Living off campus

Xie Xie's face turned green, but he did not dare argue and could only nod resentfully.

Wu Changkong turned to Gu Yue and Hu Fangyuan. "From today onward, you two are students of mine, Wu Changkong's. Follow me."

With that, he turned and headed toward the teaching building.

Hu Fangyuan nearly jumped with excitement. He hurried after him, still chattering away. "Teacher Wu, is our class a priority class? Do we get extra resources? All the Soul Tools we need?"

Wu Changkong paused and said without looking back, "We're Class Five."

Hu Fangyuan was a little confused. Class Five? And?

Gu Yue explained softly, "I heard that every year at Eastsea Academy has five classes, ranked from one to five. Class One is the strongest, and Class Five is the weakest. It's also the class that receives the fewest resources."

"Hiss!" Hu Fangyuan sucked in a cold breath. "The weakest class?"

If Hu Fangyuan had not sensed wrong just now, that boy named Xie Xie had Twin Martial Souls. Someone of that caliber could only stay in the weakest class?

And Wu Changkong, walking ahead of them, was even stronger than his Soul Ancestor father, who had died at his hands, yet he could only serve as homeroom teacher for the weakest class.

"Eastsea Academy really is terrifying beyond belief!"

Hu Fangyuan could not help marveling. He really had come to the right place. Eastsea Academy could definitely become the first stop on his rise to strength!

Beside him, Gu Yue opened her mouth, unsure whether she should tell this fellow transfer student who had enrolled alongside her that Eastsea Academy's teaching staff and student intake seemed, apparently, possibly, not all that impressive.

But after thinking it over, she was not that close to Hu Fangyuan anyway, so she might as well let him argue that out for himself later.

Wu Changkong went alone to Long Hengxu's office and handled Gu Yue's and Hu Fangyuan's enrollment. Because the Intermediate Division's student dormitories were already full, Hu Fangyuan could only be assigned to the Advanced Department's dormitories.

But after thinking it over, Hu Fangyuan asked the teacher in the dormitory office, "Teacher, if I have a place outside, can I register to live off campus?"

The dormitory office teacher frowned. "It's not impossible, but can you guarantee you'll arrive at school on time for class every day without being late?"

Hu Fangyuan nodded obediently. "Of course."

Thinking that this student must have some backing to be admitted as a transfer student, and adhering to the principle that one less complication was better than one more, the dormitory office teacher went ahead and issued Hu Fangyuan an off-campus permit. Fortunately, Eastsea Academy was open, and ordinary students could also leave the academy for leisure after school. Living in the dormitories was merely intended to foster independence.

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Hu Fangyuan thanked him politely. Opening his mouth to speak cost nothing, after all.

As long as it made things easier, he did not mind being the well-behaved little darling of a student.

Hu Fangyuan had decided to rent a place outside after careful consideration.

Living under the same roof as others inside the academy would leave him unable to do many things.

Such as the most urgent matter right now...

Gu Refining!

After obtaining the inheritance, he had first been chased all over the place by those dog-nosed bastards from Changhuo City, and now he had been busy enrolling, so naturally he had had no time for Gu Refining.

But this was the foundation of his growing stronger, and Hu Fangyuan would never put the branches before the roots.

Off-campus permit in hand, Hu Fangyuan left the dormitory office humming a little tune.

After letting Wu Changkong know, Hu Fangyuan headed out of the academy.

Eastsea City lived up to its name as a major city. Its streets were broad, streams of people interwove, shops lined both sides like teeth on a comb, and vendors' cries rose one after another.

Hu Fangyuan walked down the street, looking this way and that like a country bumpkin visiting the city, yet a shrewd light gleamed in his eyes.

Finding a place was his top priority.

The place he needed did not have to be large or particularly nice, but it had to meet two conditions: first, it had to be secluded, with few people around and little chance of being disturbed; second, it needed a separate, enclosed space, preferably a basement or storeroom, to make Gu Refining convenient in the future.

As for the location, anywhere not too far from the academy would do. A walk of no more than half an hour was acceptable.

Hu Fangyuan spent most of the day wandering around the city and asking at several rental agencies. The prices were either outrageously high, or the locations were too conspicuous, with people constantly passing by, making them entirely unsuitable for private business.

