"A Cultivator must detach from self-reflection... He should focus only on the present and not be unaware of his own weariness."
— This is a philosophical line reflecting the importance of self-awareness and being grounded in the present moment.
The next morning, while a few classmates who arrived early were not paying attention, I secretly placed the love letter and talisman I had prepared into Zhang Yu's desk drawer. The whole morning, I couldn't help but secretly delight in anticipation!
My deskmate, Zhang Xiaoman, noticed that my gaze was always directed towards Zhang Yu, and her expression became one of disdain. It seemed that my influence in Xiaoman's eyes had really taken a downturn. As a Cultivator, I could very much feel how others perceived me.
Ever since I began cultivating, I no longer dared to practice during class, fearing that I might accidentally exhibit strange or unusual behavior and attract attention. Without cultivation to occupy my mind, I had no choice but to read books on cultivation, occasionally attending some lessons from my teachers.
During the first class in the morning, Zhang Yu finally noticed the love letter and talisman. Her reaction was quite exaggerated. First, her small mouth opened in surprise, and her face immediately flushed red. She then looked around nervously and hurriedly stuffed the love letter and talisman into her bag.
I saw it all and couldn't help but chuckle to myself. Zhang Yu actually had a bit of charm. How come I never noticed it before? Hehe!
The life of a sophomore was very dull. Our school didn't have any school tyrants organizing events, nor was there any selection for campus beauty or heartthrob. Ah! How boring.
I found that I didn't quite fit in with my classmates. They were all nervously studying, constantly preparing for next year's college entrance exams. Being at a key school, the academic atmosphere was different. Was I a bit special?
I decided to be a good student. This seemed to be my second decision to study hard, hehe! I had been so busy with cultivation that I nearly forgot I was a student. Hmm, studying hard is important.
At the end of my first year, I ranked near the bottom of the class in the exam results. And there was even some cheating involved! Oh my god! Thinking about it now, I felt sorry for my dad, my studies, and my third uncle.
I had to pick up my studies from where I had left off. Starting from that day, I found all the textbooks from my first year and even from middle school, and began reading them from the beginning.
A week later, I finished all the middle school textbooks. There didn't seem to be anything too difficult. Was I really that bad, that weak before? Every day as I read my middle school books, my cousin Zhang Fuhong would give me a cold laugh, and my deskmate, Zhang Xiaoman, would stare at me like I was an idiot.
I ignored their astonishment and continued with my studies. I didn't believe there was anything more difficult than cultivation in this world.
It seemed like every time I entered the classroom during that week, there was a pair of eyes watching me. Maybe I was just too sensitive.
Another week passed, and I had gone through all the first-year textbooks. Hmm? I realized that none of it was too difficult. It seemed that I understood everything in those books. Cultivation is so great! After cultivating, studying felt so easy. I studied during the day and cultivated at night. The world is wonderful!
Before I knew it, it was the week before the National Day holiday. A few class officers gathered a few times and then told the class that there would be a trip organized for the National Day holiday, and everyone needed to contribute fifty yuan.
Bah! I couldn't be bothered to go. I'd rather spend that money on yellow talisman paper and cinnabar brushes to draw talismans for fun. Recently, I had been paying attention to Zhang Yu, and the three talismans I gave her were ones I personally drew. I could feel that she had been carrying them around, and her complexion had gradually improved. Her increasing smiles indicated that my talismans were effective. I felt a great sense of accomplishment. Zhang Yu used to look pale and withered, but now, with the protective and purifying talismans, she had changed so much.
I glanced at my deskmate, Wu Xiaoman, and an idea flitted through my mind: Maybe I should give her a fertility talisman? Hehe, wait, what am I thinking? This is a mental obstacle, a cultivation-related heart demon!
During lunch, the class officers began to announce the arrangements for the outdoor trip and picnic group assignments.
"Zhang Santong, Cao Kui, Cheng Fan, Chen Yu, you four are in the same group."
What? I didn't even sign up, how did I end up in this list? I asked my cousin, Zhang Fuhong, who was a class officer, "Did you make a mistake? I'm not going, and I didn't sign up."
"...?" My cousin looked puzzled as well.
I noticed that Zhang Yu suddenly became a bit uneasy. At first, I didn't pay much attention, but just as I was about to repeat my decision not to go, a commotion came from outside the classroom.
Curious and boisterous, Cao Kui and Cheng Fan quickly ran outside. Everyone else followed suit, leaving only the quiet Zhang Yu and me who didn't want to move.
Zhang Yu turned around to glance at me, seemed like she wanted to say something, but her face turned red, and she quickly turned away.
Hehe, she's so cute. I laid down on my desk, trying to nap for a bit.
But not long after, a sharp scream pierced through the classroom.
"Ah! ...!"
Oh my god, what's going on with Wu Xiaoman? It startled me. I looked up and saw Xiaoman hurriedly running into the classroom, looking like she was about to vomit. Her face was as white as a sheet. Didn't she just go play ping pong after lunch?
Seeing her in such a state, it looked just like how women on TV act when they're pregnant. I thought for a second and was suddenly shocked—she couldn't have secretly stolen my fertility talisman, could she?
I hurriedly checked my bag. Thankfully, the fertility talisman was still there.
Out of curiosity, I asked Xiaoman, "What happened?"
"...Wuwu... Ghost..."
Sweat! Xiaoman, how could there be a ghost in the daytime? I couldn't figure it out, so I left the classroom to see what was going on.
By the school's ping pong table, a group of students had gathered. I walked over and met Cao Kui, who had a dumbfounded look on his face. I asked him what happened.
Cao Kui cursed, "Damn, we've seen a ghost!" and then explained the situation.
It turned out that during lunch, Xiaoman was playing ping pong with a few classmates. The ball accidentally fell into a small hole. A few of the boys watching volunteered to bring a bucket of water to fill the hole. After pouring about ten buckets of water, the ping pong ball still didn't float up. Finally, with a loud crash, the ground around the hole caved in several meters deep. Halfway up the wall of the pit, a human head with long hair and wide-open eyes appeared, facing the sky. One hand was pointed at the sky, and the clothing on its arm was all torn, revealing withered muscles. The nails on its fingers were about half a foot long and curved, which was extremely terrifying.
As Cao Kui described the scene, I couldn't help but shudder. No wonder Xiaoman looked so terrified.
Amitabha Buddha!