Chapter 9: Dead Last in Class F

The summer camp’s final exam ended, and the teachers tallied the scores to distribute the class placement notices the following day.

This final exam accounted for seventy percent of the overall grade, while routine quizzes made up the remaining thirty percent.

Yao Beibei did not dare return to her dorm. She crept over to Ding Ling’s place instead, her eyes red from crying.

“My stone didn’t budge at all. I looked around, and even the worst student managed to nudge theirs.” Yao Beibei sniffled.

Aside from a dozen or so recruits from the Four Polar Continents, the rest of the new students were all locals from the Central Continent.

Yao Beibei couldn’t even compete with those from the Four Polar Continents, let alone the Central Continent students. The more she thought about it, the more dejected she felt.

After venting for a long time, she looked up and saw Ding Ling devouring a meat bun. She gave a sharp sniffle. “Why aren’t you comforting me at all!” Aren’t we supposed to be good friends?!

The bun had a thin wrapper stuffed with filling, packed with large chunks of braised pork that burst with savory juice at every bite.

Ding Ling thought for a moment, picked up a meat bun, and offered it. “Do you want one?”

Yao Beibei glared at the big meat bun, so mad she nearly blew a snot bubble. It was her own fault for expecting Ding Ling to console her. Given Ding Ling’s personality, not chewing her out was already being nice.

Seeing that Yao Beibei wasn’t taking it, Ding Ling added, “According to what you said, you only awakened your spiritual root three months ago.”

Yao Beibei nodded. She had only awakened her spiritual root at the very end of her final semester at a regular middle school.

Jiangcheng had only one cultivation primary school and one cultivation middle school. Her mother had searched everywhere for tutors, buying a massive pile of textbooks and test banks.

Things like 《Ancient Cultivation Chinese in Three Weeks》, 《Five Years of Cultivation, Three Years of Mock Exams^[1]》, and a twelve-volume set of 《Real Exam Questions from No. 1 High School》.

The tutor, hired at great expense, told Yao Beibei’s mother only out of courtesy for the money, “Beibei just awakened her spiritual root. None of these will be of much use to her.”

With the girl’s aptitude and current level, she would be better off just taking the regular college entrance exam.

Yao Beibei’s mother refused to give up. “It took eight generations for our family to produce someone with a spiritual root! That’s already enough to bring honor to our ancestors. Whatever she lacks, we’ll make up for with tutoring!”

The tutor only accepted payment for the first lesson, saying that his tutoring could never achieve what her mother expected, so it was better not to waste each other’s time.

Yao Beibei’s mother was furious, while her father remarked, “Turning down easy money like that, you see, that’s why people like him can cultivate.”

Still, the two of them managed to send Yao Beibei, who lacked even the slightest foundation, into No. 1 High School.

“You haven’t stepped onto the path yet. Performing like this doesn’t mean you’re inherently awful.”

Was Ding Ling actually comforting her?

Yao Beibei’s eyes sparkled. “Really? Then how can I catch up with everyone?”

“You can’t.” Ding Ling took another bite of the bun. “You don’t work hard.”

If one lacked talent, hard work could compensate. But if one had neither, what was left to say?

Yao Beibei clutched her chest. She finally understood how Cheng Lu felt.

Cheng Lu worked so diligently, yet Ding Ling said she lacked talent and would at best end up in Class B. That had enraged Cheng Lu into studying even harder, and whenever Ding Ling was mentioned, her face twisted in utter disdain.

Nurse Xiao Xu thought the two were about to quarrel. Ding Ling only had Yao Beibei as a friend; what would happen if she drove this one away too?

Just as she was about to step in and smooth things over, Yao Beibei marched up to Ding Ling, snatched two meat buns straight from her plate, took a massive bite, and mumbled around the mouthful, “Studying is just so hard, okay?”

Early the next morning, the students stood on the sports field, waiting for the class placement lists to be distributed.

With two days left before the start of the semester, students living in Jiangcheng could head home, while non-locals took buses directly back to the school to move into their assigned dormitories.

The moment Yao Beibei received her placement sheet, she grabbed her suitcase and ran toward the school hospital.

Ding Ling was already packed; she owned almost no personal belongings.

Helping her pack, Nurse Xiao Xu noticed that aside from the school-issued tracksuits, Ding Ling had only two sets of homespun clothes from Nanzhou. The elbows and knees even had patches on them, which were clearly the best clothes she owned.

