Chapter 9 – Enrollment as a Working Student
In Nuoding City, Qi Tian carried a large bundle on his back as he parted ways with the friendly merchant who had given him a ride into town.
The man still had business to attend to, so Qi Tian didn't trouble him further by asking for help getting to Nuoding Academy.
"Nuoding Academy! Here I come!" Qi Tian grinned as he headed toward the western part of the city.
He had two reasons for enrolling as a working student at the academy:
One—to obtain a soul ring, and two—to get his hands on the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
Soul beasts didn't roam just anywhere; they mainly dwelled within soul beast forests.
If he didn't join the academy, the only way to obtain a soul ring would be to hire mercenaries—and with his weak Blue Silver Grass martial soul, that was far too risky.
It was much safer to join as a working student and ask for a teacher's help when the time came.
As for the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Qi Tian had another plan—through Xiao Wu.
Given Tang San's close relationship with Xiao Wu, there was a decent chance he could get the technique through her.
"Hehe… Xiao Wu, you wouldn't want the Spirit Hall to find out that you're actually a transformed soul beast, right?"
Of course, Qi Tian wasn't reckless. He would only make such a move when he was strong enough to defeat Xiao Wu. Threatening her now would just be asking for death.
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It took Qi Tian quite some time wandering the western district before he finally found Nuoding Academy.
The academy's grounds weren't particularly large, but its high walls and imposing gates radiated an aura of history and prestige.
The sight reminded Qi Tian of those schools from his past life, which poured all their funding into building fancy gates instead of decent dormitories—Nuoding Academy wasn't much different.
As he approached, the gatekeeper glanced at him with thinly veiled disdain.
Seeing Qi Tian dressed plainly, carrying a large basket woven from Blue Silver Grass, the man's lip curled.
"Scram! This is Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy, not a charity house. Go beg somewhere else!" the guard barked, waving him away impatiently.
Qi Tian didn't get angry. Instead, he calmly took out his Martial Soul Awakening Certificate and the village's official letter.
"Brother, I'm a working student from Empire Soul Village this year. Could you please let me in to report?"
"Working student? Nuoding Academy hasn't had one of those in years. You're not trying to fake your way in, are you?" the gatekeeper said suspiciously, taking the documents.
He scanned them and snorted.
"Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Innate Soul Power: 0.5 rank? You dare come to a Soul Master Academy with this trash? Do you think this is a charity academy?"
He tossed the certificate back at Qi Tian. While he didn't outright refuse him entry, he also didn't step aside.
Qi Tian immediately understood—the man was hinting at a bribe.
But Qi Tian was broke. There was no way he was giving up his precious savings.
"Excuse me, big brother," Qi Tian said with a smile, "what was your innate soul power when you awakened?"
The guard's face froze. If he could cultivate, would he really be guarding the gate of a primary Soul Master Academy? He'd be serving proudly at the Spirit Hall instead!
"Get lost! Trying to mock me, are you? Scram!" the man shouted angrily.
Qi Tian took two steps back, easily avoiding the man's swing. Months of cultivation had made his body far more agile than before.
"You can't cultivate, can you?" Qi Tian said lightly. "Aren't you afraid some student you bully now might come back for revenge someday?"
The guard's heart skipped a beat. He'd only been here a few years, and many of the students he'd shaken down hadn't graduated yet. If one of them grew strong and held a grudge… that could spell trouble.
"You're talking nonsense! I didn't 'bully' anyone! I was just verifying your identity!" the guard retorted defensively.
Qi Tian stretched out his hand, summoning a stalk of Blue Silver Grass that gleamed faintly with a soft purple hue.
"Still think I'm faking?"
Without soul power, one couldn't even summon a martial soul. His demonstration made the truth undeniable.
"Blue Silver Grass, huh? Nothing to brag about!" the guard muttered, finally finding a way to back down without losing face.
He snorted and waved his hand dismissively.
"Fine, go on in."
