Sister Xiao Wu and Brother Yuan Got a Room

"My name is Xiao Wu. I'm six years old, a level fourteen Soul Master, and an ordinary Work-Study Student at Nouding Academy."

"Every day, I eat and drink at the academy, munch on carrots, and live without a care. Life is easy and carefree."

"Until today, when I suddenly realized there might be a Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Tree Soul Beast right beside me!"

In the blink of an eye, the end of the month arrived.

With the Mysterious Heaven Skill and the medicine's pure potency, Xu Yuan broke through to level twenty-four.

The surge of Soul Power from his breakthrough left Xiao Wu drenched in sweat.

Could someone tell her what was going on with this little human brat?

Hadn't he freaking broken through just last month? How had he done it again?

Which one of them was the Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Soul Beast, him or her?

How could a human Soul Master cultivate so fast?

By Xiao Wu's rough estimate, Xu Yuan's Soul Power was at least level fifteen.

Even if her Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Origin hadn't vanished, she doubted she could keep up with Xu Yuan's cultivation speed.

Xu Yuan slowly exhaled a white stream of air like a bolt of silk. He circulated the inner energy of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, suppressing the fluctuations in his Soul Power.

Then he opened his eyes, ready to head to the grove on the Back Mountain as usual to practice the Purple Demon Eye and his spear technique.

But the moment he got up, Xiao Wu dragged him back under the covers.

"Xu Yuan, tell me honestly. Do you have some shortcut to cultivation?"

"Listen to Sister Xiao Wu. Those crooked tricks will damage your potential. You can't sacrifice your future for a moment's speed!"

Xiao Wu pinned Xu Yuan beneath her, her expression grave.

Surprise flickered in Xu Yuan's eyes. He hadn't expected Xiao Wu's senses to be so sharp. Did she even cultivate seriously?

"Xiao Wu, don't slander me."

"What shortcut? What crooked tricks? I have Innate Full Soul Power. What's wrong with cultivating a little faster?"

Xu Yuan sounded helpless.

"Really? I have Innate Full Soul Power too. Why don't I cultivate as fast as you?"

Xiao Wu's little face was caught between belief and doubt.

"What do you mean, fast? I've always cultivated at this speed. I work hard at it too. Sometimes you need to look at yourself."

"Have you been meditating properly? Have you been working hard at cultivation?"

Xu Yuan gave Xiao Wu's shoulder a meaningful pat.

"Xiao Wu, remember this: the world is fair. If you want something, you have to put in the effort."

"Taking shortcuts is what mediocrities do! Do you under—ow! What did you put on the bed? It's digging into me."

Xu Yuan stopped mid-sentence.

He felt around beneath the covers and eventually found something like a stone.

"Who taught you to put this thing in the bed?"

Xu Yuan was speechless. In his hand were two fist-sized Solid Crystal Gemstones, golden and translucent.

"I forgot about them!" Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue sheepishly.

"What kind of gemstones are these? They're pretty!"

Xu Yuan examined them closely and caught the faintest trace of a fragrance.

With Xiao Wu so close, he couldn't tell where the scent was coming from.

"I'm not sure either. That wilted flower Liu Long brought them."

"He said I was the boss of Dorm Seven and hoped I'd rein Wang Sheng in so he'd stop challenging the noble students."

"He brought a whole pile of things that day. Said he'd dug them out of his family's treasury and told me to pick whatever I wanted."

"These crystals looked decent, so I took them."

Xiao Wu spoke as though it were only natural, lifting her little head proudly.

Who at Nouding Academy hadn't heard of Sister Xiao Wu?

"Wang Sheng? Oh, I get it!"

Realization dawned on Xu Yuan.

The noble students used to beat up the Work-Study Students all the time. As the dorm boss, Wang Sheng had taken the worst of it.

Now that he had become a Soul Master and obtained a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, of course he wanted to wipe away the shame!

"That wilted flower also said the crystals had a name. Something... something like Mirror Glue?"

Xiao Wu scrunched up her little face, stumbling over the words.

"Mirror Glue? Whale Rubber!"

Xu Yuan hadn't understood at first, but it suddenly clicked.

