Roommates, Ah Yin, Ah Yin

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At that moment, Ye Wen asked, "Grandpa, how did you know my Soul Power was more than just Innate Soul Power Level Four?"

Ye Buyi was in an excellent mood. With an expression that clearly said he was about to show off, he slowly explained.

"Xiaowen, you'll learn this knowledge eventually, but I'll tell you today. On Douluo Continent, elements are broadly divided into the seven mainstream elements, along with all sorts of rarer elements.

"Among the seven great elements, there are also the upper three and lower four. The upper three are light, darkness, and space. As long as a Martial Soul possesses one of these three elemental attributes, it is considered a high-grade Martial Soul. The books I read in the past didn't clearly state how much Innate Soul Power such Martial Souls would have, but they did contain one line: their accompanying Innate Soul Power is extremely high. Innate Soul Power Level Four can only be considered ordinary, so your Innate Soul Power should be at least Level Five or above."

When he mentioned Level Five or above, the delight on Ye Buyi's face deepened. Clearly, he held great expectations for Ye Wen's future. He was certain Ye Wen would bring glory to the family. Moreover, as long as a Martial Soul with spatial properties was developed properly, even without offensive power, it would still be highly sought after across the continent.

Though Ye Buyi was happy, Ye Wen became somewhat troubled and said gloomily, "But Grandpa, even if my Innate Soul Power is high, I can't use our family's inherited Meditation Method. My Martial Soul mutated, so its cultivation method must differ from that of your Will Headband. How am I supposed to cultivate now?"

Ye Buyi did not take Ye Wen's concerns to heart and said cheerfully, "It's fine, it's fine. Meditation Methods are all broadly similar. They all involve visualizing one's own Martial Soul, then continuously using condensed Soul Power to temper and transform it in order to advance.

"Our family's inherited Meditation Method is ultimately just a summary of the insights and techniques accumulated by our ancestors. So even if your Martial Soul has mutated, it won't have much of an impact. The most crucial part is the record of the Soul Power channels within the body. Our ancestors pieced those together bit by bit through blood and tears. I've heard that the great powers possess more complete diagrams for opening Soul Power meridians within the body, but they never make them available to commoners like us. Sigh."

After that, Ye Buyi personally taught Ye Wen how to meditate. Ye Wen also saw the various records regarding Soul Power channels within the Meditation Method and was startled.

"Though it looks incomplete, its main framework resembles the beginnings of the meridian theory in traditional Chinese medicine."

As he learned more, Ye Wen came to understand that Soul Power channels were essentially meridians. These meridians determined the total amount of Soul Power within a Soul Master's body, while the Martial Soul itself determined the Soul Master's cultivation path and lower limit of strength.

Under Ye Buyi's guidance, Ye Wen also learned how to conceal his Spirit Mark. Though Ye Buyi could hardly be called powerful, his years of experience made Ye Wen understand that battles between Soul Masters were fundamentally battles of information. Once one thoroughly understood an opponent's information, one could exploit their weaknesses. Therefore, he could not casually expose his own information. To those with extensive knowledge, it was easy to infer a Soul Master's weaknesses from their Spirit Mark.

For example, water could be used to counter an enemy with a fire attribute, and vice versa. The type of an enemy's Martial Soul could also reveal the areas in which they excelled, allowing one to restrain them accordingly.

Ye Wen also did not tell Ye Buyi about his Twin Martial Souls. On one hand, he was worried the old man would not be able to handle such a surprise. On the other, he did not want him to worry. After all, there was currently no successful example of someone cultivating Twin Martial Souls on the continent. Since Ye Wen was still so young, if Ye Buyi learned of it, he might worry that Ye Wen would do something idiotic like hunting Soul Rings for his second Martial Soul just to increase his strength.

During the months before school began, Ye Wen meditated without pause. He could clearly feel his Martial Soul transforming, but the quality of his Soul Power remained only at Level Ten. He did not tell Ye Buyi about any of this, mainly because he feared the elderly man would not be able to withstand the shock. Perhaps living on with hope in his heart would allow him to live a little longer.

As he continued cultivating, Ye Wen also discovered that memories from his Previous Life, which had gradually begun to fade, were becoming clear again in his mind. It left him feeling both amused and helpless. Perhaps this was compensation for transmigrating without a golden finger.

During this time, Ye Buyi gave Ye Wen the plain ring and the bag of gold coins, telling him, "Xiaowen, ever since I watched you grow up, I knew you were an exceptionally intelligent child. You like thinking, reading, and following me into the city to learn about this world.

"I've seen all of it. That is why I am entrusting these two things to you from now on. They are the last foundation our family has passed down to this day.

"This ring is a low-grade Soul Tool with one cubic meter of storage space. The bag contains seven hundred Gold Soul Coins. They are the Soul Master subsidies your father and I saved over the years.

