The news of the field practice class was officially announced, and it indeed caused quite a stir among the lower-year students. The task was to work in groups within designated areas on the outskirts of the Spirit Hunting Forest, gathering several specified herbs and minerals while recording the types of spirit beasts encountered. It tested not only strength, but also one's store of knowledge and teamwork.
Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong naturally formed a team. Tang San was the strongest and highly knowledgeable, having been personally taught by Grandmaster; Xiao Wu was skilled in actual combat and possessed an instinctive sense for spirit beasts; Ning Rongrong was still a support-type spirit master, but the enhancement effects of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda were beyond doubt, and she seemed to have brought along some decent equipment and supplies. It was an exceptionally luxurious lineup.
The other students also formed teams one after another. Most work-study students banded together, though their overall strength tended to be weaker.
Lin Kun looked at the illustrations and descriptions of the herbs and minerals on the mission list, and his eyes lit up slightly. He had just read about all this in detail among that pile of books in the library! One mineral in particular, Star Pattern Iron, looked ordinary and was often found alongside useless brown iron ore, making the two difficult to distinguish. But the Book Spirit had clearly recorded their subtle differences—at a particular angle, Star Pattern Iron would give off an extremely faint, starlike glimmer.
This is an opportunity! A spark of inspiration flashed through Lin Kun's mind. Forming a team carried risks, but he could approach this another way!
The day before the practice class, Lin Kun took advantage of the lunch break to wander over to the academy's small market, where students often exchanged items or information. He found an inconspicuous corner and pulled several rough sheets of paper from his clothes—actually from the system space. Written on them in neat handwriting were:
Essential for Field Practice Class! Exclusive Accurate Intelligence! — Passionately Provided by a Self-Proclaimed Veteran Theoretical Scholar
1. Glow Grass preferred shade and often grew behind damp ancient trees, away from the light. Its leaf veins gave off a faint glow at night, making it easy to confuse with ordinary ferns. Includes a precise identification sketch.
2. Sunstone Ore was mostly found in cracks along sun-facing cliffs. It was dark reddish-black in color and produced a slight echo when struck. Take care not to confuse it with ordinary red sandstone.
3. Star Pattern Iron (Important!) looked extremely similar to brown iron ore. Identification secret: observe it at a 45-degree angle under sunlight, and you can see extremely faint star-like reflections! It was most likely found in...
4. The habits of common disruptive spirit beasts and methods for avoiding them, such as ten-year Nether Cats and Cave Spiders...
Then he wrote a small line beneath it: "Information fee: 1 Silver Spirit Coin per entry, 3 Silver Spirit Coins for the complete set, with one bonus tip about hidden spirit beast activity included. Limited to the first ten customers."
He weighed the papers down with a stone, then squatted beside them with a thick book covering his face. He pretended to read while secretly observing the crowd.
At first, no one paid attention. Then, when a work-study student team was discussing the difficult parts of the assignment with worried expressions and complaining about how hard Star Pattern Iron was to find, they happened to catch sight of Lin Kun's "advertisement."
"Secret to identifying Star Pattern Iron? Is this real?" A boy curiously picked up one of the papers. "Glow Grass glows at night? I've never heard that before..." "Hey? This drawing is pretty detailed!"
Before long, several people had gathered around Lin Kun's little stall. Some were skeptical, while others were curious.
"Hey, Lin Kun, is your information reliable? You didn't just make it up, did you?" asked a work-study student who knew him.
Lin Kun lowered the book slightly, revealing his eyes, and said mysteriously, "Believe it and it exists; don't believe it and it doesn't. One Silver Spirit Coin per piece of information. You won't lose out, and you won't be cheated. If it's useless, you can come back and get a refund... provided you can make it back."
His half-joking, half-serious attitude instead piqued some people's interest. One Silver Spirit Coin was no small amount for work-study students, but it was not something they could not afford. Compared with the punishment for failing the task or wasting time in the mountains, the investment seemed worthwhile.
Soon, the first person brave enough to try bought the full set of information. With someone taking the lead, more people gradually made purchases. Most were work-study student teams, though a few curious ordinary students bought some as well.
Lin Kun collected money while handing out the detailed information he had copied down, keeping himself busier than ever. He was overjoyed inside. Knowledge was power! Knowledge was money!
Just then, three figures walked over. They were Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong. They had clearly prepared thoroughly and had only come over to take a casual look.
"Huh? Lin Kun? What are you selling here?" Xiao Wu's sharp eyes spotted him at once. She squeezed into the crowd, picked up an advertisement sheet, and read it aloud. "Pfft—'veteran theoretical scholar'? You? Hahahahaha!" She laughed without the slightest concern for her image.
Tang San picked up a sheet and looked it over, surprise flashing through his eyes. The things written on it, especially the method for identifying Star Pattern Iron, were more detailed than anything recorded even in Grandmaster's notes! How did Lin Kun know this? Was it another ability of that Book Spirit?
Ning Rongrong also picked up a sheet and examined it carefully, her beautiful eyes sparkling with interest. She came from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and was well-informed. At a glance, she could tell that this information was absolutely not fabricated. It was highly practical, and some details might not even be known by the sect's herb gatherers.
"Student Lin Kun, are you selling this information?" Ning Rongrong asked with great interest, shaking the money pouch in her hand and producing a pleasant jingling sound.
Lin Kun looked at the little rich girl, then at Tang San's probing gaze and Xiao Wu, who was bent over laughing. He forced himself to say, "Selling... of course I'm selling. Clearly priced, fair to young and old alike."
Xiao Wu stopped laughing, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Hey, we're so familiar with each other already, and you still want money? Just give us a copy for free!" As she spoke, she reached for it.
Lin Kun instinctively pulled the information back. "Sister Xiao Wu, even brothers settle accounts clearly! This is intellectual property I worked hard to organize! One Silver Spirit Coin. Thank you for your patronage!" He was someone who needed to save money to buy good things from the system shop!
"Cheapskate!" Xiao Wu muttered.
Tang San stopped Xiao Wu, took out a Silver Spirit Coin from his clothes, and handed it to Lin Kun. "Give me a complete set." He wanted to see just how detailed Lin Kun's information truly was.
Ning Rongrong also smiled and paid for a copy.
Lin Kun accepted the money and handed over the information, feeling delighted. He had earned another two Silver Spirit Coins from Tang San and Ning Rongrong.
Xiao Wu glared at Lin Kun indignantly. Then her eyes suddenly rolled, and she leaned close to him with a mischievous grin, lowering her voice. "Hey, Lin Kun, since we're so familiar, secretly tell me—what is that 'tip about hidden spirit beast activity'? Is it some especially powerful spirit beast?"
Lin Kun looked at her crafty smile and sighed helplessly, lowering his voice as well. "The tip is... watch out for dancing rabbits." He was purely messing with her, hinting at Xiao Wu herself.
Xiao Wu froze at first, then immediately understood. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she punched Lin Kun. "You're the one who dances! Your whole family dances! Forget it if you won't tell me!" With that, she angrily dragged Tang San and Ning Rongrong away.
Tang San looked back at Lin Kun, his gaze growing even more complicated. This Lin Kun always seemed able to get his hands on strange yet highly useful things.
Lin Kun watched their retreating backs and chuckled, then continued his "information merchant" business. In just one afternoon, he had actually earned more than ten Silver Spirit Coins, equivalent to several months of his work-study allowance!
"Looks like this could be another path to getting rich in the future!" Lin Kun weighed the money pouch in his hand, his mood excellent.
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