The journey to Nuoding Academy was a silent study in contrasts. While Tang San carried his simple bundle and a mind full of his father's parting words, Shen Lian walked beside him with nothing but the clothes on his back, yet he looked like a prince reclaiming a kingdom.
Every traveler they passed on the road stopped in their tracks. It wasn't just beauty; it was a spiritual pressure—as if the very air was honored to carry his scent, which reminded Tang San of mountain snow and ancient incense.
Arrival at Nuoding: The Gatekeeper's Folly
At the gates of Nuoding Academy, the scene played out much like the original, but with a celestial twist. The gatekeeper blocked their path, his face twisted in a sneer as he looked at Old Jack's ragged clothes.
"Blue Silver Grass with full spirit power? And this one... a lotus?" the guard mocked, his eyes finally landing on Shen Lian. He froze. His sneer didn't just vanish; it turned into a look of panicked confusion. He felt an instinctive urge to kneel, as if he had just insulted a visiting deity.
Before Tang San could use his Silent Sleeve Dart, a middle-aged man with a short beard and a scholarly air stepped forward.
"Grandmaster!" the guard stuttered.
Yu Xiaogang—the Grandmaster—ignored the guard. His eyes, usually dead and weary, were wide with shock as he stared at Shen Lian. He had spent his life studying spirits, but he could not categorize the aura radiating from this boy.
Room 7: The Encounter with the Rabbit
After the Grandmaster took them in as disciples (sensing Tang San's twin spirits and Shen Lian's "Transcendent Mutation"), they headed to the infamous Dormitory Room 7.
The door creaked open. Inside, the working students were gathered around their leader, Wang Sheng.
"Newcomers have to follow the rules!" Wang Sheng challenged, though his voice wavered the moment he saw Shen Lian. "You have to fight the boss to... to stay here."
Tang San stepped forward to handle the challenge, defeating Wang Sheng with ease using his Tang Sect techniques. But then, a pink blur appeared at the door.
Enter Xiao Wu
"Is this the place for working students?"
Xiao Wu hopped into the room, her long braid swaying. She was energetic, cute, and fierce. She challenged Tang San immediately for the title of "Boss," and their duel played out with Tang San losing to her soft-skill grappling.
"I'm the Boss now! Call me Xiao Wu Jie!" she declared, puffing out her chest. Then, she turned her head and saw Shen Lian sitting on a corner bed.
She stopped breathing. As a 100,000-year-old Soft-Boned Rabbit in human form, her instincts were sharper than any human's. In Shen Lian, she didn't just see a handsome boy; she saw a reflection of the "Starry Sky" itself.
"He... he feels like the Great Star Dou Forest at night," she thought, her heart racing. "No, he feels like the source of all life."
She bounced over to him, her usual bossy attitude replaced by a rare, shy curiosity. "Hey, pretty boy. What's your name? Are you a working student too?"
Shen Lian looked up, his eyes serene. "Shen Lian. And yes, I suppose I am."