And just like that, Qi Tian stepped through the academy gates.
"Damn that country brat, no manners at all!" the gatekeeper muttered under his breath as Qi Tian disappeared into the academy.
Still, he wasn't too worried about revenge. After all, Nuoding Academy hadn't accepted any working students in years.
Most of the civilian and noble students' parents were eager to "show their appreciation," slipping him a few coins or small gifts. Over time, it had made him arrogant and careless.
He hadn't expected to meet a poor kid today who actually dared to talk back, leaving him red-faced.
"Hmph! Next time I see another working student come alone, I'll just let him in right away. No point wasting time—there's no profit in it anyway," he grumbled.
Just then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed an old man and a young boy turning the corner toward the gate. They looked like another pair of working students.
"What's going on this year? Why are there suddenly so many working students?" he muttered, his irritation fading into a smirk. "Well, at least that old guy looks like he knows how to follow the rules."
The humiliation Qi Tian gave him earlier—he fully intended to vent it on this next pair.
Meanwhile, Qi Tian had made his way to the Academic Affairs Office, where he met Director Su and completed his registration as a working student.
Once the paperwork was done, instead of heading straight to Dorm Seven, Qi Tian decided to stroll around the campus.
"The grass on the training field… It's Blue Silver Grass?" Qi Tian blinked in surprise.
Blue Silver Grass was soft and resilient—perfect as a lawn plant. He could even use this place for cultivation in the future.
"The field looks well-maintained. Someone must already be assigned to care for it… Maybe I can trade duties with them," he mused.
If he could find a job that let him work and train simultaneously, Qi Tian wouldn't mind being a working student at all.
The academy wasn't particularly large, so it didn't take him long to explore the grounds before heading toward Dorm Seven.
As soon as Qi Tian pushed open the door, a loud thud greeted him.
Inside, a young girl in white with a scorpion braid had her legs locked around a boy's neck, flipping him clean over her shoulder and slamming him to the ground.
The girl's skin was soft and fair, her features delicate—clearly a beauty in the making.
The boy, on the other hand, looked plain and unremarkable. That boy, of course, was Tang San, and the girl was Xiao Wu.
Qi Tian hadn't expected to walk in right as the two were in the middle of their "battle."
"Xiao Wu, I lost," Tang San admitted calmly, rubbing his shoulder. "According to Dorm Seven's rules, you're the new boss now."
He hadn't cared about the position to begin with, so handing it over didn't bother him in the slightest.
"Boss? That sounds fun! Then I'll be your boss from now on!" Xiao Wu said cheerfully, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Just then, she noticed Qi Tian standing at the door.
He was dressed plainly, holding a neatly folded school uniform—obviously a newly arrived working student.
"Hey, you there! Are you a new working student?" Xiao Wu tilted her head and gave him a curious look.
Qi Tian nodded. "Yes. My name is Qi Tian. I just got here."
"Good! Then, according to dorm rules, you have to introduce your martial soul and spar with me!" Xiao Wu said with mock seriousness, hands on her hips like a little general.
Qi Tian smiled helplessly. "My martial soul is Blue Silver Grass. As for sparring… let's forget it. My soul power is pretty low—I wouldn't stand a chance against our mighty boss."
He admitted defeat so straightforwardly that it caught Xiao Wu off guard.
"Ha! At least you know your place. Alright then, from now on, Big Sis will cover you!" she said proudly, grinning ear to ear.
"Everyone, remember! From now on, call me Boss! Got it?"
Qi Tian couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm.
He quietly found a corner by the window and began setting up his bed.
He laid out a straw mat woven from Blue Silver Grass, spread a thin quilt over it, and tucked in a washed-but-faded bedsheet.
That was all he had. Everything he owned fit in that small bundle he carried from Empire Soul Village.
As he looked out the window at the fading light, Qi Tian felt a quiet determination stir in his heart.
He had left his village behind—and this time, there was no turning back.
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End of Chapter