Wayne felt he was utterly weak—rounded off, he was basically trash. This left Xifei at a loss for words. If this was considered trash, what was she? What were those classmates who had failed their very first meditation?
Xifei kept a straight face and said nothing. It was her own fault; she had spoken carelessly earlier, digging a pit only to bury herself in it, reducing herself to something worse than trash.
To Wayne, Xifei's cold expression seemed like proof that his aptitude was dreadful. Swallowing a bellyful of grievances, he didn't dare say them out loud. It was all the fault of the Book of Greed; it had ruined his image, scaring the elements away from approaching him.
"Wayne, magic is indeed difficult, but all beginners start like this. A single failure doesn't prove anything. Just work harder in the future," Xifei said, biting the bullet. She was running out of things to say.
Wayne nodded. Diligence makes up for clumsiness—that made sense. "I understand. Lacking talent isn't a problem. As long as I put in ten times, a hundred times more effort, I'll surely close the gap between myself and geniuses."
Xifei: "..."
Leave the geniuses alone! They're still just children!
The topic was far too heavy. Xifei could almost picture an array of ashen, desireless faces, with her daughter Veronica standing in that very lineup. She quickly skipped past the subject and flipped the grimoire to the final chapter.
Self!
The hexagram grimoire did not detail the concept of "Void"; that theoretical knowledge was taught systematically by academy instructors, and a thick stack of textbooks was hardly suitable for inclusion in a single volume.
Of course, those dozen-odd magical formulas could also be seen as "Void." Beginners grasped the most basic knowledge, igniting and tracing out a complete hexagram pattern.
Once the hexagram took shape and stabilized, the beginner's essence of life would be significantly enhanced, turning them into a full-fledged mage with a mind capable of absorbing more knowledge.
Wayne felt the results of his first meditation were mediocre, so he asked Xifei if there was any solution. He wanted to capture the elemental motes quickly rather than at the sluggish pace he had just managed.
The alluring teacher immediately provided an answer. This problem plagued all beginners, but there were actually simple methods.
Get closer to nature, allowing one's body and mind to come into greater contact with the elemental motes.
"Take earth as an example: every one of us remains in contact with the earth at every moment. You could try walking barefoot in the garden... Wait, what are you climbing out the window for? Get back here!"
With a dark look, Xifei called Wayne back. "Put your socks back on! They stink. In front of a lady, that is hardly how a gentleman behaves."
The methods for making contact with the four elements were not complicated. If one wanted an affinity with earth, walk barefoot; the earth element would strengthen the mage's muscles, bones, and internal organs.
However, this wasn't limitless; it depended on innate talent. Some mages were destined never to excel at close-quarters combat, while others... such as scions of dragon blood, could be strengthened by the earth element for far longer than ordinary people.
By analogy with the remaining three elements: to grow closer to water, drink plenty of water and take frequent baths, ideally soaking in the sea;
to grow closer to wind, catch plenty of northwest wind, or turn on an electric fan if there was none;
to grow closer to fire was the simplest—soak up the sun, or if it was overcast, see that fireplace over there? Just crouch right in front of it.
"If you feel your meditation results are poor, practice constantly and integrate meditation into every aspect of your life. It might be difficult at first because your thoughts will interrupt the meditative state, but as long as you persevere, it's entirely possible to divide your mind and maintain meditation even in your sleep."
Xifei warned him never to meditate in front of outsiders, especially while lying in wait or hiding, as it was very easy for the other party to detect one's presence.
At the same time, she reminded Wayne that his mana was latent. This was a tremendous advantage, allowing him to blend among ordinary people without being detected.
As long as he didn't take the initiative, it would be difficult for anyone to tell he was a mage!
Of course, due to the formation of the hexagram, a mage's aura would involuntarily undergo changes, creating a world of difference from an ordinary person. This was uncontrollable.
If Wayne wanted to keep posing as an ordinary person in the future, he would need to learn advanced techniques for concealing his aura.
This involved the application of mana, something Wayne could not yet master. He couldn't bite off more than he could chew; everything had to be taken step by step.
...
Before they knew it, the hour grew late. Wayne felt drowsy in his thoughts from his first meditation.
Xifei stopped her lecture and told him to get a good night's sleep, as they would resume class first thing tomorrow morning.
Going three days and three nights without sleep had just been talk. Staying up late was the mortal enemy of beauty; Wayne might be eager to keep pushing, but she wanted to get her beauty sleep.
