Yao Chuan deliberately made his tone light and confident.
"There's no need to rush this. Since he's only 'talking' to you for now, that means he can't do anything to you yet. You still have the initiative."
"Remember!"
Yao Chuan's gaze sharpened.
"No matter how enticing the promises he makes! No matter how sincere and harmless he seems! Until he's proven beyond a doubt that he's safe and means you no harm... don't believe a single word!"
"Anything he asks you to do..."
Yao Chuan stressed each word.
"Unless I've confirmed it, treat it as a scam! Got it?"
Tang Wulin nodded forcefully, as if he'd found his rock to cling to.
"Mm! Bro! I'll remember! I only trust you!"
Yao Chuan let out a sigh of relief.
"That's more like it! Go back and get some sleep. The sky isn't falling! As for this..."
A glint flashed in Yao Chuan's eyes.
"We'll have to think it through carefully. I need to mull it over."
After reassuring the still-shaken Tang Wulin,
Yao Chuan watched him tiptoe back to his plank bed.
Then he lay down again.
In the darkness, his eyes were wide open. There wasn't a trace of sleepiness left in him.
Starlight filtered through the narrow window, illuminating the excited flames dancing in his eyes.
The fish had taken the bait!
Tang San's divine consciousness had already awakened.
Tang Wulin's vigilance was at an all-time high.
And the Golden Dragon King's power could actually "leak" out passively like this, allowing him to absorb it...
It was as if a sleepy man had found a pillow!
Yao Chuan couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from lifting.
The "wool-shearing plan"...
No!
This wasn't just shearing wool anymore. It was like hugging a gold mine and taking a bite!
Thinking about it, Yao Chuan felt his blood run hot.
Lying on the hard bed, Yao Chuan stared wide-eyed into the darkness, like he had two luminous pearls embedded in his eyes.
The grin on his face was impossible to suppress.
That kid Tang Wulin was a walking treasure trove of energy!
The Golden Dragon King's power! Even just a tiny bit leaking out passively had such texture and domineering force that it made the Black Dragon Martial Soul inside him stir restlessly, like a famished wolf pup catching the scent of meat.
This was much faster than grinding away at meditation or blacksmithing to improve himself. It was practically cheating!
Unfortunately, this pie from the heavens wasn't something he could eat whenever he wanted.
Early the next morning, Yao Chuan pretended to run into Tang Wulin, who had just finished his morning exercises and was drenched in sweat.
He casually patted the other boy's shoulder and made a little small talk.
The result?
Not a hair's worth of power.
Tang Wulin was calm, his power restrained, and the Golden Dragon King's aura steady as a rock. Not a bit had leaked out.
Yao Chuan couldn't help feeling disappointed.
He had a mountain of treasure in his hands, but the key was in someone else's. He still had to watch the other person's mood. This wool was not easy to shear.
Looks like he'd have to keep coaxing "Boss Tang," and get him worked up more often.
Yao Chuan mulled over his next move.
The weekend arrived.
The area outside Eastsea Academy's gates teemed with people. The students streamed out of school like birds released from their cages, laughing and chatting.
Yao Chuan strolled along with his hands in his pockets, his gaze unfocused as his mind continued turning over Tang Wulin and the Golden Dragon King.
How could he get this kid worked up willingly—and often?
It was a delicate craft.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of someone racing past, as if his feet had wheels of fire and wind.
Hey, who else could move with such a whirlwind pace but Tang Wulin?
"Hey! Wulin!" Quick as a flash, Yao Chuan grabbed Tang Wulin by the back of the collar, nearly lifting him off the ground.
"Running that fast—off to save the world?"
Tang Wulin stumbled when he was yanked back. He turned around, saw it was Brother Yao Chuan, and immediately wore an expression that mixed anxiety with embarrassment.
Sweat ran down his temples. He was clearly in a hurry.
"Brother Yao Chuan! It's you... You startled me." Tang Wulin panted, his voice trembling slightly. "I... I was rushing to Teacher Mang Tian's workshop!"
Yao Chuan raised an eyebrow and let go, his tone teasing.
"Oh? Going to Teacher Mang Tian's to forge? That's a good thing. What are you panicking about?"
"Forging? Don't even mention it!" Tang Wulin cried, banging his fist against his head in frustration. "I'm not going to forge. I'm going to apologize! I screwed up!"
He was as frantic as an ant on a hot pan.
"Teacher Mang Tian gave me a Level Two forging assignment before. It's been a week! A whole week! And... and I completely forgot about it!"
"He just contacted me and chewed me out! I explained that I'd been too busy with academy training. Every day, the physical training leaves me exhausted, and it takes ages to recover through meditation. I really couldn't find the time..."
"But he doesn't believe me! He thinks I was just slacking off! He thinks I'm making excuses!"
"He said that even if a first-year at an intermediate academy was busy, he shouldn't forget his own forging assignments entirely!"
