Born a White Scholar

“Wugou,” Zhu Manzhi began, “since you and Lu Jinhan have both reached the second layer of Qi Refining, you two will proceed to Qi Refining Hall Two tomorrow.”

“Qi Refining Hall Two?” Wugou asked, a hint of reluctance in his voice. “Must I go?”

Having spent a full month in Qi Refining Hall One, Wugou felt a pang of reluctance at the thought of leaving. He had grown fond of his ‘exclusive’ meditation mat, which held his familiar scent and allowed him to sleep more soundly than anywhere else.

Zhu Manzhi offered a slight smile. “Ah, no, that won’t do. The Qi Refining Hall has its own rules, you see.”

“Consider this: if everyone were like you, Qi Refining Hall One would soon be overflowing with disciples. Moreover, the Spirit Gathering Array in Qi Refining Hall Two has been specially calibrated. As you’ve just entered the second layer of Qi Refining, you’ll require a greater influx of spiritual energy to fully consolidate your realm.”

“Alright then…” Wugou muttered, conceding.

Regarding the abundance of spiritual energy, Wugou genuinely doubted that moving to the second hall would offer him any significant advantage. His cultivation of this world’s immortal arts was remarkably smooth.

Indeed, if not for the limited essence blood condensing daily within him and his restricted physical stamina, he was confident he could achieve Foundation Establishment within a single day.

Seeing Wugou finally agree, Zhu Manzhi nodded with satisfaction. While he remained uncertain of how the young man had achieved his breakthrough, he knew that time was on his side.

With a few subtle maneuvers, he would naturally uncover the truth sooner or later.

“Excellent. Be sure to arrive early tomorrow and do not be late. I will impart some self-defense techniques to both you and Lu Jinhan.”

“Self-defense techniques?” Wugou questioned, puzzled. “Why? Am I not cultivating immortality right now?”

He observed Old Man Zhu’s serious expression, which certainly didn’t seem like a jest.

“Heh heh, you’ll find out tomorrow. But let me warn you now: if you miss the appointed time due to oversleeping, you will bear the consequences yourself~”

As Zhu Manzhi spoke, his tone grew remarkably stern.

“Consequences? Are you going to beat me again, old man?” Wugou was noncommittal about Zhu Manzhi’s threat.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been thrashed by the old man before. What was a beating compared to the importance of sleep?

Zhu Manzhi noted Wugou’s nonchalant attitude.

‘Stubborn brat,’ he thought. ‘If you don’t listen to an old man’s words, don’t blame me when you suffer a heavy loss. Still, perhaps it’s for the best if this boy experiences a setback and learns a lesson.’

“Grandpa Zhu, will Wugou be leaving tomorrow? Can I go too?”

A soft, tender child’s voice drifted over. It was Nian Yun’er.

This was her first time venturing far from home, finding herself alone on this isolated overseas island without a single relative. She had initially resolved to be self-reliant and strong.

Yet, she hadn’t expected to meet Wugou.

They were both eight years old, and Wugou seemed remarkably capable. He had been quite attentive to her earlier, and he was also very handsome…

Humans, after all, rarely wish to journey alone once they find a companion, especially a young girl of Nian Yun’er’s age.

Zhu Manzhi let out a wry chuckle. He was fond of children, which was why he had always looked after Wugou so diligently.

Nian Yun’er, moreover, appeared so well-behaved and endearing that he genuinely didn’t know how to bring himself to persuade her otherwise.

“Old man,” Wugou suggested, “why don’t you let this girl stay in the dorm next to mine?”

He remembered the adjacent room was still vacant.

Wugou naturally understood the young girl’s feelings.

To be sent to such a remote place as the Saint Water Palace at such a tender age was undoubtedly difficult.

Even Wugou himself, after living on this island for eight full years, occasionally found it a little dull.

If the girl could live next door, he might learn some fascinating tales and strange occurrences from the mainland through her.

‘It wouldn’t do for this life to pass by in a daze,’ he mused. ‘Half my life is already over; I can’t let it be for nothing…’

Upon hearing Wugou’s suggestion, Zhu Manzhi felt there was some sense to it. As long as the two youngsters didn’t cultivate together daily, wouldn’t it be fine?

With this thought, Zhu Manzhi gave a slight nod. However, his expression immediately shifted.

He gestured, snatching Wugou up by his feet and holding him upside down. “You impudent brat!” he roared. “Calling me ‘old man, old man’ all day long! Did I give you permission to address me like that?”

“And ‘girl, girl’? At such a young age, you’re not learning proper etiquette, always acting like an ancient, without an ounce of youthful vigor! Disgraceful!” With each word, he delivered several smacks to Wugou’s backside.

