Mo Ji Wu sat beside Tang Wulin in the back because of Tang Wulin’s height.
Everyone tall had been sent to the back rows so they wouldn’t block the view for the others.
Now Mo Ji Wu classified Tang Wulin in his list of people worth talking to and sitting with.
Not annoying, doesn’t make noise, his words are to the point, emotionally intelligent—at least from what he showed—and that was enough for Mo Ji Wu, who didn’t like talking.
So he accompanied the handsome, kind Tang Wulin and left all the talking to him while sparing himself from them.
The two looked around and saw that in the Middle Academy there were six classes, each class containing a hundred students or a little more, with a total between seven and eight hundred middle school students.
While in the Advanced Academy there were only three classes with barely 200 students total.
A staff member went up on the platform where the loudspeaker was and said, “Good morning to all of you students at the annual opening ceremony of East Sea Academy, where the academy’s headmaster himself has been invited to give us a speech.
Please welcome him.” After he came down, an old man who looked to be in his sixties went up.
He had the body of an ordinary person and didn’t stand out among people.
With his slightly long white hair and light smile behind glasses, he gave the air of an old man who ran a small library.
“Welcome to the academy, students.
At a time like this every year, I feel a little sad because the students from both the Middle and Advanced divisions have graduated and left us.
However, some Middle Division students will enter the Advanced Academy in addition to our new students.” At these words, Mo Ji Wu switched to energy-saving mode in his mind, then began practicing fist technique since he hadn’t trained yesterday.
He didn’t have time to listen to a boring speech that would last at least half an hour.
And as he expected, the headmaster was eloquent in his speech.
He needed no paper or anything like that, as topics flowed from his mouth while he described all kinds of things in students’ lives as Soul Masters.
The speech lasted a full hour before he ended it with a light round of applause.
More accurately, the applause was happy to send off this long-winded old man.
Mo Ji Wu woke up shortly after from the applause and clapped with them so he wouldn’t look strange in the crowd.
After that, the climax of the opening ceremony began: class assignments.
The large crowd of students dispersed quickly.
Those who didn’t need class assignments left, like the Advanced Academy students busy with academy duties—for them, the life of a true Soul Master had begun—along with Middle Academy students from Year 2 to Year 6.
Only the new students remained in the plaza.
A staff member went to the loudspeaker and began explaining to the new students, or those who didn’t understand the meaning of class division.
“We’ll start class assignments now.
And as is known at East Sea Academy, the lower the class number, the stronger and more talented its members are, and the better the treatment they get in resources and such.
Although this is unfair, this is life and you must get used to it.
Of course, we hope we in the administration are wrong and that geniuses among you emerge whom we couldn’t predict and defeat the geniuses of the classes above them.
Now let’s begin.
We have 109 new students this year, divided into five classes.
We’ll start now with Class 1, and everyone whose name is called will know they’re in Class 1.” From Tang Wulin’s side, he suddenly understood why Class 5 was punishment for his dormmates because of trouble.
Mo Ji Wu already knew this from Teacher Wu’s explanation, so he wasn’t shocked.
But he knew that even a great teacher could turn a pig into a dragon, so he’d just enter his class.
He didn’t care about this childish division.
And while the assistant was calling names, Mo Ji Wu’s name was called, which drew attention to this name full of death and strangeness.
“Mo Ji Wu, you’re in Class 1!” Tang Wulin shouted beside him with some disappointment.
“Don’t worry, I won’t enter Class 1 unless the teacher I want is there.” Mo Ji Wu replied calmly.
“Teacher?
Which class is he in?” Tang Wulin asked again.
“I expect Class 5?
If my guess is right.” “Oh, that’s great.
I’m in Class 5 too.” “Really?
I heard Long Hengxu say that yesterday, and the reason is your martial soul.” “Unfortunately, Blue Silver Grass is a martial soul mocked by everyone, everywhere.” Tang Wulin spoke in a weak voice with a clear inferiority complex from the bullying over his martial soul.