"He... he's furious and completely disappointed in me."
"I really didn't do it on purpose! Teacher Wu's been pushing us especially hard in special training this week, and I've been working on controlling Blue Silver Grass, too. My head's completely stuffed... Brother Yao Chuan, I'm done for. Teacher Mang Tian will never speak to me again!"
Tang Wulin's voice was full of deep remorse and panic.
Yao Chuan watched him act as if the sky had fallen and listened to his endless explanations, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Forging?
Right!
How had he forgotten about that?
When Tang Wulin forged, especially during high-intensity work like Thousand Refinement, he would definitely stir up the Golden Dragon King Bloodline's power, consciously or not, to draw out his strength!
Getting worked up? Doing high-intensity forging, focusing intently, and pouring out power like crazy—how could that not get him "worked up"? It was much more reliable than provoking him with words!
A broad, golden road to shearing wool lay right before him!
Yao Chuan settled on his plan in an instant.
He put on a reliable look that said "Leave it to me," swept his hand grandly, and clapped Tang Wulin on the shoulder.
"What's the big deal? Look at how worked up you are."
"You just forgot an assignment and got a few words from Teacher Mang Tian." Yao Chuan spoke lightly, with a calm confidence that put people at ease. "I know Teacher Mang Tian's temper. He has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Don't worry. I'll sort this out for you!"
"Huh? You'll sort it out for me?" Tang Wulin gaped at Yao Chuan. "Brother Yao Chuan, this... this forging assignment..."
"An assignment can be made up. The key is to get him to cool off." Yao Chuan wore an expression that said it was no big deal and held out his hand to Tang Wulin. "Give me your Soul Guidance Communicator."
Tang Wulin instinctively took out the Soul Guidance Communicator issued as a benefit by the association and handed it over.
"Brother Yao Chuan, what are you going to do?"
"What do you think? I'm going to explain things to Teacher Mang Tian for you!" Yao Chuan took the communicator and quickly searched the contacts. "And while I'm at it, I'll snag a little 'supervising' work and help you catch up on your forging!"
The call connected soon enough.
Mang Tian's unmistakably low, hoarse voice, brimming with displeasure, immediately exploded from the communicator:
"Brat! What is it this time? Finished the assignment? Or do you have another new excuse? I'm telling you, my patience is—"
"Hello! Teacher Mang Tian? How are you?" Without waiting for the other man to finish venting, Yao Chuan spoke up, his voice loud and just the right amount of enthusiastic, instantly cutting off Mang Tian's anger. "I'm Yao Chuan, Tang Wulin's classmate! He's right here beside me, pacing around in a panic!"
There was a long pause on the other end.
Clearly, Mang Tian hadn't expected a stranger's voice to suddenly interrupt.
"Yao Chuan? Who's that? Why do you have Tang Wulin's communicator? Where is he? Let him talk to me himself!"
"Teacher Mang Tian, don't be upset. Hear me out." Yao Chuan's tone stayed steady, completely unaffected by the other man's anger. "Wulin really has been dealing with a lot. He wasn't deliberately shirking his responsibilities. You know Wu Changkong from Class Zero at Eastsea Academy, the one they call the cold-faced devil instructor? His training is downright inhuman!"
"Wulin's been worked to the bone this week."
"His physical training is pushed to the limit, and controlling Blue Silver Grass leaves him mentally drained. After a whole day, most of his time is spent meditating to recover. He's completely in a 'Who am I? Where am I?' state."
"Forget your forging assignment—he's almost forgotten his own last name!"
Yao Chuan spoke at an unhurried pace, laying out Tang Wulin's predicament clearly and convincingly.
"Look, you just finished chewing him out, and now he's so anxious he's practically on fire. He can't wait to fly to your workshop and apologize on bended knee."
"But in his current state, I think he'd only cause you trouble if he went. He can barely hold a hammer steady."
There was another silence on the other end.
Yao Chuan could hear heavy breathing. Mang Tian was clearly taking in this information. His anger seemed to have ebbed a little, but he was still suspicious.
"Hmph! Even if he's busy with training, that's no excuse for forgetting his proper work entirely! And who are you? What gives you the right to speak for him?"
"Come on, Teacher, I'm Yao Chuan!" Yao Chuan's tone shifted, taking on the particular confidence of a young man and... just the right touch of swagger. "You're an important man with a lot on your mind, so you might not remember a nobody like me. But my master, President Mu Chen, must have mentioned me to you, right? About... three years ago?"
"Three years ago?" Mang Tian repeated the words, apparently trying to remember. "Mu Chen..."
"Right!" Yao Chuan pressed on while he had the chance. "Three years ago, didn't my master, President Mu Chen, bring a little brat over to your place and show him off? He was bragging that the kid could work Heavy Silver through Thousand Refinement like he was playing with mud."
A sharp intake of breath came through the communicator!
