Picking Up the Bowl to Eat, Then Cursing the Cook Afterward?

Hearing this, Tang San nodded thoughtfully and said in a low voice:

"So that's how it is. It seems Spirit Hall's free Martial Soul awakenings for commoners and subsidies for low-level Soul Masters aren't entirely without ulterior motives."

"Sure enough, there's no such thing as a free lunch."

However, at that moment.

Gu Ling, who had been sitting beside them without speaking, suddenly chuckled.

"What? Do you think there's something wrong with what I said?" Yu Xiaogang frowned and looked at Gu Ling in confusion.

Gu Ling glanced at Yu Xiaogang and said flatly:

"Master, I think what you said is rather ridiculous."

Yu Xiaogang's face immediately darkened, and he said with some displeasure:

"Then tell me, where was I wrong?"

Gu Ling looked at him and asked in return:

"Even if the money for the Soul Master subsidies really comes from the two great empires, isn't Spirit Hall the one responsible for delivering it to Soul Masters in every city, village, and town across the continent?"

"The continent is so vast. Why don't the two great empires distribute it themselves? Isn't it because the workload is too enormous for them to handle on their own?"

"When Spirit Hall awakens Martial Souls for commoners free of charge every year, doesn't that require manpower? Time? Branch halls spread across the entire continent?"

Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth, about to speak, but Gu Ling continued:

"More importantly, when Spirit Hall gives subsidies to Soul Masters, do they force them to join Spirit Hall? Does receiving one gold soul coin mean they must devote their lives to Spirit Hall?"

"If not, then they awaken your Martial Soul for free and give you money, yet you claim they have bad intentions just because they gain a reputation from it?"

At this point, Gu Ling could not help but laugh.

"By your logic, as long as someone gains even a little benefit from doing a good deed, then that good deed no longer counts as a good deed?"

"Besides, Master, you just told Tang San to go back and collect this subsidy. Since you think Spirit Hall is using this money to buy people's loyalty, then don't let Tang San collect it."

"You take their money while claiming they mean ill."

"Isn't that a bit shameless?"

As soon as he said this, the carriage fell silent. Tang San froze where he sat, and even Director Su began looking at Yu Xiaogang strangely.

Yu Xiaogang's face alternated between green and white. Panting heavily, he pointed at Gu Ling and shouted:

"You... you're twisting logic!"

Gu Ling spread his hands, looking utterly unconcerned.

"If you think I'm twisting logic, then refute me."

At those words, Yu Xiaogang was so angry that the corners of his mouth twitched, yet he could not say a word for a long while.

Seeing this, Gu Ling did not stop. Instead, he continued:

"Besides, Spirit Hall does far more than hand out subsidies to Soul Masters."

"How many remote villages are there across the continent? The ordinary people in those villages might not see more than a few Soul Masters in their entire lives. Yet every year, Spirit Hall sends people to every village and town to awaken the Martial Souls of eligible children for free."

Gu Ling glanced at Tang San and asked calmly:

"Tang San, who awakened your Martial Soul?"

Tang San was slightly startled. Su Yuntao's figure immediately surfaced in his mind, and he replied:

"A deacon from Spirit Hall."

"Exactly." Gu Ling spread his hands and said seriously, "Without Spirit Hall, would Holy Soul Village have had the money to hire a Soul Master specifically to go door to door and awaken the children's Martial Souls?"

"Even if only one out of ten children possesses soul power, or perhaps not even one Soul Master appears among dozens of children, doesn't Spirit Hall still send people there to awaken them for free?"

Hearing this, Tang San immediately fell silent and began considering the matter carefully.

Gu Ling continued:

"Awakening Martial Souls for commoners free of charge, registering identities for Soul Masters, distributing subsidies to low-level Soul Masters, establishing branch halls in cities throughout the continent so that ordinary Soul Masters can access things related to Soul Masters—isn't Spirit Hall doing all of that?"

At this point, Yu Xiaogang's expression grew increasingly unsightly.

