Thinking back to how she didn't even know what a coin was before, Xiao Yan suddenly felt that this strange little girl in front of him might not be human.
Having seen talking vines before, Xiao Yan knew that in this world, Soul Beasts, after reaching a certain level of cultivation, could take human form.
His mother was one such shape-shifted Blue Silver Emperor Soul Beast.
These "humans" who seemed like blank sheets of paper were something he'd seen many times on TV dramas.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"Xiao Wu felt a chill on her back, grabbed the blanket, and covered herself, blocking Xiao Yan's view.
Xiao Yan almost laughed at her reaction. He wasn't some clairvoyant, so why be so defensive?
"I was just thinking, after I leave, what will happen to the work we student laborers have to do?"
Xiao Wu nodded quickly like a little chick pecking rice: "Yeah, if you leave, then I'll have to do all that work by myself."
Xiao Yan said, "I'll trouble you with it for these few days. My wages will count as yours. Also, when I come back, I'll pay you double."
Xiao Wu lowered her head to think. According to Xiao Yan, she could earn quite a bit more money. Not bad.
"Alright, it's settled then."
With the work matter settled, Xiao Yan lay down on the bed.
At this time, dusk had just fallen, and many student laborers began to sit on their beds to cultivate their soul power.
Curious, Xiao Yan looked over and saw that these students cultivated in positions similar to his meditation pose, faint energy waves subtly appearing around them.
Besides this, Xiao Yan also noticed that some had more energy condensed around them, some less.
Though the difference wasn't huge, considering these people had average talent, Xiao Yan felt at ease.
He casually summoned a Blue Silver Emperor vine and bit it, gently chewing as the faint bitterness spread in his mouth.
Since they were student laborers, their cultivation methods should be uniform, relying entirely on the level of innate soul power. He wondered how Xiao Wu's cultivation would go.
No matter whether she was human or a Soul Beast, she should have something unique about her.
Unfortunately, she was also at full innate soul power. According to this world's cultivation rules, without a soul ring, she couldn't advance or continue cultivating.
Xiao Yan shook his head regretfully and pulled the blanket over, ready to sleep.
His Xuan Tian Skill could run nonstop 24/7, so he didn't need to meditate deliberately.
Soon, the whole room quieted down. Only Xiao Wu was restless; she neither cultivated nor slept and was quite bored.
"Xiao Yan, you're sleeping so early. Can you even sleep well at night?"Xiao Wu nudged Xiao Yan. "Let's go out for a walk?"
Xiao Yan opened his eyes. His strength was decent; even skipping sleep for a day or two was no big deal.
Compared to sleeping, he was more curious about the little girl next to him—was she from a noble family or a shape-shifted Soul Beast?
The more he talked, the more she would reveal.
Putting on shoes and socks, Xiao Yan and Xiao Wu walked out of the dormitory.
Early autumn was the most comfortable time of the year—cool air without coldness.
It was already dark, the sky clear, and the stars bright.
"Xiao Yan, look! There are so many stars in the sky."Xiao Wu happily hopped around, full of the liveliness one would expect from a child her age.
Xiao Yan quietly watched, thinking: if he just took Xiao Wu as a lucky kid, her behavior was normal.
But if she came from a noble family, such behavior would be somewhat improper—not likely.
Yet if she were a shape-shifted Soul Beast, it would make sense.
Hard to guess.
By now, few students or teachers remained outside the dormitory building.
After sitting for a while, Xiao Wu grew restless again.
"Xiao Yan, let's have another fight. I was careless during the day. Can you give me another chance?"
While pondering Xiao Wu's true identity, Xiao Yan naturally agreed when she made the challenge.
"Alright, you come on." Standing up, he walked over to a nearby flowerbed and brushed the dust off his clothes.
Xiao Wu smiled as she came in front of him and scratched her face: "Don't cry if I knock you down this time."
Xiao Yan chuckled and waved a hand: "Hurry and get ready."
Xiao Wu nodded slightly, smiling coquettishly: "I'm here already, aren't I?"
Just as Xiao Yan was confused, Xiao Wu suddenly shook her head hard, and her scorpion braid behind her turned into a black shadow that coiled toward Xiao Yan's neck.
What a sly little girl!
Xiao Yan raised his hand and grabbed Xiao Wu's braid, spinning it around his arm. His palm became a claw pressing on Xiao Wu's head.
His movements were as fast as lightning; in one move, he subdued her.
"Looks like you lost again."Xiao Yan smiled at Xiao Wu's angry, chubby face.
Xiao Wu was very dissatisfied: "How could your reflexes be that fast? We were so close, and I launched a surprise attack. You shouldn't have reacted so quickly!"
"No excuses—you lost, you lost."Xiao Yan released her braid and shook his arm.
If not for his profound strength, even someone like Su Yuntao, a great soul master at the academy, might have been caught off guard by Xiao Wu's sudden sneak attack.
From this, Xiao Yan concluded that it was very unlikely Xiao Wu came from a commoner family.
Commoners wouldn't train someone with her skills.
Moreover, Xiao Wu's long scorpion braid wasn't something grown overnight.
Also, maintaining such long hair—over a meter long—would not be permitted in a commoner's household.
As a modern person, Xiao Yan understood the struggles of washing long hair.
So, Xiao Wu's origin could only be one of two things:
Either she was from a noble family or a shape-shifted Soul Beast.
"I don't accept this! Let's go again!"Xiao Wu looked at Xiao Yan, clearly upset.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly: "Alright."
The more attacks Xiao Wu launched, the more information Xiao Yan could gather.
Stepping back a bit, Xiao Wu pressed her toes to the ground and with a swoosh, transformed into a streak of pink light rushing toward Xiao Yan.
Her speed was much faster than Wang Sheng, a student who had trained at Notting Academy for many years.
Xiao Wu shouted sharply, striking a palm straight at Xiao Yan's chest.
Xiao Yan didn't dodge and met her palm with his own.
Their palms collided with a muffled sound. Neither moved an inch; their strength was clearly evenly matched.
Xiao Yan had extremely precise control of his power, using less than a tenth of his full strength.
At this level of force, he had already surpassed Wang Sheng's ability, yet Xiao Wu, the little girl, was still able to block him.
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(End of Chapter)