Besides, it had been many years since she last vacationed at this mansion estate, and she couldn't help feeling a wave of nostalgia.
If only Veronica and... If only Veronica were here too!
The next day during class, an unexpected incident occurred.
It happened in the evening.
Wayne had become so engrossed in his teacher's lecture that he couldn't tear himself away. When mealtime came, he forgot to feed his white pigeon. The bird squirmed out of his top hat on its own, right into Xifei's plain sight.
"Wayne, where did you get a carrier bird?"
Xifei was thoroughly astonished. Wayne had received no systematic training from an academy, nor was he a qualified believer. Where on earth did he get a carrier bird?
"At a gathering spot of the Goddess of the Sun's followers. A friend gave it to me."
"A man or a woman? Wait, no—you've been to a gathering spot of the Goddess of the Sun's believers?"
Xifei was stunned. First the Goddess of Moonlight, now the Goddess of the Sun. What about Death and Darkness? Had their followers made a move too?
"Yeah, I just came out of there yesterday. They were really enthusiastic."
Wayne grumbled in complaint before smoothly shifting gears. "Teacher, you won't allow me to attempt elemental magic, but what about carrier bird magic? Why don't you teach me during our break?"
Xifei didn't answer. She pushed up her glasses, sensing that things were far from simple.
A severe sense of crisis welled up inside her. Her student was too exceptional, a hot commodity; for all she knew, the Goddess of the Sun's followers had already gotten their hands on him and played around with him.
Bah, shameless! Stealing someone else's student in broad daylight—how could they have the nerve!
How could Xifei know the disdain Wayne had faced at the gym? Measuring others by her own standards, she pictured Wayne being charmed and seduced by the sweet words of the Sun Goddess's believers.
This would not do. Wayne was her student, an outstanding disciple she was cultivating for the Goddess of Nature, and in the future he might even become a God-favored. Under no circumstances could he be snatched away.
Xifei pondered for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up. Chuckling softly, she lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing a smooth, shapely calf. "Wayne, tell your big sister: what exactly is my brand missing?"
*You're still hung up on that!*
"Teacher, let's stick to carrier bird magic!"
Wayne stole a glance, thoroughly speechless. There was everything to like about this alluring teacher—she had the looks to match her erudition and the figure to match her prowess—which made it impossible to stay focused during class.
This was precisely why he had preferred a white-bearded old scholar when choosing a mentor: a crusty old fellow offered nothing to look at, which would allow him to keep his eyes on the teacher, rather than *keeping his eyes on the teacher*.
"Talk about clothes, or no more magic lessons for you."
"Stockings. Nylon stockings."
Helpless, Wayne had no choice but to speak up.
This time, he didn't stammer or hide it. Before, Xifei had been a passerby, but now she was his mentor on the path of magic. Just these three days of lessons had benefited him immensely; gifting the patent for nylon stockings to Xifei as an apprentice's gift wouldn't be a bad idea.
Acquiring the patent rights was too difficult, and even if he bought them, he wouldn't be able to protect them. Xifei was different. As a regional high priest, she had people, money, power, and influence. Clinging to her coattails might even let him get a taste of the broth.
To illustrate stockings more intuitively, Wayne asked a maid for a piece of charcoal and began drawing on his own leg right in front of Xifei.
"Stockings can shape the legs, keep out the cold, prevent swelling, and protect against sunburn and perspiration..."
"The greatest appeal lies in aesthetics. They can conceal small blemishes on a lady's legs. Furthermore, their smooth, sleek texture enhances the beauty of the legs, delivering a stately, elegant visual impact to onlookers."
The tables turned. As Wayne explained the uses of stockings, it became his lecture, while Xifei was the student.
"In my concept, ultra-thin stockings should be used in summer, medium-thick ones in spring and autumn, and extra-thick fleece-lined ones in winter..."
"High-quality stockings must be breathable. Even in summer, they should wick away stuffy moisture, sparing women the annoyance of sticky sweat clinging to their skin and letting them breathe more freely."
"At the same time, stockings must be elastic, firming up any flab on the legs to produce more flattering contours. And good adhesion helps them hug the skin tightly, making the skin appear more delicate and lustrous."
"And then there's durability and snag resistance..."
Pointing at his blackened leg, Wayne grew increasingly animated as he expounded on his stocking concept.
Someone once said: never leave the house without a hat, and never leave the house without stockings.
Wayne couldn't recall who said that, only knowing that person held a hefty reputation in the fashion industry. An industry titan possessed sharp eyes, which was where his confidence in making a fortune from stockings came from.
