Whale Rubber

"Oh? What question? Go ahead and ask." Yu Xiaogang was a little surprised when Tang San interrupted him.

Tang San feigned confusion. "Why do I have two Martial Souls? What are the conditions for producing Twin Martial Souls?"

Yu Xiaogang blurted out, "According to my research, Twin Martial Souls require both parents to have powerful Martial Souls of similar quality."

"Then I have a question." Tang San's tone remained innocent. "Teacher, according to your theory, doesn't that mean my Blue Silver Grass should be about as powerful as my Second Martial Soul? Why do you keep saying my Blue Silver Grass is so weak?"

"Uh... well..."

Yu Xiaogang's expression froze. He opened his mouth, but his thoughts ran into a contradiction: If Twin Martial Souls require two powerful Martial Souls of similar quality, then Blue Silver Grass can't be weak. If Blue Silver Grass is weak, then the theory is wrong. If the theory is wrong, then... impossible. My theory can't be wrong.

Yu Xiaogang stood rooted to the spot, as though he had walked into a dead end.

Tang San tilted his head and asked with a look of concern, "Teacher? Are you all right?"

Yu Xiaogang's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was a little dry. "Oh, I'm fine. Wait, give me a moment to collect myself."

With that, Yu Xiaogang turned around, walked briskly to the bookshelf, and began searching through it.

Tang San sat quietly in his chair, snickering to himself.

Not far away, a certain scruffy blacksmith who was eavesdropping with his spiritual power was also taken aback when he heard this. Could it be that Little San's Blue Silver Grass isn't ordinary Blue Silver Grass, but a Blue Silver Emperor like Ah Yin? But it doesn't look like one to me. Could it need a Second Awakening to reveal the Blue Silver Emperor's true form?

Tang Hao thought it over carefully and became convinced. That must be it.

Then Tang Hao seemed to make some sort of decision, and his gaze grew firm.

Yu Xiaogang took a book and flipped through a few pages, but still couldn't think of an answer. He picked up the cup of water on the table and took a sip to ease the awkwardness, only to choke on it. "Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Tang San tilted his head again. "Teacher? Are you all right?"

"Cough... Tang San, that's enough for today. Go on back. I'll spend the next few days thinking carefully about what type of First Soul Ring to add for you."

Yu Xiaogang's voice was a few degrees lower than before, and his gaze wandered. He didn't dare look Tang San in the eye.

Tang San stood up from the chair and nodded obediently. "All right. Goodbye, Teacher."

With that, Tang San turned and strode out of the room. The moment the door closed, he finally couldn't hold it in, and the corners of his mouth curved into an obvious smile.

Tang San left the dormitory building and headed for the academy gates with a spring in his step.

At the gates, the young gatekeeper saw Tang San come out and immediately put on a broad smile, bowing and scraping. "Take care, Lord Soul Master!"

Tang San gave the young man a slight nod without saying much, then turned straight onto the streets of Nuoding City. He scanned both sides of the street, looking for a shop that sold bedding.

After walking a short distance, he passed a small pharmacy. Tang San paused, suddenly remembering something.

He would soon be going to the Soul Hunting Forest.

Although Yu Xiaogang would be coming along, he was a good-for-nothing, and Tang San didn't dare entrust his life entirely to him.

Most of the Soul Beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest were low-level, largely ten- or hundred-year-old Soul Beasts, but who could say for sure?

If his luck turned bad and he ran into a thousand-year-old Soul Beast, or some other emergency arose, he needed something to save his life.

Besides, even a Hundred-Year Soul Beast would probably be more than he could handle.

Wound medicine, antidotes, hemostatic powder... he needed to stock up on some of these common medicines.

He needed to stock up on common medicines, things like wound medicine, antidotes, and hemostatic powder.

Tang San entered the pharmacy. The light inside was rather dim, and the air was filled with the scent of herbs, bitter with a hint of sweetness, mixed with a faint coolness of mint.

A middle-aged man in his forties stood behind the counter, presumably the pharmacy owner.

"Young customer, are you buying medicine or seeking treatment?" The owner looked up, and seeing that he was a child, spoke politely.

"Sir, I'd like to buy some wound medicine and antidotes." Tang San walked up to the counter.

The owner smiled. "All right, I'll get them for you."

The owner turned and went into the back room, while Tang San looked around the shop by himself, his gaze wandering casually over the shelves.

Suddenly, Tang San's gaze stopped.

In a corner of the shelf sat an inconspicuous wooden box. It was open, and inside lay a fist-sized lump of black, gelatinous material. A label beside the box read, "Whale Rubber, hundred-year."

Tang San's pupils contracted slightly.

Whale Rubber!

Of course Tang San knew what it was: a treasure that could greatly improve a Soul Master's physique, strengthen their muscles and bones, and increase the age of the Soul Rings they could absorb.

However, in this era, almost no one knew the true use of Whale Rubber. People only treated it as a drug for enhancing pleasure in bed.

Tang San forcibly suppressed his excitement, letting nothing unusual show on his face.

Pretending to be casual, Tang San picked up the Whale Rubber, weighed it in his hand, and brought it close for a sniff. It had a faint fishy smell, but it wasn't unpleasant.

"Sir, how much is this?" Tang San asked casually.

The owner came out of the back room carrying several paper packets. Seeing Tang San point at the Whale Rubber, he paused, then smiled. "Little friend, are you buying it for an adult in your family?"

An idea sprang to Tang San's mind. He put on an obedient expression. "Yes, it's a gift for my dad. He's getting old, and I heard this stuff works pretty well. If you give me a lower price, I'll buy it."

Tang San spoke perfectly naturally, with a hint of the anticipation unique to children who "hoped to be praised" in his eyes.

The owner burst out laughing and slapped the counter. "What a filial child! I've had this here for a long time. There aren't many rich people in Nuoding City, and few can afford it, so it's never sold. I'll let you have it at cost: twenty Gold Soul Coins. This piece of Whale Rubber is over nine hundred years old. I'm definitely not overcharging you."

Tang San quickly calculated in his head. Whale Rubber over nine hundred years old was quite good in quality.

"All right, I'll take it." Tang San didn't haggle. He promptly pulled his money pouch from his robes, counted out twenty Gold Soul Coins, and lined them up on the counter.

The owner's eyes lit up. He hurriedly put the Gold Soul Coins in a drawer, then carefully wrapped the Whale Rubber in oilpaper and tucked it into a wooden box for Tang San.

Tang San took the wooden box and paid for the wound medicine and antidotes as well. They came to only two Gold Soul Coins.

The medicines and Whale Rubber together cost a total of twenty-two Gold Soul Coins.

After leaving the pharmacy, Tang San felt his money pouch. He had originally had forty Gold Soul Coins, but now only eighteen remained.

He had spent more than half of it in one go, and the loss pained him a little. He silently calculated: I need to find a way to make money soon. I can't just sit and eat until the mountain runs bare. Cultivation will need plenty of resources in the future, and these dozen or so Gold Soul Coins won't last long.