Chapter 8: Tang San, the Gullible

"Blue Silver Grass, innate full soul power? Is this some kind of joke?"

Blue Silver Grass is widely recognized as a trash martial soul—no offensive power, no defensive capabilities, no supportive utility, and even possessing soul power is an arduous task, let alone having innate full soul power.

However, the certification from the Spirit Hall did not look fake. Forging a Spirit Hall document is a capital crime; surely no one would be foolish enough to attempt such a thing.

Although the guard found the idea of Blue Silver Grass having innate full soul power highly improbable, he returned the document to Old Jack and let Tang San pass. After all, looking at the patches all over Tang San’s clothes, the boy didn't look like he had any money; even if he tried to extort him, he wouldn't get more than a few copper soul coins.

Furthermore, if Tang San truly possessed innate full soul power, he would only need to attach a soul ring to become a Spirit Master. Once he became a Spirit Master, even with a Blue Silver Grass soul, he would not be someone the guard could afford to provoke. It simply wasn't worth offending him over a few copper coins. If the Spirit Hall document happened to be a forgery, the boy would inevitably be expelled later, and it wouldn't be too late to deal with him then. After his run-in with Mo Hui, the young guard had matured significantly.

Tang San let out a sigh of relief. Seeing the guard's expression earlier, he had feared the man might cause trouble for them. He hadn't expected it to be just a routine check; Nuoding Academy was indeed impressive, even the quality of its guards was so high.

Upon entering the academy, Tang San was about to find someone to ask for directions when a somewhat hoarse voice called out to him.

"Little one, wait!"

Tang San turned and saw a middle-aged man of medium build, plain appearance, and a slightly gaunt frame, who had appeared behind them at some point.

Yu Xiaogang stood with his hands behind his back, his sleepy eyes blinking in a way that made him appear both decadent and lethargic. Yet, in Tang San's eyes, Yu Xiaogang radiated a unique aura that immediately earned him a great deal of favor. For some reason, as Tang San looked into Yu Xiaogang's confident gaze, he felt as though his very essence was being laid bare before this man.

"Sir, is something the matter?" Tang San asked, curious.

"Sir? Heh, I am not a teacher. You may call me Grandmaster; that is what everyone else calls me." Yu Xiaogang said, gilding his own lily.

"Oh, then Grandmaster, is there anything I can help you with?" Tang San continued.

Yu Xiaogang did not answer directly, but instead asked, "I heard the guard say that your martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, and that you have innate full soul power?"

"Yes, that is correct." Tang San had no intention of hiding it. The Spirit Hall had helped him awaken his martial soul; the information was easily verifiable. His true secret was the Clear Sky Hammer in his left hand—the fact that he was a twin martial soul bearer.

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang smiled confidently, leaned close to Tang San's ear, and lowered his voice: "You must have a second martial soul, don't you?"

At these words, Tang San's pupils constricted, and his left wrist moved subtly. He did not immediately deploy the hidden weapons concealed on his wrist; firstly, this was not a suitable place for killing, and secondly, he was waiting to hear what Yu Xiaogang would say next.

Completely unaware that he had just walked past the gates of death, Yu Xiaogang saw Tang San's expression and assumed the boy was stunned by his brilliance. He pressed his advantage and began to weave his web of persuasion. After all, a genius with innate full soul power was hard to find, let alone one who was potentially a rare twin martial soul user. If he missed out on this child, his own theories might never gain public recognition in his lifetime.

***

Meanwhile, having finished another book, Mo Hui walked out of the library, heading toward the small hill to cultivate. Although a Spirit Master's level would not increase past ten without obtaining a soul ring, it did not mean the cultivated soul power vanished; it would manifest once a soul ring was absorbed. Thus, continued cultivation was never in vain.

However, as Mo Hui approached the gate, he saw a child in patched clothes drop to his knees before Yu Xiaogang. This sudden scene naturally caught Mo Hui's attention.

"Could this child be Tang San?" Mo Hui mused. It was the time for new students to report, and given Yu Xiaogang's arrogant nature, he would never pay attention to an ordinary child. This confirmed the boy’s identity: he was the protagonist of the *Soul Land* novel, Tang San.

Mo Hui touched his chin. He vaguely remembered that when Tang San first arrived at the academy, he was swayed by Yu Xiaogang's rhetoric, leading to him kneeling and taking him as a master. It seemed the plot had not changed; his own "butterfly effect" was not strong enough after all.

Tang San kowtowed three times respectfully to Yu Xiaogang and said, "Teacher, please accept me as your disciple!"

After Yu Xiaogang's persuasion, Tang San was completely won over. In his heart, Yu Xiaogang was now like an omniscient sage; if he could cultivate under his guidance, his future would be limitless.

Seeing Tang San kneel, Yu Xiaogang was momentarily stunned, but then felt a surge of joy. He wore a satisfied smile as he leaned over to pull Tang San up. "Silly boy, why kowtow to take me as a master? Don't you know that is a ritual reserved only for monarchs and parents? A bow is sufficient."

However, the teachings from his twenty-nine years in his previous life were deeply ingrained in Tang San's heart. He refused to stand, stating solemnly, "Once a teacher, always a father. You deserve my kowtow."

"Once a teacher, always a father... Good, good. It seems I have made the right choice." Yu Xiaogang was moved. Such a loyal and righteous child was rare. Surely, he would be the one to prove to the world that his theories were correct.

Just then, Mo Hui walked past, casting a brief glance at them before heading toward the hill. If this were the protagonist of another novel, he might have mocked Yu Xiaogang, but Mo Hui would not engage in such meaningless acts. To Tang San, Yu Xiaogang was currently like a god; any disparaging remark would likely be seen as a death warrant. Mo Hui had no desire to offend Tang San without reason; as a protagonist with destiny on his side, he was far too much trouble.

Tang San, due to his experiences in the Tang Sect in his previous life, was starved for affection; a little warmth was enough to make him loyal. His father, Tang Hao, had treated him so poorly that an ordinary child might not have even survived, yet Tang San had no complaints, even taking on the care of Tang Hao simply because he was his father.

"Teacher, who is that?" Tang San asked, noticing the unpleasant look on Yu Xiaogang’s face.

"Hmph! Pay him no mind, he is an inconsequential person. In the future, you and he will not be on the same level," Yu Xiaogang sneered.

Yu Xiaogang had originally looked down on Mo Hui, but after Mo Hui demonstrated his talent, he had felt that Mo Hui wasn't so bad after all. He had even tried to take Mo Hui as a disciple, only to be rejected. This had been a great humiliation for him—the world's greatest expert on martial soul theory offering to mentor a child with only innate level three soul power, only to be spurned!

But as Mo Hui's talent became more apparent, Yu Xiaogang had considered it again. After all, they both possessed external beast-type martial souls; what if, just what if, it worked? But that thought vanished entirely once he took Tang San as a disciple. With a twin martial soul genius with innate full soul power, why would he ever need a scrub like Mo Hui with only innate level three soul power?

"Oh," Tang San replied, nodding thoughtfully.