"Right, Whale Rubber! He said it was an heirloom. Something about a hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years... and buying it from a merchant who'd fallen on hard times."

Xiao Wu smacked her left fist into her right palm as she remembered Liu Long's words.

At that, Xu Yuan hurriedly examined the two golden crystals again.

Though they looked much the same, one was denser, its color closer to dark gold.

"No way!"

"She picked Thousand-Year Whale Glue and Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue at random!"

Xu Yuan couldn't fathom it, but he was stunned all the same.

He realized he had underestimated the resources of Nuoding City's nobles.

After all, their ancestors had once been wealthy.

"By the way, what's Whale Rubber?"

Xiao Wu's puzzled look made Xu Yuan's expression turn peculiar.

But she came from the Star Dou Great Forest, where there was only the Lake of Life. It was no wonder she didn't recognize Whale Rubber.

Xiao Wu reached to take the Whale Rubber back, but Xu Yuan wouldn't let go.

Her dewy eyes turned toward him in confusion.

"Xiao Wu, taking shortcuts is what mediocrities do. But then again..."

"If we can't even take a shortcut, wouldn't that make us worse than mediocrities?"

"I know a way to raise our Soul Power Level without any side effects. Want to try it?"

Xu Yuan gripped the two pieces of Whale Rubber and fixed Xiao Wu with an eager gaze.

"You really do have a shortcut?" Xiao Wu stared at him, dumbfounded.

She quickly recovered and blurted out, "Of course I want to!"

"It's a secret recipe I happened to find in the Ancient Books. You mustn't tell anyone!"

Xu Yuan looked serious and lowered his voice for good measure.

Xiao Wu grew solemn too. She raised a finger and swore, "Sister Xiao Wu swears she won't tell a soul! If I do, may I... eat so many carrots I burst!"

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes at her. "Then get ready. We're taking today off and finding a courtyard in Nuoding City."

"Why do we need a courtyard?"

"To have a suitable place to break through in Soul Power Level, obviously."

Xiao Wu didn't understand, but she followed Xu Yuan out of the dorm anyway.

Once they were outside, Xu Yuan patted his pockets and realized he hadn't brought his Gold Soul Coins.

"Did you bring any Gold Soul Coins?" Xu Yuan asked Xiao Wu.

"No!" Xiao Wu shook her head like a rattle-drum.

"Then go back and get them."

"I'm paying?"

Xiao Wu pointed at her own nose in disbelief.

"Obviously. Who's cultivating, you or me?"

"Fine!"

Xiao Wu thought Xu Yuan had a point and ran back into the dorm.

"Sister Xiao Wu, where are you and Brother Yuan going?"

One of the Work-Study Students in the dorm couldn't help asking.

"I'm taking Xu Yuan into the city to get a room today. Remember to ask the teacher for a day off for us."

"And if that wilted flower comes by, tell him to give me more of this!"

While rummaging through her coin pouch, Xiao Wu pulled another crystal, about the size of a baby's fist, from beneath the covers.

This piece of Whale Rubber was roughly a hundred years old.

Xiao Wu couldn't tell what it was worth, but she knew Whale Rubber might be valuable, so she made sure to tell the others.

"Sister Xiao Wu, what's that?"

"Idiot, it's Whale Rubber!"

Xiao Wu couldn't be bothered explaining further and dashed out of the dorm.

"Brother Sheng, what's Whale Rubber?"

The Work-Study Students looked toward Wang Sheng, who was cultivating.

Wang Sheng's mouth twitched violently. He didn't know Whale Rubber firsthand, but he'd heard nobles used it as an aphrodisiac.

Were Sister Xiao Wu and Brother Yuan really going to...

"Wang Sheng, why did Xiao Wu just run out?"

On his way back from Yu Xiaogang's place, Tang San had crossed paths with Xiao Wu. He'd tried to greet her, but she had ignored him.

"Oh, Sister Xiao Wu took some Gold Soul Coins and Whale Rubber and went into the city with Brother Yuan to get a room."

"Oh, so that's... What did you say she took?"

Tang San sat down by his bed to cultivate, his face unchanged. Two seconds later, his eyes snapped open.