Pear Blossoms Drift Down Before Your Window

One day later.

"Morning, Xiao Meng, and Xiao Bing."

"Good morning, Xu-ge!"

"Morning..."

Ice Empress had completely lost control over what Xu Qing called her.

What could she do? Her name was Ice Empress. It was way too chuuni!

But Bing'er sounded too intimate, while Bingbing was even more affectionate.

Xu Qing had no choice but to put his high emotional intelligence to use and bestow her with the name Xiao Bing, giving her equal standing with Xiao Meng.

He stretched and looked around. What golden splendor!

This was the gift his sweet little sister Xiao Meng had given him!!!

In the Second Ring of Ming Capital, just a stone's throw from the Royal Soul Master Academy—turn left out the door and walk a hundred meters. That was it.

"Such a big house. Who'd have thought a country boy like me could live right in the heart of the city?"

"Living in the city is really nice."

A hundred times more comfortable than the Body Sect!!!

He'd completely forgotten his roots!

Xu Qing took a deep breath. The air was so refreshing!

The smell of money... So this was what it felt like to have a rich woman shower you with cash?

Bring on more.

Master Xu felt he could handle it.

What? You're asking how he could be short on money when he owned the patents for so many injections and Protein Powder?

Then let me ask you: didn't research require materials? Didn't experiments cost money?

So, yes, Xu Qing was a poor wretch.

"Just stay in Ming Capital from now on! Xiao Meng will support you!!"

Love-struck Meng immediately looped her arm around Xu Qing's and dragged him along to take today's entrance exam.

And Ice Empress... no, Xiao Bing?

"Xiao Bing, you stay here. Xiao Meng has already arranged a literacy teacher for you. You can make up for lost time starting with kindergarten."

Xu Qing waved over his shoulder and walked away without looking back.

All that remained was a lonely girl, left to keep watch over the villa by herself!

The illiterate scorpion could only watch her husband follow a rich beauty, like a helpless wife...

Ming Capital's streets were neat and clean, with a Soul Guidance Lamp every ten meters and buildings dozens of stories high everywhere. For a moment, Xu Qing felt as if he'd returned to some prefecture-level city in his previous life.

Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.

Standing before the broad entrance, Xu Qing watched the streams of new students and sighed from the bottom of his heart:

"It took Xiao Meng five minutes to walk to the Royal Soul Master Academy, but it took me eleven years."

"Okay, okay, Xu-ge. You're saying things I don't understand again."

At some point, Xiao Meng had let go of his arm and stopped holding on to him.

Hmm... Had she gotten shy?

Not at all. Xiao Meng felt that if they stayed in contact any longer, she might do something inappropriate.

What if she scared innocent Xu-ge?

"Xu-ge, let me give you an overview of the academy. We can talk as we walk."

"The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy has some of the best educational resources and facilities around. That's especially true of the facilities—they're countless times better than Shrek Academy's!"

She spoke of it like the back of her hand, explaining everything in detail:

"For example, the cafeteria. Basic meals are free, but if you want Soul Beast meat or other food that's good for a Soul Master's body, you have to pay for it yourself."

"But it's still quite cheap. Oh, and our cafeteria has chairs. You can sit down while you eat."

"And don't even get me started on the dorms. Single rooms, private bathrooms—they're countless times better than Shrek, where two hundred people fight over one toilet!"

"But you don't need to live in the dorms. You'll live with me!"

The house had actually been a birthday present for Xiao Meng from Xiao Hongchen and Hall Master Jing. Now she was using it to win Xu Qing over.

"Hmm... If I had to name a downside, it'd be that the academy might be a little strict when it comes to screening new students."

Xiao Meng looked at the new students trudging dejectedly out of the classroom building, walking in the opposite direction from everyone else, and sighed:

"The academy's minimum requirement is to reach the level of a One-Ring Soul Master before turning twelve. It sounds pretty low, but it's really the bare minimum."

"Even if you started with only one level of innate Soul Power, you could meet the requirement as long as you worked hard."

"Of course, that's mainly because the academy places great importance on teaching Soul Engineering. The teachers believe Soul Masters can't beat Soul Engineers of the same level."

"So all the new students who meet the requirements come pouring in from every corner of the empire, and the competition gets fiercer and fiercer."

"But in the end, most of the new students admitted to the academy every year still come from Ming Capital."

Unequal distribution of educational resources, huh.

"But none of that has anything to do with you, Xu-ge. Whew... We're finally here. The entrance physical exam is just ahead."

Xu Qing nodded and followed Xiao Meng toward the classroom, but the moment he stepped into the teaching area, a familiar smell hit him.

Nine Dragons Potion?

Why was the smell so strong!?

No, he'd forgotten how good his body was. Tsk, but that still didn't make sense. For the scent to fill the air like this, the dose had to be...

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"Come in."

A middle-aged man stood at the classroom podium. He had the same build as Hall Master Jing, and even wore the same style of glasses and clothes.

An ID badge hung from his neck. Naturally, Xu Qing could read it with ease.

Dean of Students, Lin Jiayi.

"Director Lin, I've brought Xu Qing!"

Xiao Meng's lively voice rang out.

This teacher, who had been painstakingly laboring day and night, could only maintain his energy and carry out his grueling Soul Tool research by taking Body Stimulants—Nitrogen Pump.

He perked up a little.

He lifted his round face, dark circles beneath his eyes, and said wearily:

"Ah... Oh, it's Xiao Meng. You're here to..."

His gaze shifted to Xu Qing, who was curiously looking around behind her. He let out a long breath and said:

"You're Xu Qing, right? The dean has already made arrangements. You don't need to take the test. Once the new students have finished, I'll take you straight to the experimental area."

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected things to unfold this way.

I thought we'd get the classic scene.

A teacher unhappy about nepotism, a hot-blooded youth indignant enough to challenge authority, and then they'd all come at me, only for me to punch them back into place.

They'd fall to their knees and beg for mercy, then secretly hire assassins to catch me off guard and take a shot at me, only to be wiped out in the end...

"Amazing connections..."

"I really did stumble into the imperial palace this time."

"Yes, pear blossoms drift down before your window."

...Still, a few students whispered complaints.

About half an hour later, all the new students in the classroom had finished their tests.

Only a handful passed.

"The academy's entrance exam is cruel. Many of them traveled a thousand miles to get here, but if they don't meet the requirements, they don't meet the requirements."

Lin Jiayi remained impartial, then waved the two of them over.

"Xiao Meng, Xu Qing, come with me."

The three of them headed down to the underground experimental area.

The voice-activated Soul Guidance Lamps lit up one after another, gradually revealing the vast space below.

"Xu Qing, your Soul Power is at level forty-four, but your physical strength is at level seventy-eight. You mainly cultivate a Martial Soul like Mystic Ice Marrow, yet your physical stats are still this ridiculously high."