In the silence, Lu Xuan was the first to break the dead quiet. He asked politely,
"Xiaosang, I trust you're doing well over there?"
Li Xiaosang came back to her senses, nodding.
"I'm doing very well."
After a pause, she hesitated for a moment but still asked,
"Do you remember? Three years ago, on New Year's Eve, right here, the people from our shantytown were celebrating. You were standing in this very spot, and I was standing next to you."
Li Xiaosang seemed to be lost in memories, a nostalgic look appearing on her face.
"That day, you and I were just like nobodies in the crowd, completely unremarkable. I told you back then that I would break free, that I would make everyone see me... And now, I've done it."
She proudly lifted her head and looked at the young man, hoping to see a trace of envy on his face, a hint of deep regret.
But all she saw was a pair of clear eyes.
"Congratulations," Lu Xuan said sincerely.
The young woman opened her mouth, flustered under the gaze of those limpid eyes.
It was as if she had returned to three years ago, once again becoming that little girl who clamored and tagged along behind Lu Xuan. She subconsciously rushed to explain,
"That's not what I meant, I..."
"I understand," Lu Xuan said with a gentle smile. "Look forward, move forward. There's no need to look back anymore."
Li Xiaosang's eyelashes trembled slightly. She suddenly lowered her head, a little defeated.
"You're always like this."
She sighed softly, then immediately raised her head.
"What if I gave you a chance, a chance to get out of this place? Would you want it?"
She then added,
"Of course, don't get the wrong idea. I don't mean anything else by it. It's not like I'm giving you charity or that I still like you... Just think of it as me saving my past self."
The countless onlookers were in an uproar. Li Xiaosang actually pursued Lu Xuan? It was true??
And Lu the Kid rejected her???
Their gazes toward Lu Xuan were mixed with astonishment, confusion, and disbelief.
They couldn't quite figure out what was going on in Lu the Kid's head.
Even a few years ago, before Xiaosang had revealed her astonishing talent, she was still a first-class beauty in the making...
They didn't get it. They really didn't get it.
And while they couldn't understand it, their eyes also filled with envy, even jealousy.
Today's Li Xiaosang was nothing like her former self. A single word from her could allow a poor person to soar to the heavens!
This Lu the Kid... what an incredible opportunity...
However, Lu Xuan looked at the young woman before him and calmly shook his head.
"There's no need. I haven't earned it. If you really want to do something, then help out the shantytown."
Butcher Zheng stumbled and almost slapped Lu Xuan, but forcibly held himself back. The looks from the others were no longer of astonishment and envy, but more like they were looking at an idiot.
"What on earth is Lu Xuan thinking? He never seemed this stupid before."
"I don't know, but I'm utterly shocked!"
"Sigh, to just throw away such a huge opportunity! If it were me..."
Amidst the heated discussions, it was Wu Xiaoxu who was the most understanding, with no obvious change in his expression.
He hadn't forgotten those cries of "Great Master" from the early morning!
"Alright."
However, Li Xiaosang nodded as if she had expected this all along.
"Longque Technology will sponsor the shantytown and give all school-aged boys and girls a chance to go to school. You can go to school, too."
A hint of superiority suddenly appeared in her expression as she said very seriously,
"Lu Xuan, you're a good person, and you deserve a better future. But I won't let you catch up to me. I'm going to work very, very hard. I'm not that little girl who tagged along behind you anymore."
After speaking, Li Xiaosang turned and walked straight toward the Hovercar, not seeing the brilliant smile that appeared on the young man's face behind her.
"Thank you for helping the shantytown." Lu Xuan gave a slight bow. "Go on and stride forward."
Li Xiaosang's steps paused for a moment.
"You don't have to thank me. I will keep moving forward, until you can't see me anymore."
With that, she got into the car without looking back, followed closely by the three bodyguards in black.
A short while later, under the envious and fearful gazes of countless people, the Hovercar soared into the sky with a unique engine roar, breaking through the clouds and vanishing.
The shantytown fell silent once more, becoming deathly still.
The crowd didn't disperse right away. Everyone was looking at the young man, just watching quietly.
WHAP!
Butcher Zheng slapped a hand on Lu Xuan's shoulder, grimacing as he spoke,
"Ouch, your shoulders are really solid, kid... No, that's not it. Lu the Kid, what were you thinking? You just cast aside such a huge opportunity like a worn-out shoe?"
Lu Xuan calmly raised his head.
