Chapter 2: Using the Flower of Potential.
In the same room a few minutes later.
Wang Fang picked up the petal and ate it.
As he did, a strange feeling spread through Wang Fang's new body.
It was from the rose like flower that was in his hand. When he plucked one of the many petals, the petal instantly grew back. The taste that he couldn't comprehend then dissolved as a bizarre feeling spread through his little body. It was almost like the entire universe was at his new boy fingertips, and all he had to do was decide what to use it on.
A cultivation manual was in right in front of him.
Such things were extremely rare and usually only the wealthy could get them. In fact, if the prince's scholarly father knew what the boy had done, he would be beyond enraged! There was a reason such things were kept for the wealthy. It would be horrible if thousands of peasants could learn to cultivate Qi. Such people might end up being deadly warriors or create large assassination guilds. However, for his precious son he gave him the finest manual he could get from the imperial library.
Wang Fang picked up the book and flipped through the pages.
The cryptic passages, even when written in an unknown language, were deciphered in front of his eyes. It took all but a few minutes before the entire book was memorized.
He discovered that people in this world had something called a dantian. Even if you were a commoner, you still had one. However, yours would not be considered worth nurturing unless you were considered of royal blood. Wang Fang, obviously, wasn't a royal if his mom was a courtesan. However, now he knew something called the nine sacred stances. The closer the poses came to perfection the better. He already understood all nine of them and couldn't wait to relay this news to the prince.
How did he learn so fast?
When he was flipping through the book, all the information on the pages was absorbed into him. It would take him an extremely long time to figure out how the petal worked. Regardless, he now already learned how to cultivate.
There was a breathing technique that went with the nine sacred stances. Even when you were eating, drinking, sleeping, or with a beautiful lady you'd have to breathe this breath to increase your cultivation.
The book didn't have any names for the levels of cultivation. Unfortunately, this was a book meant for the elites! And such a thing was already learned by them when they were three years old.
The young Wang Fang, however, was probably eight or nine from how he looked in the mirror. He had black long hair, and indeed was a very beautiful child. If he didn't have the extra weight in his pants, he'd probably be a very attractive girl. Unfortunately, when a beautiful lady walked in, he could tell that he was a guy. For the first time in his two lives, a lady seemed so beautiful he almost forgot his name.
"Uhm, Wang Fang, you should really be entertaining the prince," A woman that seemed to be roughly fifteen years old said. She was wearing a gorgeous silk robe, and her figure was not bad even from the previous queen's standard.
Even when he was a woman, he could appreciate the female body. In fact, since his husband had his own harem, he got to know lots of pretty women and had many chances to examine them for flaws. Indeed, he was the king's main wife and extremely loved by him. All such women had to go through the queen. He probably would've accepted this girl. However, now it would be for his own harem? Such a thing was hard to understand.
"Uhm, I was given a very special task from the prince and had to have my quiet. However, what is that little boy doing with my sister? Where can I find the two of them?"
The lady sighed before she grabbed his wrist. "You don't need to find them! I'm taking you there right away. Also, you got to stop charging money to your mother's patrons. If the scholar found out what you were doing, you could be killed or taken away!"
Chuntao was a fourteen-year old girl who was training to be a courtesan. She had been an illegitimate child of a local celebrity and was cast away to the harem. Her father, incidentally, went broke at the famous Seven Beauty Brothel. If only he wasn't such a horny man, she wouldn't have to work here. She had to learn skills every day, so one man would pay more to pluck her.
"Uhm, but it's not like you've ever told me that before my beautiful friend. However, what is so bad about making money. Don't you make money with your beautiful looks?"
Chuntao stopped and grabbed Wang Fang's face. She looked into his deep brown eyes to try and make sure he would remember. "You are the smartest boy in this entire country! If you don't stop acting foolish, though, you'll be the deadest boy in the country! Also, I'd much rather now be somewhere not here, Xu Wang Fang, and you also know it's not my money remember."
Chuntao and Wang Fang arrived in the guest room. His sister and the young prince were playing a board game.
