The Omniscient

Chapter 22: Cold Reading Max

"Brother! Thank you so much! You saved my life!" Lin Li said, overwhelmed with gratitude.

Huang Ji replied calmly, "It wasn’t that serious. What you went through was hardly a big deal."

"No, no, you don’t understand. I was about to lose my mind!" Lin Li leaned against the wall, exhaling deeply.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Why didn’t you call the police?" Huang Ji asked.

Lin Li’s decision to take the blame had been utterly foolish. In reality, those thugs wouldn’t have dared do much to him.

"I couldn’t. If the police got involved, the school would find out…" Lin Li trailed off.

Huang Ji smirked slightly. He already understood why Lin Li had chosen to take the fall.

This guy was ridiculously stubborn. He would rather swallow his losses than let anyone at his school know he had been scammed. Huang Ji had an incredibly detailed grasp of Lin Li’s character.

Even when he suspected someone might be deceiving him, he would never confront them without concrete evidence. Once, a so-called “brother” of his had scammed him badly, but until the truth came to light, Lin Li hadn’t uttered a word of accusation. He had completely trusted that person.

No matter how many others warned or reminded him, he ignored them.

“If I confront him now and he isn’t lying, won’t I have wronged him? No, if he’s deceiving me, I’ll wait until he’s done it completely before calling him out.” This kind of thinking had played out in Lin Li’s life more than once.

People like him were born to be scammed.

But at the same time, people like him were exceedingly rare—and, in some ways, precious.

"Anyway, thank you. My name’s Lin Li. If you ever need help, just let me know!" Lin Li said earnestly.

Huang Ji turned and said, "Follow me."

Lin Li hurried after him, still feeling the relief of his narrow escape.

When he had offered to write the IOU, he had regretted it immediately but felt trapped. If not for Huang Ji’s intervention, he would have ended up saddled with a debt he couldn’t possibly repay. With his capabilities, it would have eventually come to light at school or at home anyway.

In hindsight, he thought, I might as well have just called the police from the start.

"Brother, what’s your name?" Lin Li asked as they walked.

"Huang Ji. But don’t save my number with that name," Huang Ji said.

Lin Li nodded, intending to label the contact as "Double Pupils" instead.

But before he could type the first letter, Huang Ji added, "Don’t use 'Double Pupils' either."

"Uh… so what should I put?" Lin Li asked.

"Write 'Hua Xu.'"

Huang Ji’s real alias was "Huang Xu," but he used "Hua Xu" as a pseudonym, derived from his mother’s surname, Hua, and his hometown, Huazhuang Village, where half the population also shared the Hua surname. Ȓ𝐚N𝖔ꞖĘś

Of course, this alias wasn’t meant to deceive Lin Li—Huang Ji trusted him as one of the few people worth relying on right now.

Rather, it was a precaution for situations like this one, in case Lin Li’s phone fell into the wrong hands again.

"Wait a second," Lin Li suddenly asked, "how did you get my phone number in the first place?"

"You called for an ambulance to help me earlier today. I asked the hospital for your number," Huang Ji replied.

Lin Li nodded, understanding. Then he asked, "Do you need something from me? Where are we going?"

"You’ll find out when we get there," Huang Ji said.

Lin Li had no choice but to follow. As they walked, he couldn’t help but observe Huang Ji. The more he looked, the more extraordinary Huang Ji seemed. His every movement carried a unique rhythm and grace, but Lin Li couldn’t quite pinpoint what made it so distinctive.

What Lin Li didn’t realize was that Huang Ji’s seemingly ordinary stride was anything but. His rhythm, movements, and even his breathing were fundamentally different from those of an average person.

Huang Ji was employing a self-created breathing method and a carefully developed “longevity posture.”

For example, as he walked, his abdomen rose and fell in sync with his steps, driving his breathing. Using precise points of exertion, he harmonized his internal organs. Sustaining this practice over time would significantly extend his lifespan.

In fact, after maintaining it for an hour, Huang Ji could distinctly feel that his body’s longevity had increased by five hours.

Of course, it wasn’t always that effective. The outcome depended on the accuracy of his movements. If the internal force points and breathing rhythm were misaligned, the effects would be negligible.

Huang Ji wasn’t yet able to walk like this at all times—it still required conscious effort.

Nevertheless, as a longevity technique, this practice was already remarkable.

