Back at the academy, Lin Kun noticed that the atmosphere was somewhat unusual. A large crowd of students had gathered in front of the bulletin board, chattering away.
"What's going on?" Lin Kun leaned over and asked.
A familiar work-study student saw him and immediately said, "Lin Kun, take a look! The academy just issued these new supplementary rules. Aren't they way too strict?"
Lin Kun looked up at the bulletin board and saw a brand-new notice posted there:
"Nuoding Academy Supplementary Student Conduct Regulations (Trial Implementation)"
1. Students are strictly prohibited from performing any form of song and dance in any setting (including but not limited to classrooms, dormitories, training grounds, and small woods) that may cause discomfort to others. This specifically refers to bizarre movements, unclear rhythm, and meaningless humming such as "Ji Ni Tai Mei." Violators will clean the toilets for one week.
2. Students are strictly prohibited from privately using their martial souls for entertainment unrelated to cultivation or combat (for example, using control-type martial souls to forcibly make others dance along, or using tool-type martial souls to perform an iron flower show—mistakenly). Violators will copy the school rules one hundred times.
3. Students are strictly prohibited from maliciously imitating or mocking the characteristics of others' martial souls or soul skills (for example, calling book-type martial souls "trainee martial souls," or rabbit martial souls "bald martial souls"). Violators will receive a demerit.
4. All students must maintain the dignity of their martial souls. If a martial soul truly undergoes abnormal changes resembling a "basketball" or "suspenders," it must immediately be reported to the Academic Affairs Office for assessment. Private circulation is prohibited. Violators... may receive a "lawyer's letter warning" from Spirit Hall.
Lin Kun's mouth twitched wildly as he read through these bizarre new school rules.
This... wasn't the targeting a little too obvious?!
The first rule was practically dancing on his grave! Though he knew it was most likely just a coincidence—the academy probably wanted to clean up the atmosphere and prevent certain students from fooling around and disturbing others—it was still far too fitting! He had just hummed it that morning!
And what the hell was that last "lawyer's letter warning"?! Did the Spirit Hall in this world also run a lawyer's-letter business?! Could someone's martial soul really turn into a basketball and suspenders?!
The surrounding students were also complaining one after another:
"These new rules are so weird. What does it mean, song and dance that causes discomfort?" "Who knows! I heard Director Yinshu was on night patrol last night and got scared by some strange noise. Then this was rolled out first thing this morning..." "A lawyer's letter warning? Does Spirit Hall meddle in this much now?" "But honestly, 'trainee martial soul' sounds pretty cool, hahaha... Ow! Who hit me?" As soon as a male student finished speaking, his companion covered his mouth.
"Shh! Do you want a demerit? Didn't you read the third rule?"
Lin Kun silently took two steps back, moving away from the bulletin board. He felt as if these new school rules had a pair of eyes fixed on him somewhere in the dark, sending a chill down his spine.
"Keep a low profile. I have to keep a low profile!" Lin Kun warned himself. From now on, not only can I not sing, dance, or rap—I can't even think about it! If my martial soul really mutates, I definitely don't want a lawyer's letter from Spirit Hall!
He sheepishly prepared to slip back to the Seventh Dormitory, only to run into Tang San and Xiao Wu head-on. Tang San was reading the bulletin board with a slight frown, apparently finding the new rules rather baffling as well. Xiao Wu, meanwhile, laughed carefree at his side.
"Haha, this is hilarious! Who would sing and dance in the academy? And a lawyer's letter warning? Are the people at Spirit Hall really that bored?"
Tang San shook his head. "The academy has its own considerations. We simply need to follow the rules." As he spoke, his gaze casually swept over Lin Kun.
Lin Kun instantly felt guilty and hurriedly lowered his head, pretending to tie his shoelaces.
But Xiao Wu hopped right in front of him and asked with a grin, "Lin Kun, Lin Kun, did you see the new rules? Do you think someone's martial soul could really be a basketball? Would they just throw the ball at people in a fight? Would they even have soul skills?"
Lin Kun said, "...Sister Xiao Wu, I think something that unlikely... we'd better not discuss it. It wouldn't be good if someone misunderstood." He was terrified that this little ancestor would ask some other earth-shattering question.
Tang San also tugged Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, stop guessing wildly. Martial soul forms are innate. How could they be so frivolous? Come on, it's time for class."
Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue, then finally let Tang San pull her away.
Watching their departing backs, Lin Kun let out a long sigh of relief. This damned sense of déjà vu! He had decided that from today onward, he would be an honest, quiet man who kept his head down and cultivated diligently! Singing, dancing, rap, basketball—none of that had anything to do with Lin Kun!
However, just as he made up his mind, the system notification in his mind rang out again at the worst possible moment:
Ding! It has been detected that the host is strongly suppressing himself, which is detrimental to the true meaning of "breakdown." Random mission triggered: Free Soul. Mission requirement: In the presence of no fewer than ten people, ignore the new school rules and successfully complete one "Iron Mountain Lean" move (must be standard), accompanied by the mouth movements for "Ji Ni Tai Mei" (no sound required). Mission reward: 50 Plot Breakdown Points, "Presence Reduction" buff (lasts one hour). Failure penalty: The next draw is guaranteed to yield "Thank You For Your Patronage."
Lin Kun: "..."
System, are you fucking evil?!!
He had only just made that vow! And what kind of mission was this?! Trade public humiliation in front of ten people for one hour of an invisibility buff? The price was way too steep! And that failure penalty was simply vicious!
Lin Kun's heart was caught in a fierce struggle. On one side were his sense of shame and the deterrence of the new school rules; on the other were 50 points and an invisibility buff that looked extremely useful...
"Fine... integrity is valuable, but points are worth even more!" Lin Kun gritted his teeth and stamped his foot. "For the sake of becoming stronger, I'm doing it! Isn't it just an Iron Mountain Lean? Once I find a good opportunity..."
He began furtively looking around for a suitable "performance venue" and "audience," feeling as though he were planning some shady operation.
Nuoding Academy's atmosphere seemed to be getting led down an increasingly strange path by Lin Kun and a certain unscrupulous system...
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