ACIDEM 10

Chapter – 10

The Demon School

Stars dot the sky; the moon hangs in a perfect round.

At midnight, in the ancient pine courtyard, a three-inch mayfly, its body half-transparent, breathed in and out, absorbing the essence of the moon, wholly absorbed in its cultivation.

The clear moonlight fell, casting a halo over the mayfly’s pale, translucent body, making it appear pure and sacred.

It was a dreamlike, beautiful scene, like a painted scroll.

Only when the mayfly stopped cultivating and began to move did the image ripple like water disturbed by a stone and fade away.

Seeing that in just seven days, a sliver of magical power had increased within him, Fu Shaoguang was overjoyed. He felt more and more that his decisive decision to settle in the Yushan Demon Market had been exceptionally wise.

Free from the threat of natural enemies and the constant anxiety of living in peril, his mind eased, and his cultivation bore twice the fruit with half the effort.

The water in the kitchen was already heated. He poured hot water into a miniature wooden basin, added an appropriate amount of astragalus powder, and mixed in some cool water. When the temperature was just right, he stepped his six legs into it.

Fu Shaoguang soaked his feet contentedly, feeling comfortable and at ease, while his thoughts churned.

He had no particular skills to speak of—he knew nothing of gathering nectar to make honey, spinning silk to weave, weaving dreams to induce sleep, or growing vegetables and flowers. Moreover, he could hardly speak human language. After several days, he had yet to find suitable work.

As for heavy lifting and carrying, Fu Shaoguang was small and weak and couldn’t manage it, nor did he want to. After all, heavy labor was too tiring, consumed too much energy, and was not beneficial to him. It was not the way of nurturing life and would actually harm his lifespan.

Fortunately, heaven never seals off all roads.

Every day, he went to the nearby mountains to gather herbs and sold toxic plants to earn money. By now, he had saved up a hundred coppers.

He had also collected goji berries and red dates, and bought astragalus from a rabbit demon, beginning a regimen that combined foot-soaking with dietary care.

His life was barely on track.

But it wasn’t enough.

Nurturing life meant improving health quality, caring for the body, and increasing the odds of a long life. To truly extend his lifespan, he still needed cultivation. As for the legendary life-extension techniques—who knew if they even existed? And even if they did, they were far beyond the reach of a minor demon like himself.

These past few nights, he had gone out every evening, looking for work while also exploring the entire Yushan Demon Market. He had gathered a lot of information and, based on his own situation, set several phased goals:

First, raise his cultivation level—this was the foundation.

Second, buy Hundred-Tongue Herb. This was a specialty of the demon market. It allowed demons to speak human language without having to refine their hyoid bones and also granted fluency in over a dozen common bird and beast tongues. The effect lasted a month. Many demons in the market relied on this herb to communicate.

Third, learn to read and study magic. Writing carries the Way; the path to longevity lies within books. Only by learning to read and urgently filling the gaps in his cultivation knowledge could he avoid unnecessary detours. Even if he left the demon market later, he would still have these skills.

Fourth, prepare supplies for winter.

And all of this required money.

So, his biggest goal was:

[Get Rich!]

However, this matter could not be rushed.

Since there was no suitable work for him at the moment, and he had already made a cursory tour of the demon market,

it was time to focus on other important matters.

Tomorrow, he would first go check out one particular place.

—

Jin Shu Street.

Located on the west side of Jin Yu Street.

This area thrived because of the Demon School. Nearby shops and stalls mainly sold writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and cultivation tools.

It was similar to the schools and surrounding businesses in his previous life.

The Demon School occupied three mu of land and was quite large. It was a two-courtyard complex with green bricks and black tiles, featuring pavilions, terraces, and beautiful scenery. Every three steps, there was a lamp stand, its eerie green flames illuminating the darkness.

It was one of the more impressive buildings in the demon market.

Fu Shaoguang fluttered his wings, enjoying the view as he flew into the Lecture Hall and took a seat in the front row, securing a prime spot.

The Demon School was both similar to and different from human academies. Besides teaching writing, it also taught basic cultivation knowledge and fundamental spells.

Every demon newly arrived in the market, with their identity bamboo token, could attend the Demon School for free for one day—a market benefit.

For further attendance, one either had to pay a monthly fee of a hundred coppers, or contribute a spell. If the spell was already in the school’s collection, it earned half a month of attendance; if it was new, it earned a full month.

