Spirit Beast Companion

Chapter 3 — Learning

The first light of dawn filtered through the cracks in the old wooden walls, waking Mulan from her slumber as it did every day. She rose from her thin straw mattress as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb Grandfather and Grandmother, who were still asleep amidst intermittent sounds of hacking coughs.

Her morning routine began quickly and skillfully. She started a fire in the stove, warmed up the leftovers from the previous night, and brewed a new pot of medicine to be ready for breakfast. Once everything was prepared, she gently woke both elders to wash their faces, eat, and take their medicine.

"Going to study again today, dear?" Grandmother asked, stroking her head gently while she was being fed porridge.

Yes, Grandmother. Today Master Chen is going to tell us about the history of the Four Kingdoms. It sounds like so much fun, doesn't it?

"That's good... Study hard, my grandchild," Grandfather added with a warm voice. "Knowledge will stay with you forever."

After tending to both of them until they were full and had taken their medicine, Mulan quickly grabbed an old textbook and a brush with many frayed bristles. She then ran out of the house toward her usual destination every morning... the Rural Schoolhouse.

It was not a grand school by any means; just an old wooden pavilion at the edge of the village that had once been abandoned. The villagers had helped sweep and make minor repairs, just enough to use it as a place of learning for children whose families lacked the money to send them to fine academies in the city. This place existed through the kindness of one person alone... "Master Chen," an elderly scholar who had retired to live his final years in his hometown and volunteered to teach the children without compensation.

When Mulan arrived, the atmosphere in the pavilion was just like any other day... chaotic.

About a dozen children were running around playing tag. Some gathered in a corner to play marbles, while others secretly ate snacks and chatted loudly. Not a single soul paid any attention to the textbooks resting on their shabby wooden desks.

At the very front of the classroom, an old scholar with snow-white hair in a faded cotton robe stood still, watching the chaotic scene with a calm gaze. Master Chen... in his seventies, his back had begun to hunch slightly and his face was lined with the marks of time, yet his eyes always shone with wisdom and kindness.

Many might think he would feel discouraged or hopeless having to teach these uncooperative children, but that was not the case... The reason he remained patient and stood there every day was not because of those children, but because his "only hope" was currently running breathlessly into the pavilion.

"Master! I am here! I apologize for being late!" Mulan placed her textbook on the front-row desk before bowing deeply to her teacher.

A smile appeared on Master Chen's wrinkled face for the first time that day. "It is no matter, Mulan. You were busy tending to Grandfather and Grandmother, weren't you? Sit down."

"Yes, Master," she replied and quickly sat down properly, opening her textbook and beginning to grind ink with focus.

Master Chen cleared his throat loudly. "Alright! Everyone, take your seats! Today we shall continue our lesson about our land!"

His voice was nearly drowned out by the chaos of the other children. Only a few reluctantly returned to their desks, yet they paid no attention to the lesson regardless.

However, Master Chen no longer paid any mind to the surrounding noise. His gaze was fixed on the lone student sitting before him. Her eyes, looking back at him, were innocent and filled with a thirst for knowledge. It was a look that miraculously fulfilled his soul as a teacher.

"As I have told you before... our land, also known as the 'Wildwood Dragon Realm,' is divided into four great kingdoms according to the four directions... Mulan, do you remember which kingdoms they are?"

As if the two of them were in another world where only teacher and student existed, Mulan stood up and answered clearly, "I remember! There is the Eastern Forest Kingdom which is our home, the Northern Fortress Kingdom to the north, the Western Mountain Kingdom to the west, and the Southern Ocean Kingdom to the south!"

"Very good! Very good!" Master Chen nodded with satisfaction. "Each kingdom has its own unique geography and culture. But do you know what it is that links these four kingdoms together?"

The master asked the question knowing full well that no child could answer, and indeed, that was the case. The noisy chatter continued as before. Only Mulan appeared to be thinking seriously. She shook her head slightly. "I do not know, Master."

The old scholar smiled affectionately before using his wrinkled finger to draw a simple map on the old blackboard. "At the center, where the borders of all Four Kingdoms converge, there is a place grander and older than any history... It is a giant stone pillar that stands majestic, piercing the sky..."

Master Chen's words caused the chatter of the other children to quiet down slightly with interest, but it was only for a moment before everything returned to its previous chaos.

But for Mulan, every word from the master was etched into her mind. She imagined the scene—a stone pillar piercing the sky—just how grand could it be?

"Legends passed down since ancient times say that the pillar is the origin of all things... and it is what makes our world different from any other. People all call it by the same name: the 'Pillar of Heavenly Spirits.'"

When that name was uttered, Mulan felt as if a small current of electricity surged through her body. 'Pillar of Heavenly Spirits...' It was a name that sounded indescribably grand and mysterious. The curiosity she brimmed with was intensely sparked. She no longer cared how loudly her friends were shouting or playing; in her head now, only the words "Pillar of Heavenly Spirits" kept swirling around.

She slowly raised her hand, waiting until Master Chen nodded in permission.

The young girl stood up to her full height. Her large eyes gazed at the old scholar with the most serious and inquisitive look she had ever shown, before asking the question that was on her mind in a clear, loud voice.

"What is the Pillar of Heavenly Spirits, Master?"

Silence miraculously enveloped the old wooden pavilion for the first time that day. Mulan's direct and inquisitive question drew the attention of the other children, causing them to stop playing and look toward her in unison. They had heard the name "Pillar of Heavenly Spirits" before from the stories of elders, but it was just a name that passed through their ears; no one had ever thought to question it so seriously before.

Master Chen did not answer immediately. His wise eyes gazed at Mulan gently. Upon his wrinkled face appeared a smile of utmost warmth and pride. It was the smile of a teacher who had finally met the student he had been waiting for his entire life.

"That is a very good question... Mulan," the old scholar finally spoke. His voice was not loud, yet it resonated throughout the silent pavilion. "A very good question for today's lesson."

He slowly walked over to stop in front of Mulan's desk before turning toward the other children, who were listening with an unprecedented level of attention.

"All of you... listen well," Master Chen said. "What I am about to tell you is the foundation of the world we live in. It is a history older than any kingdom, and it is what makes us different from humans in other lands."