Diligent Study and Hard Training

Knowing that Zhang Aidao's father might have dementia, Zhou Bai shook his head helplessly. He had no idea how to contact Zhang Aidao either, so he could only go to the station again tomorrow morning and find someone to pass a message along.

At that thought, Zhou Bai had already finished the porridge in his hands when he saw the old man going to ladle out another bowl. He hurriedly stopped him. "Sir, don't trouble yourself. I can take care of myself."

Looking at the somewhat cluttered and shabby room, Zhou Bai said, "How about I help you clean up the room?"

The old man said, "You want to help Daddy with the housework? Aidao is such a good boy."

Zhou Bai smiled faintly. "Then I'll help wash the dishes first." As he spoke, he helped the old man onto the sofa. Then Zhou Bai turned around, glared at Christina, and made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Roar!" Christina flew into a rage. "Don't go too far, Zhou Bai! People have always scooped cat poop for cats—I've never seen a cat wash dishes for people! You're defying the heavens and digging your own grave!"

Bang!

A moment later, tears brimmed at the corners of Christina's eyes as she washed dishes and cursed inwardly, Scumbag! Zhou Bai, you're not human! You cat-abusing maniac! I'm going to expose you!

Elsa wagged her tail as she curiously circled Christina.

Laziness Qi Value +5

Meanwhile, after helping the old man sit down, Zhou Bai lay on the sofa himself, happily watching his Laziness Qi Value increase by five points.

Rubbing his chin, he pondered, "Other than the 200 points I get from lying down every day, it seems that if someone does something I was supposed to do while I rest, I can gain Laziness Qi Value?"

"But what if no one does it in my place?"

Next, Zhou Bai began experimenting with the rules for gaining Laziness Qi Value in the old man's home.

Several hours later, the old man was already asleep in bed.

Christina lay on the floor, panting hard, her tail drooping against the ground, her chin pressed to the floor, her mouth hanging open as her tongue lolled out again and again.

Elsa lay beside her, wagging her tail and deliberately copying Christina's pose with her tongue out, her eyes full of delight.

Zhou Bai slowly climbed off the sofa, stretched lazily, and yawned. "I'm exhausted. Who would've thought lying on the sofa for four hours straight would be so tiring? Ah, my back is about to break. Cultivation really isn't easy."

Christina said, "I fucking..."

Zhou Bai said, "Hmm?"

Christina said, "You worked hard, Zhou Bai. Training made you so tired—hurry up and go to sleep."

Zhou Bai rolled his neck and looked at the Laziness Qi Value that had increased on the Auxiliary System, a smile on his face.

After four hours of testing, Zhou Bai had figured out some of the rules.

If there was something he ought to do but did not do, his Laziness Qi Value would increase. For example, washing the dishes at the beginning had given Zhou Bai five points of Laziness Qi Value.

And someone did not necessarily have to do the task in his place. Later, Zhou Bai had promised the old man he would sweep the floor, but he had not made Christina do it. He had merely lain on the sofa and done nothing, yet he had still gained five points of Laziness Qi Value.

But since I have free cat labor anyway, and I can't bully an old gentleman, of course I should let Christina do it. Zhou Bai rubbed his chin. Still, the jobs have to be things that can actually be done and make a certain amount of sense. And it seems repeatedly doing the same thing in one day to farm Laziness Qi Value doesn't work.

And when I deliberately said I'd bring Zhang Aidao over for the old man, get him a new house, cure his illness, and so on—things that couldn't possibly be done—it didn't work either.

Zhou Bai learned that the Auxiliary System had its own logic for collecting Laziness Qi Value. Although he had not completely figured it out yet, for now it seemed best to go with the flow and seize every gap.

What exactly is the principle behind this Laziness Qi Value? Changing the timeline? Changing cause and effect to gather energy? Creating parallel universes? Creating new futures to collect some kind of power?

Zhou Bai shook his head. The principle behind Laziness Qi Value was still far too profound for him; there was no point in blindly speculating. Over the remaining few days, before the entrance test officially began, he should increase his Laziness Qi Value as much as possible and raise his Primordial Spirit Value.

Thus, over the following days, Zhou Bai stayed in the old man's home. Every day, he studied diligently and trained hard, continuously raising his Laziness Qi Value before adding it to his Primordial Spirit Value.

"Christina! Go mop the floor."

"Christina! Massage my waist. It's sore from lying down."

"Christina! I want Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for dinner..."

"That's enough! Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? Should I kill myself and make Dragon-Tiger Fight for you to eat?"

Day after day passed. After cultivating every day like this, by the evening before the entrance test, Zhou Bai had not only raised his Primordial Spirit Value to 99 points, but had also accumulated an additional 1,000 points of Laziness Qi Value.

Looking at the 1,000 points of Laziness Qi Value and 99 points of Primordial Spirit Value, Zhou Bai's expression turned solemn. "Should I try today and see whether I can raise my Primordial Spirit Value to 100?"

According to Zhang Aidao, before one officially began cultivating the Dao, while one's Daoization Degree was at 0%, Primordial Spirit Power could reach at most 99 points.

But the Auxiliary System was not conventional cultivation—it directly added points to Zhou Bai. There was a good chance it could let him break through the limit of 99 and stand out in tomorrow's entrance test.

He wanted to give it a try, but just as Zhou Bai was about to add the points, scene after scene from his memories surfaced in his mind.

Rows of corpses in a secret chamber within an underground base.

Elsa, Demonized into a Shiba Inu.

Bandu's twisted upper body.

Zhang Aidao's father, lost to dementia.

One scene after another swept through his mind, bit by bit extinguishing the desire in his heart.

"Zhou Bai, this is my final lesson for you. Live on. No matter how humble, how afraid, how hopeless... live on."

It seemed that a man's voice echoed by his ear once more. Zhou Bai shook his head. "Whew, forget it. Safety first, safety first. Besides, going beyond 99 points would draw too much attention. That might not be a good thing."

So Zhou Bai ultimately did not raise his Primordial Spirit Value to 100. Keeping his Laziness Qi, he lay down on the bed and slept until broad daylight.

Early the next morning, as soon as Zhou Bai got up, a fragrant aroma kept drifting into his nose.

Zhang Aidao's father came out carrying a bowl of noodles. Looking at Zhou Bai, he said, "Aidao, you're going to take the test today. Dad specially cooked noodles for you and added two poached eggs."

Zhou Bai froze for a moment, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He accepted the noodles and began eating. As he ate, he softly said, "Thanks, Dad."

The old man trembled at the words, delight appearing on his face.

The front door opened, and Zhou Bai walked outside. Behind him, the old man waved and shouted, "Aidao! Do your best!"

Zhou Bai waved his hand, telling the old man to go back inside.

Christina lay at the window, a delighted smile on her face. "This devil incarnate is finally gone. No, I need to slip away right now. I can't live like this anymore. If I stay any longer, I'll fucking work myself to death sooner or later."

As she spoke, Christina was about to leave through the door when she saw Elsa appear before her with a bowl in her mouth, circling around her.

"Who has time to feed you?" Christina snorted. She secretly opened the window, intending to escape, but the next moment, she felt her body grow light. Her entire cat body turned into a cloud of white smoke invisible to others and drilled into Zhou Bai's brow.

Elsa was left lying by the window with her food bowl in her mouth, whimpering softly.