?

  Zhuang Ru's continuous strange dreams for two nights made Xiao Bai feel suspicious, and he secretly thought that Zhuang Ru might not be dreaming, or rather, was not actively dreaming, but was "infected" by the scenes she had experienced in her own mind. How did his self-perceived emotions run into someone else's heart? This was a very strange thing, as the previous Xiao Bai could only spy on people's hearts, but couldn't affect others' emotions. Had he unknowingly acquired an even more special divine power through his cultivation of "Shexinyuan"?

  Xiao Bai was both delighted and worried. He was happy that his divine powers had grown stronger, but he was concerned because he didn't know how this new mysterious ability had appeared, so he also didn't know how to control it. This could lead to trouble, such as startling Zhuang Ru for two days in a row. If things really were like that, then he truly wouldn't be able to cultivate at home anymore. One or two days would be fine, but if it went on for a long time, Zhuang Ru wouldn't be able to take it.

  Bai Shaofeng thought of this possibility but didn't dare to confirm it, he wanted to experiment once more, yet was afraid that Zhuang Ru wouldn't be able to take it. So he came up with a plan - to tell the truth! A person's emotions rise from fear of facing something they don't dare to face, to intense terror, mainly because of their inexplicable fear of unknown things, not knowing why some things happen or what will happen after they do. For example, death is humanity's greatest fear, and "ghosts" have become a synonym for horror in almost all cultures around the world, precisely because almost everyone doesn't know what happens after death? They don't dare to imagine the consequences of losing everything they currently possess, regardless of whether there is an afterlife or not.

  Xiao Bai decided to tell Zhuang Ru how everything happened. She might still be shocked, but it wouldn't be more severe than the first two times, at least she wouldn't have any more inexplicable wild thoughts. If that's not working, then from now on, he won't practice qigong at home! If this is true, he should find Baimao and ask him clearly, with such "severe side effects", why didn't the old donkey tell him beforehand?

  After dinner that evening, Xiaobai said to Zhuangru: "You sit down first, don't rush to clean up the bowls and chopsticks, I have something to tell you."

  Zhu Yu, who was just about to get up, sat back down: "Is there something you want to discuss with me? Is it about the New Year's celebration? Next month is already the Lunar New Year."

  "It's not New Year's, it's tonight."

  Zhuang Ru: "Tonight? What do you want me to do tonight?"

  "Can't you not sleep first? I'll let you sleep when it's time."

  Zhuang Ru: "Of course I can, what's up?"

  Bai Shaoliu: "It's not that I have something on my mind, it's that you do. I think you might still be having that nightmare tonight."

  Mentioning that nightmare, Zhuang Ru's body trembled: "I think so too, it's too scary! Tonight, even if you don't say anything, I won't dare to sleep... Do you know what I'm most worried about? I'm afraid that dream is a premonition, I'm afraid something will happen to you, if there's another accident, I'll..."

  Bai Shaofeng interrupted her words: "Don't be afraid, I won't have any trouble. Let me tell you something, your nightmare may have been caused by me, not by yourself."

  Zhuang Ru's face showed a puzzled expression: "What did you say? I didn't quite catch it."

  Bai Shaofeng: "Do you know that I practice qigong every night?"

  Zhuang Ru: "Of course I know, I've seen you meditating on the bed several times. Nowadays, I go to sleep early every day and try not to make any noise even if I wake up in the middle of the night, just so I won't disturb you... Could it be that my dreams are related to your martial arts practice?"

  Bai Shaoliu: "It's very likely that there is a connection, I don't know if you can understand, but what I'm studying now is a kind of visualization technique, it's the legendary cultivation. The past two days when I entered a meditative state, I was visualizing that car accident, and as a result, you had a nightmare at the same time... Zhuang Jie, can you understand?"

  Zhuang Ru's eyes widened and she nodded: "I can understand, you know magic, what you think, I can also dream of it, is that right?"

