The Martial Soul Awakening was getting closer.
Before they knew it, nearly three months had passed.
One day, Old Jack returned to the smithy. He looked weary from the road, but his eyes were unusually bright.
He called Tang Yin and Tang San outside, away from Tang Hao, who had passed out drunk. From inside his robe, he carefully took out two admission notices bearing the seal of Notting Academy, along with two roughly carved wooden badges.
"Xiao Yin, Xiao San, Grandpa finally... finally made all that running around worthwhile!"
Old Jack's voice was hoarse, and his eyes were a little red.
"I got you both work-study positions! Notting Junior Soul Master Academy is about to start the new term!"
"Get yourselves ready. Grandpa will take you there when the time comes!"
As it turned out, over the past three months,
Old Jack had run all over the neighboring villages and made several trips to Nuoding City, wearing his tongue raw and calling in every favor he could.
He had even spent some of the savings he'd built up over the years to grease a few palms. Only then had he managed to "trade" for a work-study position from a small village that had no suitable students this year.
He said nothing of the hardship.
He simply pressed the notices and work-study badges into the brothers' hands, repeatedly reminding them to keep them safe.
As for whether Tang Hao would agree?
Old Jack didn't even bring it up.
He knew the drunkard would never allow two children he could use as beasts of burden to just up and leave.
But Old Jack had made up his mind. Even if Tang Hao objected,
he would tie up those two promising children and haul them to the academy if he had to!
As Tang Yin looked at the rough but weighty admission notice in his hand, he understood. He bowed solemnly to Old Jack.
"Grandpa Jack, I can never repay your kindness."
"Xiao San and I won't let you down."
Tang San bowed deeply as well, his eyes full of gratitude.
What about Tang Hao?
Tang Yin hadn't even planned to ask.
He knew the man wouldn't agree to let him and his younger brother, Tang San, study at Notting Academy.
After all, in Tang Hao's eyes, neither of them had a Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul.
In Tang Hao's eyes, they didn't even count as his real sons!
Besides, as a transmigrator, Tang Yin had managed to save some money over the past six years.
It would be enough for now.
And he and his younger brother, Tang San, both had Innate Full Soul Power. As long as they broke through to Soul Master, they could claim a Soul Master stipend.
They would each receive one Gold Soul Coin a month.
At least they wouldn't have to worry about food and drink!
Beside him, Tang San likewise didn't care in the least about Tang Hao's opinion.
In his heart, after Tang Hao had dared to insult his elder brother, Tang Yin, and profane the Tang Sect Secret Arts that day, he had ceased to be his father.
He was nothing but a drunkard!
For the sake of their blood relation, Tang San would for now withdraw his judgment that Tang Hao deserved death.
But from this day on, they would be strangers.
In this life, Tang San had his mother and his elder brother, Tang Yin. That was enough!
Soon, the day came for Notting Academy to begin its new term.
Knowing Tang Hao wouldn't allow it, Tang Yin and Tang San didn't bring it up at all.
There was no need to pack, either.
There was nothing in the smithy worth bringing with them.
After changing into two clean outfits patched all over, Tang Yin led Tang San to the village entrance, where they met up with Grandpa Old Jack and set off together for Nuoding City.
Nuoding City wasn't very far, but it still took most of the day to walk there.
When the afternoon sun began to scorch them, the three finally saw Nuoding City's not-so-tall walls.
After entering Nuoding City,
they asked around and at last reached Notting Junior Soul Master Academy.
From a distance, Notting Academy looked rather impressive.
It was surrounded by snow-white walls. In front stood a tall archway about twenty meters wide, built entirely from sturdy stone, with two iron gates beneath it.
Through the gates, they could see a broad avenue leading straight to the teaching buildings in the distance.
Above the archway, four characters were carved: Notting Academy!
When he saw Notting Academy,
Old Jack planted his cane on the ground, excitement written all over his face.
"We're here! Notting Academy is right ahead!"
"Xiao Yin, Xiao San, come with me!"
Old Jack quickened his pace and led Tang Yin and Tang San toward the entrance.
Tang Yin, however, didn't hurry to follow.
He knew the gates of Notting Academy weren't so easy to get through.
There was a gatekeeper here who looked down on people and judged them by their appearance.
Sure enough, the three had barely reached the entrance
when a gatekeeper in a gray uniform, lounging with one leg crossed over the other, darted over and blocked their way.
"Stop! Who are you?"
