Jiang Ming recounted it all with a wistful tone.
His straightforward words, paired with that distinctive tone, carried a meaning all their own.
Jiang Dongjun knew his dad had looked at those little beans whose entire lives could be seen at a glance and remembered his own past.
His dad, Jiang Ming, had gone from an orphan in a mountain village to an adjunct lecturer in the Soul Tool Department of the Shrek Academy Outer Court. His journey was nothing short of inspirational.
Had his innate soul power not been a little higher, his aptitude as a soul engineer a little better, had he not made the right choice at every fork in life and repeatedly met benefactors who helped him along... his life had allowed very little room for error. One misstep anywhere along the way, and he too would have been just another ordinary man.
But that tone isn't right. Now you're putting on airs and passing judgment?
Once a man reached middle age, that patronizing dad air crept in without him noticing.
No one knew a father better than his son. This old geezer was getting a little full of himself.
Time to hit him square in the face!
"Okay, okay, I know you're a winner in life now, Dad. Sure, you've earned the right to stand on high, look down on them, and pass judgment.
Dad, how about I ask the academy dean to let you give a speech on the podium out on the playground? Tell everyone how you went from a mountain-village orphan to a lecturer at Shrek Academy, how you're no longer one of the countless masses, and how you're somehow no longer ordinary?"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It was visible to the naked eye.
Jiang Ming's old face rapidly ripened red, his eyes glaring at Jiang Dongjun as though they might spit fire.
He was overheating.
He's my precious son. I'm still counting on him to make a name for himself. Can't hit him. Can't hit him.
Jiang Ming soothed himself with those thoughts, restraining his itching fists rather than bringing them down on Jiang Dongjun's little head.
Vaguely sensing murderous intent, Jiang Dongjun rubbed his head and stopped poking his dad where it hurt. His tone softened.
"Okay, okay, Dad. You're not them. How do you know they won't be happy and satisfied with their ordinary lives as two-ring or three-ring soul masters?
As outsiders, what we can do for other people's futures is offer respect, not put on a show of pity.
Hurry up and take me to my homeroom teacher. I can't wait to meet my little-bean classmates."
As Jiang Dongjun spoke, he swept his gaze around, located the office building, and strode toward it.
Imperial glory and dominion, here I come!
Jiang Ming was left standing there alone, stunned.
"Heh, honestly. I met Dean Qian a few times, got a few benefits, earned his favor, and let it go to my head without even noticing. I put myself on too high a pedestal and started passing judgment on others..."
Coming to his senses, Jiang Ming smiled self-deprecatingly.
Then he reached out.
He grabbed Jiang Dongjun by the back of his collar and gave him a powerful swing, changing his direction of travel.
Jiang Dongjun: ???
"Ahem~ Go straight to the teaching building. That white six-story building over there, the first classroom on the ground floor. I know that class's homeroom teacher. Just go into class. He'll handle the rest of the paperwork for you."
"Oh, got it."
Watching Jiang Dongjun's retreating figure, Jiang Ming rubbed his chin.
To be fair, his precious son really was qualified to call the others "little beans."
How had he grown so tall while he wasn't looking?
He had to be nearly a meter and a half now, right? More than a full head taller than the other students his age.
No wonder he'd rushed out to buy clothes yesterday afternoon. His old ones no longer fit.
In truth, this sort of change in height was perfectly normal.
The Douluo Plane had unusual rules. Boys and girls matured early, and obtaining a soul ring would "ripen" them once more.
Beast soul masters underwent the most dramatic changes during this "ripening." Shooting up four or five centimeters on the spot was normal.
The first classroom on the ground floor of the teaching building.
The little beans Jiang Dongjun had just seen outside on the playground practicing Shrek Academy's inherited secret technique-the "Great Art of Running"-seemed to belong to the grades upstairs.
The first-years on the ground floor had already finished their running for the day and returned to their classrooms, where their homeroom teachers had begun their lessons.
Thump! Thump, thump!
Jiang Dongjun stood at the doorway and knocked lightly.
Immediately, every eye in the class turned toward him. The little beans were awestruck, and an uproar broke out.
"Holy shit, bro, you're so handsome!"
"He's got such an amazing presence too. You can tell at a glance he's someone incredibly distinguished, but I don't think I've seen him at the academy before?"
"Exactly. We've definitely never seen him before. He's like the sun-warm, dazzling, impossible to ignore!"