“Damn it, old man! Weren’t we just having a pleasant conversation?” Wugou protested.

“Hmph!”

“Argh!”

Dihui Quarter, Skill Transmission Pavilion Dormitories.

“See? This is your dorm room. It’s quite spacious, isn’t it?” Wugou said, gesturing. “You’re pretty lucky. Back in the day, even I had to pull some strings to get a single room this large.”

As he spoke, Wugou recalled the dashing Ning Jing, who was always clad in tight black. He truly owed her for securing such a fine dormitory.

However, he hadn’t heard much about her recently. Could she have left the island again for enforcement duties?

“Tha-thank you,” Nian Yun’er whispered, her head bowed. Her small hands fiddled nervously behind her back, unable to find the words to continue the conversation.

Wugou grinned broadly and waved a dismissive hand. “It’s nothing. You have a Qiankun pouch, so your family must have prepared your daily necessities long ago, right?”

“If you’re missing anything, just ask me. I have everything except money~”

“Mm…” Nian Yun’er murmured softly, stealing a quick glance at Wugou before immediately averting her eyes. “I-I’m going to tidy my room now.”

“Alright!”

Nian Yun’er turned around in a hurry.

Just as she pushed the door open.

A cloud of dust and debris cascaded down from the doorframe.

“Cough, cough!” Nian Yun’er inhaled a considerable amount of dust.

“Uh…” Wugou hadn’t anticipated this. When he had moved into his own dorm, he had simply “moved in with his bag.”

Could it be that Ning Jing had cleaned his room for him?

‘Heh, Ning Jing is said to still be without a Dao companion,’ he mused. ‘Always radiating a fierce aura, yet she’s surprisingly the type to be a good wife and loving mother.’

“W-Wugou, how… how can anyone live in this room?” Nian Yun’er turned, her brows furrowed, gazing at Wugou with a distressed expression.

A considerable amount of dust still clung to her hair, making her look truly disheveled.

Nian Yun’er glanced at Wugou’s dorm, having initially considered staying in his room for the night. To her surprise, a single look revealed various items strewn haphazardly across his room.

Even his once pristine quilt was stained and dirty.

At this sight, Nian Yun’er froze.

‘How… how could it be so filthy?’ she wondered.

As this thought crossed her mind, Nian Yun’er secretly peeked at Wugou from the corner of her eye. Her mother’s words were true after all: boys’ rooms were always messy.

She then turned her head to scan the floor of Wugou’s room, relieved not to find any crumpled paper balls or similar items.

‘Thank goodness…’

Nian Yun’er exhaled a breath, patting her small chest in relief.

Wugou was also taken aback. Last night, A-miao and A-wu had been too boisterous, and by the time he returned from Dijie Quarter, dawn was already approaching.

He had no energy left to clean.

From the young girl’s gaze, it was clear she had misunderstood him to be very sloppy.

Wugou sighed.

‘Ah, never mind. It doesn’t matter,’ he thought. ‘Such a small girl shouldn’t think too much of it.’

Wugou looked at Nian Yun’er’s dorm, then at his own small arms and legs. Since reincarnating into this world, he hadn’t seemed to do any manual labor.

If he were to seek out Old Man Zhu now, he might well be beaten again, perhaps for being “idle and unindustrious.”

Still, he had at least practiced that crude Body Tempering Art. This bit of housework shouldn’t be a problem.

Wugou glanced at the sky. It was still relatively early.

He then offered Nian Yun’er a faint smile. “Let’s clean your dorm room together.”

“Okay!” Nian Yun’er quickly agreed.

As the sun set, crimson clouds painted the entire Saint Water Palace.

“Phew~ It’s finally done. I didn’t realize it would be this tiring. Indeed, with my current physique, I shouldn’t push myself too hard!”

Wugou tossed the broom aside and settled comfortably onto the corridor floor. His gaze fixed on the enormous, red setting sun at the horizon, whose evening glow at this hour was not dazzling at all, but instead appeared incredibly gentle.

‘This counts as one of the island’s perks, I suppose,’ Wugou mused. Before he began cultivating in the Skill Transmission Pavilion, he would often sit with his stepmother, Miaomiao, on Haiwang Mountain at this very hour.

They would “gaze at the streaks of sunset on the horizon and admire the bathing enforcement maiden nearby.”

‘Ah, how I miss those days~’

Nian Yun’er knelt down and carefully picked up the broom Wugou had tossed aside, placing it neatly to the side.

She then cautiously spread the handkerchief Wugou had given her earlier onto the ground.

She hesitated for a moment.

However, after glancing at Wugou, whose cheeks were flushed rosy by the evening glow, she made up her mind.

Finally, she resolved to sit down.

Following Wugou’s gaze, she saw the distant horizon where sky and water merged, truly a magnificent sight.

“It’s so beautiful~” Nian Yun’er exclaimed, unable to contain her awe.

“Heh heh, it is, isn’t it? If we get the chance another day, I’ll take you to Haiwang Mountain, the highest point on the island, for a look. The scenery there is simply~ breathtaking!”

Wugou declared, giving a thumbs-up as he spoke.

Most of the island’s inhabitants were either cultivators who blindly pursued secluded meditation, merchants consumed by greed, or artisans like Xing Wuji from the dining hall.

‘They wouldn’t appreciate this scenery…’

“Okay!” Nian Yun’er readily agreed. Then, while Wugou wasn’t looking, she secretly glanced at him.

Her small face suddenly flushed, whether from the glow of the sunset or the heat of the day, she couldn’t tell.

Tianliu City offered no such views, nor did it have boys quite like him.

“Eh? What am I thinking?” Nian Yun’er covered her small face with her hands, indeed feeling quite hot.

She secretly peeked at Wugou again.

Fortunately, he hadn’t noticed her.

“Ha, I have a…”

“I’ll go inside and get the quilt…”

Their voices rang out almost simultaneously.

Nian Yun’er watched Wugou holding a tanghulu—the kind she had tasted before and found delicious. This sight made her involuntarily swallow.

Wugou chuckled at Nian Yun’er’s expression, a look he often saw on A-wu’s face. He couldn’t help but smile.

“You go get busy first; it’s getting dark. I’ll give it to you after you’re done.”

He often did the same when giving A-wu treats, always setting a condition first. Wugou found great amusement in this little game.

“Alright, alright…” Nian Yun’er agreed verbally, but her heart was full of grumbles.

‘Why did I have to speak carelessly?’ she fumed. ‘Hmph… Tanghulu… mm… Hmph~’

Nian Yun’er stood up, her gaze never leaving the tanghulu, until she retreated into her dorm.

“Heh, that girl.”

Wugou chuckled softly, preparing to put the tanghulu into his Qiankun pouch.

It was summertime, and even though the sun had set, it was still quite warm. He wouldn’t want the tanghulu to melt and lose its flavor.

“Wugou, you’re back, haha!”

A cheerful laugh echoed from Wugou’s dorm room.

Wugou couldn’t help but roll his eyes upon hearing the familiar voice. That little creature certainly had a keen nose.

However, judging by its strong and energetic voice, its spiritual power must have fully recovered. Truly worthy of a Nine-Tailed Fox, with such powerful recovery abilities.

“Haha, Wugou, don’t move! The tanghulu is mine!”

A-wu sped to her limit, mouth slightly agape, a wide smile on her face, and lunged for her target.

Alas, she missed.

Her fluffy little body crashed straight into Wugou’s embrace.

A-wu stood up, vigorously shaking her small head before looking up at Wugou with a pitiful gaze. She gently wagged her tail, whimpering, “Wugou~ Give it to me, I’m so hungry~”

This was understandable; having slept for an entire day, it would be impossible not to be hungry.

Seeing Wugou still hesitating, A-wu couldn’t help but puff out her cheeks slightly. Her eyes quickly darted around, then she leaped high into the air, and a familiar golden-yellow light flared around her.

Her skin was as fair as white jade, her hands like tender scallion roots.

The adorable girl with long ears reappeared!

“Haha, I got it! It’s mine now~”

Wugou was stunned, having never imagined that A-wu, after only one shapeshift yesterday, could transform so freely.

A-wu wrapped one arm around Wugou’s neck, her other hand firmly clutching the tanghulu, looking as if she wouldn’t give up until he released his grip.

“Alright, alright, here you go, here you go. Sigh…”

Wugou shook his head, a look of helplessness on his face.

“Haha! Wugou, I like you the most~” A-wu chirped, then, as always, extended her tongue to lightly lick Wugou’s chin.

“But I was here first…”

A clear, yet slightly choked-up voice, came from behind Wugou.

Wugou turned his head and couldn’t help but feel his right eyelid twitch. A glance at A-wu, who was happily licking the tanghulu below him, immediately made him realize something had gone wrong.

Children’s possessiveness could be quite strong…

“But I was here first… Waaah…” Nian Yun’er covered her face, sobbing as she ran into her room.

Wugou was left with a wry smile.

‘Sweat… I have plenty of tanghulu…’