First Meeting with Xiao Wu in the Dormitory, Avoiding Conflict and Saving Up Slacking Value

The teacher arranged by Headmaster Flender was surnamed Liu, a man in his thirties wearing an ordinary gray teaching robe. He did not say much, only briefly telling Tang San, "Follow me," before turning and heading toward the dormitory area. Tang San hurried after him, gripping his cloth bag tightly while quietly observing his surroundings—the academy was larger than he had imagined. Besides the teaching building and training grounds, there was also a courtyard planted with flowers and grass, and students in uniforms occasionally hurried past.

Teacher Liu did not walk quickly, so Tang San deliberately slowed his pace and fell half a step behind—this would both spare him excessive conversation with the teacher and "reduce travel speed," perhaps earning him some Slacking Value. Sure enough, after only a few steps, a system notification sounded in his mind: Actively slowed follow-up speed, reduced the energy spent on close contact with strangers. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 11.

Great, I got new Slacking Value right after exchanging for Soul Power. Tang San secretly rejoiced and quietly opened the system panel for a look. With 11 points of Slacking Value, he was still 9 points short of another exchange for "Minor Soul Power Increase." He had to keep looking for chances to save up.

After walking for roughly a quarter of an hour, they arrived before a two-story wooden building. A sign reading "Boys' Dormitory" hung above the entrance. Teacher Liu stopped and turned to Tang San. "Room 203, at the eastern end of the second floor. There are already three students inside. Go in. Tomorrow morning at the Hour of the Dragon, report to the theory classroom on the first floor of the teaching building. Do not be late."

"Thank you, Teacher Liu." Tang San quickly thanked him. Only after watching Teacher Liu leave did he carry his cloth bag upstairs. The corridor was quiet, with only the echo of his footsteps. When he reached Room 203, the door was slightly ajar, and voices came from within.

Tang San did not push the door open immediately. Instead, he waited outside for a few seconds—"avoiding the awkwardness of barging in rashly" should earn him Slacking Value. Sure enough, the system notification sounded: Actively delayed entering an unfamiliar environment, avoided potential social awkwardness. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 12.

He lightly knocked on the door, and the voices inside immediately stopped. "Come in," a rough voice called.

Tang San pushed the door open and entered. It was a four-person dormitory with four beds. Three had already been made up with bedding, while only the bed by the window was empty. Three boys sat on their respective beds, watching him curiously.

"You're the new student?" asked the boy seated on the bed closest to the door. He was tall, dark-skinned, and looked very sturdy.

"My name is Tang San. I'm from Holy Spirit Village, and I've just enrolled." Tang San answered with a gentle smile. He did not want to clash with his classmates the moment he arrived at the academy. "Keeping a low profile" would help him slack off better.

"My name is Wang Hu. I'm from the neighboring Stone Ridge Village." The tall, sturdy boy pointed to the boy on the bed beside him. "His name is Li Qing. His martial soul is a sickle. The one wearing glasses is Zhao Yu. His martial soul is a writing brush."

Li Qing and Zhao Yu both nodded in greeting. Tang San walked over to the empty bed, set down his cloth bag, and began unpacking. He moved slowly, folding his clothes while casually chatting with the three of them. He deliberately avoided subjects like "Soul Power Level" and "martial soul strength," which could easily lead to comparisons, and only spoke of interesting things from his village and the academy's surroundings.

Actively avoided topics likely to provoke comparisons, reduced the competitive atmosphere in social interactions. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 13.

After he finished unpacking, Wang Hu suggested, "Tang San, let's go eat at the cafeteria. I heard the academy food is pretty good. If we go too late, all the good dishes will be gone."

Tang San's heart stirred. Going to the cafeteria was necessary, but "avoiding a hurried journey" could still earn Slacking Value. He deliberately rubbed his stomach. "I'm not in a rush. You go ahead. I ate a steamed bun on the way here, so I'm not hungry yet. I'll go later."

Wang Hu and the other two did not think much of it. After saying, "Then we'll be going first," they left the dormitory together. Tang San sat alone on his bed and opened the system panel—13 points of Slacking Value, still 7 points short of exchanging for "Minor Soul Power Increase." He leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and began "slacking off." Since he had nothing to do, "increasing rest time" would surely earn him Slacking Value.

