Chapter 25 Class (Part 2) Duanmu's Work-Study Program

"What?" Duanmu raised an eyebrow. "Do you expect that if I go out for a stroll and shout everywhere, 'I am Duanmu Tingzhu! I am Duanmu Tingzhu!', someone will throw spirit stones at me?"

He imagined being surrounded by mountains of spirit stones, chuckled twice, and said, "I'd like to."

But such a thing is impossible in the world.

After hearing Shen Wan's words, Qingxing asked in confusion, "What's so special about the surname 'Duanmu'?"

"Senior Sister doesn't know?" Shen Wan was somewhat surprised. She explained, "The Duanmu family has produced many accomplished cultivators. Almost every sect has a disciple with the surname 'Duanmu.' They are a famous family of cultivators."

"But most importantly, it's because of the great war between humans and demons five hundred years ago. Among the five powerful beings who sealed Wang Yan, one of them was surnamed Duanmu."

That war was so brutal that if it weren't for the sacrifice of those five powerful figures, the world would probably have ceased to exist long ago. Therefore, the world respects the Duanmu family, and every year when major sects recruit disciples, they always extend their olive branches to them first.

As such a large family of cultivators, they would naturally not mistreat their own children or leave them without food or clothing.

From this perspective, Duanmu Tingzhu's desire and pursuit of spirit stones seems somewhat abrupt.

"That's their money, what does it have to do with me?" Duanmu Tingzhu felt a little uncomfortable when his family was mentioned. He sighed and, meeting the probing gazes of the crowd, admitted in a surrender-like manner, "I ran away from home a long time ago. My father forbade me to learn talisman arts, but I insisted on learning it."

Thinking of this, he scoffed disdainfully, "Why can't I learn? My powerful ancestor, Duanmu Che, was a talisman cultivator! Yet he looks down on me!"

"I see." Qingxing nodded in understanding.

No wonder my junior brother has been selling his talismans to others every day; it turns out he's cut ties with his family and is forced by circumstances.

Shen Wan said with some regret, "I thought I could visit your home when I passed through the Blood Peach Forest."

The Blood Peach Forest is a necessary route to the Northern Wilderness Continent. The Duanmu family resides there, intending to suppress demonic energy and protect the peace of the region.

"What kind of guest am I? It's a miracle my father didn't throw me out and beat me to death!" Duanmu said with a bitter face. "Besides, I still owe the sect's treasury tens of thousands of spirit stones. If he finds out, he'll definitely tie me up and never let me leave home again."

"You still owe debts?" Qingxing glanced at him and said with sympathy, "I was like that when I was homeless and begging before."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wan and Xie Yuzhou immediately exchanged a glance. Both of them came from humble backgrounds, but they never expected that this exceptionally talented senior sister in array formations would have an even more tragic origin than they did!

Indeed, heroes come from all walks of life!

"Don't talk nonsense! I'm not homeless!" Duanmu's eyes widened, but his voice gradually lowered. "I just didn't have money to buy talismans, so I borrowed some from the storeroom."

However, the investment in talismanic arts was too great, and he borrowed more and more money, gradually accumulating to the point where he could no longer repay it.

Qingxing remained silent. Thinking about it, it made sense. Back then, she had been chased all the way to Mount Taihua by debt collectors, but she only secretly returned the money after she had spirit stones.

Upon hearing this, Wenren Xi, who was standing to the side, made a "hmm" sound and pondered for a long time before slowly suggesting, "Actually, I have a few ways to earn some spirit stones. Although they are not very useful, they are better than nothing."

Duanmu Tingzhu's eyes lit up: "What? What?"

"Ah, the sect leader is recently expanding the Qiyun Peak Scripture Pavilion, and has opened up quite a few work-study positions specifically for the disciples who want to earn extra money." Wenren Xi tapped her palm with her fan, recalling, "It seems that each disciple can get... about five hundred spirit stones?"

“I know that,” Shen Wan added. “I heard Master mention it; it seems like it includes three meals a day.”

Duanmu Tingzhu excitedly raised her hand: "I'll go!"

Wenrenxi gently tapped his head: "You can't swear."

"What swear word?" Duanmu shrugged, looking completely innocent. "I meant: I want to go!"

Wenren Xi was stunned for a moment, then awkwardly turned his head, put his fist to his mouth, and coughed lightly.

The conversation was somewhat comical, and Qingxing couldn't help but chuckle softly. Shen Wan, with her cheerful personality, laughed even more unrestrainedly, and even Xie Yuzhou, who usually didn't like to show much expression, slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

Wenren Xi offered to take Duanmu to report, and that was the end of it. The group chatted for a while longer. Qingxing and Duanmu Tingzhu had evening classes to attend, so after dinner they said goodbye to the other three and headed to Riyue Peak.

“It’s Elder Qiao Su’s herbal medicine class,” Qing Xing said calmly, looking at the red characters on the tree bark.

"I'm doomed." Duanmu Tingzhu looked up at the sky with a bitter expression. "Elder Qiao Su is known for his strict teaching style, and I know nothing about medicine."

Attending her class would likely result in being repeatedly criticized during the lesson; or worse... being forced to retake the course, just like in history class.

"It's alright." Qingxing told Bujinmu to turn around and quickly descend towards Riyue Peak. "With so many disciples together, she shouldn't have time to bother with you."

Duanmu Tingzhu couldn't fly on a sword, so he could only fly by riding on Qingxing's endless wood. He gripped Qingxing's sleeve tightly and asked doubtfully, "Is that so?"

The green apricot landed steadily and answered softly, "I don't know, I'm just guessing."

Duanmu Tingzhu: ...

He rolled his eyes and left angrily.

After collecting the endless wood, Qingxing slowly walked to the other side.

Perhaps to make them more receptive to the knowledge of herbs, Elder Qiao Su abandoned indoor teaching and instead set up the classroom in the dense forest at the front of Sun and Moon Peak. Since it was still early before the class started, Qingxing, having already attended classes all day, didn't want to waste this rare free time reserving a seat, so she chose to wander around the front of the mountain.

Riyue Peak has a simple structure, and she unconsciously wandered to Weisheng Hall. The plaque in front of the hall was flashing, as if reminding Qingxing of how Qiao Su had driven people away the other day. She shivered and was about to leave when she suddenly heard a series of "crackling" explosions.

Qingxing looked in the direction of the sound and saw flames shooting into the sky in a corner of the hall, with many disciples gathered in front of them, as if there was some excitement to be had.

Those flaming furnaces looked so familiar that Qingxing couldn't help but recall the way Jiuquchen coughed in front of the alchemy furnace when she went to Biyunju before.

So they were refining elixirs.

As Qingxing thought this, she lifted her foot, wanting to go over and take a look.

Just then, a strange voice called out to her.

"Senior Sister Qingxing? Are you Senior Sister Qingxing?!"

Qingxing turned around and saw many young disciples following behind her. Their faces were youthful, but their eyes shone brightly, showing that they had just entered the sect and were full of expectations for their future cultivation life.

"Yes, that's me. Is there anything I can help you with?" She nodded blankly.

"Senior sister, can I get your autograph?" The child who called out to her pulled out a pen and paper from somewhere, stretched out his hand, and presented it directly to Qingxing.

"Uh..." Qingxing glanced at the group of disciples behind him holding paper and pens. Although she was doubtful, she still hesitated and said, "It should be okay?"

So when Duanmu Tingzhu came to find Qingxing, he saw this scene: Qingxing was standing in front of Weisheng Hall, writing something incessantly, while a group of young disciples lined up in a long queue, clutching bark paper tightly in their hands, craning their necks to look at Qingxing, very impatient.

"What are you doing?!" Duanmu rushed to Qingxing, and seeing her write her name with a pen, his voice changed color in shock. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Why aren't you in class? Why are you playing games with the kids here?"

"Class hasn't started yet," Qingxing glanced at him and replied calmly, "I'm signing autographs."

"You sign..." Duanmu paused, seemingly thinking of something, then drawled out an "Oh." His expression changed, and he slyly approached Qingxing, "Senior Sister Qingxing, with such a business opportunity, why didn't you call me?"

Qingxing was stunned: "What business opportunity?"

"Hey." Duanmu snatched the paper and pen from her hand, sat down cross-legged, and shouted loudly, "Here I sell autographs from Senior Sister Qingxing, the runner-up in the inner sect test! One spirit stone per sheet, bring your own paper and pen!"

The boy in front of Qingxing was stunned, staring at her without blinking, pouting, looking very aggrieved.

The long queue that had been standing clearly became restless. Qingxing remained in her original position, glanced at her empty palm, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly grabbed Duanmu by the back of his collar and dragged him away.

Before leaving, she turned to comfort her young disciples, saying, "I'll sign autographs for you next time."

"I'm not saying this to be mean, but do you even know how to do business?!" Duanmu clutched the front of his clothes and complained, "You can earn several hundred spirit stones a day like this!"

"You even cheat children out of their money?" Qingxing let go of him and walked towards the dense forest on her own.

Duanmu rubbed his neck and quickly caught up, "What do you mean, 'little kid'? I'm a kid too, and you're mistreating me!"

Qingxing glanced at him and noticed the baby fat still lingering on Duanmu's cheeks. Only then did she realize that this person seemed to be only around thirteen years old.

It's just that his age is often overlooked because of his formidable strength.

Qingxing clearly took Duanmu's words seriously. She stopped and said earnestly, "I'm sorry."

“…No need.” Duanmu felt a little awkward from her sudden apology. He scratched his head, cleared his throat, and then said, “Hey, I had a question for you.”

"If I don't interrupt, are you planning to keep signing, signing that whole line without sleeping or rest?"

"No," Qingxing said. "Classes still need to be attended."

“…Fine.” Duanmu was somewhat speechless. “Those disciples all idolize their senior brothers and sisters. The eldest sister has been chased for autographs for three years, but she just ignores them completely. I don’t know what you were thinking, actually going to write one…”

Qingxing was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, "Why do they want my autograph?"

Senior Sister has consistently ranked among the top three in the inner sect tests, so it's normal for her to be asked for autographs. But how could a nobody who suddenly appeared be known to the newly initiated disciples?

"You didn't know? You didn't know and you still signed it?" Duanmu's expression was complicated and incredulous. He muttered under his breath, "Don't let someone scam you out of money one day without you even knowing it."

Before Qingxing could react, he pointed in the direction of Weisheng Hall and explained, "Yesterday, the results of the inner sect test were released, and with the recording from the image-recording bead, everyone now knows that Jiuquchen has a genius disciple whose weapon is a stick inlaid with green beads."

From the very first test, all participating disciples will be recorded by the recording bead. After the test is completed, the elders will open the recordings in the recording bead for everyone to study.

Qingxing performed exceptionally well, and given that such a pure array cultivator had not been seen for a long time, her video was the most widely circulated and naturally known to the most people.

“That’s not a stick.” Qingxing paused for a moment, not saying much, but simply clarifying the name of the Endless Wood, “It’s called Endless Wood.”

“Go, go, go, the wood is never-ending.”

As time passed, the two stopped chatting and hurried into the dense forest, finding a secluded spot at the back.

Perhaps due to Qiao Su's busy schedule, the instructor for this class was changed to another elderly medical practitioner. Qing Xing and Duanmu breathed a sigh of relief when they saw it was him.

The teacher only covered some basic knowledge in this lesson. After a whole day of classes, all the students had empty eyes, and Qingxing was no exception. She spent the hour half-listening and half-distracted, finally managing to drag the class out. As soon as the teacher left, she picked up her cloth bag and was about to leave when she was stopped by several sword cultivator disciples who were about her age.

The man took out a roll of bark paper from his bag and solemnly handed it to Qingxing.

Duanmu Tingzhu, who had been dozing off, was startled by the sight and immediately woke up, thinking: Could this be a confession?!

Qingxing stared blankly at the newcomer, who then shouted loudly:

"Junior Sister Qingxing, please accept my challenge."

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Author's Note: Xie Yuzhou possesses an air of nobility (he wasn't wealthy before becoming an apprentice).

More tomorrow

I changed the text [lop-eared rabbit head]