Anxious Tang Wulin, Yao Chuan's Wool-Harvesting Grand Plan!

Yao Chuan's tone deliberately turned relaxed and confident.

"There's no need to rush this. Since he's only 'talking' to you for now, it means he can't do anything to you yet. The initiative is still in your hands."

"Remember!"

Yao Chuan's gaze turned sharp.

"No matter what flowery promises he makes! No matter how sincere and harmless he acts! Until he has completely proven that he is safe and harbors absolutely no malice toward you... don't believe a single word!"

"Everything he asks for..."

Yao Chuan emphasized heavily.

"Unless it has been confirmed by me, treat it all as a scam! Do you understand?"

Tang Wulin nodded vigorously, as if he had found his backbone.

"Mm! Brother! I'll remember! I only trust you!"

Yao Chuan let out a sigh of relief.

"That's right! Go back to sleep first; the sky isn't falling! This matter..."

A flash of light gleamed in Yao Chuan's eyes.

"We need to plan this carefully. I need to think it over properly."

He soothed the shaken Tang Wulin and sent him off.

Watching him tiptoe back to his wooden bed.

Yao Chuan lay back down.

In the darkness, his eyes were wide open; where was there any trace of sleepiness left?

Starlight filtered in through the narrow window, illuminating the flames of excitement dancing in his eyes.

The fish had taken the bait!

Tang San's consciousness had already awakened.

Tang Wulin's vigilance was at an all-time high.

The fact that the power of the Golden Dragon King could be passively "leaked" in this way and absorbed by himself...

This was simply like finding a pillow just as one was getting sleepy!

The corners of Yao Chuan's mouth curled upward uncontrollably.

The "Great Wool-Shearing Plan"...

No!

This wasn't just simple wool-shearing; this was like hugging a gold mine and gnawing on it!

Thinking this, Yao Chuan felt a burning heat in his heart.

Yao Chuan lay on the hard bed, his eyes wide and round in the darkness, looking like two inlaid night-luminescent pearls.

The arc of his grin was impossible to suppress.

This kid Tang Wulin was a walking treasure trove of energy!

The power of the Golden Dragon King—even just a wisp of it leaking out passively—had a texture and dominance that made his own Black Dragon Martial Soul restless, like a wolf pup that had been starving for three days catching the scent of meat.

This was far faster than his own bitter meditation or forging; it was practically cheating!

It was a pity that this pie falling from the sky couldn't be eaten whenever he wanted.

The next morning, Yao Chuan pretended to "casually encounter" Tang Wulin, who was drenched in sweat after his morning training.

He patted the other boy on the shoulder nonchalantly and chatted for a few moments.

The result, however.

He didn't absorb a single hair.

Tang Wulin was calm, his power contained, and the aura of the Golden Dragon King was rock-steady, not leaking even a bit.

Yao Chuan felt such regret in his heart.

To have a treasure mountain in hand but the key held by someone else, and having to wait for their mood—this wool was truly not easy to shear.

It seemed he would have to coax this "Boss Tang" and get him excited more often.

Yao Chuan pondered his next plan.

It was the weekend.

The entrance to Eastsea Academy was bustling with people; the students were like birds released from a cage, laughing and chattering as they swarmed out of the school.

Yao Chuan walked slowly, hands in his pockets, his gaze unfocused, his mind still spinning with thoughts of Tang Wulin and the Golden Dragon King.

How could he make this kid willingly and frequently get excited?

This was a technical job.

Just as he was thinking, the corner of his eye caught a figure, moving as if they had wind-fire wheels on their feet, whoosh—darting past him from the side.

Hey, that hurried, blustery pace—who else could it be but Tang Wulin?

"Hey! Wulin!" Yao Chuan had quick eyes and fast hands, grabbing Tang Wulin by the back of his collar and nearly lifting him off his feet.

"Running so fast, are you in a rush to save the world?"

Tang Wulin stumbled from the pull, and when he turned back to see it was Brother Yao Chuan, his face immediately twisted into an expression of mixed anxiety and embarrassment.

Sweat streamed down his temples; he was clearly in a desperate situation.

"Brother Yao Chuan! It's you... you scared me." Tang Wulin panted heavily, his voice trembling slightly, "I... I'm in a rush to get to Master Mang Tian's workshop!"

Yao Chuan raised an eyebrow, let go of his collar, and spoke with a hint of teasing.

"Oh? Going to Master Mang Tian's for forging? That's a good thing, what's the rush?"

"Forging? Don't even mention it!" Tang Wulin looked miserable, his fist thumping his own head in frustration, "It's not for forging, it's to beg for forgiveness! I messed everything up!"

He was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

"The second-level forging task Master Mang Tian gave me—a week! A whole week! I... I actually forgot all about it!"

"He just contacted me and gave me a total earful! I tried to explain that the academy training has been too busy, that I'm exhausted like a dog after physical training every day, and that meditation takes forever to recover, so I really couldn't find the time..."

"But the master doesn't believe me! He thinks I'm just being lazy! He thinks I'm making excuses!"

