Back Mountain Intimidation

On the official road from Holy Soul Village to Notting City, a carriage was slowly moving along.

Tang San sat in the rear compartment of the carriage, his eyes slightly closed, circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill to consolidate the cultivation he had just broken through. His aura was more than a little stronger than before he returned to the village, and a faint layer of purple light seemed to flow around him.

But at that moment, there was not the slightest trace of a smile on Tang San's face.

Xiao Wu was sitting opposite him, propping up her chin as she watched him.

"Xiao San."

"Mm?"

"Are you... okay?"

Tang San glanced at Xiao Wu. The corner of his mouth could not help twitching, but he did not answer her.

"Xiao San." Xiao Wu's voice rang out again, this time carrying a hint of displeasure. "I'm asking you a question. Say something, will you?"

Seeing Xiao Wu glaring at him, Tang San could not help shuddering.

"...Sorry, young lady. My mind wandered just now. I'm really fine."

Xiao Wu snorted, but did not keep pressing him. Though she was usually carefree and rough around the edges, she understood things very clearly. She knew Tang San was not feeling good right now, so she stopped pestering him.

The carriage continued forward.

Grandmaster leaned against the plank at the front of the carriage, resting with his eyes closed. But he was not asleep. He had heard every word of Tang San and Xiao Wu's conversation, and he sighed inwardly.

This child carried too much on his mind. Just like his father.

By the time they returned to Notting Academy, it was already evening.

Grandmaster went back to his own residence, while Tang San and Xiao Wu walked side by side toward Seventh Dorm.

Along the way, Xiao Wu tried several times to say something to liven up the mood, but when she saw Tang San's face, calm to an excessive degree, she swallowed her words again.

The door to Seventh Dorm was ajar, and the noisy chatter of the working students came from inside.

Xiao Wu pushed the door open and walked in first.

"Sister Xiao Wu, you're back!"

"Sister Xiao Wu!"

Several working students immediately crowded around, all talking at once as they reported what had happened in the academy over the past few days.

Wang Sheng squeezed to the very front, his face carrying a trace of urgency.

"Sister Xiao Wu, you're finally back. Xiao Chenyu and his people—"

"Xiao Chenyu?" Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow. "Who's that? Did he come looking for trouble?"

Wang Sheng pulled a bitter face and explained what had happened.

It turned out that during the days Tang San and Xiao Wu had been away, Xiao Chenyu had brought several higher-year students to Seventh Dorm to pick a fight.

"What did he say?" As Xiao Wu listened, her voice had already sunk.

Wang Sheng hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth. "He said... he said we working students were all trash. He also said he wanted to make you, make you his pet rabbit."

Seventh Dorm fell silent for an instant.

Then everyone felt a chill radiating from Xiao Wu.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of her mouth curved into a dangerous arc.

"Good! Very good!!!"

She turned around, just about to head out, only to see Tang San standing at the doorway, never having entered.

"Xiao San, what do you think?" Xiao Wu looked at Tang San and said.

Tang San withdrew his gaze and looked at the working students inside Seventh Dorm.

Wang Sheng still had bruises on his face, and the other working students all had injuries to some degree as well.

These children at the very bottom had long been used to being bullied in the academy. Having a boss like Xiao Wu to protect them was their greatest fortune.

But Xiao Wu could not protect them forever.

"Teach them a lesson," Tang San said calmly. "Let them know working students aren't so easy to bully."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "Now that's more like it! Come on, go with me!"

Tang San shook his head. "No rush. Tomorrow at noon, have them come to the back mountain. We'll settle it all at once."

He paused, then added, "We've both broken through these past few days. Perfect timing... I've been wanting to find someone to test it on. I hope they won't disappoint me."

The next day at noon, at the back mountain of Notting Academy.

Xiao Chenyu had brought a group of higher-year students and was waiting there early. Today, he had deliberately changed into clean clothes, and his hair was combed meticulously, making him look somewhat like what the city lord's son ought to look like.

"Boss Xiao, do you think those two working students really dare to come?" Liu Long stood beside Xiao Chenyu, his face still carrying the bruises Wang Sheng had given him yesterday.

"They'll come." Xiao Chenyu smiled. "That little girl can't stand being provoked. Once she gets here, I'll make her understand who really calls the shots in Notting Academy."

"But..." Ling Feng hesitated for a moment. "I heard Tang San took care of Wang Sheng in just a few moves. That kid might not be easy to deal with."

Xiao Chenyu waved a hand dismissively. "A first-year working student, with Blue Silver Grass as his martial soul at that—how strong could he be? Even if he got lucky and obtained a soul ring, don't tell me he can overturn the heavens."

