Secrets Revealed at the Dinner Table

At dusk, in a reasonably clean inn.

Lin Yi and the other two were assigned two guest rooms on the second floor; Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing shared one, while Lin Yi had one to himself.

At this moment, Lin Yi was lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

This day has been, truly...

I originally just wanted to take the little rabbit back to the Star Dou Forest, but ended up running into Zhu Zhuqing, and now I've encountered people from the Skywater Academy.

The plot has veered so far off course, it's truly absurd.

Could it be that my arrival has changed something?

But I haven't really done anything; I've just been living a low-key life.

If it's because I'm a transmigrator, well, Tang San is one too.

And he has the secret arts of the Tang Sect; aside from also having Twin Martial Souls, I don't have anything particularly special.

Could it be that I'm more handsome than Tang San...

He touched his face, rolled over, but couldn't figure it out no matter how he thought about it.

But then again, the Skywater Academy is indeed a decent place.

And since the little rabbit and Zhu Zhuqing are going there, I can consider my responsibility fulfilled.

Once they're settled, I'll see if there's an opportunity to slip away.

Just as he was thinking this, a knock came at the door.

"Lin Yi, time to eat!" Xiao Wu's voice came through the door, carrying a hint of excitement.

Lin Yi sat up, straightened his clothes, and opened the door.

Xiao Wu stood at the entrance, with Zhu Zhuqing behind her.

"Let's go, let's go! Sister Shui said she's treating us to a big meal tonight." Xiao Wu pulled him toward the stairs.

Lin Yi let her pull him along, though he felt a wave of helplessness in his heart.

A big meal? This little rabbit really doesn't stand on ceremony.

But that's fine; after all the tossing and turning these past few days, it's time for a good meal.

The three of them arrived downstairs, where the group from the Skywater Academy was already waiting in a private room.

Seeing them enter, Shui Bing'er greeted them: "Sit down quickly, the food will be ready in a moment."

Lin Yi found a seat by the window, Xiao Wu sat next to him quite naturally, and Zhu Zhuqing sat beside Xiao Wu.

Shui Yue'er looked them over with curiosity and started a conversation: "Lin Yi, how did you, Xiao Wu, and Zhuqing meet? You all seem to get along very well."

Just as Lin Yi was about to answer, Xiao Wu spoke up first: "Lin Yi and I are classmates from a low-level Soul Master Academy in Nuoding City. We met Zhuqing in the Star Dou Forest, and since we hit it off, we decided to travel together."

As she said this, she smiled at Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly, tacitly accepting this explanation.

"So that's how it is." Shui Yue'er nodded in realization, then looked at Lin Yi again: "Classmate Lin Yi, how long did you stay in the Star Dou Forest? Is it especially dangerous inside?"

Lin Yi thought for a moment: "Just a few days. It wasn't too dangerous; as long as you don't go deep into the core area, you mostly encounter hundred-year soul beasts. If you're careful, you can handle it."

Actually, whether it's dangerous or not depends mostly on luck.

If you're unlucky enough to run into a thousand-year soul beast, or a pack of Wind Wolves, even the outer perimeter can be quite troublesome.

But there's no need to say that and scare them.

Shui Yue'er's eyes lit up: "Did you encounter any special soul beasts? Like those with ice attributes?"

Lin Yi glanced at her, understanding dawned on him.

She's trying to fish for information on soul beast distribution to prepare for her own Soul Hunting Mission.

Even though I know it all, if I say it out loud, it won't fit my persona as a support-type soul master.

I can't exactly say I know where to find Ice Crystal Birds, Ice Foxes, or Ice Snakes, can I?

That would be way too suspicious.

Thinking this, he replied: "I didn't really pay attention to that. We mostly stayed in the outer perimeter, so we only encountered common soul beasts."

Shui Yue'er nodded and didn't press further, but a thoughtful look flashed in her eyes.

Xiao Wu was stifling a laugh nearby; she had heard Lin Yi's inner thoughts loud and clear.

