In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar

The rangers returned his smiles in a friendly manner, and one of them even waved to him.

Back in front of his simple tent, Wang Yan bent down and slipped inside.

The tent was not large, but it was very tidy, which Wang Yan had done himself.

He picked up the ranger's uniform that Tinari had prepared and unfolded it.

It's a cotton-linen blend dyed a deep green, common in rainforests. It's soft to the touch and has a clean, warm scent that comes from being thoroughly sun-dried, making you feel comfortable just smelling it.

Wang Yan quickly changed into the new uniform. The uniform fit him well, and after moving his arms around a few times, he felt that he could move freely without feeling restricted.

"That's really good."

He folded his old clothes and placed them on the ground outside the tent entrance, intending to wash them the next day.

After doing all this, he sat down on the tarpaulin and reached out to turn on the lantern hanging on the tent frame.

The dim yet bright light immediately dispelled the shadows in the corner.

Wang Yan took out the thick "Illustrated Guide to Rainforest Creatures, Volume One" from his bag and began to look through it again by the lamplight.

The pages rustled between my fingers.

He read intently, his gaze sweeping over the detailed descriptions of rainforest ecology, monster characteristics, and plant distribution line by line.

Wang Yan knew very well that in order to gain a foothold in the Hall of Wisdom, the Academy of Teachings, the ability to "understand languages" alone was far from enough.

An excellent scholar, in addition to being proficient in his own field, often has a broad range of knowledge in several other disciplines.

For example, Tinari was a scholar of the biocentric school, who studied biology, ecology, medicine and other disciplines. However, Tinari was also proficient in the biocentric school of geomancy, elemental science and other morphological disciplines.

Otherwise, Abatuyi wouldn't have called him "senior."

There are many other examples like Tinaari.

If Wang Yan wants to do well in the Academy of Teachings, he must fill in the gaps in his knowledge as soon as possible, especially regarding all aspects of Sumeru.

A scholar should possess the qualities and demeanor of a scholar. One can specialize in a particular subject, but not to an extreme degree.

As night deepened, Wang Yan yawned, feeling a bit sleepy.

He then put the book down.

He's almost finished reading this book; perhaps he'll have to wait until he goes to the Church House to see the second and third volumes.

Fortunately... Wang Yan looked to the side and saw a thick book titled "Characters, Strokes, Stripes: The Essence of Language".

"I must try to finish reading this book before I reach Sumeru City," Wang Yan thought to himself.

Then he stretched, tidied up his things, and crawled into the bed.

"Well, comfortable."

……

The next morning.

Wang Yan woke up to the sound of the forest ranger's training. He slowly opened his eyes and habitually stretched his somewhat stiff body.

I stayed up late reading by lamplight last night, and although I'm still a little tired, my mind is much clearer now.

He quickly folded the bedding, rolled up the blankets, tidied his appearance briefly, and then bent down and slipped out of the tent.

The scene outside the tent startled him slightly. There was a familiar food box on the ground, but the clothes he had changed out of last night were nowhere to be found.

'Stolen?'

Wang Yan's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously looked around.

People were already active at the camp, and faint shouts could be heard from the training ground in the distance, but no one was visible nearby.

Wang Yan looked down again, glancing at the food box, and his gaze was immediately drawn to a note pressed on the food box.

The handwriting on the note was crooked and the strokes were somewhat clumsy, giving it a disjointed feel, but each stroke was written very carefully:

【Mr. Wang Yan, this is breakfast. I took your clothes to wash and dry them, then I'll bring them back to you. —Ke Lai.】

"Ah, this..."

Wang Yan held the note, feeling a surge of heat rush to her cheeks, and her ears felt hot.

He didn't expect that this morning, the other party not only brought him breakfast, but also quietly took his dirty clothes to wash.

A touch of emotion, like warm spring water, instantly washes over my heart.

In a strange world where one is all alone and penniless, such meticulous care is all the more precious.

But at the same time, a strong sense of embarrassment followed. He, a grown man, was actually having a young girl do his laundry…

"This girl is too honest!"

Wang Yan scratched his head; the burning sensation on his face hadn't subsided yet.

He picked up the food box; it was quite heavy, so Cole must have prepared something carefully again.

He sighed with a mixture of helplessness and gratitude, muttering to himself, "This is really... I'm owing more and more favors."

He carefully folded the note, put it in his pocket, and then, carrying the food box, decided to wash up first and then go to the forester's hut for a meal.

After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he set off, carrying his lunchbox to his 'workstation'.

Opening the food box, there were two pocket breads inside. They were different from the ones Amir had given Wang Yan before. These pocket breads had pretty markings on them.

Clay's signature dish, the pocket bread 'Dreams'.

The soft crust is stuffed with nutritious side dishes, making it convenient to carry and filling.

Since things have come to this, let's eat first.

Soon, Wang Yan swallowed the last delicious bite of the pocket bread, placed the food box on the corner of the table, and began to work.

With yesterday's experience, I handled these documents with even greater ease today. The pen scratched away, and the pile of processed documents on my right grew at a visible speed.

At noon, a young, unfamiliar forest ranger delivered the lunch. He put down the food box and casually said, "Master Kore and Master Tinari have gone deep into the rainforest to inspect a newly discovered fungal community. Lunch will be provided by the canteen."

Wang Yan thanked them, opened the food box, and found a simple mixed vegetable dish and rice inside. The taste was indeed not as good as Ke Lai's cooking, but he still ate it all.

Just as I finished clearing away the dishes and was about to continue working at my desk, a familiar voice called from outside the tent: "Wang Yan, Wang Yan, are you there?"