With perseverance, and barring factors like illness, severe injury, or accidental death, he estimated he could gradually extend his lifespan to 120 years—the basic limit for men. Women, on average, lived slightly longer and could reach 130.

For individuals with rare genetic mutations, the upper limit could be around 135.

Huang Ji had studied this for a long time but hadn’t discovered any movement patterns that could break the human lifespan ceiling. Such methods were either extremely complex or simply nonexistent.

In just half a day, Huang Ji had devised three sets of exercises, each with distinct benefits:

1. First Set: A practice integrated into walking, aimed at extending lifespan, which Huang Ji had already begun to master.
2. Second Set: Designed to harmonize bodily functions, purging impurities and toxins.
3. Third Set: Focused on enhancing sensitivity to bioelectricity.

Humans control their bodies through the brain’s ability to send bioelectric signals to various parts. Sensations like pain occur when external stimuli generate bioelectric signals sent to the brain, which adjusts neurotransmitters and hormone levels, producing sensations that the mind interprets.

People with low sensitivity to bioelectricity often suffer from neurological issues—numbness, sluggishness, or even blackouts. Conversely, heightened sensitivity leads to sharper reflexes and acute senses.

Practicing these three sets of movements consistently—totaling over 8,000 hours—would enable one to manipulate their internal bioelectricity at will. The longer one practices, the greater their control.

The exercises achieve 100% energy efficiency.

This set of techniques, named "Inner Canon" (内经), incorporates meditation, breathing, and physical movements. While Huang Ji believed there was still room for improvement, he envisioned adding a fourth or fifth set in the future.

Why improve something already achieving 100% efficiency? The answer was simple: the time required to reach mastery—over 8,000 hours—was too long. Huang Ji’s next goal was to shorten this time frame and expand the technique’s benefits, potentially pushing energy efficiency beyond 100%.

At this stage, the "Inner Canon" comprised three independent layers, each equally important and complementary. They could be practiced in any order or even simultaneously, although this was theoretically feasible only for the exceptionally skilled.

Even as the creator, Huang Ji hadn’t mastered all three layers. Using his Information Sense, he could fine-tune his movements, adjusting for errors. For example, after striking a pose, he might detect it was only 13% accurate and identify what needed correcting. This functioned like an "auxiliary script" for practicing the techniques.

Despite this advantage, proficiency still required prolonged practice. Currently, Huang Ji could only manage the walking-based first layer. The second and third layers remained challenging to perform in distracting environments.

After a while, Huang Ji led Lin Li to a street-side stall selling clam porridge.

At one of the small outdoor tables, an elderly man was enjoying a bowl of porridge. When he noticed them standing nearby, he glanced at Huang Ji, then at Lin Li, before casually continuing to eat.

Lin Li stared at the man, finding him increasingly familiar.

"Give the gold back to him," Huang Ji said.

Hearing this, Lin Li suddenly realized the man was the one who had scammed him! Only now, the old man had changed his clothes, shaved his beard, and even seemed less wrinkled.

"You fraud!" Lin Li yelled.

The old man looked up calmly. "Hmm? Young man, are you talking to me?"

"Drop the act! I’d recognize you even if you turned to ashes! You’ve ruined me!" Lin Li shouted angrily.

The old man furrowed his brows and drew out a long "Huh?"

Seeing him play dumb, Lin Li grabbed his arm.

"I have a heart condition! Don’t get rough!" the old man protested innocently.

Frustrated, Lin Li pulled out his phone. "Fine! I’ll call the police!"

The old man chuckled. "Young man, it doesn’t take that long to dial the police."

Lin Li froze, embarrassed. He didn’t actually want to call the police—he just wanted his money back. But the old man clearly had him pegged.

"You think pretending to be clueless will work?" Huang Ji asked the old man.

The elderly man studied Huang Ji, then remarked, "Oh? You’re standing up for him? Quite the spirited young man. Hmm… double pupils?"

Looking at Huang Ji with surprise, the old man pinched his fingers together, as if calculating something, then stood abruptly. "Ah! The Purple Star has descended to earth!"

Huang Ji smiled calmly. "I heard that from fortune-tellers as a child."

"Don’t listen to him, big brother!" Lin Li interjected. "I fell for his lies too—he scammed me badly."

Back then, Lin Li had been hooked after the old man’s fortune-telling seemed eerily accurate, leading him into the scam step by step.

