Work-Study Quota

The next morning, just as sunlight crested the ridge east of Holy Soul Village, Old Jack leaned on the old tobacco pipe he had used for thirty years and made his unsteady way toward Tang Hao's blacksmith shop.

Ever since returning from Notting City yesterday, he had barely slept a wink. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw Tang San standing at the center of the hexagram array, the Blue Silver Emperor and Clear Sky Hammer lighting up in both hands at once. When he opened them, he saw the light in the crystal ball fading away bit by bit.

He had lived for more than sixty years and had never seen anything like it. When martial souls awakened, one either had soul power or did not. How could an awakened martial soul disappear? How could innate full soul power at level twenty suddenly drop to zero?

The door to the blacksmith shop was ajar, and the clanging of hammering came from inside.

Tang Hao stood bare-chested, swinging his hammer and striking a red-hot chunk of iron again and again, sending sparks flying in every direction.

Tang San sat on the threshold with a book in his hands. The bruises on his face had not yet faded, and there were still dark circles beneath his eyes, but he looked far more spirited than he had yesterday.

"Busy, Tang Hao?" Old Jack pushed the door open and entered, habitually tapping his pipe against the threshold.

Tang Hao stopped working, looked up at him, and wiped away his sweat. "Old Jack, what is it?"

"It's something." Old Jack sat down beside Tang San. Seeing the injuries on the boy's face, he frowned. "What happened to Xiao San's face?"

Tang San subconsciously raised a hand to touch his eye socket. The corner of his mouth twitched as he said softly, "Nothing. I accidentally fell last night."

Old Jack did not press the matter. He took another drag from his pipe and remained silent for a while before slowly speaking. "Tang Hao, I spent all night thinking about Xiao San."

Tang Hao set down his hammer, turned around, and waited for him to continue.

"Our Holy Soul Village is poor, and I, Old Jack, haven't seen much of the wider world. But after living this many years, there's at least one thing I know." Old Jack flicked away some ash and looked at Tang San. "For children born without soul power, the crystal ball doesn't light up during the awakening ceremony. But yesterday, Xiao San's crystal ball lit up—and it was the brightest one of all."

Tang Hao's brows drew together slightly, but he said nothing.

"Can those that lit up before going out really be the same as those that never lit up at all?" Old Jack tapped his pipe. "I don't understand any grand principles, but I think this child's soul power hasn't disappeared. It's just hidden. I don't know where it went, and I don't know how to find it again. But I do know that Notting City's soul master academy has knowledgeable teachers and instructors who have taught countless soul masters. They might know."

Tang San raised his head and looked at Old Jack's wrinkled face, feeling slightly moved. This old village chief had never left Fasnuo Province in his life and was not even a soul master, yet he had spent the whole night worrying over Tang San's affairs.

"Grandpa Old Jack..." Tang San opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Old Jack interrupted him with a wave of his hand.

"Our village has one work-study student slot this year." Old Jack took out a recommendation letter bearing a red seal from his robes and placed it beside Tang San.

"It was originally meant for another child from the village, but those children... you saw it yourself. All of them had useless martial souls and zero soul power. There'd be no point in them going. But Xiao San is different. No matter how much soul power he has left, those two martial souls of his are the real deal. Blue Silver Emperor and Clear Sky Hammer—I've never even heard of martial souls that powerful in my life. A child like this shouldn't spend his whole life forging iron in our poor little village."

Tang Hao fell silent.

He looked at the recommendation letter, then at the bruises on Tang San's face and those eyes filled with unwillingness. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "Old Jack, I appreciate your kindness. But Xiao San..."

Before he could finish, a crisp notification suddenly sounded in Tang San's mind.

[Ding—A key plot point has been detected.]

[Main quest issued: Enroll at Notting Academy and take Master Yu Xiaogang as your teacher. Quest reward: When hunting soul beasts and absorbing the first soul ring, if the soul beast's age is insufficient, the system will directly raise the soul ring to the host's maximum absorbable limit.]

