Trolling the Forums and Dreaming of Fortuitous Encounters
"Get out of your room? A few days after that short-text Chwi-ryeong-dan post, and the ripples haven't died down yet." The casual chat board was swarming with familiar Dou handles, even just skimming the usernames.
"Heh heh... Prepare yourselves, Moomyeongbang Dous."
Baek Cheong poured her heart into crafting an info post. This time, it went beyond simple aggro—it was a deliberate troll post designed to shatter their mental states completely.
Many Dous dismiss the short text on low-grade 1-realm pills as coincidence, but once you grasp the principles, it's fully achievable even at mid Refining Qi stage. The key is a contemplative mindset that doesn't defy the herbs' essence but follows nature's flow.
1. Fine-tune the fire's aftermath to quickly form a membrane on the herb's surface, preventing loss of vitality.
2. When suppressing clashing energies, use earth attribute's heaviness to crush instead of metal attribute's sharpness.
3. In the crucial final condensation, overlay water-attribute qi as thin as dew from your dantian to cool residual heat and fix the form.
Master these three principles, and you can manifest short text on low-grade 1-realm pills. However, it demands advanced divine sense division, so first assess your own vessel.
She wrote it deliberately stern, solemn, and serious to sound impressive. It blended Gok Elder's teachings with her own "profound" (?) refining methods. As soon as she posted, Dous who ignored info posts before swarmed in like mad, flooding replies. The sheer buzz came from it being penned by the culprit of the short-text Chwi-ryeong-dan incident.
The Dous' reactions split sharply. Some marveled at the ingenuity, but most pointed out practical limits, shaking their heads at feasibility.
"Bait laid perfectly..."
Baek Cheong smirked contentedly, watching their shocked replies. It confirmed her divine sense talent was beyond even veteran refiners. Shedding the prior seriousness, she tossed out an obnoxious casual post.
You guys make splitting divine sense sound so hard. Just do it? Feels easier if you zone out like your brain's gone and circulate multiple qi strands at once. Try training brainless lol.
Hooked by the mismatch between title and content, furious Dous stormed the casual thread.
Savoring the torrent of curses, Baek Cheong rolled on her bed giggling.
"Puhuhu. Old-school boomer refiners, am I right?"
Swimming in dopamine for a good while, she abruptly sensed a divine sense presence and slammed Moomyeongbang shut. The tightly shut door burst open as her father rushed in.
"Cheong-ah!"
Baek Mujin scanned his daughter with a worried face. Baek Woo, heading to the north sea, had stopped by the family head's quarters and reported her haggard state. Feeling guilty for confining his young daughter and driving her to heartache with his harsh order, he'd abandoned duties to rush here.
Baek Cheong lay on the bed, dark circles from all-night forumbing drooping to her chin, eyes hollow. Seeing it, Baek Mujin's heart sank.
"Oh no... Your face is half gone. How much suffering to get this gaunt?"
He approached the bed, trembling hand on her forehead. Baek Cheong blinked in panic at the sudden visit and affection, but couldn't spill the truth.
"My hasty scolding wounded you deeply. I didn't know your dedication to cultivation—my fault, Cheong-ah."
Deep remorse in his voice, he drew a ornate jade vial from his robes. Uncorking it filled the room with fresh, clear medicinal scent.
Excels at healing meridian wounds and mending internal injuries. Take it to recover your energy.
Baek Cheong dazedly took the vial and swallowed the pill. As it went down, her sluggish body from the all-nighter felt refreshed like after a bath.
"Thank you, Father. I feel much better."
Forcing a smile, Baek Mujin visibly relaxed.
"Good, that's a relief. Your meridians seem stable now, so I'll lift the confinement. From tomorrow, head to the training hall to refill your dantian and visit the pill room. Gok Elder awaits you eagerly."
Baek Cheong's vision darkened at his words. Her hard-won legal forum life was ending in days, dragging her back to pill-refining hell and grueling training. She had to dodge this and extend her free time somehow.
Forcing her hollow eyes wider, she mustered a tragic heroine voice.
"Father... I like training and refining, but being cooped in the furnace room or cramped hall lately feels suffocating, like my chest is blocked. Body's better, but my heart's heavy—hard to focus right away. Can't I get some fresh air and relax a few more days?"
Just a shallow excuse to stroll the gardens and forum more. But to Baek Mujin, it rang differently.
"How stifled you must be to say that. You're right a hundred times. Confined cultivation only clouds body and mind."
Stroking his chin beard, nodding vigorously, he snapped his fingers with a flash of inspiration.
"Perfect—your uncle's at the inner hall. He must deliver goods to the Immortal City's market soon. How about accompanying him for a trip?"
Her eyes widened at the unexpected offer.
"The market?"
"Yes. It’s overflowing with wondrous items from across the cultivation world, rare spirit herbs, formation tools. Ideal to broaden horizons, cool your head, see the wide world. I'll tell your uncle to guard you strictly."
Her room-rolling plan morphed into an outing to the family-ruled Immortal City's market. Forum time would shrink, so she wanted to retract.
"Ah, well... Market's crowded and noisy—dunno if I can rest..."
"No worries! Your uncle's sharp-eyed; he'll show you rarities. Who knows? Your genius might uncover a fortuitous encounter."
"Rare items" and "fortuitous encounter" from his lips struck her like lightning.
Fortuitous encounter...!
Baek Cheong gasped, imagination soaring: rusty ring from dusty stall as ancient mighty's relic, wilted weed turning legendary spirit herb. Romance buried deep after fruitless Baekgyeonggak searches bubbled up.
Yeah, forum trolling from bed anytime. Real encounters are out there!
Her dull eyes sparkled with curiosity and life.
"Really? Could get a fortuitous encounter at the market?"
"Heh heh, those are heaven-ordained—who knows? But experiencing the world is prime fertilizer for cultivation."
No more hesitation—she kicked off the blanket and jumped up.
"I'll go! I wanna see the market, Father!"
Lightning-fast shift from forum ghost to bold encounter hunter. Baek Mujin chuckled relieved at her vigor.
"Good, prepare well. I'll have your uncle call on departure day."
After he left, Baek Cheong paced excitedly. First time leaving family bounds since reincarnating in this xianxia world.
What if I snag a small mysterious vial?
She spun happy circuits imagining sweeping treasures, monopolizing protagonist encounters—for a moment, even forgetting forums.
Ah, Moomyeongbang!
To hone her eye for encounters, she scoured Dous' fortuitous encounter tales. Up to departing for Immortal City, pulling all-nighters.