Senior

"Pfft-"

Shi Lai climbed out of the river, spat out water, and shook his head. Seeing several people pointing at him in the distance, he looked down at his own appearance and hurried off along the river toward somewhere less crowded.

After turning this way and that until he was somewhat lost, Shi Lai finally stopped. He surveyed his surroundings, his gaze gradually settling on an enormous residence nearby.

"How grand..."

"Hmm, Grand... General's... Residence?"

"Heh, so he's an idiot." A cold laugh sounded nearby. Shi Lai turned and saw Feng Mo's small eyes gleaming viciously. "Break one of his legs and throw him somewhere far away!"

Opening his eyes, Shi Lai silently cradled his head.

He comforted his wounded self.

The night grew late.

Zhou Xiaoxian's little face was flushed, her eyes unfocused. "Inn... innkeeper, two rooms."

The middle-aged innkeeper, a man in his forties, spent a good while looking Xia Yi and Zhou Xiaoxian over before finally replying, "This way upstairs, honored guests."

Once upstairs, Xia Yi nodded to the innkeeper and followed Zhou Xiaoxian into her room without the slightest self-consciousness, leaving the innkeeper staring for a long moment. Should he report this to the authorities?

Inside the room, Zhou Xiaoxian swayed and rubbed her face hard with both hands. "Teacher, I'm so hot... What's... happening to me?"

"Hahaha, your body can't handle all that nourishment. You grabbed too many of those dishes that nourish the Three Souls today, and they've gone to your head." Xia Yi laughed.

"Huh? Then... what should I do? Teacher, why... didn't you warn me?"

"I wanted it to go to your head." Xia Yi pointed. "Girl, sit cross-legged on the bed."

"Oh." Xiao Xian obediently complied, swaying and nearly falling straight into a stupor. Xia Yi had to straighten her up, infusing his voice with soul intent so that it rang like a bell.

"Center yourself and focus your mind on the Three Souls!"

Zhou Xiaoxian jolted, much of the flush instantly draining from her face. With her eyes tightly shut, she worked to sink her awareness into her own Three Souls.

Behind her closed eyes, a starry sky slowly unfolded. It was deep and dark, with only one exceptionally bright star hanging high above.

Tianshu Star!

Faintly, a dim, lightless star path stretched out from Tianshu Star, with glimmering specks around it converging on the path.

Zhou Xiaoxian's closed eyelids fluttered as understanding dawned. "Teacher, you're trying to use the medicinal dishes to help me with Condensing the Tianxuan Star? But... but I haven't chosen a Saint Soul to condense the Tianxuan Star with yet."

"You have me." Xia Yi closed his eyes.

A dim light spread from behind Xia Yi, swiftly forming a table, a chair, a book, and a young man! The entire scene was dark, with only the book held in the young man's hands giving off a faint glow!

And on closer inspection, the young man bore an eighty-percent resemblance to Xia Yi!

Xia Yi looked at his young, handsome self with evident nostalgia. With a slight wave of his hand, the scene turned back into streaming light and plunged into Zhou Xiaoxian's head!

"Teacher, what is this?!"

"Quiet your mind and comprehend it! Chisel the Wall to Steal Light!"

The Xiyuan Marquis Residence.

Song Qu, the Xiyuan Marquis, sat on the edge of his bed reading a book, his feet soaking in water while a gentle-faced woman of about thirty washed them.

"All done, my lord. Lift your feet out, and I'll dry them," the woman said softly.

"Mm." Song Qu's gaze never left his book.

The woman dried his feet, carried the basin outside, and handed it to a maid waiting there. Returning to the room, she closed the door and said softly, "It's getting late, my lord. You must be tired after spending the whole day out..."

"Go to sleep first, Ruo Jun. I'm not sleepy. I'll read a little longer." Song Qu shook his head.

The woman named Ruo Jun paused, then climbed onto the bed behind Song Qu and gently massaged his shoulders.

"I'm not sleepy either. There's also something I need to tell you, my lord."

"What is it?"

"My lord, we had visitors this evening. One was Ziyu's classmate, a girl," Ruo Jun replied.

"Oh?" Song Qu finally shifted his attention slightly from his book. "The Sun family's girl?"

"No, I think her name was... Zhou Xiaoxian."

"Oh, her." Song Qu had some impression of the top three to five students in the Holy Academy's Beginner Class. After a moment's thought, he said, "She's quite good."

"Ziyu seems very fond of her." Ruo Jun lowered her voice. "But that girl..."

"What about her?"

"You don't know, my lord, but that girl didn't come alone. There was a white-haired old man with her who looked about seventy. She said he was the master she'd just taken."

Song Qu turned his head slightly. "A master? Heh, good. Zhou Xiaoxian is no less talented than Ziyu. She simply comes from a common family and lacks a strong foundation. Now that her final weakness has been addressed, perhaps it won't be long before she puts some pressure on Ziyu."

