The next day, Zhu Shen brought Tang San to the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City.
He told the female staff member at the entrance that he was Yu Xiaogang and wanted to bring Tang San in to have his Soul Power measured.
But he was a little taken aback.
The woman looked confused and somewhat displeased.
"You? You, of all people?" The woman was openly disdainful.
Zhu Shen felt as if he'd been insulted twice. He couldn't tell whether she thought Yu Xiaogang was a useless failure or thought he himself was inferior to Yu Xiaogang now.
Either way, he was a little unhappy.
Zhu Shen said, "This is my disciple, Tang San. His Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, and he has Innate Full Soul Power. He's obtained his First Soul Ring, so we're here to measure his Soul Power and register him as a Soul Master."
Zhu Shen said it calmly, and the woman's expression grew stranger by the second.
At last, she seemed unable to hold back her laughter. With a sneer, she said, "Are you here to cause trouble? Blue Silver Grass with Innate Full Soul Power? And you're pretending to be that useless failure, Grandmaster? What were you thinking?"
The woman's words were unpleasant, and Zhu Shen couldn't be bothered to waste his breath. He released his Martial Soul on the spot.
Two purple and two black Soul Rings revolved around him, and the phantom of a Golden Dragon appeared behind him.
At the same time, the ground sank slightly around Zhu Shen. Faint cracks appeared in the floor and the surrounding walls.
"What about now?"
The woman practically crawled as she scrambled toward the back hall of the branch.
"Branch Master! Branch Master! Something terrible has happened!"
The branch master was a fat old man in his fifties, leisurely drinking tea and reading the paper. The woman's shout startled him so badly that he spilled tea all over himself.
"What's all the fuss? Is the sky falling?"
"Worse than that! There's—there's a Soul Ancestor outside. He's incredibly handsome, and he says he's Yu Xiaogang!"
The fat old man froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Yu Xiaogang? That useless Grandmaster stuck at twenty-nine levels? If he has the strength of a Soul Elder, I'll eat this entire Spirit Hall Branch."
"But, Branch Master, he really does have the strength of a Soul Elder. And his Martial Soul is a Golden Dragon, with two Thousand-Year Soul Rings and two Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings. He's also exceptionally handsome—more handsome than the second son of Widow Li here in town..."
The smile froze on the fat old man's face, and the teacup slipped from his hand onto the table.
"What did you say?"
"Y-you should go see for yourself."
The fat old man stood up, still skeptical. He straightened his clothes, stuck out his belly, and headed outside. When he reached the entrance to the testing room, he immediately spotted the man standing beside the crystal ball.
He wore a gray cloth shirt, his hair tied back, his golden eyes bright. His frame was straight as a pine, and his whole bearing radiated an imposing authority.
The fat old man's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
He knew Yu Xiaogang. Yu Xiaogang had visited the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City ten years ago. Back then, he'd been in his thirties, with a haggard face and a stooped back. His eyes had been full of the bitterness of a man whose ambitions had come to naught. Walking down the street, he'd looked no different from an ordinary commoner.
But the man before him...
"Y-you really are Yu Xiaogang?" The fat old man's voice wavered.
Zhu Shen turned and looked at him calmly. "Branch Master, long time no see."
The fat old man's mind was a muddle. The voice did sound right, but this face and this bearing didn't match him at all.
He instinctively released a little Soul Power to probe the other man's level. But the moment it surged out, it slammed into a terrifyingly immense dragon's might.
The fat old man's Soul Power was torn to shreds like paper, and his knees buckled. He almost fell to the ground.
"Careful, Branch Master." Zhu Shen reached out and steadied him.
The fat old man braced himself against the wall, his face deathly pale. He was a Five-Ring Soul King, after all. Yet the pressure from the other man's Martial Soul had shaken him this badly?
He swallowed and managed to speak with difficulty. "G-Grandmaster, your Martial Soul..."
"It just evolved," Zhu Shen said casually.
The fat old man opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not knowing what. Evolved? Martial Souls could evolve? He'd never heard of such a thing.
"If there's nothing else, Branch Master, let's get down to business."
The fat old man nodded mechanically.
The test was completed shortly afterward.
Zhu Shen left the Spirit Hall Branch with Tang San, leaving a roomful of staff staring at one another.
Once they were outside, Tang San finally couldn't hold back. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "Teacher, that branch master's expression was hilarious."
Zhu Shen smiled too. "You're making a fuss over nothing."
"Teacher, where are we going now?"
"To Notting Academy." Zhu Shen strode ahead.
They stepped out through the Spirit Hall Branch's entrance, and the sunlight was just right.
Tang San followed behind Zhu Shen, looking up at the teacher who was now completely different from the one in his memories. An indescribable feeling welled up inside him.
"Teacher, are we going to Notting Academy next?"
"Yes." Zhu Shen nodded. "But before that, there's something I need to give you."
The two of them found a quiet alley. Zhu Shen took out the Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo Leg Bones he'd received as a quest reward the previous day. The Soul Bones were a rich green, glowing faintly, and felt warm to the touch.
