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Yon Village
The calm morning was shattered by the loud clang of a gong and the sharp shouts that followed.
"Now! Only ten of you still haven't felt the resonance. Aren't you ashamed?"
"You all started from the same place. So why can't you keep up? Everyone has dreams!"
"Zhao Qingsong! Tell me—what is your dream?"
A young boy stood up and responded loudly, "To become a Spirit Master!"
"Have you been working toward that?"
"I... I've been trying!"
"No, you haven't tried hard enough! Don't think I don't see what you're doing. While the others are training, you're off playing with ants!"
Poof— someone in the crowd chuckled.
"Don't laugh!"
Lin Jin turned around and glared at the group. The laughter died instantly, and the children trembled under his gaze.
"I remember your father—an ordinary farmer. When he gave me your tuition, I saw the calluses and scars on his hands..."
"He told me that sending you here was your only chance. Your family doesn't have much, but he still scraped together the money so you could be here."
Zhao Qingsong's entire body trembled. As he pictured the scene, his eyes began to fill with tears.
"So, tell me again—have you tried? Are you worthy of what your father sacrificed for you?"
"...I'm sorry."
"Yes, you should be sorry. Look around you—don't you feel ashamed? While the others are moving forward toward becoming Spirit Masters, you remain."
"If one day they all succeed and you're still here, what do you think you'll feel then?"
Zhao Qingsong couldn't imagine it—he didn't yet know what regret truly meant.
But he did know the feeling of envy, as he had on the day he saw the Spirit Master from the Martial Spirit Hall awaken their spirits.
And he didn't want to feel that again.
"Dean, I'll give it my all! I promise!"
Tears welled in his eyes, but there was strength in his voice now.
"Good. Don't let me down—and that applies to the rest of you as well. By now, every one of you should have succeeded already."
A few children in the crowd lowered their heads in shame.
"Now, you can just head to the back mountain for training. Shen Xin, stay behind."
Lin Jin's tone was cold and unyielding, like an iron-faced Shura with no trace of emotion.
But only he knew how hard it was to put on that act.
Playing the emotional card, threatening his students... He never imagined he'd resort to such methods.
Now, he finally understood what it meant to be truly angry.
With a sigh, he turned to Shen Xin, who remained standing.
"Shen Xin, go change your clothes. You're coming with me later."
"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.
Lin Jin looked at her with a faint smile.
"We're going to help you hunt for your Spirit Ring."
Shen Xin's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Really?!"
"No, it's fake. Of course it's real."
"Wait right here! I'll be back in a second!"
Shen Xin ran off toward the dormitory, beaming with excitement.
As she left, she called back, "Don't leave without me!"
Lin Jin laughed. This girl was something special.
Still chuckling, he turned and headed into the office building behind him.
Meanwhile, Dai Mubai had been pushing himself to his limits.
Lately, he'd practically forgotten to eat or sleep, spending every waking hour in the training room.
His dedication was enough to put to shame those students still struggling to tap into their spirit power in the back mountain.
"Mubai!"
Lin Jin called out softly as he stepped into the training room.
Dai Mubai opened his eyes, blinking in confusion before getting up and bowing slightly.
"Dean, what's the matter?"
Lin Jin didn't waste time. He got straight to the point.
"I'm heading out with Shen Xin for a few days. I'll be leaving the academy in your hands."
"For the Spirit Ring hunt? But I…"
Dai Mubai hesitated, clearly reluctant. He'd been fully immersed in his training lately and wasn't eager to deal with the younger students.
"Cultivation requires balance, relaxation, as well as focus. You can't stay tense all the time. I'm not asking you to watch them constantly—just make sure nothing goes wrong.
"…Alright. Okay."
"Oh, come on, don't look so reluctant. I'll make it worthwhile, Deputy Dean."
Lin Jin rolled his eyes and patted Dai Mubai's shoulder, channeling a surge of energy into him—boosting his cultivation speed by three times for the next five days.
"Consider that a little gift. You won't lose out."
He gave Dai Mubai a mysterious smile, which only made the young man frown in confusion.
'The Dean's always pulling weird tricks. One of these days, he's going to lose his mind'
Dai Mubai thought to himself, though he couldn't help being curious about this so-called "gift."
Just then, a voice called from downstairs.
"Dean! Dean! Let's you leaving already?"
Lin Jin sighed, gave Dai Mubai a final pat on the shoulder, and turned toward the door.
"Not yet! Wait downstairs!" he shouted back.
When Lin Jin reached the entrance, Shen Xin ran up, pouting.
"I thought you said you'd wait for me here!"
Lin Jin raised his eyebrows dramatically.
"Excuse me—am I the Dean or are you the Dean? Who listens to whom here?"
"Hehe, come on, Dean. Don't be stingy with your words—it's all good fortune anyway!"
Shen Xin grinned mischievously and clung to Lin Jin's arm, tugging him toward the gate.
"Let's go, let's go hunt that beast!"
Lin Jin smoothly slipped his arm free and gave her a side glance.
"What's the rush? You can take it easy. Haven't you heard that song? 'Follow my left hand, right hand, in slow motion…'"
As he said that, he began walking in an exaggeratedly slow, frame-by-frame movement, as if in slow motion.
"Dean, you're so childish!" Shen Xin scoffed, shooting him a look of pure disdain.
Lin Jin froze mid-step, his expression stiffening along with his body.
With a sigh, he dropped the act and shook his head, looking defeated.
Dignified Dean? Hah. This funny bone must be in my spirit by now.
"Give me your bag," he said.
Shen Xin handed him the bundle, watching curiously as he effortlessly stored it away.
"Dean! The bag's gone!"
"I put it in the subspace."
"What's a subspace?"
"…Are you the human version of '100,000 Whys'?"