After listening to Wayne's explanation, Xifei was thrilled. As a woman and a fashion designer, she immediately recognized the bright future of stockings.
Whether it made money didn't matter—her wardrobe simply had to have them!
Xifei hitched up her skirt, intending to blacken her own long legs with charcoal right on the spot. She even asked Wayne to help, claiming it would be faster if they did one leg each.
Wayne refused. He wished to respect his teacher, and asked that she kindly refrain from teasing him every now and then.
After all, it really was enticing!
Xifei changed into an evening gown and stood before the mirror, examining herself over and over. Her calves were already painted black; though not real stockings, the effect was beginning to show.
Wayne wondered where Xifei had found an evening gown that fit so perfectly. On second thought, it was perfectly normal for a mage to have a dimensional storage space, nothing to be surprised about.
The more Xifei looked, the more pleased she was. She could hardly wait to get her hands on her very first pair of stockings. "Wayne, you're worried about the patent for nylon?"
"That's right. As far as I know, the patent for nylon is held by a company in Londan. I haven't investigated which specific company it is, but currently, nylon is primarily used to produce military supplies," Wayne stated honestly.
"What a waste. How wonderful it would be to make stockings with it instead."
"It's not that simple. Right now it's only a theoretical concept on paper. There are still technological hurdles to overcome; it's not as if acquiring the patent means we can immediately produce stockings..."
Wayne sighed. "The patent is the crucial part. I'm afraid that once stockings hit the market and they see the windfall profits, they'll simply kick us out of the game."
"Heh heh, they won't."
Xifei sounded full of confidence. Since it involved that bastard husband of hers, she didn't want to prematurely reveal the secret of being Veronica's mother. Glossing over it, she switched topics: "Wayne, interested in becoming a designer for my brand? For all your designs going forward, including stockings, we'll count it as a technology equity stake, and you'll get half of the net profits."
*That much? Are you trying to keep me as a kept man?*
Wayne was shocked by Xifei's generosity, suspecting she didn't realize just how valuable stockings were. For that kind of money, let alone being her student, he'd willingly go through fire and water, risking life and limb without hesitation.
So what in the world was she after?
Wayne had no idea how brimming with talent he was, much less Xifei's sense of crisis. Pulled along by her, he signed a preliminary draft and, completely bewildered, became the number two fashion designer of the "Xifei Valentine" brand.
Number one was Xifei herself: founder and chief designer.
A contract was a contract. Though Wayne didn't understand fashion, he dared to pat his chest and proclaim that in this era, no one understood stockings better than him!
Don't ask—if you must ask, it was simply that his eyes had seen it all.
He might not have worn stockings himself, but had he never seen fellow group members post spicy photos of stocking-clad legs?
Wayne didn't understand fashion design; what he didn't know, he didn't know, and there was no shame in admitting it. But he had seen plenty of stockings in his time.
Black ones, white ones, nude ones;
thigh-highs, knee-highs, suspender stockings;
fishnets, patterned ones...
Having him design stockings in this era was practically a dimensional strike. If even he failed, it could only mean this era's industrial capacity was inadequate.
Speaking of being thoroughly familiar through sight, Wayne also thought of women's lingerie and swimwear, and had an epiphany. Previously, he had fallen into a mental trap, constantly thinking of inventing simple, practical gadgets.
In truth, the spicy pictures posted by his chat group members alone could let him shine brilliantly in this era.
He might even sweep the annual Friend of Women awards, becoming the fashion designer who understood women best on the God-favored Continent—the dream lover of hundreds of millions of maidens.
Most importantly, it could rake in serious money!
Those horny chat group buddies were genuinely useful!
In a daze, Wayne saw countless banknotes bearing the Queen's portrait hurtling right at him.
He dodged desperately.
And guess what?
Ha, he couldn't dodge them at all!
"Heheheh—" x 2
Wayne chuckled with his head down, but as he laughed, he noticed something was off.
Why were there two chuckles?
Looking up, he saw Xifei staring at him with a grin.
"Teacher, what are you laughing at?"
"Nothing. Seeing you laugh made your big sister laugh too."
Xifei covered her mouth with a hand. Young people were so naive—with just a little trick, she had him wrapped right around her finger.
*Boy, you better make plenty of money. My daughter has no concept of finances; she spends money like water and practically pays out of pocket just to go work a job outside. If you make too little, you'll never be able to support her.*
Chapter 35