Chapter 26: Purchasing Supplies
Ouyang Huahua smiled and nodded. “Of course.”
Catnip didn’t quite match Ouyang Huahua’s aesthetic taste. She had only discovered it because the plants possessed extraordinarily strong vitality. She had found them clinging to a scorching cliff where almost no life could survive.
She had been deeply moved by their resilience and immediately dug up two stalks to cultivate, curious to see what they would grow into in a better environment.
In the end, they spread into a large patch. Now, anyone who wanted to contract a feline-type exotic beast would come to her to buy a stalk of catnip.
Si Er also thought the catnip was quite good, but he had just learned from Guagua that it could be purchased separately. Naturally, he wouldn’t choose catnip as a meeting gift.
After browsing for a long time, Si Er finally chose a tea tree.
The tea tree was called Green Snow Fragrant Tea. Its leaves could be processed into tea, and according to Guagua, it tasted excellent and even had a tiny effect in enhancing soul power.
Of course, only a tiny effect—so small that even drinking it for an entire year might not produce measurable improvement.
But Si Er didn’t mind. A little was still better than nothing. Compared to hard cultivation, he preferred nourishing himself through food.
Most importantly, the flowers of Green Snow Fragrant Tea were beautiful! Large and elegant, with snow-white petals and pale green stamens. Si Er had fallen in love at first sight.
Of course, the tree hadn’t bloomed yet—the image of its blossoms had been directly transmitted into his mind by Guagua.
After bidding farewell to Ouyang Huahua, Mentor Lou Ya led them around the academy to familiarize them with the overall layout.
“All right, that’s basically the entire academy. Go back to your dorms and settle in.”
“Classes officially begin next Wednesday. Here is your schedule for the first month.”
Si Er asked curiously, “Is the schedule different every month?”
Mentor Lou Ya smiled. “During the first month, the academy isn’t fully familiar with you yet, so you’ll start with foundational courses.”
“After a month, once the higher-ups have assessed your situation, they’ll arrange courses more suited to you.”
Si Er asked again, “Isn’t it based on our interests?”
I remember in the novel, Azure Dragon Academy let students choose courses based on their own preferences.
For example, Si Ran was determined to surpass Si Xu, so he also enrolled in alchemy courses.
But his natural alchemy talent couldn’t compare to Si Xu’s. He was outperformed everywhere. Yet he didn’t get angry—instead, he smiled every day and asked Si Xu for advice.
Mentor Lou Ya felt increasingly uneasy listening.
At first, she thought Si Er was referencing some fictional novel. But Si Xu and Si Ran were real people. The more she listened, the stranger it sounded.
From that description alone, Si Ran didn’t sound so bad—at least he could acknowledge his shortcomings and try to improve.
Everyone thinks he has a great mindset and is hardworking, but actually, he doesn’t care that his alchemy talent is poor!
Well, at first he did care. But later, he accidentally refined a colorless, odorless, extremely potent poison. After that, he opened the door to a whole new world and gained the alias “Little Poison King.”
Mentor Lou Ya felt chills run down her spine. She quickly said, “At our academy, you must complete all assigned courses and pass the exams to receive full credits.”
“As for courses you’re personally interested in, you may apply separately. The academy generally won’t stop you—as long as it doesn’t interfere with the courses where you have greater talent.”
After speaking, she hurried off. She needed to report what Si Er had just been thinking and determine whether those events might truly come to pass.
Si Er considered her words and felt the academy’s arrangement wasn’t bad.
He didn’t have the kind of personality that would stubbornly struggle with something he couldn’t master. Perhaps simply following the academy’s plan would be the most effortless option.
After parting ways with Mentor Lou Ya, Si Er planned to stroll through the academy’s commercial street—only to realize Yu Beixuan had been following behind him the entire time.
That strange feeling rose in his heart again. He turned and smiled. “Are you also heading to the commercial street, Yu Beixuan?”
Yu Beixuan nodded. “My place is completely empty too. There are many things I need to purchase.”
“But I don’t have experience in this area and don’t know what to buy, so I wanted to use your purchases as a reference.”
“If you mind—”
“Not at all!” Si Er waved his hands quickly. “For small things like this, you can just tell me directly next time. No need to follow secretly.”
It’s nothing serious. Yu Beixuan left home at a young age, forced out by his own father, and has spent years wandering dangerous territories. It’s normal that he has no experience setting up a dorm.
He seems a little shy though—even small things like this he feels embarrassed to say. I wouldn’t refuse him.
What Yu Beixuan thought, however, was: If I followed you secretly, how would you even notice?
Wasn’t this exactly the effect he wanted?
He already knew Si Er was a kind and friendly beautiful boy.
Si Er first bought daily necessities. Yu Beixuan copied everything he purchased—only choosing black versions.
Next, Si Er selected furniture. Yu Beixuan followed suit—and again picked everything in black.
When Si Er chose a large round bed that didn’t come in black, Yu Beixuan even added soul stones to custom-order one.
Si Er felt his vision darken.
Does Yu really love black that much? If he keeps this up, his room will look like nighttime during the day—and at night, probably nothing will be visible at all.
Good thing people and beasts in this world are skilled at using soul power for detection. Otherwise, if even one of his four master-and-pets had night blindness, they couldn’t live in that room.
Yu Beixuan looked at him. “Do you think the things I chose aren’t good?”
“No, no!” Si Er shook his head quickly. “As long as you like them, that’s what matters.”
“Everyone has different tastes. It’s your room—if you find it comfortable and pleasing, that’s enough. Other people’s opinions aren’t that important.”
That’s why I only complain in my head and don’t say it out loud. Inner complaints don’t affect anyone’s choices.
Everyone who could hear his thoughts: …
Anyway, Yu Beixuan’s dorm is a single room. He can decorate however he likes—as long as he’s happy.
Even if he paints all the white walls black. Even if he buys black curtains…
Just as Si Er awkwardly thought that, he saw Yu Beixuan walk straight into a paint shop across the street and lift up a bucket of black paint.
Si Er: …
Yu Beixuan’s aesthetic really is unique!
But maybe it’ll look good. White walls with black furniture might create a solemn, dignified atmosphere.
But if the walls are painted black too, then it’ll probably…
Sigh, without seeing Yu Beixuan’s finished room in person, I can’t imagine what style it’ll be. I’ll just wait and see.
If it’s truly nothing but black everywhere, I just won’t visit him…
Yu Beixuan, hearing this much and not daring to listen further, quickly ran to choose another color of paint.
Anyway, since we live so close, I can just invite Yu Beixuan to my place instead.
