Wulin, Even the Pope Would Like You

"I remember."

"I came from that direction."

A thoughtful look on his face, Tang Wulin gazed toward a spot in the forest. As he thought, he used the Teleportation Divine Skill again and again with no one around to see him.

The move did not consume much, and although he could only travel a hundred meters at a time, he reached the forest exit in less than a few minutes.

[Congratulations, host, on killing a Four-Hundred-Year Mandala Snake]

[Special achievement completed: Intercepting Opportunities]

[Special Achievement: Intercepting Opportunities grants different rewards according to the item intercepted. Current reward: one level of Soul Master cultivation]

[Achievement completed: hunting a Hundred-Year Soul Beast. Reward: one hundred years. Current First Soul Ring age: 2,322 years]

It was worth mentioning that, on his way out of the forest, although he had not bullied many Soul Beasts, he had stumbled upon a Mandala Snake over four hundred years old. To his surprise, it was the very one that became Tang San's First Soul Ring.

"Level 15."

"I didn't expect to get a reward for intercepting Tang San's opportunity, too."

As Tang Wulin walked out, he could not help feeling a little curious. Speaking of which, he and Xiao Wu had a fairly good relationship. Didn't that count as intercepting an opportunity?

[Reporting to host: the specific conditions for intercepting the opportunity involving Xiao Wu are determined to be the first time sharing a bed and pillow, the first time bringing her home, the first time going to a hotel...]

"..."

Tang Wulin fell silent for a moment, then chuckled.

It seemed this reward was not quite suited to him after all. Then, if he were together with Xiao Wu, how big a reward would he get...

As Tang Wulin pondered this, a voice suddenly rang out from the bushes on the other side.

"This Soul Ring really is a little too young. You can't absorb it, really. If your First Soul Ring is too young, it has far too great an effect on a Soul Master's growth."

Tang Wulin felt the voice was familiar, and when he went closer, he remarked to himself that it was just as he had thought.

It was a man with a somewhat swollen face, though even that could not conceal the heroic air about his features. Two Hundred-Year Soul Rings circled him.

It was none other than Su Yuntao, a deacon of Spirit Hall.

"Hmm..."

"Brother Tao also helps other people hunt for Soul Rings?"

Tang Wulin could not help feeling a little puzzled. The three men accompanying a youth were a typical Soul Master party hunting for Soul Rings.

What he had not expected was that the youth was Xiao Chenyu of Nuoding Academy, the one who had confronted the work-study students in the original story.

So Nuoding City really was this small.

"Deacon Su, we've always supported Chenyu's decisions. Besides, this one is pretty good."

"That's right. My First Soul Ring was also a Ten-Year Soul Ring, and I still became a Soul Grandmaster, didn't I? Besides, this is a ninety-five-year Soul Ring. It's already at the hundred-year level."

The two men seemed to be Xiao Chenyu's relatives. They chattered on, but Su Yuntao never responded.

"Young Master Xiao Chenyu, a Ten-Year Soul Ring really isn't..."

Su Yuntao was still trying to dissuade him.

"Deacon Su, why won't you let me absorb this Soul Ring? We've been walking for three days and nights, and I can barely keep going, Grandmaster Su. Why don't we just take this one?"

"Look, even my uncle says a ninety-five-year Soul Ring is pretty good! My uncle wouldn't harm me, would he?"

At that moment, Xiao Chenyu spoke, deeply unconvinced.

"..."

"Fine, then carry on."

"I won't take the payment for this. I'll give your father a truthful account of what happened later."

Su Yuntao gritted his teeth in frustration at their refusal to better themselves. With that, he headed out, furious beyond words.

He had been looking out for the child, only to get an earful for it. If he had not known the city lord, Xiao Langtian, he would not have said another word!

The only pity was that he had no company for the trip back.

"Brother Tao, you're here too."

"Hm?"

"Little Brother Wulin, you're here too!"

Just then, Su Yuntao suddenly heard a familiar voice. He turned, and his eyes lit up.

"Mm... I was left behind while hunting Soul Beasts. If you're heading back, would you mind giving me a ride?"

Tang Wulin looked at him and smiled.

"Hm?"

"Not at all! I was just thinking I had no one to travel with!"

Su Yuntao smiled and shook his head. Having this little genius accompany him would actually be quite a nice experience.

"Wait."

"You said you were left behind?"

Su Yuntao's gaze froze as he suddenly realized something. He frowned.

"..."

"You went with Grandmaster to hunt Soul Beasts, and just because you didn't become his disciple, he left you in there and ran off?"

"Honestly, Wulin, you've had it far too rough."

Not long afterward, once the two had boarded a carriage, Su Yuntao heard his account of what had happened. He could not help sighing and drained the cup of water in his hand.

Was that Yu Xiaogang even fucking human?

"If you hadn't happened upon a dying Soul Beast and then met me nearby after successfully absorbing it, it would have been very hard for you to get out of the Soul Beast Forest alive this time."

His gaze hardened. At the thought of the genius he had been so delighted to meet being treated this way, he wanted to tear that man limb from limb!

"I didn't expect Grandmaster to be like this either. And he calls himself a grandmaster! Wulin, I only knew he was unreliable, but I never thought that damned Yu Xiaogang could be so inhuman."

"Just because you refused to become his disciple, he left you in the Soul Beast Forest to be fed to the wolves? I have to report this to Her Holiness the Pope and have his Elder Token revoked!"

