Too Bluntly Honest

"Teacher, I want the harder path. I'm a man. Even Little Xi can endure that unbearable training, so I can't let anyone look down on me! So what if my cultivation speed is a little slower? I'll make up for it by spending twice, three times as much time. I'll catch up eventually!" Ma Hongjun's face was filled with determination.

Oscar gave him two thumbs-up. "Fatty, well done. That's a real man!"

Choosing to give up a shortcut that had no drawbacks for oneself—if she searched her heart, could she withstand that temptation? So no one would blame Fatty no matter which path he chose.

Especially when it was only a moral flaw, yet what it brought was perfectly normal growth in strength.

After all, this world revered the strong and preyed on the weak. When strength was involved, killing was commonplace. The strong only grew stronger, while the weak only grew weaker.

Shen Ranxi did not like Ma Hongjun calling himself "this young master," but at that moment, she truly thought he was quite manly.

After their initial surprise, the teachers present all smiled slightly. Flender even laughed aloud as he looked at his disciple with gratification. "Are you sure? Once you choose, there's no going back. You'd better think carefully about all the hardship and exhaustion you'll have to endure."

Ma Hongjun stiffened, but still nodded firmly. "Teacher, I've thought it through. It's just hardship and exhaustion... Little Xi can endure it, so can I!"

"Well done! If you regret it, we teachers will break your legs!" Flender knew how much the other teachers liked Little Xi. They were extremely biased. Whenever anything bad happened, they believed these two boys had led Little Stream astray. If Hong Jun backed out halfway and went chasing women, they would really be angry enough to break his legs rather than let him get near the little sapling they cherished.

This world was not kind to females. Their way of protecting her was to train her without showing the slightest mercy, ensuring that she had the ability to beat down men with ill intentions.

Ma Hongjun, who was breathing fire in the water, said, "Teacher, I won't regret it. I've already joined Little Stream's side hustle. How can I quit now?"

"Side hustle? What side hustle?" Several teachers looked at Shen Ranxi curiously.

Shen Ranxi froze under the teachers' intense stares. "..."

Damn Fatty. I take back what I just said about you! You sold me out so quickly.

She raised her middle finger at him under the table, while forcing a stiff smile onto her face. "No, Teachers, listen to my excuse—no, my explanation." This stupid mouth!

She decided to go all in. "I'm planning to make chivalrous justice into a career. Every week, I'll find a criminal and punish him, while making a little money on the side. Hehe."

Unexpectedly, the teachers not only did not criticize her, but praised her enthusiastically. "Hahaha, Little Xi, that's an excellent idea. You'll gain practical combat experience, get rid of pests, and earn some money too. Killing several birds with one stone! You just need to know your limits..."

Seeing them chatting so happily, Ma Hongjun cried out miserably, "Teachers, spare a thought for me! When can I get out of the water..."

Flender said, "Then work hard, Hong Jun. From now on, you can't slack off whenever you feel like it." He tossed out one final sentence. "Just stay in there a little longer."

Seeing that the matter had been settled, the teachers left together.

"Flender, you're not about to cry, are you..." Zhao Wuji quietly poked him.

"Nonsense. Why would I cry?"

Shao Xin bluntly said, "Before you came, you thought Hong Jun couldn't endure hardship and would choose the easier path."

Flender said, "..."

Shao Xin being this blunt was not necessarily a good thing.

Ma Hongjun looked expectantly at Shen Ranxi and Oscar. "Little Xi, Little Ao, you two have to stay and keep me company, right..." He blinked at them.

"Eww!" The two were disgusted by his look and walked away without even turning back. "Fatty, did you forget that we haven't finished our work yet? And because of you, we've been delayed for so long. Do you still want to eat? The fire's gone out, so hurry up and get to work!"

Ma Hongjun looked aggrieved. "Do you two have any love left in you? Cold, heartless, and unreasonable!"

