Underneath blue checkered covers, a little mound moved, snoring softly away. Books piled around the pillow case, opened to miscellaneous pages, and a tuft of brown hair peaked out from the edge of the blanket.
Alas, in this bright sunny morning, this little guy's blissful sleep would not be continued for much longer.
Three rapid raps on the bedroom door resounded, and a woman's gentle muffled voice from the other side woke the little guy from his slumber.
"Youyou, are you up?"
Groaning, the little mound shifted his position, adamantly refusing to heed to his mother's command.
Without hearing a response, the woman decided on the next course of action.
The door knob turned, and the door was pushed open, giving her insight into the state of her son's room, with the blinds pulled tight, and the books still scattered around the pillow, left unchecked by their owner by who knows how long.
"Jiang Zhiyou." The woman scoffed.
The mound under the covers froze, before a small head peeped out, his brown eyes glistening pitifully under the newfound light from the doorway. It was never a good sign if his mother called out his full name. And although he did his best to act innocent and cute, it was as if his mother had gained immunity to it.
Jiang Zhiyou's mother strode to his bedside and snatched up the books, taking them custody as she ripped the blinds open, allowing the warm sunlight to stream through the windows at full operation.
"Were you up at night reading books again? You know that today is your first day for Red Mountain Academy, and I will not have you late. No more books for the rest of the day. Now go get dressed and eat breakfast."
Without protest, Jiang Zhiyou pulled the covers off of him and shifted his legs onto his slippers waiting for him at the side of the bed, hurrying off to the bathroom before his mother could say anything else. He hoped his mother would not find the book he hid away under the bed as a contingency plan.
When Jiang Zhiyou came out of the bathroom, he encountered his father already sitting at the dining table with a cold cup of coffee and daily newspaper spread before him. Although many things were being digitized and becoming easier to access, Jiang ZhiYou's father, Jiang Huying, still preferred the good ol' gray newspaper to read every morning.
However, Jiang Zhiyou couldn't judge his father, since he preferred physical books as well.
"Did you get in trouble with your mom?" Jiang Huying folded his newspaper and set it to the side as he turned to his son.
"Yeah...but what's so wrong about staying up? Mom and Dad always stay up later than me." Jiang Zhiyou grumbled.
"Maybe when you're older, son."
"That doesn't make any sense-"
"Youyou. Just listen to your mom." Jiang Huying's manner became more stern, effectively shutting Jiang Zhiyou up.
Huffing, Jiang Zhiyou situated himself by getting onto his high chair, patiently waiting for breakfast.
After a while of waiting, Jiang Zhiyou's mother, Tang Wei, returned from making her son's bed and stowing away his collection of books, and a simple traditional breakfast was put in-front of the family, consisting of rice porridge, marinated hard-boiled eggs, and red bean curd mantou.
Eating was one of the many joys of life Jiang Zhiyou had, who savored the breakfast with vivacious bites.
"I'm done!" After proclaiming so, Jiang Zhiyou plopped down from the high chair, and helped carry his share of dirty dishes to the sink.
He set his bowl into the sink, and then departed to grab his school bag, strapped on his Velcro sneakers, and then waited patiently as his parents fussed around. It was a fun to observe them, really.
Finally, the family set off, locking the door to their house behind them.
Red Mountain Academy was within walking distance, and soon appeared before their sight, with a bold calligraphy plaque hanging above the gate. Parents with their children mingled at the front gate, passing in and out in a continuous stream, just as they were.
"Youyou. Make sure to greet your future teacher and classmates with respect, don't forget to eat lunch, pay attention to your lessons, and-" Tang Wei bent down to give Jiang Zhiyou some advice.
"Yes! I got it mom!" Jiang Zhiyou cut off, not wanting to wait an additional five minutes of his mother rambling on about potential precautions, quickly giving Tang Wei a peck on the cheek and hurrying into his classroom.
Jiang Zhiyou could hear his father laughing behind him, followed by a slap to his arm, before hearing his parents last words to him.
"Enjoy your first day at school!"
Turning around solemnly, Jiang Zhiyou gave his parents a salute before finding an unoccupied, inconspicuous seat that allowed him full visage to the room. Good.
