Breakfast ended amidst casual chatting.
At seven-thirty, the academy bell rang.
Mo Bai walked toward the plaza in front of the teaching building along with the other teachers. A fair number of people had already gathered there—parents dropping off their children, curious freshmen looking around, and academy staff maintaining order.
The September sun was still intense, shining on the bluestone-paved plaza and reflecting a stark white light. The air was filled with the scents of dust, sweat, and various foods.
Mo Bai stood at the end of the teacher line, his gaze calmly sweeping through the crowd.
He was looking.
Looking for a little girl dressed simply, with spirited eyes, but with a hidden trepidation deep within.
According to his deductions, Xiao Wu should appear today. After transforming, she needed to integrate into human society, and Notting Academy was the most suitable choice—it was remote, inconspicuous, and had a weak faculty, making it unlikely to attract attention.
More importantly, according to the original timeline, Tang San would enroll here.
Xiao Wu would follow.
But Mo Bai would not let that happen.
His "Absolute Concealment" domain quietly unfolded.
The release of this soul skill was extremely stealthy, with no soul power fluctuations leaking out. An invisible force field spread out with him as the center, covering a fifty-meter radius. Within this range, any soul beast aura would be masked, blurred, and diluted until it was virtually non-existent.
Like a drop of ink falling into the ocean.
Mo Bai maintained a calm expression, continuing to scan the crowd.
Then, he saw her.
In the northeast corner of the plaza, near the academy wall under that old scholar tree, stood a little girl.
She looked to be six or seven years old, her stature slightly taller than her peers, wearing pink cloth clothes that had faded from washing, with dark grey trousers that had patches on the knees. she carried an equally worn-out cloth bag, and her hair was braided into a scorpion braid hanging behind her.
The most striking thing was her eyes.
Very large, very bright, like two black crystals. But at this moment, those eyes were flickering with a complex light—curiosity, alertness, uneasiness, and a trace of fear that was almost undetectable.
Xiao Wu.
Mo Bai's heart gave a slight throb.
Two years of waiting, and finally, she had arrived.
He didn't step forward immediately but continued to observe.
Xiao Wu stood under the tree, her body slightly tense. Her gaze quickly scanned the surrounding crowd, her fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes. That was the instinct of a wild beast—a posture ready to flee at any moment when in a strange environment.
A few children ran past her, laughing and playing.
Xiao Wu moved to the side, avoiding them.
Her nose twitched slightly, as if sniffing the air. This was a habit remaining from her time as a soul beast, using scent to judge if there were threats nearby.
Mo Bai's concealment domain functioned perfectly.
Xiao Wu's tense shoulders relaxed slightly after a few seconds.
She didn't sense any powerful Soul Master aura, nor did she sense any hostility directed at her. There was only the smell of sweat from ordinary humans, the aroma of food, and the scent of grass and dust in the air.
Safe.
At least for now, it seemed safe.
Xiao Wu let out a soft breath, and her fingers released her clothes. She began to observe her surroundings, her gaze landing on the admissions registration desk at the teaching building entrance.
It was time to register.
She set off, walking toward the registration desk.
Just then, a chubby boy rushed out from the side, holding a sugar painting in his hand. He was running too fast, not looking where he was going, and headed straight for Xiao Wu.
"Careful!"
Mo Bai's voice rang out.
His movements were fast, but they didn't look hurried. Just as the boy was about to collide with Xiao Wu, he appeared between the two of them at exactly the right moment, one hand lightly supporting the boy's shoulder and the other shielding Xiao Wu.
The boy bumped into Mo Bai's hand and stumbled, nearly dropping his sugar painting.
"So-sorry, teacher!" the boy apologized hurriedly.
"Watch where you're going next time." Mo Bai's tone was gentle, but carried a hint of appropriate sternness. He released the boy and turned to look at Xiao Wu.
Their eyes met.
A warm, concerned smile—the kind practiced countless times—appeared on Mo Bai's face: "Are you alright, little friend? Did he hit you?"
Xiao Wu was stunned for a moment.
Her eyes were wide as she looked at this man who had suddenly appeared.
Grey robe, clean and tidy. The smile was very warm, the gaze very clear. There was a kind of... aura about him that made her feel very comfortable. It wasn't the pressure of soul power, nor the dangerous aura of a predator, but a peaceful atmosphere that made one relax.
"I... I'm fine," Xiao Wu said softly, her voice still carrying a bit of childishness.
"That's good." Mo Bai smiled and knelt down, keeping his gaze level with Xiao Wu's. "You're a new student here to register, right? What's your name?"
"Xiao Wu," she answered, her eyes still fixed on Mo Bai. "The 'Wu' for dancing."
"A very nice name." Mo Bai nodded. "My name is Mo Bai, a teacher here. Are you going to the registration desk? Shall I take you there?"
Xiao Wu hesitated for a second.
Her instincts told her not to trust strangers easily. But this man in front of her really... didn't look like a bad person. Moreover, that relaxing aura about him made it difficult for her to maintain her guard.
"Mhm." She nodded.
Mo Bai stood up and naturally made a "please" gesture toward the registration desk. He didn't try to hold Xiao Wu's hand, nor did he stand too close, maintaining a proper distance.
They walked side by side.
"Did you come alone?" Mo Bai asked, his tone as casual as if they were just chatting.
"Mhm." Xiao Wu nodded.
"Is your home far away?"
"...Far." Xiao Wu's voice grew quieter.
"Do you miss home?"
Xiao Wu didn't speak.
Mo Bai didn't press her either. He only said gently: "It takes time to get used to leaving home for the first time. But there are many children in the academy, and the teachers are all very good. You'll settle in after a while."
They reached the registration desk.
The person in charge of registration was a young female teacher. Seeing Mo Bai, she immediately greeted him with a smile: "Teacher Mo Bai, you're here so early?"
"I brought a new student over to register," Mo Bai said with a smile, then stepped aside to reveal Xiao Wu. "Her name is Xiao Wu."
The female teacher looked down at Xiao Wu and picked up a pen: "Xiao Wu, right? Come, fill out the form. Name, age, home address..."
Xiao Wu froze.
Home address?
How should she write it? Star Dou Great Forest Core Area?
Mo Bai spoke up at the right moment: "She's a working student, isn't she? Looking at the child's clothes... her family conditions probably aren't great. Is the registration form for working students a bit simpler?"
The female teacher said "Oh," realizing: "Right, right, the form for working students doesn't need to be so detailed." She swapped to a different form. "Come, just fill in your name and age."
Xiao Wu stole a glance at Mo Bai.
Mo Bai smiled at her, a smile that seemed to say "don't worry, I'm here."
Xiao Wu picked up the pen and wrote "Xiao Wu, six years old" on the form. The handwriting was crooked but legible.
"All done." The female teacher tucked the form away and handed her a wooden badge. "This is your dormitory number, Dorm Seven. All working students live there. Take your luggage over yourself; later, all freshmen will gather on the playground for soul power testing."
Xiao Wu took the wooden badge and held it in her hand.
The rough texture of the badge rubbed against her palm.
"I'll take her there," Mo Bai told the female teacher. "I happen to be heading that way to check things out."
"Then I'll trouble Teacher Mo Bai."