  Bai Shaofeng: "That's what happened, I was worried you wouldn't understand, but it turns out you're even clearer than me. But it wasn't my intention to make you have a nightmare, this spell is something I just learned recently and might not be able to control well, so there was a bit of an accident. I'm still not sure if things are really like that, let's try again tonight."

  Zhuang Ru: "How do you want me to try? See if I still have the same dream or not? Why don't you let me sleep?"

  Bai Shaoliu: "I don't want you to try that way, you shouldn't sleep tonight, wait until I've finished and then sleep, see if you still have that bad dream?"

  Zhuang Ru: "Alright, I'll be drinking tea in the kitchen at night. Wait for you to finish your practice and call me when it's time to sleep again, that's settled!"

  "Zhuang Jie!"

  "What's wrong? Your shout sounds quite strange!"

  Bai Shaoliu: "I said such an absurd thing, how can you completely believe it?"

  Zhuang Ru: "In my eyes, you're not an ordinary person. Whatever miracle you have, I won't be surprised. Even if you tell me you're God, I'll believe it!" She was speaking from the heart, and Bai Xiao could hear it. Upon hearing this, Bai Shaofeng also felt a pang - if someone learned magic to impersonate a god or deity, they would indeed be able to deceive people's hearts.

  At midnight, Zhuo Ru didn't sleep and was quietly drinking tea in the kitchen alone. Xiao Bai closed the door, adjusted his body, breath, and mind to enter a meditative state, entering the realm of visualization. It was still the method of contemplating life and death, but after just a few seconds of reliving life and death, it felt like a very long time had passed. When the scene of life and death was replayed, Bai Shaofeng ended his practice. Why did he always end his practice at this moment? In fact, Xiao Bai's current cultivation level could only end his practice at this moment. Practicing visualization techniques isn't something where you can stay in a meditative state for as long as you want; each step has its own rules and requirements.

  Before she even opened her eyes, Xiaobai heard Zhu Ru let out a scream in the kitchen, followed by the sound of a cup shattering on the floor. The sounds didn't stop there; with her senses still sharp from just waking up, Xiaobai also heard terrified cries coming from the neighboring apartments both to the left and right, as well as from upstairs and downstairs. All the neighbors were startled, and even two dogs started barking loudly - she had no idea whose pets they were. Xiaobai never could have imagined that her nighttime activities would cause such a huge commotion!

  He jumped out of bed and rushed into the hall, just in time to see Zhuo Rou's pale face shaking as she ran out of the kitchen, and threw herself into his arms. Xiao Bai sat her down on the sofa, Zhuo Rou was still trembling in his arms, and it took half a day for her to say disjointed words: "Xiao Bai, you're really amazing! ... I just had an illusion, it wasn't a dream. ... Hold me tighter, okay? I feel cold. ... Are you wearing only pajamas? Go put on more clothes, don't catch a chill!"

  Bai Shaoliu: "I'm not cold, I'm really sorry. I thought you wouldn't sleep and it would be fine, but I didn't expect to still scare you. I truly apologize!"

  Zhuang Ru moved in Xiao Bai's arms, adjusted a very comfortable posture and said: "I didn't blame you, I admire you! You're too great! Just beg you not to scare me again, okay?"

  Bai Shaoliu: "I understand what's going on, of course I won't let you be frightened again. Are you still afraid?"

  Zhuang Ru: "Now? Of course, I'm not afraid now, but just now it was really scary. I don't dare to come again even if I know it's an illusion... My face is still hurt from that time. Now I just hope the wound will heal quickly." Her tone clearly had a hint of longing, and her gentle emotions all melted into Xiao Bai's embrace.

  At this moment, from the other side of the open door, outside Xiao Bai's bedroom window, someone let out a soft hum, followed by the sound of clothes fluttering away, and that person left. Zhuang Ru didn't hear it, but Xiao Bai did - it was Qing Chen's voice! He almost got up and threw Zhuang Ru out of his arms, but he sat back down, after all, he couldn't throw Zhuang Ru to the ground. He held Zhuang Ru in his lap and sat on the sofa, such an intimate action must have been seen by Qing Chen! Xiao Bai felt very ashamed and embarrassed.

