Record Broken, Off to the Forging Master Association

Xie Xie gritted his teeth. "I'll pay!"

"Alright!"

Tang Wuyang answered swiftly, as if afraid Xie Xie would change his mind. "When are we fighting?"

After all, that was thirty-four thousand Federation Coins!

If one fight could save him over thirty thousand Federation Coins, Tang Wuyang would not mind even if Xie Xie beat him up.

Xie Xie looked at his eager expression and felt a surge of irritation. "Tomorrow."

With that, he turned and headed out.

With his face swollen like this, he needed treatment first. Otherwise, what would he look like? As he left, he somehow produced a towel and wrapped it around his face.

Watching his departing back, the brothers both thought to themselves, City people really are rich.

Just then, a series of knocks sounded at the door. "Thump, thump, thump."

Tang Wulin opened it and saw Yun Xiao standing outside, scratching her right cheek lightly with her index finger. "It's time for lunch. My roommates haven't arrived yet, so I wanted to ask if you'd like to eat together."

Tang Wulin turned to look inside. Tang Wuyang had long since become hungry and quickly nodded in agreement.

Having received the response, Tang Wulin readily said, "Sure!"

Zhou Changxi also jumped down from the top bunk. The resentment and anger on his face had faded, and his hostility toward Tang Wulin and Tang Wuyang had clearly lessened.

The reason was simple: it was also because of those thirty-four thousand Federation Coins.

The brothers were not the only ones who were not well-off. Zhou Changxi's family circumstances were also ordinary, and he had been startled when he heard that staggering compensation amount.

He could actually be considered the true instigator of the incident, yet Tang Wulin and Tang Wuyang had not asked him to share the compensation.

That alone improved his impression of the brothers considerably.

Yun Xiao walked in front, leading the three of them. Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin walked side by side in the middle, while Zhou Changxi trailed one step behind at the very back.

The Intermediate Department cafeteria was in a small building beside the main teaching building.

The building had three floors, providing meals for all six grades of the Intermediate Department. First and second years ate together on the first floor.

There were only tables in the cafeteria, with no chairs to go with them.

That was Eastsea Academy's rule. Students had to eat standing up, to increase their sense of urgency.

There were three serving windows, marked A, B, and C respectively.

From Yun Xiao's explanation, Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin learned that Meal C was completely free, Meal B required partial payment, and Meal A had to be paid for in full.

Of course, higher prices had their reasons. Meal A used the best ingredients of the three, while the entirely free Meal C consisted only of ordinary food.

The sign beneath Meal C said steamed buns, clearly indicating that this was the day's Meal C menu.

Zhou Changxi glanced at Tang Wuyang. "Tang Wuyang, the academy doesn't allow fighting. Let's compete and see who can eat more buns. What do you say? Dare to?"

Tang Wuyang glanced at him, ignored him, and headed straight for the Meal C window.

Zhou Changxi said, "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Tang Wulin, following behind Tang Wuyang, turned and looked at Zhou Changxi. "What's there to compete about when eating?"

Zhou Changxi continued, "Tang Wulin, you can join too. Whoever loses has to go back and clean the entire dorm room. How about it?"

"Of course, if I lose, not only will I clean the dorm room, I'll also wash every piece of dirty clothing you brothers have. How's that?"

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin looked at each other, then Tang Wuyang gave a soft laugh. "Sure. I'm pretty hungry anyway."

During the meal, Tang Wuyang made a surprising discovery. Eating while standing seemed to let him eat even more than when sitting down.

By then, several rings of people had already gathered around Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin.

"These two look so skinny. How can they eat so much? They're about to break the record."

"I remember the Intermediate Department's bun record is forty-three. How many have these two eaten?"

"The one with completely black hair has eaten forty-five. The one beside him with golden tips has already eaten fifty-five."

"That's amazing! They've already broken the record!"

"Yeah, and look at them. They don't seem stuffed at all. The academy's buns have never changed size. Each one is palm-sized!"

Zhou Changxi was already dumbfounded. He had always thought he could eat a lot, but after twenty buns, he was so full he could barely stand it.

They were pure meat buns, after all.

And Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin were not merely eating buns. They were also drinking the free vegetable soup.

A few buns followed by a huge mouthful of soup—the expressions on their faces made it clear that they were enjoying themselves immensely.

"Excuse me, please make way." After eating his fiftieth bun, Tang Wuyang once again headed to the Meal C window.

While Tang Wuyang was getting more food, Tang Wulin had already finished all fifty buns in front of him, along with three large bowls of vegetable soup.

But unlike Tang Wuyang, after finishing, he let out a long breath and rubbed his stomach. He was clearly satisfied.

