Can I Become a Soul Master? Can You?

Although Sacred Soul Village had taken in Tang Hao and his son, it had never truly accepted them.

A blacksmith addicted to alcohol and an aloof, taciturn son—the father and son carried a sense of alienation in both their words and actions, never truly blending into the village's lively atmosphere.

Lin Xuan, on the other hand, was completely different.

His ancestors had lived in Sacred Soul Village for generations. He had been sensible and polite since childhood and got along very well with the villagers.

So, when the village needed to gather subsidies for children awakening Soul Power, everyone readily brought out Silver Soul Coins and willingly helped one of their own.

It was Lin Xuan's first time hearing that the village had such a custom, and he could not help feeling moved.

It was like a country village producing a university student—everyone would always do what they could to lend a hand.

Sacred Soul Village was not wealthy, but having each household contribute one Silver Soul Coin was more than enough—except this goodwill was destined to have nothing to do with Tang San.

If Tang Hao and his son had been a little warmer toward the villagers, they would not have ended up like this. Lin Xuan gripped the money bag in his hand, truly feeling the weight of this affection.

Only he himself knew that, with his rapidly growing appetite, the meager work-study student subsidy was nowhere near enough.

The dozen or so Gold Soul Coins gathered by selling their fields would only cover a year and a half of living expenses.

Now, with the six Gold Soul Coins gathered by the village, he could easily last two years even without a part-time job. If he found some blacksmith's work, supporting himself for three years would not be a problem at all.

"Village Chief Grandpa, don't worry. Once I become a Soul Master, I'll definitely come back and repay the village!" Lin Xuan's gaze was firm, his tone filled with solemn resolve.

"I believe in you!" Old Jack smiled so broadly that his crow's feet bunched together.

Did anyone really think Sacred Soul Village had held onto its work-study student slots year after year solely because of the name "Soul Saint"?

It was simply because the village understood investment—every child who left to study received help, and once those children grew up, they would always reciprocate and care for the village.

That was the root cause of why Sacred Soul Village was wealthier than the surrounding villages.

"Let's go. We'll pick up Tang San, and Grandpa will take you two to register." Old Jack put away his smile and led Lin Xuan toward Tang San's home.

Unlike the giant bundle on Lin Xuan's back that nearly swallowed him whole, Tang San carried only a tiny parcel and held a wooden staff in his hand.

Seeing Lin Xuan looking as though he wanted to empty out his entire home, Tang San's eyes flashed with surprise before turning into disdain—country children really had not seen the world. They did not know they should travel light when going out.

Lin Xuan ignored his gaze outright. The two followed Old Jack, one on each side, setting off in the direction of Nuoding City.

Along the way, aside from Old Jack occasionally explaining precautions about the academy, neither of them paid the other any attention, and the atmosphere was especially cold.

Yet as they walked, Tang San's gaze could not help repeatedly falling on Lin Xuan—more precisely, on the bundle on his back.

With his eyesight, it was not hard to tell that the bundle weighed at least over a hundred jin.

If it were him, carrying something that heavy for so long would have left him panting from exhaustion. Yet apart from a slightly faster breathing rate, Lin Xuan showed no sign of fatigue at all and had barely even sweated.

"His stamina is actually this good?" Tang San secretly marveled, growing even more curious about Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan naturally noticed his stare, but remained unmoved. He reached into the small cloth bag at his waist, pulled out a piece of dried meat jerky, and began gnawing on it in huge bites.

The jerky was relatively hard. Old Jack's teeth were poor, so he could not chew it, leaving Lin Xuan to enjoy it alone. As for Tang San? Lin Xuan could not even be bothered to spare him an extra glance.

Along the way, Lin Xuan focused only on replenishing his strength, Old Jack tirelessly gave reminders about the precautions, and Tang San silently observed from the side. Each harbored his own thoughts, and by noon, the three finally arrived at Nuoding City.

The prosperity of the city was far beyond what Sacred Soul Village could compare to. The streets were bustling with traffic, shops galore, and pedestrians dressed brightly, forming a sharp contrast with the simple clothing of Sacred Soul Village's villagers.

