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Chapter 2: Infiltration and Induction
Three days after school started, the bell rang signaling the end of the last afternoon class.
Mo Bai tidied the lesson plans on the podium, his gaze seemingly inadvertently sweeping across the back row of the classroom. Xiao Wu was bowing her head, packing her worn-out cloth bag; her scorpion braid hung over her shoulder, swaying gently with her movements.
"Xiao Wu," Mo Bai called out.
The little girl looked up, a hint of confusion in her eyes as she gazed over.
"Are you free after school?" Mo Bai walked down from the podium, his voice gentle. "I noticed your soul power sensing practice this morning wasn't very smooth. Would you like to come to my office? I can give you some individual tutoring."
There were a few other students still in the classroom; hearing this, they all looked at Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu's fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. She pursed her lips, a flash of hesitation appearing in her eyes.
"Working students have to do two extra hours of labor per week, I know," Mo Bai continued, his smile perfectly warm. "I've already spoken with Teacher Li, who's in charge. You come to me first today, and you can make up the labor time tomorrow."
This was a reason Xiao Wu could not refuse.
"O... okay, Teacher Mo Bai," Xiao Wu answered softly.
Mo Bai nodded and turned to the other students remaining in the classroom: "Everyone else should head back early. Remember to complete the sensing exercises I assigned; I'll be checking them tomorrow."
The children dispersed upon his word.
Soon, only Mo Bai and Xiao Wu were left in the classroom.
The setting sun shone diagonally through the western windows, stretching the shadows of the desks and chairs. The air carried the scent of chalk dust and old books; it was quiet, and the sounds of playing could be heard from the distant playground.
"Follow me." Mo Bai picked up his lesson plans and walked toward the door.
Xiao Wu followed behind him, her footsteps very light.
The two crossed the corridor one after the other and stepped onto the stairs leading to the second floor. The wooden stairs were quite old and emitted a faint creak when stepped on. Xiao Wu kept her head down, looking at Mo Bai's heels—clean black cloth shoes, a steady pace, neither fast nor slow.
She was wondering why Teacher Mo Bai had sought her out individually.
Was it because her practice this morning was truly that bad? But she had clearly felt that warm current within her body; though it was still weak, it definitely existed. That was the soul power she was born with as a transformed hundred-thousand-year soul beast; she simply didn't know how to guide it yet.
Or was it because...
Images of the day school started flashed through Xiao Wu's mind—the scene where Mo Bai helped her out of trouble. That gentle smile, those eyes that looked clear and clean.
She shook her head, tossing the messy thoughts aside.
Upon reaching the second floor, the first room on the left at the top of the stairs was Mo Bai's office. The door was dark brown, with a wooden plaque hanging on it that read "Teacher Mo Bai."
Mo Bai pushed the door open and stepped aside: "Come in."
Xiao Wu walked inside.
The office wasn't large, about ten square meters. Against the wall stood a desk, two chairs, and a bookcase. The bookcase was stuffed with books, mostly textbooks related to Soul Master theory, as well as some miscellaneous books on history and geography. The window faced south, draped with light-colored curtains that were currently half-drawn; the evening sunlight streamed in, casting a warm yellow patch of light on the floor.
There was a faint fragrance in the air.
It wasn't the scent of flowers or food, but something... a bit like vegetation, yet also cool. It felt very relaxing to breathe in.
"Sit." Mo Bai pointed to the chair in front of the desk while he walked to the other side and sat down.
Xiao Wu placed her cloth bag by her feet and sat somewhat stiffly in the chair. Her hands were on her knees, her back ramrod straight.
"No need to be so nervous." Mo Bai smiled, stood up, and walked to a small side table by the window, picking up a small bronze incense burner. "This is a soothing incense I blended. It helps relax the spirit and allows for better soul power sensing. Many students use it during the initial learning phase."
He lit the incense in the burner.
A thin wisp of green smoke rose, quickly dispersing into the air. That cool, vegetative scent became more pronounced.
Xiao Wu's nose twitched slightly.
This fragrance... did indeed make her tense nerves relax a bit. She didn't detect anything amiss—there was truly no poison in the incense, only a trace amount of plant essences capable of soothing emotions. Mo Bai had spent three months formulating it, controlling the dosage perfectly so it would just lower a person's guard without causing an obvious medicinal reaction.
"Alright." Mo Bai sat back in his chair, fingers interlaced on the desk. "Let's begin then. Regarding the sensing practice this morning, where did you feel it wasn't smooth?"
Xiao Wu thought for a moment and said, "I... I can't feel the soul power flowing in my body. I can only feel that it's there, but it doesn't move at all."
"That's normal." Mo Bai's tone was patient. "When first starting to sense soul power, many people are like this. Soul power is like water; you need to find it first, and then learn how to guide its flow."
He paused, making his voice even softer: "Close your eyes and take a deep breath."
Xiao Wu did as instructed.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
"Slower." Mo Bai's voice seemed to possess a certain magic, steady and level. "Inhale... hold for two seconds... slowly exhale... yes, just like that."
Xiao Wu's breathing gradually leveled out.