Hu Liena's Guilt

“Mm.” Xu Xiaonian nodded in acknowledgment, making no attempt to hide it.

Recalling the importance her teacher had subtly attached to Xu Xiaonian in her words, Hu Liena understood. “No wonder... but with such outstanding talent, why didn't my teacher take you as her disciple?”

From her teacher's perspective, it would have been hard to resist taking in a sweet-looking child with innate full soul power.

“Uh...” Xu Xiaonian was momentarily at a loss for words. Bibi Dong's hatred of the Holy Angel martial soul was hardly something he could explain.

Seeing his "bewildered" expression, Hu Liena recalled how her teacher had implicitly treated her as a successor, and a suspicion arose in her heart:

Could my teacher be worried that if she took another disciple, he would compete with me for the position of Spirit Hall's Holy Child?

That was the only explanation that made sense.

Then could it be because of me that this child hasn't received the treatment his talent deserves?

That seems to be the only possibility...

For a moment, Hu Liena felt guilty, as though she had stolen his life from him.

“You've really had it hard. I'll take you to enroll at the Spirit City Junior Soul Master Academy first. Follow me.”

The Spirit City Junior Soul Master Academy.

Xu Xiaonian and Hu Liena walked along the broad avenues, the former continually gazing with fresh curiosity at the classical teaching buildings, each reminiscent of Western fantasy architecture.

He had come here for his martial soul awakening, but he had never entered the main teaching area.

This was also the school his older sister, Xu Xiaotang, attended.

The Academic Affairs Office.

Dressed in a white-and-gold trench coat, Qian Shushi was filling out registration forms for two students, around twelve or thirteen years old, standing before him.

The two students, a boy and a girl, both wore standard school uniforms.

“Zhang Ping, Xu Yu, you want to form a soul master team for the Graduation Exam... what's your team name? And where are your other members? You need at least four.”

Beneath her blue-gray bangs, Zhang Ping looked slightly stunned. She exchanged a glance with the equally baffled Xu Yu, then said awkwardly, "Uh, we haven't thought of a team name yet. As for the members, um..."

Qian Shushi frowned, pushed up the glasses on his nose, and waved impatiently. “You came without preparing anything? Are you deliberately trying to annoy me? Go, go, go! Get out of here.”

Not far away, Hu Liena introduced them to Xu Xiaonian:

"They're both my classmates, and you could call them my friends. The girl is Zhang Ping. Her martial soul is the Golden-Waisted Flying Swallow, and she's a rank 27 agility-type Soul Grandmaster."

"The boy is Xu Yu. His martial soul is the Brilliant Gold Scepter, and he's a rank 26 support-type Soul Grandmaster."

Hearing those two somewhat familiar names, Xu Xiaonian paused. He knew they would face the Shrek Seven Devils in three Kun-years, so they certainly counted as geniuses among soul masters.

At the moment, however, they still seemed rather immature.

"We..."

Zhang Ping did not want to have come for nothing. Just as she was wondering how to talk Director Qian into registering her first, she caught sight of Hu Liena and Xu Xiaonian, who had just arrived, out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes immediately lit up.

“Nana! Perfect timing! You haven't joined a soul master team for the Graduation Exam yet, right? Join mine~”

"Wouldn't that be a little hasty?" Hu Liena hesitated. "Besides, three people still wouldn't be enough, would they?"

"Aren't you bringing someone with you?" Zhang Ping giggled. "This little guy must be a first-year student here to enroll, right? Doesn't that fulfill the requirement for every team to include a lower-year student?"

“My name is Xu Xiaonian.” Xu Xiaonian could not help asking, “Pretty big sister, why do you need lower-year students on your teams for the upper-year Graduation Exam?”

"Pretty... big sister?!" Xu Yu stared at him in shock, looking at him as though he were mentally impaired.

"Oh my, what a sweet tongue." Zhang Ping was secretly delighted. Children wouldn't lie, would they? Looks like I really am pretty.

That awful Xu Yu calls me a tomboy all day long. He has no taste!

No! More like he's blind!

After shooting Xu Yu a fierce glare, Zhang Ping kindly explained to Xu Xiaonian:

"Partly to give the new students a sense of participation, and partly to test our teamwork."

Hu Liena nodded and added, "The academy wants to see how we handle an obvious weakness in our team. They'll score us based on our performance."

“And the soul masters on the highest-scoring team will get to enter the Spirit City Senior Soul Master Academy without taking the entrance exam.”

At this point, Xu Yu excitedly chimed in from beside them, "Most importantly, tuition and accommodation are completely free! The school covers the cost!"

"Oh?"

Xu Xiaonian was tempted by this, not for his own sake, but for Xu Xiaotang's. If he could help her team take first place, it should ease the financial pressure on their family.

“Nana, little Xiaonian, have you decided? Want to form a team with us?” Zhang Ping looked hopeful.

She knew Hu Liena was about to reach the Soul Elder realm. If she could bring her onto the team, the rules would allow them to advance directly to the semifinals, saving them plenty of effort and helping them keep their trump cards hidden.

As for Xu Xiaonian...

Although he was sweet-tongued and cute, he was only a new student, after all. He could simply make up the numbers.

Faced with Zhang Ping's and Xu Yu's expectant expressions, Hu Liena remained unmoved. Rather than agreeing immediately, she turned to Xu Xiaonian beside her and asked softly:

"Xiaonian, what do you think? If you don't think it's a good fit, we can forget it."

As soon as she finished speaking.

Zhang Ping and Xu Yu froze, then turned toward each other at the same time, exchanging looks filled with curiosity and surprise.

Just who was this Xu Xiaonian? As His Holiness the Pope's personal disciple, why did Nana place so much importance on his opinion?

Could he be the Pope's newly accepted personal disciple?

Xu Xiaonian did not rush to give his opinion. Instead, he asked, "Sister Nana, do you know my older sister, Xu Xiaotang? I'm planning to join her team."

"Of course I do. She's in another class. I've heard her martial soul is the extremely rare Nine Heart Begonia." Hu Liena was very surprised:

"She's actually your sister? Xu Xiaonian, Xu Xiaotang... your names are so similar. No wonder."

"Xu Xiaotang?" Xu Yu thought for a moment. "I saw her yesterday. She didn't have a team then. We could bring her onto ours too."

Xu Xiaonian's eyes lit up. He turned toward Zhang Ping, looking at her hopefully with wide eyes. "Could we, Sister Ping?"

"We could, but..." Zhang Ping said hesitantly, "I heard Xu Xiaotang is giving up her chance to enter the Spirit City Senior Soul Master Academy without taking the entrance exam, because..."

"Because what?" Xu Xiaonian frowned.

"Because she can't afford the tuition, even though the academy has already reduced it by half."

Zhang Ping spread her hands helplessly. "That's just what I heard! I can't guarantee it's true."

At that moment.

Qian Shushi, who had remained silent beside them for quite some time, suddenly spoke:

"It's true. I personally processed the paperwork to halve her tuition."