Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

Morning self-study.

Jiang Ning opened Divine Sense, noticing that an unusually large number of students were using their phones this morning, making the class group chat especially lively.

Class 8 had two group chats, one with the homeroom teacher in it, and one without.

Students were posting photos of snowy scenes they had taken: campuses, streets, their own balconies, all thoroughly enjoying themselves.

At that moment, Hu Jun spoke up.

Compared to classmates' assorted profile pictures—like anime characters, little animals, or celebrity portraits—Hu Jun's was quite direct.

His profile picture was a selfie, and one without any sort of beautifying filter at that.

So, whenever Hu Jun made an entrance, the group chat's atmosphere would become particularly odd.

"Check this out, everyone, my collection of rat photos!"

"Absolutely rare, you have to click for the full-size view!"

With a click, there appeared a photo of a rat.

"Look, isn't it neat and pretty?"

"Here's another one of a rat eating!"

With another click, another photo popped up, showing a rat eating rice in its cage.

"I wish you all happiness on this snowy day!"

After Hu Jun finished, the group went quiet for a while, and those who had been posting images of snowy landscapes and chatting stopped, leaving the whole group chat desolate.

It wasn't until Guo Kunnan spoke up:

"Well, it's that sort of unique rat."

Hu Jun: "Only you understand me, Kunnan. Next time, I'll share something even stranger."

Chen Qian looked at the rat photo in the group chat and felt chills run down his spine; he felt like he had lost his appetite for breakfast.

He messaged Huang Zhongfei directly, lamenting, "Monitor, can we kick Hu Jun out? He's getting out of hand, have you counted what he's posted in our group chat?"

"At first, he was okay, posting bugs like 'Old Water Buffalo', but now it's scorpions, centipedes, snakes, rats... I don't even want to think what he might post next."

"What does he think our group chat is for?"

"The bastard has unique taste, sure, but damn, it's the first time I've seen someone who can catch these things and even keep them!"

"And then there's Guo Kunnan, I really can't deal with him. Every time Hu Jun posts a photo, and the group chat goes silent, he just has to chime in with praise!"

"Monitor, I can't stand it anymore, just kick them both out!"

Huang Zhongfei could feel Chen Qian's resentment through the screen and found himself in a difficult position. Once again, he sought out Hu Jun, messaging him privately:

"Hu Jun, don't post stuff in the group next time. Some classmates are dissatisfied. Please hold back a little."

After seeing the message, Hu Jun readily agreed: "Okay, okay, I definitely won't post again next time."

Huang Zhongfei felt helpless. This was the second time Hu Jun had made such a promise, but he still ended up posting.

…

Morning self-study ended, and Geng Lu ran outside, looking at the snow in the campus. She opened the classroom window and called out:

"Jiang Ning, there are so many people outside having a snowball fight—let's join them!"

Hearing about a snowball fight, Dan Kaiquan promptly asked Bai Yuxia:

"Do you want to go out and have a snowball fight?"

Bai Yuxia was somewhat tempted and nudged Chen Siyu, who was sitting in front of her:

"A snowball fight?"

Chen Siyu replied, "Sure, let's go. I'll call my sister."

And with that, Bai Yuxia and Chen Siyu left, leaving Dan Kaiquan alone and disheveled, feeling abandoned...

Jiang Ning wasn't particularly interested in snowball fights; he just wanted to walk around the snow-covered campus.

He glanced at Xue Yuantong slumped over her desk and, after thinking for a bit, decided not to call her.

Before leaving, he set up an Array to keep Xue Yuantong warm as she lay there so she wouldn't catch a cold.

Upon reaching the corridor and looking down at the frolicking students in the snow, Jiang Ning made his way down the stairs.

Dan Kaiquan sat forlornly on the bench, surrounded by emptiness, feeling very cold.

After being quiet for a few seconds, he quickly perked up and ran to the back row.

"So, you traitor decided to come back?" Brother Ma teased.

Dan Kaiquan felt awkward. His seat among the four should have been reserved, but having been distracted by thoughts of a girl, he had given it up.

"Your score was surpassed by Wang Longlong; he used my account and scored even higher than you."

"Really?" Dan Kaiquan was incredulous.

"Would I lie to you?"

After hearing this, Dan Kaiquan sighed, "Oh well, games aren't that important to me anymore."

"Guys, shall we go out for a snowball fight?" he suggested. As long as he could get Brother Ma and the others out there, he could gradually get closer to Bai Yuxia and the others, then throw a few snowballs, right? Wouldn't that allow him to join in the fun?

