Lan Si looked toward the voice. A middle-aged man entered slowly, holding a Martial Soul certificate in one hand and leading a child with the other.
The man looked to be in his forties or fifties. He was of average height and a little thin, with ordinary features, a somewhat thick lower lip, and a close-cropped haircut. Heavy stubble covered his face, and he looked rather downcast.
Yet a faint smile always played on his lips. It was clear that he was in a very good mood.
Like the man, the child had ordinary looks and appeared to be around five or six. He wore coarse hemp clothes and had wheat-colored skin. Perhaps because of malnutrition, he was rather small for his age, which was about the same as Lan Si's. He was nearly half a head shorter than Lan Si.
As Lan Si looked them over, they looked him over too. From Director Su, they had heard that Lan Si's Soul Power had already reached level nine. Could this fair-skinned, pretty child really be a genius with level-nine Innate Soul Power?
The middle-aged man placed the Martial Soul certificate on the desk and said to Director Su, "Director Su, this is the work-study student sent over by Holy Soul Village this year. Sorry for the trouble; could you register him?"
Director Su smiled. "Isn't this Grandmaster? What brings you here? What a rare guest. Come, have a seat."
As he spoke, Director Su was about to have someone bring over a chair.
Grandmaster glanced at Lan Si, who was standing nearby. After hesitating for a moment, he shook his head and said to the child, "Register yourself here. I'll come find you later."
The child noticed Grandmaster's expression. Though he didn't know why Grandmaster was paying such close attention to Lan Si, he nodded and said respectfully, "Goodbye, teacher."
Listening to their conversation, Lan Si finally confirmed that these two were Yu Xiaogang and Tang San.
"You became Grandmaster's disciple?" Director Su asked Tang San, his expression a little odd.
Tang San frowned. "Is something wrong?"
Director Su shook his head repeatedly, sounding regretful. "No, I'm just surprised that Grandmaster would take a disciple. Wait a moment. I'll register the student who arrived first."
Tang San nodded slowly and stood quietly to one side.
Director Su clipped Tang San's Martial Soul certificate beneath Lan Si's and began filling out the registration. As he did, he smiled at Lan Si. "Lan Si, your certificate says your Innate Soul Power is level five. Why did the test show level nine? Can you tell me, student? If Spirit Hall made a mistake, I can help you get it corrected."
Lan Si shook his head and gave the explanation he had prepared long ago. "Director, the record is correct. I awakened my Martial Soul a few months ago. My Soul Power reached level nine because I've been learning meditation from a Soul Master during that time."
Director Su understood. That explained it. Still, raising his Soul Power by four levels in just a few months was already astonishingly rare.
His gaze softened. "Lan Si, I've finished registering your information. But since you're not a work-study student, you'll have to pay five Gold Soul Coins in tuition each year. Of course, your accommodations will be better—you'll get a room shared with only two other students."
Lan Si nodded. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly asked, "Director, if I pay a little more, could I get a room to myself?" His cultivation technique was unusual. When he was on the verge of a breakthrough, blue arcs of electricity and pale white flames would coil around him. It was too dramatic a sight to let outsiders see.
"Well..." Director Su hesitated. Since Nuoding Academy had been founded, there had never been a precedent for this. But considering Lan Si's exceptional talent, Director Su agreed.
"All right. I can ask the dean to arrange a private dormitory for you, but you'll have to pay the academy two Gold Soul Coins each year. For today, you'll have to squeeze into the work-study students' dormitory. It's in Building Seven. Here's your uniform." As he spoke, Director Su took a bundle from beneath the desk.
"Thank you, Director." Lan Si accepted readily. Not wanting to flaunt his wealth, he made a show of reaching into his clothes with his right hand and took out seven Gold Soul Coins from the Soul Tool in his sleeve.
The Soul Tool his parents had left him contained hundreds of Gold Soul Coins. Seven a year was well within his means. Besides, once he became a Soul Master, he could collect a monthly stipend from Spirit Hall, so he wouldn't have to worry about money for a while.
Taking the items Director Su had given him, Lan Si considered that he might secretly mooch off Tang San's Storm Cloak later. He nodded to Tang San as a greeting, then left the academic affairs office.
Watching Lan Si leave, Tang San didn't pay him any mind. He simply took him for a well-mannered rich kid, then turned back to complete his enrollment with Director Su.
Lan Si had barely walked out of the office when someone he hadn't expected blocked his way.
"Grandmaster—" Lan Si looked at Yu Xiaogang calmly. "Did you need something?"
Seeing that Lan Si wasn't cowering like the other new students at the sight of him, a Soul Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang nodded repeatedly, growing more pleased with him.
Unflustered and composed—he was a promising young talent.
"You're Lan Si, right? I just heard Director Su say in the academic affairs office that you have level-nine Innate Soul Power. Could you show me your Martial Soul?"
According to Yu Xiaogang's theories, Innate Soul Power was directly proportional to the quality of one's Martial Soul: the higher the Innate Soul Power, the better the Martial Soul.
Lan Si had level-nine Innate Soul Power. Even if he couldn't match Tang San, who had Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power, he was still a peerless genius worthy of guidance from a theoretician like Yu Xiaogang.
After all, his theories had yet to be put into practice. He needed a guinea pig—no, a case study—for Tang San's practical training.
Lan Si was speechless. This guy had probably set his sights on him. He replied coolly, "Grandmaster, you've misunderstood. I don't have level-nine Innate Soul Power. Mine is level five. I simply awakened my Martial Soul early and happened to meet a kind Soul Master who taught me meditation. That's how my Soul Power reached level nine. You can ask Director Su if you don't believe me."
When Yu Xiaogang heard that Lan Si had only level-five Innate Soul Power, his face immediately fell. Gone was his earlier warmth. In his mind, level nine was the threshold for taking a disciple, while level eight was just enough to warrant some basic pointers.
With level-five Innate Soul Power, he thought he could get guidance from this master theoretician? Dream on.
"All right, I've got nothing else to say. You can go." Yu Xiaogang waved impatiently and turned away. He needed to think of a way to grow closer to Tang San as teacher and disciple. Tang San didn't seem to have prepared bedding, and his food was poor too. He could use those things to get closer to him.
That would be a good opportunity.
Watching Yu Xiaogang walk away, Lan Si sneered inwardly. The more insecure someone was, the more arrogant he became. With half a level of Innate Soul Power, he actually looked down on someone with level five.
Lan Si couldn't be bothered with the man. He set off toward the dormitory Director Su had assigned him. Until his private room was ready, he'd have to spend one night there.
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