The Pig's Oink

"Teacher, you're a master who studies Martial Souls. Please give me some guidance."

At that, Yu Xiaogang felt rather pleased. It felt great to be recognized. He immediately began offering Tang San some pointers without holding back.

"Based on my years of research, the best path for Blue Silver Grass is the Control System. Control means using your Martial Soul to restrain your enemies, either to support your teammates or attack your opponents.

"Grass is soft and highly pliable. It can be shaped in all sorts of ways. The simplest use is as a rope to tie up an opponent."

"Use it as a rope?" Tang San was stunned. Then he asked doubtfully, "But Blue Silver Grass is so fragile. It can be torn apart easily. How could it possibly tie someone up?"

"That's the direction I'm talking about," Yu Xiaogang replied. "A Martial Soul improves in various ways after gaining a Soul Ring. What we need to do is steer that improvement toward its most prominent qualities.

"My suggestion is that your Martial Soul could develop in two directions: toughness and poison. Blue Silver Grass needs to become tough enough that an opponent can't tear it apart. Only then will it be able to restrain them. And if you add a poisonous effect as well, it will naturally be able to attack."

By this point, everything had finally clicked for Tang San. He secretly marveled at Yu Xiaogang's knowledge. No wonder he was called Master. Tang San had chosen the right person after all; taking him as his teacher was the best decision he could have made.

Tang San agreed with the idea of adding poison to Blue Silver Grass, quite apart from using it to restrain enemies. After all, he was a poison expert himself.

They really were on the same wavelength. Was this what it meant to be in perfect sync?

"By the way, I haven't given you a present for taking you on as my disciple," Yu Xiaogang said.

As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang began undoing his belt.

Tang San was startled!

Wait a second!

Why were you undoing your belt out of nowhere? I'm still a child!

And I'm a boy, too! What are you planning to do?!

No, don't!

The next second, Yu Xiaogang handed the belt to Tang San. "This is a Storage Soul Tool. It's never had a name. Why don't you give it one?"

Phew, so he was giving me his belt!

Tang San let out a long breath. You could've said so sooner! You scared me. I thought you were about to do something shady!

A name? After listening to Yu Xiaogang describe the belt, Tang San blurted out without thinking, "How about 'Where to Teach Xiao'?"

"Huh?" Yu Xiaogang was taken aback. "That name..."

"Uh, no, no, I misspoke." Tang San quickly corrected himself. "Let's call it 'Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlight.'"

Tang San was panicking. He had clearly meant to say "Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlight." Why had he inexplicably blurted out the line that came after it?

They traveled without stopping along the way. The journey of four hundred li took them more than a full day. It wasn't until noon the following day that the carriage carrying the master and disciple reached the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest.

When they got off the carriage, they found themselves at a lively market. Shops lined both sides of the road, most selling weapons, armor, and food supplies.

"Got a Token. Looking for two more people to hunt Power-type Soul Beasts as a group."

"Looking for a Token to hunt Agile Attack-type Soul Beasts. Seven people needed. Ten Gold Soul Coins."

Shouts rang out one after another. Tang San looked around, finding it all novel. This was nothing like the forest he had imagined.

At that point, Yu Xiaogang began showing off his so-called theories again.

"Soul Beasts are highly aggressive. They're not so easy to hunt. These so-called groups that hunt Soul Beasts are simply people working together to hunt the Soul Beasts they each need and obtain their Soul Rings. This is the most common and safest way to hunt Soul Beasts on the continent.

"But is it really that easy to form a group?"

As Yu Xiaogang said this, he seemed to feel that the whole world was foolish and he alone was clear-sighted. He felt intellectually superior.

He looked at the people calling out with utter disdain.

"A truly effective Soul Hunting team needs at least five roles: the Food System to handle supplies, the Support System to provide support, the Agile Attack System to scout, and the Power System to lead the offense.

"Only a team made up of these five roles can be considered complete. They also need time to develop an understanding with one another.

"Most importantly, the members must trust each other. They need to be able to entrust their backs to their companions."

Tang San nodded along obligingly. His teacher truly deserved the title of Master. Everything he said was profound wisdom.

They had already bought the supplies they needed before setting out, so they didn't stay long. They headed straight for the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest.

The Soul Hunting Forest was a place specifically set aside to keep low-year Soul Beasts. To prevent them from escaping and attacking people, soldiers were always stationed outside.

Yu Xiaogang handed a token to a soldier. After checking it, the soldier let them through without a problem.

The master and disciple walked inside. The commotion from the market outside the forest gradually faded, replaced by the calls of birds and chirping of insects within the forest.

It was wonderful to feel so close to nature again!

Tang San felt as though he had returned to the Bashu Tang Sect of his previous life. The Bashu Tang Sect was surrounded by mountains and forests. Back then, he had often traveled through the woods in search of medicinal herbs for making poison.

"Xiao San, from now on, don't leave my side, not even for a step. Remember that."

Yu Xiaogang's words brought Tang San back to the present.

"I understand, Teacher."

Yu Xiaogang also steeled himself and summoned his Martial Soul.

"Come forth, Luo Sanpao!"

As soon as he spoke, pale purple Soul Power burst out in front of him. With a bang, it sounded just like a fart—loud, far-reaching, long and thunderous, enough to shake the heavens and deafen the ears.

And there, in the cloud of pale purple Soul Power, an animal appeared.

Tang San took a closer look. It was a creature that was neither quite a pig nor quite a dog.

Its body looked much like an ordinary pig's.

But something was off: it had a dog's head. More oddly still, its ears drooped at either side like pig's ears, each as large as a fan.

It was extremely fat, a meter and a half long and almost as wide around the middle. Overall, it looked like a ball of meat.

The creature, which was hard to tell whether it was a pig or a dog, trotted over to Yu Xiaogang on its thick, stubby pig legs, its fat rear swaying from side to side. It rubbed its dog's head against Yu Xiaogang, looking very docile.

"Teacher, is this your Martial Soul?" Tang San was astonished. "I thought Beast Martial Souls were supposed to possess their owners. How come it..."

Luo Sanpao seemed to sense Tang San's disdain. It let out a series of pig-like oinks at him in protest.

Yu Xiaogang looked a little uncomfortable. "Remember when I told you about Mutated Martial Souls? Sanpao is one..."