  Zhuang Ru felt Xiao Bai's body tense up and sit steadily again, and asked very sensitively: "What's wrong? Is your leg numb?"

  Bai Shaoliu: "No, nothing... I just heard you break something in the kitchen?"

  Zhuang Ru: "One teacup, I'll go pick it up... You're not wearing shoes? Don't come in, be careful of the broken pieces." She reluctantly gets up to clean up the broken porcelain on the floor. Xiao Bai puts on his shoes and stands at the kitchen door, hearing footsteps coming from upstairs, not just upstairs, but also from the neighbors on both sides. Zhuang Ru also hears it, cleaning up while saying: "Can't you think of a way? Of course, kung fu needs to be practiced, but there's no need to scare all the neighbors for no reason, listen, even the people upstairs and next door are all up now."

  Bai Shaoliu: "I know, it won't happen again!" He made up his mind to go find that donkey today and ask him clearly. Xiao Bai had already understood that cultivation wasn't a simple matter, not just for himself but also for the people around cultivators. Bai Mao's transmission of the technique was concise, but it seemed like he hadn't considered everything thoroughly, or maybe there were some things he didn't tell him at all.

  Zhuang Ru picked up the broken porcelain pieces and took out five identical, exquisite porcelain cups from the cabinet. Looking at these cups, she felt a complex emotion in her heart, as if she was both ashamed and relieved to have finally let go of something. Xiao Bai asked, "These cups are quite good, you broke one, why do you want to throw away the whole set?"

  Zhuang Ru lowered her head and said softly: "You always seem to understand others' thoughts, I haven't even said it yet and you already know I want to throw away these cups... They were brought back from Lanxi country as a gift for me, one of them broke today, just in time, I should have thrown them away long ago."

  "Who is that person?" Xiaobai suddenly thought of Yan Xiangli, the original manager of the money house. This set of cups must have been given to Zhuang Ru by him. Xiaobai could feel that Zhuang Ru's emotions were a bit down when speaking, and she was even afraid to raise her head. She couldn't help but persuade: "Just throw it away, what's the big deal?... This cup is very good, it would be a pity to throw it away and break it, we don't want it but others can still use it. How about this, take it downstairs and put it next to the trash can, the scavenger will definitely be happy to see it, and it's also a way of reusing waste... Come on, get dressed and let's go now, we'll go together."

  Zhuang Ru: "Now?"

  Bai Shaoliu: "How many days have you been cooped up at home? I'll accompany you for a walk and get some fresh air, wear something thicker to avoid catching a chill."

  Zhuang Ru: "I'm already ugly enough, now with all these band-aids on my face, I don't dare to scare people even more."

  Bai Shaoliu: "It's midnight now, and no one will see you, let's go!" The two of them put on their coats, held the cups, went downstairs, threw the fragments into the trash can, and placed the other five tea cups on the green grass beside the garbage station where passersby wouldn't easily touch but could see. Then they didn't hurry back home, but instead took a stroll in the community garden.

  It's a clear night, no moon in the sky, and the stars are twinkling quietly. It's already past one o'clock in the morning, and there's no one else in the garden. A gentle breeze blows by, carrying a cool and refreshing breath of air. Zhuo Ru walks ahead with her arms outstretched as if flying, takes a deep breath, and says: "It's been ages since I've breathed in such fresh air! There's even the scent of flowers in the winter wind!"

  Xiaobai said from behind: "You'd better wear your hat properly, be careful of catching a cold in the wind."

  Zhuang Ru: "I'm not cold at all! I feel so relaxed, so relaxed that it's like I'm about to fly!"

  Bai Shaoliu: "If you want to fly, just slowly fly then. If you like it, I'll often accompany you out for a walk at night." As he spoke, he looked around and saw that Qingchen's figure had already disappeared. Instead, many households in the building where he lived had turned on their lights. Xiaobai silently apologized in his heart.