Yun Xiao patted Zhou Changxi on the shoulder. "Come on. Looks like you're definitely cleaning the dorm room."

"I finally know why Tang Wuyang is stronger than you. It's called conservation of energy. The more you eat, the stronger you get!"

Zhou Changxi looked dejected. Then he saw Tang Wuyang carrying another plate of twenty buns over.

Back at home, the brothers' eating habits had always been Tang Ziran and his wife's greatest headache.

Tang Wulin already had a huge appetite, and then there was the even more terrifying Tang Wuyang.

When Na'er had still been around, Tang Wuyang would sometimes even compete with her over who could eat more.

With a long sigh, Zhou Changxi walked over to Tang Wuyang, who was still eating heartily. "I never believed anyone could eat an entire cow, but after seeing you brothers' appetites today, I believe it."

"A bet is a bet. I'll go back and clean the dorm room first. You keep eating."

As Zhou Changxi turned to leave, the rested Tang Wulin stood up again and headed toward the Meal C window.

Just when the watching students thought he was going to continue eating like Tang Wuyang, they saw him place the buns he had collected in front of Tang Wuyang. He himself had no intention of eating any more.

With Tang Wulin helping fetch food, Tang Wuyang's speed of devouring buns increased noticeably.

In the end, the Intermediate Department cafeteria's bun record was set at one hundred, with an additional seven large bowls of vegetable soup.

When Tang Wuyang followed behind Tang Wulin out of the cafeteria, completely satisfied, a group of students with dropped jaws stood behind them.

When the brothers returned to the dorm room, Zhou Changxi was cleaning.

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin had not truly intended to make Zhou Changxi wash their clothes, so they each washed their own dirty laundry.

Yun Xiao from the neighboring dorm room had returned alone, and bored out of her mind, she came over to visit.

With Yun Xiao, who was rather talkative, around, the atmosphere in the dorm room immediately became much more harmonious.

Just as the relationships among the four had improved, Xie Xie returned with a towel wrapped around his face.

The swelling on his face had clearly gone down considerably, but his expression still looked awful.

"Here!"

Without another word, Xie Xie directly tossed a paper packet to Tang Wuyang.

Tang Wulin also leaned over to look. Inside was a stack of Federation Coins.

Looking at that large pile of money, Tang Wuyang could not help feeling dazed.

Back then, he and his brother had spent a full three years in Aolai City saving thirty thousand Federation Coins each.

Yet for these rich people, it was merely something done on a whim.

"Classes start tomorrow. After school tomorrow afternoon, come with me." Xie Xie looked at Tang Wuyang and said coldly.

"Alright!" Tang Wuyang agreed without hesitation.

Yun Xiao tried to dissuade him. "Xie Xie, forget it. We'll all be living in the same dorm for the next six years."

Xie Xie glared coldly at her. "This is a matter for our dorm room. It has nothing to do with you."

With that, he ignored Yun Xiao and the other three's reactions and lay directly on his lower bunk.

Seeing this, Yun Xiao did not continue trying to be friendly.

Having finished washing his clothes, Tang Wulin said to Yun Xiao, "Wuyang and I want to go out this afternoon. Is that alright?"

Yun Xiao said, "School hasn't officially started yet, so of course it is. But you have to be back before lights-out, or you'll be punished."

At the word punishment, Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin's hearts both tightened.

They were not afraid of punishment itself, but if they were fined again, that would truly be the death of them!

After tidying up their belongings, Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin headed straight out.

Following Mang Tian's instructions, the brothers needed to visit a place first after arriving here.

That place was called the Forging Master Association.

Mang Tian had also left the brothers an address: his workshop in Eastsea City.

Although he was not there in person, the workshop had vacant Forging Rooms available for their use.

Mang Tian had told them that they first needed to register with the Forging Master Association. After that, they could take on some jobs there.

This was both work and the cultivation task Mang Tian had arranged for them.

Every month, Mang Tian would come to Eastsea City to inspect their progress and teach them new Forging knowledge based on their actual circumstances.

After reluctantly fusing with their respective Soul Spirits, Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin had begun taking Forging much more seriously than before. Especially after completing Thousand Forging, both realized that Forging might become the profession that accompanied them for life.

Therefore, both of them had become far more attentive in their study of Forging.

Besides, learning Forging could earn money too. It was killing two birds with one stone!

The reason Tang Wulin had not directly asked Yun Xiao where the Forging Master Association was while they were in the dorm was because they did not yet want these newly acquainted classmates to know they were Forging Masters.

