Jiang Nannan

After receiving Huo Yuhao's approval, Qian Duoduo left in high spirits.

Qian Duoduo's mind was now filled with promoting and implementing the "Engraving Cultivation Method," as well as studying the teaching plan Huo Yuhao had given him.

He was brimming with fighting spirit.

Seeing his tool so energized, Huo Yuhao felt immensely gratified.

Now we'll just have to see whether there are any promising seedlings worth cultivating.

Huo Yuhao intended to personally train one or two students—tools—so they could conveniently convey his intentions and keep the entire Soul Guide Class from straying off course.

Hopefully, there would be a few with better talent.

Meanwhile, at the Shrek Admissions Office.

Since it was the first day of enrollment, the admissions office was packed shoulder to shoulder.

Fortunately, some upperclassmen from Shrek were volunteering to maintain order. Otherwise, the place would have been utter chaos.

Yet amid the crowd, a golden-haired, golden-eyed girl with a pair of adorable rabbit ears on her head seemed utterly out of place.

There were no parents accompanying her. She clutched a small pouch tightly in her hand, and faint metallic clinking sounded from within it. It was not hard to guess that the pouch contained money.

The girl held tightly onto the money pouch, her eyes fixed on the crowd ahead as she stood there at a complete loss.

Her mother had said that she had to enroll at Shrek. Only by enrolling could she become a powerful Soul Master in the future, earn lots and lots of money, and find a powerful Soul Master to cure her mother.

But the girl did not want that.

She knew Shrek's reputation. She also knew that once she entered that academy, her future would surely be smooth sailing.

But that was the future.

Her mother's illness could not last until then.

Those medicines were far too expensive. Even a single dose cost countless Gold Soul Coins, and her mother had to take medicine once every five days. Otherwise, her condition would worsen.

Even if she did not enroll and instead went out to earn money day and night with her cultivation as a Two-Ring Soul Grand Master, she still would not be able to earn enough to cure her mother.

She had no choice but to trust her mother's words and believe that she could find a way to cure her mother here.

But after truly coming here, she realized just how out of place she was.

Standing beside a flower bed, the girl looked longingly at the Bulletin Board in the distance, where many people had gathered.

"What's this Soul Guide Class about? It belongs to the Soul Guide Department, so does it teach people how to make Soul Tools?" A parent reading the Bulletin Board noticed a particularly conspicuous announcement.

"It sounds a bit like what they have in the Sun Moon Empire. But I definitely won't let my child study this! My child will become a powerful Soul Master in the future! Why would they become some Soul Engineer?"

A Noblewoman spoke in this manner. From the way she was dressed, it was not difficult to tell that she came from an aristocratic family.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, several parents who were clearly with her chimed in. "Exactly! What future could a Soul Engineer possibly have?"

"Wait, there's even a subsidy for joining this Soul Guide Class. One hundred Gold Soul Coins a month?"

"Only a hundred? Are they trying to fob off beggars? Once you become a powerful Soul Master in the future, wouldn't earning a hundred Gold Soul Coins be easy?!"

The Noblewoman spoke again. She seemed to enjoy voicing her opinions and basking in the agreement and recognition of those around her.

The crowd echoed her once more.

The girl's adorable rabbit ears twitched, taking in every word from that group.

Especially when she heard about the subsidy of "one hundred Gold Soul Coins per month," her golden eyes lit up involuntarily.

One hundred Gold Soul Coins. That was enough to buy a month's worth of medicine for her mother!

Her hand tightened around the pouch without her realizing it, and an idea naturally surfaced in her heart. After hesitating for a long while, the girl finally made up her mind. Clutching the money pouch, she walked resolutely toward the admissions office.

Shrek's enrollment period was slightly shorter than that of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Guide Academy, lasting only three days.

Three days later, Huo Yuhao sat in his office, looking at the thick stack of student files before him.

The class had forty openings, yet more than a hundred people had actually applied. Among them were even disciples from clans and sects that had close ties with Shrek.

Clearly, most of them had obtained some "inside information" from somewhere and learned that he was the founder of this Soul Guide Class. They had thus sent people over in hopes of becoming his students, strengthening their ties with him, and gaining possible benefits.

Aside from them, there were gamblers and impoverished commoners.

One hundred Gold Soul Coins was neither much nor little. To ordinary people, it was indeed a huge sum, but to some clan disciples, it might not amount to much.

The reason Huo Yuhao had established this subsidy was mainly to see whether there were any impoverished commoner geniuses with clean backgrounds whom he could recruit. After all, talent was truly important in this world.

As he reviewed the files, Huo Yuhao's hand suddenly paused, his gaze falling upon a photograph in one of the student profiles.

"Jiang Nannan."

The rabbit-eared girl was somewhat at a loss. Both pairs of ears drooped low, and if not for her roommate accompanying her, she probably would have already run back to her dormitory to hide.

"Oh, Nannan, it's fine, it's fine. Since a teacher asked for you, maybe it's about the Soul Guide Class? Don't worry, just relax!"

Beside Jiang Nannan, a girl with long black hair tied into a ponytail behind her back held Jiang Nannan's arm and comforted her softly.

"Xiao Ya, I..."

"Don't worry! It'll definitely be fine! At worst, you can join my class too! I asked around—if you aren't admitted into the Soul Guide Class, you'll automatically be assigned to another class!

"Then I'll see whether I can get you assigned to my class, or I can go to yours! Anyway, don't worry!"

Tang Ya said with a smile.

Although the two had only known each other for a few days, perhaps because their backgrounds were similarly tragic, they had quickly become close friends who could talk about anything.

During their conversations, Tang Ya had learned about Jiang Nannan's family circumstances and also learned that Jiang Nannan's main reason for attending school was to find a way to cure her mother.

As for applying to the Soul Guide Class, that was purely for the monthly subsidy of one hundred Gold Soul Coins.

Seeing her friend sincerely trying to comfort her, Jiang Nannan was deeply moved. After steadying her emotions, she nodded seriously, took a deep breath, and gently knocked on the office door.

"Come in."

At the sound of the voice, Jiang Nannan pushed open the door. Tang Ya remained outside, cheering her on.

"Hello, Teacher! Were you looking for me?"

"Yes. I asked you to come because of the Soul Guide Class." Huo Yuhao nodded calmly. At the same time, his gaze fell upon her as he briefly studied her.

So it really is Jiang Nannan? Looks like I have my assistant.

After a slight pause, Huo Yuhao glanced at the standard procedure script and began the customary questioning.

"First question: why did you choose to apply for the Soul Guide Class?"