Childhood Sweethearts from This Day

“Have you heard? That kid Wugou got into a fight with the senior disciples in the Second Hall.”

A disciple rushed into Qi Refining Hall One, shouting the news.

“Wugou? Is that the lazy child who always makes Elder Zhu angry?”

The question came from a young woman named Zhao Qi. She had been selected into the Skill Transmission Pavilion in the same batch as Wugou, and initially, she had paid him some attention. After all, a congenital full spirit root was a talent many could only dream of.

However, witnessing Wugou’s daily laziness and trickery, she concluded he would never amount to anything and stopped paying him any mind.

As time passed, the name “Wugou,” devoid of a surname, gradually faded from her memory.

Yet, the strange news of Wugou’s sudden advancement to the second stage of Qi Refining yesterday had spread throughout Qi Refining Hall One.

It was then that Zhao Qi finally understood: Wugou wasn’t lazy at all. He was clearly a prodigy, brimming with confidence.

“Yes, that’s the kid,” the messenger disciple affirmed.

“What kind of trouble could an eight-year-old child stir up? Surely, no one was bullying him!”

Girls were often overflowing with sympathy. At this moment, Zhao Qi slowly recalled Wugou’s appearance; he was quite handsome, after all. Who could bear to lay a hand on such a child?

The messenger disciple’s eyes widened. “Bully? I heard that kid slapped a senior disciple with his shoe the moment he entered the Second Hall, and even made another senior disciple cry!”

“What the hell? Are you telling a story? You’re saying that lazy bum would actively hit someone?”

Hua Youdie, having heard Wugou’s name, had already leaned closer. Upon hearing news of Wugou fighting, especially such an illogical outcome, he simply couldn’t believe it.

Hua Youdie knew well that based on Wugou’s usual demeanor, the boy barely possessed any competitive spirit.

And he was only eight years old! Could he actually defeat the senior disciples of the Second Qi Refining Hall?

The messenger disciple beamed with pride. He recognized Hua Youdie, who stood before him. This fellow loved to argue with Lu Jinhan, that ‘sissy,’ every day after cultivation. It seemed the term ‘sissy’ had even originated from Hua Youdie himself.

Hua Youdie usually got along extremely well with all his fellow disciples, and various rumors and gossip often originated from him. The messenger disciple hadn’t expected to be the first to know such news today.

“Heh heh, I didn’t believe it either at first. I used a bit of provocation and managed to pry some secret rules of the Skill Transmission Pavilion out of a senior disciple from the Second Hall…”

As he spoke, the messenger disciple gave a mischievous grin, deliberately building suspense.

“Senior Disciple, please tell us quickly! Is Wugou hurt?”

A clear, childlike voice rang out.

The messenger disciple turned his head to see a little girl.

The messenger disciple frowned slightly, recalling. This little girl, was she Nian Yun’er? Yes! That was the name. She seemed to be another full spirit root prodigy.

The talent among this summer’s new disciples was truly terrifying. Did geniuses always appear in clusters?

“Senior Disciple, tell me quickly!”

While the messenger disciple was momentarily stunned, Nian Yun’er had already rushed to stand before him.

The messenger disciple found Nian Yun’er’s anxious expression rather amusing. The girl seemed about the same height as Wugou. Could the two little ones have already become friends? This lass had only been in Qi Refining Hall One for a day or two, hadn’t she?

However, seeing Nian Yun’er’s worried look, the messenger disciple couldn’t bear to tease her any longer. He offered reassurance, “Don’t worry, that kid didn’t lose a single hair.”

The messenger disciple then grinned at the crowd. “Today, all the senior and junior disciples of Qi Refining Hall One owe me a favor! Haha!”

“Damn it, are you ever going to finish? Just tell us!” Hua Youdie was practically bouncing with impatience. Usually, when he discussed gossip, he was unrestrained. He couldn’t stand this scoundrel toying with people, utterly devoid of integrity.

The messenger disciple cleared his throat.

The messenger disciple coughed, his expression instantly turning serious.

Seeing the growing crowd gather around him, the messenger disciple knew it was time. With his hands clasped behind his back, he began, “Fellow disciples, all of us, after painstakingly breaking through to the second stage from Qi Refining Hall One, will undergo a trial the moment we enter the Second Qi Refining Hall!”

“What kind of trial?” Hua Youdie quickly asked.

The messenger disciple took a deep breath.

“We get a beating from the senior disciples of the Second Hall!”

At his words, the entire hall erupted in shock.

Before long, the whole hall became a cacophony of voices.

The commotion even roused some disciples who had been in meditation. Seeing the crowd gathered, their curiosity led them to join in.

Observing that almost all the disciples in the hall had been drawn in, the messenger disciple simply stood on a tea table.

“This morning, our First Qi Refining Hall’s talented disciple Lu Jinhan was surrounded by over a dozen senior and junior disciples the moment he entered the Second Qi Refining Hall…”

With vivid detail, the messenger disciple recounted everything that had transpired in the Second Hall that day. His voice was booming, his tone rising and falling, his emotions passionate, making everyone present feel as if they had experienced it firsthand.

“Those senior disciples who suffered before always wanted newcomers to experience the same hardship. If Lu Jinhan and Wugou hadn’t defeated the Second Qi Refining Hall’s senior disciples today, I would never have gotten this information out of them!”

It wasn’t until the messenger disciple’s voice faded that the crowd awoke as if from a dream, realizing beads of cold sweat had formed on their backs.

They admired Lu Jinhan for his formidable strength.

But even more, they were shocked by Wugou’s fearlessness.