"He said that for a first-year student at an intermediate academy, no matter how busy the coursework is, it shouldn't be enough to make me forget my own primary forging duties!"

"He... he's very angry, and he's completely disappointed in me."

"I really didn't do it on purpose! This week, Teacher Wu has been extremely strict with the special training, and I've been racking my brain trying to control my Blue Silver Grass, so my mind has been completely stuffed... Brother Yao Chuan, I'm finished, Master Mang Tian definitely won't want to deal with me anymore!"

Tang Wulin's voice was filled with deep self-reproach and panic.

Yao Chuan watched him act as if the sky were falling and listened to his incessant explanations, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Forging?

That's right!

How could he have forgotten about this!

When this kid Tang Wulin was forging, especially with high-intensity work like Thousand Refinement, he would absolutely, whether consciously or unconsciously, trigger the power of his Golden Dragon King Bloodline to boost his strength!

Excited? Doing high-intensity forging work, with his spirit highly concentrated and his power outputting crazily—how could he not be "excited"? This was way more reliable than verbal stimulation!

The golden path to harvesting wool was right before his eyes!

Yao Chuan instantly finalized his plan.

He put on a reliable expression that said "leave it to me" and gave Tang Wulin's shoulder a heavy pat.

"Is that all? Look at how worked up you are."

"It's just a missed task and a few scoldings from Master Mang Tian." Yao Chuan's tone was relaxed, carrying a reassuring calmness, "I know Master Mang Tian's temper; he has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Don't worry, I'll handle this for you, brother!"

"Ah? You'll handle it for me?" Tang Wulin was stunned, staring at Yao Chuan with wide eyes, "Brother Yao Chuan, this... this forging task matter..."

"A task is just something to be made up. The key is to get him to cool off." Yao Chuan wore an "it's a piece of cake" expression and reached his hand out directly toward Tang Wulin, "Give me your Soul Guidance Communicator."

Tang Wulin subconsciously fished out the Soul Guidance Communicator he'd received as an association benefit and handed it over.

"Brother Yao Chuan, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? Helping you explain things clearly to Master Mang Tian, of course!" Yao Chuan took the communicator and nimbly flipped through the contact list, "And while I'm at it, I'll snag a 'supervisor' gig to help you catch up on this forging progress!"

Soon, the call connected.

Mang Tian's signature low, gravelly voice, thick with obvious displeasure, exploded from the other end of the communicator:

"You brat! What is it now? Is the task finished? Or do you have another new excuse? Let me tell you, my patience is..."

"Hey! Is this Master Mang Tian? Hello, hello!" Yao Chuan didn't wait for the other party to finish venting; he spoke up immediately, his voice resonant and filled with just the right amount of enthusiasm, instantly cutting through Mang Tian's fury, "I'm Yao Chuan! Tang Wulin's classmate! He's right here next to me, spinning in circles with anxiety!"

There was a clear pause of several seconds on the other end of the line.

Clearly, Mang Tian was caught off guard by this sudden, unfamiliar voice.

"Yao Chuan? Who? Why is that brat Tang Wulin's communicator in your hands? Where is he? Let him speak to me himself!"

"Master Mang Tian, don't be impatient, just listen to me." Yao Chuan's tone remained steady, completely unaffected by the other party's anger, "Wulin really ran into some trouble; he didn't intentionally slack off. You know how it is at Eastsea Academy—that Zero Class teacher, Wu Changkong, the one they call the Cold-Faced Devil? His training is truly inhuman!"

"Wulin has really been put through the wringer this week."

"The physical training is maxed out, and practicing Blue Silver Grass control has left his spirit completely drained. By the end of the day, he has to spend most of his time just meditating to recover. He's been in a state of 'who am I and where am I' the whole time."

"Never mind your forging task, he's almost forgotten his own name!"

Yao Chuan didn't speak fast, but he was clear and logical, describing Tang Wulin's predicament perfectly.

"So, right after you scolded him, he was so anxious he felt like his hair was on fire, wanting to fly to your workshop immediately to beg for forgiveness."

"But looking at his state right now, if he went, he'd probably just be a nuisance to you; he can't even hold a hammer steady."

The communicator went silent.

Heavy breathing could be heard; clearly, Mang Tian was digesting this information. His anger seemed to have dropped a notch, but the suspicion remained.

"Hmph! Even if the training is busy, that's no reason to completely forget his primary duties! And who are you? What right do you have to speak for him?"

"Oh, Teacher, it's me, Yao Chuan!" Yao Chuan shifted his tone, infusing it with the unique confidence of a young man and... a hint of perfectly measured "bravado." "You're a busy person, so you might not remember a small fry like me. But surely Master Mu Chen must have mentioned me to you? About... three years ago?"

"Three years ago?" Mang Tian chewed on the words, seemingly lost in thought. "Mu Chen..."

"Yes!" Yao Chuan struck while the iron was hot. "Three years ago, didn't my master, Association President Mu Chen, specifically bring a little brat over to your place to hang around? And didn't he show off quite smugly about how that kid played with Heavy Silver and Thousand Refinement like it was child's play?"

