Newbie Guardians

Back in the classroom, Huang Xin's thoughts drifted away, and she had no interest in listening to the rest of the lesson, her mind preoccupied with what Teacher Mu had said.

To be honest, he also wanted to become a guardian and be the hero in his own mind.

However—my grades are only slightly better than the worst students in the class, and my physical education grades are also average. I'm the type who can't win in a battle of words and will lose in a battle of wits.

"Huang Xin! Look at my physique—" My deskmate, Li Hao, seemed exceptionally excited, eagerly planning for the future. He patted his round belly, "I can fight and withstand attacks, I'm a natural-born protector! With me, we're invincible!"

"I think it's good. The young man is quite promising; keep up the good work!"

While giving perfunctory answers, Huang Xin let his mind wander, guessing what the assessment items would be and how he could pass the test.

at the same time.

"Knock knock knock".

There was a knock on the wooden door of the Huang family's cottage. Although the door was open, the person who came stood ramrod straight and waited quietly at the door.

"Please come in!" Huang Yuanshan said calmly, as if he had expected everything.

Mu Qingxue walked in gracefully and bowed respectfully.

"Hello, Grandpa Huang! I am Mu Qingxue, Mu Qingkong's eldest granddaughter."

"Good, good! The eldest daughter of the Mu family has grown so much! Sit down and let's talk."

Mu Qingxue sat obediently opposite Huang Yuanshan and replied with a smile, "Yes, it's been twelve years. I was only ten years old when I last saw you."

"Yes, it's been twelve years! How's the little girl doing now?"

"My younger sister is eighteen now, and she has an exceptional talent for water-related things, which Grandpa adores. However, she doesn't know about the arranged marriage yet. Grandpa Huang, have you mentioned it to Huang Xin?"

"Of course not. However, I believe these two children will end up together!"

"Grandpa Huang, I met Huang Xin today. He looks so much like Uncle Huang when he was young; I recognized him immediately. However, it seems Huang Xin doesn't practice cultivation. What could be the reason for that?"

"Sigh!" Huang Yuanshan sighed softly, "I really don't want him to go down this path unless absolutely necessary."

"Grandpa Huang, the situation is dire; I'm afraid none of us prominent families can remain uninvolved!"

"Sigh!" Huang Yuanshan sighed again. "Girl, let's get down to business. What happened during your visit today?"

"Grandpa said that the seal has loosened, and all nine strongholds have shown signs of being deliberately damaged. He requests that you come with him to deal with it."

"Finally... it's here!" Huang Yuanshan sighed.

Mu Qingxue slowly stood up and took out an exquisite box from her bosom.

"This is the Pure Heart Jade that Grandpa refined using the purified water from the Mu Family's secret realm. It has purifying properties and can make one immune to negative mental states when worn. It is a pair with my sister's Spirit Heart Jade."

Huang Yuanshan took it, and also took out an old-fashioned book from his pocket, his eyes full of reluctance.

"This is a secret technique of the Huang family. Once the little girl masters it, she can revive Xin'er... Alas, fate cannot be defied! These two children, their lives are so tragic!"

Mu Qingxue's face turned pale: "Grandpa Huang, Huang Xin, he..."

Huang Yuanshan did not answer, but simply nodded slightly.

Mu Qingxue left dejectedly. No wonder Huang Shen didn't cultivate; now I understand.

After a long while, Huang Yuanshan took out his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and with a flourish, filled a whole sheet of Xuan paper.

After school, Huang Shen returned home.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" he shouted, eager to tell his grandfather about his desire to become a guardian.

However, there was no response for a long time.

"Did Grandpa go out?"

After putting down his schoolbag, he noticed his grandfather's teacup on the table, with a neatly folded piece of Xuan paper underneath.

What my grandfather left me?

I opened it with great curiosity, and I was completely dumbfounded.

Xin'er:

Grandpa has to go on a long trip. It could be three to five months, or it could be several years. Don't worry!

There's 30,000 yuan in the drawer, so spend it wisely!

There is a jade pendant inside the box; you must wear it close to your body. If you feel uncomfortable, just wear it inside and don't take it off easily.

Spend more time in the study on the second floor; the knowledge you gain there will be very useful someday, so be sure to read it carefully.

The school will be selecting candidates soon, so you must give it your all. Do everything you can to secure admission to the Folklore Academy.

Finally, and very importantly—before the test, you must clearly understand what your strengths are. Remember! Remember!

Grandpa has passed away.

He stood there stunned for a while before remembering to rummage through the drawer. Pulling it open, he saw three neatly stacked stacks of brand-new red banknotes. Next to them was a small, exquisite wooden box, about the size of a palm. Opening it, he found a warm, lustrous jade pendant inside, teardrop-shaped, entirely emerald green, and warm to the touch.

"This was left to me by my grandfather; I must wear it close to my body!"

He skillfully pinned the jade pendant to his chest, then thought about it. It did seem a bit odd for a grown man—no, a young boy—to wear a teardrop-shaped jade pendant. He reached up and put the pendant inside his clothes; with his clothes covering it, he felt much better.

"You must figure out what your strengths are! You must get accepted into the folklore academy!"

After thinking for a long time, Huang Xin sadly realized that he had no special skills and had never even heard of the Folklore Academy.

He took a deep breath and started walking towards the stairs.

"There's no use thinking about it, let's just focus on the books in the study!"

That night, Huang Xin tossed and turned, unable to sleep. When she finally fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, she was surprised to find that she had no dreams.

The alarm clock rang, and he sat up, touching the jade pendant on his chest.

Is it because of it?

The dream that had haunted him for over a decade vanished after he put on the jade pendant. He racked his brains trying to figure it out, but to no avail, so he simply stopped thinking about it. He quickly got up, washed, slung his backpack over his shoulder, bought some steamed buns and soy milk on the way, and ate them as he walked—they were nowhere near as good as the ones his grandfather made.

In the morning, during math class, Huang Xin was lost in thought.

What are my special skills? I don't have any special skills at all! But Grandpa knows me inside and out, and if he says I do, then I definitely do! Think carefully, think really hard…

"Snapped!"

A chubby hand patted my shoulder.

"What are you thinking about, Huang Xin! get out of class is over, are you still daydreaming?"

A flash of inspiration struck me.

"Yes! It's a dream! It's just a dream!"

Huang Xin suddenly stood up.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?! You're so jumpy, you'll scare anyone with a weak heart to death!"

"Yes, courage, that's all!"

The fat man froze on the spot, his mouth opening and closing several times, unable to utter a complete sentence: "Huang Xin! Wake up! Still dreaming while standing? Ah! Could it be—sleepwalking!"

The fat man shuddered, and every pore on his body stood on end.

Huang Xin, having recovered from her daze, patted the fat man's shoulder forcefully: "Rat! Chicken legs for lunch! It's on me!"

"Really?! Dude, are you really okay?!"

Thanks to Fatty's incredible help, Huang Xin finally understood—his dream experiences over the past ten years had honed his fearless courage, something that others lacked.

"If only I could predict trajectories and strike with precision, like in my dreams! The problem is, in reality, I'm just a complete loser with zero fighting ability!"

Huang Xin sat down again, looked up at the ceiling, and countless thoughts swirled in his mind.

Having courage alone is clearly not enough!