As they spoke, two figures appeared at the end of the mountain path. Tang San and Xiao Wu walked over, one behind the other.

Tang San had changed into his washed-pale school uniform. His hands were empty, without any weapons. Xiao Wu followed behind him with both hands clasped behind her head, her braid swaying back and forth behind her, without the slightest tension of someone about to fight.

"They're here." Xiao Chenyu straightened up, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking smile. "Little girl, have you thought it through? Become my pet rabbit, and I guarantee you'll eat and drink well at Notting Academy. It's much better than being some work-study student."

Xiao Wu's steps halted, and her eyes narrowed. She was just about to make a move.

Tang San reached out and stopped her.

"I'll do it."

He took two steps forward, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so upper-year students behind Xiao Chenyu before finally landing on Xiao Chenyu himself. Those dark-blue eyes were as calm as a stagnant pool, without anger, without nervousness, even without any unnecessary emotion.

Xiao Chenyu had only ever seen that kind of gaze on one person—his father, the city lord.

"Who are you?" Xiao Chenyu asked despite himself.

"Tang San, first-year work-study student." Tang San's voice was very calm. "I heard you wanted to make my grandaunt your pet?"

Xiao Chenyu froze for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. "Your grandaunt? A little brat like you—"

His words stopped abruptly.

Because Tang San moved. Stepping with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Tang San's figure left an afterimage in place, and in the next instant, he was already in the middle of the group of upper-year students behind Xiao Chenyu.

No one saw clearly how he attacked.

All they heard was a series of dull impacts, mixed with the crisp sounds of bones being dislocated and waves of screams rising one after another.

Liu Long was the first to fly out, crashing into a tree. By the time he slid down, he had already lost consciousness.

Ling Feng tried to dodge with his speed, but Tang San's movement technique was more than a level faster than his. A palm as fair as jade gently tapped the back of his neck, and Ling Feng collapsed limply.

One breath.

Just the time of a single breath.

The dozen or so upper-year students Xiao Chenyu had brought with him had all fallen to the ground.

Tang San stood amid the wailing people scattered across the ground and slowly turned around to look at Xiao Chenyu.

Xiao Chenyu's face had already turned as white as paper.

He had not even seen clearly how Tang San attacked. Those capable fighters ranked near the top among his subordinates were like paper in front of Tang San.

"You... who exactly are you?" Xiao Chenyu's voice was trembling.

Tang San did not answer. He raised his right hand, blue light surging in his palm. More than ten dark-blue strands of Blue Silver Grass drilled out like spirit snakes, every blade covered in black serpent markings, their edges lined with dark-purple serrated protrusions, giving off a faint, cold gleam beneath the sunlight.

A deep-purple spirit ring slowly rose from beneath Tang San's feet.

Xiao Chenyu's pupils abruptly shrank to the size of pinpoints.

"A thou... thousand-year spirit ring?"

His legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground.

That was a purple spirit ring. A thousand-year-level spirit ring. And it had appeared on a first-year work-study student. This fact had utterly shattered everything he knew.

Tang San walked step by step to Xiao Chenyu and looked down at him from above.

"Who did you just call a little brat? Who did you want to make your pet?"

Xiao Chenyu opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

He could sense the aura emitted by the Blue Silver Grass behind Tang San. It was a cold and dangerous aura, like a venomous snake choosing someone to devour.

"I, I was wrong..." Xiao Chenyu's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "I was blind. I, I won't dare do it again..."

Tang San looked at him, those dark-blue eyes still without any unnecessary emotion.

"From today on, Notting Academy has only one big sister." His voice was not loud, but everyone present heard it clearly.

"And that is my grandaunt. Xiao Wu."

The Blue Silver Grass slowly withdrew. Tang San turned and walked toward Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu had stood in place watching from beginning to end, arms crossed in front of her chest, a faint smile hovering at the corner of her mouth. Seeing Tang San walk over, she tilted her head and looked him up and down.

"Not bad! Not bad! Xiao San, your spirit ring really is pretty good for showing off. I'll go get one too when the time comes."

Tang San's steps paused, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He thought to himself, Stop dreaming. Without the system, four hundred years and change is the limit. But on his face, he wore a smile. "If Grandaunt wants to get one, how hard could it be?"

"Let's go." Xiao Wu was very pleased with that and beckoned to Tang San. "Time to go back to class."

Xiao Wu skipped along. When she passed by Xiao Chenyu, she crouched down and patted his face. "Remember this. When you see Grandaunt in the future, take the long way around."

