"Ring, ring, ring-" As the loud bell rang throughout the campus, the previously quiet school was instantly engulfed in a clamor. Students streamed out of the teaching buildings in droves, gathering in little groups to discuss rumors about that day's awakening.
"Old Lin, want to grab dinner together tonight?" Xu Jie looked full of confidence.
He had suddenly gone from an unknown underachiever to one of the school's most talked-about students. It felt as though he even had his own background music when he walked. It was freaking amazing!
But out of consideration for Lin Shuguang's feelings, he had held back from showing it too much.
Ever since the awakening, Lin Shuguang had not said a word. He had simply sat alone with his head down, flipping through textbooks, looking just like someone who had gotten his test paper back, discovered he had bombed it, and wanted to devour his books in a frenzy. The sight left Xu Jie a little frightened, worried that his buddy might do something drastic.
Lin Shuguang glanced at the group of students trailing behind Xu Jie, drawn by his newfound reputation. Among them was a girl Xu Jie had once pursued, only to be thoroughly ignored. He gave Xu Jie a punch in the chest and said quietly, "Nah, you guys have fun. Stay safe."
"Huh?" Xu Jie froze, unable to understand what he meant for a moment. But seeing how Lin Shuguang looked, he felt that perhaps he really had been worrying too much.
He watched Lin Shuguang leave, only for the people around him to immediately crowd in and block his view.
"That Lin Shuguang is way too full of himself. Jie personally invited him, and he still turned him down. That's going too far!"
"Jie, what Lin Shuguang awakened wasn't even ranked. With talent like that, I have no idea what he's so proud of!"
"Exactly!"
As the group talked over one another, badmouthing Lin Shuguang, all of Xu Jie's joy evaporated. Especially when he saw the girl he had once pursued, only to be cruelly rejected, criticizing his good buddy too, he felt inexplicably irritated. But he soon let it go.
Xu Jie pushed through the crowd and said without looking back, "I'm tired. I'm going home to sleep!"
He left the group caught completely off guard.
"Dad, Mom, I'm home!"
Fortunately, his home address had not changed. Otherwise, Lin Shuguang really did not know whether he could have found it. Over the past few hours, he had gradually absorbed his memories of this world.
At the front door, however, he was greeted by a petite, fair-skinned girl with a ponytail. Blocking the doorway, she immediately looked at Lin Shuguang's hands. Then her expression changed, and she demanded furiously, "Where are the snacks? Did you forget them?!"
"What snacks?" Lin Shuguang paused.
He had been feeling a little apprehensive, wondering what he should say when he saw his parents and younger sister again. But his sister's words instantly transported him back more than ten years, to when he argued with her every day.
It really did stir up some feelings.
Yet, for some reason, he thought of that hundred yuan.
The memory surfaced... It seemed he really had promised her. Then next time... Lin Shuguang felt around in his pocket.
!!!
Right! Where was the money?
Lin Shuguang froze, suddenly remembering the voice that had flashed through his mind earlier.
Could it be?!
Suppressing the feelings that suddenly surged within him, Lin Shuguang, for once, did not brush his sister off as he used to. He promised, "I'll definitely buy you some next time!"
"Next time! It's always next time!" Lin Xiaoxi had no idea that the brother standing before her now had a different soul.
She had only noticed Lin Shuguang searching for his money and the look of realization after he failed to find it. She immediately reached a conclusion and demanded angrily, "Tell me! Did you secretly eat them all yourself? Lin Shuguang! You big liar! You big jerk! You big meanie!"
Although she was yelling at him, Lin Shuguang felt a little more at ease. At least the little girl was still the same little girl.
He remembered that when he was in high school, she had still been in elementary school at this point...
"Mom! My brother's so annoying-" Lin Xiaoxi ran into the kitchen in a huff to complain.
"Go wash your hands and get ready to eat!" Mother Lin, Chen Fen, urged her.