"Hss—It was you?! That... that Little Monster Mu Chen brought over to show off?!"
Mang Tian's voice rose sharply, brimming with surprise.
The memory clicked into place at once!
Three years ago, Mu Chen had indeed brought a little prodigy named Yao Chuan to his workshop. The boy had demonstrated a Heavy Silver Thousand Refinement right there. His technique, his control of the heat, his effortless ease—it hardly seemed possible for a child!
He'd left Mang Tian and several of his old friends thoroughly shaken.
Even now, just remembering Mu Chen's smug grin made Mang Tian's hands itch!
"Teacher Mang Tian, you finally remember!" Yao Chuan chuckled. "That's right, it's me. I was young back then and didn't know any better. I made a fool of myself in front of you."
"Hmph! Made a fool of yourself? You were rubbing our old faces in the dirt!"
Mang Tian snorted, but his tone had softened considerably and even held a hint of reminiscence. "So it was you, kid... You and Tang Wulin... Heh, what a coincidence. Two little monsters ended up together?"
"Isn't it just? A special kind of fate!" Yao Chuan seized the opening and went straight to the point. "So, Teacher Mang Tian, given Wulin's current situation, he really can't be in two places at once for the time being. You know his talent for forging. It'd be a shame to let it go to waste."
"As it happens, we share a dorm room, so I see him every day. And when it comes to forging, I've at least gotten my foot in the door, right?"
Yao Chuan's tone brimmed with the confidence of someone who expected the other man to get it.
"Here's what I was thinking. How about this?"
"While he's at the academy, you can leave me in charge of overseeing his forging assignments, guiding his training, keeping track of his progress, and all that."
"I promise I'll keep an eye on him. I won't let him miss a single hammer strike he ought to make!"
"I'll make sure he catches up on all the progress he's missed, and maybe even give you a surprise!"
"What do you think? That way, he won't be worrying about running back and forth between the two places and falling behind on both."
There was another stretch of silence on the other end.
The only sound was Mang Tian's fingers tapping against a metal workbench—tap, tap, tap—as he seemed to weigh the idea.
After a long while, Mang Tian's metallic voice rang out again. It still held little warmth, but the anger that had kept everyone at arm's length was gone.
"Hmph! You've got a lot of nerve, kid. Want to play stand-in teacher?"
"But... since it's you..."
"All right!" Mang Tian finally decided. "For your master Mu Chen's sake and the bit of friendship the old man and I had back then—and because you really did have some skill in those days!"
"While Tang Wulin's at school, you're in charge of keeping an eye on his forging!"
"His assignment progress, technique, and control of the heat—don't let a single thing slide!"
"If I find out he's slacking off, or you dare to half-ass the job..."
Mang Tian's voice suddenly turned stern.
"I'll deal with you too! Even Mu Chen's favor won't save you!"
"Got it! Teacher Mang Tian, you can rest easy!" Yao Chuan immediately promised, his voice ringing out. "I'll get the job done! I'll whip Tang Wulin into shape for you!"
"Mm." Mang Tian answered, his tone somewhat gentler. "Tell him to focus on sorting things out at the academy. As for the forging... take it slow. Building a solid foundation is what matters most. I'm hanging up!"
"Beep, beep, beep..." The call ended.
Yao Chuan casually tossed the communicator back to Tang Wulin, who was standing beside him, so tense he could hardly breathe.
"Done!"
Tang Wulin scrambled to catch the communicator. His face still showed the dazed disbelief of someone who'd just escaped disaster.
"D-Done? Teacher Mang Tian... isn't angry anymore? And he agreed?"
"Of course! When I step in, I'm worth two!" Yao Chuan raised an eyebrow, his face calm, as if this were routine. "Teacher Mang Tian said to focus on the academy for now. The forging can wait; building a solid foundation comes first. But..."
He changed tack, wearing a smile that made Tang Wulin's heart inexplicably beat faster.
"The important job of supervising and guiding you now falls to me."
"Junior Brother Wulin, are you ready for Teacher Yao Chuan's special training?"
Tang Wulin looked at Yao Chuan's dazzlingly bright smile. His gratitude was instantly smothered by a faint sense of foreboding.
He had a feeling... that he'd just escaped Teacher Mang Tian's furnace, only to turn around and fall into Brother Yao Chuan's... Hmm?
He couldn't put it into words, but the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
Still, getting the trouble with Teacher Mang Tian sorted out was already a huge relief!
Tang Wulin nodded vigorously, his face sincere. "Thank you, Brother Yao Chuan! Thank you so much! I'll make sure to train hard!"
Yao Chuan nodded with satisfaction and patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder.
"Good lad. All right, enjoy your weekend. Go do whatever you need to do."
Watching Tang Wulin run off, relieved and full of thanks, Yao Chuan's smile slowly faded. The glint in his eyes, however, grew brighter and brighter.
Before you continue