Just as he was growing impatient, an old man running a roadside stall casually remarked, "Young man, looking for a cheap rental? Try the old district. There are plenty of empty courtyard houses there, and they're dirt cheap. They're just a bit out of the way, so most people don't want to live there."

Hu Fangyuan's eyes lit up.

Out of the way?

That was exactly right!

He hurriedly thanked the old man and followed his directions toward the old district.

The old district was indeed secluded, with narrow streets, dilapidated houses, and few pedestrians, a world apart from the bustling city center earlier. Hu Fangyuan walked along a flagstone path, studying the courtyards on either side as his grin grew wider and wider.

This place suited him perfectly!

He knocked on several doors to ask about rentals and finally found a suitable little courtyard house at the end of an alley.

The courtyard was small, with three rooms in the main house, two side rooms, and a little open-air yard. There was even a dry well in one corner. Most importantly, beneath the main house was a half-basement, once used by the owners to store vegetables and later abandoned. It could be converted into a secluded chamber for Gu Refining.

The landlady was an elderly woman with graying hair. When she heard that Hu Fangyuan wanted a long-term rental, she smiled until her eyes narrowed to slits. "Young man, if this courtyard suits you, it's six thousand Federation Coins a month, with one month's deposit and three months paid in advance. How does that sound?"

Six thousand Federation Coins?

Hu Fangyuan secretly rejoiced. That was less than a tenth of the price in the city center! His face betrayed nothing, however, and he feigned hesitation. "Ma'am, this courtyard is so run-down. Isn't six thousand Federation Coins a bit much? How about four thousand?"

The old woman pursed her lips. "Four thousand? Young man, you're driving far too hard a bargain. Tell you what, five thousand, and not a coin less."

"Deal!"

Hu Fangyuan readily took out his money pouch, counted out twenty thousand Federation Coins, and handed them over. The old woman accepted the money and cheerfully gave him the keys. After rambling on with a few reminders about things to watch out for, she finally left with her walking stick.

The moment he received the keys, Hu Fangyuan let out a long breath.

From today onward, he could count himself as having a nest in Eastsea City.

He pushed open the courtyard gate and walked inside. Weeds choked the yard, which clearly had not been tended for a long time, but Hu Fangyuan did not care at all. He entered the main house and looked around. Though the walls were somewhat mottled, the overall structure was sound, and the roof did not leak. A little tidying would make it habitable.

What pleased him most was still the half-basement.

He moved aside the wooden boards blocking the basement entrance and followed the stone steps down. The basement was small, around a dozen square meters, with earthen walls on all four sides. Some battered jars and pots were piled in a corner, and a damp, musty smell filled the air.

Yet Hu Fangyuan's eyes shone as though he had discovered treasure.

"What a place! What a wonderful place!"

He rubbed his hands and excitedly walked a circuit of the basement. Earthen walls enclosed it on all four sides, cutting it off from the world. As long as he sealed the entrance, no one outside would hear anything when he practiced Gu Refining in here, nor would anyone discover it.

The only problem was the poor ventilation, but that was easily handled. He could chisel two small holes in the wall and fit two bamboo pipes leading outside to resolve the air circulation problem.

The more Hu Fangyuan thought about it, the more satisfied he became, and he decided on the spot that this basement would be his secluded chamber for Gu Refining from now on.

What followed was simple.

First, he went to a nearby market and bought a large load of household necessities: bedding, pillows, pots, bowls, ladles, basins, rice, flour, grain, and cooking oil. Then he hired a handcart to haul everything back to the courtyard. After that, he spent the better part of half a day cleaning the main house, laying out the bedding, and setting up a cooking stove. A simple home took shape.

By the time he finished all this, the sky had already darkened.

Hu Fangyuan sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, gnawing on the dry provisions he had just bought and gazing at the sunset clouds on the horizon, his heart filled with countless reflections.

Just a few days earlier, he had been chased through Changhuo City like a dog that had lost its home, hiding here and there, unable even to get a peaceful night's sleep. But now, he had entered Eastsea Academy and had a place of his own in Eastsea City. Everything was moving in a good direction.

This was the life he wanted.