Children his age were already forming social relations, chatting with each other and making introductions, but Jiang Zhiyou didn't join in, finding it bothersome. Instead, he got ready for the day, taking out his notebooks and pencils, settling them into a sufficiently organized formation on his desk before waiting for the teacher to appear.
Therefore, a strange scene of kids mingling with each other, and then Jiang Zhiyou sitting by his lonesome in the classroom appeared.
That is, until a new kid stepped into the classroom.
He had lustrous, temptingly soft black hair shimmering like the shifting of a night sky, paired with large obsidian jeweled eyes paired against long, fluttering eyelashes. With a jade-like quality of skin, he absolutely glowed.
However, this is not what took Jiang Zhiyou's breath away.
It was his presence, this aura, that made the boy look like an unpolished, hidden gem about to be battered by the trials of life before shining gloriously in the world.
If Jiang Zhiyou could put a word to it - yes, he was just like a main character in the stories he always read.
Jiang Zhiyou didn't know he was watching the boy with wide eyes without so much as a blink as the boy sat down at another unoccupied desk several seats away from Jiang Zhiyou. As Jiang Zhiyou tried to come to terms with this feeling of awe in his heart, he saw that another chubby boy like him started to strike up a conversation.
"Hey, what's your martial soul?"
Then Jiang Zhiyou heard the boy's answer.
"It's the same Bluesilver grass as the founder of the Tang sect." Blades of blue rose from the boy's palm as he spoke, softly swaying from some non-existent wind.
Did he mean the Bluesilver Emperor grass? Jiang Zhiyou wondered. Every child growing up would have been in contact with the legends told in the past.
20 000 years ago, Founder of Tang Sect and member of Shrek's seven monsters, Thousand Hand Asura, along with his companions, defeated the Martial Soul Hall and they all ascended to godhood.
10 000 years ago, founder of Spirit Pagoda and member of Shrek's seven monsters, Spirit Ice Douluo founded the ways of spirit souls in hopes of becoming a bridge between the endangered soul beasts and humans. The map-changing continent collision caused the world of soul masters to change during his era. After a battle against the Beast God DiTian, he went missing, along with his wife Dragon Butterfly Douluo. It is said they ascended to the divine realm.
The clicking of the chubby boy's tongue brought Jiang Zhiyou back from his musings.
"Bluesilver grass! What a trash martial soul." Completely losing interest, the chubby boy turned to leave.
"Then what about you? What's your martial soul?"
With a wave of his chubby hand, a silver glint flashed, displaying a simple knife held in the chubby boy's palm.
"See that? My martial soul is a knife. If I can cultivate to the title Douluo level in the future, I'll be called the Saber God Douluo. Innate rank 5 soul power. I can casually chop these strands of Bluesilver grass into pieces."
A feeling of derision grew in Jiang Zhiyou's heart at the chubby boy's disdaining comments. The chubby boy's standing in Jiang Zhiyou's view plummeted into the negatives. He was like a cannon fodder extra hopping around. Did this knife martial boy know that cultivating into a title Douluo with his talents really required the sun to rise from the east?
Indeed, the world was not always fair, especially in the world of soul masters, where talent determined many things.
In this world, at the age of six, children would have the chance to undergo the "day of awakening" by a soul master to determine their innate martial soul as well as initial soul rank.
It was precisely this initial soul rank that determined a person's talent, and whether or not they even had the qualifications to be a soul master. Children who awakened no soul rank power were ordinary people, just like Jiang Zhiyou's parents. On the other hand, children who awaken from the count of 1-10 soul rank power could cultivate, and the higher the initial awakening, the higher the talent.
Take for example Jiang Zhiyou.
On the day of awakening, he awakened his wind sparrow martial soul, with an innate soul power rank of 4.
People with this innate rank would never be able to touch the tip of title douluos - the peak of strength of soul masters - much less the levels underneath. However, even being able to cultivate was prestigious, as only one in a thousand could awaken an innate soul power rank, making them talents that the continent would want to cultivate.
That was also the reason why this Soul Master class only had 15 students out of the hundreds of other students attending Red Mountain Academy. They were precious seedlings.
