Student Aid

Night had fallen completely. Huo Yuhao lay on the bed with his mother for the first time in ages, turning the gray card over and over in his hands. The man had only called it a reward, never explaining what it could actually be used for.

It wasn't hard to guess, though; it was likely meant to be exchanged for resources at Martial Soul Hall.

He had already forged a deep enmity with Dai Huabin today. If he stayed here as he had in his past life, the Duchess would certainly use this as a pretext to act, and their lives might even be in danger.

What should he do... leave the White Tiger Duke Mansion with his mother? Their combined wealth didn't even amount to a single Gold Soul Coin. Finding a new place to live was out of the question, and they would likely struggle just to survive on the streets.

Just then, Huo Yun'er was drawn to a knock at the door and found the steward, Zhu Shan, standing there.

"Uncle Shan, why are you here so late?"

"Hmm... I just came to remind you that it would be best for you and your son to leave the Duke Mansion tonight."

"Huo Yuhao taught Dai Huabin a lesson, and since the interference from Martial Soul Hall prevented him from venting his anger, the Duchess will surely use this as an excuse to move against you."

Hearing this, Huo Yun'er's legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Leave... where to?" She knew she had to leave, but what would they do once they were outside the White Tiger Duke Mansion?

Staying here meant potential torment from the Duchess, but at least they could survive. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao had awakened with Innate Full Soul Power. She didn't care about herself, but Huo Yuhao undoubtedly had the qualifications to remain in the White Tiger Duke Mansion now.

But if they left... she could only take him to live on the streets, which might lead to an even faster death.

"During the day, Lord Zhang Peng gave little Yuhao a card. You aren't a Soul Master, so you might not know, but this card serves as a subsidy certificate for a first-ring Soul Master. You can use it to collect a monthly stipend from Martial Soul Hall."

"Or, you can forgo the stipend in exchange for a month's residency in the Martial Soul Community," Zhu Shan explained slowly. Huo Yuhao leaned in, listening intently.

"You can find odd jobs in the Martial Soul Community, so food and shelter won't be a problem. Huo Yuhao can also cultivate there in peace. That Martial Soul Envoy gave the card to the boy specifically to ensure you had a way out within Martial Soul Hall."

That night, Huo Yun'er and Huo Yuhao left the White Tiger Duke Mansion in a carriage hired by Zhu Shan, slipping away unnoticed under his cover.

Huo Yuhao leaned against his mother's shoulder, lifting the gray card to examine it from every angle.

In his past life, Martial Soul Hall did not exist, so he had no idea what a Soul Master world with such an organization would look like; he had only heard bits and pieces from the words of his ancestors.

But now, this small card alone was enough to make him realize what a colossal entity Martial Soul Hall had become in the world of Soul Masters.

The mere fact that they could provide housing and a job to sustain anyone who became a first-ring Soul Master required an astronomical amount of manpower and resources.

He couldn't fathom the purpose behind Martial Soul Hall's actions.

Putting the card away, he leaned out the window and looked back at the direction they had come from.

In his past life, he had left the White Tiger Duke Mansion alone at the age of eleven, struggling to survive as a Soul Master and seeking revenge against the mansion.

Now, leaving just after awakening his Martial Soul was for the sake of giving his mother a better life and securing his own future.

At the very least, things were changing in a positive direction, Huo Yuhao thought to himself.

By the time the sky began to brighten, the carriage reached its destination. Zhu Shan had already paid the fare in advance. The mother and son stepped out with their luggage and quickly noticed the neatly arranged complex of buildings ahead, along with a small, somewhat abrupt shack standing before them.

Above the window of the shack hung a sign reading "Martial Soul Community Resident Registration Office," and a man in black was dozing off inside.

"Excuse me, is this the Resident Registration Office?" Huo Yuhao walked up to the window. Hearing someone, the man in black yawned and immediately perked up.

"Hello, Martial Soul Hall Black-robed Martial Soul Envoy Li Ye at your service. Please present your identification, thank you."

"Right... it's this, isn't it!" Huo Yuhao retrieved the gray card Bai Mo had given him and handed it to Li Ye. The man looked at Huo Yuhao with some surprise, then glanced at Huo Yun'er beside him.

"This card... it was a gift from someone else, wasn't it?" Li Ye asked while registering the information on the card.

"Is it not allowed to be a gift?"

"It's allowed, it's just... it's a bit strange for someone with Innate Full Soul Power to come to the Martial Soul Community for housing instead of heading to the Soul Hunting Forest for a soul ring," Li Ye explained. The Martial Soul Community had been established ten thousand years ago by Pope Chen Mo, intended to shelter those who possessed innate soul power but lacked the talent to advance further.

"By the way, this card contains hidden text visible only to Martial Soul Hall, which notes this child's soul power level."

"Usually, the people who come here are middle-aged folks stuck at the Soul Grand Master level with no hope of breaking through. A child... is truly rare here, let alone one with Innate Full Soul Power."

Hearing Li Ye's words, Huo Yun'er looked at Huo Yuhao and sighed: "If it were possible, I would want Yuhao to cultivate, but... we don't even have a single Gold Soul Coin between us. If not for that kind Martial Soul Envoy giving us this card... survival itself might be a problem."

Huo Yuhao remained silent. With the memories of his past life, cultivating soul power wasn't difficult for him, but other cultivation resources were indeed an issue.

Truth be told, an academy was indeed the simplest path to obtaining cultivation resources.

"Hmm? Did that Martial Soul Envoy not tell you that you could apply for student aid from Martial Soul Hall?" Li Ye looked puzzled. They gave the card and filled out the forms, but didn't tell the child to apply for aid?

Huo Yun'er and Huo Yuhao were both stunned; "student aid" was a completely foreign term to them.

"Alright, it seems you really don't know." Li Ye coughed and began to explain:

"Ten thousand years ago, Pope Chen Mo established the Martial Soul Hall Welfare Institution to help impoverished Soul Masters who were young but possessed some talent. As long as you have innate soul power, even just level one, you can apply for a work-study spot at a Martial Soul Primary Academy and receive a monthly student aid fund."

"However, it's not without requirements: while at school, work-study students are different from regular students; they must complete academic tasks to prove to Martial Soul Hall that they aren't just there for a free ride."

"And if they exceed expectations, they can receive even more rewards. Gold Soul Coins, cultivation resources, such as rare treasures or soul rings of appropriate age."

"It's a real waste for someone with Innate Full Soul Power to work in the Martial Soul Community. If you allow it, Madam, I will process an application for this child."

Huo Yun'er swallowed hard, unable to believe such a good thing could exist in the world...

Having lived two lives, Huo Yuhao viewed the situation differently than his mother. To him, this only confirmed his suspicions: Martial Soul Hall was not just a colossal entity, but far more intricate than he had originally imagined.

On the surface, it was an act of charity, but in reality, it allowed Martial Soul Hall to completely permeate the entire cultivation journey of these Soul Masters.

Moreover, whether it was the Martial Soul Community that took in displaced Soul Masters or this student aid fund, everything had been established by that Pope Chen Mo ten thousand years ago, making it hard for Huo Yuhao not to be suspicious.

Who exactly was this Chen Mo...

Suppressing his doubts, he looked at the immediate situation. Applying for this student aid was indeed the best choice—partly so his mother could live in peace, and partly to obtain more precious cultivation resources.

If he wanted Huo Yun'er to live well under the sun, he had to grow faster than he had in his past life. To that end, leveraging the power of Martial Soul Hall was absolutely the best strategy.