See Who You Want to Study Under

Chen Qingquan looked a little embarrassed, the corner of his mouth twitching. He cursed himself inwardly. How had he forgotten something so important? He had been so caught up in reminiscing and catching up with Yu Zhen that he had neglected the actual business.

Only then did Chen Qingquan sheepishly explain the whole story to Yu Zhen.

As it turned out, two months earlier, as the principal of Red Mountain Academy, an affiliate of Eastsea Academy, Chen Qingquan had submitted the outstanding special student list as usual. This was done every year: the names of students who performed exceptionally at Red Mountain Academy were submitted, and designated staff at Eastsea Academy reviewed them. If there were truly promising seedlings, they would receive certain preferential benefits and subsidies.

But unexpectedly, after Long Hengxu, the director of Eastsea Academy's intermediate division, saw Bai Yushan's information, he did not toss the file to his subordinates to handle as usual. Instead, he came to assess him personally.

Long Hengxu spent a day in Aolai City. He watched Bai Yushan train, watched him fight, and watched him beat the three intermediate-division students he had brought along until they were scrambling all over the ground for their teeth. Then he made the decision on the spot and signed Bai Yushan to Eastsea Academy's exclusive special student admissions contract.

Chen Qingquan had read that contract. Its terms were outrageously generous. A private dorm room, three free meals a day, all Grade A, and a substantial monthly stipend.

Long Hengxu had said only one thing: "In my fifteen years as a director at Eastsea Academy, I've never seen a monster like this."

Yu Zhen's eyes widened, his mouth falling slightly open. He looked as though he had heard something unbelievable.

"You're that monster student with the strength to uproot mountains and a spirit that towers over the world?!"

Yu Zhen's voice rose a full octave. His eyes fixed on Bai Yushan, studying him from head to toe as though examining an alien creature.

As the principal of Eastsea Academy, he generally inquired into all matters concerning both the advanced and intermediate divisions.

Long Hengxu was an old subordinate of his. He had always been reliable and rarely used such exaggerated language to describe a student.

But last month, for the first time ever, Long Hengxu had praised a student in front of him for a full ten minutes, using phrases he had never used before, such as "strength to uproot mountains and a spirit that towers over the world," "a once-in-a-century talent," and "a monster among monsters."

At the time, Yu Zhen had thought Long Hengxu was boasting and had not paid much attention.

After all, it was only the intermediate division. What real genius could possibly come out of it?

The true geniuses had already been reserved by the big cities. Their Eastsea City was first-rate at developing the economy, but at producing Soul Masters... it was mortifying even to mention.

Who would have thought that, after all those twists and turns, the boy would turn out to be his old superior's student!

Bai Yushan could not suppress the upward curl of his lips. Every corner of his eyes and brows brimmed with smugness. He nudged Chen Qingquan with his elbow and said in a tone that begged for a beating, "Hey, middle-aged geezer, look at him, then look at yourself. Listen to how cultured he sounds. No wonder he's the principal of a big academy, while you can only stay in..."

Before Bai Yushan could finish, Chen Qingquan clapped a hand over his mouth and pinned him to the sofa.

"I see your hide's gotten tough! You're asking for a beating!"

Chen Qingquan hooked one arm around Bai Yushan's neck and pressed his other hand against his head, pinning his entire body to the sofa. Bai Yushan's legs kicked wildly off the edge. He grabbed Chen Qingquan's arm with both hands and tried to pry it loose, but it would not budge.

"Mmph, mmph, mmph! Mmph, mmph!"

With his mouth covered, Bai Yushan's sounds were muffled, but Yu Zhen could tell they were nothing good. He was definitely cursing, and viciously at that.

Watching the two wrestling on the sofa, Yu Zhen's mouth twitched. He took a deep breath and superimposed all his imaginings of that "monster student" onto the boy before him, who was pinned to the sofa and flailing like an overturned turtle.

All right, he really was a monster. Not a monster in terms of strength, but a monster in terms of personality.

"Brother Quan, are you sure this child's all right?"

Yu Zhen asked with some concern, "I mean, his mental state..."

"He's fine." Chen Qingquan released him, rose from the sofa, and brushed off his clothes. "He just has a foul mouth and needs to be put in his place."

Bai Yushan clambered up from the sofa, his hair as messy as a chicken's nest and his face flushed red from being covered. He glared at Chen Qingquan and opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again when he saw Chen Qingquan raise his hand. His eyes were still speaking, though, and their message was clear: Just you wait.

Chen Qingquan pretended not to notice.

Yu Zhen smacked his lips, then said, "How about this, Xiaoshan? I can see that you have an extraordinary physique and exceptional gifts. You'll surely become one of the great powerhouses of this age. I'll call over our academy's intermediate-division instructors for the incoming students. See who you want to study under."

Bai Yushan did not stand on ceremony. He cupped his hands like a little grown-up. "Of course, of course. With that promise from you, if anyone rubs you the wrong way in the future, just tell me!"

Yu Zhen's mouth twitched, but he did not take it seriously. He had now experienced this brat's mouth firsthand. He talked like firecrackers going off, an endless rat-a-tat-tat. Yu Zhen picked up the soul communicator on the desk, dialed a number, and said a few brief words. Then he ignored Bai Yushan and began chatting with Chen Qingquan about everyday matters.

The two mostly talked about old times.

Those eventful years in Mingdu, those old brothers who had shouldered guns together and shared drinks together-which had been promoted, which had been demoted, which had retired, and which were gone.

Chen Qingquan's tone was very calm as he spoke of these things, but Yu Zhen could hear the surging waves beneath that calm.

Before long, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Long Hengxu arrived at the doorway with several teachers: three men and two women, five teachers in all. Long Hengxu walked at the front, his back ramrod straight, his steps steady, and his bearing vigorous. His hair was meticulously combed, and his expression was neither servile nor overbearing, like a model professional soldier.

"Principal?"

Long Hengxu knocked on the door. His voice was not loud, but it was firm.

Yu Zhen waved. "Come in, come in."

Long Hengxu nodded and led the five teachers inside, then stepped aside so Yu Zhen could see each of them.

"Principal, these are the five homeroom instructors for this year's intake: Teacher Ye Yingluo of Class One, Teacher Qin Zhixu of Class Two, Teacher Ye Yingrong of Class Three, Teacher Kong Hanwen of Class Four, and Teacher Wu Changkong of Class Five."

As Long Hengxu read each name, the corresponding teacher gave a slight nod. Ye Yingluo stood on the far left. She looked twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with pride in her brow and a valiant bearing. Her phoenix eyes tilted slightly upward, lending her a cold beauty.

Qin Zhixu stood beside her, wearing silver-framed glasses. Refined and scholarly, Qin Zhixu wore a polite smile.

Ye Yingrong stood in the middle and bore some resemblance to Ye Yingluo. They were probably sisters, but her bearing was gentler, and there was considerably less pride in her features. Kong Hanwen stood on the right. He was around forty, fair-skinned and plump, and his eyes narrowed to slits when he smiled. He looked very easy to talk to.

Wu Changkong stood on the far right.

Dressed entirely in white, with blue hair reaching his waist, he stood tall, cold, and stern, like a sword planted in the snow. His face showed little expression, and his eyes were cold, as cold as a lake in winter. As he stood there, an invisible wall seemed to separate him from the other four teachers. Neither close nor distant-only pure indifference.