Chapter 78: Taking It Easy - I Forged Them in Darkness, and They Buried Me in It

**Chapter 78: Taking It Easy** After breakfast, Chen An retraced his steps back to the dormitory. As he pushed the door open, he found his three roommates already awake and preparing to head out. Chen An greeted them politely. "Good morning." Xie Wenqing and Sun Zhenjiang couldn't help but twitch at the corners of their mouths, internally remarking that he must have truly slept soundly last night, completely unaware of how they had mocked him. Yet, here he was, acting as if nothing had happened... However, the saying goes that one doesn't hit a smiling face, so the two of them refrained from further taunting and instead gave a subdued grunt before continuing with their tasks. Only Shao Ren, who had always shown a willingness to be amicable with Chen An, waved with a smile. "Morning, Chen An." He neatly folded his blanket and approached Chen An. "You know, back in high school, I was always the first to wake up in the dorm, didn't expect to meet a rival today." Chen An casually replied, "If you sleep early, you naturally wake up early." Shao Ren appeared momentarily embarrassed as something occurred to him, scratching his head awkwardly. "That's really quite early." Chen An fell silent and climbed into bed, lying down. Noting the scene, the three exchanged bewildered glances. Soon, having almost finished packing up, they headed for the door. After some thought, Shao Ren called out to Chen An lying on the bed, "Chen An, have you had breakfast? We plan to grab something to eat first and then head straight to the plaza. Want to join us?" Chen An didn't move, responding lazily, "I've eaten. You guys go ahead." With no other option, Shao Ren hurried to catch up with the other two who had already left. On the way, hearing the footsteps approaching, Xie Wenqing looked back, noticing Shao Ren coming alone, and cast a glance at the courtyard of Biyuan No. 4, unable to help but comment, "He's just putting on a show, why bother with him?" Beside him, Sun Zhenjiang quickly agreed, "Yeah, Shao Ren, you're too easygoing, indulging him too much." The three had subtly formed a small group, excluding a certain someone, aiming to pull Shao Ren into their circle of gossip. But Shao Ren couldn't shake the image of Chen An's nonchalant demeanor, muttering softly, "I don't know, he seems genuinely unconcerned..." "Look at how he greeted us this morning." Hearing this, Xie Wenqing's expression changed, and he fell silent, burying his head as he walked. Sun Zhenjiang nudged Shao Ren with his elbow, leaning in to whisper, "You shouldn't say things like that. It's like you're calling Xie Wenqing a fool." He couldn't help but be a bit reproachful, "If you offend him, then who's going to shield us in the future?" Shao Ren raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, "Well, look at you, Sun Zhenjiang, turns out you're quite observant and clear-sighted!" ... ... After breakfast in the cafeteria, the trio made their way to the plaza where they had collected their badges the day before. Though called a plaza, it was actually just a platform by the cliff's edge. The camaraderie built overnight had rendered the young participants all the more lively and active. Shao Ren searched the crowd, scanning left and right, but Chen An was nowhere to be seen. Noticing his behavior, Sun Zhenjiang nudged him with an elbow out of habit. "Don't bother looking; he's not here." Surprised, Shao Ren asked, "There are so many people, how can you be so sure he's not here?" Sun Zhenjiang snorted, "With his looks and demeanor, if he were here, would you still need to search?" Shao Ren considered refuting, but then conceded there was some truth to what Sun Zhenjiang said. Soon, Principal Yan appeared. Standing atop a protruding boulder serving as a makeshift podium, his voice boomed like a bell across the plaza, allowing every student to hear him clearly even without a microphone. After some preliminary formalities and generic motivational statements, he finally arrived at the content the students were eagerly anticipating. "We have established four major departments for this session: Sword Cultivation, Formation Cultivation, Talisman Crafting, and Spell Studies. Don't ask why there's no Blade Cultivation—it's simply because we haven't found a suitable teacher yet..." Principal Yan made a rare joke, eliciting laughter from the crowd below. Clearing his throat, he resumed his serious demeanor, "Many of you are already aware, our courses will be entirely elective. We won't impose much interference in your classes..." "Just let me emphasize one thing..." "And I'll reiterate..." "..." "Oh, right, daily class schedules and locations will be posted in the official group chat." At this, Principal Yan beckoned, and a black-clad man stepped forward, raising a large board displaying a QR code. "Alright, everyone, scan the code and join the group." ... ... With Principal Yan's dismissal, the assembly concluded. Shao Ren and his companions made their way back to the dormitory, visibly excited. Most of the passersby wore similar expressions of enthusiasm. "Darn, training officially begins this afternoon. Just the thought makes me a bit giddy," Shao Ren remarked, unable to resist clenching his fist in anticipation. Eyeing Xie Wenqing, Sun Zhenjiang added casually, "Haha, remember not to forget us when you make it big. Whoever makes it into the inner circle first should look out for us." Catching on, Shao Ren quickly chimed in, "Of course, it'll probably be our dear big brother Xie!" Xie Wenqing, hearing this, couldn't help but feel a smug satisfaction at finally being acknowledged. Nonetheless, he maintained an air of humility, "Oh, you're too kind, overestimating me." Shao Ren and Sun Zhenjiang exchanged a glance, sparing further words. Returning to the dorm, Shao Ren opened the door first, only to see a certain young man lying on the upper bunk, seemingly napping. Having suspected as much, Shao Ren was still taken aback, "Chen An, you really didn't attend the meeting?" "Nope." From the upper bunk came Chen An’s leisurely, indifferent voice. Shao Ren couldn't help but quip, "Do you plan on just lying there forever?" Continuing with a heartfelt lecture, he advised, "We're the triad of new-age, new-quality, new-culture youths. We can't be so lazy! Remember, the future of national defense relies on talents like us, nurtured at the intersection of technology and cultivation!" His words were resolutely earnest. Chen An sat up, giving a thoughtful nod. "You’re right," he agreed. Seeing this, Shao Ren finally looked satisfied, feeling accomplished for guiding a lost youth back on track. It was the prime age for ambition, for dedicating oneself to cultivation and study, and Shao Ren couldn't bear to see Chen An resign himself in despair. Chen An got out of bed and walked out of the room. In the dorm, Shao Ren watched his departing figure, momentarily stunned. Turning to the others, he asked, "What's he up to?" Sun Zhenjiang rolled his eyes, "You ask me, who should I ask?" As for Xie Wenqing, he merely let out a derisive snort, mocking, "I'm sure he's just putting on an act of effort after hearing your words." Chen An soon returned, dispelling their curiosity. For he came back carrying a bamboo chair. The young man set the chair in the courtyard, reclined on it, and comfortably closed his eyes. Chen An thought to himself, Shao Ren was right. Lying in bed during the day always seemed to be lacking something. (End of chapter)