Chapter 79: Not Channeling the Energy

Looking at the lifeless plant in the space inside the energy board, Yu Jinli was quite happy that he finally succeeded. Since energy boards didn’t have energy, the super plant drawn on it was naturally lifeless. He cleaned the super plant off the board and started to draw again. After repeated practice, he was finally able to draw it skillfully. Now he could draw the heart-shaped herb with his eyes closed, ready to try on a real empty energy card. He looked at the empty energy card beside him, tempted; his hand reached for it then withdrew quickly. “You can’t draw on a real energy card yet.” Jiang Mosheng’s word echoed in his mind but he really wanted to have a try. In the end, his craving for the energy card overruled golden coattail’s word. He thought he was good at drawing it so it wouldn’t be a problem if he practiced on an energy card. Therefore, Yu Jinli picked up an empty energy card. First, extending his spirit consciousness to it carefully, he found a space inside it like that inside an energy board but with glowing energy. Excited, he tried to calm down. Then, he concentrated and drew the lines of the heart-shaped herb in his mind before he extended his spirit consciousness to the energy card again and started to draw on it. At first, everything went well. With spirit consciousness as a pen, he drew the heart-shaped herb skillfully. There was one last step - channeling the energy of the energy card into the drawing so that the heart-shaped herb would work in the hands of a mutant. Pity that Yu Jinli didn’t know it since he hadn’t learned how to make an energy card systematically. After finishing drawing the heart-shaped herb, he was over the moon. A heart-shaped herb appeared on the originally empty energy card as he took back his spirit consciousness. However, it was dim, totally different from the picture on the Grade D energy card he saw before. Confused, Yu Jinli took his first energy card to Jiang Mosheng’s bedroom. Since to him, his golden coattail knew everything so Jiang Mosheng must know what the problem was. “Dong, dong, dong.” Yu Jinli knocked three times and heard “Please come in” from the other side of the door. “Ah Sheng, look at my energy card. Why is it so dim?” said Yu Jinli the moment he was in the room. “You made an energy card?” Hearing that, Jiang Mosheng’s brows knitted. By now, Yu Jinli finally recalled what Jiang Mosheng had told him beforehand. Immediately, he felt a bit guilty. “...I’ve practiced many times on the energy board and haven’t made any mistake so I thought I could I have a try,” explained Yu Jinli in a small voice. Seeing that look on Yu Jinli’s face, Jiang Mosheng didn’t have the heart to blame him anymore. Actually, not that he didn’t want Yu Jinli to learn how to make energy cards. However, since Yu Jinli was only a beginner and didn’t have enough knowledge of energy cards, he might cause explosions if he was careless. Though it was small explosions which didn’t kill, his heart would ache if the little one was hurt. “Tell me about it if you are going to make an energy card next time, okay? Don’t do it by yourself. You are lucky that nothing bad happened this time,” said Jiang Mosheng. After he knew the little one, he was more emotional. He had more expressions, more than he ever had over the past decades. But he was happy. “Okay, I’ll tell you about it, Ah Sheng. Help me with this energy card now. Why is it so dim? It isn’t as colorful as the one you gave me.” Hurriedly, Yu Jinli passed his energy card to Jiang Mosheng. Though Jiang Mosheng wasn’t a Card Forger and didn’t know energy cards as well as Card Forgers, he knew what was wrong at first sight. “Have you channeled the energy in the card to the drawing?” Jiang Mosheng got the point at once. “Ah? What energy?” Clearly Yu Jinli was lost. Wasn’t it over after he painted the heart-shaped herb? “When you make an energy card, you need to channel the energy within into the picture thus the energy will fill the picture after it is finished,” explained Jiang Mosheng patiently. “If you don’t, the picture will look as dim as this one,” added Jiang Mosheng with the card in his hand. An energy card was the same as an energy board if the picture on it wasn’t filled with energy while channeling energy into the picture was the most difficult part of making an energy card. “I see.” Yu Jinli finally understood. He had thought making an energy card was easy while it turned out he hadn’t got the point so far. “It’s brilliant that you’ve done this at your first attempt. Don’t worry. Take time.” Jiang Mosheng encouraged him. Yu Jinli grinned with two cute dimples and nodded hard as he said with determination: “I’m going