22 Morning Light Pavilion

[Excommunicate him! He dares!]

"Xue, although we will be in the same class, it's still okay. We should, at least, bear with it as long as he doesn't pester me." Chang Xiuying packed a notebook, a pen, and her wrapped lunch inside her storage bag. She glanced at one of her hidden training room that she bought with the accumulation of two years of contribution points that was worth of 2 million Rubies.

It was a well-off ground that can slow the time when one was training inside. 10 hours inside the room is equivalent to 1 hour outside. Chang Xiuying contemplated, "Maybe I should practice first before going down."

However, Yao Yun entered with a knock. "I heard that you wanted 10 minutes to prepare, I doubt that. Do you want to escape from your first day of school?" Yao Yun smiled as his face brightened. His height already looks like a 7-year-old boy and a sword in his belt. He removed one of his gloves and gestured to Chang Xiuying that he will take her downstairs.

[Damn him. Host, he showed up. What would you do? Options: (1) kill him (2) bury him alive; and (3) kick him out of the window.]

"Pfft. Calm down, Xue, he didn't know anything back then as he's only a child when that happened. Besides, it's already 2 years ago."

Chang Xiuying clasped his hands and shook it before retrieving her hand back before he could grasp it. She also smiled to the boy that became mesmerized with this sweet candy. "I won't escape. I just wanted to look more at the scenery outside."

Yao Yun nodded then walked over to her bookshelves that are full of books and there were even some stacked books on the floor beside shelves. He grabbed one book from the shelves and skimmed through it. "This is a good book. Where did you borrow it? This book is not the one that you can see normally inside this village."

[I suggest killing him.]

"…" Chang Xiuying just sighed inwardly. 'Honestly,' she thought, 'when did Xue become so short-tempered?'

"I do not know. It just arrived one day outside the pagoda. It was wrapped with fine black clothing and a paper was attached to it saying that it shall be given to me." Chang Xiuying said without hiding anything.

Yao Yun closed the book as he waved it around. "This book can also be used as a good weapon; hardcover, durable, and easy to carry."

[Why don't you use that book to kill him? We should fight him the way he wants us to.]

Chang Xiuying almost wanted to cough vigorously. She still can't believe that Xue would be so caught up with that accident down to its hard drive. Even Xue's thinking like this has become so suspicious. She telepathically asked, "Did you get an upgrade?"

[How the fu-… the Almighty System helped. Don't ask any more than this.]

Chang Xiuying shrugged. She walked closer to the door and Yao Yun followed her down. As they go down the stairs, they reached the dining room on the fourth floor of the pagoda.

On the fourth floor, a big square table was at the center of the room with 12 chairs around, 3 chairs at each side. There's a kitchen on the left side of the floor when one was against the stairs and an open window to peek out while cooking. There's also a sofa beside the bookshelf on the right side of the floor. Simple designs but it look extravagant.

Irene puts down numerous amounts of foods on the table, Jiang Li was helping with the arrangements of utensils, Jiang Hao was butchering up a wild beast at one part of the kitchen, and Yao Chen, sitting on a chair, can't help but frown when she watched Jiang Hao butchering up a beast in front of her. Although her race is much more superior to wild beasts, she just can't help but see that beast as her kind.

She slapped her face and muttered, "Those are inferior beings. The weak can be devoured and the strong shall remain" – Yao Chen glanced again – "but... this made me lose my appetite."

Chang Xiuying's eyes rolled and Yao Yun innocently came as he greeted his mother. Chang Xiuying sat down on one of the chairs as she smiled towards Jiang Li and Jiang Li returned her greeting with a smile. She was actually glad that Jiang Li stopped her hostility towards her 1 year ago. She doesn't know why but it was a good that Jiang Li changed. But it still continued to puzzle her.

"Ah Ying~" Irene called as she gave Chang Xiuying a crystal necklace; she wore it around the child's neck. "This is a protective rune from my family. Some of the children may make fun if you and you might be hurt in the process. This rune will light when it sensed that the wearer is in a grave danger."

