33 Test

33. Test

After overdoing it yesterday, Lu Li got up a little later than usual this morning.

When he came into the courtyard, Xiao Cha was already practicing her fist techniques.

They nodded to each other, and Lu Li also practiced a set of the White Dragon Whip Technique.

Its 77 practice movements worked every part of the body perfectly, doing an excellent job of loosening the muscles and promoting blood circulation.

"Body Follows Will" let him control every muscle in his body at will, maximizing the effects of his training!

After finishing, the oxygen level in Lu Li's body rose and his metabolism sped up, leaving him feeling wonderfully refreshed!

Unfortunately, he was still short on stamina, and couldn't keep going after one set.

Next, brimming with enthusiasm, Lu Li began testing the "telekinesis" he had just acquired.

He glared at the bamboo fence beside the wall, and a thumb-thick stalk snapped on its own with a sharp crack.

Then he looked toward his room and beckoned at the M1911 on the table.

The pistol flew toward him under an invisible force, and Lu Li caught it deftly before aiming at the earthen wall and pulling the trigger.

The whole sequence was smooth and dashing, and incredibly futuristic.

After testing it several times, he gradually worked out the traits of his "telekinesis":

First, he had to be able to see the target, and it had to be within 20 meters.

Second, the invisible force was a brief, explosive burst, essentially like throwing something.

Thinking back to the nimble "flying sword" he had seen at the Divine Heart Society, he knew he still had a long way to go.

Even so, Xiao Cha was already green with envy~

Especially when she saw Lu Li's dashing move of beckoning the gun into his hand, she nearly drooled.

Then, as if unwilling to be outdone, Xiao Cha placed her own pistol on the ground a short distance away.

She drew the Nine-Section Whip from her waist and flicked it. The whip darted out deftly, wrapped around the pistol, and whisked it back to her.

"Impressive!" Lu Li praised. "I never expected such a fierce weapon to have such a gentle side!"

Whip weapons were terrifying weapons of murder, and one of the few kinds that even an ordinary person could swing hard enough to break the sound barrier.

Xiao Cha's technique was forceful yet supple; it would have taken years of hard practice to achieve.

Pleased by Lu Li's praise, the young woman lifted her chin proudly, but then she suddenly said:

"Hey~ Your control is amazing when you enter Meditative Entry. You'd be pretty suited to using a whip~"

She handed him the Nine-Section Whip and said:

"Use this to practice the White Dragon Whip Technique. You'll train your tendons and pick up another martial art for self-defense~"

"Then, thank you!" Lu Li accepted it with both hands.

It never hurt to have more skills, and whips were easy to conceal. They could come in handy in certain situations.

"No need to be so polite~" Xiao Cha said with a bright smile. "The foreign gun you gave me could buy hundreds of whips like this~"

She glanced at the sky, then said, "I have to go to the police station today and ask around for news!"

Having an insider made things easier. Lu Li asked, "Could there be any trouble?"

Xiao Cha replied confidently, "I cleaned up every trace, and the brokers only ever do vile, inhuman things. Plenty of people hated them, so no one will be able to trace this back to us~"

As she spoke, she bent down to change into her official boots, ready to leave.

But her backside happened to be facing Lu Li. It was round and pert, like a big, ripe peach, and extremely eye-catching...

After entering Meditative Entry, Lu Li's mind would instinctively wander whenever he saw something that interested him.

As he kept staring, Xiao Cha immediately felt an itchy sensation across her backside and hips, as if her skin were being brushed with a soft brush.

She covered her backside and turned around. Seeing Lu Li awkwardly shift his gaze away, she immediately understood.

Normally, the girl was quite fiery. Under ordinary circumstances, she wouldn't have let a lecher off lightly; even a few curses would have been the mildest response.

But now, Xiao Cha's cheeks were flushed, and she seemed terribly shy. There was even a strange hint of happiness?

That very happiness only made her more embarrassed, and she covered her backside as she ran off.

