A Desolate Mental Calculation: The Abacus Leads to the Great Dao!

"That kid Wushuang has made quite a commotion."

Behind the counter, Xiao Se listened to the sound of swords clashing coming from the kitchen, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Although he cannot practice martial arts now, the connection he feels from his soul tells him that Wushuang has taken a crucial step.

"He can even turn slicing a potato into a swordplay; this kid is quite talented."

Xiao Se sighed, then looked down at the mountain of account books in front of him, and suddenly felt a headache coming on.

"Sigh... what good is talent? You still have to work for that exploitative landlord, don't you?"

He rubbed his throbbing temples, his fingers fiddling with the abacus.

"Three hundred taels for goods... fifty taels for labor... two hundred taels for damage compensation... Is Lei Wujie a husky? Why does he destroy the house every day?"

As Xiao Se did the accounting, he complained, feeling that this life was even more tiring than the scheming and intrigue in Tianqi City.

He, the dignified sixth prince, the Prince of Yong'an, and the most famous genius in Tianqi City, has now been reduced to calculating such trivial matters here.

If those brothers in Tianqi City knew about this, wouldn't they laugh their heads off?

"Snapped!"

A thick book suddenly slammed down on the account book in front of him, making the abacus beads vibrate wildly.

Xiao Se was startled. He looked up and saw Su Changqing smiling at him.

"Sir, what's wrong?"

Xiao Se pointed to the book.

"Seeing how hard you've been calculating, I'll give you something nice."

Su Changqing pointed to the book title—"Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art".

Xiao Se rolled his eyes: "Sir, are you kidding me? I could recite this kind of primer by heart when I was three years old."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Su Changqing smiled mysteriously, "Then open it and see if this is still the 'Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art' you recognize?"

Xiao Se suspiciously turned to the first page.

The surface was covered with all sorts of strange symbols and formulas, such as "calculus," "probability theory," and "linear algebra"...

What the hell is this scribbles?!

"This is called advanced mathematics, a 'modified version' I tailored just for you."

Su Changqing explained, "Stop using your broken abacus, it's too slow. From today onwards, you must learn to calculate mentally. Use your mind to build data models and deduce the changes in all things."

"mental arithmetic?"

Xiao Se frowned. "What use is this? Can it help me regain my martial arts skills?"

"Of course."

Su Changqing's smile faded, and he became serious. "Your hidden meridians are damaged, and your soul has become extremely weak as a result. If you want to rebuild your martial arts, you must first repair your soul."

"This kind of high-intensity mental computation is the best way to train your soul. When you can construct a huge numerical maze in your mind and find the exit instantly, your soul will be almost fully repaired."

"real?"

Xiao Se had some doubts.

Believe it or not.

Su Changqing shrugged. "Anyway, you don't have any other options right now, so you might as well try anything."

After saying that, he walked away with his hands behind his back, leaving Xiao Se alone staring blankly at the "heavenly book".

"Advanced mathematics...data modeling..."

Xiao Se muttered to himself, still finding it somewhat absurd, but his competitive spirit was also stirred up.

"I refuse to believe there's any book in this world that I, Xiao Chuhe, can't understand!"

He took a deep breath, pushed aside the abacus that had been with him for many years, closed his eyes, and began to try to construct the so-called "number maze" in his mind according to the method in the book.

At first, it was difficult.

Those dry numbers are like a tangled mess, impossible to untangle.

If I try to think even a little bit, my head feels like it's going to explode and I feel an excruciating pain.

That was a consequence of damage to the soul.

But he did not give up.

He gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and tried again and again, building it up time and time again.

One hundred taels... one thousand taels... ten thousand taels...

Purchasing... Selling... Profit and loss...

Gradually, those chaotic numbers became clear in his mind.

They are no longer cold, lifeless symbols, but have become bricks, stones, beams, and pillars.

He built a magnificent palace in his mind!

Every account is a detail of the palace.

Every piece of data is a cornerstone supporting the palace.

This feeling is wonderful.

It's as if he has become a creator god, constructing all things in his own spiritual world!

As this "digital palace" continued to improve, Xiao Se was surprised to find that the headache that had plagued him for many years was slowly easing.

Instead, there was an unprecedented coolness and clarity.

It was as if an invisible spring was nourishing his parched and withered soul!

"This...this is the power of the soul?!"

Xiao Se suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in his pupils.

He could clearly feel that his perception had become stronger!

Originally, I could only hear sounds from a few feet away, but now I can clearly hear the rhythm of Wushuang chopping vegetables in the kitchen, and even the even breathing of Xiao Nuomi on the second floor!

Not only that.

He looked at the world around him, and it had changed.

The dust floating in the air, the trajectory of fallen leaves outside the window, and even the micro-expressions on everyone's faces were slowed down countless times in his eyes and automatically broken down into strings of data!

Wind speed, angle, force, weakness...

Everything was within his calculations!

"I see……"

Xiao Se looked at his hands, a hint of shock and understanding in his eyes. "Is this what you meant by 'data model'? To see through the essence of all things and predict future changes..."

"This isn't just settling accounts; it's clearly deducing the laws of nature!"

He finally understood Su Changqing's good intentions.

This gentleman was teaching him a completely new and unprecedented method of cultivation.

A supreme path that allows one to control the spirit with the mind and the qi with the spirit!

"call--"

Xiao Se exhaled a long breath of turbid air, and the gloomy and decadent aura that had been brought about by the damage to his hidden meridians dissipated by most of it.

Instead, there is a wisdom and composure that allows one to control everything.

The once spirited and brilliant Prince Yong'an seems to be slowly returning!

"How's it going, Boss Xiao?"

Lei Wujie happened to run over to deliver an order. Seeing Xiao Se's inscrutable expression, he curiously approached and asked, "Have you attained enlightenment? Why do you seem even more handsome?"

"roll."

Xiao Se uttered a single word without even raising his head, "The customers at table three ordered an extra plate of peanuts, the customers at table five shortchanged them by one coin, and the customers at table seven tried to skip out on the bill. Go and handle that."

Lei Wujie: "???"

"How did you know without even looking up? Do you have X-ray vision?"

"This is called mental arithmetic."

Xiao Se pointed to his head, a confident smile playing on his lips. "So... even keeping accounts can cultivate the mind. The ancients were right."

Lei Wujie left, looking completely bewildered.

He felt that the bleakness of the day was a bit terrifying, even more terrifying than Wushuang wielding a kitchen knife to carve tofu.

With Lei Wujie's movement technique reaching its peak, Wushuang's swordsmanship breaking through, and Xiaose's soul being repaired, the three "working kings" of Changqing Tower have finally taken full shape!

Their fame, along with the delicious food of Changqinglou, quickly spread throughout the martial arts world and even reached the distant Tianqi City.

Countless people came from far and wide, not only to eat, but also to see what these three legendary geniuses had become.

Business is booming!

however.

As the three progressed, the reputation of Changqing Tower grew, even reaching Tianqi City.

But what followed was an even bigger problem—there weren't enough people!