Ways to Make Money

Zhang Fusheng ultimately went home.

First, because he truly could not find his own dormitory. Second, because he wanted to test just what was so miraculous about the Great Accomplishment Dense White Bone Contemplation.

"One hundred thirty-two. One hundred thirty is fine."

After paying the fare, he walked all the way back to the "luxurious" residential complex in the Seventh District and returned to Room 306.

"Dense White Bone Contemplation."

Zhang Fusheng tried searching for this Visualization Method on his computer, but found very little information. Most of it came from former students of Hong Ji Martial Arts Hall.

According to what was online, Dense White Bone Contemplation was Old Master Hong's personal Visualization Method. It ranked among the superior methods, but was extremely difficult to cultivate. Moreover, because one had to visualize oneself as a grim skeleton, it was very easy to suffer qi deviation.

"White Bone Meditation."

Zhang Fusheng fell into thought. In the Buddhist Sect of his previous life, there had also been White Bone Meditation, and it had been one of Buddhism's Five Meditation Methods. Yet in this world, Buddhism did not exist.

At least, in the eighteen years since his reincarnation, he had never found any trace of Buddhism.

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Fusheng searched for the five major levels of Visualization Methods instead. The information was equally scarce—he suspected that martial artists had a private network, with much information cordoned off between martial artists and ordinary people.

Otherwise, how could something Niu Dali casually spoke of before dozens of students have no related information online?

"If I remember correctly, back in my second year of high school, Teacher Chen, who taught Visualization Methods, said that once a Visualization Method reached Great Accomplishment—once one entered the level of [I Observe as I Should Be]—it would possess extraordinary wonders."

"These wonders were things countless martial artists of the Twelve Refinements could only long for but never attain. Visualization Methods demand too much talent for comprehension."

Zhang Fusheng considered it. Without that miraculous scroll of white bones, without that Sinking Purgatory, fifty years would probably only have been enough for him to barely cultivate Dense White Bone Contemplation to Minor Accomplishment.

As for Great Accomplishment?

He would likely be looking at a hundred years!

And the more he thought about it, the more envious he became of Chen Nuanyu's talent—before she had even formally entered university, both her Visualization Method and Breathing Technique had already reached Great Accomplishment!

One had to know that, according to Teacher Chen, those who cultivated a Visualization Method to Great Accomplishment were definitely rarer than top-tier martial artists of the Twelfth Refinement!

Then... had Chen Nuanyu truly brought her Visualization Method to Great Accomplishment?

Zhang Fusheng suddenly had his doubts. Could the gap between people truly be so vast?

"So what exactly is the wonder of Dense White Bone Contemplation?"

After thinking it over, he sat cross-legged before the large mirror in the living room. Staring at his reflection, his thoughts shifted, and he visualized his body gradually decaying, gradually withering, gradually turning into white bones.

His thoughts could sense dense Mysterious Factors all around him, seemingly moving according to his will. But beyond that, there were no other miraculous changes.

If he had to name something, his heartbeat had slowed, and his body seemed to carry an air of "desolation"—or perhaps "death and decay."

"Continue!"

This time, Zhang Fusheng visualized his skeletal self growing flesh and skin anew. His heartbeat gradually became vigorous, and faintly, he could even hear the sound of blood surging through his veins.

The invisible Mysterious Factors around him also became clearer in his perception.

This was the standard of a Visualization Method at Minor Accomplishment, the [Internal Realm] level.

"Lastly, Great Accomplishment. I Observe as I Should Be!"

He visualized himself again, seeing flesh grow over bone, and then light emerge from the bones. His gaze fixed on his reflection—beneath his skin, there truly seemed to be a faint glow!

Maintaining the state of "Bone-Born Light," Zhang Fusheng took out his phone and snapped a selfie.

When he opened his gallery, the him in the picture was faintly glowing. The light shone out from beneath his skin, vaguely outlining the shapes of all two hundred and six bones—it was not an illusion!

His bones were truly glowing!

But what use was that?

"I Observe as I Should Be. I visualize my bones glowing, and then my bones really glow. What is this? The mind influencing reality??"

"Then what sort of realm is the Perfection of 'He Observes as I Should Be'?"

After researching it for half the day without figuring out what Bone-Born Light was for, Zhang Fusheng washed up perfunctorily and went to bed.

He was considering that he definitely needed to reveal his "talent," but to what extent?

Overnight, his Visualization Method had gone from nothing to Great Accomplishment. Was that a little excessive?

Zhang Fusheng did not understand what such progress represented.

"I don't need to rush at all. I can proceed step by step. Perfect—Visualization classes are held once every three days. If I reveal my Great Accomplishment Dense White Bone Contemplation in class three days from now, School Master Hong should find it easier to accept, right?"

"The Contract Book still has more than twenty days of reserves. Who should I choose as the next trading target?"

As Zhang Fusheng pondered, he visualized himself decaying into bone, bone regrowing flesh and light, then decaying into bone once more.

As the cycle repeated, the aura around him revolved between withering and flourishing, light and darkness. His heartbeat slowed, then quickened, quickened, then slowed. His hair turned white, then black, black, then white.

It was as if he repeatedly passed through life and death.

At five the next morning, Zhang Fusheng woke early, picked up his luggage, and headed for District Three.

