You Have a Death Wish!

The next day, Old Jack came to the blacksmith shop again, his face clouded with gloom.

He had gone all over the nearby villages and talked until his mouth was dry, but the result was disappointing.

Work-study student slots were already scarce, and no village was willing to give up one so easily.

After all, a work-study student slot could save several hundred Gold Soul Coins. Even if no one in the village awakened soul power, they would rather sell the slot.

Old Jack looked at the blacksmith shop, still reeking of alcohol, then at the two well-behaved children standing quietly to the side with clear eyes.

Dissatisfaction rose in his heart. Bracing himself, he said to Tang Hao, "Tang Hao, look, there really isn't a second work-study student slot to spare. How about... how about you find work in the city? A blacksmith's skills can always earn you a living. Make some money and prioritize the children's schooling. Otherwise, let one child attend first. Cinderella's martial soul isn't a useless martial soul, after all, so let her go first. Let Little San wait a year and use a work-study student slot next year."

Before Old Jack could finish, Tang Hao interrupted him with an impatient snort.

Tang Hao glanced sideways at Old Jack, his face carrying an inexplicable arrogance.

"Enough, Old Jack. You don't need to worry about my children. I have my own plans for their schooling, and you don't need to concern yourself with money either."

Old Jack choked on his words. Seeing Tang Hao acting like he was loaded, his beard practically bristled with anger. He cursed inwardly, You poor drunkard, what can you do besides forge iron and drink? Who are you trying to impress?

But Old Jack could not say anything more. He could only sigh, shake his head, and leave.

He made up his mind that on the day school started, he would personally take the two children to the academy and see just what Tang Hao's "own plans" amounted to!

After Old Jack left, Cinderella blinked her azure eyes and spoke at just the right moment, her voice carrying perfectly measured innocence and concern. "Dad, Little San and I both have Innate Full Soul Power. I heard Grandpa in the village say that we can obtain soul rings directly and become Soul Masters, then receive subsidies from Martial Soul Hall. So how do we obtain soul rings? I heard we need to hunt soul beasts."

Cinderella's question clearly struck Tang Hao's blind spot. He had been born into the Clear Sky Sect, the number one sect in the world, and had been a favored prodigy since childhood. The sect had thoroughly researched the best soul ring configurations, and elders simply took him out to hunt whatever he needed. Why would he ever have needed to concern himself with theory or knowledge?

Academic classes? What were those? Could they make a hammer heavier?

Tang Hao was stumped by Cinderella's question, and his face could not quite hold up. He could only wave vaguely and say impatiently, "What are you so anxious for? Wait until you get to school, and the teachers will naturally teach you! Enough, don't bother me if there's nothing important!"

After saying that, as if to hide his embarrassment, he grabbed the flask from the table and hurried back into his room, leaving the siblings staring at each other.

Seeing Tang Hao's impatience toward Cinderella, Tang San immediately felt a surge of displeasure. Old man, how dare you treat Sister like that!

Cinderella watched Tang Hao's disappearing back and sighed silently.

She knew she could not count on Tang Hao. She would still have to rely on herself and her future tools for knowledge about soul rings and soul beasts.

Some time later, the day Notting Junior Soul Master Academy opened arrived.

Old Jack came to the blacksmith shop early. He wanted to see exactly how Tang Hao planned to solve the tuition problem.

To his utter shock, Tang Hao actually pulled out... two money bags filled with Gold Soul Coins from beneath that filthy bed.

They looked substantial enough to cover Tang San and Cinderella's six years of tuition at Notting Academy, with plenty left over.

Old Jack's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Pointing at the money bags, his lips trembled. "Tang Hao... this money...?"

His first thought was whether Tang Hao had been involved in something illegal.

Tang Hao snorted, his face showing the lofty arrogance of someone who could not be bothered to explain. "Family savings passed down from my ancestors. Is that not allowed?"

Naturally, he would not tell Old Jack that, as one of the Clear Sky Sect's most outstanding former disciples and the youngest Title Douluo, the Gold Soul Coins in his spatial soul tool were enough to buy an entire street in any major city.

He had merely been drowning in grief before, too lazy to care about such worldly things.

Now that the children needed it, he could naturally provide it.

However, at the last moment, Tang Hao hesitated. In the end, he gave only one money bag to Old Jack and pointed at Tang San.

"The work-study student slot should still go to Little San."

Tang Hao still harbored some caution. If a destitute blacksmith suddenly produced a huge sum to send two children to school, it would be far too conspicuous.

It was slightly more reasonable for Tang San, whose talent appeared worse, to become a work-study student. It would also better conceal the secret of the Clear Sky Hammer.

As for Cinderella, attending on full tuition would attract attention as well, but a beautiful girl possessing a fairly high-quality martial soul and Innate Full Soul Power could barely be explained by claiming that some important figure had taken a liking to her and secretly sponsored her.

Old Jack looked at the money bag in his hand, then at the other one Tang Hao had taken back, as well as Tang Hao's unquestionable expression. In the end, he swallowed every question.

As long as there was money, that was enough!

Now that both children could attend school, Old Jack did not care about anything else. Happily, he took Tang San and Cinderella by the hand and set off for Notting City.

Tang Hao stood at the entrance of the blacksmith shop, watching the children's retreating backs. A complicated emotion flickered through his murky eyes, only to be covered by the heavy grief and alcohol in his heart moments later.

The gates of Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy looked imposing compared to the dilapidation of Holy Soul Village.

However, before Old Jack and the others could admire them for long, an unpleasant voice shattered the moment.

"Stop! What are you doing here? Is this a place country bumpkins like you can come?"

A slightly plump gatekeeper in the academy's uniform, his eyes full of arrogance, blocked the travel-worn Old Jack, Cinderella, and the others.

The gatekeeper's gaze swept over Old Jack's faded old clothes and the obvious patches on Tang San's outfit. Disgust and contempt showed openly on his face.

But when his gaze landed on Cinderella beside them, that disgust instantly turned into amazement and a trace of barely concealed lechery.

Golden hair, blue eyes, skin fairer than snow. Though she wore simple clothes, her exquisite features and unique bearing made her seem like a little figure who had stepped out of a painting!

How could such a remote backwater produce such a lovely girl?

Tang San's senses were extremely sharp, and he noticed the gatekeeper's look toward Cinderella almost instantly.

A cold fury surged into Tang San's mind, and the Mysterious Heaven Skill within him began to circulate.

This damned thing actually dared look at Sister with those eyes. You have a death wish!