to be a great Card Forger.” “I believe you will, little chestnut,” said Jiang Mosheng dotingly. He said it and he believed it. After all, little chestnut was unusual. Perhaps his inner focus was at Grade D at this point, he would go further on the way of a Card Forger. Jiang Mosheng had hard faith in that. Yu Jinli was happy that Ah Sheng believed him and he said: “I’ll give you all my energy cards, Ah Sheng.” “Thanks, little chestnut.” In order to catch up with the little one, to use energy cards the little one made, he must work hard on cultivation so that he didn’t lag behind. The next day in the morning, Jiang Mosheng sent Yu Jinli to Master Kameng’s manor. It was another day of study. Last night, having failed to make an energy card, Yu Jinli calmed down and didn’t continue with the energy cards. Instead, he memorized the rest of Collection of First-grade Super Plants, which would be useful. When Yu Jinli arrived at Master Kameng’s manor, Master Kameng was having breakfast. However, the master clearly wasn’t happy with his food. Usually, Master Kameng looked authoritative without any expressions. Now with a frown, he seemed more difficult to get along with. Many of his assistants stepped backwards quietly, worried that Master Kameng would take his anger out on them. “Can’t even cook a decent breakfast. Why do I still keep you here?” said Kameng angrily. Yu Jinli heard that as he walked in. Since Master Kameng was in a bad mood, he vented it out on Yu Jinli when he saw him. “Go and make breakfast,” said Master Kameng with a cold face. “Yes.” Yu Jinli didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. He would follow his tutor’s directions since he was a good koi fish who honored his teacher and revered his teachings. Besides, he was good at cooking. Therefore, he didn’t notice all the sympathetic looks thrown his way. Almost everyone present had been thrown into the kitchen by Master Kameng before but seldom could anyone make a breakfast that pleased him. Kameng was particular about food. Sometimes, even professionally trained cooks couldn’t meet his requirement, let alone his assistants. As everyone was speculating how long this new boy could remain here, Yu Jinli walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of porridge and two dishes. “There isn’t much food left in the kitchen, so I’ve made a bowl of porridge, a dish of cabbage and cucumber salad. Master, please have a try.” He put the simple porridge and two dishes in front of Master Kameng. That made everyone feel more for Yu Jinli and prayed for him quietly, hoping that the master wouldn’t throw all that food on his head for the sake of Jiang Family that sent him here. However, to their surprise, the master, who was extremely particular about food, didn’t show any dislike for this simple meal. Instead, after a bite, he ate faster and soon finished the porridge and two dishes. Everyone looked at Master Kameng with disbelief and turned to the new boy with secret admiration. Amazing! He managed to calm the master down when he was angry. He did something not even a professional chef could do! “Good, you are making tomorrow’s breakfast as well,” said Kameng as he cleaned his mouth. “Yes, master,” said Yu Jinli smilingly. He took this chance and added: “Master, I tried to make an energy card last night but couldn’t channel its energy into my drawing. How do I do that?” As he finished speaking, he heard gasps around him. Even Master Kameng was looking at him, a bit shocked. “Let me see your energy card.” Master Kameng’s eyes became difficult to read as he watched Yu Jinli and said. He was in a good mood. Otherwise, he would have scolded Yu Jinli first since it wasn’t diligence nor bravery but playing with fire to have made an energy card before formal learning. He wouldn’t teach a student who wasn’t responsible for himself! Hearing that, Yu Jinli took out his energy card hurriedly. Except from the dim super plant on it, it looked exactly like any other Grade F heart-shaped herb energy card, which impressed and shocked all the assistants again. He who hadn’t touched an energy card before could draw a super plant so successfully at his first attempt. Though he didn’t channel the energy, which didn’t make it a real energy card, the fact he painted a heart-shaped herb with inner focus successfully was worthy of admiration. Usually, it would take a beginner a long time to learn to control inner focus. Then it was trial and error on an energy board before finally succeeded while Yu Jinli did it overnight which spoke for his outstanding talent. Master Kameng was surprised when he saw the energy card. However, when he remembered Yu Jinli’s inner focus grade, he was filled with pity.