Ch.13: Qinglong City
The next morning.
Soft sunlight filtered through layers of drifting white curtains, illuminating the vast Lu family mansion beneath the calm light of dawn.
Unlike the cold extravagance favored by many nobles, the residence carried a quieter sense of elegance.
The buildings were spacious and refined, constructed primarily from polished darkwood and pale stone, their architecture blending noble dignity with natural serenity.
Open courtyards connected different sections of the estate, while narrow streams flowed gently beneath carved bridges lined with spirit flowers and decorative spiritual plants.
Rare herbs grew openly within carefully maintained gardens, releasing faint traces of spiritual energy into the air.
Even the atmosphere inside the mansion felt unusually refreshing and calm.
At the center of the eastern residence stood a spacious study room.
Tall bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, packed with books on spirit beasts, cultivation theory, herbology, martial souls, trade records, and even ancient continental history.
A large wooden desk sat near the open windows, covered in neatly organized documents and ledgers.
Behind it sat a beautiful woman with a somewhat soft and rounded face that carried a gentle, mature charm.
Her long dark hair rested loosely over her shoulders as she calmly reviewed stacks of paperwork beneath the morning light.
Though her aura remained warm and approachable, there was still a faint sense of authority hidden beneath her gentleness.
It was Lu Sheng's mother.
Lin Yue.
Scratch.
Scratch.
The sound of a brush moving across paper echoed softly through the room.
Then—
Thump.
Thump.
Thump-thump-thump!
The rapid sound of footsteps approached from outside the corridor at alarming speed.
Lin Yue did not even raise her head.
Bang!
The study room doors flew open violently.
"Mother! What is the meaning of this?!"
Lu Sheng stood at the entrance with a face full of disbelief and grievance.
Lin Yue finally looked up from the documents in her hands.
"What do you mean? What is the meaning of this?" she asked calmly, one eyebrow raising slightly.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!"
"Oh?" she said thoughtfully, lightly tapping the brush against her lips.
"Really? I wonder what it may be."
Seeing his mother act completely unconcerned, Lu Sheng immediately gritted his teeth.
"You enrolled me in an academy without even asking me first!"
"And?" Lin Yue replied smoothly.
"I don't want to go to school!"
Lin Yue stared at him for several seconds before speaking calmly.
"What, do you plan to remain illiterate for the rest of your life?"
Lu Sheng nearly choked.
"I already know how to read and write! I've read most of the books in this house already. What can the academy even teach me?"
Lin Yue placed the brush down slowly.
"The academy can teach you many things. Knowledge about spirit beasts, soul masters, combat, cultivation systems, continental geography, survival skills, politics, social interaction—"
"But I'm already a Level 16 Soul Master!"
Lu Sheng interrupted immediately.
"Do you really want me to go to some Primary Soul Master Academy?"
"Who said anything about a Primary Soul Master Academy?"
Lin Yue asked while looking at him strangely.
Lu Sheng paused.
"...What?"
"You're going to an Intermediate Soul Master Academy."
"..."
"..."
Lu Sheng blinked twice.
"...Still, I think I can study better on my own."
At those words, Lin Yue's expression slowly became stern.
"What do you mean you can study on your own?"
Her voice was no longer teasing.
"There are many things required to become a qualified soul master that cannot simply be learned from books."
"Or do you intend to spend your entire life gardening and farming here instead of learning what you're supposed to?"
The moment the words "gardening and farming" appeared—
A light flashed through Lu Sheng's eyes.
"That's right!" he said immediately.
"We were already discussing expanding the business before! Selling stronger hybrid herbs, creating new spiritual crops, even launching Pokéblocks—"
"The plan is cancelled."
The answer came instantly.
Lu Sheng froze.
"...What?"
"We are already doing well enough as we are."
"Wha—"
"Sheng'er."
Lin Yue's voice interrupted him midway.
For the first time since entering the room, Lu Sheng noticed the faint seriousness hidden within her gaze.
"The tree that stands tallest catches the strongest wind."
"And a tree not strong enough could never be allowed to remain standing for long."
Her tone was light, yet every word carried quiet wisdom.
"We, your grandparents and I, have already discussed this thoroughly."
"It's no longer like before, when the family struggled merely to survive."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"From earning 100 to a thousand gold coins a year to earning hundreds of thousands... our family already possesses more than enough wealth."
"We still have large amounts of barren land available for future expansion, and the greatest advantage is that everything we do relies on our own martial souls."
"There are no competitors in this field."
"No wind in this forest is strong enough to shake our tree."
"And the tree itself will only continue growing stronger."
As she spoke, faint confidence appeared within her calm eyes.
"I am already only one step away from becoming a Soul Ancestor."
"Though I still cannot compare to your father, who achieved it at only twenty-one years old."
A trace of nostalgia flickered briefly through her expression before disappearing again.
"But once I break through, our family's noble title will rise from Baron to Viscount. Perhaps even Count."
"The foundation of this home has already been stabilized."
At that point, she slowly stood up before walking toward him.
Then gently placed both hands against his cheeks.
"It's time for you to think about yourself now."
Her voice softened considerably.
"Go outside."
"Make friends."
"Have adventures."
"Don't reveal your secrets carelessly."
"Have fun."
"And make memories."
For a brief moment, even Lu Sheng felt slightly moved hearing those words.
The room became quiet.
Then—
"Hah..."
He let out a helpless sigh.
"Alright."
"At least tell me where I'm going."
"Is it Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy? Or the one in Fanos Province?"
Lin Yue smiled faintly.
"Neither."
"It's Qinglong Intermediate Academy."
"In Qinglong City."