Chapter 91: Harmony with All Things |
"Zhengran-gege is being mean to me~"
Lin Zhengran, having finished his food, unexpectedly flicked her forehead.
"You’re talking back when the evidence is right in front of you? Getting bolder, aren’t you?"
Han Wenwen pouted at the "hit," but deep inside, she was thrilled. She knew that whenever Lin Zhengran "hit" her, he never actually used any force—it didn’t hurt at all.
After that, the two of them focused on finishing their snacks without much conversation.
Once they were done, Han Wenwen leaned back lazily, looking thoroughly satisfied. Lin Zhengran, still holding her hand, walked over to throw their trash into the bin.
[System Notification]
Today, Longcheng is hosting a Lantern Festival. You and the Demon Cult Maiden are strolling through the festivities together. Your long journey has made her increasingly interested in you—to the point where she can hardly bear to be apart from you. Together, you sampled many of the festival’s delicacies.]
[You gained: +7 Charisma, +5 Stamina, +3 Strength, +2 Energy.]
[Harmony with All Things: This skill can only be unlocked once your Spirit Level reaches 50 and your Charisma is maxed out.]
[The skill has five levels. Each upgrade enhances your proficiency in all areas, including social interactions, alchemy, talisman crafting, and spell learning. Upon reaching the maximum level, you will attain a base-level mastery of all fields equivalent to that of a grandmaster. Further improvement requires cultivating bonds with designated contract partners.]
Lin Zhengran sighed as the system once again bombarded him with information.
He had already been stuck at Level 49 since eighth grade, and progress throughout ninth grade had been painfully slow. But now, at long last, he had broken through. And this new skill—Harmony with All Things—seemed far more powerful than the previous Charisma stat.
After all, Charisma only worked on people, while this new skill apparently extended to everything.
Hand in hand with Han Wenwen, Lin Zhengran made his way back to school while checking his status panel.
[Your current Spirit Level: 50]
[Body Refinement Phase complete. Qi Refinement Phase unlocked.]
[Current Attributes]
Strength: 68 (Unlocked ability: Strength no longer declines; immunity to diseases.)
Energy: 59 (Reaching 60 will grant the special ability: "Seven times a night without exhaustion.")
Stamina: 68 (Reaching 70 will grant the special ability: "Double Stamina, Triple Endurance.")
Harmony with All Things: Level 1 (At the beginner level, you can quickly master all skills beyond ordinary people.)
The previous Charisma stat had vanished, replaced by this new ultimate skill.
And now, behind his Spirit Level, there was a new label: Qi Refinement Phase.
So those four main stats had only been base values? Once maxed out, they transformed into something like Harmony with All Things, an ultimate attribute.
Lin Zhengran had always felt these stats were a bit over-the-top, but now it seemed like they were just incomplete. His Energy stat was only one point away from hitting 60—meaning he'd soon unlock a new ability.
Probably just needed one small event to push it over the edge.
As they walked, Han Wenwen suddenly felt something odd. She glanced at Lin Zhengran.
He noticed. "What’s wrong?"
She blinked and smiled. "I don’t know how to describe it, but… does it feel like you got even more handsome all of a sudden? It might just be my imagination, though. I mean, you were already good-looking to begin with."
Lin Zhengran chuckled and kept walking. "Quit imagining things. We’re back at school."
Han Wenwen’s cheeks turned slightly pink. She gripped his hand a little tighter, thinking to herself that he really had always been ridiculously good-looking.
Right on time, they arrived at the school gates.
Lin Zhengran glanced at the security guard in the distance and gave Han Wenwen a knowing look.
She understood—he was letting go.
Unhappy, she pulled her hand back, but the lingering warmth of his touch remained.
As they walked through the gate, Lin Zhengran nodded at the guard.
"Uncle, I’m back."
The guard smiled. "All done?"
"Yeah, I finished everything the teacher assigned."
Han Wenwen thought to herself: Zhengran-gege lies so naturally.
Back at the performance rehearsal room, they arrived just as Class 3 students were calling Han Wenwen over for practice. She responded quickly and had to part ways with Lin Zhengran in the hallway.
Before leaving, the little fox grinned and waved.
"See you tonight, Zhengran-gege! And by the way, I really did get the first official hand-holding moment!"
Lin Zhengran watched her disappear down the hall, thinking: Didn't I already hold her hand before? Back when she was sick…
He then turned toward another rehearsal room. Through the window, he spotted a piano classroom.
He was just about to open the door when he paused.
Inside, Jiang Qian had already changed out of her military training uniform.
She was now wearing a form-fitting white dress, her long hair draping over her shoulders. From the window, he could only see her cold, elegant profile, sitting gracefully at the piano.
With her and that instrument together, she looked like an untouchable snow lotus on a glacier.
Even though Lin Zhengran had never paid much attention to most girls, he had to admit—Jiang Qian’s presence surpassed that of most others.
Even when she was alone, she always carried herself with unwavering grace.
Her slender fingers rested on the keys, and as they began to move, an elegant melody flowed from the piano.
Lin Zhengran didn’t actually know that much about piano.
Even with the system’s learning abilities, his skill had only reached the equivalent of ten years of practice.
But now, after just listening for a moment—maybe thanks to Harmony with All Things—he could immediately pick out the strengths and weaknesses in her playing.
In this brief melody, he smiled to himself.
The system had said Level 1 of the skill wasn’t very noticeable—but judging by his piano ability alone, he probably had the equivalent of thirty to forty years of training now.
And this applied not just to piano. Anything he picked up, he would instantly have three to four decades of skill in.
Jiang Qian’s playing faltered as she paused, trying to pinpoint her mistakes. Then, she started over.
The second time was already much better, though there were still some flaws.
Lin Zhengran waited patiently until she finished before finally pushing the door open.
"Sounds good."
Jiang Qian turned slightly, glancing at him before standing up.
"You’re late."
"Had dinner. Took a little longer than expected."
She didn’t seem to care about that. Instead, she glanced at the other piano in the room.
It was clear she wanted to hear his level.
"I had this piano set up for you. It’s identical to mine. Try playing something."
Lin Zhengran nodded, thanked her, and walked to the piano.
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