Having failed to get the result she wanted, Lin Xiaoxi refused to give up. She went crying to Lin Haiyang instead. "Dad, Lin Shuguang's bullying me! Beat him up!" As she spoke, she did not forget to glare at Lin Shuguang with reddened eyes.
Lin Shuguang could not help laughing.
Lin Xiaoxi flew into a rage. "Dad, look, he's laughing at me too! Beat him up, beat him up! Hurry up and beat him up!"
Mother Lin came out of the kitchen and looked at Lin Shuguang, wiping her wet hands on her apron. "Hungry? Go put your schoolbag down and wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready."
Seeing his mother appear, Lin Shuguang froze, suddenly overcome with feeling.
Returning to ten years ago and seeing everything before him again really did feel somewhat unreal.
Coming back to his senses, he smiled with particular brightness. "Okay, Mom. I really am a little hungry."
Mother Lin noticed nothing. She nodded with a smile and returned to the kitchen. Lin Shuguang put down his schoolbag, then turned to coax the little tyrant of their household.
Ten-odd minutes later, the family sat down to eat together, and Lin Xiaoxi was once again hovering around Lin Shuguang...
The familiarity he had not felt for years welled up in his heart again, and Lin Shuguang could not help feeling emotional. In his previous life, he had rarely come home after leaving for university in the Provincial Capital. After graduation, he had even less time. He had not returned home for New Year in four or five years, and his sister had argued fiercely with him over it more than once.
Now, seeing his parents' temples not yet so gray and his sister still so "innocent and carefree," Lin Shuguang felt a complicated mix of emotions, terrified that this was only a dream!
"Everything all right at school?" Father Lin held his rice bowl, sounding as though he was asking casually, his expression revealing nothing.
Lin Shuguang came back to his senses. "Not bad."
Seeing this, Father Lin said nothing more, as though he had no idea that Lin Shuguang's school had held an awakening test.
Lin Xiaoxi, however, failed to grasp the meaning behind this. She immediately tugged at Lin Shuguang's sleeve and asked curiously, "I heard your school held its awakening today. Did you succeed? Tell me, tell me!"
Before Lin Shuguang could answer, Mother Lin had already rapped Lin Xiaoxi's hand with a chopstick. "Eat your food! Why do you have so much to say?" She also shot her a glare, as though scolding her for her lack of tact, worried that further questions would hurt Lin Shuguang's pride.
Lin Xiaoxi rubbed her little hand aggrievedly and puffed out her cheeks, looking silently at Lin Shuguang as she mouthed, "Hurry up and get me snacks to make it better!"
Lin Shuguang: "..." He looked away as though he had seen nothing.
Lin Xiaoxi was furious, but could hardly act up.
After a moment of silence, Father Lin addressed the matter directly. "Failing to awaken isn't the end of the world. Going to university and living a steady life is fine too."
Mother Lin chimed in, "Shuguang, aren't you off this afternoon? Why don't you ask a few friends out? I'll give you the money. Have a good time."
Seeing this, Lin Xiaoxi immediately leaned over, all but wagging a tail, and wheedled, "Mom, I want to go out too. Twen... no, fifty yuan will be enough."
"Eat your food!" Mother Lin reached out and mercilessly pushed Lin Xiaoxi's head aside, continuing to take turns with Father Lin in counseling their son.
Lin Xiaoxi folded her arms and pouted angrily, deliberately letting out a huff now and then to attract everyone's attention. Yet nobody paid her any mind, though Lin Shuguang found the sight amusing.
"Will two hundred be enough?" Without allowing any argument, Mother Lin forced two red banknotes into Lin Shuguang's hand. Lin Xiaoxi stared, wishing she could plunge headfirst into that money.
Lin Shuguang chuckled. "I awakened successfully."
In an instant, the room fell silent.
Lin Xiaoxi was the first to jump up. Eyes wide, she stared at her brother as though inspecting an alien, occasionally pinching his cheeks and muttering, "There doesn't seem to be anything special about him."
