Old Jack was a kindly man. Looking at the gatekeeper in uniform blocking their path, he took two Martial Soul certificates from inside his clothes and politely handed them over, smiling apologetically.
"Young man, we've come from Holy Soul Village. These two children are this year's work-study students from our village. They've come to enroll today."
The gatekeeper frowned at Old Jack's words, a look of disdain on his face as he spoke in a mocking tone.
"Well, well, a backwater village actually managed to produce children with Soul Power? A golden phoenix from a nest of weeds—and two of them, no less? Talk is cheap. Show me their Martial Soul certificates!"
Hearing the gatekeeper put down Holy Soul Village, Old Jack felt a surge of anger. But standing in front of the academy, he had to bow his head. He swallowed his anger and took out the two Soul Master certificates issued by Su Yuntao, handing them to the gatekeeper.
The gatekeeper casually took Li Luo and Tang San's Martial Soul certificates and glanced over them indifferently, his tone hostile.
"Well, well, Blue Silver Grass and Innate Full Soul Power. Hmph, and some unknown Sphere Martial Soul, also with Innate Full Soul Power? What a joke! I've worked as a gatekeeper here for years and never seen a student with Innate Full Soul Power. Now two show up at once, and one of them has a Trash Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass."
"Honestly, if you're going to forge Martial Soul certificates, at least put some effort into it!"
The gatekeeper tossed the two certificates toward Old Jack. Old Jack hurried to catch them, but his aged body wasn't nimble enough, and he missed.
Fortunately, Li Luo had been ready. He secretly used Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon and caught the certificates securely.
Seeing that the certificates were safe, Old Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Then, seeing how nimble Li Luo was, he felt his pride swell anew.
The gatekeeper knew these were Martial Soul certificates issued by Spirit Hall. But as the saying went, the King was easy to deal with, while his lackeys were a nuisance. The gatekeeper simply wanted to squeeze some toll money out of them.
But the people of Holy Soul Village were honest and simple, and Old Jack was frugal by nature. Whether or not he understood the gatekeeper's little tricks, there was no way he'd pay that so-called toll.
"Our certificates were personally issued by Battle Soul Master Su Yuntao of Spirit Hall. If you don't recognize them, we'll go ask someone from Spirit Hall for help."
Just like in Li Luo's previous life, where the saying went, "When you're in trouble, call the police," people on Douluo Continent who suffered bullying they couldn't handle would first turn to Spirit Hall to uphold justice.
Spirit Hall held an irreplaceable place in the hearts of ordinary people across Douluo Continent.
As soon as Old Jack said he would go find someone from Spirit Hall, the gatekeeper panicked. He hadn't gotten anything out of them, and now he was about to get himself into trouble. Frustrated and flustered, he blurted out,
"What Holy Soul Village? It might as well be called Beggar Village!"
Hearing the gatekeeper insult his hometown, Old Jack flew into a rage. He spun around and strode toward him, ready to demand an explanation.
"What did you say?"
Seeing Old Jack storm toward him, the gatekeeper's heart skipped a beat. He was a little scared and reached out to shove the approaching old man away.
If the gatekeeper shoved him, Old Jack's aged body might really lose its balance and even fall to the ground.
A fall was no small matter for an old person. One wrong move, and they could suffer a serious injury.
But Li Luo wouldn't stand by and let Old Jack be bullied. Before the gatekeeper's hand could touch him, Li Luo stepped forward and slapped it away.
"Ugh!" The gatekeeper winced in pain, quickly pulled his hand back, and shook it out. He blew on it to ease the pain.
His whole body was soft as dough, but his mouth was hard as stone. Seeing Li Luo dare to lay hands on him, he flew into a rage.
"You dare hit me? You country bumpkin think you can act this brazenly at Notting Academy!"
"Do you know who my father is? I'll make sure you never get into school!"
The gatekeeper had been skimming money from new students for years, so he must have had some connections.
But his threat was mostly bluff, with only a shred of truth to it. He didn't actually have the power to keep Li Luo out of school; he was just trying to scare him.
But he regretted his arrogance the very next moment.
A yellow Century Soul Ring slowly rose beneath Li Luo's feet.
"Oh? What was that? Say it again if you've got the guts!"
Li Luo stepped forward and looked at the gatekeeper.
He didn't like throwing his weight around, but if anyone dared threaten him, he wouldn't take it lying down. He would hit back.
"Ah? You're a Soul Master! Young master, why didn't you say so sooner? Look at the mess I've made. I was in the wrong. Please, come in! Welcome to Notting Academy!"
The gatekeeper, who had been swaggering just moments ago, saw Li Luo's Century Soul Ring and turned on a dime, like a chameleon.
He was already regretting looking down on them. In a small place like Nuoding City, anyone who could absorb a Century Soul Ring as their First Soul Ring was a genius among geniuses.
Even Xiao Chenyu, the son of the Nuoding City lord, had only a white Soul Ring as his First Soul Ring.
And Li Luo was still a student who hadn't even enrolled yet.
The gatekeeper's imagination ran wild as he tried to guess Li Luo's background and status. He was afraid he'd offended some big shot, lost his iron-rice-bowl job, or even been bundled into a sack and dumped in the wilderness as Soul Beast fodder that night.
That was why his attitude had changed so drastically after he saw Li Luo's Century Soul Ring.
Old Jack already knew that Li Luo had become a Soul Master, because Li Luo had told him.
But Old Jack didn't press him about where he'd gotten his Soul Ring. All he knew was that his grandson—even if he'd found him—had become a revered Soul Master, the first one Holy Soul Village had seen in years.
He was proud of Li Luo.
Now the gatekeeper didn't dare stop Li Luo and Tang San from enrolling, and he certainly didn't have the nerve to ask them for a bribe.
"Xiao Luo, Xiao San, once you're at Notting Academy, study hard. Don't get into fights with your classmates, and listen to your teachers."
"Xiao Luo, you're level-headed, and Xiao San is shy. Look after him a little, and don't let anyone bully him."
In Old Jack's eyes, Tang San had never liked talking to people. He'd always been like a little mute, very withdrawn, and only got along with Li Luo. So Old Jack worried that Tang San's personality would get him bullied at school.
In truth, it was already kind of Tang San not to bully anyone else.
"Both of you are your grandpa's pride, and the pride of Holy Soul Village!"
A thousand miles away, the elders worried. Before leaving, Old Jack gave Li Luo and Tang San many more reminders.
Even as he left, he looked back again and again, unable to stop worrying about the two children.
Li Luo and Tang San watched Old Jack leave. Only when he had vanished from sight did they turn around to enter Notting Academy.
But the moment they stepped inside, an unexpected yet somehow inevitable discordant voice rang out.
"Wait! Please stop!"