Shu Feng introduced her, "Mom, this is my classmate, Ding Xiaoxue!"
Ding Xiaoxue gave a sweet smile. "Hello, Auntie."
Wang Juan said warmly, "Hello! Hello! Come in, have a seat! Quick, come on in!"
Ding Xiaoxue sat down on the modest sofa in Shu Feng's home, and he immediately poured her a glass of water.
When Shu Nan Ye saw the beautiful Ding Xiaoxue, with her extraordinary temperament and powerful aura, he too was taken aback and felt a little awkward.
"Uncle, Auntie. I'm here today to thank you. Not long ago, Shu Feng bravely saved my life from a group of thugs. I came here specifically to express my gratitude."
"These are the keys to a house in Xingyuan District, and here is five hundred thousand. Please, accept them."
Ding Xiaoxue handed the keys to the Xingyuan District house and a bank card that Shu Feng had prepared to Wang Juan.
Holding the string of keys and the bank card, Wang Juan's expression changed slightly, a conflicted look flashing in her eyes.
Shu Nan Ye refused resolutely, "Xiaoding! We can't accept this house and the bank card. You two are classmates; it was only right for Shu Feng to help you. We can't take this money!"
Shu Nan Ye was a good-natured man with a strong sense of justice, though he was a bit old-fashioned. He was the type to just put his head down and work at his private-sector job, so his career had always been rather unremarkable.
"Uncle Shu, this is just a small token of my appreciation! There's a saying: 'A gentleman may love wealth, but he must acquire it through righteous means.' I believe my life is worth far more than a house and five hundred thousand. Shu Feng saved me, and I am repaying him. Therefore, this is wealth acquired righteously."
"Besides, Uncle Shu, please forgive me for being blunt. For Shu Feng to get into a good high school and a good university in the future, it's going to cost a lot of money. If you refuse my offer, what will you do when he needs that money for school? Are you going to disregard his future?"
Ding Xiaoxue smiled captivatingly, speaking with calm assurance.
Shu Nan Ye's expression changed. He mulled it over for a moment before saying slowly, "Xiaoding, then our family will have to shamelessly accept."
If it had been any other matter, he would have refused. But this concerned Shu Feng's future. And so, Shu Nan Ye, a man so upright and old-fashioned he was almost pedantic, had no choice but to bow to reality.
The Shu Family's financial situation was lower-middle class. They only had a few tens of thousands in savings, so the money required for Shu Feng to attend a good high school and university was a colossal sum for them. With five hundred thousand, the Shu Family's finances instantly became much more comfortable.
"Well, Uncle, Auntie, I have some other things to attend to, so I'll be going now!"
Ding Xiaoxue gave a polite smile and stood up.
Wang Juan said warmly, "Why don't you stay for dinner? I'll go out and buy something nice to cook."
Her words as sweet as honey, Ding Xiaoxue replied, "No, thank you, Auntie! I really do have something to do today, so I must be going. I'll have to come and try your cooking next time."
Wang Juan said, "Well, come and visit often when you have time! Ah Feng, hurry and see Xiaoding out!"
Shu Feng agreed and walked Ding Xiaoxue all the way to the entrance of the district.
Shu Feng thanked her, "Thank you, Ding Xiaoxue!"
'Without Ding Xiaoxue's help, there would have been no plausible way for me to use my own money to improve my family's financial situation. After all, anything related to Spiritualists must be kept secret.'
"Remember, you owe me one! I'm off!"
Ding Xiaoxue gave a cool smile, waved at Shu Feng, and turned to leave.
Shu Feng watched her retreating figure, stood quietly for a moment, then also turned and left.
"Ah Feng, that Ding Xiaoxue is such a nice girl. You should invite her over often when you have time," Wang Juan told Shu Feng the moment he got back home.
Shu Feng smiled slightly. "Okay!"
「A few days later」
Wang Juan went to see the house in Xingyuan District. She was ecstatic for several days after she got back, but in the end, she decided to stay in Xinyuan District. The cost of living around Xingyuan District was too high, plus all her friends were here, and she couldn't bear to leave.
Shu Feng consumed one Basic Spirit Cultivation Pill every day. Twenty days later, his supply was completely gone. At the same time, his Spiritual Power had smoothly increased to 28 points, making him a Level 3 Spirit Warrior, just one step away from becoming a Level 4 Spirit Warrior.
During those twenty days, Shu Feng also trained hard in his Spear Technique, Basic Fighting Techniques, Arresting Technique, and the Thirteen Forms Body Forging Technique, and his combat prowess improved dramatically.
However, ever since his physical attributes surpassed 10 points, the enhancements from practicing the Thirteen Forms Body Forging Technique had been steadily diminishing.
「In the classroom.」
'The Basic Spirit Cultivation Pills are almost gone! Do I have to go to the black market to buy Contribution Points?' Shu Feng thought to himself as he idly flipped through a high school biology textbook.
Contribution Points were a currency that could only be obtained by making contributions to the Guardian Flame organization. Without Contribution Points, you couldn't buy anything from the official Extraordinary Mall, no matter how much money you had.
But in modern society, money was everything. Many members of Guardian Flame who were short on cash would sell their Contribution Points on the black market.
Guardian Flame was aware of this but tacitly allowed it. After all, plenty of people within the organization had money but lacked Contribution Points.
Suddenly, Big Black, who was sitting beside Shu Feng, shot upright. Its eyes turned crimson as it stared intently at the classroom door.
'Something's wrong!'
Shu Feng's expression changed. He immediately grabbed his phone, ready to call for backup. His power now far surpassed that of an ordinary person, but when he thought of the Void Demons that even someone like Ma Jin was wary of, he knew calling for support was the safer bet.
'Zhong Jietong... what's that black aura around her? Could it be Void Demonic Qi?'
Shu Feng focused his gaze and saw faint wisps of black energy swirling around Zhong Jietong.
Zhong Jietong looked listless. She had large, dark circles under her eyes and was yawning as she walked.
Wang Lu asked, "What's wrong, Jietong? You seem so worn out!"
Zhong Jietong replied, "I didn't sleep well last night! I kept having nightmares!"
Shu Feng got up, walked out of the classroom, and headed to Class 57, where Ding Xiaoxue was.
"Ding Xiaoxue, I need to talk to you about something urgent!" Shu Feng said, walking straight into Class 57 and up to Ding Xiaoxue.
"Okay! Let's go!"
Ding Xiaoxue stood up at once and followed Shu Feng out of the room.
"My goddess is leaving with another guy!"
"I'm so jealous!"
"Who is that guy? How did he get Ding Xiaoxue to leave with him so easily?"
"..."
A flurry of surprised and envious gazes focused on Shu Feng. Countless boys had tried to ask Ding Xiaoxue out, but none had ever succeeded. Only Shu Feng had called her away so effortlessly.
"Ding Xiaoxue, take a look. Is that Void Demonic Qi swirling around Zhong Jietong?" Shu Feng led Ding Xiaoxue to a nearby spot away from the crowd, pointed at Zhong Jietong, and asked in a low voice.
A sharp glint flashed in Ding Xiaoxue's eyes. "It's definitely Void Demonic Qi! She's been in contact with a Void Demon!"