"It wasn't something I deserved, nor something I desired, and it would have brought me no benefit."
He had no romantic interest in Li Xiaosang to begin with, so why accept this so-called opportunity? It would only cause trouble for both of them.
'If I had really agreed, who knows how much trouble would follow? Would I really have been able to calm my mind and focus on Cultivation then?'
'And how long would I have to put up with the jealous rivalries of the young talents at Longque Technology?'
But while Lu Xuan could think of these things and see them clearly, the people of the shantytown couldn't. They were all shaking their heads, saying the kid was a fool!
Butcher Zheng, too, was exasperated with his wasted potential. He wanted to say something, but in the end, it all turned into a sigh as he said,
"Lu the Kid, you... you..."
Lu Xuan answered with a smile.
Seeing there was no more spectacle to watch, the crowd quickly dispersed. Butcher Zheng also went back to pack up, preparing to set up his stall again in the afternoon.
Wu Xiaoxu, on the other hand, sidled up, somewhat excited.
"Brother Xuan, don't mind them. They just can't recognize greatness when they see it!"
"What is there for me to mind?" Lu Xuan let out a laugh. "Let's go. I want to visit Uncle Wu... How is Five Elders' injury?"
"Do you even need to ask about my dad's medical skills? Five Elders went home early this morning. But as they say, it takes a hundred days to recover from a serious bone injury. Even though his broken leg is set, he'll probably have to rest up at home for a long time!"
The two of them chatted idly as they walked and soon arrived at Wu Xiaoxu's house. Pushing the door open, they saw Wu Datong in a long gown, leaning back on the sofa and leisurely watching TV.
"Uncle Wu," Lu Xuan said softly.
"Xiaoxuan's here?" Wu Datong greeted him cheerfully. "I'm thanking you on behalf of Five Elders. To think you actually got medical fees from that vicious gang..."
Lu Xuan didn't know what exactly Wu Xiaoxu had told Wu Datong, so he didn't dwell on it and changed the subject after a few words.
"Uncle Wu, I actually came today to ask you some questions about the human body's acupuncture points."
"Oh?" Wu Datong perked up a little. "How did you get interested in this? Tell me about it."
They were quite familiar with each other, so Lu Xuan pulled up a small wooden stool on his own and sat down, beginning to ask his questions in detail.
Most of the questions were about the acupuncture points that had unique reactions during Circulation.
Wu Datong's explanations weren't vague at all. His answers were clear and methodical, and he answered the questions with an ease that suggested complete mastery.
The two of them chatted for nearly an hour, causing Wu Xiaoxu, who was listening on the side, to yawn seven or eight times and almost fall asleep on the spot, earning him a good scolding from Wu Datong.
Finally, Lu Xuan asked his last question.
"By the way, Uncle Wu, do you know about Acupoints? I mean the Acupoints they talk about in Cultivation. What are they? Are they related to acupuncture points?"
Wu Datong answered casually,
"Acupoints? I know a little. There are three hundred and sixty of them in the human body, though some say three hundred and sixty-five. Acupoints are hidden and don't manifest. You can't see them or touch them. You have to refine them with Essence Qi to reveal their Form."
After a pause, he continued,
"They're probably the most incredible things in the physical body. Junior Cultivators have to train them, and Immortals have to train them too. The difference is that Cultivators temper their Form, while Immortals train their true essence, turning them into vast worlds!"
The dozing Wu Xiaoxu was startled awake, asking in surprise,
"Dad, how do you know all this stuff? You're just making it up, right? Now you're talking about Immortals?"
Wu Datong froze for a second, then gave a hollow laugh.
"I happened to hear about it back when I was traveling around as a doctor. Just things I heard..."
"Is that so?" Wu Xiaoxu muttered. "I feel like you're lying."
Wu Datong's eyes widened in a glare.
"You dare question your own father?"
As he spoke, he delivered a slap full of fatherly love, knocking Wu Xiaoxu silly and sending him straight to sleep.
As for Lu Xuan, he didn't notice any of this. He was simply lost in a daze.
'Immortals refine Acupoints, pioneering vast worlds within them... Pioneering worlds...'
He thought to himself, once again recalling Brother Zhang's description of the Mediation of Creation.
"The Mediation of Creation can evolve heaven and earth and create all things!"
'If what Uncle Wu said is true, then if I can find my Acupoints and use Essence Qi to temper them into their Form, could I try to evolve a world within them ahead of time, just like an Immortal?'
Lu Xuan's eyes lit up instantly.