The petal had worn off after learning one skill, so it looked like a mystery to him. However, he knew that his sister was probably losing. Most likely, it was on purpose.
"Hey, if it isn't Wang Fang! Have you deciphered any of the text yet?"
The little prince ran over as his sister sighed.
Sometimes, it was hard losing and making it believable. However, since the prince was away, she decided to move a few pieces around the board. At least she'd be able to lose faster this way. This prince was not nearly as smart as he should be.
His father, the imperial scholar, was known for his unattainable intellect. He was also one of the strongest men in all the Lin Kingdom, and possessed an almost uncontainable reputation.
Even if he went to other countries, the courtesans there would gladly line up and give away their first times to him. However, the scholar for some reason was enamored with their mother. It was almost like if he didn't have her, he couldn't eat. They even made so much money off him, that they promoted their mom to head courtesan. However, it was only for show. The manager would not increase her wage even if he married her.
"Uhm, I deciphered the first part of it. However, I need you to pay me first," Wang Fang whispered. "Also, you can't pay me here. If anyone sees a young man like me doing the first pose, something terrible might happen to me."
The young prince nodded and seemed to want to play along. "Hmph, I knew it was just a lie that the book was an immortal text. If you can learn it, then that means it was all just a hoax my dad was playing on me! If he wasn't so into girls, he could have taught me himself."
Wang Fang gulped when the boy said that.
Didn't this mean it would be extremely terrible if the boy learned it?
However, he had a plan already to keep this from getting bad in the future. He guided the little prince, he didn't even know his name yet, into his room. There was a beautiful picture on the wall of the teenage girl he just saw. As he walked, he was unconsciously doing the breathing technique in the book, and sort of felt this energy swelling up inside of him.
"Young prince, I will show you the first form. However, one of the prerequisites to practice is that you must never be seen performing it! If you do, your entire cultivation will disappear, and you will turn into a girl!"
The prince was kind of baffled. However, he had heard of this boy's reputation, and didn't question it.
"So, right now I want you to close your eyes, and imagine a fierce demon beast is in front of you. You are extremely afraid because it will eat you if you so much mention a thing about what is being said right now. However, that demon beast is no longer scared because it believes you will follow the rules. It shrinks into a small boy and becomes the first pose. The first pose is known as the budding stance. It is exactly like this."
Wang Fang simply closed his hands and spun around on one foot.
"In the budding pose you must become one with the orientation of the earth. You must feel the center of the universe, and spin until it acknowledges you as part of it. Once that is complete you will start to gather Qi at a much faster rate. And, remember, Qi is the energy that everything gives off. It is in all things."
The prince nodded his head. He knew about demon beasts. They were monsters that were in the forests, and even his father wary of them. "They had been around for much longer than us humans and have cultivated since the beginning of time. If us humans weren't so wise, they'd probably would have finished us off a long time ago."
The prince remembered that as he spun on his toes. Something about being around Wang Fang seemed to make it easier for him to understand the pose. Finally, as Wang Fang was showing the prince the pose, he felt like he truly understood it.
"I'm going to come back in a few weeks after I master the budding pose! I'll make sure to keep it a secret, however, Wang Fang, I won't be able to have the book next time. Do you think you can figure out the second pose before then?"
Wang Fang wisely nodded. "I already know most of it by heart. However, I will need some time to digest it. Don't worry at all young prince. However, I still require payment."
"Ha, do you not know my name anymore Wang Fang? We've been friends for almost two years! Why do you think I'm calling you Wang Fang? You told me I could! Ever since your mom started making my dad happy, I've visited you two. Did you forget my name is Lin Bojing?"
Wang Fang laughed. "I didn't' find your name something I could say so easily Lin Bojing. However, I hope to see you soon."
Lin Bojing laughed before he threw over a bag of bronze at Wang Fang. "Since you just saved me the trouble of having to understand that book myself, you can take it. I'll be back once my dad gets another craving for your mom."
The little prince left, and Wang Fang fell on the bed. Hopefully, the boy wouldn't dare show it to anyone else. He already knew what it was like to change gender, and such a thing would be horrifying.
Finally, he had some free time and began practicing the first stance.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone