"Scholarship Excellence Student?"
Qin Yu silently repeated those six words on his tongue.Well… Lin Zihao wasn't wrong.
Top scorer of the Southern District, recipient of Jingbei University's scholarship—though that money wouldn't actually arrive until school officially started.
"Qin bro! Stop fiddling with that and come down here, let me take a look at you!" Su Ming yelled from below, waving like he'd just discovered a rare species. His round face was glowing with excitement.
Not sure what was going on, Qin Yu shrugged and climbed down the ladder.
The moment his feet hit the ground, Su Ming rushed up, practically sticking his face to Qin Yu's chest. He reached out and started rubbing the fabric of Qin Yu's T-shirt, muttering under his breath, "Tsk tsk… as expected of a 'scholarship prodigy.' This fabric feels cheaper than what my housemaid wears."
A flush of heat surged up Qin Yu's neck, his ears burning red.
He coughed lightly and looked away, visibly uncomfortable.
Realizing a second too late that his mouth had outrun his brain, Su Ming's pudgy face also turned red. He ducked his head in panic, waving his hands. "Crap—uh, Qin bro, I didn't mean that, really! I'm not looking down on you! I'm just… just too damn shocked!"
"What's so shocking about it?" Qin Yu waved it off, keeping his voice even, though his tone betrayed a hint of awkwardness.
"You don't get it!" Su Ming said, seeing that Qin Yu wasn't offended, and quickly relaxed. He leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Jingbei is the most protectionist city in the country. Every year, ninety-five percent of the university's admission spots are reserved for Kyoto locals."
"The remaining five percent has to be split among all the other cities in the nation!"
Qin Yu's mind clicked.
So that's why he was so surprised.
To squeeze through that five-percent gap from a backwater region like his, one needed monstrous grades and a miracle.
If his scores hadn't been far beyond the second place, he wouldn't have stood a chance.
"Bro, don't worry!" Lin Zihao strolled over, all swagger and charm, slinging an arm around Qin Yu's shoulders. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes crinkled, flashing a grin full of white teeth. "From now on, you're under my protection. In Jingbei territory, no one dares mess with you!"
Su Ming nodded vigorously like a bobbing chicken. "Yeah! Me and Zihao! We've got your back! You're our dorm's pride—our one and only 'Scholarship Excellence Student!' You're basically the face of this dorm!"
"Mm." Lin Zihao gave a satisfied nod and clapped Qin Yu's shoulder. Then, as if declaring a royal decree, he said, "Alright, since we're all brothers now, we'll set a dorm hierarchy. I'm the boss—came in first. Su Ming, you're second."
He turned toward Qin Yu. "And you, Qin Yu, you're number three."
Su Ming puffed out his little belly, looking proud. "Deal! Boss and number three!"
The two of them exchanged a high five like they'd just sealed an alliance of world-changing importance.
Then, completely ignoring Qin Yu, they began passionately strategizing how to make a stunning impression at the Xuanxue Society's "Welcome Party" that evening—especially in front of its beautiful president.
Qin Yu stared at them, expressionless.
Just like that… they decided the dorm's ranking? Did anyone ask for his opinion?
Well, whatever.
He shook his head. Let them play.
The two were goofy and a bit air-headed, but harmless. No malice—just… dumb enthusiasm.
At dawn, a pale silver light crept across the horizon.
Qin Yu was already awake.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, hands forming seals, five hearts facing upward, he began his daily routine—meditation and breath circulation, the Tuna Method passed down by his two grandfathers.
The world of Blue Star was nearly devoid of lingqi. The aura of heaven and earth was so thin it was almost nonexistent. To dream of absorbing vast amounts of spiritual energy and advancing rapidly like the cultivators described in ancient texts—pure fantasy.
Only through specific cultivation techniques could one carefully extract and gather the tiny fragments of spiritual energy scattered in the air.
Fortunately, Jingbei University's location was extraordinary—built right atop the dragon veins of the ancient capital.
The century-old academy had not only produced countless elites of Huaxia, but its very geography made the aura density slightly higher than the outside world.
Slightly.
But to Qin Yu, even that trace was precious.
"Holy crap! What the—!"
A terrified scream shattered the morning calm.
Lin Zihao had just woken up, bleary-eyed, when he spotted Qin Yu sitting cross-legged on his bed, expression solemn, aura serene—like a monk in deep meditation. The sight nearly scared him off the top bunk.
"Bro! You—you—you… you're cultivating immortality?!"
Qin Yu opened his eyes slowly. A faint light flickered in his pupils before fading away. He looked at Lin Zihao and replied calmly, "No, just woke up a bit dazed. I was meditating to clear my head."
"Oh… meditation, huh." Lin Zihao patted his chest, exhaling in relief. "Scared the crap out of me! But honestly, you looked the part—like one of those xiuzhenzhe from web novels. Damn impressive!"
"Is that so." Qin Yu smiled stiffly.
Not just looked the part. He actually was one.
But who would believe that? Say that out loud and they'd send him straight to a psych ward.
"Mm… Boss, Bro Three… what're you yelling about…"
Su Ming's groggy voice came from the lower bunk. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, hair sticking up in all directions like a bird's nest.
"Fatty! Get up! Move it!" Lin Zihao jumped down and smacked his cheek, panicking. "Hurry and wash up! We need to rush to the Xuanxue Society and claim the best spot!"
Su Ming blinked blearily. "Eh? Why so early…"
"Idiot!" Lin Zihao bonked him again. "To get a head start, obviously! You gotta leave a good impression on the senior goddesses, got it?"
"Oh, right!" Su Ming slapped his thigh, suddenly wide awake. "Then what are we waiting for! Go, go, go!"
Moments later, the dorm's tiny bathroom was filled with the sound of frantic washing and brushing.
A few minutes passed before Lin Zihao emerged, striking poses in front of the mirror, adjusting his slicked-back hair until every strand was perfect.
He turned to Qin Yu, who was still sitting cross-legged on the bed. "Bro Three, seriously, you're not coming? Word is those senior sisters are total goddesses."
Qin Yu waved a hand calmly. "No thanks. Crowded places aren't my thing."
Lin Zihao opened his mouth to argue again, but Su Ming's teasing voice called from outside the door, "Boss, let's go! Leave our Bro Three be—he's clearly a man determined to stay single for life!"
Lin Zihao gave Qin Yu a helpless shrug, then trotted off after him.
The dorm door slammed shut.
Silence returned.
Qin Yu leapt lightly from the bed, landing soundlessly.
He stretched his limbs, feeling the steady whirlpool of qi within his dantian, the smoother, denser flow of spiritual power coursing through his meridians.
Middle stage of the Xuan Zhao Realm.
Finally.
But along with the joy came a faint helplessness.
Both his grandfathers had said the same thing—his constitution was unique.
Normal cultivators had to reach Kai Guang perfection and exhaust countless effort and luck to open their Qi Sea.
He, on the other hand, had done it at the age of five—naturally, without guidance.
That made his lingli reserves and strength far surpass others of the same realm.
It sounded like a blessing… but it was also a curse.
Because the larger his Qi Sea, the more lingqi it required for each breakthrough—several times, even dozens of times more than an average cultivator. To advance, he had to fill that vast "sea" completely every single time.
Worse still, the Qi Sea kept expanding with every stage.
That was the real reason for his poverty.
A massive need for aura meant a massive need for resources.
When his grandfathers were around, he never had to worry—rare herbs and spiritual materials flowed in without end.
Now, with them gone, everything depended on him.
At his current level, he could handle minor ghosts or low-level demons, but against anything stronger… he'd have to rely on speed to survive.
Venturing into dangerous forests or ancient ruins for treasures? That was suicide.
So there was only one realistic option left—buy resources with money.
"Money…"
Qin Yu rubbed his temples, exhaling a long breath.
He shook off the thought, quickly washed up, changed into a clean but still simple outfit, and left the dorm.
The campus was already alive with energy—new students flocked toward the various club activity zones, laughter echoing everywhere.
But Qin Yu went the opposite way, heading straight for the campus Work-Study Office bulletin board.
The board was plastered with colorful job postings.
His eyes scanned line after line, and his frown deepened with every word.
"High school tutoring—Chinese, Math, or English. Jingbei students preferred. Experience required. Hourly pay… fifty yuan?"
"Primary school homework help—patient and caring. Hourly pay… twenty yuan?"
"Campus flyer distribution—daily pay… one hundred?"
"This is bullsh*t," Qin Yu muttered under his breath, fists clenching. "These Jingbei landlords really think work-study students are livestock, huh?"
At those rates, forget spirit herbs—he could barely cover his meals.
As he glared at the absurdly low wages, stewing in frustration, a girl nearby quietly raised her phone.
Lin Xiaoxiao aimed her camera, focusing on the slim young man standing before the board. The sunlight outlined his figure in a faint halo, his handsome face shadowed by a trace of melancholy far beyond his years.
Click.
She quickly snapped the photo and whispered to herself, "The poor, brooding top student vibe… what a perfect contrast. Absolutely flawless…"
Sensing something, Qin Yu suddenly turned around, sharp eyes scanning.
Lin Xiaoxiao flinched, panic flashing across her face. She hid her phone behind her back, forcing an awkward smile.
"Hey," Qin Yu looked at her, puzzled. "You here for a part-time job too?"
"Huh? N-no!" Lin Xiaoxiao waved her hands frantically, cheeks flushing pink. "I—I was just passing by! Just looking!"
Then, like a startled rabbit, she turned and fled.
Qin Yu watched her run off, completely baffled.
This wasn't the first time. Since leaving the dorm that morning, no less than eight or ten girls had secretly snapped photos of him.
Sure, he wasn't bad-looking—but what was the point of all these sneaky pictures?
He couldn't understand it.
Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside and turned his gaze back to the bulletin board full of "cheap labor" notices, his brows knitting tighter and tighter.
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