End of Summer Vacation

After the summer vacation ended, life seemed to return to normal.

Luo Xi still had to complete her studies, as a way to honor all the years she had dedicated to it, while Ye Chuan chose to accompany her.

"School... off to the academy."

During breakfast, Bai Qianshuang noticed the uniforms Ye Chuan and Luo Xi were wearing and seemed to ponder for a moment. She had been raised in the sect, where most of her education revolved around cultivation.

Naturally, she grew curious about Ye Chuan's school.

"Alright, it's time for us to head out." Ye Chuan's gaze lingered on Lan Xiaoke before finally settling on Bai Qianshuang.

"You all stay home and focus on your cultivation... especially you, Xiaoke."

"Mission accepted!" Lan Xiaoke made a playful salute. "Go on, Ye Chuan, I’ll hold down the fort!"

"Order takeout if you want, but don’t forget to get some for Ke Ning." Ye Chuan couldn’t help but remind her, fearing that if he didn’t, Ke Ning might just starve at home.

Lan Xiaoke nodded eagerly, but her eyes darted around mischievously.

She looked exactly like a kid left home by their parents—ready to dive straight into gaming the moment they were out of sight.

"Chuan, let’s go," Luo Xi said.

"Mm."

After Ye Chuan and Luo Xi left, Bai Qianshuang slowly withdrew her gaze. She lowered her eyes, staring blankly at the large bowl in front of her.

"La-la-la~ booting up~ booting up~" Lan Xiaoke wobbled toward her room, but when she noticed Bai Qianshuang’s downcast expression, she popped her head back out.

"What’s wrong, Qianshuang? Not feeling well?"

Bai Qianshuang looked up and shook her head.

"Still hungry?"

"No."

She spoke softly. "What... is school like?"

"A place that imprisons the youth of countless boys and girls," Lan Xiaoke declared with a confident thumbs-up.

Bai Qianshuang continued to ponder. Though she had visited before, she hadn’t experienced much of it.

"Huh? You wanna go to school too?" Lan Xiaoke plopped down beside her, curious.

"..." Bai Qianshuang remained silent for a while before lowering her head again.

"I don’t know."

"Eh, you totally seem like you wanna check it out. Then just go!" Lan Xiaoke said. "I’m practically a senior at that school—I know all the routes. I can take you anywhere."

"I... should just focus on cultivation." Bai Qianshuang stood up slowly and retreated to her room, closing the door behind her.

"Not going?"

"..."

"Alright, alright." Lan Xiaoke shrugged and headed back to her own room.

...

Silver Mountain Academy.

Ye Chuan and Luo Xi finally arrived at the school gates, but they were now accompanied by another girl.

Ye Yue, wearing the same uniform, clung to Ye Chuan’s arm with a sweet smile.

"Enjoying youth is fine and all, but Yue, you’re not actually a student here, are you?" Ye Chuan glanced at her.

"What are you talking about, Brother? I’m in your class!" Ye Yue tightened her grip.

"Wherever you go, I go."

Ye Yue was indeed clingy—so much so that Ye Chuan often felt like he was under surveillance. While he didn’t mind too much, over time, it left him with almost no privacy.

A few days ago, while casually browsing the tenant records, he had noticed something unsettling in the chibi-style room layout: Ye Yue’s walls were plastered with photos of him—photos he had no idea when or how she had taken.

Logically, any normal guy would’ve been creeped out.

But Ye Chuan barely batted an eye.

With so many eccentric people in the house, his mental resistance was practically maxed out.

"Hm?" Just then, his phone buzzed.

He checked it and saw a message from Lan Xiaoke.

Lan Xiaoke: Qianshuang seems like she wants to go to school, but she just went back to her room to cultivate.

Ye Chuan: She wants to go to school?

Lan Xiaoke: Looks like it, yeah.

Lan Xiaoke: She’s always cultivating, that Qianshuang.

Ye Chuan: Show me.

Lan Xiaoke: squished backpack selfie.jpg

Ye Chuan: I meant send me a pic of Qianshuang.

Lan Xiaoke: Me?

...

In the end, Lan Xiaoke didn’t send any photos—Bai Qianshuang had already shut herself in her room.

But Ye Chuan could more or less guess what was troubling her.

The weight of vengeance against the Qingyun Sect rested on her shoulders, making even the slightest indulgence feel like a sin.

So she drowned herself in cultivation, using it as a distraction.

Yet, Bai Qianshuang’s strength was growing rapidly—especially with the amplified effects of the Spirit Gathering Array. Her cultivation improved by leaps and bounds every day.

"Soon, I’ll be able to take the tenants inside," Ye Chuan thought silently.

But one question still loomed over them both:

How strong did they need to be to exact revenge on the Qingyun Sect?

Qin Tianya was a Dao Comprehension realm expert, and Ye Chuan was confident he could handle him. But the Qingyun Sect’s ancestral elders were undoubtedly far stronger than Qin Tianya—and who knew how many of those old monsters were lurking around?

Bai Qianshuang, meanwhile, didn’t have the ability to fight above her level. Yet, for her to move on, revenge seemed unavoidable.

Could he convince her to let go of her hatred?

Ye Chuan didn’t think he could—nor did he believe Bai Qianshuang would ever accept it.

"If only I could bring Lilith in..." Ye Chuan only had one companion pass, so taking Lilith along wasn’t an option.

Maybe ask for another strand of her hair?

"Probably not. She was already furious last time I asked for help without giving her any spirit essence."

Asking for more life-saving favors seemed unrealistic.

In the end, he was still too weak.

Ye Chuan sighed and muttered, "No power..."

When would he ever reach the level of an Emperor?

Luo Xi and Ye Yue beside him: ?

What was he suddenly talking about?

Students streamed in and out of the school gates. Despite the previous rift incident, thanks to Ye Chuan’s presence, there had been no casualties. The cheerful chatter of students made it seem like any other ordinary day.

"Brother, where’s our classroom?" Ye Yue asked.

She had warped the perception of those around her—everyone simply accepted her as a student of Silver Mountain Academy.

Ye Chuan’s inherited ability to distort perception was more like casting illusions, like what he’d done with Bing Aotian.

Actually altering cognition was beyond him.

If he had Ye Yue’s power, Bing Aotian might’ve ended up calling him "long-lost father" thanks to cognitive rewriting.

"Little Yu—ah, good morning, everyone!" Luo Xi spotted familiar faces and greeted them cheerfully.

"Yo."

"Morning, Xi."

"Hey."

"Luo Xi, you look prettier somehow?" One classmate blinked in surprise.

"Do I?" Luo Xi had forgotten that cultivation had naturally refined her complexion, leaving her skin radiant and flawless.

But she just assumed they were being polite.