Even in primary school his teacher spent the least time teaching him meditation, and it barely counted as teaching since she expected nothing from him.
“Hold your head high, Tang Wulin.
Only a naive person is affected by people’s mockery and praise.
If you live off people’s opinions of you, what’s the difference between you and a clown in secret?
Don’t let anyone define your future.
It’s all tied to you and you alone.” Mo Ji Wu turned toward him and said seriously.
The more time he spent with this child, the more he found a strange similarity with himself, both now and 140 years ago.
Tang Wulin raised his head toward Mo Ji Wu after hearing his words, which contained not a trace of encouragement or consolation.
But he felt it was a thousand times better than any consolation he’d gotten before.
‘People’s words?
Right, why do I always focus on their talk about my grass and keep waiting for the reaction of everyone I tell about my martial soul?
Would it benefit me if they were happy or sad?
Even the teacher laughed at me because of my martial soul, but now I’ve graduated with a soul ring while some didn’t.
Doesn’t that show how talented I am even without a strong martial soul?
No one has ever beaten me physically in school.
Why was I always focused on my martial soul… because of consolation… Right, everyone who knows about my martial soul consoles me as if I’m already finished, to the point it became a given for me.
No one except my parents has ever told me to believe in myself and my strength, but I didn’t follow that advice well.” Thoughts flooded Tang Wulin’s mind to the point he didn’t even hear anything said afterward until he woke up with the start of Class 5 distribution.
A faint tear glimmered in his eyes, but he wiped it quickly.
His eyes shone more than before, as if his soul had developed a little after finding the exit door from the shell of inferiority he’d been living in.
“Ji Wu, thank you,” Tang Wulin said lightly and weakly.
It was a voice he rarely revealed when in a weak state.
But after speaking, his back straightened a little more than before, and a smile was on his face.
“You’re welcome?
I don’t know why you’re thanking me.
You were just struggling with yourself and you’ll understand it one day.
I just told you in advance.” Mo Ji Wu replied calmly, ignoring how Tang Wulin called him without the ‘Mo’ in his name.
“Yes yes, just as you say.” Tang Wulin agreed without objection, but he remembered this well for the future.
Watching how Tang Wulin changed a little with a few words and his soul revived, Mo Ji Wu nodded lightly to himself.
‘He was already a good child.
I should tell Wu Zhangkong to take care of him.’ And as Long Hengxu told them, the four of Tang Wulin’s dorm were called directly to Class 5 without discussion.
It was the smallest class with twenty students, and all their faces were sad and gloomy, showing they were the worst among the students accepted this year.
“Class teachers, please guide your students to their classrooms and help them get to know each other within the academy.” The assistant finally announced the end of the opening.
And with the appearance of the five teachers, including Wu Zhangkong and Yi Yingluo, Wu Zhangkong headed straight toward Class 5 while Yi Yingluo walked toward Class 1 and gave Mo Ji Wu a sly smile from afar, as if she was waiting for him.
Mo Ji Wu understood here how he suddenly ended up in Class 1 while only Rank 12.
A big child wanting to cause him trouble, but he was too lazy to play with her.
So he stepped out and shouted in a cold voice, “Wait, I have an objection to my class.” Mo Ji Wu drew attention immediately as he walked in his loose clothes and white hair out among the students so everyone would look at him while he spoke.
“Who are you?” The assistant asked, frowning slightly.
It was rare to have a student like this.
“Mo Ji Wu.” Mo Ji Wu mentioned his strange name lightly.
“Huh?
But you’re already in Class 1.
What is there to object to?” The assistant felt puzzled, expecting a child from Class 4 or 5.
“What I’m objecting to is exactly this.
I don’t want Class 1.
I want Class 5.
Thank you.” Mo Ji Wu announced his demand calmly, causing a commotion.
Who leaves the best class to go to the worst?
Even Tang Wulin felt puzzled by this.
He thought Mo Ji Wu was joking earlier, but he was serious.
He turned to look at the teacher who was about to come to them.
So handsome!
That’s what Tang Wulin thought immediately, and the rest of the class too.
