2 chapters will be uploaded on daily basis i.e. 14 Chapters will be uploaded every week apart from the bonus chapters.
1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded for every 50 Power Stones or 1000 Collections.
All interested readers can read advanced chapters on: Free Members of Patreon can read 10 Chapters ahead of Webnovel for FREE.
[email protected]/Lord_Of_Fics
×××××××××××××××
The morning air in Nuoding was damp with dew. Just as dawn was breaking, the door to dormitory 301 on the top floor of the East Building opened.
Jiang Zhen, dressed in a light blue outfit, was about to go out to buy some daily necessities.
When I went out, the hallway was quiet, with only early-rising part-time workers cleaning.
Jiang Zhen bypassed the administration building and exited the college through a side gate. The breakfast stalls at the entrance were already steaming, and the old man selling soy milk was stirring the soy milk in the pot with a long ladle, the aroma wafting far and wide.
He bought two meat buns and a bowl of soy milk, eating as he walked, his eyes scanning the shops along the street—the cloth shop hadn't opened yet, the pharmacy had just taken down its doors, and the household goods store already had its lights on.
Upon entering the household goods store, the owner, a kind middle-aged woman, noticed Jiang Zhen's clean, short-sleeved clothes, which made him look unlike an ordinary person. She warmly greeted him, "Young master, what would you like to buy? Soap for washing your face, or some towels?"
"I need a bar of soap, two thin cloths, and a cotton futon, the softer the better."
Jiang Zhen stated his needs, and with a light touch of his finger on his storage ring, several gold soul coins fell onto the counter.
"Keep the change, please."
The woman's eyes lit up, and she quickly went to get the goods—the cotton cushions were freshly made and still smelled of sunshine; the soap was osmanthus-scented and wrapped in oiled paper; the fine cloth was light gray and soft, just right for wiping away sweat.
Jiang Zhen put the items into his storage ring and walked back to school.
...
Back at school, walking along the school path, I saw a few students sweeping up fallen leaves.
A figure suddenly flashed through Jiang Zhen's mind— Zhao Hu !
Three months ago, when the boy who awakened his martial soul in Xinan Village was strong and had awakened the Iron Sword martial soul, he only had one level of innate soul power.
According to Su Yuntao's arrangement, Zhao Hu should also come to Nuoding College as a work-study student, but Jiang Zhen left three months early and hadn't thought of him.
"They're all from Xinan Village. They're the only children in the village with soul power, so let's go take a look."
A thought flashed through Jiang Zhen's mind, and he turned and walked towards the college's dormitory.
The work-study dormitories at Nuoding College are located on the west side of the campus. They consist of several rows of low brick buildings with mottled walls and warped wooden window frames.
When Jiang Zhen walked to the innermost dormitory, No. 7, he saw a sturdy boy carrying a wooden basin filled with freshly washed clothes. The sleeves were rolled up high, and there were a few faint scratches on his arms.
It's Zhao Hu !
It had been three months since I last saw Zhao Hu , and he seemed to have gotten even darker. He was still wearing the coarse cloth clothes he had brought from Xinan Village, which had faded from washing and had a hole in the cuff.
When Zhao Hu saw Jiang Zhen, he was stunned for a moment, obviously not recognizing the neatly dressed, blue-haired boy with blue eyes as Jiang Zhen from the same village.
"Hu?" Jiang Zhen spoke first, his voice calm.
Zhao Hu 's wooden basin wobbled, spilling a few drops of water. He opened his eyes wide: "Jiang...Brother Jiang Zhen? What are you doing here? You've come to Nuoding Academy too?"
He remembered that Jiang Zhen had innate full soul power and had been praised by Su Yuntao. Later, he went out on his own and thought that Jiang Zhen would go to a better academy. He didn't expect to meet him here.
"Yeah, I just started school yesterday." Jiang Zhen glanced at the scratches on his arm, then surveyed the dormitory room. The bed was piled with clutter, there was puddles on the floor, and a musty smell filled the air. "You live here?"
Zhao Hu lowered his head, gripping the rim of the basin somewhat awkwardly: "Well, the work-study students all live here... They have to help the kitchen chop firewood and clean the playground every day in exchange for food."
His voice trailed off, "And my soul power is low..."
Jiang Zhen understood. He possessed innate level one soul power, his martial soul was just an ordinary iron sword, and then there was the part-time worker's life in the original story…
"Come with me." Jiang Zhen turned and walked out of the dormitory. Zhao Hu was stunned for a moment, then quickly put down the wooden basin and followed.
The two walked to the shade of a tree next to the dormitory. Jiang Zhen took out a small cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to Zhao Hu : "There are 10 gold soul coins in here. Take them."
