Chapter 23: An Unremarkable Youth

During their idle conversation, Ning Que was surprised to discover that, compared to Song Zhihua’s interest in a certain someone, Cao Chengyu seemed to be more intrigued by him. This filled him with a carefree delight; he glanced smugly at Song Zhihua, as if his eyes were saying: “See? Even if I’m not particularly handsome, these good-looking people still come to flatter me.” Alas, no one could decipher such subtle shifts in his mood.

It was at this moment that Luo Yongsheng suddenly cried out in alarm. “Brother Liu, look over there—that’s the boy who took a shortcut, the one who arrived a day ahead of us.” “It really is him, but how could it be…” Cao Chengyu followed their gaze and saw a youth of similar age, with ordinary features, dressed in the uniform of a White Guard, walking alongside a petite, beautiful girl. The boy was unremarkable, but the girl was extraordinary; though her attire was plain, her looks surpassed even Song Zhihua’s, a rare and pure beauty.

Luo Yongsheng snorted in displeasure, muttering, “What’s this? Even a guy like him has such a lovely companion. What a waste.” “I can’t stand it—I’ll teach him a lesson.” “Wait, Brother Luo,” Cao Chengyu quickly intervened, pointing at the youth. “Who is he? What’s his family background?” Liu Yun, knowing Cao Chengyu’s cautious nature and his reluctance to offend the idle rich without cause, kindly explained, “No need to worry, Brother Cao. He’s from the fallen Xiao family. Since their patriarch died in the Demon Palace, the family has declined. This time, he managed to join the Skywatch Tower thanks to his ancestor’s legacy, but his talent is said to be poor, and he’s despised by many peers. Still, to have such a companion today, a little lesson won’t hurt.”

Cao Chengyu’s heart grew colder with every word. Surname Xiao, from a fallen house, accompanied by a childhood friend who’s a stunning beauty, and upon arrival, meets a talented Ning Que and faces off against two other scions of noble families. Good heavens, this is the classic protagonist setup. Looking again at Song Zhihua, her eyes were filled with obvious curiosity; clearly, spoiled by her grandfather’s indulgence, she too was a little tyrant. She could converse normally with those of equal status, but with those she looked down upon, she was more cunning than any green tea.

From all these signs, Cao Chengyu could already imagine the script: thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. He wondered whether it was time to lie down in his coffin or make a swift escape.

Luo Yongsheng could no longer hold back and strode over with a fierce look. Seeing that everyone’s attention was focused there, Cao Chengyu quickly turned aside, pretending not to know this group, facing a small stall selling poetry collections and feigning conversation. Yet his peripheral vision was fixed on Luo Yongsheng.

Because the street was crowded and noisy, he could not hear the words exchanged—only saw mouths opening and closing, then quickly escalating to blows. An unexpected scene unfolded, though it was precisely what Cao Chengyu had anticipated: the boy, who merely a month ago was at the sixth level of Qi cultivation, now had Luo Yongsheng, who had broken through to the Spirit Refining realm, firmly pressed down in battle. Such rapid improvement in cultivation was anything but normal.

Is this the protagonist?

When the crowd rushed over, the youth noticed Luo Yongsheng’s companions, glared fiercely at them, and pulled the girl into a narrow alley, vanishing from sight. Cao Chengyu arrived late, glanced at Brother Luo’s bruised and swollen face, and pretended not to see it. Liu Yun, ever oblivious, handed over a bottle of medicine to soothe the bruises. This directly insulted Luo Yongsheng’s pride; he angrily flung away the jade bottle and disappeared into the crowd.

“Brother Luo! Brother Luo!”

“Ah, don’t call him anymore.” Cao Chengyu patted Liu Yun’s shoulder. “Go apologize in a few days. He’s hurt his pride.” “Apologize? He’s the one who’s ungrateful—I offered him medicine, and he lost his temper with me.” Liu Yun was equally annoyed and felt Luo Yongsheng didn’t appreciate good intentions, deeming him unworthy of friendship.

Cao Chengyu shook his head—boys at this age were impulsive, but they’d reconcile in a few days. For young men, grudges rarely last; given a chance to speak, they’ll make up. Disciples from great houses may mature earlier, but none see through things as he does, reborn in this world.

“Still just youngsters…”

The Poetry Gathering at Qinyuan ended in disorder due to this incident, and everyone left early. Cao Chengyu made the acquaintance of Ning Que, laying the groundwork for meeting Ning Wenjun later, which could be considered something gained.

On another front, the Tranquil Jade Toad proved extraordinary, nearly tripling his cultivation speed and pushing his advancement even higher. A week after the poetry gathering, his resources were depleted, leaving only 450 spirit stones. Cao Chengyu decided to visit the internal market of the Skywatch Tower.

The trading posts formed by White Guards had Blue Guard or even Purple Guard backing; rare items were bartered, while common pills and magical tools could be bought with spirit stones. For example, the Meridian-Soothing Pill that Cao Chengyu used was the best pill for early Spirit Refining, costing eight to ten per bottle, with prices hovering around thirty spirit stones. Given the White Guard’s monthly salary of two stones, it was prohibitively expensive, affordable only for talented or well-connected cultivators.

He was different; his resources came from a wealthy patron. Four hundred fifty spirit stones could buy fifteen bottles, enough to cultivate to the peak of early Spirit Refining and break through to the mid-level Qi Absorption realm.

The transactions went smoothly—Cao Chengyu compared prices consciously, buying from several places. He saved five stones compared to his estimates.

He had no fear of being discovered—first, his spirit stones were cleanly acquired; second, the Meridian-Soothing Pill was only useful for the early Spirit Refining stage, worthless at higher levels. Third, with second-generation friends to rely upon, he wasn’t worried about being robbed; the internal security of the Skywatch Tower was reliable.

After purchasing pills, Cao Chengyu visited the library again, spending 250 contribution points each to acquire two low-grade spell techniques: the Black Tortoise Shield and the Cloud Riding Art.

The Black Tortoise Shield focused on defense, forming three triangular spiritual shields that rotated around Cao Chengyu, blocking attacks from all directions. The Cloud Riding Art was a movement spell, enveloping him in mist to conceal his actions, accelerate his movement, and even hide his aura.

Thus, the Five-Wheel Fire and Azure Flood Sleeve served as his main offensive spells, Black Tortoise Shield for defense, Cloud Riding Art for mobility, and the Toxic Eye secret technique for support. Every aspect had a spell he could rely on, making his combat abilities temporarily complete.

He only needed to master these techniques to their limits, then consider adding or replacing them with higher-grade methods as necessary.

After returning to the starting point, Cao Chengyu secluded himself in the second-generation dormitory for half a month’s focused cultivation. Except for Five-Wheel Fire and Azure Flood Sleeve, which he had yet to fully comprehend, his other spells were perfected, and his cultivation reached the peak of early Spirit Refining, just a step away from mid-level.

Conversely, his storage pouch, apart from a few basic talismans, was utterly destitute—so empty it was almost unbelievable.