buy them wholesale?"

There were indeed wanted criminals and fugitives, but many were simply people sought online who generally had not committed any major crimes, much less crimes worth a bounty.

After all, where would there be so many vicious criminals in this new era?

And she couldn't calculate it if he didn't pay...

At that moment, Wu Guodong truly did not know what to say. In the end, he could only reply, "Fine. If something like this happens again, I'll contact you. But there's nothing for now."

"All right, then..."

Qi Zixiao could only agree. The two then went their separate ways.

Now that she had money, Qi Zixiao naturally did not hesitate. She flagged down a taxi and headed for Green Mountain Town.

On the way back to the station, Wu Guodong thought about many, many things.

"Can he really calculate things? This is way too mystical. It just doesn't seem possible..."

"Forget it. After chatting with him for a few minutes, I've started sounding like a spiritualist myself. I'd better talk to him less in the future..."

To prevent his 'materialist' worldview from collapsing, Wu Guodong made that decision.

Back at his lodgings.

With less than a day and a half remaining, and the money already in hand, Qi Zixiao was in an extremely comfortable mood...

After happily taking a bath, she began her stay-at-home life of binge-watching dramas.

It was worth mentioning that Her Highness Saintess had now become completely accustomed to bathing in Lin Fan's body and all that...

After all, it wasn't her first time. No matter how awkward it was, after doing it a few more times, she had naturally become familiar with it and grown used to it.

At the same time, Lin Fan was laboring away!

The Image Recording Qi Zixiao had left behind contained a comprehensive explanation of his cultivation method and techniques, progressing from the shallow to the profound and delivered with great 'detail.'

How detailed was it?

Take projecting True Essence outward, for example...

Qi Zixiao's exact words had been: "Projecting True Essence outward is the 'hallmark' of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator. After Foundation Establishment, one can use the technique of projecting True Essence outward. The method is: control your own True Essence, break through the limitations of the physical body, and then..."

"Give it a 'whoosh,' followed by a 'bang,' and that's it."

Lin Fan: "_(3"∠)_..."

He had already learned how to simply control the True Essence within his body.

But projecting True Essence outward had stumped him for two whole days. Only now had he gained the slightest clue. The reason was naturally this 'detailed' cultivation tutorial!

"I give up..."

"This profligate woman—could she be related to Naruto? Is this any way to teach someone?"

"What the hell do you mean, 'a whoosh and a bang'? If I can learn this, then I really am a genius!"

Thinking of the scene where Naruto taught Konohamaru the Rasengan, Lin Fan felt a headache coming on...

When he had originally watched that scene, he had thought it was hilarious. But now that he had encountered something like this himself, he finally understood how much of a headache it really was!

What Lin Fan did not know was that Qi Zixiao had truly found cultivation that simple...

Projecting True Essence outward?

Wasn't it just a whoosh and a bang, and then it was done?

At that moment, Lin Fan scratched his head.

"So projecting True Essence outward is actually moving True Essence through the meridians, then shooting it out through the Acupoints and pores..."

"So the 'whoosh' is the 'sensation' and 'sound' of True Essence breaking through the body's surface?"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Lin Fan controlled his True Essence and projected it outward.

"Can't deny it, it really does go 'whoosh, whoosh'!"

"Then the bang is probably..."

"The sound it makes when using this projected True Essence to attack, or when it disperses?"

Ahem, I'm rolling around here begging for some tips—just the one-yuan kind. I want to collect a hundred before the book goes premium. Those who have already tipped can ignore this; for those who haven't... what pose do you like?