An eight-year-old child, yet his actions were so decisive and swift.

His future was bound to be limitless.

Many disciples in the hall regretted their initial poor judgment, wondering why they had ever believed someone with a congenital full spirit root could be mediocre.

Hua Youdie silently withdrew from the crowd.

He returned to his meditation cushion, sat down, closed his eyes, and began circulating his Qi.

“That’s great, Wugou is fine!”

Nian Yun’er patted her chest in relief, then glanced at the sky. The daylight was fading; it must be getting late.

Having spent the day in Qi Refining Hall One, she had heard some rumors about Wugou.

Wugou should have already returned to his dormitory by now.

With that thought, Nian Yun’er darted out of the hall’s entrance.

The crowd, who had been surrounding the messenger disciple, now wore solemn expressions.

Soon, many disciples quickly returned to their meditation cushions, just like Hua Youdie.

Suddenly, the atmosphere within Qi Refining Hall One grew somewhat peculiar.

In a corner of Qi Refining Hall One.

“That small mountain” slowly opened its eyes.

Nian Yun’er half-walked, half-ran back to the disciples’ dormitory.

She and Wugou lived on a higher floor.

After such a long run and climb, her small face had turned a little pale.

A few strands of bangs clung to her smooth forehead, dampened by perspiration.

She looked quite disheveled.

Finally, she reached the familiar corridor.

“Hah… Hwoo…”

Nian Yun’er bent over, leaning on the corridor railing.

At the end of the corridor.

The boy lay back against the railing, propped against a pillar.

Seeing Wugou’s smiling face, his hands clasped behind his head, looking utterly content, Nian Yun’er couldn’t help but feel incredibly happy herself.

“Alone amidst mountains and rivers, no wicked words or gossip reach my ears.”

“I raise my head and ask the heavens, when may I journey to the Yellow Springs?”

Nian Yun’er tilted her head.

‘Wugou is reciting poetry? How amazing…’

Nian Yun’er fidgeted with the corner of her clothes, feeling a little embarrassed by her lack of understanding. She hadn’t had time to learn such things from her mother before being sent to the Saint Water Palace.

But it seemed the Saint Water Palace didn’t have a place to teach such things either.

Nian Yun’er walked over to Wugou.

She asked softly, “Wugou, what did that poem you just recited mean?”

Wugou turned his head and smiled warmly. “It’s hardly a poem; I heard it somewhere else. Do you want to know what it means?”

“Mm-hm.”

Nian Yun’er nodded.

Her adorable face was flushed crimson from her recent run.

Her cheeks, especially, were a deep red, like ripe apples.

One couldn’t help but want to take a bite.

“Here, with yesterday’s portion.”

Wugou handed her two tanghulu.

Nian Yun’er happily took them, surprised by a hint of coolness.

Nian Yun’er looked at Wugou in astonishment.

“I found some ice,” Wugou said.

Nian Yun’er looked around. The Skill Transmission Pavilion dormitories actually had such a thing?

“Don’t ask me where I got it, heh heh, it’s a secret.”

Wugou placed his index finger to his lips.

He then winked at Nian Yun’er with a smile.

Nian Yun’er pursed her lips slightly, but quickly broke into a smile, nodding. “Secret!”

“Haha!”

“Hehe!”

“Nian Yun’er,” Wugou called out.

“I call you Wugou, so you should call me Yun’er too. It’s more natural,” Nian Yun’er said happily.

“Hm? Alright.” Wugou nodded, then added, “Your family was too impatient; they should have let you stay home to study and learn to read for a few years.”

“Is reading useful for cultivation?”

“Of course it is,” Wugou said with a serious expression.

Nian Yun’er puffed out her cheeks, huffing, “I knew it! My dad is a big dummy… Hmph!”

“Huh?”

Nian Yun’er pulled out a “little black notebook” from her Qiankun pouch. Written inside was:

– Father is a dummy, revenge value +20.

Wugou cast a sidelong glance, surprised to find his own name written there.

– Wugou is a big dummy… Wugou is a big dummy…

Wugou: “…”

He saw that the name “Wugou” was repeated enough to fill an entire page. The previous page was dark and smudged, its contents unknown.

Wugou watched as Nian Yun’er contentedly put away her “little black notebook.”

He felt as though a bead of enormous sweat was trickling down the back of his head.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ahem, Yun’er, how about I teach you to read?”

Nian Yun’er lifted her chin, nodding incessantly. She greatly envied Wugou’s ability to casually recite poetry.

Wugou smiled faintly and extended a hand to Nian Yun’er. “Come, climb up here.”

“Ah? I, I’m scared.” Nian Yun’er secretly peeked downstairs, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

“Don’t worry, I’m here. I’ll protect you. It’s really comfortable sitting up here,” Wugou said, patting his chest.

“Mm… okay…”

Nian Yun’er reached out a small hand.

Wugou grasped it, and with the circulation of his true qi, he effortlessly pulled Nian Yun’er up.

“Wow, the view from here is amazing, and the breeze…” Nian Yun’er felt a refreshing coolness, then turned her head to glance happily at Wugou.

She noticed Wugou was already gazing into the distance.

There, the sky was once again filled with a reddish glow.

‘This must be the second time we’ve watched the sunset together,’ Nian Yun’er thought.

“Wugou, here.” Nian Yun’er offered him a tanghulu.

“Hm?”

“Let’s eat it together, heh heh.” Nian Yun’er grinned, waving the other tanghulu in front of Wugou.

“Heh, alright. Let’s eat it together.”