Brother Ma said, "A snowball fight? Childish, how old are we to still play that?"

Beside him, Guo Kun Nan, knowing Dan Kai Quan well, naturally stood up for his good brother.

"I think snowball fights could be fun, haven't played them in a long time."

Seeing his close friend Guo Kun Nan speak up, Hu Jun followed, "I'll go too, watch me make you two cry."

Brother Ma, after hearing this, disdainfully said:

"Just you?"

He shoved his cell phone into his desk cubby: "Longlong, let's go too, we'll show them what technique is!"

So, a bunch of guys from the back row hustled out to play.

...

On the snowy ground of the first floor, Geng Lu ran joyfully, her clothes bouncing about.

Jiang Ning caught a snowball thrown by Geng Lu with his hand and with a gentle squeeze, a snowball zipped past Yang Sheng's face, hitting Geng Lu accurately.

Geng Lu was fine, but Yang Sheng was startled; the airflow from the passing snowball lifted her hair, tickling her forehead.

"Jiang Ning, I didn't provoke you, why did you do that?"

"It slipped." Jiang Ning said.

Yang Sheng was about to speak when another snowball stopped dead on her forehead, nearly scaring her to death.

Brother Ma weighed a snowball, "Sorry, I was aiming for Dan Kai Quan."

He really didn't do it on purpose.

"Brother Ma, are you seeking death?"

However, Yang Sheng took Brother Ma's action as a provocation, still remembering the argument over a tattoo in the classroom early in the school year.

Seeing Yang Sheng's defiant look, he argued:

"Isn't it just hitting you once?"

"Am I not allowed to hit back?"

Yang Sheng picked up a snowball and threw it at Brother Ma, her hand-eye coordination was good, the snowball thrown was very accurate, it was bound to hit Brother Ma.

But Brother Ma unexpectedly reached out and split the snowball to the side with a hand-chop, the movement crisp and clean.

"That's too lame." Brother Ma shook his head in mockery.

Yang Sheng's competitive spirit couldn't be suppressed, she was determined to pulverize Brother Ma today!

The two smeared each other with snow, hurling snowballs, the air above the snowfield was full of whizzing snowballs, the scene at one point was very intense.

Brother Ma was relentless; today he didn't believe he couldn't handle one woman!

Dan Kai Quan had finally managed to join Bai Yu Xia's snowball ranks, hoping to use this to get closer, when suddenly Bai Yu Xia got hit by a snowball from Brother Ma, making her almost cry, so mad she quit playing.

...

Before the first class started, Cui Yu ran into the classroom from outside.

"Brother Ma, look at my face! Quick, look at my face!"

"Scram, what's so good about your face?"

"Damn!" Cui Yu stared at the red marks all over Brother Ma's face, astonished.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

Brother Ma sullenly said, "It's nothing."

Cui Yu, seeing his unwillingness to talk more, then said, "Brother Ma, look at my face!"

There, at the junction between Cui Yu's face and neck, was a red mark, oozing blood.

"What happened, did someone scratch you?" Brother Ma asked.

Cui Yu cursed, "Dammit, Miao Zhe, I hit him with a snowball, and he just went straight for my neck!"

Brother Ma said, "It's just a snowball hit, what's the big deal?"

"Today I also got Yang Sheng's face covered in marks, and she didn't say anything to me, but this is a bit too much!"

Cui Yu was furious; his impression of Miao Zhe was renewed:

"I can't take it anymore, I want to get Miao Zhe, really get him!"

"How? You can't just beat him up, that's not worth it."

Cui Yu said, "I have an idea, he plays with his phone every day, I heard that you can format the phone, then set a password lock, and the owner can't unlock the phone, for smart phones, Brother Ma, you know a lot, can you teach me?"

Brother Ma, upon hearing this, said, "That's simple, you just press and hold the phone's power button and volume up button at the same time, enter RE mode, and format it."

"Okay, Miao Zhe likes to charge his phone under the multimedia computer at noon. I'll take it and you guide me."

So, at noon when school was out, Miao Zhe, as usual, put his phone on charge under the multimedia and went out to eat.

Class 8's classroom had students at noon, so Miao Zhe was not worried about losing his phone.

Cui Yu gave Brother Ma a look, and when there were only a few boys left in the class, he ran under the multimedia, took Miao Zhe's phone, and started operating.

Brother Ma gave remote guidance, and a few minutes later, Cui Yu returned the phone; he had formatted Miao Zhe's phone and set an especially complicated password, ensuring he couldn't figure it out.

Cui Yu instantly felt he had avenged a great wrong.