While Grace Carter was still struggling with the fragments of alchemy furnaces scattered all over the floor, he had already finished cleaning up the armless and legless Brother Table, Brother Chair whose head had been completely blown off, and the shredded pages of books scattered everywhere by the blast.

He was just too skilled—so skilled that Grace Carter couldn’t help but ask, “Do you do this a lot at home?”

“I only learned after entering the mountains.”

Evan Parker smiled sheepishly. “Master told me this is a required course for sword cultivators.”

He hadn’t even been here that long, and look at what the kid had been forced into.

Grace Carter couldn’t help but ask from the depths of her soul, “It’s so hard for us to make money, so why is it so easy for others to make money off us?”

“Senior Sister,” Evan Parker, who was huffing and puffing as he helped her move the bookshelf, paused at her words, hesitated for a moment, then continued, “I have a friend who taught me some ways to be frugal—this is just what my friend does, I—I haven’t tried it myself!”

Feeling Grace Carter’s direct gaze, the little white dragon’s breathing grew flustered. “Basically… if the sect uniform is damaged, there’s no need to buy a new one. Just find a piece of white cloth, cut it to size, and use gold paint to draw cloud patterns on it.”

Grace Carter glanced in horror at his sleeve.

The dark gold patterns were crooked like those drawn by someone with Parkinson’s, and where there should have been an embroidered flood dragon, there was a bizarre, grinning giant mudfish with feet bigger than its head.

“And also,” Evan Parker added, head lowered, “you mustn’t waste rainwater on rainy days. You can collect it, boil it, and use it for bathing—it’s cleaner than pond water. After eating watermelon or pumpkin, you can save the rinds and stir-fry them for the next meal. That way, you get another dish.”

Grace Carter was stunned.

Grace Carter really wanted to ask him, is this “friend” you’re talking about actually yourself?

But that question would be too hurtful. To spare the little prince’s self-esteem, she forced herself not to say it.

When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on someone, it must first distress their mind, tire their muscles and bones, and starve their body.

Is this what the world’s number one sword sect is like?

So while other sects are teaching spells and sword techniques, only the Xuanxu Sect is so refreshingly unique. If they published a textbook, it would probably look like this:

Required Course 1: “On the Self-Cultivation of a Penniless Wretch.”

Required Course 2: “Housework and Postpartum Care for Mother Geese.”

Required Course 3: “My Mushroom-Thieving Friend—Some Insights on Stealing Vegetables When You’re Flat Broke.”

Unbelievable. It’s basically a guide to leveling up as a total pauper.

“By the way, Senior Sister.”

Evan Parker saw her face grow even paler and thought Grace Carter still hadn’t recovered from the shock of bankruptcy. He carefully took a step closer, pulled out a radiant, pure white pearl from his robe, and said, “I didn’t bring much money when I left the East Sea this time. Only this luminous pearl is barely worth anything. If you don’t mind, please take it and exchange it for some spirit stones.”

He didn’t just “not bring much money.”

Evan Parker had left home with absolutely nothing, simply because his master had told him that sword immortals never cling to worldly possessions.

Later, he found out that his master had also eaten stir-fried melon rinds before, and had even invented a new dish called “Falling Blossoms and Hundred Fragrances.”

Which was just stir-fried petals and leaves.

This luminous pearl was the only valuable thing he owned. He should have kept it safe, but…

The inexperienced little white dragon mustered his courage, quickly glanced at Grace Carter’s deathly pale face, and made up his mind.

Since they were fellow disciples, they should help each other. If his worldly possession could give Senior Sister the confidence to keep going, sacrificing this pearl was nothing.

He was a stand-up guy! At worst, he’d just drink dew and eat leaves again. If Senior Sister lost her mind, her whole life would be ruined!

Grace Carter felt complicated.

In the original novel, Evan Parker was indeed set up as a pure-hearted, soft-hearted little white lotus. Whenever he saw injustice, even if he blushed and stammered from shyness, he would still step up to uphold justice.

One reader had pointed out sharply that the author made him this way just to highlight the male lead Henry Clark’s ruthless decisiveness and cold arrogance.

To be honest, when reading the novel from a god’s-eye view, Grace Carter also thought this little prince was just overflowing with sympathy. But now that she was the one being pitied by him—

He’s just a little angel, sob sob! He’s already so poor himself, yet he can still offer up his last asset to her! So what if it’s double standards—Evan Parker is just too good!

“No, no, I don’t need it.”

Grace Carter quickly waved her hands. “You don’t have many spirit stones left either, do you?”

She phrased it tactfully, deliberately skipping over Evan Parker’s melon rind eating and rainwater bathing, to protect the child’s pure and fragile self-esteem.

Unexpectedly, the silly son of the landlord’s family grinned. “It’s fine! Last time Senior Sister took me to the Myriad Sword Sect, we stole a bunch of melons. The rinds are enough to eat for several—”

Before he could finish, Evan Parker abruptly stopped.

He was proud and easily embarrassed. He had previously hidden his identity, claiming all those things were done by “a friend.” But now, with this sentence…

Wasn’t he just blatantly announcing that the friend was actually himself?

Heat rushed up, and his jade-like face was instantly covered in a blush, like ink spreading and deepening until his whole face was bright red.