When Mu Ji Wu woke up, the sun had already risen a little, which meant he had slept longer than usual.
He understood this was due to the fatigue from training before bed.
After going to the bathroom and finishing his morning routine, he sat down again and began meditating.
He didn’t see Teacher Wu, but he guessed he was in his room and didn’t pry with his spiritual power.
Out of respect for privacy, and because he noticed Teacher Wu’s spiritual power was greater than his and would detect him if he did.
Even though he hadn’t told him about his vast spiritual power yet, he would later.
While circulating his soul power, he noticed the amount in his soul power center had increased slightly, which was considered progress on his path toward Rank 12.
When he finished one cycle and woke up, he found Wu Zhangkong reading first-year textbooks and waiting for him.
He asked curiously, “Teacher Wu, why are you reading first-year textbooks in your free time?” Wu Zhangkong replied calmly, “I wasn’t a first-year teacher before this year.
I taught the advanced years, but due to problems with the administration I was demoted to first year.
To know what I’ll teach, I have to understand their textbooks before they do.” Mu Ji Wu nodded, understanding.
From Wu Zhangkong’s personality he’d observed these past few days, he ignored almost everyone and was only basically polite.
He wasn’t the type to bow, flatter, or submit to the administration.
If Mu Ji Wu were just an ordinary student at the start of school and hadn’t been sought out beforehand, he would receive the same treatment.
Even though Wu Zhangkong treated him better, that was only relative so far because of the strangeness of his spirit, and also because he already considered him a disciple.
While thinking about this, Teacher Wu asked him, “What are your plans for today?” “I’m going shopping.
I need new clothes, and textbooks and school supplies.
My tobacco is running low too.” The first sentences sounded like a normal child, except for the last request.
But Teacher Wu had already gotten used to his disciple’s strangeness over these three days, so he nodded and asked, “Do you need help?” “Yes.
Come with me, please.
I’ll probably be kicked out of any store I enter wearing these clothes I have on now.
On the way here, people were looking at me strangely,” Mu Ji Wu explained lightly.
There was no reply this time, which was silent agreement.
Wu Zhangkong put the book down after seeing Mu Ji Wu was ready to leave, but Mu Ji Wu suddenly put on his large bag and was getting ready to go out with it.
“What are you doing?” “Hmm?
I’m taking the bag with me.
Where else would I put the purchases?” Mu Ji Wu replied with slight surprise that anyone would ask about something so obvious.
Then Wu Zhangkong remembered that Mu Ji Wu had said the bag was very important to him, and how he slept next to it and put the pipe in it after every use.
“Is your money in the bag too?” Wu Zhangkong asked more.
“Yes.
Most of what I have and what’s left of it from ‘her’ is here,” Mu Ji Wu replied after thinking for a moment.
‘Her?
Who is “her” he mentioned?
His mother?’ Wu Zhangkong tried to guess but didn’t ask because he noticed Mu Ji Wu’s mood change suddenly after mentioning her.
Wu Zhangkong turned and entered his room under Mu Ji Wu’s puzzled gaze.
After half a minute he came back and held out a small silver bracelet toward Mu Ji Wu.
Mu Ji Wu took it and put it on without a word, then asked, “What does this bracelet do?” “Inject soul power into it and think of your bag at the same time,” Wu Zhangkong answered with something else and didn’t explain.
Mu Ji Wu did as told and felt his back become lighter as the bag disappeared.
Immediately, the expression on his face changed.
A soul ring appeared behind him and began to shine.
He spun around quickly, ready to attack with such anger that the whites of his eyes began to redden as his pupils glowed blue.
But he stopped in place when an image appeared in his mind: the bag in a small space about two square meters.
At the same time, he felt the bracelet react on his right forearm as he looked at it.
With a thought, the bag appeared on his back again, and with another thought it entered the bracelet.
He understood it was ready for storage and that Teacher Wu had given it to him so he could store his precious bag.
The redness in his eyes faded, his face calmed, and he returned to his usual dead expression.
The soul ring vanished and his eyes returned to black.
Watching the scene from the side, Wu Zhangkong’s shocked mind analyzed what had just happened.
