Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

The teachers exchanged glances but remained silent. It wasn't that they didn't need help, but rather that they were too embarrassed to ask.

They've come all this way to visit their teacher, and it's ridiculous for them to ask for help right away. But Cinderella asked very seriously, not just being polite.

She came back this time to see Grandpa Jack, to visit the college, and to help out in any way she could.

After all, the college treated her and her lover quite well back then, reducing their tuition fees and giving them generous scholarships.

After a moment of silence, the elderly teacher with gray hair sighed and spoke. "There is indeed something I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Cinderella looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"After the Heavenly Dou Empire was gone, the Soul Hunting Forest was no longer open to the public." The old teacher's voice carried a hint of helplessness.

“In the past, if students needed to obtain a spirit ring, all they needed was a certificate from the academy, and the teacher could lead them to the Spirit Hunting Forest to hunt spirit beasts. Now that's not possible anymore. The Spirit Hunting Forest has been taken over by sects, and now we small academies can't even get through the gates.”

He paused, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and moistened his throat.

"Therefore, students can only obtain spirit rings by finding spirit beasts in the wild forests. Wild spirit beasts are not like those in the Soul Hunting Forest; they are more ferocious, more aggressive, and their age is harder to determine."

The teachers in the academy aren't high-ranking; the highest-ranking is the dean, who's only in his early forties. Taking a large group of students out to hunt spirit beasts in the wild is far too risky.

The old teacher put down his teacup, looked at Cinderella, and said with a hint of pleading in his eyes, "So, I'd like to ask you to come with the teachers and lead the students to hunt soul beasts. With a Soul Emperor like you here, it will be much safer. Plus, you can take more students at once, instead of making so many trips."

Chapter 540 Holy Soul Village

Upon hearing this, Cinderella did not hesitate at all.

"Okay." One word, crisp and clean, without any hesitation.

The old teacher was clearly stunned for a moment. He looked up, his eyes wide open behind his glasses, as if he hadn't heard clearly, or as if he had heard clearly but couldn't believe it.

"You...you agreed?"

“I agree.” Cinderella nodded. “When are we going?”

The old teacher opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. He wanted to say something, but before his mind could process it, his mouth had already moved.

"You...don't you want to think about it?"

“No need.” Cinderella’s tone was as calm as if she were saying that the weather was nice today.

"I'm free lately, so I can help out."

The old teacher was silent for a moment, then smiled. His smile carried a sense of relief, but also a hint of inexplicable emotion.

"Then... I'll go tell the dean right now?" He stood up, unsure of what to do with his hands, rubbing them together, then putting them down, then rubbing them together again.

"When is it convenient for you? You can decide the time, and we'll accommodate you."

“I’m available anytime soon,” Cinderella said. “It depends on when the academy is in a good position.”

The elderly teacher nodded quickly. "Okay, okay, I'll go tell the dean right away. Please have a seat and a cup of tea, I'll be right back."

After he finished speaking, he hurriedly walked out, his steps so fast that they didn't seem like those of an elderly man with gray hair. His boots made a series of rapid, muffled thuds on the stone floor of the corridor.

The other teachers in the office looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

They looked at Cinderella with complex emotions in their eyes. There was relief, emotion, and a hint of awkwardness that was hard to define.

It's heartening to see that my former student, now a Soul Emperor, is willing to come back and help.

It's amazing how fast time flies. The little girl with a ponytail who sat quietly in the corner of the classroom reading a book back then is now better than all of them.

The one who's reserved is the Soul Emperor.

A Soul Emperor at level 66.

It's much higher than the dean's rank.

These teachers from small towns had never seen more powerful Soul Masters than the deacons sent by the Spirit Hall to awaken their Martial Souls; a Soul Master of around level forty was already the absolute limit.

Now that a Soul Emperor was sitting in front of them, they didn't know what to say.

Cinderella picked up her teacup and took a sip. The tea had gone cold and had a slightly bitter taste, but she didn't put the cup down. She knew the teachers were watching her, and she knew why they weren't speaking.

She didn't try to start a conversation or break the silence. She just sat there quietly, drinking tea, waiting for the old teacher to return.

A moment later, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. There was more than one person.

The door was pushed open, and the elderly teacher walked in front, followed by a slightly overweight middle-aged man.

He was in his fifties, wearing a dark blue robe, with a kind face, but his brows showed signs of weariness from years of hard work.

He was the dean of the Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy.

"Cinderella." The Dean walked quickly to Cinderella as soon as he entered the room, reached out his hands, and held her hands tightly.

"Thank you, thank you! On behalf of the college and the students, thank you!"

Cinderella stood up, letting him hold her hand without pulling away. "You're too kind, Dean."

