Ding Hao shook his head and thanked her. "Thank you, Lady Min, for the idea. I have no such plans for the time being." Ding Hao thought, "I don't need that. I was able to help others enter a meditative state willy-nilly! I'm already a special grade tutor!"
He wouldn't speak his mind, but he did say, "Let me tell you, Lady Min: the celestial gene that I wish to awaken costs a lot of money. Thus, I use this method to help others enter a meditative state to earn some money."
"Is that so." Min Qingqiu nodded.
"I believe there are many who would spend that kind of money!" Boss Shang who has a great business sense quickly said, "I understand that there are many who become worried when their children are not awakened after eight years old. They need help entering a meditative state. Plus, there are some Innate Stage masters who have already been awakened and need this kind of service…"
"I don't want to work with the Innate State masters." Ding Hao waved his hand. Innate State masters were trained in martial arts. Those people were usually cunning, as well as strong. It was hard to tell what they would do to him.
Ding Hao was very cautious.
"You can see the ones that haven't been awakened." Boss Shang nodded and said, "twenty taels of silver for entering a lower-stage meditative state, and a hundred taels for entering a middle-stage meditative state. You'd be rich!"
"100 taels of silver!" Ding Hao's eyes widened. The country offerings that the Ding family received was only fifty taels of silver a month. If he received 100 taels every time he helped someone to enter a meditative state, he'd be rich!
Boss Shang nodded. "100 taels is not much. Everyone wishes their children to be successful. Take me for example. You've helped Xiao Hai enter a meditative state. I'd be willing to pay you much more than 100 taels of silver! If he can break through the celestial channel and awaken the celestial gene, I'd give you everything with no regrets!"
"Exactly!"
Ding Hao was overjoyed. "Ancestors—oh, ancestors! Thank you so much for leaving the black stone to me, I wouldn't have survived in this world without it!"
Min Qingqiu was watching Ding Hao and Boss Shang talking about money. Of course, silently, she felt disdainful because everyone in Jiuzhou Academy discussed cultivation, yet Ding Hao was constantly talking about money.
One hour later, Xiao Hai woke up. Boss Shang went into the house to see his son.
Ding Hao just remembered that he had neglected Min Qingqiu. He smiled and said, "Lady Min, you might think that we are money-minded. But you don't know the difficulties of being a nobody: you are amongst the powerful and gifted. You have never had to worry about money. But, for us, everything is money. You need money to have a meal, you need money for water, you need money to buy medical pills, and you also need money to cultivate. A cultivator like me needs a lot of money!"
Min Qingqiu, who was kind and understanding, nodded and said, "Don't worry about it, I understand. If I was right, you choose not to be awakened so soon. You are taking your time to train your body, meridian, and mental strength, then awaken to a higher level celestial gene, am I right?"
This lady was truly intelligent. She was able to guess Ding Hao's intentions.
Ding Hao nodded. "Lady Min, you are right. That is why I need large quantities of medicinal pills—and I need a large amount of silver to buy them!"
"I was right!" Ming Qingqiu was very happy. "You'll be able to awaken a celestial gene that is above level four, then? If you did manage to awaken a celestial gene that is above level four, you'll have to come to the year-end metropolitan examination! If you pass the exam, you'll get a chance to join the Jiuzhou Academy to further your study, and you will receive an award from Heaven's Will to ascend to the Celestial World!"
"Go to Jiuzhou Academy, and have the chance to ascend to Celestial World!" Ding Hao eyes sparkled. He asked, "What is the Celestial World?"
Min Qingqiu said, "It is something that you will learn when you get there."
Then she took her wallet and pulled out a banknote. "I can tell that you need money. Here is a banknote. May you achieve success sooner."
Min Qingqiu did not expect Ding Hao to do the following: Ding Hao returned the banknote and said, "Gentlemen, enjoy making money the right way! I thank Lady Min's kind heart, but I have the means of making a living. I don't need to take money from others for no reason." Ding Hao thought, "I'm no gigolo. I'm not going to take money from women! If I take the money, I'm afraid that she'll look down on me!"
"You…" Min Qingiqu looked at the young man curiously. She was very surprised that he declined her when he needed the money.
Ding Hao thought, "This is the exact expression I was expecting."
Then Ding Hao said, "If Lady Min really wants to help me out, I have a request."
Since Ding Hao declined the banknote, Min Qingqiu thought that he had integrity. Her interest in him grew a little more. She asked, "Brother Ding, anything."
From Gentleman Ding to Brother Ding, their relationship was becoming more amicable. Ding Hao knew that he had done the right thing by declining the banknote.
"Sister Qingqiu." Ding Hao followed Min Qingqiu's lead, and addressed her in a more affectionate manner. "When I help people to enter a meditative state, I can't tell which state it is. Your jade talisman is quite amazing. I wonder, if it is not too much trouble, I'd like to have one."
