A Gesture of Goodwill from Yan Shaozhe

"Class Nine? All right. I'll have someone from the Academic Affairs Office take you there shortly."

Seeing that Gu Shengge wanted to transfer to Class Nine, Director Li nodded in agreement. Yan Shaozhe also spoke up, his voice gentle and full of goodwill.

"Student Gu, the academy will criticize and warn Teacher Zhou. You needn't worry about her causing you trouble again. This is some personal compensation from me. I hope you'll accept it and not hold a grudge against the academy."

As he spoke, Yan Shaozhe took a brown leather pouch streaked with dark red patterns from his storage Soul Tool and handed it to Gu Shengge.

At the sight of the pouch, surprise flashed through Director Li's eyes. He had not expected Yan Shaozhe to give such a good item to Gu Shengge.

Gu Shengge also recognized what it was: a Soul Tool used to store Soul Bones and conceal their Soul Power fluctuations.

Yan Shaozhe gently introduced the Soul Bone inside. It was a Crimson Flame Vulture right arm Soul Bone with an age of more than thirty-two thousand years.

"Thank you, Dean Yan."

Gu Shengge did not refuse. He took the pouch and placed it into his Life Spirit Bracelet. The smile on Yan Shaozhe's face grew wider, and he said nothing more.

Director Li summoned a teacher from the Academic Affairs Office and had him take Gu Shengge to Class Nine to register. After they left, he looked at Yan Shaozhe and remarked with feeling,

"Shaozhe, you really are generous. You gave away a Soul Bone just like that, yet I've never seen you give me one."

Yan Shaozhe said, "That Soul Bone's quality isn't particularly high, and that child won't fuse with it anyway. I'm merely doing him a favor, showing that I stand on his side."

Seeing how highly Yan Shaozhe regarded Gu Shengge, Director Li was somewhat puzzled. Though the child's talent could indeed be called shocking, there was no need to take his side so early, was there?

Seeing his old friend's confusion, Yan Shaozhe said something seemingly unrelated.

"Xiaotao's Evil Fire has been erupting more and more frequently lately."

Director Li's heart jolted, and he instantly understood what Yan Shaozhe meant.

"You want that child to help Xiaotao suppress her Evil Fire? But his Martial Soul isn't ice-attributed. Can he do it?"

Yan Shaozhe nodded and explained, "Although that child's Martial Soul isn't ice-attributed, it is a Holy Angel with the Ultimate Light attribute. Angel Martial Souls also possess a trait: purifying evil. Perhaps he can purify the evil attribute contained within Xiaotao's Martial Soul and allow it to evolve into a Fire Phoenix."

"I see."

Now that Director Li understood Yan Shaozhe's plan, he found it reasonable. Powerful ice-attributed Soul Masters could suppress Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire, but that only treated the symptoms, not the cause. If it could be completely purified, that would be ideal.

Freshman Teaching Building.

Teacher Zhang from the Academic Affairs Office brought Gu Shengge to the door of Class Nine on the fifth floor. Teacher Zhang knocked on the door. Mu Jin, who was teaching at the podium, turned around, a puzzled expression appearing on her delicate oval face as she asked,

"Teacher Zhang, is something the matter?"

Teacher Zhang pointed at Gu Shengge and said with a smile, "Teacher Mu, I have a student here who's transferring classes. He was previously in Class One, but he had some conflicts with Teacher Zhou and applied for a transfer. Director Li asked me to place him in Class Nine."

Upon hearing that he had transferred into her Class Nine because of a conflict with Zhou Yi, surprise appeared on Mu Jin's pretty face.

She had also sent students to inquire about the trouble caused by the freshmen in Class One. It had started because Zhou Yi punished freshmen who had not fought on academy grounds by making them run laps, even threatening to expel them. In the end, a freshman named Gu Shengge had confronted her, stirring up the dissatisfaction of many freshmen, who then went to the Academic Affairs Office to file complaints.