This guy claimed he didn't know, but in his heart, he had already listed all the suitable soul beasts.

Her eyes darted around, and she feigned curiosity: "Sister Shui, what kind of soul skill do you want for your Third Soul Ring?"

Shui Bing'er thought for a moment: "Preferably a wide-range control or attack skill, something that can coordinate with the team."

Xiao Wu nodded and glanced at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi was looking down at his soup, but a thought reflexively popped into his mind.

Shui Bing'er's third soul skill, Resisting Ice Ring, is indeed a wide-range attack.

[However, the Ice Crystal Bird lives in the depths of the outer Star Dou Forest and the Frost Canyon on the edge of the mixed zone; the temperature there is extremely low, and ordinary spirit masters simply cannot withstand it.]

[But for Shui Bing'er and the others, it shouldn't be a problem, after all, most of their martial spirits are of the ice and water attributes.]

After hearing this, Xiao Wu turned her head and smiled at Shui Bing'er, "Sister Shui, you are so amazing, you will definitely be able to find a suitable one."

Shui Bing'er smiled slightly and secretly glanced at Lin Yi.

Frost Canyon, Ice Crystal Bird...

This information was too important to her.

Originally, she had thought about just finding a thousand-year ice-type spirit beast, but now, after hearing Lin Yi's inner voice, she had a clear goal.

Shui Yue'er, however, didn't have so many thoughts and was still there questioning Lin Yi, "Lin Yi, you are an auxiliary-type spirit master; is your daily cultivation particularly easy? Is it just standing in the back and adding buffs?"

Lin Yi's mouth twitched.

[Easy? Why don't you try the feeling of having to add buffs to your teammates while being chased and hacked at?]

[And this auxiliary-type of mine, while it looks quite easy on the surface, is actually more tiring to cultivate than anyone else's because of my dual martial spirits.]

[But these things can't be said; if I say them, I'll be exposed.]

He gave a dry laugh, "It's alright, anyway, I don't have to charge to the front, so it is indeed easier than spirit masters of other types."

Shui Yue'er nodded enviously, "That's great, I also wanted an auxiliary-type martial spirit, but unfortunately, I inherited an ice-attribute beast martial spirit, so I can only be an agility-attack type."

Lin Yi glanced at her.

[Is that an ordinary ice-attribute beast martial spirit?]

[That's a subspecies of the Ice Phoenix; although it can't compare to your sister's Ice Phoenix, it still counts as top-tier.]

[Still complaining? You really don't know how lucky you are.]

He picked up his teacup and took a sip, not responding.

Seeing that he wasn't speaking, Shui Yue'er sensibly stopped asking and turned to chat with Yu Hairou beside her about other things.

"Come, come, the dishes are all served, everyone don't be shy." Shui Bing'er greeted everyone, breaking the brief silence.

The table was filled with local specialties, all of which looked very good.

Xiao Wu had been hungry for a long time; she picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a large piece of meat, put it in her mouth, and narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, "Delicious."

Zhu Zhuqing ate gracefully, though the frequency of her picking up food was not slow.

Lin Yi drank his soup slowly and methodically, his gaze sweeping across the table.

[This Skywater Academy is truly generous, much better than Notting Academy.]

[If I really go there, my future life won't be too bad.]

He picked up a chopstick of greens and chewed; the taste was indeed quite good.

Shui Bing'er observed the three of them while eating.

Xiao Wu was lively and cheerful, eating without any reservations; one look and you could tell she was a carefree person.

Zhu Zhuqing didn't say much, and her words and actions were steady, though considering she was from the Star Luo Empire, it was understandable.

As for Lin Yi...

This guy looked the most ordinary on the surface, eating slowly and methodically, occasionally looking up at everyone, then lowering his head to continue eating.

But Shui Bing'er knew that he was the least ordinary one of all.

His inner voice popped up from time to time, and although fragmented, it always managed to reveal some information.

For example, right now...