"Boss, thanks again!"
"Go on."
Before even reaching the teaching building, Chen Junting and Gao Ming had already parted ways with Qin Lan. The soul bone had stirred more than just gratitude—it sparked urgency. Qin Lan, now holding a future-changing treasure, couldn't wait another second. After asking Junting to help excuse him from class, he turned and sprinted toward the dormitory, activating his martial soul just to move faster.
Junting didn't mind. His path to Class One required him to pass Class Two anyway. After dropping Gao Ming off at Class Three, he made a brief stop in Class Two to help Qin Lan ask for leave. The teacher, either softened by Qin Lan's new core disciple status or just naturally kind, agreed without any fuss.
When Junting reached the door of Class One, he hadn't said a word yet when both Mu Jin and Wang Yan looked up at once. The open door had caught everyone's attention.
"Report," he said, calmly surveying the room.
He noticed at a glance—Class One had the fewest students out of the four classes he'd passed.
On the blackboard behind the teachers, the words "Strong Attack Department" and "Control Department" were scrawled neatly. Under Control, many names were listed already. Familiar ones, like Cao Jinxuan, Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo, and Xiao Xiao stood out.
Apparently, voting for class monitors was already underway.
Cao Jinxuan's name was far ahead of the others. The election was clearly already settled. Junting figured they hadn't waited for him because his vote wouldn't change anything.
Under Strong Attack Department, however, there was nothing.
"Come in," Mu Jin called.
Wang Yan offered a warm smile and gestured toward an empty seat.
"Thanks."
Junting made his way to an open spot next to Dugu Xin. He sat down quietly and leaned over. "You're not running?"
"There's only eight months left," Dugu Xin said with a faint smile. "Not worth it."
"I am."
"Of course."
Junting's fingers traced the smooth curve of the starlight sapphire ring on his hand, his thoughts unreadable.
Wang Yan cleared his throat, rapping on the board for attention. "Now that everyone's here, we'll begin voting for the Strong Attack Department monitor. Same process as before."
He turned and chalked names under the heading: Chen Junting, Dai Huabin, Wu Feng, Wang Dong.
"There are two monitor seats—one from the Control Department, one from the Strong Attack Department. They rotate every month. You've already selected the Control monitor—Cao Jinxuan. Now, please vote for your Strong Attack monitor."
Voting slips passed from hand to hand. When Junting received his, he glanced over at Dugu Xin.
The name "Chen Junting" was already written down.
"You voted for me?"
"Obviously."
Junting followed Dugu Xin's subtle gesture and looked around. Many students were watching him—some shyly, others with barely hidden admiration.
Wang Dong gave a thumbs-up.
Wu Feng grinned and made a face at Dai Huabin.
The meaning was clear: No way she was letting Dai Huabin win.
Speaking of which... Dai Huabin's face was stormy, his fingers clenched around the crumpled voting slip as if trying not to crush it outright.
"He looks pissed," Junting muttered.
"He should be," Dugu Xin replied. "But what can he do? He lost. Strength speaks louder than pride."
Junting snorted, scribbled his name on the slip, and passed it forward. Becoming class monitor was a hassle, sure—but with a deputy monitor handling the boring bits, it wasn't so bad.
A little delegation never hurt anyone.
After the votes were collected and tallied, Mu Jin turned toward the class with a satisfied smile.
"The new Strong Attack Department monitor, with the highest number of votes, is—Chen Junting."
Applause rippled through the classroom.
All eyes fell on Junting, some in awe, others with the kind of excitement reserved for rising legends.
Cao Jinxuan, seated ahead, turned and winked. "Looks like we're classmates and co-leaders now."
His deskmate, Zhou Sichen, wrapped an arm around Cao's shoulders and shouted dramatically, "Monitor! I'll follow only you now! Cao Jinxuan is dead to me!"
"Shut it!" Cao tried to push him away but couldn't stop grinning. "Anyway, Junting's the real deal. I'd vote for him every time."
"Really?" Junting raised a brow.
"Of course."
"Then congratulations." He clapped Cao's shoulder. "You've just been promoted to class labor officer. All non-combat duties are yours. I'll be a hands-off boss."
"Wait—what?!"
"You voted for me. I believe in your potential."
The class erupted in laughter.
With the monitors set, the real lessons began.
Compared to Mu Jin's intense teaching style, Wang Yan's calm, methodical approach was refreshing. Every sentence came laced with deep insight. Junting quickly understood why he was one of Shrek's most respected instructors.
The day passed quickly.
That night, Junting and the others gathered at Sea God Lake for dinner. Beibei, Tang Ya, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan joined them.
The mood was cheerful—until Dugu Xin dropped the news.
He was leaving the academy after first grade.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were stunned. "Why?"
Dugu Xin didn't answer.
Only Junting and Ning Tian understood what he meant. And they didn't say a word.
On the walk back, Junting and Ning Tian hung back from the group. Their shadows stretched out ahead of them in the lamplight.
"Xiaotian," Junting said softly. "I've decided."
Ning Tian didn't ask what. She already knew.
She slipped her hand around his arm and nodded. "Let's give it to him before the holiday."
Her voice was quiet but resolute. "He's one of us now. If we have the power to help and choose not to—I'll never forgive myself."
Junting looked at her. "Is that how the sect operates?"
She giggled. "No. It's something my father says. A rule he came up with after leading the sect for years."
Junting laughed. "Figures. It's not in the manual."
"And it never will be." She smiled, eyes soft. "Because it doesn't need to be written. It just needs to be remembered."
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(End of Chapter)
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