First Meeting with Tang Wulin

First Meeting with Tang Wulin

Around four in the afternoon, the soul-guide train slowly pulled into the Aolai City station.

The salty, fishy scent characteristic of the ocean hit them head-on, carrying a more rustic flavor slightly different from Eastsea City. Aolai City was much smaller; the buildings were low, and the streets were not as wide as those in Eastsea City, yet it exuded a leisurely and vibrant atmosphere unique to a small seaside town.

Huo Yuhao and Xiaoling, whose hair color had been changed to dark brown and who wore ordinary traveler's clothing, walked out of the station with the crowd. He did not immediately head straight in the direction of his sensing, but instead decided to walk around, look about, and blend into the environment.

Let's walk around and get familiar with this city. Huo Yuhao said to Xiaoling. Xiaoling nodded, her eyes filled with curiosity. She always held an exploratory interest in human cities.

The two slowly walked along the liveliest street outside the station. Along the roadside were quite a few small stalls selling dried seafood; salted fish, tiny dried shrimp, and laver were piled high, and the vendors called out in a tone carrying a heavy local accent. There were also some small shops selling seashell crafts and coral-fragment decorations, sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight.

"Brother Yuhao, what is that shiny thing?" Xiaoling pointed at a bracelet on a stall made of small colored seashells and fine silver chains.

"It's a seashell bracelet. Do you like it?" Huo Yuhao walked over. The vendor was a smiling elderly grandmother who enthusiastically introduced the items. Huo Yuhao picked a bracelet made of milky-white, light-pink, and pale-blue small seashells interwoven together, with a simple and unique style. "Try it on." He motioned for Xiaoling to hold out her hand.

Xiaoling eagerly extended her wrist. Huo Yuhao helped her put it on, and the size was just right. The seashells gently swayed on her fair wrist, refracting the sunlight. "It looks nice." Huo Yuhao nodded. Xiaoling gently turned her wrist, listening to the subtle clinking sound of the seashells, a happy smile blooming on her face.

They bought two more strings of teppanyaki-grilled squid tentacles, eating as they walked. The sauce was rich, and the squid was tender and chewy. "It doesn't taste like the ones at our shop." Xiaoling commented, acting like a professional food critic.

While eating, Huo Yuhao combined the perception of his Spirit Eyes with the sensing of the Snowflake Necklace, walking unhurriedly toward a definite direction. Aolai City was not large; after walking for about half an hour and crossing a few streets, they stopped in front of a school gate.

Red Mountain Academy. White courtyard walls, a school gate that was not particularly grand but neat, with the school plaque hanging by the entrance. It was right around the eve of after-school dismissal, and some parents were already waiting at the entrance.

"Red Mountain Academy?" Huo Yuhao looked at the school plaque and nodded slightly. He understood the education system of the Sun Moon Federation. Six years of free compulsory education (three years of primary followed by three years of intermediate), after which higher academies required examinations or tuition. Calculating the age, Wulin had indeed reached the age to attend intermediate academy. Being able to study here safely showed that Tang Ziran and his wife had protected him very well, and this ordinariness was precisely what Huo Yuhao hoped to see most.

He stood beside a candied-hawthorn stall across the street, looking like an ordinary parent picking up a child, his gaze sweeping calmly over the school entrance. The abilities of his Spirit Eyes were suppressed, but his foundational observational skills remained. Xiaoling bought a skewer of candied hawthorns, nibbling on it in small bites while gently closing her eyes, quietly expanding her sensitive perception—as a nature sprite—toward energy and strong life fluctuations. This was her responsibility.

A moment later, she opened her eyes, gently shook her head at Huo Yuhao, and said in a low voice, "Brother Yuhao, nearby... I don't sense any particularly powerful or malicious presence. The strongest life fluctuations are those children inside, along with a few soul masters who should be teachers, but their ranks are not high, around the second or third ring." Her perception leaned more toward natural energy and life levels, and for deliberately concealed presences of the same or higher tiers, she found it difficult to detect them unless the other party actively revealed themselves.

"Mm, thank you for your hard work." Huo Yuhao nodded, yet his heart did not fully relax. The presence from that night had vanished; perhaps it had left, or perhaps it was hiding deeper. Not discovering something sometimes did not signify safety.

The melodious dismissal bell rang, and the unadorned school gate of Red Mountain Academy slowly opened. Parents who had long been waiting outside stepped forward one after another, and the human voices gradually swelled. Huo Yuhao stood beside a pancake stall across the street, his gaze sweeping calmly over the entrance. The foundational observational power of his Spirit Eyes allowed him to clearly capture details in the distance. Xiaoling stood by his side, holding a bag of freshly bought roasted seaweed sheets wrapped in oiled paper, eating in small bites while maintaining a natural vigilance.

Soon, he saw a familiar figure in the crowd. Tang Ziran and Lang Yue stood beneath an old tree, gazing into the school grounds. Immediately following, a blue figure ran out briskly; it was Tang Wulin. The six-year-old boy had grown taller, his shoulders beginning to take on a broad outline, his blue hair fluttering slightly in the ocean breeze, and those eyes remaining clear and bright, only with a bit more of the cleverness unique to boys of this age. The unique old white cloth scarf around his neck was tied loosely, lifting with his movements.

"Dad! Mom!" Tang Wulin ran up to his parents with excitement evident on his face. "It's done! I'm in Class One of the Soul Master First Year!" He purposely puffed out his small chest, pride that could not be concealed in his tone. Becoming an officially registered soul master—even if only at the lowest tier, and with the Blue Silver Grass martial soul—was still a matter worthy of great pride for a child of his age.

Tang Ziran smiled and patted his son's shoulder with moderate force. "Good lad, from now on you're a true soul master student, so you must hold yourself to stricter standards." Lang Yue, meanwhile, took out a water bottle and handed it over, her eyes filled with gratification. "Running so fast, drink some water. The soul master classes have arduous courses, but you must still look after your health."

Huo Yuhao's gaze immediately fell upon the silver-haired girl walking out right behind Tang Wulin. Na'er. She walked at a moderate pace, her long silver hair flowing under the setting sun with an almost pristine luster, her purple eyes calm and waveless, completely out of tune with the bustling environment around her. She walked up to the Tang couple and stood quietly in place.

"Na'er is all set too, right?" Lang Yue bent down and gently smoothed a stray strand of disobedient silver hair behind Na'er's ear. "Being in the regular class is fine too, the pressure isn't as high; adapt to school life first."

Na'er nodded gently, her voice soft and clear, "Mm, in Class Seven of the First Year. Thank you, Aunt Lang."

At this moment, Tang Wulin turned around to face Na'er. The excitement on his face had not yet faded, but his tone turned exceptionally serious, even carrying a hint of clumsy comfort. "Na'er, don't be sad! Even though we're in different classes, we're still at the same school! Look, my classroom is on the second floor of the East Building, and yours is on the first floor of the North Building, with just a playground separating them! During break time, I... I run fast, and I'll get right over to find you! Besides, besides, the regular classes also have lots of interesting lessons. I heard Teacher Liu say there's handicraft class, and also seaside ecosystem observation! It's super fun!" He gestured animatedly, striving to make Na'er feel that going to the regular class was also a wonderful thing, terrified that this quiet and sensitive younger sister would feel lost or lonely because she couldn't be in the same class as him.

Na'er raised her purple eyes to look at the sincere and somewhat eager face of the boy before her, ripples seemingly spreading across the ice-like depths of her gaze. She uttered a soft "mm," paused for a moment, and added, "Older Brother Lin's class is more impressive." Her tone was bland, yet it miraculously smoothed away Tang Wulin's trace of worry.

"Hehe," Tang Wulin scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed from the praise, and then became happy again. "Na'er, let me tell you, the classroom for our soul master class is huge! In the back, there's even a dedicated soul power meditation room! The teacher leading us has the surname Zheng, and she feels quite strict, but I heard she's a powerhouse who hunted thousand-year soul beasts in the past! And oh, behind the school there is a small soul-beast forest model park; although it's simulated, Teacher Zheng said that during our practical classes we'll go there to learn to recognize the habits of soul beasts..." He spoke as if a floodgate had opened, eagerly sharing his observations and expectations of the new school and new identity with Na'er, his eyes shining with light.