Lu Li was baffled. I only glanced by accident. Was there any need to react so strongly?

Without systematic guidance, the young man had no idea just how much trouble his gaze could cause.

~~~~~~~~~~

If he'd had a master, they would have taught Lu Li how to bring his power under control, so his gaze wouldn't have had that strange effect.

But Lu Li could only figure it out on his own.

Fortunately, this mysterious ability was so entertaining that he had a wonderful time playing with it.

He found some stones, a kitchen knife, and a pair of scissors, then continued testing his telekinesis.

First, he launched a stone. It struck the earthen wall with a thud, and proved nothing special.

Next came the kitchen knife. Lu Li widened his eyes, and the gleaming blade immediately shot out, slicing a crack into the earthen wall before falling to the ground.

Both of those had about as much force as if someone had thrown them by hand.

The scissors, on the other hand, thunked into the earthen wall and stuck there!

Lu Li realized which weapons worked best with telekinesis:

"Sharp objects are definitely the way to go. It's like having a 'Little Li Flying Dagger' trick up my sleeve, and it's impossible to guard against!"

"But I can't use it endlessly..."

After activating the ability five times in a row, Lu Li felt his head grow stuffy. It was a sign that his Mind Power had been overtaxed.

Fortunately, it wasn't serious. He rubbed his temples and rested for a while, and soon felt fine again.

After all that rest, his stamina had recovered.

Lu Li picked up the Nine-Section Whip Xiao Cha had given him and practiced the White Dragon Whip Technique.

With Body Follows Will, he got the hang of the Nine-Section Whip—a weapon that demanded considerable skill—very quickly. Sharp cracks rang through the courtyard one after another.

At that moment, Wan Qing was inside mending clothes.

Listening to the constant commotion in the courtyard, she could imagine just how hard the man was working.

An inexplicable sense of security welled up in her heart. A gentle, tender smile appeared on Wan Qing's face, and some of her worry faded.

After they'd destroyed one of the Tooth Brokerage's outposts, how could those people possibly let it go?

~~~~~~~~~

By evening, Xiao Cha returned from the police station, where she had gone to ask around for news.

Lu Li and Wan Qing hurried over to join her, and the three of them gathered to discuss matters.

Xiao Cha looked both pleased and worried as she began:

"Things have blown up a bit. The Provincial Surveillance Department has ordered the police station and the National Martial Arts Association to work together on the investigation. Chief Constable Chen has already taken a large force to the scene, and the National Martial Arts Association has sent some experts too!"

The Provincial Surveillance Department was the provincial equivalent of the police, prosecutors, and courts. For a mere human-trafficking den, this was indeed a major show of force.

Their expressions turned grave. Xiao Cha continued:

"There's no need to worry too much. I cleaned up everything thoroughly, and outsiders don't know we're capable of this. But Tong Shao needs to stay hidden. She absolutely can't show herself in public."

Wan Qing nodded. "She's been hiding in the house the whole time and hasn't shown her face."

"Good." Xiao Cha's expression turned serious. "Now we just have to lie low for ten days or half a month. Once the fuss dies down, we'll be fine~"

At this point, all they could do was stay cautious. The three of them quickly finished discussing the matter.

Just then, Lu Li took out the Calming Incense, intending to finish today's incense session.

But Xiao Cha said gravely, "Oh, right~ There's one more thing. Calming Incense has gone up in price again. It's 300 Ocean Dollars a box now! And it's rationed—each person can only buy one box a month!"

Lu Li frowned. "How did that happen?"

Xiao Cha answered with a serious look, "There's always been more demand for this incense than supply. Plenty of ordinary people even bought it to cultivate themselves. With the Divine Heart Society cutting off the supply, this was bound to happen."

Lu Li looked at the Calming Incense in his hand. It was essential for cultivating quickly right now; he couldn't afford to go without it.

Fortunately, they had gotten more than 2,000 Ocean Dollars from the brokers. That should keep them going for a while, right?