Gu Chensha could hear the thoughts churning in her heart.
But after so long without living as a person, he could no longer understand the girlish feelings hidden in her words.
It made him want to sigh, yet he couldn't help smiling.
"But if you don't call him teacher, what should you call him?"
He neither agreed outright nor refused.
Zhu Zhuqing pressed her lips together.
She knew this request was a little unreasonable.
The person Spirit Hall had sent to guide her was her superior in both status and seniority. Calling him teacher was only proper.
But she simply didn't want to. Teacher could only mean the person who had pulled her back when she was at her most desperate, giving her light and a path forward.
"Then... should I call him instructor?"
She asked tentatively. "Or... I could just call him 'sir'?"
"It's only a formality, anyway. I don't need to learn anything from him."
The more she said, the more workable the idea seemed, and her tone grew noticeably brighter.
Gu Chensha chuckled softly and took the opportunity to offer her a way out.
"In Spirit Hall, the lowest rank qualified to be your mentor is Red Cardinal."
"When you meet a cardinal, call him 'Your Eminence.' When you meet an elder, call him 'Your Excellency.'"
"If all else fails, 'sir' is polite enough."
"That way, you won't overstep, and you won't go against your own wishes."
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up at once, as if she'd found the perfect answer. She nodded quickly, unable to hide the joy in her voice.
"Great! I'll listen to you, teacher!"
"All right, go to sleep."
"Got it, teacher."
Zhu Zhuqing obediently answered, curled up under the covers, and finally settled down, closing her eyes.
Dawn was just breaking.
Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes.
Gu Chensha's voice immediately sounded in her mind.
"Awake so early?"
"That's just as well. Wash up. The people from Spirit Hall are almost at the door."
She obediently nodded, got up, and quickly made herself ready.
Sure enough, before long, a soft knock came from outside, accompanied by the familiar voice of a young woman.
"Zhuqing, are you awake? It's Hu Liena."
"I'm awake. Coming."
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath and went to open the door.
Hu Liena stood outside in a simple white outfit, a warm, courteous smile on her face.
As soon as Zhu Zhuqing opened the door, she asked gently, "I didn't disturb your rest, did I?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head lightly, her tone calm but polite.
"No, I'm already awake."
"Mm. I should have let you rest for a few more days."
"But according to Spirit Hall's rules, we have to arrange a dedicated cultivation mentor for you as soon as possible, so I had to come over first thing this morning."
Hu Liena naturally took her hand and led her deeper into Spirit Hall, speaking as they walked.
"While we're on the way, I'll explain the core rules of Spirit Hall's Advanced Soul Master Academy."
"By the way, Zhuqing, did you learn anything about how advanced academies teach students before?"
Zhu Zhuqing's brows twitched ever so slightly. Fortunately, the movement was tiny, and she covered it by shaking her head. Hu Liena didn't notice.
She looked up at Hu Liena, a just-right hint of confusion in her eyes.
"Big sister, I can't remember anything from before."
"Qing'er, that was well done."
Gu Chensha's cold laugh sounded in her mind at the same time.
"This woman's questions are sharp. She didn't ask whether you remembered anything about the academy. She went straight to asking whether you understood its teaching methods."
"If you really had amnesia, you'd only look confused and say you didn't know. The slightest instinctive hesitation would give you away."
"Looks like Spirit Hall has never let its guard down."
Hu Liena immediately looked apologetic and gently patted the back of her hand.
"I have a poor memory. I forgot about that. I'm sorry."
"It's all right."
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, her face returning to its usual calm.
Only when she was alone with Gu Chensha did she let down her guard and show more of her lively emotions.
Hu Liena stopped testing her and began explaining in earnest.
"Most other Soul Master Academies on the continent use a uniform teaching model."
"But Spirit Hall has always followed a completely different system. It has three core policies, unlike those of any other academy."
"They are the aptitude ranking system, the bottom-tier elimination system, and the mentor responsibility system."
"By screening students layer by layer through these three policies, Spirit Hall has been able to train one top Soul Master after another, giving us the strength to stand as an equal against the Two Great Empires."
Zhu Zhuqing listened attentively and asked softly, "Is aptitude ranking based on Innate Soul Power?"
"Not entirely."
Hu Liena smiled and shook her head, patiently explaining.
"This is the foundation of all the policies."
"Starting from admission to the junior Soul Master academy, we assess every student across several dimensions, including Martial Soul quality, Innate Soul Power, comprehension, and potential. Then we assign them an aptitude level and place them in classes accordingly."
"Those levels aren't set in stone. They're reviewed every six months. As long as you improve quickly enough, you can move up at any time."
"On the other hand, if you stop making progress, you'll be demoted immediately."
"This system runs all the way from the junior academy through the intermediate academy."
"Even students initially considered geniuses because of their exceptionally high Innate Soul Power will be kicked out of the genius class if they can't keep up."
Zhu Zhuqing pondered this, then asked, "So the bottom-tier elimination system means students are expelled based on their test scores?"
"You could put it that way."
Hu Liena nodded.
"Once students are assigned to classes, the bottom-tier elimination system kicks in immediately."
"Beginning with admission to the junior academy, students take comprehensive assessments at regular intervals. There are monthly, quarterly, and annual assessments covering three main areas: Soul Power growth, combat, and Soul Master theory. Students are ranked within their class by their total scores."
"Those who come in last are demoted directly to the next lower class."
"Students who end up at the bottom of the lowest class twice in a row are expelled from the academy."
"After they're expelled, Spirit Hall assigns them a post based on their cumulative scores from their time at the academy."
"Those who meet the score requirement can be assigned to city branch halls as White-Robed Patrol Deacons."
"Those who don't make the cut can only be given idle positions like logistics or security. They'll never be allowed into Spirit Hall's core ranks."
"Even if you make it through the intermediate academy, if you fail the final assessment, the highest rank you can ever reach is Yellow-Robed Grand Deacon. You'll never cross the threshold into the ranks of the cardinals."
"This rule applies equally to everyone, without exception."
Gu Chensha muttered to himself.
"So that's how it is. No wonder that Blind Douluo, Su Yuntao, had to spend his whole life in Nuoding City. He'd been filtered out by this system."
"But this system is rather similar to the education system in my previous life."
"It looks like fair selection, but in truth... it's domestication."
Before you continue