Zhao Hu was so frightened that he quickly waved his hand: "Brother Jiang Zhen, I can't take it! This is too much, I..." Ten gold soul coins were not only enough for him to buy several new outfits in Nuoding City, but also enough to eat good meals for a long time.
"Take it." Jiang Zhen shoved the cloth bag into his hand, his tone brooking no refusal.
"We're both from Xinan Village, so it's only right that I help you. You don't need to pay me back. Just buy some good food to nourish your body and a new set of clothes; don't always wear tattered clothes."
He paused, then added, "The chores for work-study students are too time-consuming and affect your cultivation. I'll take you to the director and change your dormitory, exempting you from the work-study obligation."
"Change dorms? No chores?" Zhao Hu 's eyes widened in disbelief. He had heard that only aristocratic students or those with exceptional talent could live in good dorms and avoid doing chores.
Jiang Zhen didn't explain much and led Zhao Hu towards the administration building.
On the way, they encountered several work-study students. Seeing that Jiang Zhen was dressed neatly and was accompanied by Zhao Hu , their eyes were full of curiosity, but no one dared to approach him to speak—the faint chill emanating from Jiang Zhen made them a little afraid.
When Jiang Zhen entered the director's office again, the director was drinking tea. Upon seeing Jiang Zhen, he immediately put down his teacup and smiled broadly: " Jiang Zhen, what brings you here today?"
Seeing Zhao Hu behind Jiang Zhen, he asked, "Who's this?"
"Director, hello. This is my younger brother from the same village, named Zhao Hu . He's a work-study student this year." Jiang Zhen pulled Zhao Hu over and got straight to the point.
"Director, he's currently living in Dormitory 7, and he has too many chores to do, so he doesn't have time to cultivate. Could you perhaps help him move to a four-person room and exempt him from his work-study obligations?"
The director's smile faded slightly. He rubbed his fingers together, his tone troubled: " Jiang Zhen, this rule is hard to break... Work-study students are supposed to do odd jobs, and the four-person rooms are reserved for nobles. His innate level one soul power..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Zhen pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket and placed it on the table. The bag was open, revealing 50 gleaming gold soul coins inside. "Director, please accept this small token of my appreciation. My younger brother is honest; he just wants more time to cultivate. That's not breaking the rules, is it?"
50 gold soul coins! The director's eyes widened instantly. He picked up the cloth bag and weighed it in his hand; it was heavy.
He immediately stuffed the cloth bag into the drawer, his troubled expression vanishing without a trace. He patted the table and said, "No problem! They're all promising talents from Xinan Village, we'll definitely take care of them! Zhao Hu , right? I'll process your paperwork right away. There are still empty beds in the four-person room, good lighting, and you can live with some other talented students. Your work-study obligations are also waived, so you won't have to help in the kitchen or clean the training ground anymore. You can focus on your cultivation!"
He quickly found Zhao Hu 's enrollment file, changed the "Accommodation" section to "Room 102, 4-person room", stamped "Exempt" after "Work-Study Compulsory", and handed it to Zhao Hu : "Take this, you can go change dorms now, just register with the dorm manager."
Zhao Hu took the file, his hands trembling. He bowed to the director, then turned to Jiang Zhen and bowed deeply: "Brother Jiang Zhen, thank you... I will definitely cultivate diligently in the future and live up to your expectations!"
"No need to thank me, just focus on your cultivation." Jiang Zhen patted his shoulder. "If you spend more time cultivating your soul power every day, even if you're only at the first level of the Innate Realm, you can catch up with others with consistent practice."
He didn't say much. After all, Zhao Hu 's talent was limited. Helping him solve the environmental problem was already a favor to the villagers. The rest was up to Zhao Hu himself.
After leaving the administration building, Zhao Hu , clutching the file, excitedly ran towards the four-person room. After a few steps, he turned back and waved to Jiang Zhen: "Brother Jiang Zhen, can I come to you for advice on cultivation in the future?"
"Okay, I'll be in room 301 of the East Building. Just don't stay out too late." Jiang Zhen nodded, watched Zhao Hu run off into the distance, and then turned and walked towards his own dormitory.
Back in dormitory 301, Jiang Zhen placed the newly bought cotton futon on the balcony, took out an intermediate-level body tempering pill, swallowed one, and sat cross-legged to circulate the "Mysterious Water Enlightenment Technique".
Continue cultivating...
💖📚 This story beats because of readers like you! 🌟
✨ Help it grow stronger and explore countless chapters ahead → 🌌 Patreon / Lord_of_Fics 🚀
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX