"Who saw me do it? Do you have any proof? If you don't, don't go making wild accusations." Lin Ye stood with his hands on his hips, looking smug.
There were three scratch marks on his face, courtesy of Lin Qiu'er, who had been furious.
Last night, while Lin Qiu'er was sound asleep, he'd given her a hair-removal treatment. He'd only done it in retaliation for her teasing him.
It looked like the trick had worked pretty well.
Hmm, if this little rascal teases me again, I'll shave her fur once more. I'll shave her completely bald. Heh heh heh.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, three months had passed.
At Holy Soul Village, on that same hill, Tang San slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. The purple light in his eyes gradually faded.
Tang San let out a long sigh and muttered to himself, "The Purple Demon Eye keeps improving, but the Mysterious Heaven Skill hasn't advanced at all. I wonder if absorbing a Soul Ring will let me break through with the Mysterious Heaven Skill."
A moment later, he stood and hurried down the hill. The mountain path was rugged and uneven, but Tang San seemed completely unaffected. He darted this way and that, leaping and weaving as he walked, as if on level ground.
It was a small thing, but enough to show that his skills were extraordinary—far beyond those of an ordinary six-year-old.
Tang San's figure gradually disappeared into the distance. But just then, a figure appeared atop the hill. It was none other than Tang Hao, broad and burly as a bear.
"Mysterious Heaven Skill, Purple Demon Eye..."
Tang Hao murmured, picking out the important points in Tang San's words. His eyes flickered, and the hands hidden beneath his sleeves quietly clenched into fists before slowly relaxing.
Meanwhile, Tang San slowed down as he neared home and touched the Hidden Weapon on his wrist, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
The thing on his wrist was called a Sleeve Arrow, one of the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons. It was a wonderful tool for ambushes and sneak attacks, and for killing and looting.
With the Sleeve Arrow, as long as his opponent wasn't too powerful a Soul Master, he was confident he could handle them.
[From the Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, General Outline, Article Two: What is a Hidden Weapon? A weapon used in secret to defeat an enemy is a Hidden Weapon. If your enemy knows you're going to use it, then it's no longer a Hidden Weapon, but an open weapon.]
This was his secret.
He hadn't even told Tang Hao about the Hidden Weapons.
He pushed open the door, and the aroma of rice porridge wafted over.
Tang San expertly ladled out a bowl of porridge, then called toward the inner room, "Dad, it's time to eat."
He waited a while, but no one answered, and Tang Hao didn't come out.
When he went inside to check, Tang Hao wasn't home. Tang San was puzzled. Tang Hao usually slept in at this time, so where had he gone today?
Just as Tang San was wondering where to look for him, Tang Hao came back.
"Xiao San, what were you doing this morning?" Tang Hao asked in a calm voice.
"I went out to exercise. I go for a run every morning." Tang San kept a straight face as he solemnly spouted nonsense.
As far as he was concerned, Tang Hao was just an ordinary blacksmith. He could tell him whatever he liked.
Strictly speaking, he wasn't lying. This kind of exercise just wasn't the same kind of exercise Tang Hao had in mind.
Tang Hao fell silent, but didn't expose his son's act.
"You don't need to do any forging today. Pack your things. Old Jack will take you to Notting City tomorrow."
"Notting City? What for?" Tang San paused in surprise.
Tang Hao glanced at him and said, "Don't you want to become a Soul Master? Old Jack will take you into the city tomorrow, to Notting City Elementary Soul Master Academy. You'll learn about Soul Masters there."
"Dad, I really can go to a Soul Master Academy?" Tang San was overjoyed.
The next day, in front of the blacksmith shop, Tang Hao watched Tang San leave. He didn't turn back until his son had disappeared from sight, then went back inside.
A line of words had been written on the ground: "Dad, take good care of yourself. The porridge is in the pot—don't forget to drink it. And try to drink less from now on.
Xiao San has left. Don't worry about me."
Tang Hao's gaze shifted from the words on the ground to the iron pot beside them. He rushed over and yanked off the lid.
He didn't even care that it was hot. He picked up the pot and gulped down the porridge noisily, his cloudy eyes somehow misting over.
Tang San and Old Jack made their way toward Notting City Elementary Soul Master Academy. Along the way, Tang San kept asking questions, and Old Jack patiently answered them without minding his grandson's chatter.
As Old Jack told him about things, Tang San filled in many gaps in his knowledge. He learned how colorful the outside world was and looked forward to the life ahead of him.
What he didn't know was that someone was already waiting for him outside Notting Junior Academy.
Notting City was only a small city, but its Soul Master Academy was impressive.
Notting Elementary Soul Master Academy was the largest complex in the city. From the front, its imposing archway rose more than ten meters high and stretched twenty meters across, all built from sturdy stone. It looked grand.
Inside, the grounds were lush with trees and lovely to behold.
And this was only a junior academy. It showed just how highly Soul Masters were regarded.
Today was the first day of the school year at Notting City Elementary Soul Master Academy, so Lin Ye was waiting here for Tang San to arrive.
In his spare time, Lin Ye had discovered that Lin Qiu'er was a big eater too. At that moment, she was staring at the grilled skewers in Ice Empress's hand, swallowing repeatedly.
That wouldn't do. How could he let the Auspicious Beast go hungry?
Thinking this, Lin Ye took a grilled sausage and held it to Lin Qiu'er's lips.
"Come on, open wide."
The aroma of the grilled food filled the air. Lin Qiu'er had been craving it for ages, so she obediently opened her mouth.
Lin Ye slid the sausage sideways into Lin Qiu'er's mouth, then pinched her lips together and pulled out the skewer.
Lin Qiu'er blinked, her round eyes wide and her expression utterly bewildered. She looked dazed and adorable.
Lin Qiu'er: "..."
I may not be human, but you're a real dog.
Seeing her dazed expression, Lin Ye burst out laughing. He found teasing her pretty entertaining.
Lin Qiu'er rolled her eyes, but good food was too precious to waste. She happily savored the unfamiliar treat, her eyes curving into crescents.
After polishing off the sausage, Lin Qiu'er licked her lips, still wanting more, and went to beg Ice Empress for another bite.
Seeing this, Snow Empress couldn't help smiling.
While the group was laughing and joking, the person Lin Ye had been waiting for finally appeared.
Tang San and Old Jack, dressed plainly, arrived at Notting City Elementary Soul Master Academy, only to be stopped at the gate by the gatekeeper.
The gatekeeper looked down his nose at the old man and boy. "What are you here for? Have you even looked at what kind of place this is? Peasants like you think you can just walk in?"
Old Jack was plainly dressed, and Tang San was even worse off, with several patches on his clothes.
They both looked like country folk, which made the gatekeeper regard them with contempt.
Old Jack smiled ingratiatingly. "Young man, we're from Holy Soul Village. This child is the Work-Study Student our village is sending this year."
The gatekeeper raised an eyebrow and sneered. "A country bumpkin with Soul Power? I don't believe it. You're probably fakes, aren't you?"
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