  "On the first day, I startled one person; on the second day, I startled the whole upstairs; and on the third day, the entire building was startled. If I continue practicing like this, will the people of Wuyi City still be able to sleep?!... Baimao, what's going on here! Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

  Xiaobai was busy all day the next day and only had time to rush to the horse farm after work. On the mountain slope at dusk, he asked Baimao a series of questions. After understanding the situation, Baimao laughed: "It's not that exaggerated, you just need to find a place within a radius of one mile where there are no people and you can do it. Now you understand why those legendary cultivators often go to remote places to cultivate, right? You also know what the Daoist temple is used for?"

  "You're still smiling! How could this have happened?"

  Bai Mao: "You're still asking me? This is your innate divine ability, the 'Heart Connection' technique of Empathy Inducement! Your Desire Contemplation has just begun, and you've already caused such a huge commotion. I'm starting to suspect that you're an old ghost who's been cultivating for 300 years. I've seen Empathy Techniques before, but one that is unintentionally applied on a large scale without distinction, this is the first time I've heard of it."

  Bai Shaoliu: "I didn't use any magic, I just practiced the kung fu you taught me."

  Bai Mao: "With your current cultivation, even if you intentionally cast a spell, it's unlikely to have this effect. I knew there was a possibility of this happening, but I didn't expect you to gain magical powers so quickly and in such an exaggerated way."

  Bai Shaoliu: "You knew this was a possibility all along, why didn't you tell me?"

  Bai Mao: "I wouldn't care about these trivial matters, but you're cultivating in the mortal world, so you should be a bit more careful. Ordinary people might not understand, but if you were to disturb those cultivators who like to interfere with others' business, it would be inappropriate. You're not ready yet!"

  "What's wrong with that?"

  Bai Mao: "You still can't handle those people, so be more low-key when doing things."

  Bai Shaoliu: "Even if it can be settled, it can't be done like last night. Don't the neighbors have to go to work tomorrow? ... What's that 'emotional transference' you mentioned earlier? What kind of magic is that?" Bai Mao was very patient and carefully explained it to him. "Heart Communion" can be divided into three types in terms of its effects: empathy, emotional transference, and opening up.

  What is called empathy is to detect the human heart and feel the emotions in others' hearts. Xiao Bai was born with a talent for this, and now he has mastered it very well. In fact, what he calls "heart communication" is actually detecting the seven emotions and six desires. People's thoughts or behaviors are all caused by certain emotions, so they can be understood through empathy.

  What is called empathy, and it's a bit more magical, is the ability to infuse a certain emotion or feeling into someone else's mind. People born with telepathic abilities can transmit their emotions to another person, but the empathy mastered by powerful cultivators is even more mysterious. Cultivators who have reached a high level of cultivation possess telepathy and can superimpose an emotion onto someone's mind, achieving the goal of influencing their words and actions.

  Apart from empathy and telepathy, the most mysterious form of extrasensory perception is called "opening the door". Opening the door means opening one's heart to let others in. You can unfold a scene or thought process in your mind for the other person to see. According to Bai Mao's explanation, last night Bai Shaofeng simultaneously triggered the 'telepathy' and 'opening the door' techniques, allowing people around him to "see" the scenes he experienced in his observation state, while also transmitting that terrifying atmosphere and emotion into their minds.

  The two spiritual abilities of "Yi Qing" and "Kai Hu" are often used together and not distinguished, so they are collectively referred to as "Yi Qing Kai Hu Shu". Unless one is born with this extraordinary ability or has reached the level of a master with divine powers, most cultivators do not possess this spiritual power, let alone ordinary people. Interestingly, it is often the ghosts and spirits in the world that possess this spiritual power, which they use to confuse and deceive people who are greedy for wealth and fame, commonly referred to as "ghosts confusing the mind". In that case, Xiaobai also has great potential for pretending to be a god and deceiving people's minds.

  Western modern psychologists also created practical techniques such as hypnosis and intention dialogue, which can achieve similar effects to telepathy through skills like synchronized thinking communication with the person being hypnotized, even when the other party is unconscious. However, this is different from cultivating supernatural powers, because it requires the cooperation of the other party, whereas Xiaobai's telepathic power doesn't care whether others respond or not.