Working? Never in This Life! | Tang Hao: Little San, You Must Never Cross Lin Jing!

"System-chan, open the system panel."

Lin Jing walked at the very back, calling out in his mind with a sense of boredom.

The scorching sun overhead was like a giant furnace, roasting the earth.

The sunlight beat down fiercely; if it were an ordinary person, they would likely be dizzy and exhausted by now.

But Lin Jing didn't feel a thing.

After all, his second martial soul, the Vast Sea Glazed True Dragon, came with both fire and ice attributes.

This bit of sun was like a light tickle to him.

As for Old Jack and Tang San walking in front...

They were already drenched in sweat from the heat.

Old Jack was getting on in years; he had to stop every few steps to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Tang San wasn't doing much better.

Only Lin Jing, looking as if nothing were the matter, strolled along leisurely at the back without shedding a single drop of sweat.

Three full months had passed since he obtained his second spirit ring.

Today was the opening day of the Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy.

He and Tang San would be entering the academy as work-study students.

Lin Jing didn't resist the status of a work-study student.

Mainly because... he only had a little over a hundred gold soul coins left.

He had to be frugal.

The mall roulette had far too many items, a chaotic mix of everything imaginable.

Over the past three months, relying on some trivial tasks, he had spun the mall roulette four times in total.

And the result?

The prizes he obtained were all useless junk.

For instance, the dentures belonging to Auntie Li from the clothing store.

Or the bodice belonging to Xiao Fang, the village beauty from the next village over...

Thinking of this, Lin Jing gritted his teeth in anger.

He wanted nothing more than to drag this damn system out and pin it to the ground for a beating.

I spun four times, and all I got was a pile of trash?

The most infuriating thing was that bodice.

What use is this thing to me?

Can I wear it, or what?

So, who knows how long it will be until the next time I spin a gold soul coin.

Money is something that must be spent sparingly.

It's just a place to stay, after all.

Any place is fine.

Besides...

In the Seven Dorm where the work-study students lived, there was a sweet, soft little girl waiting...

As for working?

Heh.

Working is impossible.

I will never work in this life!

[Host: Lin Jing.]
[Martial Souls: Dark Blue Silver Emperor, Vast Sea Glazed True Dragon.]
[Soul Power: Level 27.]
[Cultivation Technique: None.]
[Current Task: Clear Obstacles (Completed).]
[Task Points: 3 points.]

The system panel floated before his eyes, and Lin Jing glanced at it with little interest.

He could recite this information by heart.

"Don't look at mine, look at Tang San's."

This was a new function he had recently discovered.

This damn system could actually inspect other people's data panels.

If he hadn't stumbled upon it by accident, he wouldn't have known when he would have found out.

As he spoke, the content on the panel changed instantly.

[Character: Tang San.]
[Martial Souls: Blue Silver Grass (Unawakened), Clear Sky Hammer.]
[Soul Power: Level 8.]
[Cultivation Technique: Mysterious Heaven Skill.]
[Current Mood: Complex.]

"Yo, already level eight."

Lin Jing raised an eyebrow.

"The speed at which this little brat recovers his soul power is clearly much faster than normal cultivation."

In just three short months, he had recovered to level eight.

This speed was a bit absurd.

"Is it because the second time is just replenishing the soul power already in the body, so there's no need to break through bottlenecks?"

Lin Jing pondered to himself.

That must be it.

After all, during the first cultivation, every level required breaking through a bottleneck, which was much more difficult.

But now, it was equivalent to finding back what was lost; having already walked the path once, it was naturally faster.

"But... what the hell is this 'complex'?"

Lin Jing looked at the mood column.

"Could it be that he's feeling complicated because he's starting school?"

"That shouldn't be it..."

Lin Jing shook his head, not taking it too seriously.

However, what he didn't know was that Tang San's inner complexity stemmed from a conversation with his father before he left.

At that time, the sky hadn't even brightened.

Tang Hao was uncharacteristically sober, not drunk for once.

He crouched in front of Tang San, a rough, large hand resting on Tang San's shoulder.

Those eyes, usually so murky, were actually shimmering with tears at that moment.

"Little San..."

"When you go to Nuoding City for school, you must be careful."

Tang San nodded obediently, listening intently.

Then, Tang Hao changed the subject.

"Also... do not have any unpleasantness with Lin Jing."

Tang San was stunned on the spot.

He looked up at his father, his face full of disbelief.

Lin Jing?

That guy who sucked his soul power dry?

Father wants me not to have any unpleasantness with him?

Tang Hao seemed to see his confusion, sighed, and continued.

"You are from the same village; once you leave this village, you are each other's closest kin."

"You must help one another."

"You have been mature and sensible since you were young, but that Lin Jing... he's just a little brat."

"Father knows that you two... don't get along very well."

"But you must be more tolerant of him, try to go along with him a little..."

These words had exhausted every bit of vocabulary in Tang Hao's mind.

To say it smoothly, he had even made a special trip to Nuoding City a few days ago to borrow a dictionary.

Tang San was completely bewildered at the time.

He couldn't understand why his father would ask him to yield to Lin Jing.

But after much hesitation in his heart, he finally nodded and agreed.

There was no helping it.

Who else but Tang Hao was his father?

His only father across two lifetimes.

Even if... Lin Jing had absorbed all of his innate soul power.

He could comfort himself.

This was training him.

The soul power regained after having lost it once would only be thicker and more solid than before.

This wasn't just empty talk.

Tang San truly had this feeling.

He could clearly perceive that the quality of the soul power he had re-cultivated this time was significantly better than the last.

"Um... Brother Jing."

Just as Lin Jing was lost in thought, Tang San in front suddenly slowed his pace.

He took a water-filled leather pouch from his cloth bag and handed it to Lin Jing.

"Do you want a drink of water?"

Tang San's voice wasn't loud, carrying a hint of awkwardness.

Lin Jing was taken aback.

He looked at Tang San with some suspicion.

What's the situation?

Has this little brat had a change of heart today?

Usually, whenever he saw him, he looked like he wanted to kill him with his eyes.

Why today... is he calling me Brother Jing?

And offering water?

Something's wrong.

Very wrong.

Lin Jing's gaze instantly became vigilant.

This little brat must be brewing some kind of trick in the dark.

Maybe he put something in this water.

Yes, that must be it!

Lin Jing confirmed his own answer in his heart.

With a calm expression, he reached out and gently pushed the pouch back.

"I'm not thirsty."

"Little San, you should keep it for yourself."