"It's not just politeness, it's from the bottom of my heart." The dean released her hand, took a step back, and looked her up and down, his eyes full of emotion.

"Back when you and Xiao San enrolled, I knew you were destined for greatness. I never imagined that in just a few years, you'd already become a Soul Emperor. Level 66!"

Cinderella did not respond.

She wasn't good at handling these kinds of situations and didn't know what to say.

Saying "not at all" would seem insincere, while saying "thank you" would sound stiff. She simply stood there, listening quietly.

The dean sighed a few more times, then changed the subject and got down to business.

"We'll be leaving in three days. Is that alright?" His tone was tentative, as if he were asking for her opinion or confirming whether his arrangements were appropriate.

“Okay.” Cinderella nodded.

The dean breathed a sigh of relief, and his smile deepened.

"Then it's settled. We'll set off early in the morning, three days from now. I'll go and make arrangements for the students, pick a few who need spirit rings, and have the teachers prepare the supplies."

He paused, then looked at Cinderella. "You don't need to worry about these things. Just come along. I'm relieved to have you here."

Cinderella nodded.

The dean chatted with her for a few more minutes, asking about her experiences over the years, what she was doing now, and whether she had joined any faction.

Cinderella said a few things she could say, but didn't elaborate further.

The dean didn't press the matter. He knew that Cinderella's return to help was already a huge favor, and it would be rude to pry further.

After chatting for a while, Cinderella stood up. "I'm leaving now. Come back early in three days."

The dean quickly stood up, and several teachers followed suit. "Okay, okay. See you then."

Cinderella nodded to them, then turned and walked towards the door. Behind her, the headmaster and several teachers stood watching her retreating figure.

"This child has grown up." The old teacher sighed, his voice carrying a hint of indescribable emotion.

The dean didn't reply. He simply watched the slender figure disappear at the end of the corridor, then nodded slightly.

As Cinderella stepped out of the academy gates, sunlight was already peeking through the gaps in the clouds, casting dappled shadows on the cobblestone path.

She stood at the doorway, squinted, and took a deep breath.

The air in Nottingham smelled of cooking smoke, dust kicked up by passing carriages, and a faint, cool breeze of late autumn.

She will go on a soul hunt with the academy in three days. These three days will be just enough time for her to return to Holy Soul Village.

Cinderella walked along the official road towards the village of Holy Souls.

The distance between Holy Soul Village and Notting City is not close for ordinary people, but it is not far for her, who is already a Soul Emperor.

Cinderella walked along the official road for less than half an hour before she could see the outline of Holy Soul Village in the distance.

The old locust tree at the village entrance is still there, its canopy even denser than a few years ago, its branches stretching over the road as if waving to passersby.

The stone tablet at the village entrance is still the same stone tablet, with the three characters "Holy Soul Village" engraved on it. The characters have been blurred by wind and rain, but they are still legible.

Next to the stone tablet, a newly erected wooden plaque reads, "This village has produced two Soul Masters, making it a blessed land of outstanding people and abundant resources."

Cinderella looked at the wooden sign, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

Needless to say, this was definitely Old Jack's doing. That old man has been proud of Holy Soul Village his whole life, and now that two Soul Masters have emerged from the village, he can't wait for the whole world to know.

She walked into the village.

The village road is still the same dirt road, full of potholes, but it's been swept very clean.

The houses on both sides of the road are of different ages, some with new roof tiles and some with repainted exterior walls, but most are still the same as before.

A few stray dogs were sunbathing by the wall. When they saw her walk by, they lazily raised their eyelids, then closed them again.

Several hens were scratching for food in the yard, clucking incessantly.

A middle-aged woman who was hanging clothes to dry in the yard saw Cinderella, dropped the clothes in her hands, and stared wide-eyed.

"Cinnamon, Cinnamon?"

"Hello, Auntie." Cinderella nodded to her.

The middle-aged woman opened her mouth, as if to say something, but before her mind could process it, her mouth moved first. "You...you're back?"

"Yes, I came back to take a look."

The middle-aged woman stood there stunned for a moment, then turned and ran into the house, shouting as she ran, "Husband! Husband! Cindy's back!"

Cinderella didn't stop; she continued walking forward.

Along the way, villagers kept recognizing her, stopping their work to greet her.

Cinderella responded to each of them, nodding and smiling, occasionally saying "Hello Uncle," "Hello Aunt," and "How are you?"

The villagers watched her retreating figure, filled with emotion.

"This child has made something of himself."

"That's right. Back when I saw her and her lover in the village, I knew she wasn't an ordinary person."

"I heard she's really good now, and she even participated in some major competition?"

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Cinderella stopped in front of a small house at the very back of the village.

The courtyard wall was made of rammed earth, and a few foxtail grasses grew on top of it, swaying gently in the breeze.