"This is..." Tang San's eyes lit up.
"Your Lone Bamboo Soul Bone." Zhu Shen handed it to him. "Absorb it now. I'll keep watch."
Tang San took the Soul Bone and hesitated. "Teacher, could absorbing Soul Bones so often cause hidden problems? My father told me that Soul Masters should leave some time between absorbing Soul Bones..."
"That's true of ordinary Soul Bones, but these are different." Zhu Shen explained, "These Lone Bamboo Soul Bones all share the same origin, and they resonate with one another in a special way. The more you absorb, the better they fuse. Besides, I'm watching over you. What are you worried about?"
Tang San asked no more. He sat cross-legged and pressed the Soul Bone against his right leg.
Green light bloomed from the Soul Bone and flowed into Tang San like rippling water. This time, the absorption went even more smoothly than the previous two. In barely fifteen minutes, the light had completely faded.
Tang San opened his eyes, a flash of emerald light passing through them. He stood up and flexed both legs, his face bright with delight.
"How does it feel?"
"Great." Tang San felt the power surging through him. "Both my legs are stronger and more resilient, and..."
He focused his thoughts. His right leg glimmered faintly green, and several weeds by his feet suddenly shot up, instantly wrapping around a nearby section of a wooden post.
"What's that?" Zhu Shen raised an eyebrow.
"A skill attached to the Soul Bone." Tang San looked excited. "I can control plant growth over a small area. It's not very effective yet, but the feeling is incredible."
Zhu Shen nodded, thinking to himself: The system really does give you extraordinary things. This seemingly ordinary ten-year Soul Bone even has a hidden ability like this.
"Let's go. It's time for the academy."
Notting Academy stood in the southeastern corner of Nuoding City. It wasn't very large, but the surroundings were peaceful and secluded.
As a junior Soul Master Academy, it mainly admitted students between the ages of six and twelve, teaching them basic Soul Master knowledge and introductory combat techniques.
Zhu Shen led Tang San through the academy gates into a spacious plaza. A statue stood at the center, depicting an old man holding a staff. According to legend, he was the academy's founder.
It was early afternoon, and many students were out on the plaza. Some were sparring with their Soul Skills, others were practicing their physical conditioning, and still others were gathered in groups of two or three, discussing something.
The two of them soon drew attention.
Zhu Shen's appearance was simply too striking. An ordinary gray shirt took on an otherworldly air when he wore it. His golden eyes shone, his posture was straight, and he stood out from the crowd like a crane among chickens.
The gazes of quite a few female students settled on him as they whispered among themselves.
"Who's that? He's so handsome..."
"I've never seen him before. Is he a new teacher?"
"And who's the kid behind him? Is he a new student?"
Tang San felt the gazes around him and didn't quite know what to do with them. In his previous life, he'd been a member of the Tang Sect and had been used to keeping a low profile. Being stared at like this made him uncomfortable.
Zhu Shen didn't care. He headed straight for the teaching building.
They hadn't gone far when a voice came from the side.
"Stop! Who are you? This is academy grounds. No unauthorized entry!"
The speaker was a young man in his twenties, wearing the academy's teacher uniform. A badge bearing two Soul Rings was pinned to his chest, marking him as a Soul Grandmaster.
A well-dressed young man followed behind him. It was the rich young master who had provoked Zhu Shen the day before.
Zhu Shen stopped and glanced at the teacher, then at the well-dressed young man behind him. He understood.
The young man had lost face yesterday, so today he'd brought reinforcements.
"I'm Yu Xiaogang. I'm here to teach at the academy," Zhu Shen said calmly.
"Yu Xiaogang?" The young teacher froze, then scoffed. "You're Yu Xiaogang? That useless Grandmaster stuck at twenty-nine levels? Don't make me laugh! Everyone knows Yu Xiaogang is a middle-aged man with a bitter face. Just look at yours. If you're going to lie, at least make it believable!"
More and more students gathered around. When they heard the name "Yu Xiaogang," they all looked surprised.
Yu Xiaogang was indeed famous in the Soul Master World, but he was known both as a "theoretical master" and a "useless Soul Master."
Rumor had it that his Soul Power had been stuck at level twenty-nine his entire life, and that he'd only reached level twenty-nine after turning fifty. His Martial Soul was a failed mutation of Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and he couldn't even fight as well as a level-ten Soul Master.
But the man standing before them...
"Teacher Wang, he's the man who injured me in the Soul Hunting Forest yesterday!" The well-dressed young man pointed at Zhu Shen, grinding his teeth. "He's also pretending to be Grandmaster. He must have some kind of scheme!"
Teacher Wang's face darkened. "How dare you! You cause trouble in Nuoding City and impersonate Grandmaster! Someone, seize him!"
Several students stepped forward at once, surrounding Zhu Shen and Tang San. They were all Soul Masters above level ten. They released their Martial Souls, each with a single white Soul Ring.
Zhu Shen sighed.
He really didn't want to waste time in a place like this, but trouble always came knocking.
"Xiao San, step back."