"They do these things to expand their influence! But does having a purpose prove that these things are useless?"

"A merchant opens a shop to make money. Does the fact that he earns money mean everything he sells is fake?"

"Spirit Hall wanting to expand its influence is their own business. At the very least, those commoners without backing or families have truly benefited from them."

At this point.

Gu Ling suddenly gave Yu Xiaogang a once-over, and his gaze became somewhat strange.

"Master, could it be that you had some personal grudge against Spirit Hall in the past, which is why you're deliberately badmouthing them behind their backs?"

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang abruptly sat up straight. His face, which had still been somewhat pale from the poison, forcibly flushed purple-red as he shouted, "Gu Ling, bullshit! Don't spout nonsense! I'm merely objectively analyzing Spirit Hall's actions!"

Gu Ling looked at Yu Xiaogang with an amused smile and teased:

"Objective? Then why couldn't I hear even a trace of it? You're eating their food, then turning around and cursing them afterward. That's hypocrisy at its finest!"

"You—!" Yu Xiaogang's chest heaved violently. His body, having only recently been detoxified, trembled slightly from anger. Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Director Su immediately got a headache.

"Enough, enough!"

"Gu Ling, say less. We just came out of the Soul Hunting Forest, and Master hasn't fully recovered yet. If you anger him into some kind of problem, don't expect me to deal with it."

Gu Ling shrugged at this and finally stopped talking.

Tang San, however, frowned slightly. In his view, while Gu Ling's earlier words made some sense, knowing that his teacher was injured and still deliberately provoking him was going too far.

No matter what, Yu Xiaogang was still his teacher. With that thought, Tang San's gaze toward Gu Ling carried a little more dissatisfaction. Gu Ling naturally noticed, but he did not care in the slightest.

For the rest of the journey, the atmosphere in the carriage was noticeably more oppressive. Yu Xiaogang leaned against the carriage wall with his eyes closed, not saying a word, while Tang San sat beside him.

Gu Ling could not be bothered to pay attention to either of them anymore.

Thus, amid a somewhat awkward atmosphere, the carriage slowly returned to Notting Academy.

After returning to the academy, Director Su gave them a few simple instructions before leaving first. Although Yu Xiaogang was still somewhat weak, he was no longer in serious condition, so Tang San supported him as they headed toward the office.

Gu Ling naturally did not follow them. Now that he had obtained his Soul Ring, what he needed to do next was familiarize himself with his first soul skill.

Thus, Gu Ling headed alone toward the work-study student dormitory.

Like Tang San, he was also a work-study student at Notting Academy, so he naturally lived in the Seventh Dormitory as well.

As for why someone with Gu Ling's talent was still a work-study student, the reason was simple.

He had no background of his own. When his Bone Dragon Martial Soul had awakened and he had tested with Innate Full Soul Power, Su Yuntao, who had been responsible for awakening his Martial Soul, had naturally invited him to join Spirit Hall.

Su Yuntao had even made it clear that with Gu Ling's talent, once he joined Spirit Hall, he would certainly receive cultivation resources far beyond those available to ordinary Soul Masters.

However, Su Yuntao had not concealed another matter either: if Gu Ling accepted Spirit Hall's training, he would naturally have to serve Spirit Hall in the future.

There was no free lunch in the world. Spirit Hall was willing to provide resources to nurture geniuses, but it was impossible for them to nurture a powerhouse only to let him leave afterward.

Gu Ling could understand that.

But understanding was one thing. He was naturally unwilling to tie his future to some faction at such a young age, so he had directly refused Su Yuntao's invitation and ultimately entered Notting Academy as a work-study student.

By the time he thought of this, Gu Ling had arrived at the entrance to the Seventh Dormitory.

Faint sounds of conversation came from inside. Without thinking much of it, he reached out and pushed open the door.

However, the door had only just opened.

Bang!

A slender leg suddenly swept toward Gu Ling's chest without warning!