"Come on! Cheers!"
Lu Yu raised a glass of sweet, refreshing juice, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. He couldn't hide his delight.
Su Yuntao and Lu Fei raised their glasses too, tipped back their heads, and drained their juice in one gulp.
Lu Yu swallowed, savoring the sweet, refreshing taste lingering on his tongue, and smacked his lips softly.
Lu Yu had already drunk several glasses of this nameless juice tonight, and the more he drank, the more hooked he became. Its flavor was purely sweet and refreshing, as if it had been drugged, and it was far more delicious than anything Lu Yu had drunk on Blue Star in his previous life.
Su Yuntao picked up the wooden bucket beside him and refilled the glasses for Lu Yu, Lu Fei, and himself. He took a bite of food and chewed, then looked up at Lu Yu and asked softly.
"Now that you brothers have a place to stay, what are your plans? Aren't the two of you going to study at a Soul Master Academy?"
Su Yuntao paused briefly and gave them a warning in advance. "Let me be clear: my abilities are limited. I'm not capable of teaching you two how to cultivate. To make steady progress on the true path of cultivation, you must enter a proper academy."
Hearing this, Lu Yu slowly set down his glass, his expression growing a little grave.
Lu Yu had indeed never given this matter careful thought before.
Lu Yu's original plan had been to find ways to save money, buy Whale Rubber to temper his body, then wait steadily for the original story to begin, seek out opportunities, seize Immortal Herb resources, and quietly grow stronger step by step.
But things were different now. Lu Fei was by Lu Yu's side and needed his care.
If Lu Yu had been alone, he would not have needed to seek refuge with Su Yuntao at all. He could simply have found a secluded spot deep in the mountains, hidden himself away, and cultivated in seclusion, lying low and growing stronger in peace.
But now, Lu Yu had to give thorough consideration to Lu Fei's future.
After a moment's thought, Lu Yu looked up at Su Yuntao, his tone steady and firm.
"Brother Tao, I want to send Xiao Fei to the academy first. Xiao Fei can't read. As a Soul Master, if he doesn't even have basic literacy, his path ahead will be limited."
Su Yuntao nodded slightly. When Lu Yu stopped speaking, he asked in puzzlement, "What about you? Aren't you enrolling too?"
Lu Yu shook his head gently and answered frankly, "My Soul Power is only level one, and my basic aptitude is average. Even if I entered the academy, I'd just be going through the motions and biding my time. It would be a complete waste. I'd be better off earning a living out here. The resources Xiao Fei will need for cultivation in the future all cost money."
Su Yuntao fell silent.
Su Yuntao had been on the path of a Soul Master for many years and had managed to put aside some savings, but he had known Lu Yu and Lu Fei for only a short time. Abruptly offering to cover the brothers' cultivation resources would have been both improper and too presumptuous, so he ultimately said nothing more.
Just then, Lu Fei suddenly raised his head, his little face full of stubbornness as he stared fixedly at Lu Yu.
"Brother, if you're not going to the academy, then I'm not going either!"
Hearing Lu Fei say he wanted to give up going to school, Lu Yu immediately assumed a stern expression and spoke seriously.
"Xiao Fei, have you forgotten that white-bearded old grandpa? Once you enter the academy, study hard. You don't need to worry about me."
At the mention of the "white-bearded old grandpa," a glimmer instantly lit up Lu Fei's eyes.
Although his brows remained slightly furrowed and he was still unwilling deep down, Lu Fei ultimately chose to follow Lu Yu's arrangement and stopped stubbornly resisting.
Su Yuntao was full of questions as he listened to the brothers' conversation, which seemed to come out of nowhere, but he tactfully refrained from asking for details.
As long as Lu Fei was willing to enter the academy to study, that was the best outcome.
His thoughts turning, Su Yuntao took the opportunity to bring up another important matter and made a sincere suggestion.
"Speaking of academies, if you're planning to send Xiao Fei to school, why not send him straight to an academy directly affiliated with Spirit Hall? Spirit Hall has a strong foundation in education, excellent teachers, and ample resources. Its training for low-level Soul Masters is extremely comprehensive."
Hearing Su Yuntao once again urge the brothers to join Spirit Hall, Lu Yu started and hurriedly waved his hands in firm refusal.
Su Yuntao was Su Yuntao, and Spirit Hall was Spirit Hall. The two couldn't be lumped together, especially when that crazy woman was currently in charge of Spirit Hall.
"Brother Tao, let's forget about joining Spirit Hall!"
Su Yuntao frowned slightly, his face full of confusion. "Why are you so resistant to Spirit Hall? Could it be that you brothers have offended someone there?"
"No." Lu Yu shook his head gently and, after a moment's thought, explained seriously, "Brother Tao, I'm easygoing by nature and used to being free. I'm not accustomed to being bound by the rules of sects and other powers. I think being a free Soul Master is quite good."
For a moment, Su Yuntao was at a loss for words and had no argument to make.
Ultimately, this was Lu Yu's personal choice. He had only made a well-meant suggestion, and saying more would do no good. It might even make Lu Yu unhappy.
After a moment's reflection, Lu Yu spoke up to settle the plan.
"By the way, Brother Tao, I'm planning to send Xiao Fei to Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy. Do you think that would be all right?"
"Nuoding Academy..."
Su Yuntao murmured the name, then thought for a moment before answering.
"Nuoding Academy is certainly fine. As long as he has an official Martial Soul Awakening certificate, he can go straight there and register on the first day of school."
Su Yuntao paused, then looked up at Lu Yu and asked another question. "But are you planning to enroll Xiao Fei as a self-funded student or a work-study student?"
Deep down, Su Yuntao did not approve of the work-study option.
With Lu Fei's excellent innate talent of level five, spending a great deal of time working to pay off expenses would only cut into his cultivation time. It would be putting the cart before the horse and wasting his talent.
Seeing Lu Yu frown slightly, Su Yuntao mistakenly assumed he did not understand the difference between the two enrollment options and patiently explained.
"Self-funded students pay for their tuition, food, and lodging themselves. Work-study students are exempt from tuition and miscellaneous fees, but they have to complete daily work assignments from the academy to cover their food and lodging."
Lu Yu naturally understood the advantages and disadvantages of both options.
Lu Yu had frowned not because he didn't know what self-funded and work-study students were, but because he was thinking about where to get the money for tuition.
Before Lu Yu could respond, Su Yuntao spoke first, offering earnest advice.
"Lu Yu, you should know that your younger brother is very talented. Being a work-study student would waste a lot of his cultivation time. There's no need for that at all."
Lu Yu smiled and waved his hand, interrupting Su Yuntao before he could continue. "Brother Tao, I know what a work-study student is. I was just thinking about where to get the money."
Hearing the word "money," Su Yuntao gritted his teeth and made a decision. "Lu Yu, I'll pay the tuition. We can't..."
Before he could say the rest, Lu Yu raised a hand to interrupt him. "Brother Tao, we brothers have already troubled you so much. How could we ask you to pay the tuition too?"
Lu Yu paused, then continued, "Brother Tao, do you know how long it is until Nuoding Academy opens?"
Su Yuntao lowered his eyes and estimated the time. "About half a month. I'll ask about the exact date tomorrow."