Xiao Chenyu nodded repeatedly and scrambled aside, half crawling and half rolling.

The two of them walked down the mountain side by side.

After dealing with the grudge between the work-study students and the upper-year students, Tang San's life did not become leisurely because of it.

On the contrary, his schedule became even fuller.

He rose at dawn every morning and took advantage of the first light of sunrise to cultivate Purple Demon Eye on the mountaintop behind the academy. This was a habit he had developed in the Tang Sect. Then came theoretical classes in the morning. Grandmaster's spirit theory was far more useful than the basic knowledge taught by the academy teachers, and he did not dare miss a single word.

In the afternoon, he had to work at Shi San Blacksmith Shop.

Shi San Blacksmith Shop was the largest blacksmith shop in Notting City. After Tang San finished dealing with the conflict between the work-study students and the higher-year students, he came here, and he had already been here for some time.

"Xiao San's here?"

Shi San was a burly, rough-looking man, bare-chested, his whole body knotted with muscle. His voice was so loud it could shake the roof down.

When he saw Tang San come in, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of teeth yellowed by smoke.

"Third Uncle." Tang San nodded, then walked familiarly to his own station and picked up the forging hammer that was even taller than he was.

"A batch of black iron came in today. The quality's not bad. Help me refine it." Shi San pointed at the iron ingots stacked neatly in the corner.

Tang San walked over and picked up a piece of black iron, weighing it in his hand.

It felt heavy in his grip, and its texture was much better than the pig iron he had used before. He took a deep breath, placed the iron block into the furnace, then began working the bellows.

The furnace fire soon burned red-hot.

Tang San swung the forging hammer and began striking.

Clang—

As the first hammer fell, Tang San's movements suddenly paused ever so slightly. He thought of his father. The Clear Sky Hammer. The number one tool martial soul under heaven. And his father's hands had once gripped that hammer and stood at the peak of Douluo Continent.

Tang San took a deep breath, pressed the surging emotions back down into his heart, then swung the second hammer.

Clang—

Clang—

Clang—

The rhythm of the hammer blows grew faster and steadier. Each strike connected perfectly with the last, without the slightest hitch or hesitation. The red-hot iron beneath his hammer kept changing shape, continuously shrinking as its impurities were forced out bit by bit, scattering into sprays of sparks.

Shi San stopped what he was doing and stood to the side, watching Tang San strike. His gaze went from casual at first, to serious, then from serious to shocked.

The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!!!

Could this be the long-lost Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer?

That sense of rhythm, that transmission of force, that precise grasp of the metal's grain—it simply did not seem like something a six- or seven-year-old child could master.

Clang—

The final hammer fell.

Tang San withdrew the forging hammer and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

That piece of black iron had already been refined by him into a fist-sized piece of fine iron, silver-white throughout, its surface smooth as a mirror, gleaming with a soft light under the glow of the furnace.

Shi San came over, picked up the fine iron, and examined it for a moment before clicking his tongue in wonder. "Xiao San, with craftsmanship like this, I'd say in a few more years you'll be able to open your own shop."

Tang San shook his head. "I'm still far from that."

He placed the fine iron into the finished-goods pile, then picked up a few leftover scraps from the corner and tucked them into his clothes.

Those scraps were of little use to Shi San, but to Tang San, they were the best materials for making hidden-weapon parts.

He had used up several of his sleeve darts and needed to replenish them. There were also several new mechanical hidden weapons whose blueprints he had drawn up long ago; he had simply never had enough materials.

"Third Uncle, can I take these scraps?" Tang San asked.

Shi San waved a hand. "Take them, take them. They wouldn't sell for much anyway."

Tang San thanked him, then swung the forging hammer and continued working.

Clang—

Clang—

Clang—

The hammer blows echoed through the blacksmith shop, heavy and steady. Each sound seemed to land on the heart, shaking the very air in the shop into a faint tremble.

Tang San said nothing more.

He only kept swinging the forging hammer, forging one piece of pig iron after another into fine iron. The light of the furnace danced in his pupils, dyeing those deep-blue eyes crimson.

Clang—

The final hammer fell, and the fine iron was smooth as a mirror. Tang San looked at his own young yet stubborn face reflected in its surface, and at last, the faintest hint of a smile rose at the corner of his mouth.

The furnace fire flickered. The iron hammer was silent.

The boy set down the fine iron in his hand, tucked the scraps into his clothes, and walked in the direction of Seventh Dorm.

The stars in the night sky were sparse, and the moonlight stretched his shadow very long.