Na'er merely listened quietly, occasionally issuing a single-syllable response during his pauses to indicate she was listening. Her gaze would occasionally sweep across Tang Wulin's excited face, lingering for a fraction of a second on those azure, vibrant eyes before drifting away indifferently, wondering what she was thinking.

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue smiled as they watched the two children communicate. Once Tang Wulin had pretty much finished talking, Tang Ziran finally spoke. "All right, Linlin, whatever you have to say, tell Na'er slowly on the way. Let's go home first."

"Okay!" Tang Wulin answered resonantly, quite naturally wanting to take Na'er's hand again. This time, Na'er seemed a bit more accustomed to it than before; although her fingers remained somewhat stiff, she allowed Tang Wulin to hold her fingertips.

"Today is worth celebrating; Linlin has officially entered the soul master class, and Na'er has also begun a new life." Lang Yue smilingly took two warm eggs out of her cloth bag. "Line your stomachs first, when we get home Mom will make the sweet and sour fish fillets and seaweed-and-shrimp-meatball soup that both of you love."

"That's great!" Tang Wulin cheered, taking the eggs, expertly cracking one open, and first handing it to Na'er's mouth. "Na'er, have a taste, Mom boiled them this morning, they're super fragrant!"

Na'er looked at the peeled egg beside her mouth, then looked into Tang Wulin's sparkling eyes brimming with shared joy, and parted her lips slightly, cautiously taking a small bite from his hand.

"Eat slowly, don't choke." Lang Yue gently reminded them, her gaze shifting among the interactions of the two children, filled with maternal love.

Tang Ziran embraced his wife's shoulders, and the family of four headed into the setting sun, stepping onto the road home. Tang Wulin was still talking excitedly, gesturing from time to time, while Na'er walked quietly by his side, with only the occasional whispers of Tang Ziran and Lang Yue interspersed between. The golden glow of the setting sun lengthened their figures, blending them together, looking ordinary, warm, and brimming with a plain yearning for the brand-new school life.

Across the street, the rising steam from the pancake stall slightly blurred the line of sight. Huo Yuhao and Xiaoling stood quietly in the shadows, watching that small family gradually recede into the distance, blending into the bustling and peaceful evening streetscape of Aolai City.

"Older Brother Lin is really nice to that younger sister." Xiaoling finished her last piece of seaweed and said softly. She could sense the pure emotion in Tang Wulin's efforts to care for and comfort Na'er, which made her feel warm. She entirely regarded Na'er as an ordinary little girl in need of care due to an unawakened martial soul or ordinary talent.

Huo Yuhao's gaze, however, lingered for a long time, especially resting upon Na'er's overly calm profile. Tang Wulin's excitement, yearning, and cherishing of his soul master identity were all reactions a child of this age should have. But Na'er... her calmness was a detachment surpassing her years, and could even be said to be... a kind of overlooking. She accepted Tang Wulin's care and comfort, but her reaction consistently maintained a measured, slightly aloof politeness. There was neither the apprehension and curiosity of a child in a new environment nor even a trace of the loss or envy that ought to have arisen from not being in the same class as her familiar older brother.

This was abnormal. Unless her mindset was mature to an astonishing degree, or... she simply didn't care about these things at all.

Coupled with that fleeting, heart-palpitating strange presence from that night (though untraceable at this moment), this silver-haired, purple-eyed girl named Na'er was like a pebble dropped into calm water, and the ripples of doubt stirring within his heart were slowly expanding. The Silver Dragon King was untraceable, yet a girl of extraordinary temperament and suspicious appearance had become Wulin's younger sister, and happened to enroll on the exact same day Wulin officially stepped into the soul master world.

"Indeed, it looks very nice." Huo Yuhao finally said slowly, his voice low and devoid of emotion. "Xiaoling, let's find a place to stay. Somewhere closer to Red Mountain Academy."

"Huh?" Xiaoling looked at him, somewhat uncomprehending. "Brother Yuhao, didn't we confirm that Wulin is safe and that strange presence didn't appear? We're still staying?"

"Mm, staying." Huo Yuhao's gaze once again cast toward the street corner where the family of four had vanished, his eyes profound. "Some things need to be seen up close to be seen clearly. And..." He paused. "The opening of the soul master classes might also be a good opportunity for observation."