"Oi, Xie Ra, I passed the exam. I knew you would pass the evaluation but, I didn't think I would. I'm so happy." Wei Jingsheng said for the 9th time. Xie Ra knew how sensitive his roommate was. It was a happy day for this kid. Xie Ra wasn't heartless enough to crush his happiness, so he praised Wei Jingsheng for the ninth time.
Xie Ra told his previous evaluation result and his decision to Ai Qing and asked him not to reveal this to his colleagues. Therefore, he faced the evaluation for the second time and passed.
Nevertheless, Wei Jingsheng and a few others asked for the reason elder Zhang Huan called him. Xie Ra covered up the truth saying, it was about his family-related matter.
When the results arrived, many of them passed except few people. They had to train under another trainer for three months before facing the re-evaluation. However, not everyone who passed wanted to undergo the forged-body training.
They resigned to join the military as it was a famous secret that military persons, who underwent body-training period in a sect, have a bright future in the military. The reason behind this was as body-trained outer disciples, their strength and durability surpassed average mortals.
They got a week's break before the second realm training. It was the first time they got a chance to step out into the mortal world, after one year and six months of training. Even Wei Jingsheng went home. However, Xie Ra stayed at the outer disciple quarters as he wasn't ready to visit Yulong village yet.
After bidding farewell to his roommate, Xie Ra took a walk in the boys' quarters area. He walked towards a mango tree and sat under it. It was the mango season. Therefore, ripe mangoes filled the whole tree, spreading an alluring aroma throughout its vicinity.
He wanted to pick a few of them but, it was forbidden. Until a share of the harvest sent away to the market, the disciples couldn't pluck any fruits. After that, they could have their fun by plucking the rest.
Xie Ra closed his eyes to relax. No. He hoped to relax. Then a slippery mango seed hit his head. Poor boy got scared the wits out of him. He looked in the attacker's direction.
Xiao Lan, in other words, Lan Jiayi was sitting on a high tree branch, eating the mangoes which she collected on her lap. The juice from the fruit trickled down on her face making an unpleasant view for Xie Ra. Of course, she was wearing her tomboy suit. She talked to him in a muffling voice as her mouth was busy chewing mangoes.
"Ye-waw-um?"
He knew she was asking if he wanted some. He wanted some a few moments ago. But, her appearance made him lose his appetite. "No, thank you. However, do you want to get into trouble? First, you are in the boys' quarters."
"Thewar o-"
"Don't talk while your mouth is full. I don't understand you."
"There's no mango trees in girls' quarters." Her voice was clear now as her mouth was empty.
"Second, we can't eat them until they take away the market share of sect harvest and leave the rest for us."
"But, it'll take a long time. It's now that I'm hungry. Let's say I took my half earlier. Like a loan."
Xie Ra sighed. He didn't know how to reason with her. He felt bad for his past seniors. He always gave them a hard time by creating mischiefs. It seems like now karma sent a spawn of the devil to torture him. He helplessly shook his head.
"At least wash your face. Eat decently. You looked like a monkey."
"Oh, Thanks bro, Monkeys are cute. However, the washing face thing. That I can do." She took a bag from her pocket and filled it with mangoes. Then she put the bag on her shoulder, climbed halfway down the tree, and jumped the rest. Then she hid the bag inside a hidden hole between tree roots before running away towards the pond.
It wasn't the direction of the right pond.
There were two ponds in the boys' quarters. one was for their use. The other one has fish. She ran in the direction of the fish pond. Yet if he called her name, it would put both of them into major trouble.
Poor fish. He hoped that she wouldn't put her dirty hands directly inside the pond.
However, Xiao Lan wasn't a bad one to have as a company. She was unrestrained, true, but she has a friendly and funny personality. They walked around and talked a lot about many things for hours. Xie Ra didn't feel like he was talking to a girl at all.
Finally, she left for her quarters at lunch hours. Xie Ra went back to his quarters to have a small nap.
******************
Two weeks passed. Xie Ra wasn't alone within those weeks as Xiao Lan visited him often. He learned the reason that she didn't go home was an argument with her father. He didn't want her to become a cultivator so, if she went back she wouldn't be able to come back to the sect.
Everyone who went back home returned. Well, except the ones left for the military. Wei Jingsheng was standing with Xie Ra as usual. This time they were divided into four groups. Xie Ra and Wei Jingsheng were sorted into group four. They waited near the main hall for their new trainer.
"Yall still don't know how to find your trainer. I was waiting here for a long time and not a single person noticed me. Just as expected from low realm cultivators."
A sudden deep voice was heard behind Xie Ra's group. They were startled. Those harsh words doubled their anxiety. The owner of that voice sat on the main hall window right behind them. He was very handsome. His long ponytail fell on his chest over his shoulder.
He jumped and lazily walked towards them.
"I am your new trainer. Call me senior Cao Xueqin. I don't know what luck you had to have a nascent as your trainer. But, remember I don't like to waste my time with you. So you better train well. I'm not here to play with a bunch of amateurs."
This young man was the most arrogant one Xie Ra saw in his both lifetimes. He wasn't sure why he was appointed for the juniors like them either. Despite feeling happy to have a nascent realm trainer, he was scared that this person might bully them.
It didn't take a long time to prove that his intuition was right.