"Zhu Wu, here's the soul beast compendium I promised you," said Xiao Chenyu straightforwardly as he handed over the book.
The Primary Soul Hunting Forest was a state-managed reserve for soul beasts, and all species within it were officially documented. This information had been compiled into books and distributed to soul master academies across the empire, where it served as standardized instructional material for beginner soul masters.
Simply put, the book was part of the official curriculum at Nuoding Academy.
Families with noble titles, like Xiao Chenyu's, typically kept a copy at home so their children could begin studying even before awakening their martial spirits. It was mostly commoners who struggled to get their hands on one. To Xiao Chenyu, the book was no more special than a trinket off a street vendor's stall.
"Thanks," Zhu Wu replied, smiling as he accepted it.
"You're Xiao Chenyu?" Xiao Wu suddenly interjected.
"And you are…?" Xiao Chenyu turned to size her up.
"This is the leader of our Dorm Seven—Sister Xiao Wu," Wang Sheng puffed out his chest and made the introduction.
Xiao Chenyu, one of only two students with innate full soul power in Dorm Seven, was caught off guard. He quickly gave a small bow. "Nice to meet you, Sister Xiao Wu."
"What are you all standing around for? Greet Sister Xiao Wu!" he barked at his underlings.
"Greetings, Sister Xiao Wu!" they all bowed in unison.
Xiao Wu clearly enjoyed being the center of admiration. She straightened up proudly and gave a slight nod. "Alright, that's enough."
Then, turning to Xiao Chenyu, she smiled approvingly. "You're not bad, Xiao Chenyu."
She had completely forgotten her earlier urge to "duel" him as an excuse to blow off steam.
"You're too kind, Sister Xiao Wu," Xiao Chenyu replied with a pleasant smile. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Mhm," Xiao Wu nodded.
"I'll head out too. I haven't eaten breakfast yet after that morning run," Zhu Wu chimed in.
Without waiting for Xiao Wu to speak, he waved to the others and turned to leave—giving Xiao Chenyu a quick glance on the way.
Xiao Chenyu, quick on the uptake, cupped his hands respectfully toward Xiao Wu before signaling his group to follow him and give Zhu Wu space.
"…" Xiao Wu had been about to ask Zhu Wu to bring back something tasty from town, but the words caught in her throat.
"Let's head back too," she said at last, glancing at her dormmates and walking back toward their room.
—
"Zhu Wu, what's up?" Xiao Chenyu caught up with him once Xiao Wu was out of earshot.
"Well…" Zhu Wu rubbed his chin. "Sister Xiao Wu has a bit of a violent streak. She seems to really enjoy fighting. If there's no real reason, my advice is to take a detour whenever you see her—unless you want to get pulled into a 'sparring match' and end up bruised."
"Of course, that's just my opinion. Take it or leave it. I'm only telling you this in return for the book."
"That's all. Later!" He waved the book in his hand and walked off.
"…" Xiao Chenyu stood frozen, looking slightly conflicted.
—
About half an hour later, Zhu Wu returned to the dorm after breakfast and sat quietly on his bed, reading. Across the room, Xiao Wu was noisily nibbling on a carrot. After finishing it, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore and dragged Wang Sheng and the rest of the group out with her.
And she still talks about revenge? Zhu Wu scoffed inwardly. If it weren't for clinging to Tang San in the original story, she wouldn't have even made it to the Star Dou Forest to witness Bibi Dong hunting Da Ming and Er Ming. Without Tang San, she'd have had no one to sacrifice for and no opportunity either.
A true accessory character—nothing more than a tool rabbit.
Zhu Wu glanced at the now-empty dorm and the door, then shrugged and went back to his book.
—
That afternoon, he went to the back mountain to climb trees and do push-ups to stretch and strengthen his body. Despite having limited resources in his past life, gym class had at least taught him some solid exercises. More importantly, these activities were safe for someone his age. They were mainstream for a reason—simple, effective, and safe.
Not too strenuous, not too weak—perfect for someone like him to train with.
When he began to tire, he returned to the dorm, sat on his bed, and practiced cultivating soul power using the standard meditation method.
In the evening, he jogged again, let Xiao Bai out along the way to eat, and then found a quiet spot to practice the Longevity Technique.
The days that followed followed this rhythm. The only change was the addition of morning classes.
—
A few days later, while outside the dorm, Zhu Wu caught a glimpse of Tang San helping Yu Xiaogang up the stairs.
Looks like they ran into the Mandrake Snake, just like in the original plot, he thought, then returned to his routine.
—
Fifteen minutes later, top floor of the dormitory.
