"Though Yu Xiaogang's theories were either wrong or common sense, seven hundred years should be the limit for a Second Soul Ring, right?"
Ao Linxi explained, "He only got a small part of it right. Soul Beasts mainly cultivated by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth around them. After a Soul Beast reincarnated as a human, it could use its own cultivation as a foundation to condense Soul Rings on its own, but the total number of years represented by its Soul Rings could not exceed its cultivation. Here in the center of the Lake of Life, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is hundreds of times denser than outside, so it can increase a Soul Ring's age. On top of that, there's the dragon aura our Dragon Clan naturally gives off, as well as the power of fortune I've bestowed on you. All these factors combined were what caused Xiao Wu's Soul Ring age to increase by a full hundred percent."
"Soga! I see." Gu Tian exclaimed, then looked at Gu Yuena beside him. "Wife, open the gate. We should go back and prepare a surprise for Tang San."
The silver space gate opened once more.
Passing through that layer of rippling waves, the four reappeared in the outskirts of Nuoding City. Half a day had passed since the disturbance in the Soul Hunting Forest. Judging by Gu Tian's calculations, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang would surely pretend to search for Xiao Wu's trail, and with the time it took to return, it would be at least five days before they saw them.
While they had the time, Xiao Wu took Gu Tian, Gu Yue, and Na'er around Nuoding Academy. Out of habit, she walked with her back slightly bent, as if inspecting the ground.
Nuoding Academy wasn't very large. Its main buildings stood around the central field: the academic affairs office lay to the west, the dormitories and cafeteria to the east, the classrooms to the north, and, naturally, the main gate to the south.
According to Xiao Wu, the academy was divided into six grades, each with only one class. Since it was a junior Soul Master Academy, the schedule was fairly relaxed. Classes were held only in the mornings, and students usually cultivated on their own in the afternoons.
There were generally just two classes each morning: one on cultural knowledge and the other on Martial Soul cultivation.
"Brother Gu Tian, the classroom building is just ahead. The cafeteria is around the corner to the left. I need to go to that lawn first..." Xiao Wu pointed at a patch of green in the distance, her mood sinking. "I'm a work-study student, and I haven't finished today's cleaning duty. If a teacher catches me skipping work, they'll deduct my meal money."
Work-study students at Nuoding Academy were mainly responsible for cleaning. Once they finished their daily duties, they could earn twenty Copper Soul Coins, more than enough for their daily meals.
Gu Tian frowned and immediately reached out to stop her.
"You won't have to do this kind of work anymore."
"But..." Xiao Wu hesitated.
"No buts." Gu Tian turned to Gu Yue and Na'er. "Come with me. We're going to the academic affairs office first."
Inside the academic affairs office, the corpulent Director Su was slouched in a recliner, drinking tea.
When Gu Tian pushed open the door and slapped a small, heavy pouch of Gold Soul Coins onto the desk, Director Su's narrow eyes flew wide open. That golden gleam and weighty heft were far beyond what an ordinary student from a common family could afford.
"Director, the four of us want to become regular students." Gu Tian got straight to the point.
"No problem! Of course there's no problem!" Director Su swiftly pocketed the money pouch and even got up to pour Gu Tian some tea himself. His fawning smile bunched all the fat on his face together. He was always eager to please generous benefactors like this. In no time, four student ID cards signifying their new status as regular students lay on the desk.
Gu Tian handed Xiao Wu the card with her name on it and said flatly, "From now on, you're nobody's work-study student. You're just my classmate. You won't have to bow your head and sweep floors for a meal anymore, or worry about what anyone thinks."
Xiao Wu clutched the stiff card tightly. Without realizing it, a mist gathered in her eyes. In the Star Dou Great Forest, she had been Sister Xiao Wu, but in the human world, because of Tang San and Grandmaster's arrangements, she had always lived cautiously, as though she were born a level beneath everyone else. Now, with a few casual words, Gu Tian had completely lifted the heavy shackles from her.
"Come on. Let's go get your things."
Nuoding Academy didn't have many students. There were only around three hundred across all six grades, and with so few students, there were naturally few dormitories.
There were thirteen student dormitories in all. The first six housed the boys in grades one through six, and the next six housed the girls in grades one through six.
Dorm Seven, sandwiched between them, belonged to the work-study students. Boys and girls of every grade all lived together under the same rules.
The four soon arrived at the legendary Dorm Seven.
