Chapter 105: Value

Tang Lingwu looked at Zheng Fa, her eyes full of pleading and stubbornness.

Zheng Fa shook his head slightly and said to her, "It's not that I won't agree; it's just that I can't right now."

Besides the "Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique," what he cared about most was actually the "Lingshan Technique."

But the Lingshan Technique's minimum requirement is Qi Refining Level Seven.

In essence, the Lingshan Technique is a cultivation technique where one person does it for everyone—if you want people to cultivate, your own qi within must be sufficiently abundant.

Qi Refining Level Seven is just barely enough to practice it.

This thing proves with facts that if you want to save the world, you must at least be a Buddha...

"... I have money." Tang Lingwu pointed at the bank card on the table and said stubbornly, not asking whether he believed her, "If it's not enough, I'll ask my dad to give more..."

"It really isn't a money problem..."

"I just don't want to live under my mother's gaze every single moment." Tang Lingwu suddenly said, "Even a moment of freedom, even the briefest moment, would satisfy me."

"..." Zheng Fa fell silent for a while before saying, "If I can, I will help you."

Tang Lingwu stared into his eyes and slowly nodded, seeming to believe his promise.

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat silent.

Bai Lao, sitting nearby, shook his head and, as if to ease the solemn atmosphere, spoke up, "Come to think of it, even without exposing the secret of cultivation, someone who understands computers could still examine these talisman diagrams."

Zheng Fa slapped his forehead, remembering someone.

He opened a social app and searched his contacts for a white puppy...

He didn't find it.

Scrolling up and down in his phone's contact list, he finally found the name Han Xiaobai.

This person's avatar had changed; it was now a lone wolf walking alone in the desert.

"Brother Han, are you there?"

He sent a message to the other person.

"What's up?"

The other person's reply was very brief; it was clear they were not very patient.

"I want to consult on a few questions."

"Go ahead and say it."

The other person didn't refuse after all.

Zheng Fa briefly described the main idea of the "Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique."

"What you mean is that you have a classification method for those talisman diagrams before, but you don't understand the patterns behind them?"

After talking for a while, the other person finally understood Zheng Fa's meaning.

"More or less."

Zhang Shijie had already classified some of the talisman diagrams using Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements.

But there were simply too many talisman diagrams; the portion she could test out was only a small fraction.

"This isn't easy to handle; we can only try our luck—what I can think of right now is using a machine learning calculation method for image recognition." The other person typed a long string of characters rapidly: "Take the images you've already classified as a training set, then let the computer summarize the features, and finally determine what type the other images are."

Zheng Fa processed this and began to understand the other person's meaning.

It means I can't see the features of these talisman diagrams myself, so let the computer find some features.

As for whether these features are correct...

that will depend on verification later.

"However, I can't guarantee the accuracy," the other person continued, "It's kind of a foolproof method."

Bai Lao looked at the other person's words and slowly nodded, "It's a method; we can analyze it later."

Zheng Fa typed a few more characters: "Brother Han, can you do this?"

"I could do it; this thing isn't hard..."

"So what's the price this time?"

"I don't want to do it; find someone else."

"?"

Seeing the other person refuse so decisively, Zheng Fa was stunned.

Just as he was thinking about how to reply, a small hand suddenly reached out in front of him.

Zheng Fa looked up and saw Tang Lingwu.

Tang Lingwu held out her hand and said softly, "Let me?"

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and handed the phone to her.

He saw Tang Lingwu type four characters on the phone: "We can add money."

"I just don't want to do it."

The other person explained.

"Ten thousand."

Zheng Fa held out his hand.

Wait, quoting that price is a bit too much for me to bear!

"Fifty thousand."

"It really isn't about the money!"

"One hundred thousand."

Watching Tang Lingwu raise the price expressionlessly, Zheng Fa felt a sudden sense of awe in his heart.

Had he spoken too loudly in front of this little rich girl before?

"Brother, aren't you an orphan? Why do you treat money so carelessly? Were you lying to me before?" The other person, seemingly exasperated by Tang Lingwu, sent another message: "I needed to earn money before because I had a girlfriend."

"?"

Tang Lingwu paused, glanced at Zheng Fa, and didn't quite grasp the logic behind it.

"Now I don't, so what the hell is money!" Han Xiaobai, as if he'd finally opened up, explained bluntly: "Brother is poor now, but very happy! Money is useless to me!"

Zheng Fa remembered.

This person had been willing to work mainly to buy a mobile phone for his girlfriend.

So it seems the girlfriend ran off?

"Brother is now empty of all four, pure-hearted and desireless, just one step away from entering the monastery," Han Xiaobai said. "You should find someone else."

The old man Bai Lao nodded beside him, sighing with some emotion: "No wonder people say one must get married. A man without a wife is too carefree; he has no motivation to work."

"..."

Tang Lingwu frowned, suddenly turned on the camera, and sent a selfie.

Zheng Fa and the old man Bai Lao were stunned, not understanding what she intended.

"You're a woman?" The person on the other end was clearly shocked by Tang Lingwu's appearance.

"I am his girlfriend."

"..."You're tricking me with a pretty picture from the internet?"

Tang Lingwu directly initiated a video call.

It took a long while before the other person answered the video call.

On the screen appeared a face with a somewhat receding hairline, looking as if he had stayed up late until he was in a state of blissful exhaustion—Zheng Fa now understood why this guy had such difficulty finding a girlfriend.

