Without giving her a chance to protest, Li Chang'an grabbed Mu Xi's tray and sat down, eating her food as if it were his own.
Mu Xi looked up timidly at the expensive-looking meal Li Chang'an had placed on the table. Then she glanced at her own food—already half-eaten by this guy—and could only sigh silently. She stood up, ready to leave.
But Li Chang'an knocked on the table and asked, "What, you think my food isn't good enough? Or are you just disgusted by me?"
Mu Xi quickly shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "N-no… it's not that. I just don't want to owe you…"
Li Chang'an pointed at the untouched meal with a firm tone. "Eat."
Thinking back to the axe swing from that morning, Mu Xi eventually chose to obey. She sat down quietly, opened the box of food he'd brought, and began eating small bites without a word.
"…Can you try not to be so harsh with me in the future?" she asked gently after a few bites, lifting her eyes to look at him.
Her peach blossom eyes were especially soft in that moment, giving her a delicate, pitiful appearance.
Li Chang'an glanced at her face, reached out and gave her cheek a light pinch, then lowered his head to continue eating without making any promises.
After they finished eating, he didn't bother to clean up. He just patted his butt and stood up to leave the cafeteria. But before walking off, he rubbed her cheek again with that same roguish grin on his face.
...
The afternoon classes were fairly straightforward. Having obtained his first spirit ring, Li Chang'an's strength had already been proven, so the teachers now focused on guiding him in cultivation and spirit power control.
However, at the end of class, Cui Yongqin gathered everyone and made an announcement:
"The annual off-campus practical training will begin the day after tomorrow. All students will be heading out under the supervision of the teachers for a one-week mission. Tomorrow is a day off so everyone can go home and prepare."
The Elite Class wasn't like the regular classes. Their curriculum was highly targeted and intense. In fact, aside from Li Chang'an, all the other students were returning veterans. So even though it was early in the semester, this sort of activity wasn't uncommon.
After dismissing the class, Cui Yongqin specifically kept Li Chang'an behind to give him a thorough reminder. After all, he was a special case—barely a few days into the semester and already heading out on a mission. Plus, he was only six years old.
But rules were rules. They didn't change for one person. And given the strength he had displayed that morning, Cui Yongqin wasn't overly concerned.
She simply reminded him about a few important travel notes and time arrangements before letting him go home.
Once home, Li Chang'an didn't waste any time. The announcement had come rather suddenly, and even though teachers would be accompanying them, the mission involved real combat—it wouldn't be without danger. So he had to make some preparations.
Aside from ordering a batch of poison and knockout drugs, he also packed healing pills, poison-tempered daggers, and similar tools.
Of course, those were just external aids. After returning to his room, he opened up his system interface to check his character panel:
[Character Panel:
Name: Li Chang'an
Age: 6
Gender: Male
Martial Spirits: Pangu Axe (Defective version), donghuang Bell (Defective version)
Spirit Power: Level 13 (120/300)
Spirit Ring:
1. Azure Tiger (993 Years)
Points: 3886
Evaluation: "Aside from being handsome, you're pretty much useless."]
Ignoring the sarcastic evaluation, Li Chang'an turned his attention to the exchange tab. He first looked at the basic Spirit Power Fruit, then back at his remaining points and the spirit power needed to level up. In the end, he exchanged for two Spirit Power Fruits.
Those two fruits were enough to grant him 200 spirit power points—just what he needed to reach level 14. In other words, those two fruits could save him weeks or even months of grinding.
Though he had plenty of points right now—enough to boost him straight to level 20—that wasn't something he could afford to do. If he gained seven levels in a single day, how would he even explain it? Just reaching level 14 today was already pushing it.
But as long as he had Spirit Power Fruits and enough points, he could control his upgrade pace. Whether he wanted to be a genius or play weak, it was all up to him. Just like a top student controlling their test scores.
Without hesitation, Li Chang'an ate the two Spirit Power Fruits. Their sweet and tangy taste melted instantly in his mouth. A warm sensation spread from his abdomen, and a moment later, his spirit power surged—he had reached level 14.
Of course, reaching level 14 meant that his required spirit power for the next upgrade had risen to 400 points—100 more than before. Not unexpected. Higher levels naturally demanded more resources.
Then he turned his attention to the Spirit Ring Fruit in the exchange tab and couldn't help swallowing hard.
One Basic Spirit Ring Fruit cost 1000 points. Outrageously expensive—but it could instantly boost a ring's age by 100 years. That benefit was huge.
After all, his current spirit ring was just a hair away from reaching the 1000-year threshold. And the power difference between a near-millennium ring and an actual millennium ring was night and day. More importantly, after leveling up, his body was strong enough to handle it.
What's more, most people already assumed his first ring was a millennium one anyway, so upgrading it wouldn't be too suspicious.
Grinding his teeth, Li Chang'an spent the 1000 points and exchanged for a Basic Spirit Ring Fruit. He forced himself to eat it through gritted teeth.
Unlike the sweet Spirit Power Fruit, this one was bitter—so bitter it made him want to gag. But at this price, he had no choice but to choke it down with tears in his eyes.
After the Spirit Ring Fruit entered his stomach, Li Chang'an could feel his body changing. He couldn't describe it exactly, but there was a distinct feeling of increased power. If he were to fight Huyan Li again now, he was confident he could break through his defenses without even using 80% of his strength.
But looking at his hard-earned points dropping from 3886 to 2686, he felt like his heart had been stabbed...
"Spending like this is how you go bankrupt for generations.." he muttered bitterly.
After consolidating his cultivation for a bit, Li Chang'an jumped out of bed and headed straight for the kitchen. This time, they'd be gone for days. He didn't want to neglect his "relationship" with the teacher—he had to prepare well.
"Uncle Wang, help me prep some ingredients. I need to make cakes, egg tarts, cookies, cheese…"
That's right—Li Chang'an was planning to prepare seven days' worth of snacks in one go. He even made a portion for Mu Xi.
_____
T/N:
Hello everyone! my Patreon is $3 — a perfect opportunity to access advanced chapters and support the translation. (10+ chapters)
patreon.com/user?u=79514336
Or just search Translator-Sama on patreon