Chapter 65

Returning to the school district, Ding Ning could sense the atmosphere of school about to start. The number of students around the school area had clearly increased as the new semester approached.

Ding Ning was supposed to live on campus, but this rented place wouldn't last long. Once the spiritual energy was depleted, it would be time for him to leave.

After returning to his residence, Ding Ning found that Lin Xuan had already come back.

Previously, Ding Ning had imagined many possibilities: Was Lin Xuan extorted or robbed by school thugs, or did he encounter a bandit? Any of these scenarios would have left Lin Xuan with a bruised nose and a swollen face, his round face resembling a pig's head.

However, Lin Xuan looked no different, still round as ever.

Seeing Ding Ning enter, Lin Xuan was startled, "Who are you?"

Ding Ning then remembered he still had the gangster look, so he took off his sunglasses and removed the fake gold chain. Only then did Lin Xuan recognize him.

"Hey, Brother Ding, what are you doing? Did you go to shoot a movie?"

Ding Ning ignored him, changed into his clothes, and then asked Lin Xuan, "How did the thing I asked you to do go?"

Hearing Ding Ning's words, Lin Xuan took out a ticket from his pocket and handed it to Ding Ning.

"What's this?" Ding Ning asked curiously.

"Hehe, Brother Ding, you forgot I'm an actuary. The prices of gold and silver have fluctuated a lot recently, so I bought a batch of silver and stored it in the bank. I estimate I'll make some profit in a month."

Ding Ning's veins were throbbing. Lin Xuan knew where the money came from, and Ding Ning had hoped to use it to enhance his divine consciousness.

These days, it was hard to find a normal way to donate. After the Red Cross incident, Ding Ning no longer trusted those so-called official organizations. If he wanted to donate and disperse his wealth, he had to do it himself.

Just as he had obtained some money, this guy had used it for other purposes, which made Ding Ning very angry.

However, holding the ticket in his hand, Ding Ning could feel its value. According to the purchase price, this batch of silver was nearly ten kilograms, which was not a small amount.

Ding Ning was a god of wealth. If he had a large amount of gold and silver, it would not just be wealth; he had many uses for it. Once he mastered a flame that could refine artifacts, a large amount of gold and silver could even become his weapons, used to refine magical artifacts.

In the struggles of cultivators, strength determined most of the outcomes. But if the strength was equal, the magical artifacts would determine the outcome. Ordinary magical artifacts didn't interest Ding Ning much, but gold and silver were what he had longed for.

However, despite this, he still didn't want to keep the ticket. The tragic deaths of those students made him feel that he needed to use the money to provide some compensation.

Although Lin Xuan meant well, Ding Ning was not happy. He forced himself to return the ticket to Lin Xuan, "Convert the silver to cash as soon as possible and send the money to the families of the deceased students."

"But it will take a month to convert it to cash," Lin Xuan said, looking troubled.

"Then wait a month. In any case, this money can't be kept."

After saying that, Ding Ning went back to his room, closed the door, and sat in the cellar to start practicing.

The night passed without incident. Ding Ning only rested for less than three hours, using the rest of the time to practice.

As the elemental energy from the universe entered his body, Ding Ning made a discovery: after opening his heart aperture, this aperture could accelerate his cultivation speed.

After a night of practice, his realm not only stabilized at the initial stage of the second level of Qi Induction, but he also made some progress.

Moreover, the spiritual energy that was originally planned to last for half a month would now last for about ten days after this practice.

"Opening the heart aperture can accelerate the absorption of elemental energy. I wonder how many apertures my heart can open?"

Ding Ning had the ability to modify memories and knew the potential of his body.

According to the cultivation world, he was of average potential, neither a genius nor a fool, with a moderate cultivation speed.

However, after opening his heart aperture, his speed was roughly above average.

Improving potential was certainly a good thing, but the problem was that there wasn't much spiritual energy here. Once this spirit aperture was used up, if he didn't have a spirit-gathering pill, Ding Ning would be in trouble. He couldn't bear the slow cultivation speed of a turtle.

He could only take one step at a time. Ding Ning saw that it was already bright outside. He had practiced for too long and even missed the time to go running and practicing boxing, feeling very hungry.

Today he had to go to school. Ding Ning tidied up and left the room.

Outside, he met Lin Xuan, who was washing up. Lin Xuan looked at Ding Ning and smiled ingratiatingly, "Brother Ding, let's go to school together. Don't worry, the money will definitely be sent out in over twenty days."

Ding Ning nodded. Since things were like this, he could only wait.

