The morning mist had yet to fully disperse when Tang San was awakened by footsteps outside the dormitory—Teacher Zhang had said yesterday that morning training would begin a quarter-hour early to make up for yesterday's failed perception-and-evasion training. He turned over and watched Wang Hu and the other two dress in the dark. He deliberately kept his eyes closed and lay there a while longer, only sitting up leisurely after Zhao Yu handed him his clothes.
"Tang San, get dressed! Teacher Zhang said we're practicing 'dynamic predictive evasion' today, using moving wooden targets. If we're late, there won't be any spots left!" Wang Hu kept his voice extremely low, though he had already fastened his belt incorrectly.
Tang San buttoned up at an unhurried pace, deliberately fastening one button on his collar wrong. "What's the rush? Assembly is a quarter-hour early, and there's still an incense stick's worth of time. I'll wash up first. You guys go save spots close to the wooden targets so you can see their paths clearly." Only after the three of them had quietly left did he straighten his clothes again and take a towel to wash up. He even filled an extra basin of water to wipe his boots. By the time he headed for the training grounds, quite a few people were already adjusting the wooden targets.
By deliberately delaying his morning training preparations, he avoided the excessive drain of early high-intensity training. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 9.
At the morning training grounds, Teacher Zhang was holding a wooden target attached to a rope, with the other end tied to a wooden stake. With a pull and release, the target swung back and forth. "Today, we'll practice dynamic prediction. Watch the swinging wooden targets, use your martial soul to sense their trajectories, and dodge when they approach. You must evade ten wooden targets to pass!" After saying that, Teacher Zhang motioned for the students to step forward in turns.
Tang San stood at the back of the line, watching the students ahead swiftly dodge the swinging targets one after another as he calculated inwardly—dynamic prediction consumed Soul Power, so he needed a new excuse to reduce the drain. When it was his turn, he summoned Blue Silver Grass and deliberately made the grass blades' sensing frequency half a beat slower. Only when the wooden target swung in front of him did he "just barely" sidestep away. Sometimes, he even let it brush past his sleeve, making it seem as though he could not keep up with its rhythm.
"Tang San, why are you reacting so slowly? The target's trajectory is almost fixed already, yet you still can't predict it accurately?" Teacher Zhang walked over, still pulling the rope to keep the target swinging.
"Teacher, dynamic prediction is much harder than static prediction. I need to slowly adapt to the target's rhythm. If I go too fast, I might judge the direction wrong and get hit instead." Tang San put on an expression of earnest observation. He waited until the target had swung through three cycles before dodging again. "Look, I've only just adapted to half a cycle. I'll need to practice a little longer before I can keep up."
By using "adapting to a new technique" as an excuse to lower his prediction speed, he avoided excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 10.
Teacher Zhang said nothing more and simply told him to "practice five more sets." Tang San trained at a leisurely pace, evading only two wooden targets in each set. He kept himself at the perfect level of "improving but not yet qualified," avoiding both criticism and extra punishment.
After morning training ended, Xiao Wu handed him a bottle of water. "Tang San, you clearly could keep up with the targets just now. Why did you deliberately slow your reactions? Teacher Zhang could tell you were slacking off."
"New techniques need to be practiced slowly. Rushing leads to mistakes, so it's better to take it steadily." Tang San unscrewed the bottle and drank slowly. "Come on, let's eat at the cafeteria. They made fresh red bean buns today. If we get there late, they'll be gone."
As the two headed toward the cafeteria, they ran into Master Yu Xiaogang. He held a wooden box containing several grooved wooden pieces. "Tang San, come to my office after training this afternoon. I'll teach you 'multi-target prediction'—sensing the trajectories of several moving targets at once. It'll be useful in actual combat."
Tang San had just been about to make an excuse when Master Yu Xiaogang spoke first. "Don't tell me your Soul Power is weak. I've prepared a low-consumption training method. Just do as I say, and you won't tire yourself out."
With no other choice, Tang San nodded. "Understood, Master."
The morning extra class was "basic combat simulation training"—the students paired up and conducted low-intensity mock battles with their martial souls. They could not use soul skills; they only competed in prediction and evasion. Wang Hu wanted to pair with Tang San, but Tang San shook his head. "I just finished dynamic prediction training, and my Soul Power hasn't recovered yet. I'd only hold you back if we teamed up. Go find Li Qing. I'll pair with Zhao Yu."
