The next day, Li Fengyuan stepped into class and felt a sharp tug at his sleeve.
Turning his head, he saw Zhao Dazhu's broad grin and Jia Hao's slightly tired eyes behind him.
Both of them had slipped into seats at the very back and were beckoning him over.
Li Fengyuan raised an eyebrow but followed, sliding into the seat beside them.
His sharp gaze swept over the two, and at once he noticed it—sluggish movements, faint dark circles, and the strange restless energy radiating off them.
"Don't tell me…" His voice was flat. "Did you two spend the whole night cultivating?"
Zhao Dazhu's laugh was sheepish, but his excitement spilled over.
"Hehe… I couldn't help myself! That technique—when I started cultivating, it felt like my Qi was rising rapidly. I even pinched myself to see if I was dreaming!"
Jia Hao gave a firm nod, his tone more composed but no less eager.
"To get such a powerful cultivation technique… it would be harder not to cultivate. I just couldn't stop."
Li Fengyuan leaned back slightly, his lips twitching into a faint smirk.
He didn't voice the thought in his mind, but it was clear.
(Rest is equally important. Without balance, their progress will collapse sooner or later. But it's their first taste of the Top-tier Techniques—anyone would be excited.)
Like children with a new toy, they won't stop playing until the novelty wears off. When it does, the fire will cool.
His gaze lingered on Zhao Dazhu.
(That fool… he won't overwork himself too much. His nature is simple. He'll fall asleep snoring the moment he hits the bed. But Jia Hao…)
His eyes shifted to his other brother, sharper now.
(Jia Hao has the drive, the ambition—and the tendency to push himself past his limits. That one, I'll need to remind him in the future. Otherwise, he'll burn himself out.)
Li Fengyuan exhaled softly, his smirk fading into a calmer expression.
"Well, just don't collapse in the middle of class."
Zhao Dazhu chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, while Jia Hao gave a faint, confident smile.
"So, what's the plan for today?"
Zhao Dazhu asked excitedly.
"You taught us such a powerful cultivation technique, you must have something in mind, right?"
Li Fengyuan nodded.
Indeed, teaching them those cultivation techniques was just the first part of his grand plan to protect Liangzhuo City.
Next, they would need external aid for their cultivation.
Without pills to assist them, having such powerful techniques meant they couldn't use their full potential.
The Qi in the atmosphere was far less than what these techniques could absorb.
It was like bringing a vacuum cleaner to suck up a speck of dust. Too overpowered!
So, they needed high-quality cultivation pills.
Yesterday, he had already thought about what pills to make, and today, he was going to execute that plan.
"Don't worry and just focus on the class right now. You'll find out later!"
Li Fengyuan said.
"Tch! You can just tell me now!"
Zhao Dazhu said sluggishly.
While the three of them chatted like lifelong brothers, laughter and easy banter slipped between them, it didn't go unnoticed by their fellow classmates.
The sight was strange—no, downright unnatural.
Zhao Dazhu and Li Fengyuan together? That wasn't odd. They were seatmates and often stuck together. Moreover, they were both nobles.
Zhao Dazhu and Jia Hao? That too wasn't surprising.
Zhao Dazhu was easygoing by nature, someone who didn't look down on commoners.
His simple, honest personality made him approachable to anyone.
But Jia Hao and Li Fengyuan?
Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, smiling and talking like sworn brothers? That was something no one could have expected.
Firstly, Jia Hao hated nobles just like any commoners.
Years of suffering under their arrogance, their petty cruelties, and their privileges had carved that hatred deep into his bones.
It was especially true for Jia Hao, who was often bullied by nobles because of his talent—their jealousy only made him despise them more.
Many classmates knew about that.
And then there was Li Fengyuan.
A noble of arrogance. A young master who flaunted his status whenever possible.
On more than one occasion, he had warned others not to approach Shen Yuyan.
Though that warning had been directed at everyone, regardless of their status—even members of great clans—people had interpreted it as Li Fengyuan specifically targeting commoners.
After all, who would dare threaten the Nobles?
So while they knew Li Fengyuan liked a commoner girl, they believed he looked down on all other commoners except Shen Yuyan.
Some even thought he looked down on her as well—daring to pursue her only because of her commoner background.
Otherwise, they thought he wouldn't have done the same if Shen Yuyan was like Xiao Mei, someone from the Great Clan.
Well, if they saw how Li Fengyuan treats Xiao Mei, then they would realize that Li Fengyuan wasn't afraid of people from the Great Clan and he is just obsessed with Shen Yuyan.
Rumors even spread that Li Fengyuan planned to force a marriage, something entirely possible since Shen Yuyan, without any background to support her, would have no power to refuse if the Li Clan demanded it.
To make matters worse, Jiang Tao and Ma Wu often threw their weight around in Li Fengyuan's name, earning him even more hatred.
So seeing the two sit side by side—laughing, whispering, as though they were sworn brothers—was nothing short of a bizarre sight.
"What the hell is that?"
"Jia Hao must have lost his mind. To get close with Li Fengyuan of all people? Did Li Fengyuan bribe him with something?"
"Ptui! I lost all my respect for Jia Hao. I thought among commoners he would at least be the one to rise above and never give in to those nobles. Who would've thought he'd end up serving Li Fengyuan?"
Whispers grew louder, a mixture of suspicion, confusion, and disdain especially from commoners who once held Jia Hao in respect.
Just then—
Shen Yuyan and Xiao Mei entered the class.
The two of them also immediately noticed the trio, who had become the center of attention.
They too were confused by the sight.
(When did Li Fengyuan befriend Jia Hao?)
Xiao Mei thought.
She knew that until now, Li Fengyuan had never cared about his classmates and had barely spoken to commoners—apart from Shen Yuyan.
Now, he was laughing with Jia Hao, like they had been close friends all along.
Shen Yuyan also felt a bit strange. His image in her heart was changing, and she no longer knew who the real Li Fengyuan was.
Was he the immature, selfish noble who pursued her endlessly?
Or the mature, considerate, polite one who feels distant?
Who is the real Li Fengyuan?