Chapter 114

(Describing the appearance of Zhang Suannai, the appearance of the young girl, and the two meeting)

Ling'an Academy, female Dormitory.

A beeping sound came from the doorway.

Zhang Suannai was sitting on the sofa drinking yogurt. Hearing the sound, her upper body immediately leaned backward, her neck tilted back as well, and she turned her head to look toward the hallway. Before she even saw anyone, she had already called out impatiently:

"Ning Qing! Long time no see!"

Ning Qing pushed the door open a little, lifted her suitcase inside first, and looked at her calmly with her head raised:

"Long time no see."

"Did you miss me!?"

"No."

"That's really sad." Zhang Suannai was still all smiles, however, and said to her roommate, "Guess where I went today?"

"Not guessing."

"Go on, guess!"

"You lost."

"..."

Zhang Suannai's face instantly became full of grievance, her mouth pursed tightly, but she still kept her eyes on the doorway.

Ning Qing walked in, revealing a pretty young girl behind her who was shorter than her, standing about 1.6 meters tall.

The young girl had snow-white skin and a youthful face; she did not look very old. One could vaguely find some similarities in their features to her sister, but compared to the stunning beauty of her sister who had fully matured, she leaned more toward being delicate and cute.

The sisters, one in front and one behind, one tall and one short, had almost the exact same expression—which was to say, no expression at all.

Zhang Suannai blinked her eyes.

The young girl was seen pulling a large suitcase with one hand, following behind her sister, struggling to lift both suitcases into the room, and then she looked up at her.

Her sister didn't even help...

Zhang Suannai complained in her heart, then locked eyes with the young girl.

Both of their eyes were filled with curiosity.

It was just that the curiosity in Zhang Suannai's eyes was brighter and more intense, without the slightest concealment, while the young girl's was much more subtle.

Is this her sister's roommate?

The one her brother-in-law said had something wrong with her brain?

As the young girl pulled the suitcases into the living room, she kept secretly sizing her up.

Zhang Suannai had a melon-seed-shaped face with stunning features, good skin, and large eyes. Her bangs were a bit messy, and she wore a high ponytail. Her upper body was casually draped in a slightly loose long-sleeved sweatshirt, and she wore light gray vertical-striped leggings underneath, which made her legs look thin and long; she had a great figure.

As they walked behind the sofa, this person still maintained her previous posture, only her head was straining backward, looking at them upside down.

It seems there really is something wrong with her brain.

The young girl thought this, following behind her sister.

Ning Qing stopped, facing Zhang Suannai, who was looking back with her head tilted and acting like a goof, and said calmly, "Let me introduce you. This is my sister, and also the new roommate you've been looking forward to for a long time. This is Zhang Suannai."

"Hello, little sister..."

Zhang Suannai said repeatedly with her head tilted, her expression somewhat dull: "I am your sister's roommate, Zhang Suannai. You can also call me Grandma."

"Hello." The young girl said softly with her head lowered, "I am my sister's younger sister."

"I can tell."

"You can also call me Xiaoxiao."

"Hello, Xiaoxiao." Zhang Suannai grinned, "The little girl is really pretty."

"Hello, Grandma." The young girl kept her brother-in-law's instructions in mind; she was very polite, and her voice was also very small, "You are also very pretty."

"Eh!" Zhang Suannai felt it was very novel and turned around all at once, finally facing the sisters normally. She said to the young girl with a beaming smile, "You are the first person to call me Grandma directly after I finished introducing myself!"

"Mm."

"Do you have a grandmother?"

"I do."

"Is she in good health?"

"She died."

"..."

"..."

"You two chat."

Ning Qing felt it was a bit boring, so she took her luggage and went into her room, leaving the two girls staring at each other.

It was Zhang Suannai who spoke first:

"Is your full name Ning Ji? I think I heard your sister mention it."

"Yes."

"Oh my, my memory is so good!"

"Mm."

"Why are you called Ning Ji?"

"My parents named me." The young girl answered honestly.

"So that's how it is." Zhang Suannai suddenly realized, "How old are you this year? You look so young."

"Sixteen."

"Only sixteen? So young?"

"I have already grown up."

"Fine, fine, fine... Then how did you move into this Dormitory? Did your sister know this room was unoccupied and let you sneak in?"

"I go to school here."

"Where?"

"Here."

"You're only sixteen!" Zhang Suannai widened her eyes. "And you're already in university?"

"I am very smart."

"How did you get in?"

"Special admission."

"How were you specially admitted at sixteen?"

"I am very smart."

"..."

Zhang Suannai fell into silence.

