When Lin Mo arrived at the gates of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, carrying his bedding as he followed the village chief, he instinctively glanced inside and spotted a comical scene in the distance.
A child in patchwork clothes was kneeling before an older, middle-aged man, respectfully knocking his head against the ground three times in a grand bow.
The sight left Lin Mo, whose eyesight was fairly good, staring in a daze.
But the comical scene also stirred some of Lin Mo's other memories. That child kneeling and kowtowing in the distance was probably Tang San.
And the person receiving Tang San's formal bow of discipleship was almost certainly Yu Xiaogang.
While Lin Mo stared absently at Tang San's and Grandmaster's backs, the village chief in front of him, who was helping carry his many daily necessities, had already taken out the Spirit Hall certificate Su Yuntao had issued him and shown it to the gatekeepers.
"Strange things happen every year, but there are especially many this year..."
After confirming that the Spirit Hall certificate in his hand was genuine, the gatekeeper could not help looking back and forth between the certificate and Lin Mo, who wore a guileless smile.
"Working students were extremely rare in previous years. Why have two turned up at once this time?
"And just after a trash martial soul, Blue Silver Grass with innate full soul power, left, along comes another trash martial soul, an 'egg' with rank-six soul power..."
"All right, since this is genuine, go on in." With a complicated expression, the gatekeeper returned the Spirit Hall certificate to Lin Mo and said,
"But, sir, outsiders can't enter the academy freely, so you can't go in with him. Let him carry his things himself."
"All right. Sorry for the trouble, you two."
The village chief's tense expression finally relaxed. Things had gone fairly smoothly, and the little fellow had successfully enrolled.
With the village chief's help, Lin Mo took the backpack and put it on his back without difficulty.
This much weight would not have been difficult for him even before his martial soul awakened, much less now that his physical fitness had improved considerably after his martial soul awakening.
"Grandpa Village Chief, head back first! Remember to give everyone in the village my regards. By the time I come back next, I'll definitely be a distinguished Soul Master!"
After stepping through the academy gates, Lin Mo turned before leaving and shouted to the village chief, who was still standing in place.
After saying goodbye to the village chief, Lin Mo followed the academy's signs and easily found the place for new student registration-the academic affairs office.
Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy did not occupy a particularly large area. It was mainly divided into three parts: the main teaching building, the sports field, and the dormitory building east of the sports field.
The academic affairs office was on the first floor of the main teaching building. When Lin Mo arrived, he happened to see Tang San following Grandmaster, having just finished registering and preparing to leave.
The teacher in charge of registration appeared to be in his sixties, with young teachers in their twenties or thirties assisting him.
The moment Lin Mo appeared, the two assistant teachers stepped forward and took the bedding from his arms, setting it on an empty table that had already been prepared nearby.
After thanking the two teachers, Lin Mo took the Spirit Hall certificate from inside his clothes and handed it to the male teacher beside him.
"Another working student?"
After reading the information recorded on the Spirit Hall certificate, the young male teacher could not help giving Lin Mo another look and instinctively muttered, "An egg martial soul? There's a martial soul like that?"
"Oh?" The elderly man between the three of them, Director Su, gave a slightly surprised exclamation, then reached for the certificate the young male teacher handed him and began examining it carefully.
Lin Mo waited silently beside them without saying anything more.
Before long, Director Su raised his head and studied Lin Mo, a trace of curiosity in his eyes. "Child, could you release your martial soul for me to see?"
"Sure."
Lin Mo nodded slightly, and the Pokémon Egg he had put away only a short while ago appeared in his arms once again.
The instant the Pokémon Egg appeared, the two young teachers' eyes widened, and they could not help muttering,
"It really is an egg?"
"An egg can awaken with rank-six innate soul power?"
"What's an egg compared to that? Don't forget, we just had Blue Silver Grass with innate full soul power!"
"Strange things really do happen every year, but there are especially many this year..."
Director Su pushed up his glasses, carefully examining and sensing the egg martial soul in Lin Mo's arms, but in the end, he regretfully gave up.
Like Su Yuntao, he had been unable to discover any further clues from Lin Mo's egg martial soul.
"All right, you can put your martial soul away," Director Su said. "These are the things the academy issues to you, free of charge.
"You'll be living in Dorm Seven in the dormitory building. Since you're enrolling as a working student, you must complete the work stipulated by the academy to receive payment.
"As for the specific work, the teacher over at Dorm Seven will arrange it for you."
"Thank you!"
Taking the things Director Su handed him, Lin Mo deftly put them with his bedding. After thanking Director Su, he picked up his bedding, turned, and left the academic affairs office.
Watching Lin Mo leave, the young male teacher could not help muttering again, "Is that child really six? Why does he look so sturdy? And he seems much stronger than other children his age.
"He carried such a large backpack and all that bedding as though it took no effort at all..."
"Maybe... that's the advantage his so-called mutated egg martial soul gives him? Much greater strength than other people..." The young female teacher beside him offered her guess in an uncertain tone.
While they were muttering, Lin Mo had already left with his bedding in his arms and headed toward the dormitories.
Nuoding Academy had only one dormitory building, with a total of seven large student dorm rooms. Dorm Seven, where the working students lived, had the worst conditions.
When Lin Mo reached the dormitory doorway, he happened to see Tang San send Wang Sheng flying with a kick. He stopped at the entrance to wait for the farce to end.
Tang San picked up his school uniform and looked down at Wang Sheng. "Can you move aside now?"
"I give up."
Wang Sheng blushed and gave a guileless smile. "From today onward, you're the boss of Dorm Seven!"
"Boss, looks like we've got another newcomer in Dorm Seven," a working student quietly reminded him from the side.
At his reminder, everyone turned to look at Lin Mo standing in the doorway.
"Stop looking. I'm not interested in fighting."
Lin Mo shrugged, squeezed into the dormitory with his bedding in his arms, found a reasonably clean bed, and set his bedding and backpack on it.
With Tang San's example before them, Lin Mo's actions left the other working students somewhat afraid to act rashly. They silently watched him put everything down.
"I'm not a combat-type Soul Master. This is my martial soul..." With a slight stir of his thoughts, Lin Mo summoned the Charmander Egg again and held it in his arms.