In the Xin Yue inner city, tea shops not say super banyak, but also not little lah. Cultivator people, even though don't really need makan and minum like normal people, but at the end still got to eat and drink a bit one. Plus, some cultivator ah, really syok with the tea culture one.
White Horse Teahouse, it's in the East District of inner city, already consider one of the hot place lah. The boss there, he go for friendly style wan, although also got prepare those high class punya tea leaf like Longjing and Biluochun, but the main business is still the strong and cheap type one. There also got small stage inside the shop, got people go up perform xiangsheng, short drama and funny story, non-stop rotation. After long time, the big boss of the tea house already become example of "low margin high volume".
Now, Wang Qi sitting down at one table inside White Horse Teahouse, his eye like laser beam staring at the blue clothes cultivator opposite of him.
Just now ah, when Wang Qi saw the blue guy's movement because the angle ngam-ngam nice, suddenly want to prank a bit, planning to shout and expose the blue guy to those chasing black face people. Mana tau, that blue clothes guy suddenly grab him like hostage, bring him all the way here, then simply throw him onto chair.
After that, the guy just sit down sendiri, then slowly start to open and see his cards.
Even though that blue guy already let go his hand, but Wang Qi also no dare to run lah. Just now the Zhen Chanzi already use spiritual sense talk to him, say this fella at least foundation-building level. If he really angry because Wang Qi want prank him, maybe don't plan to let him go, then run also useless.
Because also Wang Qi don't want too many people know he exist…
And Xiang Qi after settle her resignation sure will come find him, and near Xianmeng got anti-fight regulation wan, so for now safety still okay.
But then…
"Eh big brother ah, what exactly you want to do lah…" Wang Qi look at that still flipping card de guy, really feel like knocking his own head onto table.
Blue clothes guy raise head, look blur: "Huh?"
"I mean… the people on stage already changed three rounds, my tea here refill until like plain water already…"
That guy finally realise: "Oh! So long time already ah—so, why you still here?"
Wang Qi nearly pengsan: "Walao eh you kidnap me come here, now you ask why I never go???"
Blue clothes guy also look shocked: "I just want stop you from calling those burn burn burn fellas, how is that kidnapping? Somemore I already let you go what?"
Ah? Wang Qi look at the guy's half innocent half aggrieved face, stunned for a bit, then jump up: "You call this let me go meh? You throw me into the chair like that, not clearly mean 'sit here, don't move' meh! Very pain leh!"
After some noisy talk, both people sit down again. Wang Qi sullenly drink one cup tea. The guy laugh: "Bro, don't so emo la. I know my fault, but you also play prank first mah."
Wang Qi rub his backside: "You slam people that time really not soft hand."
"Ahaha," blue clothes guy laugh a bit dry: "This thing about cause and effect, really mysterious lor."
"Cause and effect?" Wang Qi originally want to leave already, but suddenly hear this and pause: "Got connection with current magic system meh?"
Zhen Chanzi before got say, only top tier cultivator will touch this level of thing.
The guy show surprise on face: "Eh? You what sect come from? This kind of basic also don't know?"
"I used to be solo practitioner lah," Wang Qi reply, "Then only recently join because Protector An brought me for entrance test."
Blue clothes guy's eyes big like fishball: "You you you… this cultivation already pass Tongtian stage! Solo practitioner pass that before even go school?" Then he thumb up: "Geng lah. Respect."
Wang Qi say: "Then this brother, can explain a bit? What now-magic (今法) say about cause and effect?"
Blue clothes guy suddenly very friendly: "Come come come, sit down we talk. My name Su Junyu, you leh?"
"Wang Qi."
Su Junyu press him back onto the chair again (gently this time), smiling: "Wang Qi, you haven't learn full now-magic system, so maybe don't know. Actually now-magic got a lot of vocab, come from old-magic one, but meaning already different liao."
Wang Qi say: "Please teach more."
"Old magic say cause and effect, mean 'plant cause, get result'. Want to follow fate and karma. All say good get good, bad get bad—like that loh. But now-magic say hor—talk cock lah! Wang Qi, you know Tianbian-style or not?"
Wang Qi nod. Isn't that just function meh?
Su Junyu say: "Okay, let's use one simple Tianbian to talk. Tianyuan plus one become Deyuan. Understand?"
Wang Qi nod again. x + 1 = y. Like junior high math.
"Here got two number set. Tianyuan set and Deyuan set. Every number from Tianyuan plus one will map to Deyuan. This one, we call Tianyuan the cause, Deyuan the effect. The 'plus one' is the 'dao' that link them. Our now-magic, just study this dao."
