Turning Black into White

Principal Fuqi's roar echoed across the Training Ground.

Only then did the teachers watching from the sidelines slowly come to their senses. There was no point expecting much from these junior academy teachers, who were barely Soul Masters in their twenties or thirties. The fight between Tang Ming and his opponent had already gone beyond their understanding.

Most of them were still wondering how the two of them could use Soul Skills without Spirit Rings.

But the principal's furious roar jolted everyone awake. They stared at the crossbow bolt embedded in the wooden stake and finally realized what had happened. Those who had long been unaccustomed to fighting were even more shaken.

Was someone trying to kill?

A Soul Fighting match that was supposed to be a demonstration of Soul Skills had actually turned into an attempt on someone's life?

Principal Fuqi tightened his fingers, crushing the wooden stake in his hand to splinters. All that remained was the five- or six-inch iron crossbow bolt. Struggling to suppress his anger, he turned and shot Tang San a sidelong glance.

"Tang San, what are you hiding in your wrist?"

A Soul Fighting match between students had turned into a killing. As the academy's principal, he could never tolerate that.

Everyone's gaze swung toward him. Tang San's expression was grim. He raised a hand to wipe the blood from his face, revealing a face swollen and bruised purple. He was thinking of how to talk his way out of this when he felt someone step behind him and pat his shoulder.

He turned around in alarm and saw Grandmaster standing behind him.

Teacher?

Yu Xiaogang gave a slight nod, his face full of concern. Then he gave Tang San a reassuring look and stepped past him, his not-so-broad back shielding Tang San.

"Old Jin! Why are you taking your anger out on Xiao San?"

Principal Fuqi's expression froze. He stared at Grandmaster in disbelief—the very man who was pointing at his nose and berating him.

"He—"

Principal Fuqi was furious. He raised the crossbow bolt in his hand, but before he could finish, Grandmaster cut him off with a sharp shout! Yu Xiaogang swept out his sleeve and pointed righteously at Naruto.

"You little brat! The winner had already been decided! Why did you still sneak an attack and injure Xiao San?"

"Huh?"

Naruto's eye twitched as the useless man pointed at him and cursed. He didn't have Principal Fuqi's spineless temperament, and he immediately fired back with a sneer. "How about having your precious disciple repeat what he said earlier?"

"What was that about not letting someone off lightly? Is this what you call not letting someone off? Killing them outright? Your precious disciple sure is something!"

Naruto shouted back.

The onlookers' gazes toward Tang San and his teacher grew strange.

The ordinary students didn't know the history between them, but the academy teachers weren't directly involved. Some had heard the rumors, and they had even mocked Grandmaster for being all talk and no substance, overreaching and aiming far too high.

To think his disciple would kill someone over that—it sent a chill down their spines.

"Lies! You're twisting everything around! That's all just your side of the story!" Yu Xiaogang raised his voice, his finger trembling with anger as he pointed at Naruto.

Whether the story was true or not, even if it was, what crime was there in a disciple vindicating his teacher?

And as for killing?

That was an absurd joke! How many Soul Masters in the world had never spilled a drop of blood? Could conflicts between Soul Masters really be settled with some empty show of Soul Fighting? Weren't they always a matter of life and death?

But none of that was appropriate to say now.

Yu Xiaogang only thought it to himself. Aloud, he showed no sign of backing down. "And as for that crossbow bolt, if you hadn't shamelessly attacked him by surprise, Xiao San wouldn't have been driven to kill in a fit of humiliation! This was your fault from the start. Didn't your parents teach you any better? How can you be so shameless?"

With those words, he had completely absolved Tang San of responsibility, even turning him into an innocent, spotless victim. All the blame fell on Naruto.

Principal Fuqi was left speechless with shock, while Naruto laughed in anger.

"Fine, fine, fine!"

"Grandmaster Yu may be no good at Soul Fighting, but he sure knows how to run his mouth!"

At Naruto's taunt, Yu Xiaogang trembled with rage and was about to curse again, but Naruto had already turned away. His gaze, full of killing intent, fixed on Tang San, who was only half visible behind Yu Xiaogang.

"Then how about a fight to the death right now? Let's fight again, and leave life and death to fate!"

"Xiao San's already been injured this badly by your shameless surprise attack, and you still have the nerve to suggest that!?" Yu Xiaogang roared, refusing outright. Tang San was in terrible shape, and there was no telling how many times more he could use the Hidden Weapons in his hands. How could Yu Xiaogang risk it?

Naruto curled his lips into a smile and raised his hand. To everyone's astonishment, he pointed at Yu Xiaogang.

"If Tang San can't do it, you can."

"You're level twenty-nine, and I'm only a measly level six. You've got nothing to lose. Dare to take me on?" Naruto sneered and lifted his chin in challenge.

"You!"

Yu Xiaogang's words caught in his throat.

How could he accept? Never mind whether he could beat this Little Monster—just displaying his Martial Soul in front of this crowd, and showing off its laughable way of attacking, would be enough to ruin Yu Xiaogang's reputation all over again!

Just as Yu Xiaogang found himself caught between a rock and a hard place, Tang San, who had finished a brief effort to catch his breath, let out a heavy exhale and stepped forward. "Teacher, let me handle this."

"Xiao San?"

Tang San shook his head to show there was no need to worry. He had merely lost his composure after being ambushed. The six-level gap in Soul Power and the decades of experience between them still stood.

He would never lose!

Naruto didn't think he would lose, either. He stepped past the principal. Purple-black Soul Power surfaced through the meridians that had been dry within his body.

Two murderous gazes crossed in midair.

"Have you two had enough!!"

Principal Fuqi's eye twitched as his furious roar rang across the Training Ground once more. Both of them frowned and looked up. There was no trace of the principal's supposed kindly good fortune left on his face now. All that remained was anger.

He stopped holding back his Soul Ancestor aura, pressing his vast Soul Power down on them both.

Already at the edge of their limits, they felt their bones crack beneath the pressure. They could no longer hold on and crashed straight to the ground.

After subduing the two with a raised hand, the furious Principal Fuqi drew back his hands behind his back and withdrew his Soul Power. Then he turned and bellowed at everyone around him.

"Get out! All of you, get out!"

The watching students scattered like birds and beasts. The teachers closest to them followed. Seeing that the principal seemed to mean everyone, they quickly turned and left as well.

Seeing how enraged his old friend was, Yu Xiaogang didn't dare say another word. He helped Tang San up from the ground, intending to take him to the school doctor.

But as soon as he had helped Tang San to his feet,

Tang San waved him off, refusing to leave. His gaze stayed fixed on Naruto, who had just gotten up as well.

Naruto sat cross-legged on the ground and glared right back without yielding. The two sides had already fallen out. Why pretend to be close classmates now?

"Fine, fine, fine!" Hearing the two of them, Principal Jin's voice rose beside them, repeating the word several times. The self-mocking tone made it all the more chilling. "I'm such a useless principal! Now I can't even control two kids who've only just enrolled!"

"Principal..."

Naruto felt a little bad about the principal. He was about to explain when Principal Jin bent down, wearing a strange smile that didn't reach his eyes. He looked from one to the other and spoke gently.

"I'll find a chance later for you two Little Monsters to settle this once and for all. How does that sound?"

Then his expression changed in an instant.

He enunciated every word.

"Now get out! All of you!!"