‘He attacked directly behind him.
Did he think someone took his bag?
What was that expression?
It was more like a beast than a human.
What’s in the bag that would make him ready to kill instantly the moment it’s taken?…’ As his thoughts raced, he noticed Mu Ji Wu had calmed down and turned toward him.
“I apologize.
I should have explained the storage bracelet, otherwise you wouldn’t have been suddenly shocked,” Wu Zhangkong apologized directly.
In the midst of the anger, he had noticed at that moment the fear in Mu Ji Wu’s eyes—fear of suddenly losing something dear.
“It’s fine, Teacher Wu.
I was the one who overreacted suddenly before I even confirmed what happened,” Mu Ji Wu replied.
Indeed, he reviewed himself and found he had acted before even thinking, his body out of control for a second.
It would be a problem if he killed someone by mistake.
Then he bowed, “Thank you for this valuable gift, Teacher Wu.
I will cherish this favor and repay it in the future.” Wu Zhangkong felt the sincere gratitude and happiness in Mu Ji Wu’s words as he thanked him.
From his previous reaction, one could imagine how precious the bag was, and with this device it would be much safer.
Even after raising his head from the bow, there was a small, happy smile on his face as he watched the bracelet with tenderness and gentleness in his eyes.
‘Hmm, he’s more like a living person when it comes to the bag, but usually he looks like a corpse if he stays silent,’ Wu Zhangkong analyzed Mu Ji Wu’s personality after these three days of living with him.
“Let’s go then,” Wu Zhangkong said as he walked out, followed by Mu Ji Wu, who was still watching the bracelet.
‘With this bracelet, the bag and what’s inside will be safer.
As long as I’m alive, I won’t allow any harm to come to it,’ he thought as he went out.
Of course, he didn’t know that the small bracelet on his hand was worth 5 million federal coins, and of course Wu Zhangkong, with his personality, wouldn’t explain something like that.
After getting breakfast at the cafeteria, both of them left the academy.
Because the area had a school, there was a garden in front of it full of trees and chairs for students to walk around.
The academy walls extended a kilometer in every direction to contain enough buildings for the many students, where the number of years of study there reached six years for middle school, and unknown for advanced.
One could apply as long as they were under 12 years old, but then it was fierce competition, unlike those who applied at nine with a recommendation from the academy, who entered at a younger age and could graduate three years earlier if they successfully met the graduation requirements.
That was why the academy was vast, especially what Soul Masters needed in terms of facilities for all kinds of training and various studies based on the type of martial spirit and chosen path.
Of course, Wu Zhangkong had explained all of this to Mu Ji Wu yesterday so he would have a clear idea of everything.
That was why the street across from the garden was either buildings or small shops, which didn’t suit what Mu Ji Wu needed to buy.
So they decided to walk further until they reached a place away from the academy’s influence.
As they walked, Wu Zhangkong seemed to be thinking about something deeply, so Mu Ji Wu didn’t disturb him until he suddenly said: “Mu Ji Wu, after our conversation yesterday, I did some research and discovered a legend that says the Thousand Hands Douluo Tang San revived his dead wife who was killed by Spirit Hall.
According to the legend, he was only a Titled Douluo at that time.” Mu Ji Wu, who was beside him, suddenly stopped walking, which made Wu Zhangkong stop too.
When he turned back, Mu Ji Wu was looking at him with conflicting emotions where shock, happiness, sadness, confusion, and thought alternated.
Along with it, tears flowed from his eyes slowly and silently.
Sensing the explosion of emotions, Wu Zhangkong released his spiritual power and enveloped himself and Mu Ji Wu so they wouldn’t be noticed or heard.
Wu Zhangkong felt strange at this change the moment revival was mentioned, but he remembered his words that his family was dead and understood.
“…T-Teacher Wu, tell me about it,” Mu Ji Wu tried hard to stay calm, but his trembling voice revealed his affected mental state.
“There aren’t many details about how he revived her or what the steps were, and even the legend might be conflicting after 20,000 years of being passed down.