"Dude, who are you looking for?"
"So tall, so built! Whose general is this?"
"I think I'm in love~"
"..."
The teacher at the front was a middle-aged man in his forties with a stern, rigid face. His lesson had been interrupted and his classroom thrown into chaos, yet when he turned toward Jiang Dongjun at the door, there wasn't a trace of irritation on his face. His eyes brimmed with hunger for better performance results.
Even as he tried hard to keep a stern expression, he couldn't quite suppress the upward curl of his lips, making him look rather comical.
"Your surname is Jiang? Jiang Dongjun?"
"Yes, sir. I'm Jiang Dongjun. I'm here to enroll."
"Mm, good. I thought you were going to skip class on the very first day we'd agreed you'd report."
Another uproar swept through the classroom, with students wondering whether they were dreaming.
Since when had Cold-Faced Old Li been so easygoing?
Li Qun stepped down from the podium and walked over to Jiang Dongjun, raising a hand to pat his shoulder approvingly. Turning sideways, he leaned his upper body through the gap beside him and out the doorway, where he spotted Jiang Ming waving at him from farther down the corridor.
The two exchanged a series of gestures and arranged a time to have a drink before Li Qun pulled himself back inside.
He turned and moved behind Jiang Dongjun, placed both hands on his shoulders, and pushed him toward the podium.
"My name is Li Qun, and I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next few years. From now on, whether it's something in your daily life or your studies, you can come find me in office 303 on the third floor of the office building. I'll do everything I can to help you resolve it."
He pushed Jiang Dongjun into position on the podium, then introduced him to the class:
"You all heard him. His name is Jiang Dongjun, and he'll be attending lessons with us from now on. He's your classmate, so make sure you get along with him."
Smiling, he patted Jiang Dongjun's shoulder again, sending shivers down the spines of the little beans accustomed to his rigid old-school manner.
"Student Jiang, introduce yourself to everyone. Mainly your martial soul, cultivation level, and goal."
He emphasized several words. Jiang Dongjun caught the hint and understood what he meant.
Yan Shaozhe had given every soul master a warning: you had to act in accordance with your martial soul's true essence, or you would suffer for it once you passed rank 95.
So Jiang Dongjun introduced himself quite frankly.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Jiang Dongjun. I'm a rank-14 soul master with a fireball martial soul. My goal is to become a Titled Douluo whose mighty name resounds across the continent."
In an instant, it was as though a domain of silence had descended over the classroom. Not a sound could be heard, and everyone gaped, tongue-tied.
They finally understood why the always-fair Cold-Faced Old Li was treating him so blatantly differently.
How old was he?
If he could transfer into their class instead of one of the classes upstairs, he couldn't be much older.
A monster!
One more rank, and he would meet the requirements to apply to Shrek Academy. He belonged to a different world from theirs.
Was that a student standing on the podium? No, that was Cold-Faced Old Li's performance results, bonuses, and professional promotion on two legs!
The atmosphere that had warmed up thanks to Jiang Dongjun's handsome looks and extraordinary bearing rapidly cooled. A gulf had already formed, and everyone felt uneasy, unsure how to interact with him.
"Very good! That's the spirit!"
Li Qun led the applause.
"Student Jiang, pick a seat. Any empty seat is fine. We'll rearrange the seating at the start of next term. Go sit down now. We need to continue the lesson."
"Yes, sir."
Jiang Dongjun swept his gaze across the room and locked onto his first target.
Back row, by the window-the king's homeland.
Then he looked for a deskmate he could ask about the academy and locked onto another target.
Little pudgy one, I choose you.
Fat people were truly a fascinating group, a treasure trove.
In plenty of films, shows, and novels, the protagonist had a fat best friend who could bring him "surprises" when he least expected them.
As Jiang Dongjun understood it-
Fat people were a group often excluded, sneered at, and treated differently in society. As long as you treated them normally, you could gain a very, very good friend.
In his previous life, it had worked every time. In elementary school, middle school, high school, and university, he'd always found it easy to become close friends with fat people.
Moreover, in their efforts to change their circumstances and fit in, many fat people gradually became skilled at reading expressions and moods. They were perceptive and could notice things other people overlooked.
Jiang Dongjun figured he wouldn't stay at the academy for very long. He needed a little follower to convey his will.
And so an approachable fat kid became his first choice.
Before you continue