First Entry into Notting, Crazy Bloodsucking

Notting Academy's gates stood taller than any house in Holy Soul Village.

Old Jack stood before them with Tang San, his clothes washed pale and the soles of his shoes caked with mud from the road. Compared to the two uniformed guards at the entrance, they looked glaringly poor.

Ji Yuan was hidden in the inner layer of the bundle. He had been jostled all the way here, yet his roots remained tightly hooked into the seams.

He did not complain.

The closer they came to the academy, the more he could sense the active soul power in the surroundings.

This place suited him better than Holy Soul Village.

A guard stopped Old Jack and glanced sideways at the certificate.

"A work-study student? Holy Soul Village? Innately full soul power? Blue Silver Grass?"

The other guard gave a laugh.

"Old man, if you're going to make something up, at least make it believable. Blue Silver Grass with innately full soul power?"

Old Jack's face flushed red as he held out the certificate.

"This was issued by Spirit Hall. Look carefully."

The guard did not take it. Instead, he pushed the certificate away with the back of his hand.

"Who knows whether Spirit Hall's seal is real? Plenty of people have been sneaking into the academy with fake certificates lately. You country bumpkins have some nerve."

Tang San stood beside him, his fingers already reaching for his sleeve.

Through the spores, Ji Yuan sensed that killing intent and gave a cold smile.

"Hidden sleeve arrows?"

"Too petty."

Old Jack trembled with anger.

"How can you say that? The child has soul power. The village gave him this place because we hope he'll make something of himself."

The guard sneered. "Make something of himself? What could Blue Silver Grass ever amount to? Go back and cut grass."

As he spoke, he reached out and shoved Old Jack.

Old Jack was advanced in years. He staggered backward from the push, nearly falling.

The killing intent in Tang San's eyes could no longer be concealed, and the mechanism in his sleeve had already been readied.

This was the very instant Ji Yuan had been waiting for.

Consciousness Deprivation activated.

Tang San's control over his body was forcibly suppressed. The moment Ji Yuan took over his limbs, he first pressed the hidden sleeve arrows back into the sleeve, then hooked his left hand against the edge of the bundle.

Tang San's consciousness was both shocked and furious deep within his sea of consciousness.

"Who are you?"

Ji Yuan did not answer.

He controlled Tang San into taking a step forward. With his left hand hidden at his side, he released the weight of the Clear Sky Hammer for only an instant and smashed it into the guard's shin.

Crack.

The guard screamed and dropped to his knees, clutching his leg as he rolled across the ground.

The other guard's expression changed. He rushed forward.

Ji Yuan controlled Tang San to raise his eyes at him. Blue Silver Grass shot from his right hand, wrapped around the man's ankle, and yanked. The man crashed to the ground, blood immediately streaming from his nose.

Old Jack froze.

"Little San?"

The real Tang San struggled madly within his body.

"Who are you? Give my body back!"

Ji Yuan still did not respond.

He could not speak, nor could he let Tang San know.

He merely borrowed Tang San's mouth and said coldly, "The Spirit Hall certificate is right here. Are you blocking academy students, or are you blocking Spirit Hall?"

The injured guard was drenched in sweat from the pain, but his words remained stubborn.

"You dared to attack academy personnel. You're finished!"

Ji Yuan controlled Tang San to bend down, pick up the certificate that had been stepped on and dirtied, brush off the dust, and return it to Old Jack.

Old Jack's hand was still shaking.

"Little San, just now..."

Ji Yuan immediately released Consciousness Deprivation and returned the body to Tang San.

The moment Tang San came back to himself, he swayed slightly. All that remained in his mind was the image of his own hands moving just moments ago.

He looked at the guards on the ground, then at his left hand. His palm turned cold.

"It wasn't me."

He couldn't say those words aloud.

Even if he did, no one would believe him.

Just then, a middle-aged man walked out of the academy. He was thin, with neatly combed black hair and weariness on his face, yet he carried an air that made people calm down.

"What's going on?"

Enduring the pain, the gatekeeper shouted, "Master, this brat brought a fake certificate and even attacked someone!"