"I'll put it plainly: with your talent, even elders who are Titled Douluo would fight to take you in. Even Her Holiness the Pope would like you. Who does Yu Xiaogang think he is?"

Su Yuntao spoke with extreme anger. He was certainly no saint, but even he could not accept what Yu Xiaogang had done.

"Yu Xiaogang's talent isn't even as good as mine. If I push myself, I might still reach the Soul Ancestor Realm, unlike someone..."

Su Yuntao went on and on, unable to stop himself, while Tang Wulin sat patiently beside him, being an excellent listener.

"By the way, Wulin, your First Soul Ring might not be very old, since it came from a Soul Beast that died in the forest. But don't worry, your talent is exceptionally strong."

"Your First Soul Ring alone can't determine much. If you're willing, I can take you to Spirit Hall. A powerful expert will surely be willing to take you as a disciple."

Su Yuntao patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him.

"Mm, I'll think about it."

"But Brother Tao, there's something I've been meaning to ask."

"Your face that day..."

After Su Yuntao finished speaking, Tang Wulin nodded, then hesitated. Although Tang Hao had quite a temper, there was surely a reason he had beaten Su Yuntao that day.

"Oh, that. Actually, I don't understand it either. I didn't expect his father to react that way..."

Su Yuntao sighed. Although he had no difficulty bringing it up, his face showed more anger and frustration than anything else.

"I wanted to invite you to join Spirit Hall, didn't I? At the time, I thought you two knew each other and could keep each other company, but his father never welcomed me into the house."

"Afterward, I really couldn't stand it anymore, so I followed Tang San into the house. His father was still lying drunk in bed like some old lush, refusing to listen to reason..."

"Then I said I'd never seen such an irresponsible father. Where was the child's mother? Let me talk to her."

Su Yuntao's eyes gleamed as he recalled the incident.

"..."

Tang Wulin silently fell into thought. He thought he now knew exactly how Brother Tao felt.

"I said that since she had such an outstanding child, Tang San's mother must be a well-educated and reasonable person, and she must have her own thoughts about joining Spirit Hall. Then he slapped me twice and told me to get out."

"I asked him how he could hit someone, and he hit me again. After I used my Martial Soul, I got slapped several more times instead. I saw there was no reasoning with him, so I could only run."

"Wulin, tell me, isn't that guy absurd?"

Su Yuntao's face was full of anger. He had seen it now: Tang San's father was an unreasonable brute. He might be a Soul Master, but he was only fit to be a blacksmith for the rest of his life!

He would never invite that brat again!

"Mm!"

Tang Wulin took a deep breath. Sure enough, Brother Tao really was Brother Tao. He was truly brave!

"..."

Unlike Yu Xiaogang's carriage, Su Yuntao's was one he had simply hired at the market. It was far, far slower than Yu Xiaogang's.

Tang Wulin naturally did not waste the time that followed, continuing to cultivate cross-legged. Watching him work so hard, Su Yuntao approved of him all the more.

"You'll definitely break through to level 12 soon."

"Thank you, Brother Tao."

"Hehe, you're welcome."

"..."

"Brother Tao, I want to..."

It was not until the afternoon of the third day that the carriage stopped in Nuoding City. Tang Wulin was just about to say something.

"Wulin, well, your Brother Tao has something to do, so I won't see you back to Nuoding Academy. Come find me anytime you need anything. You can always count on me, Su Yuntao."

Su Yuntao seemed to have something else to do. After saying goodbye to Tang Wulin, he headed for the Martial Soul Sub-Hall without a moment's hesitation.

"I..."

"I wanted to say I want to join Spirit Hall."

Tang Wulin fell silent. He had thought it through: rather than going to Spirit City alone, having a young man, especially a Spirit Hall deacon, lead the way would be much better than going by himself.

But Su Yuntao really did seem to be in a hurry and had run off quickly. And in full view of the public, Tang Wulin could hardly teleport, could he?

He sighed, then continued on helplessly. In the end, he headed toward the Martial Soul Sub-Hall and, after coming across a deacon, told him he was looking for Su Yuntao.

By this time, Su Yuntao had already rushed eagerly to the Deacon's Office, his eyes shining.

"Senior Ma Xiunuo, where's Sisi?"

He looked at an elderly man expectantly.

The man was the oldest deacon in the entire Nuoding Sub-Hall, already seventy-eight years of age. He was also someone who had truly spent his entire life at the Soul Grandmaster realm, but his kindness had earned him the respect of the Soul Masters in the city.

"Sisi? She finished work and went home."

"And Yuntao, a melon forced off the vine won't be sweet. Sisi dreams of going to Spirit City. Given your talent, forgive this old man for speaking frankly, but that's far too difficult..."

Ma Xiunuo glanced at him and spoke earnestly. Yuntao was still too simple and honest a child. Sisi's vanity was truly not something he could satisfy.

"..."

"No way..."

Su Yuntao sat down in his seat, looking utterly lost. At that moment, he looked more like a defeated man.

"Deacon Su Yuntao, someone's looking for you."

Just then, a colleague came up to Su Yuntao in the deacons' workroom and spoke.

"Looking for me? Who?"

A puzzled look on his face, Su Yuntao asked without thinking.

"A child who looks about six. Quite good-looking, too. I heard he's a child whose Martial Soul you awakened. His name seems to be..."

"Tang Wulin."