In the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
Early one morning, at the entrance to Holy Soul Village.
Old Jack had hitched up the carriage and loaded Tang San and Huang Fei's luggage aboard.
There wasn't much luggage, just two small bundles, a few changes of clothes, and a set of Tang San's iron tools.
He insisted on bringing them, saying they might come in handy.
A large crowd of villagers had gathered, all talking at once as they gave them advice.
"Xiao San, study hard at the academy!"
"Huang Fei, stop sleeping all the time! You still need to cultivate!"
"You're both good kids. You'll make something of yourselves one day!"
Tang San answered them one by one, polite and considerate.
Huang Fei looked as if he hadn't woken up yet. He leaned against the carriage, eyes half closed, mumbling "Mm-hmm," "Sure," and "Got it."
Old Jack sat in the driver's seat, reins clutched in his hands. He looked back at Holy Soul Village, then at the two children about to leave on a long journey, and his eyes reddened.
"Sit tight. We're off!"
The carriage started slowly, rolling along the dirt road toward Nuoding City.
Inside the carriage, Tang San opened the book about Soul Masters that Tang Hao had given him and carefully read about the different kinds of Soul Beasts and the properties of Soul Rings.
Huang Fei leaned against the pile of luggage, pulled his coat over his face, and prepared to catch up on some more "sleep on the road."
The carriage rattled along, and dust from the yellow dirt road danced in the morning light.
"Huang Fei, are you really not going to read?" Tang San couldn't help asking.
"No, no, no." Huang Fei's muffled voice came from beneath his coat. "Wake me when we get there."
Tang San sighed and lowered his head to keep reading.
Up front, Old Jack drove the carriage. Hearing that one of the children was reading and the other was sleeping, he couldn't help shaking his head.
They were both born with Innate Full Soul Power. How could they be so different?
The carriage continued south.
They passed through several small towns along the way, crossing fields and patches of woodland.
Sometimes Tang San would stop to examine the plants beside the road, noting where different herbs grew and which places suited Blue Silver Grass.
Huang Fei was switched off for the entire trip. The only time he briefly powered back on was when Tang San called him to eat. Once he finished, he switched right back off.
After two days on the road, the outline of Nuoding City finally came into view.
"We're here." Old Jack's voice was full of barely concealed excitement. "That's Nuoding City up ahead. The academy you're going to is inside."
Tang San lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the gray-white city in the distance, anticipation flickering in his eyes.
Huang Fei finally took his coat off his face. He squinted toward Nuoding City, then closed his eyes again.
"It's pretty big," he remarked, and went back to sleep.
Tang San: "..."
They entered Nuoding City, and Old Jack easily found the Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
The academy stood in the eastern part of the city and covered a sizable area. Its gray-green walls looked solemn and dignified in the sunlight.
Old Jack stopped the carriage at the academy entrance and helped the two children unload their luggage.
"Go on."
Old Jack patted Tang San on the shoulder, then Huang Fei's. "Study hard, and don't bring shame on Holy Soul Village."
Tang San nodded solemnly.
This time, Huang Fei didn't brush him off. He said earnestly, "Grandpa Jack, take it easy on the way back."
Old Jack's eyes reddened again. He quickly turned around, climbed onto the carriage, and left without looking back.
The carriage had gone a long way, but Huang Fei could still hear Old Jack sniffling.
"Let's go." Tang San took a deep breath, picked up his bundle, and headed for the academy gates.
Huang Fei picked up his own bundle and followed behind him.
After two steps, he suddenly remembered something and hurried to catch up with Tang San. Lowering his voice, he said, "Xiao San, ask around about hunting for a Soul Ring as soon as we get there. You've been stuck at level ten for too long. You need to break through soon."
Tang San was taken aback. "Aren't you stuck there too?"
"Me?" Huang Fei yawned. "I'm in no hurry. I'll wait for you."
Tang San: "..."
He felt that Huang Fei's expression looked strange when he said it, as if he were holding back a laugh.
But Tang San didn't think much of it. He strode through the gates of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
Huang Fei followed behind and glanced up at the academy gates, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Notting Academy, Yu Xiaogang, Xiao Wu, and that Wang Sheng guy...
The plot was about to begin.
But none of that mattered. What mattered was—
Tang San was finally about to start leveling up.
Huang Fei stretched luxuriously and strolled into the academy.
After waiting three months, the day had finally arrived.
The entrance to Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy was far more impressive than he'd imagined.
Soul Beast patterns were carved into the gray-green stone pillars. The iron gates stood a full two zhang tall, and four gold-plated characters were engraved above them.
Notting Academy
Tang San stood at the entrance, looking up at the four characters, longing in his eyes.
Huang Fei, meanwhile, was watching the gatekeeper.
No one stopped them.
The old gatekeeper sat inside his booth, dozing with a teapot in his hands. He didn't even lift an eyelid.
Huang Fei followed Tang San into the academy, thoughtful, a strange feeling stirring in his heart.
Something was off.
In the original story, hadn't Tang San and Old Jack been hassled by the gatekeeper when they came to register?
Old Jack had even argued with him, saying something like, "Work-study students are students too."
Then Yu Xiaogang had come out to break up the argument, showing off his "invincible theories" and talking Tang San into becoming his disciple.
But what about now?
The gatekeeper hadn't even looked at them.
Huang Fei glanced back at the dozing gatekeeper.
He wasn't right, either.
In the original story, that gatekeeper had been a young man with a sharp chin and shifty eyes.
But now he was an old man...
Then Huang Fei looked at Tang San beside him, and a thought surfaced.
Could his arrival have caused a butterfly effect?
Or maybe...
Both he and Tang San were work-study students, and Old Jack hadn't come with them. With no one to argue with the gatekeeper, there was no reason for anyone to come out and break things up.
What about Yu Xiaogang?
According to the original timeline, Yu Xiaogang should already be at the academy by now.
His research into "Trash Martial Souls" kept him wandering around the academy all day, searching for "suitable" test subjects.
Tang San, with his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power, was precisely the "perfect little white mouse" Yu Xiaogang had dreamed of.
But now, none of it had happened.
Huang Fei scratched his head. When he couldn't figure something out, he didn't bother thinking about it.
Whether Yu Xiaogang showed up or not, whether Tang San became his disciple or not, it made no difference to Huang Fei.
He didn't need to cultivate or study Martial Soul Theory. All he needed to do was follow Tang San.
"Huang Fei, what are you thinking about?" Tang San's voice came from ahead.
Huang Fei came back to his senses and realized he had fallen several steps behind.
"Nothing. Just taking in the scenery."
He hurried to catch up with Tang San.
The academy really did have lovely grounds.
The main path, paved with flagstones, ran straight toward the classroom building. Neatly lined ginkgo trees stood on either side,
their golden leaves carpeting the ground. Farther away, he could make out the training field, where a few older students were sparring. The glow of Soul Power shimmered in the sunlight.
The classroom building was a three-story brick structure with large windows that let in plenty of light.
Farther back, he could see the roof of the dormitory building and a sizable garden.
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