With groggy eyes, Junior Edina woke up. Her arms and body felt sore, indicating that Senior Edina must have taken over her body and pushed it to its absolute limit yesterday. She looked over at the table and found a letter from Senior Edina. The first sentence confirmed Junior Edina to the theory: Senior Edina was indeed taking over her body only on Tuesdays.

Junior Edina read about what Senior Edina did yesterday with a bitter smile. It had been a while since she last saw Brother Shun, and the one chance she had to meet him, Senior Edina had taken over. Shaking her head, Junior Edina continued reading the next part of the letter.

I know you are afraid, but don’t worry. I have planned an escape route if anything goes wrong! Just recite the lines at the banquet next week. I will tell you the details of the escape route then. For now, focus on the lines so we won’t have to worry about that.

This gave Junior Edina the reassurance she desperately needed. She had considered ditching Senior Edina’s plan and had only half-heartedly memorized the lines, believing that if things went wrong, she’d end up in the dark room. Now that someone with memories of the future was telling her there was an escape route, she felt a bit calmer. What Junior Edina didn’t know was that Senior Edina wrote that paragraph precisely for this effect. Knowing herself best, it was a no-brainer to make her younger self feel more confident. A young girl who would rather take help from a fairy tale than ask adults for help—that's who she was, and that’s what would make Junior Edina follow her plan.

The next few pages contained the lines to say at the banquet next week, written in the Han language. Junior Edina took the pages and hid them under her bed, knowing Xiao Min wouldn’t bother to clean there, if she ever did at all.

She quickly got ready for her class and started walking toward the Mu Mansion. She finally reached her class slowly and took a seat. Jin and Wei were already present, as was the teacher, an administrative staff member from the Blazing Sun Mansion.

The teacher began, “Today we will be learning basic geography and history. This is mostly common knowledge and information you already know. I am just revising it to make sure everyone understands before we move on to the next subjects this year.”

Everyone nodded. Although Wei was not interested, he had to listen if he wanted to receive advanced martial arts training. It was mandatory to complete basic education to learn advanced martial arts in the sect.

The teacher continued, “Let’s discuss our continent first. As you know, it’s called the Eastern Continent by the other continents, and as such, it has become our official name.” He drew a rough map of the Eastern Continent and asked, “So, how many nations occupy the continent?”

Immediately, Wei raised his hand with a mocking smile towards Edina. Junior Edina, ever the afraid young lady, kept her head down and didn’t respond. She knew that if she said something, Wei might tie her to a tree later. Of course, Junior Edina didn’t know that Aunt Li Mei had forbidden them from bullying her for the time being.

“Yes, Young Master Wei?” the teacher acknowledged.

Wei replied, “Two nations: the Demonic Sect's Blood Valley City in the Northern Mountains and the Central Plains.”

The teacher nodded. “And what about the barbarian tribes in the southern grasslands?”

Wei scoffed, “They are barely a society. Calling them a nation would be disrespectful to the Central Plains.”

In a calm voice, the teacher responded, “It might seem that way, but by international law between the Eastern and Western continents, it qualifies as a nation. Not acknowledging it as such would be disrespectful to our great imperial emperor.”

Wei’s face turned red as he sat down with a huff. The teacher continued, “We know that the Demonic Sect’s Blood Valley exists, but only a few merchants and aristocratic families know its exact location, and they are sworn to secrecy. Even though we of the righteous sects oppose the teachings of demonic martial arts, we cannot find it.”

Wei interjected again, “They should be declared traitors to the Central Plains, and we should wipe out those demonic people! Why does our great empire allow business with them?!”

The teacher, still calm, replied, “Young Master Wei, they are only enemies of the martial world, not the common people. Why should the imperial palace declare a war and make the common populace suffer? Our enmity stems from the philosophy of martial arts, but that does not affect the common man.”

Wei rebuked, “We, the people of the martial world, keep peace and order in the Central Plains. We have the power and control. Why shouldn’t our enemies be their enemies too?”

The teacher, rather than answering directly, posed a question, “Young Master Wei, who do you think leads the people? And why do you believe that only martial power is power?”

Wei replied, “The imperial family leads the people of our great nation. They do so because they have some of the greatest warriors under their control. So, why isn’t martial power the true power?”

Before the teacher could respond, Jin, fed up with her brother’s ignorance, interjected, “Are you stupid or what? Why would a strong warrior willingly submit to someone who isn't as powerful? Think about it. Now tell me, why is martial power truly the power to lead?”

Wei was dumbfounded. It was a simple enough question, but he had no answer. He had always ordered others around but never understood why those weaker than him listened to his orders so easily.

The teacher then replied, “It’s rules and promises that make us humans different from beasts. That’s what truly leads the world.”

Jin then posed a question, “What about beasts that have rules, like wolves that hunt in packs? They have a hierarchy just like us humans. And what about tigers? They have territorial authority and an unspoken promise not to invade other tigers' territories.”

The teacher, with a smile, replied, “That’s an interesting question. Humanity is not so different from them in that regard. However, the reason we differentiate ourselves is because we have a more complex and fair system of rules and promises in place.”

Jin, still confused, asked, “I don’t understand.”

The teacher continued, “The understanding of life is the true power and authority to lead, young mistress Jin. That’s why we are different from beasts. Our rules and promises are imbued with a deeper understanding of life and its intricacies. This is why the imperial family leads our nation—they possess a greater understanding of the lives and needs of our people.”

Wei, still unconvinced, asked, “But why does understanding life make someone a better leader than martial strength?”

The teacher explained, “Because leadership is not just about power; it’s about empathy, wisdom, and the ability to see beyond oneself. A strong leader must understand the needs, fears, and hopes of the people. They must be able to make decisions that benefit the many, not just the few. Martial strength can enforce order, but true leadership creates harmony and prosperity.”

Jin nodded thoughtfully, while Wei, still processing, seemed less sure but more contemplative.

The teacher concluded, “In essence, it’s our ability to empathize, to make fair and just decisions, and to understand the complexities of human life that sets us apart from beasts and makes us true leaders. The imperial family embodies these qualities, which is why they are entrusted with the leadership of our great nation.” He continued “let’s continue with our geography lesson, let’s talk about western continent now”

He drew a rough map of the Western Continent on the board. “The Western Continent is more than five times larger than the Eastern Continent and consists of 24 nations. Four of these are classified as empires, with the Leon Empire being the largest in both landmass and population, making up half of the continent. The Leon Empire is known for its military power and historical status. It is said that if you include their Royal Mage Army, no nation in the world is more powerful than the Leon Empire.”

As the teacher spoke, Wei interjected with a sneer, “The Leon Empire might be big, but they’re just a bunch of braggarts. They can’t be as great as our Central Plains.”