A sharp intake of breath came clearly from the other end of the communicator!

"Hiss—it's you?! That... that little monster that old rascal Mu Chen brought over to show off?!"

Mang Tian's voice shot up, filled with astonishment.

The memories were unlocked in an instant!

Three years ago, Mu Chen had indeed brought a little monster named Yao Chuan to his workshop to demonstrate Thousand Refinement on Heavy Silver. The technique, the heat control, the effortless grace—it didn't look like the work of a child at all!

It had shaken him and several of his old friends quite deeply.

Even now, just thinking about Mu Chen's smug grin made his hands itch!

"Teacher Mang Tian, you finally remember!" Yao Chuan chuckled. "It's really me! I was young and ignorant back then, just making a fool of myself in front of you."

"Hmph! Making a fool of yourself? You were slapping the faces of us old fogeys!"

Mang Tian snorted, but his tone had softened significantly, even carrying a hint of nostalgia. "So it was you, kid... and you and that boy Tang Wulin... heh, what a coincidence, two little monsters ending up together?"

"Isn't it just! A special kind of fate!" Yao Chuan climbed up the pole as it was offered, cutting straight to the point. "So, Teacher Mang Tian, you see, with Tang Wulin's current situation, he really is spread too thin. You know his talent for forging; it would be a shame to let it go to waste."

"As for me, I'm his roommate, so we see each other every day. And as for forging, I've managed to at least get a foot in the door, right?"

Yao Chuan's tone carried a "you know what I mean" confidence.

"Here is what I'm thinking, how about this?"

"For the duration of his time at the academy, why don't you leave the supervision of his forging tasks, training guidance, and progress tracking to me?"

"I guarantee I'll keep an eye on him for you. I won't let him skip a single hammer strike he's supposed to perform!"

"I'll help him catch up on his lost progress, and maybe even give you a surprise!"

"What do you think? That way, he won't have to keep worrying about running back and forth and ending up neglecting both sides."

Silence returned to the other end of the communicator.

Only the "tap-tap" of Mang Tian's fingers against the metal workbench could be heard, as if he were weighing the options.

After a long while, Mang Tian's metallic-sounding voice returned. Though it still lacked warmth, the icy, repelling anger had vanished.

"Hmph! You've got quite the nerve, kid, wanting to be a substitute teacher?"

"But... since it's you..."

"Fine!" Mang Tian finally made the call. "I'll do it for the sake of the friendship I had with your master Mu Chen back in the day, and because you really did have some skill back then!"

"I'll leave Tang Wulin's forging progress during his school term to you!"

"The task progress, the technique, the heat control—not a single detail can be sloppy!"

"If I find out he's slacking off, or if you dare to just go through the motions..."

Mang Tian's voice turned stern once more.

"I'll deal with you too! Not even Mu Chen's reputation will save you!"

"Got it! You can rest easy, Teacher Mang Tian!" Yao Chuan promised immediately, his voice ringing out. "Task accepted! I'll make sure Tang Wulin is forged into top shape for you!"

"Hmm." Mang Tian responded, his tone softening slightly. "Tell him to focus on resolving his academy affairs. As for the forging... take it slow, building a solid foundation is what matters most. Hanging up!"

"Beep, beep, beep..." The dial tone sounded.

Yao Chuan tossed the communicator back to Tang Wulin, who was standing nearby, looking as if he were suffocating from the tension.

"Done!"

Tang Wulin scrambled to catch the device, his face still wearing a look of dazed disbelief, as if he had just survived a catastrophe.

"It... it's done? Teacher Mang Tian... he's not angry anymore? And he agreed?"

"Of course! When your big brother steps in, one is worth two!" Yao Chuan raised an eyebrow, his expression one of "standard procedure" indifference. "Teacher Mang Tian said to focus on your academy work first; there's no rush with the forging, just build a solid foundation. Of course..."

He shifted his tone, a smile appearing on his face that made Tang Wulin's heart skip a beat for no reason.

"The heavy responsibility of supervising and guiding you now falls on me."

"Little Junior Brother Wulin, are you ready to welcome Teacher Yao Chuan's special training?"

Tang Wulin looked at Yao Chuan's excessively brilliant smile, and the gratitude in his heart was instantly crushed by a sense of impending doom.

He had a feeling... that he had just jumped out of Teacher Mang Tian's furnace, only to fall straight into Brother Yao Chuan's... well?

He couldn't quite describe it, but his back felt cold.

Still, being able to resolve the trouble with Teacher Mang Tian was already a massive blessing!

Tang Wulin nodded vigorously, his expression sincere: "Thank you, Brother Yao Chuan! Thank you so much! I will definitely practice hard!"

Yao Chuan nodded in satisfaction and patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder.

"A child worth teaching. Alright, have a great weekend, go do whatever you need to do."

Watching Tang Wulin's back as he ran off, relieved and showering him with thanks, the smile on Yao Chuan's face slowly faded, but the sharp glint in his eyes grew ever brighter.