In a restaurant in Shuiyun City
A woman was enjoying a meal with two very cute girls.
The woman looked no older than twenty-seven or twenty-eight. She was tall and graceful, with light steps and refined manners. Her blue hair flowed freely, her starry eyes were deep blue, and her skin was as smooth as jade. Every frown and smile revealed a charm that was hard to describe. She was like a blooming peony—beautiful but not bewitching, gorgeous but never vulgar.
This woman was Shui Xinhan, the finest dean since Skywater Academy was founded. The two cute girls beside her were naturally her disciples, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.
"Bing'er, Yue'er, eat a little more. It's a rare day off, so I'll take you both out to have some fun later."
"Teacher," Shui Yue'er mumbled, "couldn't we have one more day off every month?"
"Yue'er!" Shui Bing'er was clearly more mature than her younger sister. "We train hard every day for our future. Only by becoming stronger can we live up to all our teacher has done for us and protect Skywater Academy."
"Alas!" Shui Xinhan sighed. "Yue'er, everyone likes to play when they're young. I was no exception. But I want to tell you this: if you spend your time playing now, you'll regret it sooner or later."
"Your teacher can protect you as you grow, and even give you the most comfortable life. But what will happen if one day I'm no longer here? What will happen to Skywater Academy?"
Eleven-year-old Shui Yue'er seemed to ponder this, her expression thoughtful.
Just then, a blue-clad woman hurried upstairs and handed Shui Xinhan a note.
"Dean, Director Shui has urgent business to report."
The woman was not a Soul Master. In truth, the Douluo Continent had a population of hundreds of millions, but fewer than a hundred thousand Soul Masters. Skywater Academy had only a few hundred Soul Masters. It was sheer fantasy to think they could keep the vast Skywater enterprise running entirely on Soul Masters.
In fact, Skywater Academy had just over eight hundred Soul Masters in total, even counting those involved in all of the academy's businesses. The number of students actually enrolled was only four or five hundred.
Skywater had just over eight hundred Soul Masters, but more than twenty thousand ordinary people depended on them.
These ordinary people mainly worked in three places. The first was the Skywater Chamber of Commerce.
The Skywater Chamber of Commerce was enormous, with frequent trade, and naturally required a great deal of manpower.
The second was within Skywater Academy itself. The academy had only four or five hundred Soul Masters, but taking care of them required a large number of ordinary people.
Keeping watch at the gates, sweeping, cooking, gardening, scrubbing toilets, maintaining security around the academy, and maintaining the Mimicry Training Ground—all of it required manpower.
Besides these two, there was also the Blue Clothes Society, Skywater's intelligence organization. Shui Xinhan had spent a fortune and ten years building this intelligence network before finally bringing it to fruition.
In addition to these three, Shui Xinhan also commanded a paramilitary organization: the Skywater Guard Regiment.
Though the Skywater Guard Regiment was nominally a paramilitary organization, its three thousand troops were armed to the teeth, equipped with all manner of fine armor, crossbows, and warhorses.
Shui Xinhan held the economic lifeline of the Shuiyun City region in one hand and its absolute military advantage in the other. Add to that the people's support and the common folk's deep affection for her, and Shuiyun City had practically become a state within a state.
When Shui Xinhan had carried out a series of reforms, the Heaven Dou Empire had been deeply displeased. But in the end, it could do nothing about her. For one thing, Shui Xinhan herself was powerful, and she had many formidable Soul Masters under her command.
For another, Shui Xinhan was exceptionally skilled at political maneuvering. When the nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire tried to impose various sanctions, she immediately began cultivating ties with Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire. Xue Ye, the Heaven Dou Emperor, had been furious for days, but in the end, he did not dare make a move.
Of course, Shui Xinhan had also given the Heaven Dou Empire a way to save face. Though Shuiyun City was like a state within a state, she still allowed the Heaven Dou Empire to collect the taxes due each year. But when the empire tried to raise them, the people of Shuiyun City, with Shui Xinhan as their backing, refused to yield.
Shui Xinhan looked at the note in her hand, a trace of gravity showing in her beautiful eyes.
"Bing'er, Yue'er, your teacher has urgent business today, so I can't take you out. Bing'er, you're twelve now, practically a grown-up. Take good care of your sister, and remember, don't leave the city."
"Yue'er, while I'm away, listen to your sister. Don't go playing around, and above all, don't leave the city. Inside the walls, this is our own territory, so it's very safe. With your strength and your sister's, you should really have gone out to train on your own by now. But you're still so young, and you're both girls. I can't feel at ease leaving you to deal with unknown dangers without me there."
"Don't worry, Teacher. I'll take good care of my sister."
Shui Xinhan patted Shui Bing'er's little head and said warmly, "Bing'er, even though you were poorly nourished as a child and awakened your Martial Soul late, your talent surpasses even your teacher's. Skywater Academy hasn't reached its peak under my leadership. I'm looking forward to the day you grow into your own."
Shui Bing'er said resolutely, "Teacher, don't worry. Bing'er will never let you down."