I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script-Chapter 77

After a swordsmanship class ended, Lu Beichen was once again surrounded by students, only managing to give Xu Shulou a slight nod from afar. He hadn’t expected to run into Xu Shulou at Xuan Cang Academy, and his emotions were inevitably complicated. Wei Xuandao had brought his fate upon himself—his death and the collapse of his cultivation path could hardly be blamed on Xu Shulou. At most, Lu Beichen privately resented her for handling the matter so ruthlessly in front of everyone.

Xu Shulou returned the nod and left the classroom. However, a female classmate who often dined with her excitedly caught up to her at the door. "Lu Beichen just nodded at you!"

Xu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‍Shulou didn’t quite understand why Lu Beichen nodding at her was such a big deal. Back when he had been pinned under her sword and she had asked him, "Do you admit defeat?" he had once nodded so vigorously it looked like he was pounding garlic.

Still, she politely smiled at her classmate.

That evening during dinner, everyone crowded around her, eager for gossip. Before Xu Shulou could even interject, the others had already started arguing among themselves.

"Our Xiao Yi is beautiful and constantly praised by the teachers—why wouldn’t she be a good match for Lu Beichen?"

"No matter how much she’s praised, she’s still just a student. There’s naturally a gap between her and Lu Beichen!"

The dining hall’s offerings that night didn’t appeal to Xu Shulou, so she only took a plate of mulberries. As she ate the fruit, she listened to the bickering around her, finding it both amusing and exasperating.

When she glanced at her junior sister beside her, she noticed Bai Roushuang’s face was flushed red. Startled, she asked, "What’s wrong with you?"

"Trying to hold it in," Bai Roushuang snatched a mulberry from her senior sister’s plate and transmitted her voice. "You have no idea how badly I want to slam the table and tell them it’s Lu Beichen who isn’t worthy of my senior sister."

Xu Shulou chuckled. "Why bother arguing over this? Besides, what does ‘worthy’ even mean?"

Bai Roushuang chewed on the mulberry. "If everyone’s this worked up over a Lu Beichen, imagine their reaction if they knew Xu Shulou was sitting right in front of them."

That was hard to say… Xu Shulou thought of her own reputation and sighed. "Better not let them know. If their first instinct is to scatter and flee, I’d lose all face."

"..." Bai Roushuang had no rebuttal.

Fortunately, they didn’t need to intervene—the group’s gossip soon shifted topics. Someone shook their head and said, "Stop dreaming. I heard Lu Beichen has been getting close to Miss Shen from Azure Sky Fort recently."

"Miss Shen? The one ranked fifth on the Celestial Pride List, Shen Wanci?"

"Exactly. Both are elites on the list—aren’t they a perfect match?"

"Ah, another prodigy from a prestigious sect. No use envying that." The group sighed and moved on.

"..."

———

Lu Beichen didn’t stay long at Xuan Cang Academy. After briefly boosting his reputation, he left.

Around the same time, the academy announced the results of the students’ recent examinations, and everyone promptly forgot about Lu Beichen, focusing instead on their studies.

"Number One Twenty-One" was, unsurprisingly, the undisputed top scorer. Xu Shulou felt a little embarrassed, thinking that with her level of cultivation, she really shouldn’t be stealing rankings from these students. Bai Roushuang, however, was puzzled. "Why care about them? Many of them are older and have trained longer than you. Should you apologize for being more talented?"

Xu Shulou looked at her junior sister in surprise.

Bai Roushuang wrinkled her nose. "What? Didn’t expect me to say something so wise?"

Xu Shulou flicked her forehead lightly. "You’re right. I overthought it." freewebnøvel.coɱ

Bai Roushuang grinned smugly.

Xu Shulou, of course, won a single dormitory. She stepped into the modest room, looked around, changed the curtains, took out a few delicate ornaments from her Qiankun Bracelet to decorate, and watered the potted plant by the window before settling in comfortably. The view outside her window was of verdant pines and a sea of clouds—a sight Xu Shulou loved so much that she often flew straight out the window to attend classes. She even released the little dark cloud she’d bought from the City of Eternal Night, letting it blend into the sea of clouds.

Her junior brothers and sisters also performed well, especially Feng Yi, who achieved outstanding results in "Combat and Care of Spirit Beasts," astonishing even the teacher.

Though the exam content was largely based on what they’d learned over the past three months, the rankings still revealed a clear gap among the students. Those who carried themselves with arrogance—clearly from prestigious sects and groomed by renowned masters—mostly ranked at the top, including the domineering Young Master Thirty-Three.

One day, as Xu Shulou prepared to float among the clouds and read, she came across a girl quietly sobbing by the cliff.

She recognized her as "Number Two Zero Six," whom she often saw in the dining hall, and approached softly. "Are you alright?"

Number Two Zero Six looked up, startled, and wiped her tears. "It’s you."

"Are you… homesick?" Xu Shulou asked. She knew this girl had only recently entered the cultivation world from the mortal realm and was lucky enough to enroll at Xuan Cang Academy, where she could lay a solid foundation for her cultivation journey.

"No," the girl shook her head. "It’s because of the exam results."