This was Lin Xuan's first time entering the city, yet he had none of the inferiority complex of a rural child, nor did he feel awkward because he carried a giant bundle and wore plain clothes.

Faced with the surrounding people's stares as though he were a monkey, he looked back without hesitation, his gaze so composed that it was as though he were merely looking at ordinary scenery.

"Come on. This will be where you study from now on."

Seeing the confidence in Lin Xuan that was neither humble nor arrogant, Old Jack could not help straightening his back a little.

So what if these people lived in the city? The two children beside him were future Soul Masters!

As expected of children raised by Sacred Soul Village—they had backbone!

Old Jack immediately took Lin Xuan's hand and headed toward Nuoding Academy—his other hand had to brace his cane, so he truly had no free hand to pull Tang San along.

It was not that he did not value Tang San, but that he understood the child's temperament all too well.

Tang San's home had always been that of outsiders. Given Tang San's aloof nature, even if he made something of himself in the future, he might not care for Sacred Soul Village.

Rather than trying to win him over with a thankless task, it was better to firmly stand with one of their own.

Lin Xuan's talent might be a bit lacking, but he carried the village in his heart. That was enough.

When the bystanders heard "school" and "Nuoding Academy," the disdain on their faces instantly turned to envy.

Those who could enter Nuoding Academy were children who had awakened Soul Power. They would become Master Soul Masters in the future, not people small town residents like them could afford to provoke.

Old Jack had sent work-study students to Nuoding Academy several times before and was familiar with the road. After winding roads, the three finally arrived before Nuoding Academy's gates.

"Hey, hey, hey, stop! What are you doing?"

Before the three could speak, the gatekeeper stepped forward to block them. His eyes swept disdainfully over their clothes, and his tone carried undisguised mockery.

"You country folk think Nuoding Academy is a place you can come to? Get lost. Don't stand here and offend the eye!"

Lin Xuan was slightly stunned. He had not expected the plot to be recreated so thoroughly. He had known he would encounter such difficulties, but he had not expected the gatekeeper to be this arrogant.

He hurriedly stopped Old Jack, who was about to step forward and explain—he knew that with Old Jack's temperament, going forward would only invite humiliation from the gatekeeper and leave him angry for nothing.

"Village Chief Grandpa, rest. I'll handle this."

Lin Xuan spoke softly, then stepped forward. He looked calmly at the gatekeeper and said blandly, "Are you a Soul Master?"

"What does whether I'm a Soul Master have to do with a little brat like you?"

It was as though he had hit a sore spot. The gatekeeper instantly bristled, his tone becoming even nastier.

"Looks like you aren't." Lin Xuan's gaze gradually turned sharp, and an astonishing aura erupted from his small body.

"Since you aren't a Soul Master, who gave you the nerve to block future Soul Masters? And you dare speak rudely!"

He paused, then abruptly raised his voice, carrying an unquestionable majesty. "Today is the day Nuoding Academy opens. Every student who comes here has awakened Soul Power and may become a high and mighty Soul Master in the future. You're just a gatekeeper—have you even considered whether you can afford to offend us?

What's wrong with country folk? I can become a Soul Master. Can you?"

Lin Xuan was only 1.2 meters tall, yet at that moment, he seemed to possess the aura of someone two meters tall. His eyes were sharp as a knife as he stared directly at the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper was intimidated by his bearing and instinctively took two steps back. His face instantly turned pale, his lips trembled, and he could not utter a single word in rebuttal.

Old Jack stood behind him, looking at Lin Xuan's small figure with eyes full of gratification and pride.

This child was not only sensible, but also so courageous. He really had not misjudged him!

Tang San also looked at Lin Xuan with some surprise. He had not expected the usually low-key Lin Xuan to have such a forceful side. That aura that came from within even made him glance sideways.

Seeing that the gatekeeper had been cowed, Lin Xuan did not press the attack. He merely said coldly, "We're work-study students here to register. Can we go in now?"

The gatekeeper swallowed. How could he dare stop them now? He hurriedly stepped aside to make way and stammered, "Y-yes... p-please, come in..."