Her backpack contained only books and notebooks, and her pencil case was nothing more than a box fashioned from cardboard.

Nurse Xiao Xu nearly teared up. “I’m always at the school hospital. Once you settle into your dorm, come visit me whenever you have free time!”

“I’ll come every day.”

Nurse Xiao Xu smiled warmly, only to hear Ding Ling continue, “To change my dressings.”

“…Just come hang out with me. Our school hospital is pretty big, and the school even has its own field where they grow flowers, herbs, and spiritual plants. It’s really interesting.”

Ding Ling had an epiphany. Naturally, a sect must cultivate its own spiritual plants!

She still had two grass balls left. If she could get her hands on some spiritual soil, wouldn’t she be able to grow them herself?

“When are we going!”

Nurse Xiao Xu was a bit surprised. This was the first time she had seen Ding Ling so excited. “Once we’re back at school! There are dedicated caretakers watching over the experimental fields even during summer vacation.”

Right, Ding Ling was from Nanzhou, and the people of Nanzhou were best known for their farming and cultivation.

Right at that moment, Yao Beibei burst inside. “The placement list is out…”

“How did it go?”

“I haven’t dared to look yet.” The sheet of paper was already crumpled nearly to shreds in her grip.

Just as Ding Ling had predicted, Cheng Lu failed to get into the coveted A Class. She placed second in the written test, but her practical score dragged her down so much that her overall average did not make the top ten.

She was assigned to Class B: first in Class B.

Cheng Lu’s face turned livid with fury. The other two girls in her dorm worked only half as hard as she did, yet one of them was lucky enough to be placed in Class B as well, right at the very bottom.

Packing their things together, the two whispered, “Do you think Ding Ling cursed her?”

Yao Beibei had defended Ding Ling in front of everyone: “Stop talking nonsense! How could that be possible!”

Yet now, she asked Ding Ling with a mix of belief and doubt, “Is that for real?”

Ding Ling pondered seriously. “It’s possible. The character for ling has three mouths.” If the original owner of this body had possessed immense spiritual power, then her words could very well come true for those weaker than her.

“Huh?” Yao Beibei was thoroughly baffled. “Where are the three mouths?”

At this point, even Nurse Xiao Xu couldn’t watch any longer. She tapped Yao Beibei on the head. “This is why you should have studied ancient Chinese properly! It’s so useful. Once school starts and you study talismanology, how are you going to manage if you can’t even recognize the characters?”

Ding Ling dipped her finger into the teacup and wrote the character for ling on the tabletop.

“There really are three mouths,” Yao Beibei marveled, only then remembering she hadn’t checked her class placement result yet.

She took a deep breath and opened the form, which had a large “F” printed on it.

Yao Beibei was shocked. No. 1 High School actually had a Class F? She had been assigned to Class F!

Ding Ling’s class assignment sheet had arrived as well, delivered personally by Chen Dahai, with a map of No. 1 High School enclosed.

No. 1 High School was a boarding school where quilt covers and bedsheets were uniformly distributed by the school. For students coming from the Four Polar Continents, quilts were prepared in advance as well, allowing them to move right in with just their bags.

“For now, you’ve been assigned to this class. I’ve already spoken with your homeroom teacher.”

Ding Ling was proud and aloof. Having suffered such an injury, she had shown neither discouragement nor agitation over the past month, which made Chen Dahai view her in a whole new light.

“Classes are reshuffled every year, so don’t lose heart. Next year, once your scores improve and you put in some effort, we can move up to D… we can make it to C Class!”

“Oh, right, the dorm arranged for you is a double room with a private bathroom.” That room had originally belonged to a dorm supervisor, specially set aside for Ding Ling’s use.

“Let’s study hard and make progress every day^[2].”

Having served up a hearty bowl of chicken soup for the soul, Chen Dahai took his leave.

Ding Ling ate a plate of steamed buns, only then remembering to open her class assignment form.

“F.” She had been assigned to Class F as well.

Yao Beibei grasped Ding Ling’s hand tightly. “That’s great! We’re in the same class!”

Ding Ling didn’t care which class she was placed in. Though Yao Beibei held her hand, she turned toward Nurse Xiao Xu, her gaze burning with eagerness. “When are we going to see the spiritual plants?”

“Uh…” Nurse Xiao Xu stammered. “You still have to unpack once we get to school. How about we change it to…”

Ding Ling continued to stare at her.

“This afternoon! We’ll go see them as soon as we reach the school!”