"Holy crap!" The moment he saw Tang Lingwu, the guy suddenly let out a sharp cry: "She's real?"

"I'm not lying to you."

"..."Seeming rarely to speak with women, Han Xiaobai on the other end stammered for a long time before suddenly asking: "Was the one who randomly added money just now also you?"

"Yes, and he didn't lie to you before either." Tang Lingwu glanced at Zheng Fa: "I will pay."

"..."He has a girlfriend as beautiful as you, and you're still paying to help him work?" Han Xiaobai was clearly shaken: "Working for such a scoundrel? I refuse!"

"I'll have him teach you how to date."

"I'll do it!" Han Xiaobai quickly changed his tune: "Guaranteed to be fast and good!"

It was clear he truly had a strong desire to learn.

After hanging up the video call, Tang Lingwu handed the phone to Zheng Fa.

Written proudly on her face were two words: Done!

As Zheng Fa reached out with his hand to take it, Tang Lingwu suddenly said: "I can help you a lot too."

Zheng Fa paused, looked at Tang Lingwu, and suddenly understood why she had done all this before...

In Tang Lingwu's view, Zheng Fa needed the old man Bai Lao because of Bai Lao's mathematical knowledge.

By comparison, Tang Lingwu's ability in mathematics was indeed not up to par.

Her actions just now were merely to show that she was truly useful.

Actually, Tang Lingwu was overthinking it—her identity as a wealthy woman was enough to make Zheng Fa submit.

When Zheng Fa returned home, seeing the variable transformer on the chair, he immediately thought of the thousand-year-old purple bamboo that Senior Sister Zhang had mentioned.

Senior Sister Zhang had said it was the only one in the Jiushan Sect, uniquely owned by True Person Pang.

When he heard it, he had felt quite envious.

But then he looked at the variable transformer he had bought for less than two hundred.

Hmm, who can't afford a unique spiritual treasure?

Zheng Fa connected the variable transformer to the power supply, gripped the wires with both hands, and set the voltage to 90V.

The familiar tingling sensation came, but Zheng Fa felt today's current seemed a bit weaker, as if the voltage was lower than usual.

Only when he stood before the mirror did he understand the reason—his skin refinement was complete!

He could clearly see that when he activated the Five Thunder Divine Body, a thin film appeared on his skin, glowing with a luster like Bai Yu.

Zheng Fa fetched a kitchen knife and sliced his finger with the blade.

The blade seemed to strike tough cowhide, unable to pierce the thin film on his finger at all.

Xuanwei Realm, Zheng Fa's small courtyard.

Han Qi and the other two, now familiar, knocked on the door and walked into the yard.

Zheng Fa had just finished drawing talismans; seeing them, he came out holding five spiritual talismans.

Han Qi took the talismans, his face full of joy: "Junior brother can now draw five spiritual talismans a day?"

"Yes, I advanced to the second layer of Qi Refinement two days ago; my spiritual power has increased significantly."

Han Qi and the others exchanged glances, seeing excitement in each other's eyes.

"Junior brother's advancement speed is much faster than that of ordinary dual spiritual roots!" Han Qi praised.

Zheng Fa could see that these three were truly happy for him—after all, if the person they had pledged to was talented, their future days would have hope.

"Junior brother, this is the money from selling talismans over these two days."

Han Qi took a spirit stone from his robe and handed it to Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment but did not reach out to take it.

"Junior brother?"

"Senior brother, you keep this spirit stone."

Zheng Fa spoke up.

Han Qi's lips trembled, his voice tinged with bitterness: "What have we done wrong?"

"..." Zheng Fa blinked, then explained: "My three senior brothers have worked tirelessly for me this past month—I ought to compensate you."

"Compensation?"

"Yes. A few days ago, I did the math. After deducting stall costs, our spirit talisman business brought in about eleven or twelve spirit stones this month—this includes your hard work."

"..." Han Qi clutched the spirit stone in his hand, looking dazed. He opened his mouth, voice dry: "You're really giving it to us?"

The two men behind him also looked like country bumpkins, staring at the spirit stone as if in a dream.

"Senior brother, do you think it's too little?" Zheng Fa frowned. "I don't know the going rate at Jiushan Sect—why don't you suggest a number?"

"Not too little at all!" Han Qi hurried to say. "Senior brother, you've misunderstood. I just—let me put it this way: we've served many senior brothers before, done plenty of work for them, and never received a single coin!"

"... Then how did you survive?" Zheng Fa widened his eyes.

"Senior brothers eat us, and we eat junior brothers..."

Han Qi's voice grew quieter.

Zheng Fa understood now: their previous arrangement was like a gang's—extorting protection money from the weak.

No wonder they acted so despicable when we first met.

"Han Shixiong, I'm now at Foundation Establishment Level Two—I'm not like those senior brothers who let you bully others under their power. Even if I could, I wouldn't. Do you understand?"

"We understand! We understand!" Han Qi and the other two nodded frantically. "Who wants to do evil when you can earn cleanly?"

Zheng Fa nodded. "Then why did you come to me today? Just to deliver the spirit stones?"

"No! Sister Yuan ran into us tonight and told us to pass on a message: you must organize your ledgers by tomorrow night—Sister Zhang will inspect them."