It's Amir.

Wang Yan got up, lifted the curtain, and went out. Sure enough, he saw Amir standing not far away with a cheerful smile on his face.

"Amir, what brings you here? Where's Iraz? What do you need me for?" Wang Yan asked with a smile.

“Iraz is off today, catching up on sleep,” Amir waved his hand. “I took on a daily task to clear the weeds and vines around the Seven Gods Statue. I was thinking you haven’t seen our Sumeru Statue yet, right? Want to come take a look? It’s on the edge of the rainforest, not far. It’ll be a good way to stretch your muscles.”

Seven Gods Statue?

Wang Yan's heart stirred, and he did indeed feel a bit curious.

By touching the seven-day statue of the god, one can obtain elemental power.

'What about me?' Wang Yan asked expectantly.

It would be wonderful if he could reach out and touch things to obtain elemental power, just like the Traveler.

So Wang Yan smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'm almost done with my work anyway, so I'll go with you."

Chapter 16 Nasita's Attention (Please read, add to your favorites, and vote with monthly tickets)

The seven statues of the gods in Daocheng Forest are not close to Huacheng City, but fortunately there is a road, so it is easy to get there.

We left the city of Conghua to the east and continued walking along the road.

After walking for about an hour, Wang Yan saw a tall statue standing on a giant rock.

This statue of the Seven Gods is actually the first grass god statue that travelers see after arriving at Mount Sumeru.

This was also the first time Wang Yan had seen the Seven Gods statue.

As a statue of the grass god, theoretically, this statue should look just like Nasita.

However, the statue does not actually depict the face of the deity. The deity is depicted in a meditative state, with his head bowed, wearing a hood, and his hands resting on a sphere.

The statue is seated on a growing branch, which should represent the elemental power of grass.

At the same time, when Wang Yan approached the Seven Gods statue, he felt a peaceful atmosphere.

"The Grass God is very gentle, so the statue is also gentle."

Amir offered an explanation, then pointed to the branches and animal tracks around the statue.

"Therefore, many plants often grow wildly around the statue, and small animals also like to stay near the statue."

"This is certainly not a bad thing, but as forest rangers of Daocheng Forest, we must keep the statues clean."

"So, we have to clean the idols about every two weeks."

As he spoke, Amir took out some tools from his backpack and then casually picked up a wooden bucket from the stone below the statue.

"I'll deal with these vines first. Wang Yan, go fetch me a bucket of water over there."

Amir pointed to the stream not far away.

Wang Yan did not refuse and walked over with the wooden bucket.

The streams in the rainforest are not exactly clear, and there are many fireflies moving around on the surface of the water.

Fortunately, there were no slimes or fungus. Wang Yan carried the wooden bucket, filled it with water, and headed back.

Back beneath the statue, Amir had cleared away the tangled vines from the rock pillar beneath it, but left one thick one untouched.

Seeing Wang Yan return with water, Amir smiled and said, "Let's climb up from here... There's no other way, we can't use elemental power. If Lord Tina were here, he could fly up directly using the Four-Leaf Clover Seal."

The Four-Leaf Clover Seal is a unique elemental phenomenon of Sumeru. Those who can manipulate elements can move rapidly through its power when they face it.

There are several four-leaf clover seals next to this statue.

Unfortunately, neither Wang Yan nor Amir can use elemental power.

The two climbed up the rock pillar one after the other and stood on the base of the Seven Gods statue.

Amir immediately and skillfully began cleaning away the fallen leaves, withered branches, and traces of small animals clinging to the base of the statue and the cracks in the stone, his movements swift and devout.

Wang Yan slowly approached the grass god statue that was bowing its head in meditation.

The statue appears even more imposing and solemn upon closer inspection. Although the face beneath the hood is not visible, it naturally exudes an aura of tranquility and peace.

He took a deep breath, with a hint of secret anticipation, and reached out to gently touch the cool rock surface of the statue.

One second, two seconds... nothing happened.

All I felt at my fingertips was the inherent roughness and coolness of the stone; there was no warmth as I had expected, no stirring of elements, and no trace of any knowledge or power flowing in.

The statue remained silent, as if he had merely touched an ordinary stone.

The faint flame of hope in Wang Yan's heart was extinguished with a "poof".

He chuckled self-deprecatingly and withdrew his hand.

Indeed, such a unique experience as that of a traveler is not something that everyone can replicate.

"What's wrong?" Amir noticed his movements and turned around. "Do you think the statue is magnificent? You're like this the first time you've seen it up close."

“Yes, it’s spectacular.” Wang Yan nodded, not mentioning his own attempt, but simply echoing Amir’s words, “And it felt very… peaceful.”

“That’s right, the rainforest protected by the Grass God is itself a symbol of vitality and tranquility.” Amir said as he continued to wipe the edge of the base. “We ordinary people are already blessed by the gods to be able to live and work in this peace. Come on, lend a hand, this corner is a bit hard to reach.”

Wang Yan responded and stepped forward to help, quietly burying the faint regret in his heart.

It seems that there are no shortcuts for him on the path to transcendence.

It took Amir and Wang Yan more than an hour to clean up every nook and cranny around the statue.

“I suspect you brought me here just to find me a laborer.”

Wang Yan complained breathlessly.

Amir remained unfazed: "No way, haha, aren't you going to join the Order of the Church? If there's an interview, you can mention that you helped the rangers clean up the seven-day idols, that'll give you extra points."

Wang Yan was stunned: "Really?"

Amir raised an eyebrow and said with a grin, "I don't know either, but that's a common saying."