[Quest description: Master Yu Xiaogang of Notting Junior Soul Master Academy is the foremost researcher of martial soul theory in Soul Land. Though his own soul power is low, no one can match his theoretical attainments. By becoming his disciple, the host will receive the most professional guidance in martial soul cultivation.]

Tang San's heart gave a violent leap.

"Dad." Tang San suddenly spoke, interrupting Tang Hao and Old Jack's conversation. "I want to go to Notting Academy."

Tang Hao turned his head and looked into his son's deep eyes, so unlike those of a child his age. There was something in them he could not understand, but even more that he could: the unwillingness to settle for mediocrity that he himself had possessed in his youth.

"You'd better think this through." Tang Hao's voice deepened. "Once you go to the academy, there'll be no turning back. This road will bring many dangers, and you'll suffer more than others. You still have time to change your mind. Your godfather protects the village. Wouldn't it be better to stay here, forge iron with your father, and live out your life safely?"

"I've thought it through." Tang San's voice held not the slightest hesitation.

What a joke. In his previous life, Tang San had been an outer disciple of the Tang Sect. What hardship had he not endured? What danger had he not faced?

In this life, he carried the memories of his past life, had the system, and had even acknowledged a godfather of unfathomable strength. If he did not even dare attend a junior soul master academy, he might as well smash his head into a block of tofu and die.

Tang Hao looked at him and remained silent for a long time. The only sounds left in the blacksmith shop were the whooshing bellows and the crackling furnace.

"Fine." Tang Hao finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "Since you chose this road yourself, I won't stop you. But remember this: outside isn't like home. Think before you act, and don't try to be a hero. If things truly don't work out, come back. This home will always have a meal for you."

Tang San nodded heavily. "I understand, Dad."

Old Jack watched the scene from the side and broke into a grin, every wrinkle on his face bunching together. He stood and patted Tang San on the shoulder. "Good lad, you've got ambition! Then in three months, I'll take you to Notting Academy."

"Three months?"

"That's right. There are still three months until Notting Academy's enrollment period. I'll take you there then. Work-study students get plenty of benefits—they can have their tuition and lodging fees waived, and they can trade simple work at the academy for food. It's hard work, of course, but at least you'll have a place to learn some skills."

As Old Jack spoke, he took another drag from his pipe.

Tang San nodded.

Just then, the light at the doorway dimmed.

Tang San looked up and saw that Tang Ling had somehow appeared at the entrance. Backlit by the sun, his expression could not be seen clearly, but Tang San could feel those dark black eyes watching him.

"Godfather." Tang San hurriedly rose to his feet.

Tang Ling slowly entered the blacksmith shop. His gaze swept over the bruises on Tang San's face and Old Jack's pipe before finally settling on Tang San.

"You're going to Notting Academy?" His tone was calm, revealing neither pleasure nor anger.

"Yes, Godfather." Tang San lowered his head. "I want to go to the academy and learn some things."

Tang Ling said nothing. He merely looked at him quietly.

Tang San felt his skin crawl under that gaze, and fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

He always felt that his godfather's eyes could see through every one of his disguises, through all the secrets hidden deep in his heart.

"That's fine too." Tang Ling suddenly said, his tone still calm. "You should see more of the world at the academy. It's better than spending your whole life holed up in this little mountain village."

He reached out and ruffled Tang San's hair, his touch as gentle as a loving father seeing off a son leaving on a long journey.

"Study hard. Don't disgrace your godfather."

Tang San froze for a moment, then nodded firmly. "I definitely won't let you down, Godfather."

Tang Ling withdrew his hand, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curling at the corner of his lips.

He turned and walked toward the door. Just as he reached it, he suddenly stopped and said without looking back, "Oh, right. Xiao Wu will be going with you too. You're a boy—protect her properly. Don't let anyone bully her."

Tang San's smile froze on his face.