"But you must remember: do not flaunt your wealth. Keep these two things well hidden, and conceal your Martial Soul's spatial properties as well. If an old man like me knows this much about Martial Souls, then the teachers at your school know it too. It is already difficult enough for commoner Soul Masters like us to possess talent. Never get dragged into pointless conflicts between high-level Soul Masters and nobles. What you must do is continuously increase your Soul Power, hunt Soul Rings, and restore the glory of our ancestors.

"Grandpa will always watch over you from Holy Soul Village. Work hard, child."

When Nuoding Academy began its term, Ye Buyi sent Ye Wen to the school. There was no trouble from the gatekeeper like in the original story. Everything was calm and uneventful.

Though his family had money, wealth should not be flaunted. Ye Wen still entered the academy as a Work-Study Student, living in the much-criticized shared dormitory where boys and girls slept together on communal beds.

Though there was no gatekeeper's harassment or the so-called apprenticeship with the Grandmaster, it seemed the unwritten rules among Work-Study Students had already existed decades ago. A burly Little Fatty boldly blocked Ye Wen's way into the dormitory and said arrogantly, "A new Work-Study Student?"

Ye Wen calmly replied, "What do you want?"

After all, he was just a little kid. Ye Wen's attitude seemed to intimidate him, and he could only withdraw his imposing manner and say awkwardly, "Because we're all Work-Study Students, those nobles easily target us. So we need to unite, and if we unite, we need someone to lead us. Right now, I'm the boss of Dormitory Three. You need to accept my challenge. If you win, you'll be the boss. If you refuse, then you'll be my little brother from now on. Whatever I tell you to do, you'll do."

Though Ye Wen had long expected this situation, he still put on a thoughtful expression. "I see. If you want to fight, then let's fight. But it's cramped in here, so let's go outside. Otherwise, if we break the beds, we'll have to compensate the school."

In an instant, the large dormitory was completely emptied as everyone headed to the small training ground outside.

"Martial Soul Possession. My name is Chen Pi. My Martial Soul is Lone Wolf. Level Four Soul Scholar." Little Fatty Chen Pi spoke with his head held high.

By comparison, Ye Wen appeared calm. He assumed the opening stance of Xing Yi Quan and said, "Ye Wen. Martial Soul: Black Cloth. Level Five Soul Scholar. Please enlighten me."

"You aren't even summoning your Martial Soul? You little bastard, are you looking down on me? You're courting death!"

With an angry roar, Chen Pi charged forward. Though he was short, his fat body immediately made everyone around him feel that he was terrifyingly powerful.

Ye Wen merely stood there, seemingly frightened stiff, but no one knew that as he watched Chen Pi mindlessly charge at him, Ye Wen felt not the slightest ripple in his heart.

Though he had been a medical student in his Previous Life, that did not mean Ye Wen knew nothing about martial arts. On the contrary, his university mentor had been a martial arts master. Whenever he had free time, he liked teaching Ye Wen and the other young students traditional martial arts, including Five Animal Play and Xing Yi Quan. He even called it cultivating the flowers of the motherland—children should not be so delicate and needed to strengthen their bodies.

Although Five Animal Play and Xing Yi Quan sounded like mere fitness martial arts, Ye Wen knew they contained killing techniques as well. It simply depended on who was using them.

Furthermore, because he had transmigrated without an internal cultivation method like Tang San's, young Ye Wen had practiced Five Animal Play whenever he had free time in order to raise his Innate Soul Power a little higher. Though he had not felt any so-called Soul Power, it truly had strengthened his body. But this was not the bulky muscular build seen in the West. Instead, it made Ye Wen's body more streamlined, giving him a gentle yet perfect appearance.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Pi was already within three steps of Ye Wen.

Without a word, he raised his sharp claws, intending to swat Ye Wen to the ground with one strike.

But in that instant, Ye Wen's gaze turned fierce. Like a starving tiger eyeing Chen Pi, an invisible aura formed around him.

Before anyone else present could feel it, Ye Wen suddenly lunged forward. He altered the tiger palm of Black Tiger Takes the Heart into an ordinary palm strike to reduce its force, then slammed it directly into Chen Pi's chest, sending him flying and rolling across the ground.

Even without using Soul Power or the standard application of Black Tiger Takes the Heart, that single palm strike was enough to make a six-year-old child howl in pain as he collapsed to the ground, unable to get back up for a long while.

In an instant, everyone present fell silent.

"Now, I'm the boss. Anyone who disagrees, take one step forward." Ye Wen said with a vicious gaze.

Everyone was immediately frightened into silence and hurriedly stepped back.

They were children who had not yet grown up. A little fierceness was enough to scare them.

Ye Wen then looked at Chen Pi, who still had not recovered on the ground, and said, "Do you submit? If not, I can give you another chance to challenge me. But if you submit, then from now on, you are not allowed to defy me."

Fear was evident in Chen Pi's eyes as he looked at Ye Wen. How could he dare resist? He hurriedly nodded. "I submit, I submit. From now on, you're the boss of Dormitory Three."

Seeing that his newly acquired underling understood the situation so well, Ye Wen revealed a satisfied expression. He then entered the dormitory, chose a bed by the window, and began arranging his belongings.

