The villagers had no idea what those giant steel contraptions were called, but they could tell one thing for sure—the people who brought them were all distinguished Soul Engineers. Everyone in the Sun Moon Empire knew the prestige of Soul Engineers and the might of soul tools. That knowledge was ingrained in the minds of every citizen.
Which made it all the more confusing when these prestigious Soul Engineers showed up in their tiny, obscure farming village—a place so small that even seeing a first- or second-rank Soul Engineer would have been an earth-shattering event.
So, what were they doing here?
When the villagers curiously asked, the answer they received left them all dumbfounded—these Soul Engineers were here to teach them how to operate those massive, intimidating machines!
How could that be possible? They were just ordinary folks with no soul power. How could they possibly operate such powerful tools that only Soul Masters were qualified to touch?
The belief that only Soul Masters, those blessed with soul power, could wield soul tools had long been etched into the minds of every Sun Moon citizen. For generations, commoners had been told—and believed—that they weren't even worthy of laying a finger on such devices.
Even in Mingdu, where soul tool usage was relatively widespread, ordinary people rarely had the opportunity to use one. That alone spoke volumes about the divide between the Soul Masters and everyone else.
But that was now a thing of the past.
The invention of the sealed milk bottle had changed everything. What had once been a major limitation in the use of soul tools was on the verge of being swept away completely. The villagers standing dumbly in front of those machines didn't realize they were standing at the forefront of a seismic societal shift. They were riding the wave of history—an unstoppable typhoon of change.
Zhao Yuan was one of those dumbfounded villagers. That day, he had just come back from working the fields, his rough linen clothes still dusted with soil, a hoe slung over his shoulder. He stared blankly at the machines sitting in the village entrance—diggers, plows, harvesters, and more—never dreaming that in just a few days, he would be operating them with practiced ease, working the land more efficiently than he'd ever imagined possible.
After setting up the machines, the Soul Engineers held a short introductory meeting. They explained that they were representatives from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy and Mingde Hall, here on behalf of the Education Reform Task Force. Their job was to teach villagers how to use these new agricultural soul machines to improve crop yield, as well as to provide basic general education.
To the villagers, it all sounded like some strange, distant language. General education? Schooling? Using machines to plow and harvest? Were they serious?
Some villagers weren't pleased. They had work to do—they couldn't waste time learning. Education was a luxury for the elite, not for farmers trying to feed their families.
But that all changed the moment they saw the machines in action.
When the Soul Engineers demonstrated the farming soul tools—plowing land, planting seeds, harvesting crops—the villagers were left speechless. The speed and efficiency were unlike anything they had ever seen.
And then, the moment one of the villagers, under a Soul Engineer's guidance, successfully operated one of the machines himself… the crowd erupted in awe.
For these people—once considered powerless, even labeled "useless" by many Soul Masters—the chance to control such mighty soul-engineered creations was nothing short of miraculous.
More importantly, using these machines meant more crops, more profit, and better lives.
As soon as the Agricultural Labor School was set up in the village, the registration spots were filled instantly. Some even protested, demanding to be let in.
Fortunately, Zhao Yuan had made it into the first group of students. Those who didn't make the cut would have to wait until more resources became available.
Of course, it wasn't feasible for all teaching to be handled by Soul Engineers—there were simply too few of them. The reform team's plan was to train the most talented students first, then have those students become teachers for the next batch, and so on, gradually building up a full teaching staff for the entire village.
For most villagers, learning general knowledge was a painful task. But when it came to learning how to drive harvesters or operate plows, enthusiasm skyrocketed.
Among the first batch of students, Zhao Yuan quickly stood out. Not only did he learn to use all the farming machines with incredible speed, he also excelled in general education—despite the difficult material.
In just a few days, he had mastered all the soul machines and entered what he jokingly called a "five-minute farming, two-hour studying" lifestyle. The others in the village could only look on in envy.
Now, Zhao Yuan was still working through the more difficult general curriculum. Most villagers would have quit studying after mastering the machines, but not him. He saw something they didn't.
He knew these machines, as amazing as they were, could be mass-produced. Eventually, they'd be available everywhere. When that time came, using them wouldn't be enough to improve his life.
No, Zhao Yuan wanted more than to be just another farmer.
He saw this as his ticket to a new life—to leap beyond his class and rise to something greater.
Top students could become teachers, even go on to prestigious institutions once reserved for Soul Masters. That was the path Zhao Yuan had set his sights on.
The education team knew that general education would be tough for farmers with no background in schooling. That's why the curriculum had been carefully simplified, with minimal class hours and accessible content.
Even so, Zhao Yuan—gifted and hardworking—managed to complete all his courses in just ten days. In doing so, he became the top student in the entire village. The reform team immediately took notice and added him to the list of candidates for future instructors.
In other words, Zhao Yuan was no longer just a farmer. He had packed his bags, ready to leave for Mingdu with the reform team.
There, he would meet the chief architect of the education reform project and receive formal training. From this moment on, he was no longer just another villager—he was a future pillar of a new nation.
(End of Chapter)
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