Refusing Cultivation to Steadily Accumulate Slacking Value, Discussing Enrollment While Secretly Preparing

After finishing his sweet potato soup, Tang San sat on a small stool in the yard, basking in the sun and fiddling with the small cloth bag Aunt Wang had given him. He had just awakened his Martial Soul, and there was nothing urgent in the village, so he could use this time to accumulate more Slacking Value and try to level up his Soul Power before heading to Nuoding Academy.

Tang Hao finished cleaning the kitchen and entered the blacksmith shop with his hammer. However, instead of lighting the furnace as usual, he sat on the threshold and drank, glancing at Tang San from time to time. Tang San pretended not to notice and continued to play with the cloth bag. He knew Tang Hao might still be pondering what happened during the awakening, but at times like these, "talking less" was the safest approach, and it also helped him accumulate Slacking Value.

[Avoided excessive communication with others, reduced mental exertion, Slacking Value +1, current total: 1 point]

The system's prompt sounded, and Tang San rejoiced inwardly. He adjusted himself into a more comfortable position, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. He deliberately slowed his breathing, feigning a "lazy and listless" demeanor.

Before long, Old Jack's voice came from the yard entrance: "Little San, are you home?"

Tang San opened his eyes and saw Old Jack walking in with a cloth bundle, followed by a young man from the village. "Grandpa Jack, did you need something?"

"Of course, I do." Old Jack handed the cloth bundle to Tang San. "There are two changes of clothes inside, and some steamed buns. Take them. I've discussed it with your father, and you'll be going to Nuoding Academy in three days. Village youth A Li will take you; he's going to the city for business, and it's on his way."

Tang San took the cloth bundle and felt the clothes inside. The fabric was much better than what he was wearing. "Thank you, Grandpa Jack. I've troubled you."

"No need to thank me. You're the first child in our village with Soul Power. Even if your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, you still need to go to the academy to learn the theory, right?" Old Jack smiled and patted his shoulder, then looked towards Tang Hao in the blacksmith shop. "Tang Hao, you have no objections to what I told you, right?"

Tang Hao emerged from the blacksmith shop, shaking his wine gourd. "No objections. If he wants to go, he can go."

Old Jack nodded and then instructed Tang San, "When you get to the academy, behave yourself. Don't fight with classmates. If you have any difficulties, find the teachers at the academy. Oh, and don't be idle these next two days. Practice your Soul Power more. Although your Soul Power is weak, practicing more will make you stronger, and you won't fall behind when you get to the academy."

Tang San's heart stirred. This was another opportunity to accumulate Slacking Value. He deliberately put on a troubled expression. "Grandpa Jack, my body is still a bit weak. Practicing Soul Power is too tiring. If I injure myself, it will delay my going to the academy. I think it's better to rest first. Once I get to the academy, I can learn from the teachers. Don't you think so?"

[Refused additional Soul Power training suggestions, avoided "proactive self-improvement" involutionary behavior, Slacking Value +1, current total: 2 points]

Old Jack paused for a moment, then chuckled. "You child, you're good at making excuses for yourself. Alright, then you rest. Don't get too tired. Safety first." After that, he chatted with Tang Hao for a few more minutes about the details of going to the academy, such as being careful on the road and the procedures upon arrival, before leaving with A Li.

After Old Jack left, Tang Hao called Tang San to his side. "When you get to the academy, don't cause trouble, and don't let anyone bully you. If someone bullies you, don't endure it. Come back and tell me."

Tang San nodded. "I understand, Dad. By the way, do I need to bring anything to the academy?"

"You don't need to bring much; Old Jack has prepared everything for you." Tang Hao took out a cloth bag from his embrace and handed it to Tang San. "There are two silver coins in here. Take them and buy something to eat when you get to the academy, so you don't go hungry."

Tang San took the cloth bag and felt the coins inside; they were hard. He knew that most of the money Tang Hao earned from blacksmithing was spent on wine, so these two silver coins must have been saved up. "Dad, you keep them. I have steamed buns from Old Jack, so I don't need to spend money."

Tang Hao pushed the cloth bag back into his hand. "Take it if I tell you to, no more nonsense." With that, he turned and walked back into the blacksmith shop, lit the furnace, and the "ding-ding-dang-dang" sound of blacksmithing resumed.

Tang San looked at Tang Hao's retreating back, feeling a warmth in his heart. He put the silver coins into the small cloth bag and sat back on the stool, opening his system panel to check. He only had 2 Slacking Value, still a long way from the next "trace soul power increase" exchange. He needed to find a way to accumulate more.

In the afternoon, some village children came to find Tang San again, this time inviting him to go fishing by the river. Tang San refused without a second thought. "I need to pack my things tomorrow, and I'm going to the academy the day after. I don't have time to go fishing. Besides, the riverbank is slippery, and it would be troublesome if I fell in."

[Avoided meaningless outdoor activities, reduced time consumption, Slacking Value +1; Avoided potential safety risks, Slacking Value +1, current total: 4 points]

The children were a bit disappointed but didn't pester him further. They turned and went to the river. Tang San watched their retreating figures, secretly planning: Tomorrow, when packing, he could also find opportunities to accumulate Slacking Value, such as "packing slowly" or "bringing fewer things to reduce the burden."

In the evening, Tang Hao finished his work, and the father and son had dinner together. Tang Hao didn't mention going to the academy again, but he drank quite a bit, his eyes showing a hint of reluctance. Tang San knew that although Tang Hao usually seemed indifferent to him, he still cared about him.

After dinner, Tang San cleaned up the dishes and returned to his room. He opened the cloth bundle given by Old Jack, took out the clothes and steamed buns, and then put in the silver coins given by Tang Hao, organizing them slowly. He deliberately slowed down, thinking as he organized, "Packing slowly, avoiding haste, does that count as slacking?"

As expected, after a while, the system prompt sounded in his mind: [Proactively slowed down packing speed, avoided energy consumption from haste, Slacking Value +1, current total: 5 points].

Tang San chuckled inwardly. It seemed that as long as he "proactively reduced consumption and avoided trouble," he could accumulate Slacking Value, whether it was for big or small matters. After packing, he lay on the bed, thinking about tomorrow's plan—he would help Tang Hao make breakfast tomorrow morning, then slowly pack the remaining items, and rest in the afternoon, aiming to accumulate more Slacking Value.

The moonlight outside the window shone into the room, illuminating the cloth bundle on the table. Tang San looked at the bundle, feeling a bit of anticipation for the day he would go to Nuoding Academy. There, he should find more opportunities to accumulate Slacking Value, learn more about Soul Master theories, and perhaps even meet Xiao Wu from the original story.

He yawned and slowly closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be another day to accumulate Slacking Value and prepare for going to Nuoding Academy. This path of "slacking to become stronger" had just begun.