"If you don’t want to share a dorm, you can borrow my little house," Xu Shulou offered.

"It’s not about the dorm," the girl bit her lip. "It’s the ranking itself—I’m near the bottom."

"What’s the big deal? You’ve only just started cultivating," Xu Shulou reassured her. "Take your time."

Number Two Zero Six sighed dejectedly. "But most of the top-ranked students are from renowned sects. When will someone like me ever stand out?"

"Most, but not all. These three months are just the beginning—who knows what the future holds?" Xu Shulou sat beside her. "Besides, cultivation is about refining your own heart, becoming a better version of yourself. It doesn’t matter if you can’t surpass others. As long as you’re wiser and stronger than you were yesterday, your time here isn’t wasted."

The girl fiddled with her fingers. "You’re the top scorer—it’s easy for you to say that."

"..."

"Speaking of which, you’re from the mortal world too, right? How did you do it?"

Xu Shulou thought for a moment. "Nothing special, really. Success comes down to two things: talent and effort. You can’t do without either."

She might have seemed lazy in recent years, but to reach her current level, she must have put in the work.

Number Two Zero Six slumped. "Then there’s probably no hope for me. I doubt I have much talent."

"You even making it into the cultivation world means you’re one in a thousand," Xu Shulou reminded her. "Since you’re already here, why keep doubting yourself?"

"But if only I’d been born in the cultivation world," the girl murmured. "Growing up surrounded by it, I’d surely do better."

"Human desires know no bounds," Xu Shulou smiled. "Who’s to say those born into the cultivation world don’t dream of being born in the celestial realm instead? To be an immortal from birth, free from the toils of cultivation—wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

No. 206 was momentarily stunned by her words. "Do you really think so?"

Xu Shulou plucked a blade of grass and tucked it between her lips. "Who knows?"

The girl, distracted by her words, felt the weight in her heart lighten inexplicably. She exhaled. "Thank you for comforting me."

Xu Shulou chuckled. "As long as you don’t find me tedious."

No. 206 flushed slightly. "Not at all. You came here to read, didn’t you? I won’t disturb you any longer."

She hurried off, and Xu Shulou watched her retreating figure before leaning back on the grass. She brought the blade of grass to her lips and played a soft, whimsical tune.

To live as a human is to know both joy and sorrow in equal measure. Yet, being human means being bound to worldly concerns—some trivial, some profound. Some fret over rankings, others over nations and empires, and still others simply agonize over what to eat for dinner...

Xu Shulou’s thoughts wandered freely until the melody ended. She patted her robes and stood. "Aren’t you coming out, Elder?"

She had sensed someone nearby during her conversation with No. 206—someone who had hesitated, perhaps awkward at the sight of a weeping girl. After sending No. 206 away, Xu Shulou had deliberately closed her eyes and played her tune, giving the unseen observer a chance to leave. Yet, they had stayed, listening to the very last note.

The figure emerged from behind a tree with a faint smile.

Xu Shulou bowed. "Teacher Xue."

"No need for formalities," said the man, a true master of swordsmanship in his own right, unlike the guest lecturer Lu Beichen. He studied Xu Shulou thoughtfully. "Your temperament is particularly suited to the way of the sword."

Xu Shulou blinked, unsure which part of their earlier exchange had earned his approval.

Teacher Xue offered no explanation. With those words, he departed as quietly as he had arrived.

Xu Shulou didn’t dwell on it. She leaped into the sea of clouds, floating amidst them as she flipped open a book on arcane arts.

That evening, her junior disciples and close classmates threw a small bonfire celebration in honor of Xu Shulou’s first-place achievement.

Meat was hard to come by in Xuan Cang Academy, so the group roasted fruits over the fire instead. Each new fruit introduced was met with alternating skepticism ("Can you even eat this roasted?") and delight ("Wait, this is actually good?").

Xu Shulou contributed some recently brewed spirit wine, and the combination of fire-kissed fruit and wine proved unexpectedly enjoyable.

Reclining on a lounge chair, she nibbled on a skewered peach glazed with honey and dusted with sweet rice powder. The flickering firelight danced across her face as Bai Roushuang gazed at her, chin propped on her hands.

Xu Shulou raised an eyebrow. "Why are you staring?"

Bai Roushuang grinned. "Just looking at you makes me feel warm and at ease."

Xu Shulou smirked. "How’s your progress in ‘Spiritual Energy Conversion’?"

Bai Roushuang’s face fell. "Now you’ve ruined the warmth and ease."

Xu Shulou laughed triumphantly.

Just then, Ji Ci arrived late. Xu Shulou glanced up. "Weren’t you supposed to be in seclusion, focusing on your studies? What brings you here?"

Ji Ci shrugged. "Fortunately, my self-control is strong. I suppressed the urge to refine pills just to join you all."

"..." Such remarkable self-control indeed.

The group sang and danced until dawn. A classmate clapped Xu Shulou on the shoulder. "I still don’t know your true origins, but I already consider you a kindred spirit."

Xu Shulou was genuinely moved—and sincerely hoped the sentiment would survive the revelation of her identity.

Days at Xuan Cang Academy passed one after another. For now, Xu Shulou was content with this life, with no thoughts of running away.