Beneath a century-old tree, Zhao Dabao had completely lost his mind.
He turned every pocket of his oversized instructor's robe inside out, but all he found were a few greasy copper coins and half a rock-hard flatbread.
Unwilling to give up, he yanked out the inner pockets too, their white lining flapping wildly in the breeze.
"Gone? How can it be gone?"
Zhao Dabao's eyes bulged, their whites webbed with bright red veins.
He abruptly bent down and tore off one of his leather shoes. Without even bothering to take off his sock, he turned the shoe upside down and pounded it against the tree trunk.
Dirt and bits of grass showered down, but there was no sign of the Top-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill.
He shoved his fingers into the shoe, picking at every last seam until black mud packed beneath his fingernails.
"Impossible! The System would never lie to me!"
Like a gambler who had lost everything, Zhao Dabao paced anxiously in circles on one bare foot.
Clutching his gleaming bald head, he cursed furiously. "Was there a glitch? Is this lousy System bugged? Spit out my Marrow Cleansing Pill!"
Just as he raged helplessly, the System Panel in his mind lit up once more.
A golden, translucent screen appeared before his eyes. Five cold, gleaming words flashed across it: [Reward has been issued].
Those five words were a silent mockery, utterly unmoved by Zhao Dabao's fury.
The System was only responsible for issuing rewards according to the rules. Where those rewards ended up was none of its concern.
"I'll issue you to your damn grandma!"
Zhao Dabao trembled with rage, his eyes bloodshot as he roared.
He abruptly swung his right fist with all his strength and slammed it into the thick trunk of the century-old tree beside him.
"Thump!"
A dull impact rang out.
The old tree didn't lose a single leaf, but Zhao Dabao let out a pig-like squeal.
The enormous recoil numbed his hand bones, and his knuckles swelled red in an instant.
He sucked in a sharp breath, hurriedly pulled his hand back, then crouched on the ground clutching his swollen right hand, his features twisted in pain.
Behind a thicket a dozen paces away.
Xiao Wu clamped both hands over her mouth, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Her watery eyes widened as she looked at the Marrow Cleansing Pill in Su Yu's hand, its enticing fragrance wafting from it, then at Zhao Dabao rolling on the ground in the distance. A storm of shock surged through her heart.
This was a Top-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill!
Even in the heart of the Star Dou Forest, the emergence of a heavenly treasure of this level would spark a frenzied struggle among countless Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.
Yet now, Su Yu hadn't even lifted a finger. He'd only made a few gestures in the air, and this peerless treasure had flown right into his hand.
Xiao Wu swallowed, then instinctively edged away, putting some distance between herself and Su Yu.
Looking at his utterly composed profile, she felt a deep sense of awe.
This human boy was terrifying.
Not only could he see through her true identity, he could even alter the rules of fate at will!
If he took a dislike to her one day, could he use this bizarre power to strip her of her cultivation, too?
Su Yu noticed Xiao Wu's movement but paid it no mind.
Calmly, he tucked the Top-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill away in his innermost pocket.
The pill's medicinal effects were too potent. He couldn't leave it exposed to the air, or he might attract the attention of other high-ranked Soul Masters and cause trouble.
Su Yu calmly watched Zhao Dabao, still wailing in the distance.
Su Yu knew all too well what it meant to be the host of a sign-in system.
The greatest strength of such systems was their steady, gradual rewards.
Every day brought a freshly refreshed sign-in quest and a reward.
In Su Yu's eyes, the bald, fat man rolling on the ground was no longer some lofty academy instructor. He was a super fat sheep, penned in a sheepfold and ready to be sheared again and again.
"Today's only an appetizer."
Su Yu silently worked out the details. "As long as that fatso stays at Nuoding Academy, every reward in his System will belong to me."
Beneath the old tree, Zhao Dabao sat slumped on the ground for a long while. At last, the pain in his hand eased a little.
Gritting his teeth, he climbed to his feet, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and slipped his battered leather shoe back on.
His face was full of resentment, and a sinister gleam shone in his small eyes.
"The System must've bugged out today, or maybe I used the wrong pose for the sign-in."
Zhao Dabao muttered viciously, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. "It's fine. The Sign-in System gives out rewards every day. Tomorrow's sign-in quest is at the abandoned storehouse behind the academy. I'll get there early, and there won't be any more mishaps. This was just a freak accident. I, Zhao Dabao, am a child of destiny!"
As he reassured himself, he limped toward the edge of the woods, his retreating figure as wretched as could be.
Crouched behind the thicket, Su Yu heard every word of Zhao Dabao's muttering.
"An abandoned storehouse?"
Su Yu gave a sly smile. That fatso sure was thoughtful, even volunteering the location of tomorrow's sign-in.
He turned and looked at Xiao Wu, still standing there in a daze, then raised a finger to his lips and motioned for silence.
Xiao Wu hurriedly nodded, not daring to make a peep.
The two of them quietly slipped out of the thicket and retraced their steps along the path they had come by.
All the way back, Xiao Wu obediently followed behind Su Yu. She'd lost all her earlier big-sister swagger and looked like a well-behaved little sidekick.
By the time they returned to the academy grounds, the opening ceremony had ended.
Most of the new students had already been led away by their instructors, leaving the grounds nearly deserted.
Only Tang Wu remained standing alone.
She rose onto her tiptoes and craned her neck, anxiously peering toward the back hill.
Her tender, pale hands were clasped tightly together, and her eyes were red. She had clearly been waiting a long time.
"Brother Yu!"
Tang Wu spotted Su Yu approaching from afar at a glance.
With a delighted cry, she broke into a run on her short legs, like a little swallow flying back to its nest.
She flung herself into Su Yu's arms, wrapped both arms tightly around his waist, and buried her face against his chest, refusing to let go.
"Brother Yu, where did you go? I thought you didn't want me anymore..."
Tang Wu's voice wavered with tears, her grievance plain to hear.
Su Yu gently patted her back and soothed her softly. "But I came back, didn't I? I had something important to take care of, and I brought you something nice."
Tang Wu sniffled and looked up, tears still glistening in her big eyes.
She didn't care about any nice things. As long as Su Yu had come back safe and sound, she was perfectly happy.
Standing to one side, Xiao Wu watched Tang Wu cling to him and rolled her eyes.
But she didn't dare mock her out loud now. After all, the power Su Yu had just displayed had thoroughly cowed this hundred-thousand-year-old Hooligan Rabbit.
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