A Fatherly Smile

"Master, please accept this bow from your disciple."

Tang San would not miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to become a disciple. Shen Qingling possessed the Blue Silver Emperor martial soul, which shared the same origin as his Blue Silver Grass.

How could he possibly let such an opportunity slip away?

Tang San immediately kowtowed three times.

"Get up. From now on, you are my disciple."

Shen Qingling smiled as he helped Tang San up. "This is your mistress, Gu Yuena."

"Greetings, Mistress. You truly are a perfect match for Master."

Tang San smiled as he addressed her as Mistress.

Gu Yuena smiled faintly and nodded.

Since Shen Qingling had accepted him as a disciple, he must surely possess extraordinary talent. And he was already so good with words—this disciple truly had excellent aptitude.

Less than a day after confirming their relationship, they already had a disciple.

That was incredibly fast.

"Were you making things difficult for this old gentleman and my disciple just now?"

Shen Qingling's gaze fell upon the gatekeeper, his tone icy.

The gatekeeper trembled in fear and shook his head repeatedly.

"My lord, I... I wouldn't dare. This was an accident."

He had been accustomed to throwing his weight around, but he had never imagined that he would run into someone untouchable today. Facing such a powerful existence, all he could do was beg for mercy.

If Shen Qingling wanted to kill him, it would take only a thought. He had no ability to resist, and the academy would never pursue the matter on his behalf.

"Get lost. If you dare make things difficult for others again, I will not spare you."

"Yes, yes, my lord is right."

The gatekeeper nodded frantically. As though granted a pardon, he scrambled away in a panic, not daring to linger for another moment.

What if Shen Qingling got unhappy again and decided to finish him off or castrate him? That would be disastrous.

"Thank you, my lord. Thank you, my lord."

Old Jack was overwhelmed with gratitude and thanked him repeatedly.

He had never expected to encounter such an important figure in Notting City, one without the slightest arrogance. For Tang San to become this man's disciple was truly a blessing earned over three lifetimes.

"You need not be so polite, old gentleman." Shen Qingling smiled.

Old Jack then handed the Gold Soul Coins he carried with him to Tang San.

"Tang San, study hard under my lord. If you make something of yourself in the future, Holy Soul Village may even benefit from your success."

Tang San clenched the money pouch in his hand. "Grandpa, don't worry. I will study hard."

Seeing Tang San so full of drive, Old Jack nodded in satisfaction. He then looked to Shen Qingling. "I'll have to trouble you to look after him, my lord. I should be heading back now."

Leaning on his cane, Old Jack slowly departed.

After Old Jack left, Shen Qingling brought Tang San into Notting Academy, helped him pay his tuition and complete his enrollment procedures, and did not send him to the work-study student dormitories.

The conditions in Dorm Seven were not exactly good. With dozens of people crammed into a single dormitory for years on end, life there was indeed difficult.

Now that Tang San was his disciple, he naturally needed his own dormitory. Shen Qingling had the cultivation of a Soul Emperor, so he could easily stay temporarily at Notting Academy.

Inside a luxurious single room, the living conditions were excellent. It was fully furnished, clean, and tidy.

"Master, is this a single dormitory?"

"I thought it wouldn't be very nice."

Tang San rubbed his eyes, somewhat surprised.

"How could it not be nice? Your dormitory won't be bad either. You might have gone to the work-study student dormitories before, but at least you won't now. Besides, not many people can afford tuition. Your dormitory is a double room, but currently, you are the only one living there."

In the original story, Tang San had indeed lived in the work-study student dormitories until he was twelve. But now that he was Shen Qingling's disciple, having him live there would be rather inappropriate.

Yu Xiaogang was Yu Yuanzhen's son and had traveled the continent for so long, yet he had not even paid Tang San's tuition or arranged a better dormitory for him, instead allowing him to squeeze into a room with dozens of others.

"Master, you're so good to me. You're even better than my father."

Tang San was immensely grateful. His master was truly too kind.

Before he had left home, his father had not given him much money. Yet his master treated him so well.

He had never seen such a loving smile before.

"You're too polite, Little San."

"There are some things I need to tell you."

Seeing Shen Qingling grow serious, Tang San immediately understood. He moved a chair in front of Shen Qingling, sat down, and listened attentively.

"Little San, my Blue Silver Emperor martial soul is the emperor of Blue Silver Grass. Your martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, yet I can sense another, far more domineering and powerful force within your body. That means you have twin martial souls, correct?"

Shen Qingling stated his conclusion.

Gu Yuena sat quietly on the edge of the bed and listened. She had also sensed another force within Tang San's body. So it was a twin martial soul?

As expected, her man was extraordinary. At the very least, when it was time to be serious, he was indeed serious.

Thinking about it, she must have spent too much time with him and experienced the affairs between men and women, inheriting his great wisdom.

That had to be it. They said husband and wife were one body after all, and it seemed they were right.

Tang San's eyes widened. His expression shifted from calm to shock, and then his mouth slowly fell open.

He had never expected his master's guess to be so accurate. Without hiding anything, he nodded in admission.

"Master is correct. I do have another martial soul, but I do not know what it is."

Tang San extended his palm, and a small black iron hammer appeared within it.

His father had instructed him not to reveal his second martial soul unless absolutely necessary. But the man before him was his master, more like a father than his actual father, so Tang San trusted his own judgment.

His master was not only a good man, but also a wise one.

When Shen Qingling saw the Clear Sky Hammer, his pupils contracted. Pretending to be shocked, he said, "It's actually the Clear Sky Hammer, the Clear Sky Hammer known as the strongest tool martial soul in the world!"

Tang San asked in confusion, "Clear Sky Hammer? Master, you know my martial soul?"

His father had never told him what his martial soul was or what powerful abilities it possessed. He had only told him not to reveal it. Clearly, his master knew a great deal about it.

"Of course I know. The Clear Sky Hammer is known as the strongest tool martial soul in the world."

What? The strongest tool martial soul in the world!

Tang San was stunned.

His second martial soul was that powerful.

"Master, can you tell me why it is called the strongest tool martial soul in the world?"

Faced with the curiosity and eager questioning on Tang San's face, Shen Qingling did not answer him directly.

"You are still too young. Knowing now would not be good for you."

"You only need to know that it is very powerful and inherited from the Clear Sky Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects."

"The Clear Sky Hammer possesses tremendous power. Once cultivated to the rank of Titled Douluo, it can even stand invincible among tool martial soul masters of the same rank."

Tang San first put away his martial soul, then sat obediently in his chair and listened.

Since his master knew so much, there had to be a reason.

"Your martial souls are Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer. Others say that your martial soul is useless, but I do not think so. Your martial soul has the potential to evolve into an emperor."

"Evolve into an emperor?" Tang San's eyes lit up. "Could it become a Blue Silver Emperor martial soul like yours, Master?"

To become a powerful person like his master and possess the Blue Silver Emperor martial soul—what an honor that would be.

"Of course it can."