At that moment, a pleasant voice came from behind him. "Excuse me, is this Dormitory Three?"

Ye Wen subconsciously turned his head and instantly could not look away. A little girl like a porcelain doll stood at the doorway. She had a head of soft blue hair as smooth as Blue Silver Grass. Though she had not yet grown into her features, she was already a rare beauty in the making. Most importantly, she possessed a quiet, friendly temperament that seemed to radiate from within.

Chen Pi, the former boss and current number-one lackey, once again began making his presence known.

"You're a new Work-Study Student too, right? This is Dormitory Three. I'm the dorm's second-in-command. You can call me Second Brother too."

"Hello, my name is Ah Yin. May I come in?" Ah Yin asked with a smile.

The somewhat clumsy Chen Pi finally realized he was blocking the doorway and quickly moved aside. "Oh, oh, oh. Come in."

As the dormitory boss, Ye Wen had remained silent while a storm of thoughts raged through his mind. Looking throughout the Douluo series, the name Ah Yin was quite distinctive. Coupled with her innate unique aura, if this girl's Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass as well, then he had likely met the protagonist's mother ahead of time. That would be a major problem.

Watching Ah Yin place her luggage on the bed beside his, Ye Wen's gaze grew firmer in that instant.

Whether for the greater good or his own selfish reasons, he had already transmigrated into this world of Douluo, so the course of the original world had begun to undergo enormous changes. This was the famous butterfly effect.

And honestly, Ye Wen had never liked Tang San as a character. On the surface, he was a humble gentleman, but behind the scenes, he was a sinister villain.

When he entered Nuoding, he wanted to kill the gatekeeper over a minor argument. When Yu Xiaogang speculated that his Twin Martial Souls might harm him, he wanted to kill Yu Xiaogang too. In fair and honest spirit battles, two brothers injured Xiao Wu, and he wanted their lives.

A righteous gentleman?

And after witnessing Spirit Hall's defeat in the ending, along with the so-called peerless sequel, Ye Wen had completely lost faith in that scum. After all, the Tang Sect was fundamentally an assassination sect that used sinister hidden weapons. Expecting people from there to uphold benevolence and chivalry was simply unrealistic. Besides, as an ordinary person raised under the red revolutionary banner, Ye Wen truly could not stand this feudal aristocratic era.

So at that moment, Ye Wen made up his mind. From this point onward, he would change the future of this world. Perhaps that was the meaning of why he had come here.

Ah Yin then began introducing herself generously. "Hello, everyone. My name is Ah Yin. My Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass. My Soul Power is—"

"Your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass? That's truly unfortunate. It's rare for you to possess Soul Power, yet you have such a low-grade Martial Soul. Based on the books I've read before, your Soul Power certainly does not exceed Level Two. But don't worry. As long as we're here, we won't let the nobles bully you casually. This is the unity we commoners must have. If there's anything you don't understand in the future, you can ask me.

"Do you all understand? We were born lowly, so we must unite. Otherwise, any noble can shit and piss all over our heads. As the boss, my first order is that from now on, we must act together whenever possible. We may not be able to defeat those so-called upperclassmen, but we can deter some weaker minor nobles. After all, two fists cannot beat four hands, and a flurry of punches can kill an old master." Ye Wen suddenly cut in.

Ah Yin was stunned for several seconds. She had only wanted to give a simple introduction. How had she suddenly been interrupted like this? Yet after hearing what Ye Wen said afterward, she merely nodded with a half-understanding expression.

The other dormmates, who were also new students, now had great faith in their new boss. They had originally been peasants without any inheritance. Having suddenly encountered a boss with such commanding presence, they naturally accepted him.

After that, Ye Wen used some motivational talk about diligence making up for inadequacy to get everyone in the dormitory started on their cultivation.

Seeing that the chaotic dormitory had finally settled down, Ye Wen slowly walked over to Ah Yin.

Ah Yin, who was making her bed, showed a trace of confusion when she saw Ye Wen approach. Tilting her head, she softly asked, "Is something wrong, Boss?"

Looking at the delectable Little Girl before him, Ye Wen suddenly understood why Buddha Tang had been so obsessed with Xiao Wu in the original story.

From the original description of Xiao Wu, it was not hard to imagine how lively, innocent, and beautiful she was in her true form. Her bad temper was admittedly difficult to tolerate. But for Tang San, who came from the Tang Sect, a sect of unorthodox methods, and who had a tragic fate, defiling that beauty—or perhaps protecting it—might have become a subconscious desire buried deep within him.

Ah Yin possessed another kind of beauty. She had not fully grown yet, but her beauty already seemed beyond mortal. There was also a faint air of nobility about her, along with that gentle temperament. For a soul of an adult, it was difficult not to be moved.

No, no. Little girls are the best—no, no. A gentleman like me must never earn the death penalty.

Shaking away the distracting thoughts in his mind, Ye Wen became more solemn and whispered beside Ah Yin's ear, "Come outside with me. I have something important to tell you."