The shock wasn't limited to the students in the classroom. Before class even started, homeroom teacher Old Chen rushed over upon hearing the news. Old Gu and a few other teachers came along too. If Instructor Xiong weren't off on Monday, that humanoid bear would've shown up as well.
"It's a Spirit Cultivator qualification certificate. Looks like Ancheng No. 1 High has produced a true genius this year." Old Gu broke into a smile.
Old Chen shed his usual sternness. "Getting this certificate is impressive. If you apply for the Spirit Cultivator major in college, you'll have a strong chance of being admitted to a top school."
Spirit Universities didn't just offer the Spirit Tamer major; Spirit Taming and Spirit Combat were the most popular ones with the most students. Spirit Cultivators were rarer in comparison.
Su Hao blinked, a hint of embarrassment creeping onto his face. "No, Teacher Chen, actually... I want to apply for the Spirit Tamer major."
Old Chen: "..." Old Gu: "..."
Kid, do you realize a junior Spirit Cultivator already outranks a junior Spirit Tamer? And you've got the certificate in your first semester of senior year—clearly, your talent in Spirit Cultivation is stronger!
They opened their mouths to persuade him, but then thought better of it. They'd only heard about Su Hao taking the Spirit Cultivator exam after the fact. He was an independent student with his own plans. Trying to steer him toward Spirit Cultivation probably wouldn't work.
In the end, they could only say, "Make your own choice, but don't waste your talent in Spirit Cultivation."
"I won't."
Su Hao wanted to major in Spirit Combat in college, but that didn't mean he had to give up Spirit Cultivation. Why not excel at both?
That said, while he was certainly talented, his abilities in cultivation and taming should be progressing evenly. The reason he'd already earned the Spirit Cultivator certificate while still being far from a Spirit Tamer was entirely because...
Silkworm Baby was holding him back!
"So, starting today, extra training, got it?"
"Guu, guu-no?"
The Silkworm Baby by the window had no clue why a blame was suddenly falling from the sky.
...
After school that afternoon, Su Hao followed his GPS to the Ancheng Spirit Cultivation House. It couldn't compare to the Spirit Free-Range Center in Yunhua City, but it was still a three-story building with bamboo and potted plants outside, and lively spirit silhouettes printed on the walls.
He made a call, and a figure emerged from the building.
"Teacher Zhao."
It was one of the examiners from that day, a mid-level Spirit Cultivator from Ancheng.
"Don't call me teacher, just call me Brother Zhao." Zhao Liangcai smiled. From the moment Su Hao decisively turned down the Yunhua Association's offer, he'd pegged him as different from other flashy prodigies. That made him even more admirable.
"After passing the junior Spirit Cultivator exam, you must've gotten a lot of company offers, right?"
"Quite a few. I thought they were scam calls at first."
During those two days at the Yunhua Association library, he'd kept his phone on silent. Back in Ancheng, he'd gotten calls last night from people claiming to be company reps—some local, some from other cities. The terms were incredibly generous.
A monthly salary of tens of thousands was just the baseline; the highest offer was an annual salary of 1.5 million. There were all sorts of perks too. One company promised a house—full ownership after three years of work. Another promised a spirit.
At first, he thought it was fake, but gradually, he realized it wasn't.
"I just got a junior certificate. Why are these companies going so overboard?"
"Not overboard at all," Zhao Liangcai said. "Spirit-related professions are always in short supply. And you're a talent who passed with a perfect score, young with huge room to grow. Those companies are eager to snap you up before someone else does. It's all real—including the house offers from some companies."
"How much is a house worth?" Zhao Liangcai's tone was dismissive. "With your skills, you'll earn enough for one in no time. But those companies, while offering good pay, don't leave much room for growth. Of course, the salary's tempting. Our Spirit Cultivation House's base pay is much lower. Have you thought it through?"
Su Hao didn't hesitate. "Of course."
He was still a high school student. His goal was to earn money to raise spirits and get into a top Spirit University. Those company offers were generous, but they'd tie him down. Su Hao couldn't choose that. Working at the Spirit Cultivation House, on the other hand, was relaxed with flexible hours. And it wasn't like he couldn't make big money.
Zhao Liangcai continued, "Junior Spirit Cultivators at the Spirit Cultivation House get a base salary of five thousand, plus commissions. You take half of any job you handle. But since we're a government institution, our rates are fixed. Also, you only need to work half a day each week. Here's our current schedule—you can pick a half-day slot."
Su Hao glanced at it. Besides him, the Ancheng Spirit Cultivation House only had eight Spirit Cultivators, three of whom were mid-level. The others either worked for companies or ran their own shops. But Su Hao had no reputation, no venue, and not enough time—so the Spirit Cultivation House was his only option.
"I'll take Saturday mornings."
"Alright. If that works, we'll sign the contract." Zhao Liangcai added, "Oh, and even though your shift is Saturday, you can come by other days too. More work, more pay."
Zhao Liangcai wasn't on afternoon duty; he'd come specifically for the contract. He also had another role—the shop manager of the Spirit Cultivation House! Besides the Spirit Cultivators, there were regular staff here, all with civil servant benefits.
"Our Spirit Cultivators work on the third floor's east side. Besides the reception room, there's a full examination room for spirits... and a small training ground."
"The first and second floors are our spirit sales area. Want to take a look?"
Su Hao nodded and stepped inside, seeing all kinds of lively spirits. The Spirit Cultivation House didn't have a simulated ecosystem, and the number of spirits wasn't large, but since they weren't separated, their playful antics gave the place a bustling feel.
"Silkworm Baby, Small Earth Wolf, Vine Snake, Grass Sheep..."
Spirits flickered past his eyes. There were also customers picking out spirits, but since it wasn't contract season, there were few.
Suddenly, Su Hao froze. His gaze landed on a corner, where a solitary figure stood apart from the other spirits.
"Our Spirit Cultivation House actually has this kind of spirit?"