Chapter 14: The Success of the Turtle Breathing Technique

After Hou Yong passed out, Zhu Da Dong didn't feel right drinking alone, so he left Hou Yong's house. Seeing that the supply cooperative was already closed, he went to Hao Zai Lai and bought four bottles of Laobai Gan, and also bought two pounds of pig's head meat, then headed to the Sanqing Taoist Temple.

"So late, why are you still coming here?" Taoist Wu Ming, smelling the aroma of alcohol and meat, appeared in front of Zhu Da Dong with the speed of a dragon's head and tail, and immediately reached for the pig's head meat.

"Wasn't I worried that you wouldn't have any alcohol to drink today?" Zhu Da Dong smiled and opened the bottle, passing it to the other side.

"Oh, I don't think so. The joy on your face, did something good happen?" Taoist Wu Ming just glanced at Zhu Da Dong and guessed it right.

"What good thing? I just visited a student's home and had a drink with the parents. We chatted quite well, maybe that's why." Zhu Da Dong smiled, having a good chat with Hou Yong, but that wasn't what truly excited him.

"No wonder you smell of alcohol, but that's definitely not the real reason. Hey, where's the cotton in your ears?" Taoist Wu Ming suddenly asked in surprise.

"Even that you noticed?" Zhu Da Dong was shocked, truly admiring Taoist Wu Ming. The room was dimly lit by a single candle, yet he could still see if there was cotton in his ears, which was impressive.

"I knew you were so happy for a reason. Now you know the power of my Turtle Breathing Technique, right?" Taoist Wu Ming looked very proud, originally not very confident, but now he saw the real effect of his improvements.

Actually, the Turtle Breathing Technique Zhu Da Dong was practicing was vastly different from the original Wudang Turtle Breathing Technique. It was customized for Zhu Da Dong, specifically to reduce his overly sensitive hearing. If Taoist Wu Ming hadn't immersed himself in the Turtle Breathing Technique for decades, it would have been impossible to achieve such results.

"Now I don't need to stuff cotton in my ears anymore, but I still need to be careful. Otherwise, I might accidentally revert to my original hearing, and I have to use your method to control it." Zhu Da Dong smiled bitterly, feeling a bit smug.

"You haven't reached the level of complete mastery. Put in more effort." Taoist Wu Ming laughed and scolded.

Now, Zhu Da Dong's practice was like having a volume control for his ears. By focusing and using a simplified version of the Turtle Breathing Technique, he could increase or decrease his hearing. If he continued to practice, he would reach the level of complete mastery, where he would have a mental remote control, able to adjust his hearing at will, hearing clearly when he wanted to and blocking it out when he didn't. Only then would his Turtle Breathing Technique be considered fully mastered. Now, it was only partially mastered.

"I will keep practicing, but I'm worried that your Turtle Breathing Technique might suddenly fail one day." Zhu Da Dong nodded, knowing he needed to practice consistently. Seeing Taoist Wu Ming eating, he said angrily.

"Fail? Do you think it's a TV or a radio? Unless you die, it won't fail." Taoist Wu Ming snorted, clearly very displeased. Given his lazy nature, and with delicious food and alcohol in front of him, it was rare for him to even snort.

To show his dissatisfaction, after Zhu Da Dong finished a bottle of Laobai Gan, Taoist Wu Ming pushed him out of the room, saying he should go back and practice early, as one day without practice would set him back three months. This scared Zhu Da Dong.

"Hehe, see if you still complain?" Taoist Wu Ming laughed when Zhu Da Dong walked away.

But Taoist Wu Ming forgot that Zhu Da Dong's hearing was extraordinary. Even though he was almost out of the Sanqing Taoist Temple and Taoist Wu Ming was talking to himself, Zhu Da Dong still heard it.

"Almost scared me to death, this old Taoist." Zhu Da Dong heard Taoist Wu Ming's smug laugh and knew he had been tricked. Missing a bottle of alcohol was a small matter, but if he became overly suspicious and anxious, it would be a real loss.

Back at school, Zhu Da Dong found the light in the dormitory still on. He looked at his watch; it was already past ten. At this time, Long Yiping and Fan Mingfeng should have been asleep. Opening the door, he saw that neither of them was sleeping. Long Yiping smiled ingratiatingly when he saw him.

"Still awake?" Zhu Da Dong asked casually, taking off his coat and picking up the basin to wash up.

"Not yet, just about to sleep." Long Yiping smiled.

In Zhu Da Dong's memory, they had never smiled at him. Something was definitely wrong. But Zhu Da Dong didn't show it on his face; he just raised his guard. After he left the dormitory with the basin, he immediately adjusted the Turtle Breathing Technique and listened carefully to the conversation inside.

"Mr. Fan, you help me say it. I can't bring myself to do it." Long Yiping sighed heavily. His workload was too heavy, with at least four classes a day, often five or six. This made him very bitter. Seeing that his roommates, Fan Mingfeng and Long Yiping, had at most four classes, how could he feel balanced? Moreover, despite his hard work, he wasn't appreciated by the leadership. Xu Zhengwu would scold him at every opportunity, making him a punching bag.

"Me? Mr. Long, you should say it yourself. Think about it, I once asked him about 'wine sack and food bucket,' he must hate me. If I plead for you, it might backfire." Fan Mingfeng shook his head, feeling embarrassed to speak up. Back then, none of the middle school teachers got along with Zhu Da Dong, especially the two of them, who lived in the same dormitory, like strangers. Putting himself in their shoes, he wouldn't help either.

"Ah, if I had known, I wouldn't have done it." Long Yiping sighed, having just casually insulted Xu Zhengwu, resulting in an extra class, which was almost suffocating him.

From their conversation, Zhu Da Dong understood the situation. As the deputy director of the teaching office, he had some influence, even though he didn't have much power. Plus, he was seen as Liu Tao's favorite, so Long Yiping asking him for help was a good move.

"Director Zhu, you're back." As soon as Zhu Da Dong returned, Long Yiping greeted him ingratiatingly, taking the basin from his hands and arranging his towel and toothbrush.

"Mr. Long, don't call me Director. I'm just a nominal position, I don't do anything." Zhu Da Dong smiled, knowing he was just a figurehead. As the deputy director, he had more responsibilities than before, but he always consulted Xu Zhengwu first, never bypassing him to go directly to Principal Liu. This proved to be a wise move, as Xu Zhengwu, who initially disliked Zhu Da Dong, later saw that he was good at dealing with people and stopped being so critical.

"Mr. Zhu, as an undergraduate, you are truly humble." Long Yiping felt very bitter, being the hardest-working in the dormitory, teaching three classes, yet the least appreciated by the leadership, working hard but not getting recognition.

"Mr. Long, what's the matter? We're young, just speak your mind." Zhu Da Dong smiled, already knowing what Long Yiping wanted to say, feeling confident.

To Long Yiping, this was a sign of confidence and maturity. They were about the same age, but compared to Zhu Da Dong, he felt very inferior.

The next day, Zhu Da Dong mentioned it to Xu Zhengwu. Within three days, Long Yiping's teaching load was reduced by one class, making him deeply grateful to Zhu Da Dong. Because of this, the relationship between the middle school teachers and Zhu Da Dong finally thawed, and they gradually got along better.