"You really succeeded?" Father Lin and Mother Lin looked over anxiously.
Lin Shuguang nodded and slapped Lin Xiaoxi's little paws away. Ignoring her angry glare, he nodded again and took the black Soul Ring out of his pocket.
At the sight, Father Lin exclaimed, "Good!" three times in excitement.
These days, the only way to live a good life was to become a martial artist! And the only route to awakening as a martial artist was to first awaken a Destined Soul, then increase one's Blood Energy Value!
"What type?"
Lin Shuguang frowned slightly, as though something had occurred to him that he did not understand. "A saber-type Artifact Spirit Master. It's just that my Blood Energy Value is a little low..."
Low?
Father Lin gave it little thought, still immersed in the joy of this good news.
He figured that however low it was, it should at least be thirty-something cal. The Li Family's kid had only awakened with thirty-something last year, and hadn't he still gotten into a martial arts school? So his own son certainly would not have a problem either!
"That's fine. We'll buy you more supplements. You'll definitely get into a martial arts school! How much is it?"
"9 cal..."
The moment he finished speaking, Father Lin's smile froze, and Mother Lin was stunned too.
Even his younger sister Lin Xiaoxi, who was still in junior high, widened her eyes before giving him a deeply sympathetic look, much to Lin Shuguang's dismay.
Father Lin said nothing. He put down his chopsticks and went out onto the balcony alone to smoke.
Mother Lin forced a smile and reassured him, "Having something is better than nothing. Don't take your dad's attitude to heart. He has a hang-up about martial arts school, so he's always pinned his hopes on you. He'll come around in a couple of days. I'll scrape together another eight hundred for you. Take this thousand yuan. I don't understand cultivation, so see for yourself if there are any cultivation supplies you need to buy. Work hard at your cultivation from now on.
"Our family doesn't ask for wealth or status. As long as we can live a peaceful, stable life together, that's enough."
Clutching the thousand yuan, Lin Shuguang felt deeply conflicted.
What he had clearly seen was an unparalleled Divine Saber, yet his Blood Energy Value had turned out to be a pitiful nine. The disparity was easy to imagine.
But what he understood even less was that he had actually obtained an Attribute Panel too. What exactly was this Attribute Panel for?
After the meal, amid the silence, Lin Shuguang returned to his room alone.
Before long, someone knocked at his door. He got up and found that it was his sister, Lin Xiaoxi.
Without allowing any argument, the little girl shoved the pig-shaped money bank in her hands into Lin Shuguang's arms and said briskly, "This is my New Year's money. I'm giving you all of it! You're not allowed to give up on yourself!" With that, she ran off.
Lin Shuguang was taken aback, then chuckled.
This girl...
He had never noticed this side of her before, but it did leave him feeling warm inside.
Yet a second later, the little girl suddenly doubled back. With her head lowered, she agonized for quite a while before finally looking up pitifully. "Brother, can I change my mind?"
The corner of Lin Shuguang's mouth twitched. She really was still the same girl!
He did not answer, silently hugging the money bank a little tighter.
Lin Xiaoxi was so angry that her teeth itched. She lifted her foot to stomp on Lin Shuguang's, but the crafty fellow dodged her. All she could do was grit her teeth for a good while before saying reluctantly, "Remember, I'm only lending you this. You have to pay me back!"
Watching the little girl leave in a huff, Lin Shuguang smiled silently.
After entering his room, he simply placed the money bank on his bookshelf, with no intention of touching its contents.
He remembered that in his previous life, his sister had been swindled out of her money not long after this... Although the world had changed, just in case, he would consider it safekeeping on her behalf.
Lying back on his bed and toying with the Soul Ring in his hand, he casually opened the Attribute Panel.
The next instant, Lin Shuguang shot upright.
[Destined Soul upgrade condition triggered. Top up 1,000-yes/no?]
"Fuck, I got up too fast. I'm dizzy!"
Before you continue