Demons and monsters wreak havoc: gain one new confidante every day.

"Why wouldn't I dare!" Shen You agreed without hesitation.

His greatest reliance was naturally his "Fate Jade". No matter what kind of filth was in the lotus pond, even if it was a man-eating female ghost, he was confident that he could find a way to get closer to the female ghost by relying on the "Fate Value" shown by the "Fate Jade".

"Anyway, if I can't master the 'Golden Snake Skill' in one night, I'll most likely die at the hands of Old Ghost Huang! I might as well take a gamble and find a female ghost to have a romance with! My life or death depends on this gamble!" Shen You gritted his teeth, having made up his mind at this moment.

Since death was inevitable anyway, he naturally wanted to take a big gamble. In life-or-death situations, he was never one to run away or shrink back.

"Xiao Tian!" Shen You said, "Carry me to the lotus pond!"

"But...but..." As expected, Tian Yi'er hesitated again.

Shen You sneered, "I'm the one who's really going to cross the lotus pond, not you. What are you afraid of? At worst, when we get there, you can just leave me behind and run back! Are you afraid of people, afraid of ghosts, even ghosts you can't see? When will you ever muster up the courage to do that?"

These words stunned Tian Yi'er. His expression struggled for a moment before he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, Brother Shen, I'll carry you across!"

"That's more like it!" Shen You nodded.

Shi Jie, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow: "You guys are really going over there?"

"Of course!" Shen You looked at him coldly. "Didn't you want us to go?"

"Ha! Interesting!" Shi Jie said coldly. "Then you can rest assured. I'll come and collect your bodies first thing tomorrow morning... provided your bodies are still there!"

"Thank you for your trouble!" Shen You snorted coldly, enduring the pain as she stuffed the "Golden Snake Skill" manual into her bosom. She then said to Tian Yi'er, "Little Tian, ​​let's go!"

"Yes, Brother Shen!" Tian Yi'er carried Shen You on her back.

"Wait, Xiaotian!" Shen You frowned. "Let's eat something first!"

"Okay..." Tian Yi'er nodded.

Shi Jie, standing nearby, sneered, "So you're full before you set off?"

"Say another word!" Shen You glared at Shi Jie. "I'll tell that female ghost there's a handsome young man in Huangfeng Courtyard named Shi Jie. He's got rosy lips, white teeth, and fair skin. See if she comes looking for you then!"

"Me... with delicate skin?" Shi Jie pointed to himself, astonished.

"Wouldn't that be even better?" Shen You sneered. "If she finds you and realizes she's been tricked, she'll be furious. What do you think she'll do to you?"

Shi Jie's face darkened instantly, and he said no more. He stared coldly at Shen You, secretly hoping to collect the body of this reckless brat the next morning.

Tian Yi'er led Shen You to the kitchen and found a few cold, dry steamed buns. Shen You hadn't eaten anything since he ate a bowl of noodles with Aunt Dou that morning. He was surprised to see the steamed buns.

"Is this all you usually eat?" Shen You turned to look at Tian Yi'er.

"No," Tian Yi'er explained. "Every day at mealtimes, someone comes to the courtyard to deliver meals, all kinds of side dishes, rice, and pastries. But we arrive late, so only these steamed buns are left."

"I see!" Shen You nodded, not being picky at all, and began to wolf down the steamed bun. After all, he would definitely be practicing his martial arts later, so he needed to replenish his strength in order to avoid being too weak later.

This was also his experience from practicing the "White Ape Stance" in the middle of the night. Practicing martial arts is a very physically demanding activity, so food must be provided.

"If only I could find the old lady in the inner courtyard! Then I wouldn't have to worry about food!" Shen You thought to himself. Unfortunately, there was a high wall separating the inner and outer courtyards, and he didn't know how to find the people in the outer courtyard from the inner courtyard.

After eating her fill of steamed buns, Shen You finally let Tian Yi'er carry her on her back as they set off.

Arriving outside Huangfeng Academy, this time, we ventured deeper into the East Garden, finally spotting a few scattered apprentices in blue robes along the way.

"Once you reach the inner courtyard, the apprentices in blue robes are responsible for various miscellaneous tasks. As for the servants, unless they have special skills, they generally cannot enter the inner courtyard," Tian Yi'er explained. "Those of us who have entered the smaller courtyards are responsible for the miscellaneous tasks within our respective courtyards. The ordinary blue robes are responsible for the miscellaneous tasks in the areas outside the smaller courtyards, including the entire main courtyard."

"Besides handling miscellaneous tasks, the apprentices in blue robes also have to carry out tasks assigned by the head steward regularly, and assist the pharmacist with some daily affairs. These tasks usually yield good rewards. In addition to miscellaneous tasks and missions, the apprentices in blue robes still have to spend a lot of time cultivating."

"The pharmacists in each courtyard of the inner academy teach martial arts techniques and guide the training of the blue-robed apprentices. The ordinary blue-robed apprentices outside are still taught by the waist-sword guards of the academy. In addition, all blue-robed apprentices often have access to large classes, including martial arts classes, miscellaneous classes, medical classes, and so on. These large classes are usually taught by important figures in the academy, including the Grand Commander, the Grand Steward, and the Imperial Pharmacists, who may appear to teach. Such large classes are very valuable, and once a notice is issued, no one would want to miss them."

"Here..." Tian Yi'er said with a look of longing in her eyes, "If you work diligently and cultivate steadily, and persevere for three to five years, as long as you can become a third-rank disciple, you can be promoted to a white-robed apprentice. At that time, you will completely get rid of your former background and become a disciple of all the pharmacists. From then on, your status will be very different, and your future will be limitless."

"So do you think you can become a white-robed apprentice?" Shen You asked with a cold laugh when he saw how expectant Tian Yi'er was.

"I...don't know..." Tian Yi'er shook her head blankly.

"You can't do it!" Shen You said without hesitation. "You didn't even dare to fight back against a few men in blue who bullied you. What makes you think you can become a white-robed official? Even if you're talented, and you do become a third-rank official, you'll still be blocking other people's way. You'll be killed before you even become a white-robed official!"

"Everyone here wants to enter the inner courtyard, everyone wants to become a Qingyi or a Baiyi, but it's not that easy! Opportunities are limited, and everyone is baring their teeth to fight! To advance further, it's nothing more than the survival of the fittest!" Shen You said coldly, "If you want to become a Baiyi, you must kill two people like I did today. Can you do that?"

"I...can't do it..." Tian Yi'er lowered his head deeply. He knew he couldn't do it; he had never been able to do anything since before. Although he had become a martial artist and received recognition during his apprenticeship in Ma Yi due to his outstanding talent, he knew deep down that he was just an imposter. Someone like Shen You was the real deal.

Even though he had only known Shen You for a short time, he firmly believed that the fearless Brother Shen would surely achieve great things in the future.

"Oda! So I'll tell you a shortcut to becoming a white-collar worker!"

Shen You coldly glanced at Tian Yi'er, and seeing him stare at her with wide eyes, she sneered, "As long as you follow my lead and stand on my side no matter what, that's all you need!"