"Oh, this thing? Sure." Ming Qingqiu did not give it too much thought and agreed.
The jade talisman was actually quite special. Only the tutors in Jiuzhou Academy had access to one. It was not something you could buy from the market!
Ding Hao declined a banknote of 1,000 taels of silver, but he received an invaluable jade talisman, and Min Qingqiu's admiration. It was well worth it.
You needed to let go of something in order to receive something.
Min Qingqiu gave him the jade talisman and said, "Brother Ding, let me tell you the functions of this jade talisman. It is an Acquired Stage Measuring Jade Talisman. It is used to measure the people of the Acquired Stage. It is not just to measure the meditative state, it can also be used to measure your constitution, meridian, and mental strength. Red is the lowest level, pink is a moderate level, yellow is moderate-high, and green is the highest level that the jade talisman can measure. Anything above it has to be measured with an Innate Stage Measuring Jade Talisman."
"I see. This jade talisman will be very useful to me! Thank you, Sister Qingqiu!"
Ding Hao was very happy that it could measure the constitution, meridian, and mental strength.
At this moment, Boss Shang and Xiao Hai came out side by side. Xiao Hai's temper was much calmer after achieving a middle-stage meditative state. Xiao Hai cupped his fist and said, "Brother Ding, Thank you! This is the first time I was able to enter a deeper meditative state. It feels great."
Ding Hao thought Boss Shang and his son were nice people. He nodded and said, "Xiao Hai, you should come over every day starting from tomorrow. Slowly, we will be able to calm your nerves and temper. Eventually, with your hard work and my guidance, we will achieve a higher-stage meditative state!"
"A higher-stage meditative state!" Boss Shang's eyes sparkled, "If Xiao Hai could achieve a higher-stage meditative state, he will definitely be able to awaken a celestial gene! Gentleman Ding, I will thank you with a handsome sum!"
Ding Hao smiled and said, "You don't need to do that, just help me to spread the word."
"Of course, leave it to me."
"Brother Ding, I should go now."
After they left, Ding Hao went straight to his room and started checking the level of his constitution, meridian, and mental strength.
Constitution is body strength
Different parts of the body have different strengths. Some use their legs more, and they have stronger legs than others; some use their arms more, and they have stronger arms than others.
Thus, Ding Hao took off his clothes and placed the jade talisman on his thigh.
"Dark red, the worst level!"
Arm: "Dark red, the worst level!"
Chest: "Dark red, the worst level!"
Abs: "Dark red…"
"F*ck!" Ding Hao thought that his body was in such a terrible state, he could not blame others for looking down on him—he, too, looked down on himself!
Ding Hao had not given up entirely, however. He took off his pants, and placed the jade talisman there…
It was surprisingly strong. His 'brother' could achieve yellow without training. It gave him some confidence.
"Well, you are not entirely useless." Ding Hao put on his shirt and started to measure his meridian.
It was easy to measure meridian, all you needed to do was blow on the jade talisman.
"Sure enough, it is red again. Although not dark red. But it is only slightly better."
Lastly, he measured his mental strength. This was Ding Hao's forte. It was yellow, yellow-green! Almost reaching the highest level, green!
"I didn't expect my mental strength to reach the highest level. It must be the effects of entering the perfect-stage meditative state for the past few nights!"
"That's alright. Although my constitution and meridian are weak, I was able to improve my mental state. I should be able to improve my constitution and meridian, right? I can do this!"
After all that testing. Ding Hao took the pouch that Boss Shang gave him. He opened it and found a banknote for 1,000 taels of silver.
The banknotes in this world are extraordinary. There is spiritual energy stamped on them by Heaven's Will. It would be impossible to forge it.
Ding Hao could sense that the black stone was eager to absorb the energy from the banknote.
Ding Hao was not stupid. He wouldn't let it absorb that small amount of energy and turn the banknote of 1,000 taels of silver void.
Ding Hao did not expect that Boss Chang would keep his word. He brought two more friends in the afternoon. Both of them had children that had not been awakened, and they had difficulties entering a meditative state.
100 taels of silver for one, 200 taels of silver for two. Ding Hao was in a great mood.
One day had passed, and Ding Hao had 1,200 taels of silver. He felt much better now that he had enough silver. Very soon, he would be able to increase his mental strength and meridian, and then he would be able to awaken his celestial gene!
In the dead of the night, a shadow flashed passed. Minion came in through the crack in the door.
This dog was quite smart. After entering a meditative state a few times, it could sense the benefit of it. Now it would come in when it was time.
Ding Hao used the jade talisman to measure Minion. He discovered that Minion's constitution was better than his, and scolded himself as a "piece of trash".