After recalling the events from a week ago, the school bell rang, signaling the start of the study period. By the time they both arrived at the classroom, they saw the daily schedule posted on the bulletin board. It turned out they had to attend formal lessons first until the afternoon, followed by skill reinforcement practice until sunset, with several breaks in between. In the evening, they were encouraged to meditate as taught at the academy, and then rest.
Not long after, the teacher entered the classroom and began teaching how to determine the age of a soul beast. Although every soul beast had different traits and characteristics for determining its true age, there was a common method that all soul masters used: the color of the soul beast's spiritual energy, which varied according to its level—the same color as the spirit ring after being absorbed by a soul master. After finishing the explanation, the teacher also informed them about the dos and don'ts when in forests filled with soul beasts, whether to avoid powerful predators or poisonous insects and small animals. Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, afternoon had arrived. It was time for their chosen skill reinforcement practice.
"Alright, I'm heading off first. Don't mess around while the teacher is explaining," Arthur joked.
"Huh, I'll learn it fast. By the time you join in, I might already be your senior," Jing Liu replied confidently.
After that, Arthur entered a room that had been repurposed into a practice space. The teacher guiding him this time was the deputy headmaster. The lesson started with an introduction to common herbs found in the wild, all the way to how to channel energy properly when poisoned to prevent it from spreading too quickly.
Such was Arthur's life for six months. Before he knew it, another six months had passed, and a long, week-long holiday was approaching. Arthur decided to buy some clothes as gifts for Uncle Jack.
That morning, the sky above the Soul Academy was golden orange with thin clouds. The academy grounds felt quiet, only the sound of wind rustling through the large leafy trees along the pathways. Dry leaves fluttered about, dancing briefly before falling onto the gravel paths. Arthur walked with Jing Liu toward the academy gate. His backpack hung over one shoulder, filled with textbooks and notes now worn from being reread so often.
Outside the academy walls, the residential area and the main road leading to the market—some distance from the academy—began to bustle. Street vendors and shops lined the smooth but slightly damp road from the morning dew. They sold all kinds of goods, from snacks to weapons or farming tools from the blacksmith. Oil lamps were being extinguished one by one from the tents and stalls. The rising sun cast warm light upon the waking world. The scent of grilled meat mingled with the fragrance of incense from the herbal shop, filling the air.
Arthur and Jing Liu entered a modest herbal shop run by a kind elderly woman. The shop was made of old teak wood, with floorboards that creaked slightly when stepped on. Bamboo-woven racks hung on the walls, filled with rolls of cloth in various colors. The smell of dried herbs and freshly washed cotton filled the small room.
"Uncle Jack would probably like this herbal tea," Arthur murmured, picking a tea sample to smell. Meanwhile, Jing Liu was choosing a thick gray wool scarf—since spring was beginning, the night wind could be quite cold, especially during autumn leaf fall like now.
The elderly woman wrapped Arthur's purchases in dried banana leaves tied neatly with hemp twine, and Jing Liu's scarf in fabric. Her wrinkled eyes squinted warmly. "You look like students from the academy. On a long break?" she asked, adding a few small ginger candies to the package.
"Yes, we're students from Nuoding Academy. We're going back to the village to see my uncle," Arthur replied with a faint smile, glancing at the package with a warm feeling in his chest.
Outside, the breeze began to pick up, carrying the smell of damp earth from the forest near the park in the middle of the market. A few leaves blew into the shop before the elderly woman half-closed her wooden door. Arthur let out a long sigh. One year had passed quickly. The coming years would probably fly by just as fast. But all he could do now was enjoy them.
He glanced once more toward where the academy stood—now out of sight then left through the gate. Arthur and Jing Liu rented a horse-drawn carriage to return home. Though the road to the village wasn't perfectly smooth, it seemed to have been built on bedrock that had since eroded over time. Along the way, they talked about Uncle Jack's cooking but that was for later. Before the sun rose too high, they might already be back in the village.
After a fairly long journey, Arthur stepped down from the carriage and headed toward the village gate. As soon as he entered the village, the neighbors began greeting him. His place of residence all this time had been an old multi-story building with cracked brick walls and a thatched roof patched here and there. That was Uncle Jack's house. Uncle Jack himself appeared to be sitting in a rocking chair with his pet, half-asleep.
TO BE CONTINUED...