"If her master isn't a fraud."

"Hmm? A fraud?" Song Qu paused.

The woman sighed softly. "Do you know why they came to our residence? Zhou Xiaoxian said an older boy from her village suddenly went berserk, something like Demonization, and immediately possessed the strength of a Great Demon. This master of hers drove him off, and he fled into the forest."

"Demonization? A Great Demon?"

Song Qu finally put down his book.

"You don't believe it either, do you? I suspect that old man is most likely a fraud. Somehow, he contrived to fool Zhou Xiaoxian completely and make her his disciple, then used her to swindle our Ziyu!" Ruo Jun complained.

"Ziyu spent a full hundred taels buying a book from that old fraud. Supposedly, it contains the old fraud's insights into soul cultivation, but I looked at it. It's plainly an Overview of the Three Souls meant for Child Students!"

Song Qu's brow furrowed further. "An Overview of the Three Souls? How could Ziyu fall for something like that?"

"Who knows? Perhaps he really is so smitten with Zhou Xiaoxian that he can't tell what's real anymore..."

"No." Song Qu shook his head and started to rise. "Perhaps it's... the Deception Scripture?"

"Oh, my lord." Ruo Jun hurriedly wrapped her arms around Song Qu from behind, pressing herself against him. "Look how late it is. Whatever it is, speak to Ziyu tomorrow... Besides, if you go over now, Ziyu will surely know... Where would that leave me?"

Song Qu considered this, grunted in assent, and sat back down. He picked up his book and read a couple more lines, then shook his head and set it down. "No more reading."

Delight flashed in Ruo Jun's eyes. "My lord, it's late. Shall we retire?"

"Mm." Song Qu extinguished the lights in the room with a wave of his hand. Behind him, Ruo Jun took the opportunity to loosen his clothes and belt, and an amorous atmosphere gradually spread.

As the saying went, a night of passion was worth a thousand pieces of gold. Yet they had enjoyed barely ten pieces' worth when a sudden, piercing series of bangs interrupted them!

Song Qu turned toward the sound.

Someone had actually chiseled a small hole through a corner of the wall from outside. A cold draft blew in, making the exposed Ruo Jun shiver. Where Song Qu could not see, she gritted her teeth in resentment!

That little bastard!

"Father, Auntie, light the lamps!" Song Ziyu's voice came through the hole.

"All right." Song Qu rose and fastened his clothes, lighting the lamps even brighter than before. Only then did he remember to turn back and solicitously cover the woman with the quilt.

"Ziyu is at a critical juncture. If he can comprehend Chisel the Wall to Steal Light within a week, he'll have a chance to receive the Empowerment of two study-aiding Saint Souls after the Four Little Talented Scholars selection. It will be an enormous help to his future cultivation. You must be understanding."

"I understand, my lord." Ruo Jun forced a smile, but inwardly she cursed furiously. There are over a hundred servants and guards in this residence, yet you had to interrupt us? That little beast is absolutely doing this on purpose, afraid I'll give his lordship a son who'll take your title!

With these thoughts in mind, she ultimately could not suppress her resentment and said quietly, "But my lord, if Ziyu is reading that Overview of the Three Souls, wouldn't he be wasting this crucial time?"

"Hmm, a fair point. I'll go take a look."

Song Qu rose and left the room. Ruo Jun clutched the quilt tightly, looking forward to Song Ziyu being scolded.

But she waited and waited without hearing a sound. Unable to contain her curiosity, she covered her exposed body with an outer robe and walked outside. She found Song Ziyu sitting cross-legged on the ground with his eyes tightly shut, while Song Qu stood beside him holding that Overview of the Three Souls, his gaze grave.

Was he angry or not?

Just then, Song Ziyu suddenly opened his eyes, which seemed to hold stars within them, and exclaimed delightedly:

"I've understood it! This book is incredible!"

Dazzled by the shadowy stars in his eyes, Ruo Jun suddenly blurted out, "You've understood it? You've understood Chisel the Wall to Steal Light? That old fraud's book really worked?!

"Ziyu, you aren't lying to us because you're afraid your father will scold you, are you?" As soon as she said this, she was startled. Covering her mouth, she said in embarrassment, "My lord, I... I spoke out of turn!"

"When the Celestial Pivot shines, one must speak honestly. Everything you said was what you truly thought." Neither anger nor pleasure showed on Song Qu's face. He merely said, "Ziyu, properly stabilize the Tianxuan Star you've just condensed. Tomorrow, take me to visit and thank the senior who sold you that book."

"S-senior?" Although he had said nothing harsh to her, Ruo Jun's face nevertheless turned snow-white at that moment, and she fell utterly silent.