The two working figures did not even raise their heads as they answered in unison, "No!"

"Big Sister, I'm here to help too!" Little Bell happily ran over.

She helped move things nearby, like a diligent little bee.

The next day onward, there was another figure in the morning training. Although Oscar had to call him more than a dozen times every day, Ma Hongjun had at least shown his resolve.

Day after day, the three of them appeared on the roads around the village. Nothing changed, except for their heights.

Three years had already passed. Shen Ranxi was nine, Oscar was nine, and Ma Hongjun was seven.

Over those three years, Shen Ranxi's Soul Power had not increased much. Mainly because the Formless Heart Sutra circulating inside her body had begun compressing her Soul Power after reaching the late stage of the first level.

Not only had her Soul Power failed to improve in the slightest during that time, it had even dropped by two levels. Yet the amount of Soul Power her body could store was twice as much as before.

Her Soul Power spread throughout her entire body, as if every piece of flesh could store Soul Power!

The advantage was that during future battles, her opponent might run out of Soul Power while she still had plenty left. Wouldn't that mean victory?

Shen Ranxi had already reached level twenty. Today, Teacher Li and Dean Flender would take her to obtain her Second Soul Ring.

Before they left, Ma Hongjun rolled around on the ground, insisting on coming with them. Teacher Li mercilessly refused him. "We're going to find a Soul Ring for Little Xi. What are you joining in for? When we get back, if you haven't finished those tasks, just wait and see how I deal with you!"

"And Oscar, you too. If you want more means of protecting yourself, don't slack off!"

Oscar had known Ma Hongjun would get scolded, so he had cleverly hidden to the side and snickered. Caught off guard by hearing his own name, he could only lower his head and shuffle over.

"Alright, let's go!"

Shen Ranxi said goodbye to everyone. Noticing the worry in Teacher Zhao's eyes, she said sweetly, "Don't worry, Teacher. We'll be back soon."

Oscar and Ma Hongjun looked sourly at Teacher Zhao. "Little Xi is so biased! She gets fiercer and fiercer with us, but she's sweet and well-behaved with Teacher Zhao and the others."

Zhao Wuji was pleased inwardly, but he glared. "Of course! Come on, training!"

"Ahh, Teacher Zhao, we're starting right away?" The two had no heart for training after Little Xi left.

"Hm?" Zhao Wuji gave a cold snort.

The three of them hurried along without stopping. Shen Ranxi still carried her staff on her back as she followed behind. "Teacher Li, I'll get on if I can't keep going."

Flender was behind her, while Li Yusong led the way. Both had deliberately slowed their pace. Since the child wanted to train herself, what could they do as teachers besides agree with gratification...

The three stopped at the market closest to the forest, preparing to rest well and enter the forest early the next morning.

The three found a tavern.

The moment she entered, Shen Ranxi noticed that the place was bustling, with most of the people being Soul Masters.

After they found a table and sat down, Li Yusong spoke first. "Little Xi, you order! The Dean is treating today!"

Flender panicked, but when he saw Little Xi's surprised expression, he coughed lightly. "Order away, order away!"

After saying that, he turned his head away in pain and refused to look any longer, glaring at that old man Li Yusong. Ahhh, my beloved little money.

The Dean was being so generous today? After spending these years together, she knew exactly what an iron-tight miser he was!

Catching the exchange of looks between the Dean and Teacher Li, she secretly found it amusing. No wonder. Teacher Li had forced the Dean's hand.

To comfort the Dean, she said, "Dean, I've learned about quite a few Medicinal Herbs over the past few years. While we're searching for Soul Beasts, we can gather some valuable herbs to sell too. I'll take sixty percent and you take forty. I'll find them, and you'll sell them. How about it?"

Although the Dean already had money, money would never be enough for him. He would never give up any opportunity to make more.

Flender's eyes lit up as he was about to speak, but a sudden Loud Noise interrupted him...