At this moment, the teacher finally appeared at the doorway, wherein the 15 small radishes instantly turned to scrutinize her, and the buzz quieted down.
"Hello everyone, I am your homeroom teacher, Lin Ximeng. In the next three years, I'll be teaching you the basics of soul masters. Now, you should introduce yourselves. Introduce your names, martial souls, and innate soul power levels."
As each newly minted soul masters in training underwent each of their introductions, and finally it came the main-character-like boy's turn.
"My name is Tang Wulin. Martial spirit Blue Silver grass. Innate soul power is rank 3."
The classroom stilled for a moment. Then they all erupted into ferocious laughing at the trash martial soul, the bluesilver grass leaving Tang Wulin's lips.
"Hahaha, Bluesilver grass? That garbage martial soul?"
"Why are you even in this class?"
"Bluesilver grass? More like Bluesilver trash!"
Jiang Zhiyou sometimes didn't understand where their discrimination came from, seeing how they all must have heard about the Bluesilver Emperor grass. When the founder of the Tang Sect was young, rumors were that he held the ordinary Bluesilver grass, and it only evolved into the legendary Bluesilver Emperor grass later on...
In any case, the Bluesilver grass was prestigious, and should be shown respect.
Therefore, Jiang Zhiyou did not find it funny, and thus did not laugh.
However, he didn't say anything to his classmates, opting instead to sit tranquilly in his chair like that of an observer.
With even the teacher struggling to maintain a neutral expression, and not preventing the snide remarks being thrown, she then said,
"Today is your first day of class, so I'll first explain the classification of martial souls. In the afternoon, I'll guide you in the preliminary meditation. Meditation is the only way to train and increase your soul power. If you want to become a true soul master, you'll have to work hard.
"First of all, the two main classes are tool souls and beast souls. Among them, all of the martial souls that appear on the body are beast souls. If they appear separately from the body, then they're tool souls. By cultivating your soul power, you're able to upgrade your martial soul. After your soul power reaches rank 10, then you're able to become a Soul Master.
"There are also two main classes of Soul Masters. The Battle Soul Masters and Utility Soul Masters. Those who cultivate with the goal of fighting are Battle Soul Masters. Regardless of what someone's martial soul is, they are still a Soul Master. There are also many minor classifications in the Battle Soul Masters that correspond to the martial spirit..."
Jiang Zhiyou's gaze darkened as the teacher droned on, continuing to turn a blind eye.
Why was he even worked up?
This was how Jiang Zhiyou grew up being indoctrinated, so how come he was suddenly so shaken up? He was feeling a strange, scathing irritation, despite having similar thoughts toward the knife martial soul boy moments before.
For the first time, he questioned the iron-clad logic society had brought to him. That certain martial souls were trash, and innate soul rank power determined everything.
Regardless of his feelings, with Jiang Zhiyou tapping the pencil on the blank lines of his notebook, the day passed on without a hitch.
He absentmindedly paid attention during the afternoon meditation class, ate school lunch alone, and then exited the Red Mountain Academy gates at the end of the school day. Without looking around for his parents to pick him up, Jiang Zhiyou wandered back and forth, still tangled in thoughts too complicated for his 6-year-old brain.
He really didn't know how to rewrite his collapsing worldview spurred on by his classmates' and teacher's discrimination on the first day of school.
So into his thoughts that Jiang Zhiyou didn't notice until a hand reached out and pinched his cheek unceremoniously, catching him off-guard.
"Wha are yuh doin-" His cheeks being pulled, Jiang Zhiyou's words came out slurred.
The unknown girl around 15 years of age who appeared to be waiting for someone smiled at Jiang Zhiyou's reaction, "How cute~ Little brother, where are your parents?"
Wary toward this stranger, Jiang Zhiyou quickly slapped the girl's paw mischievously latched onto his cheek and took a few quick steps back. Now, already Jiang ZhiYou was quite rounded, because he was still a child, he looked extremely cute, especially with his cheeks that begged to be pinched.
The big sister drew closer, her claws still with an evil design on Jiang Zhiyou's cheeks.
Shocked by this stranger's boldness, Jiang Zhiyou quickly swerved out the way.
"I-it's not nice to pinch someone's cheeks!" Leaving behind this comment, Jiang Zhiyou swiftly...