About half an hour later, the dormitory door was suddenly pushed open. Tang San opened his eyes, thinking Wang Hu and the others had returned, only to see a little girl in pink standing at the door. Her hair was tied into two ponytails, and her large eyes made her look adorable.

"Who are you? Why are you in the boys' dormitory?" Tang San asked in surprise.

The little girl pouted. "My name is Xiao Wu. I just enrolled too. The teacher said my dormitory was Room 203. Why is this the boys' dormitory? Did they make a mistake?"

Tang San's heart skipped a beat—he remembered that Xiao Wu really did share a dormitory with Tang San in the original story, but he had not expected to meet her so soon. He hurriedly stood up. "Maybe the teacher made a mistake. Do you want to ask Teacher Liu? He was the one who brought me here just now. Maybe he knows what happened."

Xiao Wu shook her head. "I already went looking for Teacher Liu, but he wasn't in his office. There's still an empty bed here, so I might as well stay here for now and ask again tomorrow. I'm a girl, anyway. You can't bully me." As she spoke, she walked to the empty bed, set down the cloth bundle in her hand, and began unpacking.

Tang San did not object—"avoiding an argument with a girl" would not only earn him Slacking Value, but also let him build a bond with Xiao Wu according to the original story. He sat by his bed and watched Xiao Wu unpack, occasionally handing her something.

Actively accepted a temporary lodging arrangement, avoided an argument with the opposite sex, reduced communication expenditure. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 14.

After Xiao Wu finished unpacking, she sat on the bed and looked at Tang San. "Tang San, what's your martial soul? What level is your Soul Power?"

Tang San deliberately put on an "embarrassed" expression. "My martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, and my Soul Power is very weak. When I awakened it, the crystal ball only lit up a little. I don't even know exactly what level it is." He still did not want to reveal his Level 12 Soul Power. "Downplaying his strength" would make it easier to hide himself.

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "A Blue Silver Grass martial soul? I heard Blue Silver Grass is a useless martial soul. I didn't expect you to have Soul Power! My martial soul is a rabbit, and my Soul Power is Level 10!" As she spoke, a pink rabbit phantom appeared in her hand, looking quite adorable.

Tang San smiled and nodded. "Your martial soul is really cute. It looks much better than my Blue Silver Grass." He continued to "praise others while downplaying himself," avoiding drawing too much of Xiao Wu's attention.

Actively praised another person, weakened his own presence, reduced others' attention. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 15.

Just then, the dormitory door was pushed open, and Wang Hu and the other two returned. All three froze when they saw Xiao Wu. "Tang San, who is this? Why is she in our dormitory?" Wang Hu asked in surprise.

Tang San quickly explained, "Her name is Xiao Wu. She just enrolled too. The teacher may have assigned the wrong dormitory, so she's staying here temporarily. She'll find a teacher tomorrow to straighten things out."

Although Wang Hu and the other two found it strange, they did not say much. Xiao Wu greeted them generously, and soon began chatting with them. Tang San sat nearby, only occasionally adding a word or two. Most of the time, he was "slacking off"—only by "reducing unnecessary social participation" could he earn more Slacking Value.

Actively reduced social participation, avoided excessive energy expenditure. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 16.

In the evening, Xiao Wu suggested going for a walk around the training grounds. Wang Hu and the other two readily agreed and invited Tang San along. Tang San thought about it. Though "taking a walk around the training grounds" was a leisurely activity, "avoiding prolonged outdoor activity that consumed physical strength" could still earn him Slacking Value. He deliberately yawned. "I'm a little tired. I want to rest in the dormitory for a while. You go ahead, and be careful."

Xiao Wu and the other three did not force him. After saying, "Then we're leaving," they left the dormitory. Tang San lay alone on his dormitory bed, staring at the ceiling as he opened the system panel—16 points of Slacking Value, only 4 points short of exchanging for "Minor Soul Power Increase."

I should be able to save up more Slacking Value in class tomorrow. Tang San calculated inwardly, then closed his eyes and began to rest. He knew that life at Nuoding Academy had only just begun. There would be many more chances to earn Slacking Value, and his path to the "peak of slacking off" would continue stretching ahead.

Moonlight streamed through the window into the dormitory, illuminating his face and the unusual path beneath his feet.