Just as Xin rolled up his sleeves and flipped the charcoal, and his students were not behaving, coveting Teacher's stunning appearance.
Under the starry sky, a young man bravely walked over, and with a thud, knelt before Xin:
"Teacher, I know this might be presumptuous, but I don't want to lose this opportunity."
"I also want to be like Bell... I want to learn by your side. Please give me a chance, even if it's just to do odd jobs."
"Eh?"
Seeing Bell's old classmate Xiao Chenyu suddenly asking to become a disciple, the female students of the Academy were a bit surprised, but they were all very sensible. They stopped giggling and stood quietly to the side.
Xin stopped what he was doing and glanced at them.
Bell didn't hesitate at all. He knelt down with Xiao Chenyu in front of Xin and said with his head lowered: "Teacher, it was this disciple who suggested he do this. Please punish this disciple."
"Teacher, you can't blame Bell. Please don't punish him. This was my own decision. Bell just made me more determined—I want to become your disciple!" Xiao Chenyu said.
"You two, are you really that close as brothers?"
"I haven't said he did anything wrong, nor have I said I would punish him."
Xin glanced at Bell and said faintly: "Why did you suggest he become my disciple?"
"I think Xiao Chenyu is not bad. If he comes to our Academy, he can learn real things. Also, this disciple has selfish motives. Although Xiao Chenyu used to bully us a lot, we became acquainted through fighting. If he can stay and study at the Academy, this student will have more people to communicate and spar with in the future." Bell said truthfully.
"What about you? Why do you want to become my disciple? I want to hear the truth." Xin then looked at Xiao Chenyu.
Xiao Chenyu took a deep breath. Although this Teacher looked calm and collected, when he spoke, he exuded a lot of pressure:
"I want to become a strong person and go further on the path of a Spirit Master."
This is what most Spirit Masters aspire to, and it's not uncommon.
"Ordinary people want to become strong for two reasons: one, to gain more power and authority, have more say, and enjoy more benefits; two, to have a reason to become strong, like revenge or being hunted."
"Are you the former or the latter?"
"I... I should be both. My father told me from a young age that in this World, the strong make the rules, and the weak have no say. So, one must learn to assess the situation and not offend talented individuals with backgrounds or influence. Only by having strength oneself can one build one's own power and control the overall situation... My father was right about some things and wrong about others, but I believe that, at least, becoming strong means having choices. The weak have no choices; they can only be dominated. Becoming strong means at least being able to ensure that I, my family, and my friends no longer have to live at the mercy of others, and we gain the opportunity to be treated fairly."
Xiao Chenyu only remembered the two words Bell told him at this moment: be sincere.
Just follow your heart.
"You're right. The weak have no choices."
Xin sighed slightly. Although he was dedicated to cultivating good character in his students, what Xiao Chenyu said was indeed the truth of the World. Only with strength can one gain choices and equal treatment.
If they didn't have strength, Heart of Fire Academy might have perished at the hands of Shrek long ago, and they wouldn't have been able to stop Dugu Bo.