“The teacher is so handsome!” A girl from Class 5 shouted, speaking for them.
But the teacher stopped, watching Mo Ji Wu too with his stern face.
“May I know why you want to enter Class 5?” The assistant on the platform asked.
“Three reasons.
First, my rank—I’m only Rank 12, I don’t deserve Class 1.
Second, Class 1’s teacher is annoying.
Third, Class 5’s teacher is better than her.” Mo Ji Wu announced his reasons calmly.
The first reason was logical, but the other reasons sounded like a child refusing to eat vegetables and only wanting candy—purely personal reasons.
“Hmm, sorry little one, but class assignments were made by the administration.
Even if your rank is low, there must be something that qualifies you for Class 1, so it can’t be changed just for these reasons.” Mo Ji Wu was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Understood.
Goodbye.” Then he turned and walked on his way—not toward his class, but toward the academy’s distant gate.
After walking ten steps with everyone watching him and no intention of changing his path, he was about to even leave the opening area when a voice called, “Wait!
Where are you going?!” It was Long Hengxu, who went up on the platform and shouted what was on everyone’s mind.
Tang Wulin, who was about to step forward, stopped.
Mo Ji Wu turned, his face with some puzzlement, and said, “Home, of course.
What kind of question is that?” “Rather, what kind of answer is that?
How do you leave suddenly like this?” Long Hengxu shouted helplessly, the same as everyone felt, since no one expected any move this child might make.
“Hmm, didn’t that young man there reject my request just now?
So I left.” Mo Ji Wu answered after a few seconds as if trying to figure out where the mistake suddenly was.
“The young man??
Never mind, come back first and let’s talk.” Long Hengxu replied, trying to find a way to bring him back.
How could he let a genius with the Eye martial soul leave?
It’s true his innate soul power rank was only 7, but with support now he’d rise, especially since he was from an orphanage.
Of course, his information was from Mo Ji Wu’s fake letter of recommendation.
“Does that mean you’ll agree?” Mo Ji Wu asked and began walking toward the platform again.
Long Hengxu breathed in relief, since meeting this child he hadn’t expected any idea that might come from him.
Then he said, “Could you at least give reasons for your dislike of Class 1’s teacher?
There must be something logical, not just your personal preference.” Mo Ji Wu stopped in his place and looked with his dead eyes toward Long Hengxu.
Even from far away, Long Hengxu felt uncomfortable from him.
“Alright then.” Mo Ji Wu agreed lightly, then turned toward Yi Yingluo, who was standing with some shock on her face and hadn’t expected her little trick to cause a scene like this.
“During the past week and a half I was staying with Teacher Wu because I arrived early at the academy.
Of course I have no intention of explaining anything else about him or me, but I clashed with this screaming child twice then.
I don’t find in her the qualities of a good teacher from those two meetings.
And from her arrogant face I can guess she tried to pull some strings to put me in her class so she could deal with me or make me fail.
This is the second time I’m saying it: you’re a teacher, child.
Wear something respectable.
Will children focus on your words or on you and your body when you’re like this?
As for Teacher Wu, we’re almost master and disciple officially, so it’s logical for me to be in his class.
And during this week his guidance was perfect, so clearly I should choose my teacher.
Is that enough now?” Mo Ji Wu’s mouth fired words like a machine gun, speaking more than he had spoken all yesterday in less than an hour.
After hearing his words, the remaining administration members and the new students—108 of them—turned to look at Yi Yingluo.
She was wearing a tight skirt down to the knee and a semi-tight white blazer, her hair styled down to her waist with light makeup and lipstick, and she was indeed very beautiful.
But according to Mo Ji Wu’s words, this outfit was inappropriate for a teacher, and he had a point.
On the other hand, the stern, handsome Wu Zhangkong in his slightly loose white clothes and the cold, strict aura that silenced even a crying child would make the naughtiest student calm down and focus on studying.
And some students and administration members began guessing the relationship between Wu Zhangkong and Mo Ji Wu, especially those who saw them together before classes started.