"Mm. I'll be troubling you for the next few years, Principal." Er Ming nodded at Dean Zhou's words.
"Not at all, not at all. It's my honor to have someone from the Clear Sky Sect study at the primary academy of Star Luo Royal Academy." Dean Zhou hurriedly waved his hands, saying there was no need to be so polite.
"Senior, I have a question I'd like to ask you, if you don't mind." As he spoke, he respectfully offered the tea he had just brewed.
Er Ming took the tea, blew on it, then set it on the desk.
"If you have a question, go ahead and ask."
"Senior, was sending this young master here to study the decision of someone higher up, or your own?"
Dean Zhou knew that asking this was very foolish, but as the principal of Star Luo Royal Academy and one of Xu Jiawei's officials, he had to ask.
"It was my decision." Er Ming cut him off, picked up the teacup on the desk, and drained it in one gulp. He wiped the moisture from the corner of his mouth.
"This child needs to gain experience out in the world. I'm afraid he'll be spoiled if he stays in the sect all the time. As for why I chose this place, I can't say much."
"In any case, I'm entrusting him to you. Follow the rules: send him to class when it's time for class, and test him when it's time for tests. There's no need to give him any special treatment."
Dean Zhou nodded at Er Ming's words, then opened the register on his desk and began entering Wang Dong's information.
"Name?"
"Wang Dong." The pink-and-blue-haired boy heard the principal's question and answered.
"Age?"
"Six."
"Martial Soul?"
"Martial Soul Possession."
Wang Dong gave a low shout. A pair of butterfly wings, blue-purple and gilded all over, appeared behind him, and a yellow Soul Ring materialized beneath his feet.
Intricate golden patterns flowed across the butterfly wings. Each one radiated an exceedingly faint aura of light, making the whole office glow softly.
Dean Zhou was well-traveled enough to recognize the blue-purple butterfly wings as the most beautiful Martial Soul on the continent: the Light Goddess Butterfly.
His eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "A top-tier Martial Soul, the Light Goddess Butterfly! What's your Soul Power level?"
(The author thinks that since even most of Shrek's teachers don't know the Light Goddess Butterfly can only be possessed by girls, it's reasonable to assume this principal doesn't know, either.)
"Level twelve." Wang Dong put away his Martial Soul and answered with a hint of pride.
Dean Zhou couldn't help taking another look at the pink-and-blue-haired boy in front of him. He still couldn't quite understand why the Clear Sky Sect had sent such a talent here.
At six years old and level twelve, he either had Innate Full Soul Power or had awakened with level eight or nine Soul Power. Even in the Star Luo Empire, someone like him was a rare talent.
Still, Dean Zhou decided to place Wang Dong in Class One, First Year, of the primary academy. He used a voice-transmitting Soul Tool to summon a teacher and have him take Wang Dong to collect his uniform and dormitory key.
Once everything had been arranged, Er Ming said to Wang Dong, "Xiao Dong, your second dad's leaving. When you miss me, get in touch."
"Got it, Second Dad. I won't miss you, so hurry up and go." At Er Ming's words, Wang Dong turned his head away with a haughty air.
Seeing Wang Dong act like that, Er Ming patted his head and left with a chuckle.
About ten minutes later, the teacher arrived at the principal's office and took Wang Dong to his dormitory.
Meanwhile, Er Ming hadn't left Star Luo City. He had concealed his presence and was keeping an eye on Wang Dong.
As Wang Dong followed the teacher out of the office, he turned a corner and ran into Liu Lin, who was coming up the stairs from the other side.
Following Xu Jiawei's instructions, Liu Lin had come to handle his enrollment at Star Luo Royal Academy with the documents Xu Jiawei had prepared.
Just as Liu Lin rounded the stairwell corner, he spotted the back of a pink-and-blue-haired boy standing outside the principal's office.
The boy's short pink-and-blue hair shimmered softly in the sunlight. He was standing on tiptoe as he took a tiny school uniform from the teacher.
Liu Lin's gaze lingered on him for a moment. The pink-and-blue hair and eyes gave him an immediate hunch.
But he couldn't confirm it yet, so Liu Lin decided to meet with the principal before drawing any conclusions. Meanwhile, Wang Dong seemed to sense something and looked up, meeting Liu Lin's gaze with her pink-and-blue eyes.
She wrinkled her little nose and muttered under her breath, "This person's so strange." Then she hugged the uniform and followed the teacher away.
Knock, knock, knock—
A series of knocks sounded at the principal's office. Dean Zhou, who had been working at his desk, heard them and put down his pen.
"Come in."
Hearing Dean Zhou's voice, Liu Lin opened the door and walked straight in.
Dean Zhou looked up at the black-haired boy entering the room and hurriedly stood, greeting him respectfully. "Viscount Liu, you're here. His Majesty told me a few days ago that you'd be coming. I've been ready to welcome you this whole time."
Seeing this, Liu Lin hastily said, "Principal Zhou, there's no need for that."
"Here are my enrollment documents. Please take a look." As he spoke, he handed the documents to Dean Zhou.
Dean Zhou accepted them with a broad smile. Without even looking at them, he put them away.
"I've heard about your accomplishments, Viscount Liu, so there's no need to look over the documents. The school's little mistake has just been taken care of, so I'll personally show you to your dormitory."
"Oh, then I'll trouble you, Principal Zhou."
At Liu Lin's words, Dean Zhou waved his hand.
"Not at all, not at all. Come, let's go."
With that, Dean Zhou led Liu Lin toward the dormitories.
As they made their way there, Liu Lin casually asked,
"Principal Zhou, I just saw a pink-and-blue-haired boy. Was he enrolling here, too?"
"You may not know this, but that young master is from the Clear Sky Sect. His name is..."
At Liu Lin's question, Dean Zhou glanced cautiously around, then leaned close to his ear and explained in a low voice.
After hearing Dean Zhou's explanation, Liu Lin's face darkened.
Tang San couldn't take a loss, could he? Why had he sent Er Ming to bring Wang Dong'er here? Was he really determined to train her like a dog?
So he'd sent Wang Dong'er here, huh? Just wait, Tang San. I'll make sure you see what I can do.
At the same time, a plain carriage stopped outside the academy gates. The door opened, and the first to jump down was a boy of only five or six.
His short, deep-blue hair gleamed faintly in the sunlight. He was small and thin, dressed in a clean, freshly washed gray cloth outfit.
His eyes were remarkably clear, like two blue gems hidden inside rough stone.
It was Huo Yuhao, who had come to enroll after receiving Dai Hao's letter the day before.
He stood before the academy gates, looking up at the plaque engraved with "Star Luo Royal Primary Academy." Nervousness flickered in his deep-blue eyes, but determination quickly took its place.
Behind him, a steward from the White Tiger Duke Mansion handed a letter to the guard.
The guard took the letter and checked it, then nodded to indicate that Huo Yuhao could go in and complete his enrollment. Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and stepped through the academy gates.