Thinking back to the start of last semester, when she had shown off in front of Ning Qing, claiming she was a genius who had skipped a grade, she inexplicably felt her face burn—she had only been one grade ahead of Ning Qing at the same age, yet she hadn't expected her younger sister to enter Ling'an Academy directly at sixteen.

"Then why didn't you come to school last semester?"

"I only enroll next semester."

"Then why did you come to Yujing now?"

"I didn't want to be at home." The little girl paused. "I also have to participate in training for the National Spell Competition."

"Were you specially admitted for participating in the National Spell Competition?"

"Mm."

"Your sister was too."

"Oh."

"When were you specially admitted?"

"Last semester."

"Oh..." Zhang Suannai blinked her eyes, thinking. "So when you were specially admitted, you realized your sister happened to have a spare room in her Dormitory, and you told the admissions office teacher you wanted to live in the same one as your sister, right?"

"Mm."

"Then you and your sister must have a very good relationship."

"Just like real sisters."

"Hm? Aren't you two real sisters?"

"We are."

"..."

"Grandma, do you have any more questions?" With two suitcases beside her, the little girl stood behind the sofa, forced to chat with Zhang Suannai, unable to leave.

"That form of address is weird..." Zhang Suannai scratched her head, feeling a bit at a loss herself. "Just call me Sister Suannai."

"Oh."

"What is your major?"

"Artificial Life Engineering."

"Tsk tsk!" Zhang Suannai twitched the corner of her mouth. "Another major that sounds high-end..."

"I am very smart."

"Don't be arrogant."

Zhang Suannai's expression turned serious, and she said to this little girl who was younger than her but already in university: "Although you are ten!"

The little girl looked up and glanced at her, wanting to speak but stopping, until she finally couldn't help it:

"That is a grammatically incorrect sentence."

"??"

"The last disciple, the closed-door disciple, it's redundant."

"I'm telling you I am the Sword Master's closed-door disciple! The contemporary Sword Master! Closed-door disciple! And you're here nitpicking my grammar?" Zhang Suannai said, feeling distressed.

"It is indeed grammatically incorrect..."

"Can't he close the door twice?" Zhang Suannai looked at the little girl's earnest expression, feeling so distressed inside that her features crinkled together. "You two sisters are truly equally annoying! So annoying!"

The little girl glanced at her quietly and stopped talking.

This was her first meeting with Zhang Suannai.

Yujing Academy.

Chen Shu was the last one to return to the dormitory.

As soon as he entered, he saw Meng Chunqiu and Jiang Lai sitting in the dining area eating; it looked like takeout. Takeout could be brought upstairs at Yujing Academy.

Both of them raised their heads in unison to stare at him.

"Brother Chen, you've finally returned," Meng Chunqiu said first. "Long time no see."

"Brother Meng, Brother Jiang, long time no see." Chen Shu smiled and greeted them. "Did you have a good New Year?"

"Very good," Jiang Lai said.

"Quite good," Meng Chunqiu said. "Didn't you come to Yujing the day before yesterday?"

"I spent two days playing around."

"Where did you go to play?"

"Xinzheng Temple."

"Burning incense and paying respects to Buddha, how carefree," Meng Chunqiu said. "I heard the peach blossoms at Xinzheng Temple have bloomed; it's as beautiful as a fairyland. Has Brother Chen seen them?"

"I have."

"I wanted to go too. Every early spring, the peach blossoms at Xinzheng Temple, the wild apricots at Hongshanling, and the pear blossoms at Yuan'an Temple are the absolute best of Yujing's spring scenery." Meng Chunqiu paused, glancing at Chen Shu, who was opening his suitcase as if preparing to take something out. "Has Brother Chen eaten?"

"Not yet."

"Then I'll order another portion." Meng Chunqiu decisively pulled out his Mobile Phone. "Brother Chen, you start eating the dishes first."

"Sure."

Chen Shu first took out all the Sausage and Cured Meat he had brought, put them in the freezer, and then returned his luggage to the bedroom before going to the kitchen to get chopsticks.

When he returned to the dining table and sat down, Meng Chunqiu had already ordered and asked him curiously:

"Brother Chen, what did you put in the freezer?"

"Sausage, Cured Meat, and things like that which I made myself."

"Homemade?"

"I made them."

"Brother Chen, how do you know how to do everything?" Meng Chunqiu said with some surprise and a touch of admiration, "Brother Chen, you hide your talents so deeply..."

"Huh?"

Chen Shu picked up a piece of eggplant and looked at him in confusion.

"I heard it all from my cousin." Meng Chunqiu looked at Chen Shu with distress. "Brother Chen, you are far more than just the ordinary person you appear to be in daily life..."

"When was I ever ordinary?" Chen Shu was taken aback instead, asking uncomprehendingly, "Haven't I always been handsome, humorous, gentle, and talented?"