But it’s said his wife was a 100,000-year spirit beast who transformed into a human, but later, due to Spirit Hall’s pursuit, she sacrificed her life and gave him a red soul ring so he could survive and his power would rise.
It’s said her body was fine and the soul ring preserved her spirit from dispersing, and later, thanks to inheriting the Sea God’s position, he succeeded somehow.
Maybe Shrek Academy has documents on this.
Tang San, as the first generation of Shrek’s Seven Monsters with his wife and other friends, maybe left the method for the next generation,” Wu Zhangkong said this in an attempt to plant the idea of entering Shrek Academy in the child’s head.
But halfway through his words he noticed the light dimming in Mu Ji Wu’s eyes again.
“The body and spirit you say…?” Saying this, Mu Ji Wu continued walking as if nothing had happened and wiped the tears from his face.
‘My wife is human and her skeleton must have turned to dust by now, let alone a whole body.
The spirit?
Heh… But it’s still proof… Shrek Academy?’ He thought slowly about what Teacher Wu said while walking.
‘…Did he want to revive someone but, due to the difficulty of the legend, felt despair again?
Was it wrong to tell him?’ Teacher Wu thought beside him with some sadness, and remembered how he too had wanted to revive his lover but lost hope in it after all this time.
The two continued walking with a heavy mood around them, but thanks to the spiritual shroud, no one around them noticed anything.
After twenty minutes of walking, signs of activity began to appear in the city, and all kinds of shops and restaurants appeared around them.
Mu Ji Wu’s consciousness returned to normal thanks to his mind’s flexibility, which had adapted to the cave.
He raised his head and looked around and said, “Let’s go to that store.
It looks cheap.” Wu Zhangkong followed him without a word and they entered the store together, hearing a clerk’s greeting even though his eyes watched Mu Ji Wu strangely.
Mu Ji Wu didn’t care and walked past clothes his size and went to clothes two or three years larger than his size.
He chose dark blue jeans, another black cloth pants, a white shirt and a sleeveless black one, and a dark blue jacket.
Finally, he went to shoes his size and chose sneakers.
From Teacher Wu’s explanation, the academy provides the school uniform but without shoes.
The clothes were only for the coming days until school started and when he needed to go out.
He also chose two pairs of black underwear his size.
After he finished, he went to the cashier.
As for Teacher Wu, he stayed waiting by the door too.
The cashier calculated everything before saying, “That will be 600 coins, little one.
But these clothes are bigger than your current size.
Are you sure you want to buy them?” Mu Ji Wu took his wallet from the bracelet and noticed that as long as it was in the bracelet, he could take it out with a thought, regardless of whether it was inside the bag or not, and he didn’t bother answering the question.
He quickly counted six 100-coin bills before placing them on the counter.
He took the clothes in the bag and said, “Can I use the changing area?” “Of course, dear customer.” Mu Ji Wu entered a small cubicle with a door and a full-body mirror.
He took out the black cloth pants, his sleeveless white shirt, one of the underwear, and the jacket before undressing.
After putting the leathers into the bracelet, he took out the small axe and with one strike cut off the front of the jacket’s long sleeves and the bottom of the pants, so their length would fit his body but they were still loose.
After putting on his new clothes, they were loose on him, but because he cut them, they didn’t fall below his ankles or wrists.
Those outside heard the sound, but Wu Zhangkong signaled the clerk not to do anything.
After putting on the shoes with the socks that came as a gift with the shoes from the store’s generosity, he came out of the cubicle.
The clerk’s expression changed when he saw the clothes.
He had noticed he bought clothes larger than his size and it seemed he cut them now.
He went out with Wu Zhangkong, who asked him, “Why clothes this size?” “I hate tight clothes and closed spaces,” Mu Ji Wu replied calmly as he took out a leather belt from the bracelet and wrapped it around his waist so his pants wouldn’t fall.
It was part of the suit his wife had prepared long ago.
Wu Zhangkong nodded without any further inquiry.
After that, the two passed by a bookstore and Mu Ji Wu bought everything he needed, and his money was almost gone because of it.
Then finally the two returned to the academy.
On the way, Mu Ji Wu memorized the location of a barber and planned to go back before school started to cut his hair.