Bamboo Bone Pen

"Has this little rabbit been eyeing me ever since she ate the Heavenly Thunder Bamboo leaf?

Raising a hundred-thousand-year-old rabbit actually seems like a decent choice."

Li Han's lips curled slightly. After calmly packing his things, he ducked into a side alley.

He removed his black robe, returned to his original attire, and headed back to the inn.

He made no attempt to hide any of this from Xiao Wu.

Because there was no need.

Xiao Wu had followed him the entire way, and seeing Li Han emerge from the alley, she looked surprised.

"I didn't expect him to be so young."

Xiao Wu felt much more at ease.

As long as he wasn't a powerful Spirit Master, she had nothing to fear.

She watched Li Han walk into the inn, her eyes darting around as a sly smile spread across her face.

"Hehe, now that I know where you're staying, we're definitely going to be friends."

Inside the room.

Li Han wasn't thinking about what Xiao Wu might be up to; he was busy crafting a talisman pen.

It required a shaft and a tip, and he had already prepared the materials for both.

An eight-hundred-year-old Lone Bamboo and the fur of a hundred-thousand-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit were more than enough to make a talisman pen.

He took out the herbs, processed them into a solution, and placed the rabbit fur inside to soak.

Next, he took out a segment of Lone Bamboo and used a dagger to carve the pen shaft.

An hour later, a verdant green shaft appeared in his hand, with intricate patterns carved into it.

These patterns would allow spirit power to be transmitted more efficiently to the tip and injected into the talismans.

By then, the rabbit fur had finished soaking.

Li Han joined the two pieces together and bonded them with a special medicinal glue.

Finally, he injected his spirit power to fuse them.

Before long, the Lone Bamboo shaft and the rabbit fur tip merged perfectly, emitting a faint glow.

"It's done!"

Li Han was delighted. He gripped the talisman pen and gave it a light flick; the pen seemed to come alive, spinning back and forth between his fingers.

It was a habit he had picked up back in school—whenever a pen was in his hand, he just had to spin it.

He had practiced for quite a while to master that trick.

As for why he practiced it, well... purely so his classmates would go "wow" when they saw it.

In short, just to show off.

"From now on, this pen shall be called the Bamboo Bone Pen. Lone Bamboo and Soft Bone, they complement each other perfectly."

Li Han smiled with satisfaction. Next up was making the talisman paper.

That would take some time; it wasn't something that could be finished in an hour or two.

So, Li Han took out the necessary herbs, processed them, and then put them back into his storage bag, planning to finish it tomorrow.

After all, with everything he had done, it was getting late.

"I've been out for so long, I should head back to the academy. Otherwise, it might arouse suspicion.

Right, I almost forgot about this."

As if suddenly remembering something, Li Han hurriedly took the Soul-Nurturing Wood Bead out of his storage bag.

It felt ice-cold to the touch, and a gentle energy radiated from it, surging into Li Han's body.

His fatigue vanished by more than half, leaving him feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

"This Soul-Nurturing Wood Bead really is a treasure."

Li Han was overjoyed. Seeing that it already had a hole drilled through it, he fashioned it into a bracelet and wore it on his left wrist.

"With the Soul-Nurturing Wood Bead nourishing me day and night, the growth of my divine sense should accelerate significantly."

Li Han smiled contentedly.

Early the next morning, Li Han rented a carriage to Nuoding Academy. Just as he was about to depart, Xiao Wu rushed over.

"Wait! You're going to Nuoding Academy, right? Can you take me with you?

I'm a work-study student at Nuoding Academy this year!"

Xiao Wu blinked her large, light-brown eyes, looking at Li Han with an adorable expression.

Even though Li Han wasn't some creepy old man, he couldn't help but soften slightly in the face of such an offensive.

"Waited all night, finally couldn't hold back anymore?"

Li Han chuckled to himself before saying, "So you're a junior student. Come on up, then."

"Alright, thank you! You're such a good person!"

Xiao Wu hopped directly onto the carriage.

Li Han looked at the coachman and said, "Let's go."

The coachman nodded slightly, cracked his whip, and the carriage set off.

Inside the carriage, Xiao Wu and Li Han sat on opposite sides.

"My name is Xiao Wu, 'Wu' as in dance, and I'm six years old. What's your name?"

Xiao Wu was not the type to sit still, and she started chatting the moment she sat down.

"Li Han, seven years old."

"You're only seven? You've grown so tall! I thought you were eleven or twelve."

Xiao Wu opened her mouth wide in surprise, her eyes widening.

"I eat a lot, so I grow fast."

"So that's it! I'll have to eat more from now on too!"

Li Han looked at Xiao Wu. If he remembered correctly, this petite girl would eventually grow to be 1.86 meters tall—a giant loli.

It seemed she really did eat quite a bit.

"So, are you a second-year student at Nuoding Academy? Why are you here? Is Nuoding Academy fun?"

Xiao Wu fired off another string of questions; she seemed full of curiosity about the world.

Li Han didn't find it troublesome and answered her one by one.

Upon hearing that Li Han had already absorbed his first soul ring, Xiao Wu was taken aback.

"It seems his talent is quite good. Breaking through to level ten at seven years old—even if it's not Innate Full Soul Power, he's still a genius."

Xiao Wu thought to herself, then asked, "Did you come alone? Shouldn't there be a teacher from the academy accompanying you?"

"To protect me, my teacher was eaten by a soul beast."

When Li Han said this, he lowered his head, putting on a sorrowful expression.

Xiao Wu immediately realized she had said the wrong thing.

"Ah? I'm sorry. I didn't know. Please don't be sad; your teacher must have been a very good person."

Xiao Wu hurriedly tried to comfort him.

But watching Li Han bury his head in his knees, she became flustered, having no idea what to do.

Li Han, with his head lowered, was actually on the verge of laughing.

Well, he was indeed a good teacher; knowing his own life was hard, he had even left behind an inheritance.

"Don't be sad anymore."

In the end, Xiao Wu could only reach out her right hand and pat Li Han on the head.

Her expression was incredibly gentle.

"Whenever I was sad in the past, my mother would pat my head like this, and I would feel much better. I don't know if it will work for you."

Hearing Xiao Wu's gentle voice, Li Han suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Deceiving a loli—it was truly sinful.

Wait, no, this rabbit had lived for a hundred thousand years; she could hardly be considered a loli.

"Thank you, Xiao Wu."

Li Han lifted his head, his eyes slightly red, as if he had just suppressed his grief.

"You're welcome! I'll look after you from now on! I'll protect you just like your teacher did."

Xiao Wu patted her chest with a thud, looking every bit the big sister.

"..."

That probably won't be necessary.

Li Han felt he might have overacted.

However, this could be considered a rehearsal; he would have to do it all over again when he went to the principal's office.

"By the way, if you're a work-study student, you'll likely end up living in Dorm Seven with me once you enter the academy. Nuoding Academy is a primary academy for children under twelve, so boys and girls don't live in separate dorms."

To lighten the sorrowful atmosphere, Li Han changed the subject.

"Really? That's great! I don't know anyone at Nuoding Academy, so it's a good thing I can be with you."

Xiao Wu danced with joy.

Right now, she just wanted to stick with Li Han and eat the leaves of his Martial Soul.