Chang Xiuying touched the intricate carvings on the crystal. She gave out a bright smile then nodded happily. "I'll take care of this, Auntie Irene."

[You don't need this so-called protective rune. How little do they know that you're already a danger to this small village? What grave danger? They must be the one who'll be careful around you! Also, the design is lame!]

Chang Xiuying inhaled then exhaled deeply. Irene noticed this and asked, "Do you not like it?"

"No. This is the most beautiful gift that I received from you, Auntie Irene." Chang Xiuying shook her head. 'Seriously, Xue…'

[Heh.]

On the other hand, Yao Yun cringed as he watched Jiang Hao cleaned the interior of the wild beast.

"If one doesn't want to watch, don't watch." Yao Chen spoke carefully as she can't take her eyes off from that bloodied knife.

"Dear Mother, even though I usually hunt for wild beasts for my siblings, this is still too much." Yao Yun whispered as he doesn't really want Jiang Hao to hear his words.

"Don't mind it… f*ck, I don't want to watch but I can't stop."

"Ah Ying, you can now eat all of the food here on the table~" Irene gestured at the table with a bright smile.

"Wait, where's our food?" Yao Chen took off her eyes from the gruesome Jiang Hao as she looked at Irene confusedly.

"This is our food." Irene separated few from the numerous amounts of viands. "You see, these days, Ah Ying was being gluttonous that all of these are insufficient for her endless stomach. I have never seen such a 5-year-old eat so much."

"...", Yao Chen stares at the dishes that can be counted with one hand.

…

Between the North and West Garden Pagoda, there's a large body of water surrounding a large pavilion. The pavilion has 2 floors and a garden beside it. At the entrance of the pavilion, one can see the large engravings 'Morning Light Pavilion' and groups of children to adults lined up towards it.

This is the school that many elders established for the children to read and write the Common Language. However, those that exceeded the required age for studying, they are immediately rejected. Thus they don't own the right to study anymore. But one day, someone came from unknowns and built another learning system for them.

Therefore, the rules of the Morning Light Pavilion; whatever your age, you have the ability to learn and explore more.

A group of powerful figures came from another direction and let the two kids under their care to be left in the Morning Light Pavilion. The lined up group looked at them with eyes filled with envy, admiration, and respect. However, once they heard a light cough, they all turned towards the instructor with straightened backs.

"Good morning, students. This day is the official start of the new batch of 5-year-old students inside our village. You all have faced various hardships in your previous years and have gained a lot of experience. I wish for all of you to welcome these new students that will face the same hardships as you started learning here years ago. Guide them, teach them, and support them."

"One by one, please introduce yourselves." The man in front signaled for the new students to come.

Chang Xiuying stood behind of the line as she groaned. "Even self-introduction is here?!"

The introduction started from Yao Yun, he is basically just a 3-year-old child. Since he wants to be with Chang Xiuying that much, he took advantage of his physical appearance to enter the Morning Light Pavilion. He walked towards and bowed to the group like a gentleman. "I am called Yun and goes by the surname Yao. Pleased to meet you."

"Isn't he looks much older?"

"Maybe he forgot to enroll himself years ago and just remembered it now."

"Shush it, the little goddess will hear you. That half colored haired boy is her friend from childhood, they're at the same age. If you want her to become your wife, respect her whole family including connections."

"I don't get why a 15-year-old wanted to marry a 5-year-old."

"It's just a 10 years difference, shush it."

The group burst out with discussions. Yao Yun didn't gave attention to it as he let the next ones to introduce themselves. Since Chang Xiuying was the only one he will give all of his attention in this whole Pavilion.

The numbers keep on decreasing until there was only a girl and Chang Xiuying herself. The little girl in front of her trembled when she stepped out. She bit her nails and stuttered. "I-I'm Shi-Shin XiaMei... pleashe... please take c-care of me."

Chang Xiuying stepped in and the whole crowd cheered her up. Once the noise died down, they waited for her to talk and hear her melodious voice. But to no avail, she just stood there as she browsed through the crowd.