You Have Grown Cowardly

Morning.

Today was the day Nuoding Academy started its term.

Yu Cheng carried his bundle to the village entrance, where Tang San and Old Jack had already been waiting for a while.

"Village Chief, Tang San, good morning."

Yu Cheng spoke.

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"Morning."

Tang San nodded, acknowledging him.

"Xiao Cheng, let's get going. It'll take half a day to reach Nuoding City."

Old Jack beamed.

To send the two children off to school, he had put on a new set of clothes today.

The three of them walked at a leisurely pace, not arriving in Nuoding City until noon.

The city was bustling. The streets were paved with neat green stone slabs, and shops lined both sides in close succession.

It was Tang San's first time in a big city, and he kept glancing at the stores on either side. Yu Cheng had been to Nuoding City before, so he felt no novelty.

They walked and asked for directions, and after another half-hour, they finally reached their destination.

Nuoding Academy.

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

"Alright, then I'll head back."

Old Jack nodded.

"Grandpa Jack, why don't you come in and look around the academy a bit?"

Tang San, leaving home for the first time, felt a flutter of unease and instinctively wanted to keep Old Jack there.

Old Jack chuckled. "A Soul Master Academy isn't a place commoners can just wander into. When the term ends, I'll come pick you up. That'll be around New Year's."

"You two listen to your teachers and study hard."

"You're the pride of Holy Spirit Village!"

Still a little worried, he gave them a few more careful instructions.

"Goodbye, Grandpa Village Chief!"

Tang San, still reluctant, waved at Old Jack's retreating back.

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

Yu Cheng asked.

"Daily necessities?"

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

He said that, but the truth was he had no money.

Whatever Tang Hao earned from blacksmithing, after buying rice and salt, the rest went to liquor.

How could there be any money left for Tang San's schooling?

"Alright, see you in a bit."

With that, Yu Cheng headed toward the commercial street not far away.

Tang San glanced back at Old Jack one more time, waiting until the man's figure had completely disappeared before continuing into the academy.

"What do you think you're doing!"

As Tang San approached the gate, a young guard immediately blocked his way.

"Is this the kind of place for country bumpkins like you?"

Commercial street.

Yu Cheng looked at the various shop signs and nodded with satisfaction.

Though the Douluo Continent was a feudal society, its basic infrastructure wasn't bad. An ordinary commercial street had everything—food, drink, entertainment, you name it.

Yu Cheng walked into a shop.

"Boss, I need a set of bedding."

The shop's decor looked plain, and Yu Cheng figured things here would be cheaper.

"You're from Nuoding Academy, little brother?"

The shopkeeper said with a smile.

He was a middle-aged man, appearing to be in his forties.

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

"Then you've come to the right place buying things from me."

The shopkeeper said with a kind smile: "I used to be a Work-Study Student too, and after graduating, I opened this small shop. Here, I'll throw in an extra pillow for you."

"Thank you, shopkeeper."

Just as Yu Cheng and the shopkeeper were chatting enthusiastically, a mocking voice sounded behind him:

"A new Work-Study Student?"

Yu Cheng turned around and saw three youths sizing him up.

"Are they senior students?" Yu Cheng wondered inwardly.

The three looked to be about eleven or twelve years old, their school uniforms worn crookedly.

Each one held their head high, as if looking down their noses at people, exuding an aura of edgy adolescent bravado.

"You can call me Boss Xiao."

The boy standing in the middle had a look of contempt in his eyes.

"Newcomer, go remind Wang Sheng that seven days from now, at the small woods—whoever doesn't show is a coward!"

"Heh." Yu Cheng let out a cold snort.

Boss Xiao?

So this was Xiao Chenyu, the one who got beaten up by Tang San in the original story.

Before he'd even enrolled, he was already dragged into a conflict between students?

"Did you fucking hear me?"

Seeing Yu Cheng not reply, a tall, thin student raised his right hand and swung it straight at his face.

Reacting instinctively, Yu Cheng lifted his arm.

Bang!

The slap landed solidly on his arm.

"Oh ho, you dare fight back?"

The tall, thin student widened his eyes, raising his hand as if to strike again.

"A bunch of Work-Study Students thinking they can become Soul Masters—what a pipe dream!" Another short, scrawny student also closed in.

Yu Cheng's eyes sharpened.

He quietly slipped his right hand into his pocket, gripping a handful of lime powder.

He'd originally thought the conflicts between Work-Study Students and noble students in the original story were just minor scuffles.

He hadn't expected this to be outright school bullying.

They bullied Work-Study Students for no reason at all.

Even a new student who hadn't yet enrolled fell within their scope of suppression.

Truly rotten to the core!

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

Fight!

Seeing the tension escalate, the shopkeeper quickly stepped forward.

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

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

His aura wasn't very strong, but it stirred up a gust of wind, making the hem of his clothes rustle.

"This shopkeeper is a One-ring Soul Master, roughly level eighteen or nineteen."

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

Sensing this aura, the few students' arrogance immediately deflated.

"Hmph, let's go."

Xiao Chenyu waved his hand grandly, and the three scurried out of the shop.

"Thank you, shopkeeper." Yu Cheng said.

He stared at their retreating figures, his gaze icy.

Truly bullies who cower before the strong!

"Little brother, that student in the middle is called Xiao Chenyu, the city lord's son. The other two are Liu Long and Ling Feng, whose fathers are both City Guard Commanders."

The shopkeeper spoke up.

"Do you know them?" Yu Cheng asked.

"Of course I know them. When I was still in school, their fathers even gave me a beating."

The shopkeeper wore a smile, but a trace of bitterness flickered in his eyes.

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

He patted Yu Cheng on the shoulder. "Young friend, study hard at the academy. If you run into trouble, go find a teacher."

"Mm, thank you, shopkeeper." Yu Cheng nodded.

On the way back to the academy, Yu Cheng pondered his future development.

"These three families—they were the main force that captured you, weren't they?" Yu Cheng asked.

"There's no need for you to consider that now. The most important thing is to raise your Soul Power," said Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng.

Yu Cheng laughed. "Haven't you heard the saying: A nobleman bides his time for ten years to settle a score; a petty man takes revenge from dawn till dusk."

Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng did not reply.

In his view, City Lord Xiao Dachuan's strength was pitiful, but he was still a Soul Elder. Yu Cheng definitely couldn't handle him.

Wasting his energy on small fry like that was completely not worth it.

Yu Cheng rubbed his chin. "Maybe I can exploit the conflict between Tang San and the noble students, let them tear each other apart like dogs biting dogs."

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

Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng shook his head.

"Heh. You've grown cowardly." Yu Cheng's lips curled into a cold sneer.

Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng's tone faltered. After a moment, he laughed along.

"Tsk. Young and hot-blooded. As expected, that's the me of the past."