Zhao Yu's martial soul was a brush, with a short attack range, making him perfectly suited for "low-intensity combat." During their spar, Tang San deliberately reduced Blue Silver Grass's prediction range to within three feet. When Zhao Yu's brush swung toward him, he only "just barely" used Blue Silver Grass to wrap around the brush handle. He neither let the brush touch him nor pulled hard, avoiding excessive Soul Power consumption.
"Tang San, could you put some strength into it? You only wrap it lightly every time. I can break free with one pull." Zhao Yu sounded rather helpless as his brush continued trying to break free from the Blue Silver Grass.
"Combat is about holding back. It wouldn't be good if I used too much force and hurt you." Tang San smiled as the Blue Silver Grass in his hand loosened further. "This is only simulated training. There's no need to take it so seriously. As long as we can predict the attack, that's enough."
By using "holding back to protect a classmate" as an excuse to lower the intensity of combat, he avoided excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 11.
After the extra class ended, Tang San headed to the cafeteria. The moment he reached the entrance, he saw Wang Hu and the other two waiting for him. "Tang San, you went way too easy during that spar. Zhao Yu's brush was nearly touching you before you wrapped it up."
"Combat is about technique, not brute strength." Tang San picked up a red bean bun and ate it slowly. "Master is guiding me this afternoon, so I need to conserve Soul Power. Hurry up and eat. Don't be late."
The afternoon extra class was "multi-target perception practice"—Teacher Zhang placed five swinging wooden targets on the field and had the students sense all five trajectories at once, dodging whichever targets approached. The other students could sense at least three targets simultaneously, but Tang San deliberately focused on only two. When the other three targets drew near, he "just happened" not to sense them and could only dodge in a rush.
"Tang San, why are you only watching two targets? Can't you sense the other three?" Teacher Zhang walked over, the whistle in his hand not yet blown.
"Teacher, multi-target perception takes too much concentration. I'll practice with two first, then increase the number after I'm proficient. Taking it step by step is safer." Tang San hurriedly said, his eyes fixed on one wooden target. "Look, I've only just memorized these two trajectories. Adding another would make them easy to confuse."
Teacher Zhang thought it over and found his reasoning sound, so he could only nod. "Fine. Practice with two for now. Increase to three tomorrow."
By using "gradual progress" as an excuse to reduce the number of targets he sensed, he avoided excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 12.
After the extra class ended, Tang San went straight to Master Yu Xiaogang's office. Inside, Master Yu Xiaogang had arranged the wooden pieces from the box in a row. Each one swayed at a different frequency. "Today, we'll practice multi-target prediction. Watch these three wooden pieces and use Blue Silver Grass to sense their trajectories simultaneously. You don't need to dodge them. Just tell me which direction each piece will swing next."
Following the instructions, Tang San summoned Blue Silver Grass and deliberately divided the grass blades into three strands, with each strand corresponding to only one wooden piece. He also deliberately slowed their sensing frequency. He paused before every answer and occasionally gave one wrong direction, pretending that he had only "just sorted out the trajectories."
"Why are you still getting them wrong? Were you not concentrating?" Master Yu Xiaogang frowned and slowed the wooden pieces' swinging frequencies.
"The three pieces have different frequencies, so I need to distinguish them slowly. Going too fast makes them easy to mix up." Tang San quickly replied. He waited until the pieces had swung through three cycles before answering again. "Look, I've only just separated the three frequencies. I'll get it right next time."
Master Yu Xiaogang said nothing more and simply told him to "practice ten more sets." Tang San practiced slowly, getting only two correct in every set. He kept himself precisely at the level of "improving but not yet proficient," so he was not asked to do any additional training.
By the time he walked out of the office, it was already dark. Xiao Wu was waiting at the door. "Tang San, why did you come out so early today? I thought Master would keep you until nightfall."
"Master lowered the difficulty of the practice, so it wasn't as tiring." Tang San stretched. "Come on, let's eat at the cafeteria. I'm starving."
As the two headed toward the cafeteria, Tang San calculated inwardly: he had earned four points of Slacking Value today and learned new prediction techniques as well. Although Master had kept an eye on his training, he had not used up much Soul Power. It was a guaranteed profit. As long as he kept finding new excuses to reduce consumption, he would definitely accumulate Slacking Value faster.
The cafeteria lights shone brightly. Tang San looked at the food before him and ate slowly—he knew that as long as he kept using new excuses like "gradual progress" and "adapting to new techniques," then no matter how many extra classes the academy added or how much guidance Master gave him, he would be able to walk his "path to the pinnacle of slacking" steadily and grow stronger step by step.
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