"Tang San, later today I want you to head to the Nuoding City Spirit Hall," Yu Xiaogang said, lying in bed. "There, they'll test your soul power and register you as a certified soul master. With that certificate, you'll be eligible to receive a monthly soul master stipend."
"That way, you won't have to struggle financially like before."
"Teacher… is the stipend free?" Tang San couldn't help but ask.
"Yes," Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"In that case, the Spirit Hall doesn't seem like such a bad organization," Tang San said, thoughtful.
"It's just a tactic to win soul masters over," Yu Xiaogang sneered.
"The funds for the stipend come from the two great empires. The Spirit Hall only handles distribution."
"So Spirit Hall gets all the credit without paying a cent? That's a sweet deal—good PR and they win people over for free?" Tang San was surprised.
"Of course it's not that simple. The emperors of the two great empires aren't fools," Yu Xiaogang replied, shaking his head. "You have to understand, the empires are vast and rich, spanning tens of thousands of miles, with towns and villages scattered all across the continent. If the empires handled this entirely themselves, they'd be spending huge sums of money and manpower—it would be an enormous burden."
"And that's where Spirit Hall has the advantage…" He paused, then continued, mindful of Tang San's age and status. "All you need to understand for now is that Spirit Hall is the holy land of soul masters on the continent. It has deep foundations and attracts talent from all over."
"So even if the empires took over completely, they still wouldn't stop Spirit Hall from drawing in soul masters. And soul masters aren't like commoners—managing them is a whole different challenge."
"By comparison, letting Spirit Hall handle it is far more convenient."
That's the power of divine legacy… Yu Xiaogang thought to himself. The prestige of divinity has brought Spirit Hall countless followers and unmatched influence.
"It's precisely because they understood their advantage that Spirit Hall proposed the stipend policy in the first place," he went on. "If the empires refused, they'd essentially be pushing soul masters toward Spirit Hall. If they accepted and tried to handle everything themselves, the cost would be unbearable—something they simply couldn't afford."
"Not to mention, the two empires were constantly clashing back then, both already exhausted from war."
"A textbook case of a transparent ploy," Tang San muttered in awe.
"Exactly. A blatant, inescapable strategy," Yu Xiaogang nodded approvingly.
For Tang San to grasp that term already—it showed his cleverness.
Still, Yu Xiaogang had to admit: Spirit Hall's bold move did temporarily force the empires into peace. He wouldn't say that out loud, of course, and instead continued:
"So in the end, the two empires had no choice but to accept the stipend policy."
"But they weren't going to do all the work and let Spirit Hall reap all the benefits either. That's why they settled on a compromise: the empires would provide the funds, and Spirit Hall would provide the labor. This way, Spirit Hall had to spread its personnel across the continent."
"In a way, this also served as a divide-and-conquer strategy to make infiltration and co-opting easier."
Money always moves people. Tang San nodded thoughtfully. The empire clearly hoped to win over soul masters with titles, wealth, and prestige. That's why there were so few working students at Nuoding Academy, and so many noble-born soul masters—it was all a result of this policy.
"Also, the empires don't cover all the costs," Yu Xiaogang added. "Their funding comes in two parts. One is labor cost—payment to Spirit Hall for their manpower and services. The other is the actual stipend, which both the empires and Spirit Hall co-fund."
"In the end, the two empires and Spirit Hall each contribute 30% of the stipend, and the final 10% is paid to Spirit Hall as the labor fee."
Whether they can actually win soul masters over… that's up to them, Tang San thought to himself.
"In short, the soul master stipend
ChatGPT said:
is the outcome of a political game between Spirit Hall and the two empires," Yu Xiaogang summarized.
"Of course, none of this concerns you right now. Tang San, what you need to do is focus on training. Don't worry about these politics. And as for the stipend, just collect what's yours without any burden."
"Yes, teacher," Tang San nodded.
"Alright, that's all for today. You should rest now too," Yu Xiaogang said with a satisfied expression.
"Mhm. Teacher, you should get some sleep. I'll bring you some food at noon," Tang San replied, bowed slightly, and left.
—
The next day, everything fell into place. Tang San quickly found a job at a smithy in Nuoding City, settling into a daily routine of classes in the morning, blacksmithing in the afternoon, and soul power training at night. Zhu Wu followed a similar routine, just with different activities. Their days were full, and although their interactions were low-key, things remained peaceful. Everyone focused on their own affairs with no conflicts.
"Wang Sheng, let's go!"
Only Xiao Wu frequently got bored and went out looking for sparring partners, causing chaos at the academy.
Because I'll be skipping forward in time, I wanted to finish this segment first. Sorry for the late update!
A bit of a new take on the Spirit Hall stipend system here—consider it a second interpretation. If anything's off, just enjoy it with a smile.
(End of chapter)
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