Old Jack immediately handed over the certificate.

"Master, please take a look. Spirit Hall issued this. The child really is here to enroll."

The middle-aged man accepted the certificate, read it carefully, then looked at Tang San.

"Your name is Tang San?"

Tang San gathered his turbulent thoughts and nodded. "Yes."

The middle-aged man asked, "Your martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, and you were born with full soul power?"

Tang San replied, "Yes."

The gatekeeper hurriedly said, "Master, how could Blue Silver Grass possibly have innate full soul power?"

The middle-aged man folded the certificate and returned it to Old Jack.

"The certificate is genuine."

The gatekeeper's face immediately went pale.

The middle-aged man looked at Tang San, his gaze lingering for a moment on his cuff and left hand.

"Did you hit someone just now?"

Tang San fell silent.

He didn't know how to answer.

Old Jack quickly said, "Master, they pushed me first. The child acted in a moment of anger."

The middle-aged man did not rebuke him. He merely said to the gatekeeper, "Go find a physician. The cost will be deducted from this month's wages."

The gatekeeper opened his mouth, wanting to argue.

The middle-aged man turned around. "Do you want me to inform the headmaster?"

The gatekeeper gritted his teeth and shut his mouth.

Tang San watched the man, but the wariness in his heart did not fade.

The middle-aged man walked over to him, his tone softening somewhat.

"My name is Yu Xiaogang. Everyone at the academy calls me Master. Are you willing to come inside with me?"

Old Jack hurriedly tugged at Tang San.

"Little San, quickly thank Master."

Tang San cupped his hands. "Thank you, Master."

Yu Xiaogang looked at him and asked, "Why didn't you use the thing in your sleeve just now?"

Tang San's heart tightened.

Ji Yuan also restrained his aura within the bundle.

Tang San raised his head, doing his best to remain calm.

"Master must have seen wrong."

Yu Xiaogang did not press the matter. He only said, "It's fine if you don't want to say. Everyone has secrets, but once you enter the academy, you must at least learn to control yourself."

After a moment of silence, Tang San said, "I'll remember that."

Yu Xiaogang led them into the academy. While Old Jack handled the paperwork, he repeatedly reminded Tang San.

"Little San, once you're at the academy, listen to your teachers. Don't quarrel with others. Work-study students have it hard, and the whole village is counting on you."

Tang San said quietly, "Grandpa Jack, I'll work hard."

Old Jack rubbed his head, his eyes reddening.

"You're more sensible than your father. This old man can rest easy."

Ji Yuan felt nothing as he listened.

Human bonds, farewells, expectations—none of it had anything to do with him.

He only cared about resources.

After Yu Xiaogang finished arranging the paperwork, he led Tang San toward the dormitory area.

"Work-study students stay in the Seventh Dormitory. There are many children there, and the rules are simple: whoever has the harder fist carries more weight."

Tang San asked, "Doesn't the academy intervene?"

Yu Xiaogang said, "Conflicts between children aren't something teachers will interfere with every time. You need to learn to stand on your own two feet."

Tang San looked at him and suddenly asked, "Why did Master help me?"

Yu Xiaogang stopped and turned back to look at him.

"Because your certificate interested me."

Tang San said, "Just because of that?"

Yu Xiaogang said, "Blue Silver Grass with innate full soul power is unusual. I want to know why."

Tang San asked no more.

Ji Yuan sneered from inside the bundle.

"The reason is right on you, yet none of you can see it."

The entrance to the Seventh Dormitory was bustling. Several work-study students had gathered together, while a sturdy boy sat on the edge of a bed and looked up at Tang San.

"New here?"

Tang San nodded. "My name is Tang San."

The sturdy boy stood and rolled his wrists.

"The rules of the Seventh Dormitory: newcomers have to fight the boss. If you win, you're the boss. If you lose, you listen and do the work."

Tang San set down his bundle.

Taking advantage of the loosened opening, Ji Yuan hid his main body in a crack in the bedframe, his roots burrowing into the wood.

At last, he no longer had to stay in the bundle all the time.

The sturdy boy charged forward, his fist flying straight for Tang San's chest.

