Teacher, There's a Ghost Around

"Wow! So cute!"

"Damn, he's so handsome—and a little wicked-looking!"

Quite a few people were surprised when they saw Su Wen and Hu Liena.

The classroom grew lively.

"Quiet!"

The moment An Ya spoke, the room fell silent.

"We have two new students joining us today. Get along with them from now on."

"Su Wen, Hu Liena, introduce yourselves to everyone."

"Remember to explain your Martial Souls and Soul Power. Even at an academy, strength is what matters."

An Ya made sure to remind them. At a Soul Master Academy, whoever had more Soul Power earned more attention and respect. It was basic common sense.

"Su Wen, seven and a half years old. Martial Soul: Ghost Emperor of the Wedding Dress. Twenty-eighth-rank Battle Soul Master."

"H-Hu Liena, seven and a half years old. Martial Soul: Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Twenty-sixth rank!"

The room went quiet. For a long while, no one said a word.

Even Teacher An Ya instinctively glanced at their records.

Ghost Emperor of the Wedding Dress?

What kind of Martial Soul was that?

When An Ya saw that the records listed only its name, with no description of the Martial Soul, her curiosity was instantly piqued.

The Pope's disciple had a Martial Soul that had never appeared on the continent before.

"They're both Soul Grandmasters, and they're not even eight!"

"What kind of Martial Soul is the Ghost Emperor of the Wedding Dress?"

"I admit he's handsome, but twenty-eighth rank? Teacher, do you believe that?"

"Quiet!"

An Ya glared at the one shouting loudest. "Your teacher believes it."

Then she turned back with a smile. "Su Wen, Hu Liena, go find seats in the back for now. I'll rearrange things later."

Su Wen nodded, then went with Hu Liena to a seat by the window.

"Let's continue the lesson..."

The morning classes at the Soul Master Academy mostly covered the theory of Spirit Beasts and Martial Souls.

Su Wen started feeling drowsy after listening for a while.

By midday,

An Ya left the classroom, and the students immediately grew lively.

Quite a few gathered around Hu Liena. Everyone, boys and girls alike, adored the porcelain-doll-like girl.

Several girls gathered around Su Wen, too. One of them, a blonde, sat on top of a desk with her chin propped in her hand, giggling as she teased him. "Little brother, you're so cute. You look a little wicked, too. Are you really twenty-eighth rank...?"

"Liu Ruyan, you actually believe him? If he's twenty-eighth rank at seven and a half, I'll do a handstand and eat a chicken!"

"Ji Wuli, would the teacher lie?"

"I still don't believe it. Su Wen, right? Let's have a match!"

Ji Wuli folded his arms across his chest, looking thoroughly displeased as he stared at the guy who was even more handsome than him.

What gave him the right to be so good-looking, and even a little wicked? Somehow, that wicked look was quite captivating.

Even I, a guy, find him a little... Ahem!

"Hmph. If you want to fight Senior Brother, you'll have to fight me first."

Hu Liena stood up, glaring at him in displeasure.

Seeing that, Ji Wuli grew even more jealous. She even had such a pretty junior sister!

"Nana!"

Su Wen smiled and gently patted Hu Liena's...

He gave him a casual glance. Teacher An Ya had said plenty, too.

Sometimes, showing what you could do was the only way to get people around you to quiet down and show you respect.

"Sure..."

"Great, let's go Soul Fighting..."

Before he could finish speaking, Su Wen suddenly released his Soul Power.

A sinister, chilly breeze swept into the classroom, making the curtains rustle.

The Ghost Emperor of the Wedding Dress appeared, wearing the Phoenix Coronet and Rosy Cloud Cape, her wedding dress as red as blood.

Beneath her red veil, her eyes glimmered with a hazy, bloody light.

As she appeared, Yin energy rapidly gathered around them.

Section 44: Teacher, There's a Ghost!

One yellow and one purple Spirit Ring rose into the air. As the second Spirit Ring lit up,

the students stared in shock and confusion as the cold wind continued to blow and wisps of black mist appeared around them.

Two ghostly figures appeared beside the Ghost Emperor of the Wedding Dress. Their features were twisted, and they wore long black robes.

Each held a lantern wrapped in oiled paper, with a ghostly flame burning inside.

Their feet never touched the ground, and their eyes were nowhere to be seen, yet they filled everyone with dread.

At the same time, two graceful figures, completely shrouded in white robes, appeared.

Their hair hung loose, nearly trailing along the floor and hiding their faces.

Only their exposed skeletal hands could be seen, white as snow. They held pipa instruments made of bones and floated in midair.

The two female ghosts laughed at once. Their laughter sounded as if it were coming from the depths of a bottomless cavern, quivering with echoes. Sobs slowly mingled with the laughter, sending chills down everyone's spines.

"There's—there's... a ghost!"

"Teacher, there's a ghost!"

Almost as soon as the eerie laughter began, before the Ghost Dancer even appeared,

the classroom had already descended into chaos. The students who were afraid of ghosts went pale and scrambled to escape.

Some fell, but still staggered and crawled toward the exit.

Students from the other classes stared blankly at Class Two.

"Did they see a ghost or something? Why are they running so fast?"

At the entrance to Class One, two young men—one with red hair, the other with silver hair—stood out from the crowd. Several students their age had gathered around them.

Yan watched the students fleeing from Class Two in confusion. Xie Yue frowned. "There's a Soul Power fluctuation inside. They're probably fighting again..."

They headed toward Class Two, eager to see what was going on. An Ya, the teacher of Class Two, came over at the same time.

She had only just left.

Then she heard that a ghost had appeared in Class Two.

Heh.

What kind of ghost showed up in broad daylight?

A daylight ghost?

It was probably just a mischievous student playing a prank again.

"Teacher An!"

Yan and Xie Yue hurriedly greeted An Ya. She nodded to them, then looked toward the classroom. The scene inside left her rooted to the spot.

Even the Soul Masters in the classroom who weren't afraid of ghosts were frozen in terror.

The combination of one yellow and one purple Spirit Ring,

and the might of a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, weighed down on these students, who had only Hundred-Year Soul Rings, with an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

"You... you... you..."

Ji Wuli dropped onto his rear, pointing at the ghosts with a trembling finger.

Beside him, Liu Ruyan covered her mouth. A unique Martial Soul, and a thousand-year second Spirit Ring.

Who was this junior?

"What? If you still don't summon your Martial Soul, I don't mind letting them gang up on you while I've got the chance!"

Su Wen was at a loss as he watched more than half the students flee.

But what was done was done.

He might as well deal with the situation in front of him first.

"Exactly... Don't say your senior is picking on you!"

As Hu Liena spoke, her little hand gripped the hem of Su Wen's clothes.

She was a little scared, too.

It was gloomy all around them.

"I..."

Ji Wuli's face turned ashen as he saw everyone staring at him.