"Do you country bumpkins really think you can come here?"
The gatekeeper planted his hands on his hips, looking arrogant and disdainful.
Hearing him, Tang Yin's mouth twitched. He was utterly speechless.
He truly couldn't understand how anyone could be as idiotic as this gatekeeper!
He was just a gatekeeper at a Soul Master Academy. How had guarding the gates given him a sense of superiority?
And he dared to pick a fight with students who had come to enroll?
Was he really not afraid one of them might amount to something and come after him later?
Or was he the Notting Academy dean's brother-in-law or something?
But judging by the way he'd fawned over Gangzi in the original story, he didn't seem like anyone with connections.
Faced with the gatekeeper blocking their way,
Old Jack still smiled apologetically. He first took out Tang Yin and Tang San's Martial Soul certificates and handed them over, asking the gatekeeper to let them pass.
But after looking at Tang Yin and Tang San's Martial Soul certificates,
the gatekeeper saw that one had Blue Silver Grass and the other an unheard-of hand-type Mutated Martial Soul, White Jade Hand, and that both had Innate Full Soul Power.
He immediately scoffed and casually tossed the two certificates aside.
"What? Blue Silver Grass, that trash Martial Soul, and you're claiming Innate Full Soul Power?!"
"And this one... White Jade Hand? What the hell is that? I've never even heard of a hand-type Martial Soul, and you're claiming Innate Full Soul Power too?"
"Old man, who do you think you're fooling?"
Hearing the gatekeeper, Tang San's expression darkened. His eyes reddened, his breathing grew labored, and rage surged inside him.
This bastard had dared to insult his elder brother and the supreme Tang Sect Secret Arts!
He was begging for death!
But before Tang San could teach the gatekeeper a lesson,
Tang Yin stepped forward and asked, unhurriedly,
"You're saying our certificates are fake?"
"Of course! If they aren't fake, then what are they?"
Though the handsome Tang Yin, with his exceptionally rare blue-silver hair, did make the gatekeeper feel a little surprised,
he remained just as dismissive and impatient.
"Good."
Tang Yin smiled too. Without another word, he shot out a hand, clamped it around the gatekeeper's wrist, and dragged him away.
Though he was only six years old,
the strength that came with Innate Full Soul Power made him far stronger than the gatekeeper. The man was dragged along, stumbling forward.
"What are you doing? Let go, you little brat!"
The gatekeeper was shocked and furious. He struggled to yank himself free, but the little hand felt like an iron shackle.
"What am I doing?"
Tang Yin curled his lip and turned to the gatekeeper.
"If you think our Martial Soul certificates are fake, then let's go to the Nuoding City Martial Soul Branch Hall and ask Deacon Su Yuntao, the man who awakened our Martial Souls, to settle this face-to-face!"
"Let's see whether he, the deacon, forged them, or you, the gatekeeper, are blind!"
Go to the Martial Soul Branch Hall?
Confront Deacon Su Yuntao?
The gatekeeper's arrogance froze on his face, then gave way to panic.
He often bullied country folk, who didn't know any better and were timid.
But what if... what if the Martial Soul certificates were real?
He knew Deacon Su Yuntao.
The man wasn't anything important, but he was still someone a lowly gatekeeper like himself couldn't afford to offend!
If the two boys really had Innate Full Soul Power, then even if their Martial Souls were worthless, Deacon Su Yuntao would find out that he'd made trouble for them at the gate, insulted them, and questioned the authenticity of certificates issued by the Martial Soul Hall...
He'd likely lose his gatekeeping job!
"You... let go! Who said I'd go to the Martial Soul Hall with you? Get lost, get lost!"
The gatekeeper panicked and desperately tried to wrench himself free of Tang Yin's grip, but he couldn't budge.
"If we don't go to the Martial Soul Hall, how are we supposed to prove whether our certificates are real or fake?"
Tang Yin grinned, looking determined to get to the bottom of it.
"Still telling us to get lost? What are you afraid of?"
"You dare call our certificates fake, but you don't dare go ask?"
When the gatekeeper realized he couldn't break free of Tang Yin's grip, he finally understood that Tang Yin might really have Innate Full Soul Power. For a moment, he felt like crying.
"I was wrong!"
"I shouldn't have decided your Martial Soul certificates were fake, but I really can't go to the Martial Soul Hall!"
"Please, let me go!"
"I was wrong. I'll apologize to you, all right?"
Before you continue