After tidying up, the two of them went out together. Lin Xuan followed behind Ding Ning, somewhat surprised, "Brother Ding, I remember we were about the same size? How come you look much thinner now?"

Ding Ning carefully looked at Lin Xuan and then at himself, surprised to find it was true.

When they first rented the house, the two were about the same size, with Ding Ning only slightly thinner than Lin Xuan. Now, Lin Xuan was a whole size larger than Ding Ning.

Lin Xuan hadn't gotten any fatter; it seemed that Ding Ning had lost weight.

Although Ding Ning had felt himself getting thinner during this time, he had never measured himself and didn't know the specifics.

"There's a scale up ahead. Let's go measure ourselves."

There was a pay-to-use scale on the side of the road, costing one yuan per use. The two walked over.

Lin Xuan went on the scale first.

"Height 175 cm, weight 115 kg, overweight!" the scale announced.

Lin Xuan came down looking dejected, as if he had gained a bit more weight.

Ding Ning also went on the scale.

"Height 182 cm, weight 91 kg, overweight!"

Although both were overweight, the degree was clearly different.

First, their heights were different, and their weights differed by 24 kg.

From the outside, Lin Xuan was a true fatty, while Ding Ning, though still overweight, was no longer so obvious and was closer to being muscular. The running and boxing practice had not been in vain.

"Heaven, we're so different now. How did you lose weight? Teach me!"

"Wait until you get the money back." Ding Ning was still preoccupied with the money issue.

Walking to the entrance of Haibin No. 1 High School, Ding Ning felt a completely different atmosphere from junior high.

It was September, and the weather was still hot. The girls wore light clothing, and the school gate was a sea of exposed legs, making it hard to look away.

Even a cultivator like Ding Ning was momentarily dazzled.

Lin Xuan finally found a chance to speak, smiling, "Brother Ding, these few days you were away, I often came to the school and learned a lot. Do you want to know about the few flowers in our school's new students?"

"Not really." Ding Ning wasn't very interested.

"Don't pretend. Let me tell you, in the first grade, there's a girl named Meng Xiaowen, known as the new student goddess. She's very clean and beautiful, and she's extremely rich. Many people have set pursuing her as their top life goal. Whoever marries her will not only get a beautiful wife but will never have to struggle again."

Ding Ning's heart stirred. When he sold talismans, the first one he sold was to a girl about his age, who was very beautiful and also named Xiaowen. Could it be her?

Just as he entered the campus, Ding Ning suddenly saw someone familiar in the distance.

Chen Mengyao!

The daughter of Aunt Wu, who had been betrothed to him but then broke off the engagement. Ding Ning had also tricked them with a spring talisman.

Ding Ning didn't know if the spring talisman had worked, but he saw Chen Mengyao from afar. She was with a few men who didn't look like students, pointing at him.

Ding Ning's heart stirred. It seemed Chen Mengyao had noticed him. What was she planning to do?

His senses far exceeded those of ordinary people. Although the men were far away, Ding Ning could see clearly. One of them, a bald man, was particularly fierce, about the same height as Ding Ning, with a face full of scars, clearly not a good person.

Chen Mengyao and the men gradually approached. After walking for a while, Chen Mengyao stopped, and the men slowly came closer.

Ding Ning pretended not to see and continued to the new student registration area with Lin Xuan.

The bald man passed by Ding Ning, glanced at him, and then turned and left.

Ding Ning smiled. From this, it seemed the spring talisman had worked. He wondered how Chen Mengyao had suspected him and was planning to have someone beat him up.

However, he wasn't afraid. After registering for the new student, he was assigned to Class 8 of Grade 1, while Lin Xuan was in Class 2.

Ding Ning was about to go to the classroom when his phone rang.

Picking it up, he saw it was San Yan calling.

Answering the call, San Yan's voice came through, "Brother, I asked the police officer and treated him to a meal and some entertainment. He finally told me that the farmer selling cat bones is from Qingzhou, a mountain villager. I have the address."

"So fast!" Ding Ning's eyes lit up. San Yan had finished the task in just one day, indeed impressive.

"Of course, I'm dedicated to Brother's matters. I'll send you the detailed address."

A moment later, Ding Ning received the address from San Yan. Qingzhou was located at the northernmost part of Jiangnan Province, about 700 kilometers from Haibin. The farmer's address was in a mountainous area, so it would take some effort to find him.

However, Ding Ning didn't want to wait too long. Since the spirit-gathering pill was involved, he couldn't afford to delay. He planned to take leave after the start of the semester and head to Qingzhou.

*****

Three updates, sincerely seeking support.

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