After receiving Huo Yuhao's approval, Qian Duoduo left in high spirits.
Qian Duoduo's mind was currently consumed with the promotion and implementation of the 「Engraving Cultivation Method」, as well as studying the teaching syllabus Huo Yuhao had given him.
One could say he was bursting with fighting spirit.
Seeing his "tool man" so energized, Huo Yuhao felt quite gratified.
"Well... now I just have to wait and see if there are any seedlings worth nurturing."
Huo Yuhao planned to personally train one or two students (tool men) to facilitate the communication of his orders and ensure the entire soul tool class didn't veer off track.
He hoped for a few with decent talent.
...
Meanwhile, at the Shrek admissions office.
Since it was the first day of recruitment, the area was a sea of people, a bustling throng of activity.
Fortunately, some senior students from Shrek were acting as volunteers to maintain order; otherwise, it would have been utter chaos.
However, at this moment, a young girl with blonde hair, golden eyes, and a pair of cute rabbit ears atop her head seemed somewhat out of place in the crowd.
She was not accompanied by parents. She clutched a small bag tightly in her hand—a grip so firm it elicited the faint clinking of metal. It wasn't hard to guess that the bag was filled with coins.
The girl stood there, gripping her money bag, staring intently at the crowd ahead, looking completely overwhelmed.
Her mother had said she must enroll at Shrek. Only by enrolling could she become a powerful Soul Master in the future, earn lots and lots of money, and then find a powerful Soul Master to cure her mother.
But the girl didn't want this. She knew of Shrek's prestigious reputation, and she knew that once she entered the academy, her future would be a smooth path.
But those were things of the future.
And her mother's illness couldn't wait for the future.
The medicine was far too expensive. A single dose cost many Gold Soul Coins, and her mother had to take it every five days, or her condition would worsen.
Even if she didn't enroll and instead went out to work day and night using her cultivation as a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, she still wouldn't earn enough to cure her mother.
She had no choice but to believe her mother's words—to believe that she could find a way to save her here.
But now that she was actually here, she realized just how much she didn't fit in.
Standing by a flower bed, the girl looked toward a crowded bulletin board in the distance with an inexplicable yearning.
"What's the deal with this soul tool class? It belongs to the Soul Tool Department... does it teach how to make soul tools?" A parent reading the board noticed a prominent announcement.
"It sounds a bit like the ones in the Sun Moon Empire... but I'm definitely not letting my child learn that! My child is going to be a powerful Soul Master in the future! They aren't going to be some soul tool master!"
A noblewoman spoke, her expensive attire making her aristocratic background obvious.
As soon as she finished, several other parents clearly associated with her Chimed in: "Exactly! What kind of future does a soul tool master have?"
"Wait, there's a stipend for joining this soul tool class? 100 Gold Soul Coins a month?"
"Only 100? Are they treating us like beggars? Once my child becomes a great Soul Master, won't they earn 100 Gold Soul Coins easily?"
The noblewoman spoke again; she seemed to enjoy voicing her opinions and basking in the agreement of those around her.
The crowd echoed her sentiments once more.
The girl's cute rabbit ears twitched, taking in the conversation.
Specifically, when she heard the "100 Gold Soul Coins a month" stipend, her golden eyes involuntarily lit up.
100 Gold Soul Coins... that was enough to buy a month's worth of medicine for her mother!
The girl's hand tightened instinctively as a thought naturally surfaced. After hesitating for a long while, she made her decision. Clutching her money bag, she walked with firm steps toward the admissions office.
...
Shrek's recruitment period was slightly shorter than that of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Tool Academy, lasting only three days.
Three days later, Huo Yuhao sat in his office, looking at a thick stack of student files.
The enrollment target was 40 people, but the actual number of applicants had reached over 100. Furthermore, many were scions of clans and sects that had good relations with Shrek.
Clearly, they had somehow obtained "insider information" and knew that the founder of this soul tool class was him. Thus, they sent people over, hoping to become his students to close the distance and reap potential benefits.
Aside from them, the rest were "gamblers" and some impoverished commoners.
100 Gold Soul Coins was a sum that could be considered large or small; for an average person, it was indeed a fortune, but for some clan children, it was perhaps just pocket money.
The reason Huo Yuhao had established this stipend was primarily to see if he could recruit any suitable commoner geniuses who were poor but had "clean" backgrounds. After all, in this world, talent really was everything.
As he was reviewing the files, Huo Yuhao's hand suddenly paused. His gaze fell upon a photograph in the student records.
"Jiang Nannan..."
...
The rabbit-eared girl felt completely out of place, her two pairs of ears drooping. If not for her roommate accompanying her, she probably wouldn't have been able to stop herself from running back to the dormitory to hide.
"Oh, Nannan, it's fine, really. Since a teacher is looking for you, it's probably about the soul tool class. Don't worry, just relax!"
Beside Jiang Nannan, a girl with long black hair tied into a ponytail draped behind her back was holding Jiang Nannan's arm, offering soft comfort.
"Xiao Ya... I..."
"Don't worry! It'll be fine! At worst, you can just join my class! I've asked around; if you aren't accepted into the soul tool class, you'll be automatically assigned to another one!
"When the time comes, I'll see if I can get you into my class, or I'll come to yours! Just don't worry!"
Tang Ya spoke with a smile.
Although the two had only known each other for a few days, perhaps because their life stories were similarly tragic, they had quickly become best friends who shared everything.
Through their chats, Tang Ya had learned about Jiang Nannan's family situation and that the main reason she came to school was to find a way to cure her mother.
Enrolling in the soul tool class was purely for that 100 Gold Soul Coin stipend.
Seeing her friend sincerely comforting her, Jiang Nannan was deeply moved. Composing her emotions, she nodded seriously, took a deep breath, and gently knocked on the office door.
"Come in."
As the voice sounded, Jiang Nannan pushed the door open and entered, while Tang Ya stood at the door, cheering her on.
"Hello, Teacher! Were you looking for me?"
"Yes, I asked you here to discuss the soul tool class." Huo Yuhao nodded calmly. Simultaneously, his gaze landed on her, observing her briefly.
So it really is Jiang Nannan? It looks like I've found my assistant.
After a slight pause, Huo Yuhao glanced at the standard interview script and began the customary questioning:
"First question: why did you choose to apply for the soul tool class?"