"..." Meng Chunqiu fell silent for a moment, pretended he hadn't heard, and continued, "Brother Chen, you are even more talented than I imagined. I was truly surprised when I heard you had been helping my cousin as a music producer."

"Basic operation, don't be surprised." Chen Shu said very casually.

"What?"

"Dialect, just dialect..."

"Oh..." Meng Chunqiu didn't dwell on it. "I also love music; we should discuss it more when we have time."

"We'll see..."

Chen Shu would be quite busy in the future.

At this moment, Jiang Lai said again: "Brother Chen, I finished engraving the Defense Rune you sent me over the New Year."

"Does it work well?"

"It works well!" Jiang Lai nodded repeatedly, unable to help himself, just like Meng Chunqiu, "How are you so amazing?"

"Is that so..."

"Yeah!"

"This eggplant is not bad..."

Chen Shu gave a dry laugh and continued to eat.

After dinner.

He first returned to the bedroom to tidy up his luggage.

After remaking the bed and taking out the things he brought to put them away, Chen Shu sat down at the desk again and took out the ring he bought yesterday.

This ring was crafted from Water Spirit Gold, with a color between steel and silver, and it felt very fine and smooth to the touch. The current market price of Water Spirit Gold is over one thousand per gram, and the weight of this ring should be between six and eight grams.

The ring was encircled by a ring of spike-shaped patterns, dotted with a few tiny gemstones; the Space Stone should be hidden inside the metal.

The Forbidden Seal was also on the Space Stone.

Last night, he had already conducted a preliminary study of the Forbidden Seal on this ring: the structure of the Forbidden Seal was complex, but not that complex; however, the Spirit Power used in the Forbidden Seal was of a higher tier than his current one, so it must have been set by a relatively powerful Intermediate Cultivator, making it more troublesome to break.

Chen Shu planned to solve it slowly.

In addition, he had to study the Sword Light Technique and the Penetration Rune, and design Martial Artist Runes to make money; one could foresee the busyness ahead.

Thinking about making money gave him a headache; his whole being, from inside to out, was resistant to it.

The fund he bought earlier had enjoyed a wave of "red envelope" market gains after the New Year, and the sector itself was quite excellent, currently earning about 20%, with a market value of 600,000. Chen Shu had already redeemed it this morning to secure the profit; it would probably arrive in his account tomorrow.

He had to pay back 20,000 to Qingqing.

He would have 580,000 left.

The Auxiliary Potion for breaking through from the Fourth Stage to the Fifth Stage was just too expensive—

Because over 99.99% of Cultivators stop at the initial stage, the number of Intermediate Cultivators is very small. Moreover, most Intermediate Cultivators are not in a hurry to advance; they prefer to advance slowly and naturally over the rest of their lives, or they simply don't intend to push for a higher stage at all, staying at the Fourth Stage. Therefore, the Auxiliary Potion from the Fourth Stage to the Fifth Stage is no longer a mass-demand item, but has become a niche-demand product.

Yet, the raw materials it uses are more expensive and the production process requirements are higher, and since few people buy it, the research and production costs cannot be diluted, so pharmaceutical companies have to raise its price to make a profit.

The price of one bottle of potion is at least over 500,000.

Being expensive is one thing.

The effect is also very low.

Very low.

Not only does the medicinal effect become lower, but the Spirit Lock also becomes harder to break through; with these factors combined, if one has to use the potion every time, a larger quantity will be needed.

A few non-mass-produced potions do have good effects, but Chen Shu is not a disciple of a famous sect, so he lacks both channels and funds—the price of that type of potion is no longer on the same level as ordinary mass-produced potions; it is a luxury item, like the difference between a mass-produced family sedan and a top-tier handmade sports car. While the performance improvement ratio isn't that exaggerated, the price can have a difference of over a hundred times.

Such a bottle of potion would cost at least eight figures.

Thus, Chen Shu temporarily pinned his hopes on Chen Banxia's research.

If the research goes smoothly, he might be able to buy the relevant raw materials and then have Chen Banxia make a few bottles for him by hand; perhaps the price would be much cheaper.

As long as he can control it to around 1,000,000 per bottle, Chen Shu can accept it; if it's too high, he'll just buy the mass-produced product.

So, he still has to save money.

"It's so hard."

Chen Shu let out a long sigh.

Many Runes gradually appeared on the computer screen; Chen Shu recorded the structure of the ring's Forbidden Seal, intending to slowly search for a breakthrough point. This process was troublesome, but after pouring all his energy into it, time actually passed faster.

Half an hour later.

The alarm went off.

Chen Shu stood up; it was time to go out for the class meeting.