You've Become Cowardly

Morning.

Today was the day Nuoding Academy opened.

Yu Cheng arrived at the village entrance with his bundle on his back. Tang San and Old Jack had already been waiting there for a while.

"Good morning, village chief. Good morning, Tang San."

Yu Cheng greeted them.

"Morning."

Tang San nodded, returning the greeting.

"Xiao Cheng, let's go. It'll take us most of the day to reach Nuoding City."

Old Jack beamed.

To see the two children off to school, he had deliberately changed into a new set of clothes today.

The three of them did not travel quickly, arriving in Nuoding City only around noon.

The city was bustling. Its streets were paved with neat Green Stone slabs, and shops lined both sides in orderly rows.

It was Tang San's first time in a big city, and he kept looking toward the shops on either side. Yu Cheng had visited Nuoding City before, so none of it felt particularly new to him.

They walked and asked for directions, then traveled for another half an hour before finally reaching their destination.

Nuoding Academy.

"Village chief Jack, you can stop here. Tang San and I can go in by ourselves," Yu Cheng said.

"Alright, then I'll head back first."

Old Jack nodded.

"Grandpa Jack, why don't you walk around the academy a little longer?"

It was Tang San's first time leaving home, and he was somewhat nervous. He instinctively wanted Old Jack to stay.

Old Jack smiled. "A Soul Master Academy isn't somewhere commoners can enter. I'll come pick you two up when the term ends. It'll be almost New Year by then."

"You two need to listen to your teachers at the academy and study hard."

"You are Holy Spirit Village's pride!"

Still worried about them, he gave them another careful round of instructions.

"Goodbye, Grandpa Village Chief!"

Tang San was still reluctant to part with him and waved at Old Jack's retreating back.

"Tang San, Master Su Yuntao told me that the academy doesn't provide daily necessities. I'm going to buy some from the shop nearby. Do you want to come with me?"

Yu Cheng asked.

"Daily necessities?"

Tang San scratched his head. "I'll register first, then see what I'm missing."

That was what he said, but in truth, he had no money.

The money Tang Hao earned from blacksmithing was spent on rice and salt, while all the rest went toward alcohol.

Where would he get money for Tang San to attend school?

"Alright, see you later."

After saying that, Yu Cheng headed toward the Commercial Street not far away.

Tang San looked back at Old Jack once more. Only after Old Jack's figure had completely disappeared did he continue toward the academy.

"What are you here for?!"

The moment Tang San reached the gate, a young gatekeeper stopped him.

"Is this a place for country bumpkins like you?"

Commercial Street.

Yu Cheng looked over the various signboards and nodded in satisfaction.

Although Douluo Continent was a feudal society, its basic infrastructure was not lacking. Even an ordinary Commercial Street had food, drink, entertainment, and everything else one could need.

Yu Cheng entered a shop.

"Boss, I need a set of bedding."

The shop's decor looked quite plain, so Yu Cheng guessed that its goods would be cheaper.

"Young man, you're from Nuoding Academy, aren't you?"

The owner asked with a smile.

He was a middle-aged man, probably in his forties.

"That's right. I'm a new Work-Study Student this year." Yu Cheng nodded.

"Then you came to the right place."

The owner smiled kindly. "I was a Work-Study Student myself back then. After graduating, I opened this little shop. Here, I'll throw in a pillow for you."

"Thank you, Boss."

Just as Yu Cheng was chatting happily with the owner, a teasing voice sounded behind him.

"A new Work-Study Student?"

Yu Cheng turned around and saw three boys examining him.

Are they upperclassmen? Yu Cheng wondered.

They looked to be around eleven or twelve years old, and their uniforms were worn crookedly.

They all had their chins raised, as if they were looking down at people through their nostrils, exuding the air of immature brats.

"You can call me Boss Xiao."

The boy standing in the middle looked at him with contempt.

"New kid, go back and remind Wang Sheng. Seven days from now, in the woods. Anyone who doesn't show up is a coward!"

"Hmph." Yu Cheng snorted coldly.

Boss Xiao?

So he was Xiao Chenyu, the one Tang San had beaten up in the original story.

He had not even enrolled yet, and he was already getting dragged into a conflict between students?

"Did you fucking hear me?"

When Yu Cheng did not respond, a tall, thin student raised his right hand and swung it directly at Yu Cheng's face.

Yu Cheng instinctively raised his arm.

Smack!

The slap landed squarely on his arm.

"Well, well. You actually dare fight back?"

The tall, thin student widened his eyes and raised his hand again, preparing to strike.

"A bunch of Work-Study Students want to become Soul Masters? What a joke!" Another student, short and skinny, stepped forward as well.

Yu Cheng's gaze turned cold.

He quietly slipped his right hand into his pocket and grabbed a handful of lime powder.

He had originally thought the conflict between Work-Study Students and noble students in the original story was merely childish scuffling.

He had not expected it to be outright school bullying.

They did not need any reason to bully Work-Study Students.

Even a new student who had not yet enrolled fell within the range of their oppression.

They were rotten to the core!

There was only one way to deal with people like this.

Fight!

Seeing the confrontation about to erupt, the shop owner hurried forward.

"Hey, don't fight, everyone. Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth!"

As he spoke, a surge of Soul Power rose from within him.

His presence was not particularly powerful, but it stirred up a fierce gust that made the hems of his clothes flap loudly.

"This owner is a One-ring Soul Master, probably around level eighteen or nineteen."

Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng's voice sounded in Yu Cheng's mind.

The students sensed that presence, and their arrogance immediately wilted.

"Hmph, let's go."

Xiao Chenyu waved his hand, and the three of them turned and ran from the shop.

"Boss, thank you."

Yu Cheng stared at the three boys' retreating backs, his eyes icy.

They really only bullied the weak and feared the strong!

"Young man, the one in the middle is Xiao Chenyu, the city lord's son. The other two are Liu Long and Ling Feng. Their fathers are both City Guard Commanders."

The owner explained.

"You know them?" Yu Cheng asked.

"Of course I do. Back when I was in school, their fathers beat me up too."

The owner wore a smile, but a trace of bitterness flashed through his eyes.

Noble students bullying Work-Study Students was an old tradition at Nuoding Academy.

He patted Yu Cheng on the shoulder. "Young man, study hard at the academy. If anything happens, go find a teacher."

"Mm. Thank you, Boss." Yu Cheng nodded.

On his way back to the academy, Yu Cheng considered his future plans.

"These three families should be the main force that captured you, right?" Yu Cheng asked.

"You don't need to consider that now. The most important thing is increasing your Soul Power," Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng said.

Yu Cheng smiled. "Haven't you heard the saying? A gentleman takes revenge even if it takes ten years; a petty man takes revenge morning and night."

Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng did not answer.

In his view, City Lord Xiao Dachuan was weak, but he was still a Soul Elder. Yu Cheng definitely had no way of dealing with him.

It was not worth wasting his energy on minor characters like them.

Yu Cheng rubbed his chin. "Maybe I can use the conflict between Tang San and the noble students to make them tear each other apart."

"The plan is feasible. But I still suggest that you wait until you become a Soul Ancestor before acting."

Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng shook his head.

"Heh, you've become cowardly." Yu Cheng curled his lips into a cold smile.

Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng fell silent. After a while, he laughed as well.

"Tsk. So hot-blooded and reckless. You really are my past self."