Su Junyu drink tea like he giving TED Talk: "Old-magic talk karma, all air punya. Now-magic say, the path from cause to effect must find and calculate. Just like just now lah, you suddenly prank me not just random. Your personality is the real cause. Then all the factors become the formula, then the final result is you kena slam on the chair. If put into math, can calculate also. Interesting leh?"
Determinism?
Wang Qi's mind turn very fast—this mean this world still believe in determinism?
Because not enough info, Wang Qi still cannot confirm what level the Shenzhou science already reach. But at least now he know, Miaoyao Palace is one of the Five Great Sects, so quantum physics should already exist. And quantum mechanics is the first one to punch determinism in the face!
He try test water: "Wah, like this if really can cultivate into divine technique, then during fight sure can always predict opponent right?"
Su Junyu laugh: "Wang Qi you got eye lah! This is my sect's top-level technique—Baize Calculation!"
Wah! Determinism + Laplace Demon confirmed!
Wang Qi pretend blur: "But Protector An last time got mention Miaoyao Palace's 'indeterminacy', like float float like that…"
Su Junyu frown, cut in: "Those people siao already. Anyway, you don't overthink. Just remember—if you see a result that got no cause, is because you haven't find yet."
Wang Qi heart very excited. This Su Junyu's talk, got a lot of hidden info!
First, quantum mechanics is there, but maybe not so strong yet—especially that collapse of wavefunction still got debate. Su Junyu clearly support "hidden variable" theory, means he think result is sure, just people don't see all variables yet.
This mean two things: one, chaos theory maybe still not born. Two, Bell's inequality not appear yet!
"So this world's science level maybe like Earth's 1950s. Or wait, maybe 1970s? If the 'Five Master Annihilation' in this world match Earth's Qian Xuesen, then should be 70s liao… But weird leh. Like, Darwin's counterpart 'Tianzhe Shunjun' is said to come before Newton's version of 'Yuanli Shangren'. But on Earth Darwin later than Newton 150 years…"
"Eh maybe this mirroring system not one-to-one. Then what's the logic behind it? Got connection with my crossing over or not?"
Su Junyu see Wang Qi deep in thought, think he is understanding very well, laugh: "These things, you slowly learn when enter school. Just prepare la—learning now-magic is like breaking your worldview into pieces then glue again one."
Wang Qi not scared. His worldview long time already patch here patch there, crossing dimension once more only mah.
Today's info harvest really solid. Now that he know what math level Shenzhou at, can plan how to decode that Buzhun Daoren manuscript. Next step, must find what key technique Miaoyao Palace famous for, then can maybe figure out the logic behind the notes.
After that, do experiment like black body radiation, or find the result data. Then can really start analysis. If can get a proper now-magic cultivation method, and understand how theory become power…
Hehehe, think already so excited!
That time, Su Junyu take out two decks of Wuding Cards, mix in new booster pack cards, then push one deck to Wang Qi: "You know how to play or not? If know, I lend you this."
Wang Qi laugh: "Su Shixiong really love this game hor."
Su Junyu happy: "This is my cultivation path what."
"Cultivation?" Wang Qi raise eyebrow. "Baize Calculation again?"
Su Junyu nod: "Yah lah! One round of Wuding Cards, in my eyes, is like system keep adding new cause. If I can take those changing cause and still calculate to get win outcome, that is my cultivation."
Wang Qi flip through the cards, hand suddenly shake: "Wah, this got so many rare card above level 8?"
Xiang Qi's deck only got one level 8 rare card!
Su Junyu smile like cat: "Pull only lor. Pull more, miracle will come. All 108 cards above level 8, I draw one by one."
"Walao eh, rich people can be friends or not?"
"Sure la. Win me first, then we friend."
Wang Qi think think, face bitter: "No hope lah. I don't even recognise half of these card."
Poor fella who only ever play base set really no chance vs. wallet warrior…
Su Junyu from his bag pull out book: "Rulebook plus full card list. Take and see."
Wang Qi flip it: "Let me see… base set card guide… expansion 'Holy Child Havoc Heaven', 'Huangji Shock World', wah got Holy Child Sect and Huangji Sky-Splitter… oh! Daluo Xuanqing Palace expansion 'Unrivalled Sky Net'… behind got rare card section—eh?!"
Suddenly Wang Qi's eyes shrink, then burst out laugh: "WAHAHA finally pillow come when sleepy!"
In his hand, the page show: Miaoyao Palace Rare Card Index.