Outside Spirit Hall, Old Jack was pleading with Su Yuntao to issue Martial Soul certificates for the two children with Innate Soul Power.
With Martial Soul certificates, they could use the village's work-study student slots to attend Notting Academy.
Su Yuntao didn't refuse. Issuing two certificates wouldn't cost him anything, and the children would owe him a favor.
How could he have known that, according to the original course of fate, Tang San—whose Martial Soul had awakened with his help—would not only fail to owe him a favor, but would one day destroy Spirit Hall!
As Su Yuntao issued certificates for the two children, he kindly reminded Old Jack, "Old Jack, your village only has one work-study student slot, but there are two children who can cultivate!"
"That's right, our village only has one slot!"
Old Jack had been so excited just moments ago that he'd completely forgotten about this.
In Old Jack's eyes, Tang San's family was poor, but Li Ping'an's family wasn't much better off. Neither family could afford the high tuition fees at a Soul Master Academy.
"Should we let one of them use next year's slot?"
"But what if another child who can cultivate comes from our village next year? And would waiting a whole year delay their cultivation?" Old Jack muttered to himself, troubled.
Still, he had lived for decades and had some experience. He had a way to handle the situation at hand.
Old Jack didn't notice that just after he said this, Tang San sneaked a glance at Li Ping'an.
Tang San had sharp eyes and ears, so he naturally heard every word Old Jack had said.
"There's only one work-study student slot at the Soul Master Academy?"
Tang San was determined to get that slot. If Li Ping'an stood in his way, then he would have earned his death!
It wasn't that Tang San was heartless. He now had a reason he had to leave his father, Tang Hao.
The system's prompt had told him that he and his father were likely enemies. Staying by Tang Hao's side was far too dangerous for him.
Tang San didn't know that Li Ping'an's system had sensed the viciousness he'd unwittingly let show.
[Detected that Sub-System host Tang San harbors hostility toward the host. Increasing Sub-System host Tang San's mission difficulty and reducing rewards.]
"Hm? What the heck? Tang San was hostile toward me just now?"
Li Ping'an looked back at Tang San, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.
Still, the system wouldn't have raised the alarm for no reason. Perhaps Tang San really had just wanted to do something nasty to him.
"No, Tang San is too dangerous. I have to stay far away from him!"
But Li Ping'an wasn't going to let it go just like that. He planned to secretly use the system later and find a chance to give Tang San a nasty surprise.
"Ah, but what about the reduced rewards? I wanted to release a mission for Tang San as soon as possible to improve the quality of his Blue Silver Grass!"
If the rewards were reduced, then a mission of that level would probably have to be delayed again.
"Deacon, do you know if any children in the neighboring Emperor Soul Village can cultivate this year?" Old Jack asked.
Su Yuntao shook his head. "Of all these villages, only your Holy Soul Village produced two children with Innate Soul Power!"
Old Jack let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Emperor Soul Village borrowed a work-study student slot from Holy Soul Village before. This year, they can pay it back!"
They couldn't use the work-study student slot, and lending it out wouldn't cost them anything. What was more, they could make the acquaintance of a future Soul Master. Why not?
"Make whatever arrangements you need. I still have a few more villages to visit, so I'll be going!"
Su Yuntao sighed. Thinking about Tang San's Innate Full Soul Power, he couldn't help feeling a little indignant.
Why couldn't he have been born with Innate Full Soul Power?
If his Lone Wolf Martial Soul had come with the aptitude of Innate Full Soul Power, he might already have become a Soul Ancestor—or even a Soul King.
As for that Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, even if its user cultivated to the level of a Soul King, it probably wouldn't have much combat strength, would it?
Su Yuntao shook his head, put the matter out of his mind, and headed for the next village.
Carrying two Martial Soul certificates, Old Jack planned to visit the neighboring village and borrow its work-study student slot. He sent Tang San and Li Ping'an home first.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Tang San secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He didn't want to kill anyone, either. Doing so might expose some of his secrets.
Especially now that he knew his father was a Titled Douluo. If Tang Hao noticed something was wrong with him, he had no idea how he would handle it.
Seeing that the matter had reached a conclusion, Li Ping'an quickly pulled his parents from this life along and left the wooden Spirit Hall hut, hurrying home.
Only after they got home did they realize that their Ping'an could actually cultivate Soul Power.
It took Li Ping'an a great deal of effort to get them off his back.
"Dad, Mom, since I can cultivate, why don't you have a few more children? Maybe they could cultivate too?"
"I asked around. As a work-study student at Notting Academy, I can earn five Copper Soul Coins a day, which comes to a hundred and fifty a month."
"Once I have more money than I can spend, I'll send it back to you. Then you won't have to work so hard!"
Li Ping'an coaxed and cajoled them, hoping his parents in this life would have a few more children to fulfill his filial duties in his stead.
"You child, what are you talking about?"
The two of them felt a little embarrassed, and lost interest in discussing Martial Souls with Li Ping'an.
After seeing them off, Li Ping'an left the house and found a place where Blue Silver Grass grew thickly. There, he began his cultivation journey.
"Although I have a system that can reward me with Soul Power, I can't neglect my own cultivation!"
When Tang San returned home, he went straight into Tang Hao's room.
Tang Hao was drunk as usual. When he saw Tang San return, he didn't even get up.
"Why'd you take so long? Get your old man something to eat!"
Tang San opened his mouth, then cautiously explained, "Dad, I went to awaken my Martial Soul today! It's the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul."
"Mm," Tang Hao replied.
For some reason, Tang San heard a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Tang Hao really was a little disappointed. He didn't think Tang San could avenge him.
But if Tang San had awakened the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul, at least he could have returned to the clan one day and atoned for Tang Hao's sins.
But the Martial Soul he'd awakened was Blue Silver Grass. He couldn't do anything with it.
"It seems only if Little San awakens the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul might he be able to redeem me for at least some of my sins!"
"It's a good thing I didn't send Ah Yin's seed back to Blue Silver Forest!"
There could only be one Blue Silver Emperor on Douluo Continent at a time.
If the Blue Silver Emperor revived, Tang Hao's son, Tang San, would have no chance of awakening the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul.
"How much Innate Soul Power do you have?" Tang Hao asked.
He wanted to know how far his son's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was from becoming the Blue Silver Emperor.
Tang San answered honestly, "I have Innate Full Soul Power!"
Tang San had actually awakened another Martial Soul, too, but for some reason, he had almost unconsciously hidden it.
"Innate Full Soul Power? Show me your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul!" Tang Hao climbed out of bed.
Under pressure, Tang San could only display his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
"No, this is Blue Silver Grass, not the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul! How could you have Innate Full Soul Power?"
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