It had ultimately taken Dean Yan of the Martial Soul Department stepping in to calm the resentment of Class One's freshmen and get them back to class.

Naturally, Mu Jin was delighted to see Zhou Yi suffer a setback.

Her gaze fell on Gu Shengge's face, and a trace of amazement flashed through her beautiful eyes. What a handsome young man. Those affectionate eyes of his seemed able to speak, captivating the soul.

Mu Jin asked, "He is?"

Gu Shengge introduced himself to Mu Jin. "Hello, Teacher Mu. My name is Gu Shengge."

Upon hearing that name, Mu Jin was even more surprised. So this young man was the freshman who had made Zhou Yi suffer a setback? He had actually transferred into her class.

Mu Jin nodded and told Teacher Zhang to return first. She would take charge of Gu Shengge from here.

The moment Gu Shengge entered Class Nine, he immediately drew the attention of quite a few students.

The female students in particular were drawn to his nearly flawless, handsome face. They cried out in surprise, while some even flirted with Gu Shengge openly, trying to entice him.

Mu Jin gave Gu Shengge a gentle smile and said softly, "Little Gu, find yourself a seat first."

Gu Shengge nodded lightly and swept his gaze around the classroom. There were not many empty seats.

Seeing him looking for a seat, the female students all waved at him, inviting Gu Shengge to sit beside them.

"Come here, sit with me!"

"Pick me! Pick me!"

"Big brother, sit here with me!"

In the end, Gu Shengge took a window seat and did not accept any of the female students' invitations, leaving them quite disappointed.

"All right, let's continue the lesson. We were just discussing the development of Soul Tools. I'm sure everyone knows that Soul Tools were able to develop largely because of the reforms brought by the Sun Moon Empire. But no matter how good a Soul Tool is, it is still only an inanimate object. Soul Masters are the foundation..."

Mu Jin's teaching voice once again echoed through the classroom. Compared to Zhou Yi's temper and views, Mu Jin was clearly what a teacher ought to be.

Before long, the morning lessons ended.

Just as Gu Shengge rose to leave the classroom, he was surrounded by a group of girls, their sweet voices mingling as they invited him to have lunch with them in the cafeteria.

But Gu Shengge rejected every one of them.

"Young Sect Master, that transfer student is rather popular."

A red-haired girl spoke to the blonde girl beside her. The blonde girl watched Gu Shengge's departing figure thoughtfully. A freshman who could transfer classes even after offending his freshman homeroom teacher must have an extraordinary background. There was also that noble air about him, more impressive even than hers as the young sect master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Which great family's descendant could he be?

As far as she knew, none of the major sects or great families openly known across the continent bore the surname Gu. Could he be a direct descendant of one of those reclusive clans?

Cafeteria.

Gu Shengge ordered only the finest dishes, each one expensive enough to cost thirty Gold Soul Coins. They were all prepared from the most refined parts of Soul Beasts, and long-term consumption could improve one's physical constitution.

"Brother Gu."

Han Yue's voice sounded beside Gu Shengge. He looked up to see her carrying her meal over before sitting across from him.

"How was it? Did Zhou Yi make things difficult for you?"

Upon hearing Gu Shengge's question, Han Yue first shook her head, then nodded. She told him what had happened after they returned to the classroom that morning.

After they returned, Zhou Yi still made them run one hundred laps. However, it was not a punishment this time, but a test. Several students had failed to complete the required laps yet claimed they had finished. Zhou Yi caught them in the lie and expelled them from Class One, saying that those with ability but no proper mindset would only become disasters even if they were trained. Shrek Academy had no need for such students.

After hearing this, Gu Shengge set down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and spoke calmly.

"Zhou Yi really loves making a mountain out of a molehill. Han Yue, after you finish eating, find those students she expelled. Tell them I have a way to let them remain at Shrek Academy, then bring them to our dormitory."

Han Yue nodded. "All right, Brother Gu."

~

PS: Charge ahead! Go for Ma Xiaotao!