Chapter 35: Principal

Xueqiu pulled out her phone. The caller ID read “President,” a label she’d added months ago.

Four months earlier, after Xia Yin’s words, Xueqiu had lost her excuse to feel timid about “holding others back.”

In other words, she was now a member of the Spiritual Academy’s student council.

Unlike Chang Mu, who was stuck doing grunt work in the news department, the lofty President Ou seemed to value Xueqiu highly, even mentioning “successor” during their meeting.

But after officially joining, receiving the council uniform and stipend, Xueqiu hadn’t returned to that old building.

Ou Ziyun hadn’t contacted her again, as if her role was merely to be a name on the roster.

Until now.

Xueqiu answered, and Ou Ziyun’s voice came through instantly.

“Xueqiu, the student council is organizing a week-long practical internship with the ‘Spiritual Academy Youdu Investigation Team α’ next week. Are you interested?”

Her voice was crisp, carrying an air of no refusal.

Xueqiu had just tossed the trash into the recycling bin, but she suddenly felt she was holding another heavy burden.

She knew what the “Spiritual Academy Youdu Investigation Team” was.

The name boiled down to “Youdu” and “Investigation Team.”

As the name suggested, it was like an exploration team.

But while ordinary teams explored death valleys, wilderness, or caves, this one investigated the non-real space called “Youdu.”

Xueqiu vaguely recalled her first meeting with Professor Chen, where the kind old man mentioned the Academy’s two main missions.

One was to eliminate creatures called “Shadow Ghosts” and prevent them from entering the real world.

The other was exploration related to Youdu.

Though it was summer break and most students were gone, the student council retained many of the 10% who stayed.

Still, the invitation surprised her.

First, she was just a pre-freshman.

Though early-admission, Xueqiu hadn’t systematically studied Youdu or Shadow Ghosts.

She only knew Shadow Ghosts haunted Youdu, and Youdu was rife with them—except at the Academy’s main campus.

Second, she wasn’t sure if Xia Yin would approve.

Oddly, despite being roommates for just over a hundred days, she instinctively sought his opinion before deciding.

Like when Ou Ziyun invited her to join the council.

Even with Xia Yin’s promise to train her, Xueqiu had asked if she had to join.

“If it’s a normal university’s student council, I’d say don’t—never—join. With your honest nature, any department would exploit you from freshman to sophomore year until you quit, getting nothing but measly extra credits. Why bother?” Xia Yin had said.

“But the Academy’s… I still don’t recommend it, but Ou Ziyun doesn’t seem to want you doing grunt work. And your rank’s E, so do what you want.”

That same day, Xueqiu joined the council.

She didn’t understand why Xia Yin’s words always swayed her.

Like a fledgling imprinting on the first creature it sees, blindly obedient.

“You can think it over. Ask Xia Yin if he wants to join too. It offers internship credits, which help your rank. You’re D now—still a few steps from A,” Ou Ziyun said, sensing her hesitation.

Over these months, Xueqiu had climbed from E to D.

Per Xia Yin, it was due to a council-organized outing she’d been credited for, despite being unaware of it.

A stroke of luck.

“Okay, thank you, President.”

The call ended with a “beep” as Ou Ziyun hung up, leaving no time for pleasantries.

So, should she go?

That question again.

Before enrolling, she’d considered giving up.

But as the thought formed, her heart had already accepted staying.

Would this be the same?

“Ahem.”

A middle-aged man’s cough came from behind.

This was the dorm area—no “creepy uncle” types should be here.

Xueqiu turned and saw a strange man by the dorm’s entrance, less than ten meters away.

She didn’t call him “middle-aged,” “old,” or “young” because his attire was too bizarre.

He wore steel-gray sunglasses and a black tailcoat, his wrinkled face suggesting extreme old age.

His hair was a mix of white—natural aging—and black, like a recent dye job.

From this angle, he was a refined old man fighting time, yet his unstooped frame and near-1.95-meter height suggested youth.

If seen from behind, he could pass for a recent graduate.

“You’re Xueqiu, right?” the man said quickly, seeing her hesitate. “Don’t be scared, I’m the principal.”

Xueqiu stiffened, puzzled why this ageless man used a coaxing tone, but that wasn’t the point.

He claimed to be the school’s principal.

In her early days at the Academy, she’d heard about the principal from Xia Yin and others.

His surname was Ling, full name Ling Jiming.

He had a tall, beautiful foreign assistant named Zena Volmer.

His Contract was extraordinary, creating a barrier that separated the Academy from Youdu itself.

None of these matched the tall, odd man before her.

Had she already labeled him an “old man”? Xueqiu thought, her eyes wary.

“It’s fine, I’m not scary. Students call me the ‘undying old guy’ behind my back,” he said, his wrinkles blooming with a grin.

“You’re Principal Ling?” Xueqiu asked timidly.

“Yep. Think there’s another handsome old codger like me at the Academy?”

His voice was deep, but his tone was youthful, not elderly.

Xueqiu studied him, then decided to equate him with the legendary Ling Jiming.

“Why are you here, Principal?” she asked after a moment, the words ill-suited for the moment.

A normal person would’ve done one of two things:

1. Bow deeply in apology.

2. Find an excuse to bolt as far as possible.

“Heh… haha… just taking a stroll, nothing else to do…” Ling Jiming said, chuckling as he adjusted his sunglasses and began wandering nearby.

ps: Begging for monthly tickets and tips! Rants welcome too. Thanks for tickets and tips will be in Chapter 36, four hours from now.