Fu Shaoguang had arrived early.

When the moon hung above the willows, the other demons began to trickle in. Some eagerly took front seats, some deliberately moved to the back, and the spots by the windows were hotly contested—just like in his previous life.

Three bells rang, and a magpie demon flew in, landing on the lecturer’s desk. With a flash of light, it transformed into a female demon with a human head and a bird’s body. Her features were pleasant, her eyes large and moist, and she looked sweet and charming.

The little demons immediately sat up straight.

No matter what they thought inside, they all appeared well-behaved on the surface.

Her wings temporarily transformed into hands. The magpie demon picked up her teacup, took two sips, spat out a bit of tea dregs, cleared her throat, and officially began the lecture.

Her voice was as crisp and sweet as her bird form, pleasing to the demons’ ears and helping them focus.

“Humans are born with innate wisdom. Our demon race is different—born in a state of ignorance. We must first achieve spiritual awakening, break through the fog of unawareness, and learn to think before we can embark on the path of cultivation.

There are five methods of opening spiritual wisdom. The most rare and precious is innate spiritual intelligence—those born with it are no different from humans, possessing powerful spiritual perception, keen senses, and a natural advantage in cultivating the nature of the mind…”

—

The magpie demon was clearly an experienced lecturer. She didn’t need prepared notes or a lesson plan; she spoke the cultivation basics off the top of her head.

She began with the spiritual awakening of demons, moved on to the cultivation of nature and life, explained several key points to note, then listed the cultivation characteristics of the four categories of demons—insects, fish, birds, and beasts—and ended with the stages of cultivation.

The content was rich and progressed from the simple to the complex.

It fit the current needs of the young demons perfectly.

Half an hour later, the bell rang again. The magpie demon immediately stopped speaking, reverted to her original form, turned around, and flew out of the Lecture Hall.

Her movements were crisp and efficient; she didn’t linger at all. Fu Shaoguang, who had been listening with rapt attention, felt a mix of emotions.

He didn’t waste time. Fu Shaoguang fluttered his wings, left the Lecture Hall, and headed straight for the Literacy Hall, again grabbing a seat in the front row.

During the break, he observed the young demons and spotted a familiar one—the old goat’s grandson.

With its hind legs bent and forelegs stretched out, the little goat sat primly in the front row.

Also catching Fu Shaoguang’s attention was a small, pink pig wearing a flower crown on its head. This pig didn’t look like a wild boar but rather like the rare domestic pigs raised by humans in the mountains.

More importantly, this pig seemed well-off. It was constantly eating—apples, oranges, hazelnuts, a wide variety—relishing every bite, wearing an expression of pure happiness. The live eating show right in front of him made Fu Shaoguang feel hungry.

Perhaps because Fu Shaoguang’s gaze was too intense, the little pink pig paused, looked up at him, then glanced at the date in its hoof. After a moment of hesitation, it turned its back on him, presenting its rear end, and continued to gobble away.

Fu Shaoguang: (;一_一)

Who cares!

The bell rang again, and the demons sat up straight.

The little goat had a gleam in its eyes.

The little pink pig swallowed too quickly and coughed.

Fu Shaoguang: Serves you right!

The next moment, the little pink pig took out a water pouch it carried and gulped down two mouthfuls, releasing a faint smell of honey water.

Fu Shaoguang: Saved on vinegar money.

A bowl-sized golden orb-weaver spider descended from the ceiling beam on a strand of silk, landing on the desk. Its head transformed into a human face, revealing a heavily made-up visage with bright red lips.

Her gaze swept around the room. The young demons all felt a chill in their hearts and dared not lose focus. Satisfied, the spider demon opened her mouth to speak.

Her voice was as cool as her appearance: “The continuation of a race begins with heritage; the most important part of heritage is writing. Ten thousand years ago, our demon race’s wise ones labored with all their hearts and created the demon script…”

The spider demon was equally experienced in teaching.

She taught ten basic demon characters, explained their meanings in a few concise sentences, and used vivid and engaging metaphors.

When this class ended,

Fu Shaoguang hurried straight to the Humanities Hall.

This was the place for learning human writing.

The little goat demon and the pink pig demon followed him as well.

After the bell rang, an old goat demon dressed in a scholar’s robe walked in.