Tang San sidestepped, flipped his wrist, and threw him to the ground.

The other children immediately began to cheer.

"Wang Sheng lost!"

"The new guy is amazing!"

Wang Sheng climbed back up and said unwillingly, "Again!"

Tang San gave him no chance. Blue Silver Grass wrapped around his ankle and sent him sprawling again.

Panting, Wang Sheng sat on the floor and waved his hand.

"No more. You're the boss."

Just as Tang San was about to speak, a clear girl's voice came from the doorway.

"Is this the Seventh Dormitory?"

Everyone turned around.

A little girl with a scorpion braid stood in the doorway. Her pink clothes were spotless, her eyes lively, and she carried a bundle of her own.

Wang Sheng immediately said, "New here? You know the rules, right?"

The little girl tilted her head. "What rules?"

Wang Sheng pointed at Tang San.

"Beat him, and you're the boss."

The little girl looked at Tang San and smiled. "You're the current boss?"

Tang San said, "I don't want to be."

The little girl tossed her bundle onto a bed.

"Perfect. I do."

Their exchange began swiftly. Tang San had intended to stop short of going all out, but the little girl was quick and nimble, her leg techniques tricky enough to force him to take her seriously several times.

Hidden in the crack in the bedframe, Ji Yuan had only been watching.

Then the little girl drew close to Tang San, her braid brushing across his shoulder, and every tiny root inside Ji Yuan was seized by hunger.

She was no ordinary soul master.

The life essence within her was terrifyingly dense.

Ji Yuan immediately split off a second spore. It shot out along the edge of Tang San's clothes and, as the two passed each other, latched onto the little girl's scorpion braid.

Xiao Wu landed and clapped her hands.

"You're pretty good."

Tang San also withdrew his hands. "You're not weak either."

Xiao Wu held out her hand.

"My name is Xiao Wu. Wu as in dancing."

Tang San took her hand.

"Tang San."

Ji Yuan's spores slid along her hair to the back of Xiao Wu's neck, quietly adhering to her skin.

An even more immense aura of life came through from the other end of the spores, and Ji Yuan nearly lost control on the spot.

He forcefully restrained his absorption, leaving only a sliver of perception.

"Second one."

That night, the Seventh Dormitory fell quiet. Tang San lay in bed, but he could not sleep.

The sensation of losing control of his body during the day still lingered in his mind.

He turned over and sat up, staring at his left hand.

"What exactly is affecting me?"

Ji Yuan hid beneath the bedboard and gave no response.

Just then, there was a light knock on the door.

Tang San looked up.

Yu Xiaogang's voice came from outside.

"Tang San, come with me."

Tang San threw on his clothes and left the room. Ji Yuan immediately followed through the spores' senses.

In the office, Yu Xiaogang had lit a lamp. A book and a belt sat on the desk.

The belt was entirely dark in color, set with twenty-four pieces of jade.

Yu Xiaogang pushed the belt toward Tang San.

"Take me as your master, and I'll teach you how to cultivate Blue Silver Grass."

Tang San looked at him without immediately agreeing.

"Why does Master believe Blue Silver Grass can be cultivated?"

Yu Xiaogang picked up the book and opened it to a page marked with a slip of paper.

"There are no absolutely useless martial souls, only people who do not understand them."

Tang San fell silent for a long while, then knelt and kowtowed.

"Teacher."

Yu Xiaogang helped him up and placed the belt in his hands.

"This is a gift for our first meeting. It can store items. Its name is Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridge."

Tang San accepted the belt. The moment his fingertips touched the jade, the spores within Ji Yuan suddenly trembled.

Something was hidden inside the belt.

It was more than just storage space.

Within it was an aura that made him hunger to the point of madness.

Ji Yuan's roots slowly tightened beneath the bedboard, all his senses fixed upon those twenty-four pieces of jade.

Tang San was still listening as Yu Xiaogang explained how to use it.

He did not know that he had gained another treasure trove that Ji Yuan had set his sights on.

The lamplight flickered softly, and the jade gave off a faint, eerie glow.

Ji Yuan gave a silent command.

"Probe inside."