(Teachers didn't necessarily mean only one teacher; this was more like a mentor who introduced him to the basics.)
"Don't even think about it. I've got my eye on this one." Elder Ran narrowed his eyes, immediately on guard.
"Teacher, that's not quite right. What do you mean, 'think about it'? I appreciate talent too... This child has only just entered the academy, so we all have a fair chance to compete. Besides, what matters most is the child's own choice. Don't you agree, Teacher Ran?"
Lin Jiayi smiled warmly. Seeing how highly Elder Ran regarded him, he had indeed become interested as well. Surely the reputation of an Level 8 Soul Engineer like himself counted for more than Elder Ran's Level 7 Soul Engineer title. He had an undeniable advantage in this round.
"I knew you'd say that."
Elder Ran shot him a sidelong glance and said mildly, "Fortunately, I made sure to guard against you lot. I've already given the child a gift of apprenticeship. You still want to compete with me?"
"This... Teacher, you're still as sharp as ever. The older, the wiser." Lin Jiayi smiled helplessly at this.
"If I hadn't kept something in reserve, would I have stood a chance?" Elder Ran glanced at him and gave a soft snort.
This was a rule at Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy: once a teacher gave a student a gift of apprenticeship, the student was considered that teacher's disciple by default. Until the student refused, no other teacher was allowed to interfere. So when he heard that Su Luoheng had already accepted Elder Ran's gift, Lin Jiayi regretfully put the idea out of his mind.
Chapter 26: Mingde Hall, Jing Hongchen
"All right, get back to your work. I'm off."
As he spoke, Elder Ran set down his teacup, rose, and headed for the door.
"Teacher."
"Hmm?"
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Jiayi spoke up. "Teacher, I still think no one can say what the future holds. Even if you truly want to take him on as your disciple, you shouldn't rush into it."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
With that, Elder Ran waved his sleeve and strode away.
Was he worried that Su Luoheng would prove to be a mere flash in the pan?
As if!
He didn't know what the child's First Soul Skill was, but with Weapon Analysis, even if his later Soul Skills proved disappointing, that first skill alone was enough to make him an outstanding Soul Engineer!
If he didn't hurry and take such an excellent disciple under his wing, when would he?
"..."
Lin Jiayi smiled helplessly in his office, watching Elder Ran's figure disappear into the distance.
How many years had it been?
Teacher Ran's temper and way of doing things were still just as they'd always been.
Then he lowered his head again and studied the file on his desk. His expression gradually grew grave. Su Luoheng, bone age nine, Soul Power at rank seventeen, Level 1 Soul Engineer... affiliated with the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Su Luoheng..."
Lin Jiayi murmured the name, his finger resting on the words "Heaven Dou Empire." A trace of concern flickered in his eyes.
Su Luoheng had excellent talent and ability.
But there was one problem with his identity: he belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire.
That gave him pause.
The main reason Lin Jiayi had tried so hard to dissuade Elder Ran earlier was this. Normally, he wouldn't have objected to Teacher Ran taking on a disciple. If he simply wanted to bring in a student, one word from Lin Jiayi would have settled it.
But the boy was a citizen of an enemy nation. How could he not be cautious?
"..."
After a moment of thought, Lin Jiayi put the file away and sighed. It should have been good news for a gifted student to join the academy, but that special identity left him uneasy.
"Better leave it to the Hall Master to decide."
He couldn't make this decision himself. He could only report it to the one with the authority to make the call.
With that, Lin Jiayi immediately set off for Mingde Hall. As a Level 8 Soul Engineer, he was entitled to enter Mingde Hall freely, without restriction.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
Mingde Hall stood at the center of the entire Testing Zone.
The spacious hall was decorated entirely in a metallic style, mostly in pale gold. It wasn't extravagant, but everything had a solid, substantial feel. A plaque hung high above the entrance, its dark-gold characters seeming to command all beneath them. This was the true heart of Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. A third of the nation's Soul Tools came from here, and Mingde Hall held a position of great importance in the Sun Moon Empire.
At the center of the far end of the hall, a man sat in a chair.
The middle-aged man looked to be in his forties, with a slightly stout build and a kindly face. His features were ordinary, and his clothes were plain. But his eyes were dark, bright, and deep, brimming with life. He wore a constant smile, yet an intense aura radiated from him, making it difficult to meet his gaze.
He was the true helmsman of Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, the Hall Master of Mingde Hall—Jing Hongchen.
"Director Lin, what brings you here so late?"
"Hall Master, there's information about a newly enrolled student that I need to report to you."
"Oh? A new student?"
"Please take a look, Hall Master."
As he spoke, Lin Jiayi handed Su Luoheng's file to Jing Hongchen. Then he stepped back two paces, stood opposite him, and respectfully gave him a general account of the situation.
"This new student is named Su Luoheng. He showed considerable talent during the test."
"Even Elder Ran praised him highly and has already shown that he wants to take him on as a disciple."
"Elder Ran is interested in him too?"
"Yes."
At the mention of Elder Ran's praise, a glint passed through Jing Hongchen's eyes. He grew a little more attentive and began leafing through the file Lin Jiayi had handed him.
When he saw that Su Luoheng had reached rank seventeen in Soul Power and was a Level 1 Soul Engineer, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
"..."