Only after paying their fine at the academic affairs office did the brothers leave the academy together.

The unfamiliarity of Eastsea City once again left Tang Wulin feeling slightly stifled, but looking at Tang Wuyang walking one step ahead of him, he comforted himself. "At least I'm not alone. Wuyang is with me."

Although neither of them knew where the Forging Master Association was, they had mouths and could ask for directions.

After asking several times, the brothers finally learned the Forging Master Association's approximate location.

Eastsea City was enormous, far larger than Aolai City by an unknown extent. To save money, they walked all the way toward the Forging Master Association.

Fortunately, the Forging Master Association was not too far from Eastsea Academy. They had also eaten enough at noon, so after walking for over half an hour, they saw their destination.

The Forging Master Association was easy to recognize. It was a gray building about thirty stories tall, with a huge hammer emblem on it. With that symbol, there was no need for a sign at all.

After entering through the glass doors on the first floor, they saw a glass wall ten meters tall directly ahead. On it was a relief sculpture of a giant golden hammer at least eight meters high.

Although the Forging Master Association was not as wealthy as the Mecha Manufacturing Association, it was still an indispensable presence.

Top-tier Forging Masters likewise held extremely high social status, not even inferior to those Mecha Manufacturing masters.

Crafting top-tier Mechas also required top-tier materials, and top-tier materials needed top-tier Forging Masters to process them.

The first-floor lobby was very spacious. There were only two young women at the reception desk, both dressed in gray professional attire.

"Little brothers, who are you looking for?" Seeing Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin approach, a sweet-looking young woman stood and greeted them.

Tang Wulin said politely but somewhat shyly, "W-we're here for a Forging Master rank assessment."

"Pfft!" The other, more voluptuous young woman laughed. "Look, his face is all red. You two little brothers are really handsome."

The sweet-looking young woman reproached her, "Yuan Yuan, don't tease them. Little brothers, you want to undergo a Forging Master rank assessment?"

Seeing how shy his brother was, Tang Wuyang took the initiative to speak. "Yes."

The sweet-looking young woman continued asking, "Then where are your parents? Or did a teacher come with you?"

Tang Wuyang shook his head. "Our teacher told us to come by ourselves and find a master named Cen Yue."

Upon hearing Cen Yue's name, both young women froze. The sweet-looking woman hurriedly said, "Then please wait a moment. I'll ask whether Master Cen Yue has time now. Have either of you used Soul Guidance Communication to contact Master Cen?"

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin both shook their heads. How could they possibly have Soul Guidance Communication devices?

Soul Guidance Communication was convenient, but both the service fees and equipment costs were exceptionally expensive. Even at home, they only had one fixed Soul Guidance Communicator.

The two had originally planned to find a coin-operated Soul Guidance Communicator after dealing with the Forging matter, so they could call their father and mother to let them know they were safe.

"Master Cen, two children are looking for you. Mm, that's right. One has completely black hair, and the other has a little gold at the ends of his hair." The sweet-looking young woman dialed a number and contacted him.

After ending the call, the sweet-looking young woman said to the brothers, "Little brothers, Master Cen happens to be free. Come with me."

As she spoke, she led Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin toward one side of the lobby.

Yuan Yuan, the voluptuous young woman, watched their backs and stuck out her tongue, muttering to herself, "I never would've guessed it! These two little ones actually know Master Cen."

When the metal doors of the Soul Guidance Elevator opened before them, both brothers were startled. It was their first time seeing such a thing.

"Come on, step in." The sweet-looking young woman did not laugh at them. Instead, she smiled gently.

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin obediently stepped over to her side.

The sweet-looking young woman said, "My name is Yun Xiaoling. Master Cen's office is on the fifteenth floor. I'll take you to see him first, and then he'll bring you for your Forging Master rank test."

"Thank you, big sister." Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin spoke in unison, very politely.

Yun Xiaoling looked them over. Although these two children were dressed very simply, they were very good-looking.

Though their appearances were similar, the child with completely black hair had noticeably gentler features than the one whose hair tips held a trace of gold.

Though both were plain and unpretentious, they were also very polite, making it easy for people to like them.

"Ding!" The elevator stopped on the fifteenth floor, and the doors opened.

The walls were made of silvery-white metal, while the ceiling and floor were white. Clean and orderly—this was Tang Wuyang's first impression of the place.

Outside the elevator was a corridor, with doors lining both sides.

Yun Xiaoling led them down one side and stopped before a door bearing Cen Yue's nameplate, pressing the button on it.

"Master Cen, this is Yun Xiaoling. I've brought those two children to you."

"Mm." A deep voice sounded, and the door opened.