...ran away.
But due to his rash and panicked decision, Jiang Zhiyou quickly found out that he got lost in Glorybound city, and now aimlessly and listlessly roamed the streets. He discovered that all hope was lost in life, and didn't have the strength to cry for his parents.
-GROWL-
...Jiang Zhiyou was hungry too. He rubbed his stomach that appeared flat due to his imagination. Emphasis on imagination, because it was quite rotund.
Just as he was about to throw in the towel and begin his journey as a young beggar, sounds of sneering and chuckling was heard. Through the throngs of people, a group of adolescents appeared, and seemed to be gangsters from their posture and way they dressed.
Seeing the tall intimidating boys strutting towards him, Jiang ZhiYou froze and went into a panic. A hundred thoughts raced through Jiang ZhiYou's fantasizing mind as he apprehensively stared at the approaching teenagers.
In the end, he had caught sight of a tree from the roadside wide enough to hide him and hid behind it.
Peeking out from his hiding place, Jiang ZhiYou saw the group of gangsters still headed toward his direction. Heart thumping madly, Jiang ZhiYou glued his eyes shut.
Don't be looking for me. He repeated in his heart, until he heard the sentence,
"Little girl, where are your parents?"
Little girl? Jiang ZhiYou felt like a crisis was averted as he peeked out cautiously. A few meters away from the tree was a little girl sitting at the side of the road. From Jiang ZhiYou's vantage point, he was able to see the side of her pretty face, with long silky silver hair and purple eyes. Jiang ZhiYou had never seen someone who had these features, and was enraptured momentarily.
"Silver hair is really rare! Could you be from one of the other two continents? I reckon the black market dealers will really like her silver hair and purple eyes."
This sentence snapped Jiang ZhiYou out of his daze as he turned his attention back to the group of mis-fits.
Although Jiang ZhiYou didn't quite understand what they were referring to when they said "black market dealers", but he was able to see that they weren't here with good intentions.
"Are you hungry? Big brother will bring you to eat some good things, how about it?"
Jiang Zhiyou turned around and pressed himself against the tree, wishing for the moment to pass by quickly. Strangely, the thought of helping never crossed his mind.
His greatest desire was to remain an uninvolved party.
"What are you doing?!" An angry, familiar voice bellowed out.
"Brat, you dare to meddle with us?"
Taking his chances, Jiang Zhiyou once again peaked out again from behind his blind spot, and recognized that the familiar voice belonged to Tang Wulin.
In the next moment, Tang Wulin had been kicked to the ground, now covered with dirt. He shouted angrily,
"You guys are villians!"
Saying this, Tang Wulin immediately sprung up and lunged towards the group. A ruthless and anxious expression appeared on the leader of the gang, who suddenly pulled out an object.
A sharp edge glittered under the sunset.
"F*ck off if you don't want to die!"
As Jiang Zhiyou watched, he partly expected, or perhaps hoped, that Tang Wulin would become afraid and back down. After all, that's what he would have done in that situation.
But, Tang Wulin did none of that.
"Villains won't have a good end." Tang Wulin stood his ground, rubbing the dirt off his face, a fierce determination reflecting in those eyes, as he bellowed out,
"I'm a Soul Master; I'm not afraid of you. Release her!"
A bright light flashed in Tang Wulin's palm at the release of his martial soul, and his presence grew at the release of soul power.
In the end, the group of gangsters were successfully scared away. Tang Wulin approached the little girl.
"Don't be scared. I'm a man. I'll protect you!"
In the future when Jiang ZhiYou looked back, he would cringe at the cheesiness of that scene, but now, Jiang ZhiYou was extremely awed.
The action of bravery left an indelible mark on Jiang Zhiyou's heart.
Even as the duo walked away, hand in hand, covered in dirt, the setting rays of the sun above illuminated their backs instead, as if praising them for all that was good in the world. With his heart trembling with palpitations of excitement, Jiang Zhiyou raised a hand up to his face slowly.
This was the second time Jiang Zhiyou met Tang Wulin, and each in such an inspirational moment too.
A new passion was making itself known. Jiang Zhiyou's hand itched to write a novel.