First, to save money by taking the subway—it took longer. Second, he intended to ask the young lady at the front desk where exactly his dormitory was before class began.

A little after eight, just as he arrived at the entrance of Hong Ji Martial Arts Hall, a message popped up on his phone.

Zhu Xiaoming: Old Zhang, the date for the Jiang University Banquet has been set. It'll be in half a month, on July 14th. The venue should be Ayi Restaurant beside Jiang University. Want me to pick you up then?

Zhang Fusheng replied with an okay. After thinking for a moment, he sent another voice message.

"Who'll be there?"

Zhu Xiaoming: From the Martial Arts Department, apart from me and Lu Yao from our class, there'll be Chen Nuanyu, Zhang Bo, and Wang Cheng from the Elite Class. There are also several students from other departments, and I think there's one from your Computer Science Department too.

Zhang Fusheng: Mm, I'll go.

He casually checked the class group chat. It was surprisingly lively so early in the morning. No one was sleeping in; they were all chatting about where to travel and which places were hiring summer workers.

Although Linshu Middle School was considered a fairly good school in Jiangzhou City, there were still quite a few students whose family circumstances were worse than Zhang Fusheng's.

Likewise.

There were also many who had painstakingly cultivated their Breathing Techniques and Visualization Methods for three years without making the slightest progress.

That could not really be called stupidity. They should be called ordinary people. In a sense, Zhang Fusheng himself could only be considered slightly above average.

"Three years... buying their cultivation time for Visualization Methods and Breathing Techniques would be too much of a loss."

Zhang Fusheng understood that the younger one was, the less willing one was to accept fate. Most had a breath of stubbornness bottled up inside.

People like Old Master Wang were premium "trading targets."

"Perhaps I should make a trip to the Eighth District and Ninth District, especially the hospitals and clinics there. But first, I need to become a martial artist and gain the ability to protect myself."

After getting his dorm room number from the young lady at the front desk,

Zhang Fusheng quietly entered the dormitory on the second floor of the Martial Arts Academy, Room 204.

It was a three-person room, with three beds positioned in three directions. Each had a bed above and a desk below. The entire space was a little over thirty square meters, cleanly decorated, with a pleasant environment.

The other two roommates were already up as well. One was washing up, while the other was cultivating.

"New student?"

The young man who was washing up dried the water from his face, turned around, and sized Zhang Fusheng up from head to toe.

"You were the one sitting in the front row yesterday, right? I'm Zhou Quan. That one meditating over there is Wang Xiangnan.

"Zhang Fusheng."

Zhang Fusheng nodded politely, made his bed in a few quick movements, and sat down in his chair.

Screech.

Accompanied by a harsh scraping sound, Zhou Quan, now finished washing up, dragged a chair over and sat opposite Zhang Fusheng, looking deeply interested.

"If I remember correctly, Brother Fusheng only started cultivating a Visualization Method yesterday? Why so late?"

Zhang Fusheng said,

"The Visualization Method taught at school was too low-level. I heard it was troublesome to switch Visualization Methods, so I waited until my family had saved enough tuition money, then came directly to the Martial Arts Academy to study."

Zhou Quan's eyes lit up slightly, and he said thoughtfully,

"Brother Fusheng's family is in rather difficult circumstances?"

"I live in the Seventh District," Zhang Fusheng answered briefly. He was somewhat baffled. This young man was a little too familiar for someone he had just met.

The smile on Zhou Quan's face became even warmer.

"The Seventh District, huh. Poor scholars, rich martial artists—the expenses of martial arts training are no small matter. Whether it's paying senior students at the Martial Arts Academy who have entered the gate to guide you through the two methods of visualization and breathing in the early stages, or medicinal baths and dietary supplements after you begin body tempering, every part of it costs a fortune."

Zhang Fusheng's expression did not change. He asked curiously,

"What do you mean, Brother Zhou?"

Zhou Quan smiled and pointed at Wang Xiangnan, who was silently cultivating nearby.

"Xiangnan's family circumstances were poor at first too. He lived in the Eighth District. But after he started working with me, he and his family have now moved to the Fifth District, bought a home, paid three terms of tuition in one go, and even his recent dietary supplements cost six or seven hundred a meal. He's about to become a First Refinement martial artist."

"Brother Fusheng, would you like to make some money too?"

Zhang Fusheng raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at Wang Xiangnan, who was focused on cultivation. He could sense that Wang Xiangnan was practicing [Dense White Bone Contemplation], probably having just entered the gate and just reached the "External Manifestation" level.

After bringing White Bone Meditation to Great Accomplishment, he could clearly sense the mental states of others.

No, it was not merely sensing.

It even seemed that he could... influence them?

"Three terms of tuition would cost three hundred thousand. A home in the Fifth District would cost no less than a million. Brother Zhou's way of making money must reach the heavens."

Zhang Fusheng smiled.

"But I still want to focus on martial arts training. For now, I have no time to spare for anything else."

Zhou Quan's smile did not fade. He was not angered by the refusal. Instead, he stepped forward and affectionately patted Zhang Fusheng on the shoulder.

"It's fine. Come find me whenever you're short on money."

He glanced at his expensive watch.

"There are two consecutive cultivation classes at nine, Breathing Technique and Stance Training. Want to go together?"

"Sure." Zhang Fusheng nodded with a smile.

All he lacked now was a Breathing Technique.