Rejected by Yu Xiaogang

"An inn isn't somewhere poor people like us can afford to stay." Old Jack shook his head with a bitter smile. "Xiao San, you must work hard. The next time Grandfather sees you, I hope you'll already be a Spirit Master. By then, you'll be able to collect a monthly subsidy from Spirit Hall. Once you have money, you and your father won't have to live as frugally as before."

After saying that, he looked at Lin Manshan again. "Xiao Wu, you need to work hard too."

"I know, Grandfather." Lin Manshan hurriedly nodded.

Nuoding City Primary Soul Master Academy was located in the west of Nuoding City. Old Jack only knew the general direction, and after asking passersby several times, the three finally arrived at the academy's main gate.

From afar, a massive stone archway twenty meters wide and over ten meters tall stood majestically before them. Beneath it were two iron gates forged from refined iron, dark and gleaming, radiating authority.

Looking through the gaps in the iron gates, they saw broad roads winding into secluded depths, lush trees on either side, and, when they looked up, the faint outlines of several exquisite rooftops.

Four large gilded characters were carved into the stone at the center of the archway: "Nuoding Academy."

"What are you doing here? Is this a place country bumpkins like you can come?" Before the three could even approach, a young man in a uniform standing by the gate shouted at them with a look of disdain.

Old Jack hurried forward with an ingratiating smile, pulling out the Spirit Hall certificates he had prepared as he walked. "Little brother, we're from Sacred Soul Village. These two children are the work-study students our village sent this year. Could you tell us what procedures they need to complete to enter the academy?"

"Two?" The young man immediately frowned, then burst into a mocking laugh. "Can a nest of grass produce golden phoenixes? And two of them at that? The academy hasn't had a work-study student in years. You aren't impostors, are you?"

Lin Manshan and Tang San both frowned slightly. A flash of anger passed through Old Jack's eyes, but he still held it back.

"Little brother, how could a certificate personally issued by Spirit Hall Deacon Su Yuntao be fake?" Still smiling placatingly, he handed over the certificates.

At the mention of Spirit Hall Deacon Su Yuntao, the young man's expression visibly shifted. He casually took the certificates and looked at the top one, only for his face to immediately turn angry. "Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, Innate Full Soul Power! What an absolute joke! Old man, even if you're making something up, you can't make it up like this!"

"I've been a gatekeeper at this academy for four years, and I've never heard of a student with Innate Full Soul Power."

"Besides, Blue Silver Grass is universally recognized across the continent as a trash Martial Soul. How could it possibly awaken with Innate Full Soul Power?"

"Forging a Spirit Hall Identity Certificate is a serious crime, old man. Looks like you don't want to live anymore."

"You—" No matter how good Old Jack's temper was, he could no longer keep his face straight. He immediately snapped, "Y-you're deliberately making things difficult for us. You brat, just wait. I'll go to Spirit Hall right now and bring Deacon Su Yuntao here to confront you face-to-face. Deacon Su Yuntao personally said he wanted to invite my Xiao Wu to join Spirit Hall, but I refused because Xiao Wu was still too young. I'll go ask him to come. He'll definitely be willing to help. Xiao San, Xiao Wu, let's go." With that, he turned and headed toward the city.

The young man froze. Subconsciously lifting the top certificate, he looked at the second one. Lin Manshan, Firewood Chopper Martial Soul, Innate Spirit Power Level 3.

Compared with Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power, Lin Manshan's Martial Soul was obviously far more normal.

Could this actually be real?

The young man immediately began to panic.

Naturally, no one dared forge an Identity Certificate issued by Spirit Hall. It was just that Tang San's Martial Soul information was far too exaggerated, making him suspect that the old country man before him was taking a desperate risk because he didn't know any better.

Of course, he didn't actually need to concern himself with any of that. The academy's Mentors would verify the information again once the children were sent inside. The reason he had shouted at them in the first place was to scare them a little and take the opportunity to squeeze out some benefits.

In the past, parents who brought new students over would always offer something, especially Commoner families.

But this old man was so stupidly rigid. Damn it, he didn't play by the rules at all—he handed over the certificates but not the money.

Otherwise, he would not even have glanced at the information on that first certificate, and none of what followed would have happened. Two children with Soul Power—if they really...

Wouldn't that mean he had personally driven them to Spirit Hall? If the Dean found out, would he have any good days ahead?

At that thought, he shuddered and immediately stepped forward, raising a hand as if to call out.

"Old sir, please wait." A somewhat hoarse call suddenly came from nearby.

"I'm done for!" The young man turned and clearly saw who was coming, his heart instantly going numb. This man was the Dean's friend. If he reported what happened today to the Dean, I'm finished. With that thought, he hurried over, bowing and scraping with a fawning expression. "Master, you're back."

As long as Yu Xiaogang could persuade them to enter the academy and didn't report him to the Dean, he would be fine.

Lin Manshan and the other two had also turned around. Walking toward them was a middle-aged man who looked around fifty years old. He was of average height, with one hand behind his back, short hair, an ordinary appearance, and facial features that carried a lazy, dejected air.

So this is Yu Xiaogang? Lin Manshan sized him up. With that face, how did Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong fall for him back then? They hadn't seen each other for decades, yet they still couldn't forget him. Do women all like the melancholy middle-aged type?

When Yu Xiaogang reached the three of them, he gave the young man, who had already come to his side, a faintly indifferent glance and slowly held out his hand. Seeing this, the young man hurriedly bowed and placed the two certificates in Yu Xiaogang's hand. Yu Xiaogang lowered his head and glanced at Tang San's information, his eyes immediately lighting up. But when he lifted the first certificate and looked at the second, his gaze instantly dimmed, even carrying a trace of contempt.

Lin Manshan, who had been watching Yu Xiaogang closely, could clearly see the slight furrow at the corner of his brow and the subtle tightening of his lip muscles. As a seasoned office worker who had once endured the harsh beating of society and understood a little about human nature, he understood it at a glance.

That was an expression of disgust.

Innate Spirit Power Half Level, and he looks down on my Innate Spirit Power Level 3? There are no trash Martial Souls, only Spirit Masters who don't know how to cultivate. He says talent isn't important, but deep down, he only wants to teach gifted students. He's been loafing around at Nuoding Academy for so many years, yet he hasn't taught a single Commoner student or even held a single class. Every day, he keeps talking about proving himself. After all these years, why haven't I seen him train a single Commoner Soul Master into someone accomplished and spread his great reputation across the continent? Why haven't I seen him cultivate his own Luo San Pao Martial Soul to success? He's nearly fifty and still only Level 29!?

Everyone curses hypocrisy, yet everyone is a hypocrite. But your hypocrisy truly stands out from the crowd.

After silently venting, Lin Manshan withdrew his gaze.

"Which one of you is Tang San?"

Yu Xiaogang raised his head with a calm expression.

"That's me." Tang San stepped forward, neither servile nor overbearing.