It was a huge dormitory, with dozens of wooden beds packed tightly together. The air was a mixture of sweat, old dust, and cheap soap. Even Gu Yue, who had always lived at the Lake of Life, wrinkled her nose in distaste, her fair little hand fluttering in front of it.
"You live here?" Na'er asked in astonishment, disbelief written all over her face. "Brother Gu Tian, this place smells worse than a muddy patch in the forest."
Xiao Wu awkwardly walked over to a large bed by the window. The work-study students in Dorm Seven, Wang Sheng among them, stared at the scene in stunned silence. They had always thought Xiao Wu was cute, but they had never seen two such stunning girls accompanying a young man with such an extraordinary air.
"Third Brother... Tang San and I shared this bed. We were work-study students, so we didn't have any extra bedding. We just put our belongings between us. Back then, Third Brother said it would save money, and it'd be more convenient for everyone to look after each other..." Xiao Wu pointed to the two sets of bedding pressed close together, her voice growing quieter and quieter.
Na'er's expression changed instantly.
"Sister Xiao Wu! Men and women shouldn't be intimate! You actually shared a bed with a boy?" Na'er stepped forward and looked at the beds with virtually no space between them, stomping her foot in anger. "That Tang San really had bad intentions! If he truly saw you as his little sister, how could he let you squeeze together with him in front of everyone? Brother Gu Tian, let's get Sister Xiao Wu out of here right now. Staying here for even one more second makes me feel suffocated!"
Xiao Wu lowered her head and said nothing. Before, she hadn't thought it was strange; she had even felt that Tang San looked after her well. But after Na'er said that, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. If Tang San really had a scheme, as Gu Tian had said, then the so-called brother-and-sister bond between them now seemed downright eerie.
She hurriedly rolled up her bedding and left the oppressive, reeking Dorm Seven, leaving the other work-study students behind to chatter among themselves.
As a wealthy student, Gu Tian applied for a private apartment-style dormitory.
When he opened the door, the furnishings weren't as luxurious as the villa at the Lake of Life, but the rooms were clean and spacious. The rosewood furniture gave off a faint fragrance, while thick velvet curtains shut out the noise of the outside world. The most conspicuous feature was the enormous wooden bed in the middle of the bedroom, large enough for five people to sleep side by side.
That night.
The Soul Guidance Lamp cast a dim, yellow light through the thin gauze curtains and across the bed.
Gu Yue and Na'er easily claimed the center of the bed. Na'er wrapped herself tightly around Gu Tian's left arm like an octopus, her even breathing clearly audible in the quiet room.
Xiao Wu curled up at the very edge of the bed, with a sleeping Na'er between her and Gu Tian.
She lay with her eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Listening to Na'er's faint breathing and feeling how openly she depended on Gu Tian, Xiao Wu suddenly felt a sour pang in her heart.
It was a strange feeling. She had only just met Gu Tian, and he already had two stunning girls like Gu Yue and Na'er by his side.
Why am I jealous...? I've been with Third Brother for so long, but I don't think I ever felt this way... Xiao Wu asked herself quietly. She thought back to the days she had shared a bed with Tang San. Back then, it had all felt ordinary; sometimes, she had even found his rigid personality dull. But now, just smelling the faint trace of Dragon God aura on Gu Tian made her heart beat faster.
That aura held a fatal attraction for Soul Beasts, as if a wanderer who had roamed for many years had finally found a place to call home.
She turned her head to look at Gu Tian.
Gu Tian wasn't asleep. He seemed to have noticed Xiao Wu's unease. In the dim light, his eyes looked especially deep. Slowly, he reached his right hand over the sleeping Na'er and gently rubbed the base of Xiao Wu's long rabbit ears.
His touch was light, but Xiao Wu's body stiffened at once, and a soft whimper escaped her throat.
The tingling sensation spread from the base of her ears throughout her body, making her go limp. Even her tense toes curled involuntarily. Her ruby-like eyes clouded with tears, and the sour ache in her heart was replaced by a sweet sense of being cherished.
This feeling was a thousand times stronger than Tang San's stiff, old-fashioned concern.
Then Gu Tian's hand slowly moved down and finally stopped at Xiao Wu's waist.
"Don't overthink it." Gu Tian's voice was low and magnetic, especially pleasant in the quiet of the night. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll show you the bustle of the human world."
Xiao Wu shyly closed her eyes, the corners of her lips unconsciously lifting into a contented smile. She felt the warmth of his palm, and under his gentle advances, the last trace of resistance in her heart quietly crumbled.