Douluo: The Unrivaled Demon Lord

Chapter 17: The Gap Between the Outer Courtyard and the Inner Courtyard (Please Read!)
Shu Yan didn't have much worries about the afternoon assessment.

Han Ruoruo also had confidence in Shu Yan. After politely declining Du Weilun's offer to arrange a temporary place for them to stay, she took Shu Yan back to the path by the Sea God Lake.

A refreshing breeze blew in from the lake in the distance, and the hair of the two people moved slightly in the wind. Most of the willow trees by the lake were old, and the branches looked very rough, but the willow branches hanging down from above appeared particularly green and tender. Being in such a beautiful environment would make people's mood unconsciously become beautiful and comfortable, which can be seen from Han Ruoruo's expression.

"When I was studying in the Outer Court, I loved walking along this path. But then I moved to the Inner Court, and my life became increasingly busy and fulfilling. I spent most of my free time in the library, so I rarely walked around the Outer Court area."

Han Ruoruo put her hands behind her back, turned her head to look at Shu Yan and smiled, her posture revealing a rare hint of girlish liveliness.

Shu Yan stopped and vaguely saw the outline of an island across the misty lake.

"That's Seagod Island. The Inner Court and Seagod Pavilion are both built on the island. That's where the real Shrek Academy is. The Outer Court is essentially just an extension of Shrek Academy."

Han Ruoruo stood beside Shu Yan and spoke softly.

"The water is filled with mist and abundant spiritual energy. The closer we get to the island, the more active the energy of heaven and earth becomes. It is indeed a good place for meditation."

Shu Yan made a very pertinent evaluation.

"Yeah, but if you live near a lake, it's best not to open the windows in the early morning or evening, otherwise your bed will be damp at night."

Han Ruoruo recalled the time when she had just entered the inner courtyard. Because she didn't realize this, she could only meditate on a hard bench all night.

After a while, the two continued to walk forward. Anyway, there was still some time before the afternoon, and Shu Yan was happy to accompany Han Ruoruo for a walk, which was a good opportunity to relax himself.

Before they knew it, the two of them arrived near the dormitory building for the external school students.

Speaking of which, although the External Affairs College only has this one dormitory building, it has six floors and occupies a large area, so it can accommodate many students from the External Affairs College.

Different floors of the dormitory building are also marked with four different colors: white, yellow, purple and black. Obviously, the living areas for students of different grades are strictly divided.

Han Ruoruo looked at the towering buildings in front of her and felt a little emotional for a moment, but then she looked at Shu Yan again and said cunningly:
"It's a good thing, Ayan, that you plan to study directly in the inner courtyard. To be honest, the environment in the outer courtyard dormitory is not very good. I heard that there is only one public bathroom on the first four floors of the male dormitory, and the bathroom is an open-air design. In the middle of summer..."

Han Ruoruo didn't say what to say next, but the scene automatically emerged in Shu Yan's mind.

To be honest, he was used to it, but the thought of hundreds or even thousands of people on a single floor sharing a single bathroom in the middle of summer still gave him goosebumps.

Because it really has too much life and flavor...

"Sister Ruoruo, where is your girls' dormitory?"

After thinking about it, Shu Yan asked another question casually.

Han Ruoruo seemed to be reminiscing, and after a moment she said softly:
"Our girls' dormitory is fine. At least we don't have hundreds or even thousands of people fighting over one bathroom. A lot of female students in the academy raised funds to renovate our dormitories on the fifth and sixth floors. Although they're still far from luxurious and comfortable after the renovations, at least they're suitable for daily living."

After saying this, Han Ruoruo chuckled again, and then continued:
"Didn't I say before that the Outer Court is just an extension of the academy itself, and the Inner Court is the real Shrek Academy? The food, clothing, housing, and transportation there are unimaginable for Outer Court students. Even the fees for places like the simulated training grounds, the arena, and the fighting spirit arena are extremely low, making them completely burdenless for Inner Court students." "It can be said that most of Shrek City's tax revenue, and even the various incomes from the Outer Court, are used to train Inner Court students. This is one of the reasons why the selection standards for the Inner Court are so high..."

"You may not believe this, Ayan, but the number of students in the inner courtyard has rarely exceeded fifty since ancient times."

"But even among these less than fifty people, almost all of them have the potential to become Titled Douluo. Once they graduate, they will all be at the Soul Emperor level at the very least. With their talent and strength, they will be courteously treated and recruited by all nations, including the Sun-Moon Empire. This shows how valuable they are."

Shu Yan listened quietly to Han Ruoruo finish speaking, then chuckled and said:
"Then I have to enter this inner courtyard. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to fight with hundreds or even thousands of people for the same restroom..."

Han Ruoruo was amused by Shu Yan. She gently straightened Shu Yan's messy collar and said:
"There are many houses and buildings on Poseidon Island, but few people live there. If you successfully enter the inner courtyard, you can choose your own dormitory."

"Of course. Next to my dormitory, there's a two-story wooden building that was recently cleaned. I also planted a lot of flowers there. It's quite suitable for living..."

Well, Han Ruoruo had no intention of hiding her thoughts at all. Even the hand that was fixing Shu Yan's collar "accidentally" touched the skin on Shu Yan's neck. The cold touch stimulated Shu Yan's nerves, making him shiver uncontrollably.

To be honest, he had never felt this chill down his spine when he killed someone before...

Looking at Han Ruoruo's beautiful smiling eyes, Shu Yan decisively raised his hands in surrender.

"I think it would be nice to live next door to you, Sister Ruoruo. I can also help you take care of the flowers and plants. Hmm... Sister Ruoruo, what do you think?"

As soon as the words fell, the chilling feeling on the spine disappeared instantly, and the smile on Han Ruoruo's face was still bright, but this time Shu Yan always felt a little awkward, not knowing where the problem lay.

……

When passing by the white building door, Shu Yan's eyes shifted slightly to the side, but he did not see the expected scene.

At this time, there were many freshmen in white school uniforms entering and exiting the white building entrance, but there was no one on the wooden rocking chair next to the entrance that looked a bit old.

A breeze blew, and the quaint rocking chair swayed in a very light arc, as if someone was sitting on it, giving it an inexplicable feeling of loneliness and old age.

Shu Yan withdrew his gaze and didn't think much about it.

Han Ruoruo pulled him out of Shrek Academy. The environment in the outer canteen was too bad, the food didn't taste very good, and there were many rules. She didn't want to solve the lunch problem here, but she knew there was a small restaurant with good food in Shrek City.

Shu Yan smiled helplessly and let Han Ruoruo, who looked like a little girl at this time, pull him forward.

The students from the Foreign Affairs College, unaware of the situation, thought it was just two senior students displaying affection in public. Their clear eyes occasionally flashed with envy and longing, a certain naiveté that seemed untouched by society's harsh treatment.

……

(End of this chapter)