"Hall Master, that's the child's full information. I didn't dare make the decision on my own, so I've brought it to you." After reporting all the details about Su Luoheng, Lin Jiayi cupped his hands and respectfully stepped aside, waiting for instructions.
After a moment's silence, Jing Hongchen closed the thick dossier in his hands and set it down. He looked over at Lin Jiayi, then suddenly spoke.
"Director Lin."
"Hall Master."
"As I recall, Shrek Academy is in the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire, isn't it?"
"Yes." Lin Jiayi cupped his hands.
Jing Hongchen stood and walked to the window with his hands behind his back.
"Director Lin, do you think a child with this kind of talent could get into Shrek Academy?"
"Of course."
Lin Jiayi nodded, not understanding what he was getting at.
"Haha, how interesting. Very interesting."
The corner of Jing Hongchen's mouth lifted into a meaningful smile. He seemed to be in an excellent mood. "A genius from the Heaven Dou Empire could have gone to Shrek Academy, but instead he traveled all this way to come to our academy."
"This..."
Lin Jiayi didn't know how to answer, so he simply asked, "Hall Master, how should we treat this child?"
Jing Hongchen glanced at the file in his hand and said, "Don't concern yourself with where he comes from. Treat him as you would any other student."
Lin Jiayi paused, then hurriedly reminded him, "Hall Master, shouldn't we observe him for a while first? He is from the Heaven Dou Empire, after all..."
"So what if he's from the Heaven Dou Empire?"
"When have we ever treated students differently because of their identity? Anyone who passes the selection is a student of our academy. What is there to distrust about our own students?" Jing Hongchen remained calm, as if he truly didn't care about such things.
"That's true, but with his talent, if he had ulterior motives, I'm afraid..." Lin Jiayi still wasn't reassured.
"Do you suspect he was sent by another nation?" Jing Hongchen raised an eyebrow and looked at Lin Jiayi.
"Uh..."
Lin Jiayi rubbed the tip of his nose, then nodded cautiously. "It's unlikely, but I don't think it's impossible."
"Director Lin, you've considered things thoroughly, but you've underestimated human nature," Jing Hongchen said slowly.
"Hall Master, I'm a dullard and don't understand what you mean." Lin Jiayi was completely baffled. What did anything he'd said have to do with human nature?
He felt that lately, the Hall Master's words had been getting more and more mystifying.
"Su Luoheng is talented enough to attract attention even at Shrek Academy. If you were in their shoes, would you be willing to send a genius like him to serve as a spy?" Jing Hongchen asked.
"This..." Lin Jiayi hesitated.
That was true, but if he were in their place, he wouldn't be willing to send away such a gifted Soul Master.
"Even if I take it a step further and assume that's really the case, I'd welcome it. I'd even be happy if they sent over a few more geniuses."
Chapter 27: Human Nature
Lin Jiayi asked in confusion, "W-why?"
"If they can send spies into our country, we can turn their spies against them too!"
A sharp gleam flashed through Jing Hongchen's eyes as he continued, "Director Lin, think about it. A genius sent to spy in an enemy country probably wasn't very well treated by his own faction. But then, in the enemy nation, he's given the best training, becomes a genius everyone admires, and earns the adoration of all those around him. What do you think he would choose in that situation?"
"Even if he's determined to stay loyal to his original faction, he's still only nine years old. If we sincerely train him, his feelings for us will naturally grow. Compare the two sides, and what would you choose?"
"And that is human nature."
Jing Hongchen looked at Lin Jiayi meaningfully. His words were like a splash of cold water to the face, jolting Lin Jiayi awake. He suddenly understood.
Even if the boy really was a spy, this kind of treatment would shake his resolve.
Just as Hall Master Hongchen had said, he'd be happy to have a few more spies like that.
"The Hall Master is truly the Hall Master. You've thought this through far ahead of us. This subordinate has learned a lot." Lin Jiayi bowed to Jing Hongchen.
Jing Hongchen smiled without comment.
From his position, he had a different perspective. Naturally, he saw and considered things differently.
"Hall Master, what should we tell Elder Ran?"
"Since Elder Ran has taken an interest in the child, he must have seen something special in him. If he wants to take him on, let him. Elder Ran's teaching ability won't let the child's talent go to waste."
"Yes." Lin Jiayi cupped his hands in response.
"Speaking of which, if that experimental accident hadn't permanently damaged Elder Ran's spiritual power, I imagine someone of his ability would have broken through to Level 9 Soul Engineer long ago."
Jing Hongchen couldn't help sighing with regret.
He'd heard a little about Elder Ran's experiment back then. It was a real pity.
Otherwise, the Sun Moon Empire would have had another Level 9 Soul Master.
"Ah..."
Jing Hongchen waved his hand and instructed, "All right, Director Lin. Make the arrangements as we discussed. Keep an eye on the child from time to time, too. If he reaches Level 2 Soul Engineer within two years, add him to the Core Student Training Program."
"Understood."
Lin Jiayi bowed to accept the order, then turned and left the room.
After Lin Jiayi left, Jing Hongchen picked up Su Luoheng's file again. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
"Elder Ran, don't disappoint me..."
He'd guessed that Elder Ran must have seen something special in the child to value him so highly. He was eager to see what kind of surprise this child would bring him!
Meanwhile,
Jing Hongchen had a vague premonition.
Given how highly Elder Ran regarded him, perhaps Su Luoheng really could become a Level 2 Soul Engineer within two years!
Before you continue