"Young man, you’re from the north, aren’t you? Good health, grew up doing farm work. How many acres does your family own?" the old man asked, eyeing Lin Li.

Lin Li turned to Huang Ji nervously. He remembered being similarly roped in when the old man correctly guessed details about his life.

"Not many people in the family, only twenty acres," Huang Ji replied casually.

"Tough life, huh? Orphaned young—your parents passed away early?" the old man continued, shaking his head.

Huang Ji nodded. "Yes, I miss them dearly. Even though they left early, I still remember their faces clearly."

Lin Li’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t expected the old man to read Huang Ji so accurately too.

If the old man had investigated Lin Li in advance, it would make sense. But he hadn’t had any opportunity to research Huang Ji. How was he getting it right?

"You love your family deeply, but you have your reasons—you had to leave your remaining relatives," the old man continued.

"For my education," Huang Ji said with a smile.

The old man nodded. "That’s right. People always strive for a better future. With your natural double pupils, your path is boundless. Your studies will go smoothly. Even if you’re lacking a bit academically, your physical attributes will make up for it! Keep training, and you’ll leave everyone in the dust!"

Huang Ji nodded while chuckling.

Lin Li pursed his lips and said, "Then why don’t you tell us what my big brother actually does for a living?"

The old man laughed. "Still a student, of course, and an athlete. He’ll rely on those legs of his to make a living in the future!"

Huang Ji sighed. "You think I’m a track-and-field athlete from a sports school, here in Shanghai because of my athletic talents?"

The old man froze, his thoughts laid bare—this was precisely what he had assumed. He had intentionally kept his statement vague to hedge his bets.

"Unfortunately," Huang Ji continued, "I dropped out long ago and have never trained in track and field. You think I’m a student, but I’m actually 26 years old. And you? You’re 52. Do you plan to keep wandering aimlessly like this?"

The old man gulped but said nothing.

Huang Ji pressed on, "Aren’t you ashamed? You were a police officer once, and now you use your skills to scam people for money?"

The old man squinted his eyes. "Oh? I was a cop? Funny, I don’t remember that."

"Afraid to admit it, huh? What are you scared of? That someone might discover your identity?" Huang Ji asked with a calm smile.

"Life abroad was rough, wasn’t it? Did you return home because you couldn’t make it? Or because someone’s after you? Did you take something you shouldn’t have?"

The old man began to sweat. He realized he was dealing with a true expert.

Huang Ji didn’t stop. "You’re living under an alias, desperate for cash, but you’re too scared to scam anyone even slightly powerful. Whoever’s after you must be incredibly formidable.

"You pick on small-time crooks and bullies, but is fleecing students all you’ve got? Isn’t your son about the same age as him?"

The old man’s eyes widened. "How do you know I have a son?!"

"Learned it from you—cold reading," Huang Ji replied.

Lin Li looked bewildered. "Cold reading? What’s that?"

"Young people these days are impressive," the old man remarked, regaining his composure.

He had relied on cold reading to deduce details about Huang Ji. By observing facial expressions, body language, and speech patterns, he had pieced together psychological insights and life experiences. Cold reading, in essence, was a way to convince people, “This person knows about my life.”

The old man considered himself a master of the technique. But to his shock, Huang Ji was even better—he had not only led the old man astray but also gleaned a wealth of information about him in return.

No matter how subtly the old man tried to mislead Huang Ji, it had no effect.

What the old man didn’t realize was that Huang Ji had only just learned cold reading by observing him. With his innate abilities, Huang Ji wielded the technique like a master.

"Alright, kid," the old man said, straightening up. "Looks like we’ll have to settle this the hard way."

Lin Li sneered, thinking, Fight? Two young men against one old geezer? Not a chance.

But the old man remained calm and shouted, "Old Ma!"

"Here!" The owner of the food stall responded from inside.

"Let’s go, together!" the old man bellowed.

Lin Li panicked and looked toward the stall owner, who appeared utterly confused.

In the next instant, the old man slipped free of Lin Li’s grip in the chaos. By the time Lin Li turned back, the old man was already sprinting away.

"Ha ha! No money, but you can have my life!" the old man laughed as he ran.

"Dammit!" Lin Li cursed, about to give chase when the stall owner tackled him.

"Not so fast! You haven’t paid for the porridge yet!" the stall owner shouted, holding Lin Li tightly.

...