Carriage Conversation

As the carriage left Notting City, dawn had only just fully broken.

The dirt road beyond the city gate was damp with dew. As the wheels rolled over it, they left behind two faint tracks.

Yu Xiaogang leaned against one side of the carriage, resting with his eyes closed.

Tang San sat opposite him, watching the fields and low hills continually recede beyond the window in silence.

After traveling for roughly half the time it took to burn half an incense stick, Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes and asked,

"Little San, have you thought through what I asked you yesterday about your expectations for the First Spirit Ring?"

Tang San withdrew his gaze and fell silent for a moment.

"I've thought about it some," he said.

"Tell me."

Tang San did not answer immediately.

He lowered his head and looked at his outstretched palm. The lines in it seemed especially deep in the morning light.

"A control type," he said. "Just as Teacher judged before."

Yu Xiaogang gave a quiet hum and did not interrupt.

"But aside from the Spirit Skill itself, I thought of something else."

Tang San raised his head. "Blue Silver Grass may possess the ability to control others by nature."

Yu Xiaogang paused slightly.

"How so?" His tone remained calm, but his gaze had already turned serious.

Tang San thought for a moment, then told him about the little experiment he and Luo Yan had done yesterday.

Blue Silver Grass wrapping around a wrist, the room it allowed for reaction when pulled, and the possibilities a single strand could offer without any Spirit Skill or Spirit Power.

"Its strength may not be high, but its flexibility and extensibility make it better suited to restraining opponents than I imagined."

Tang San finally concluded, "If the First Spirit Skill can build upon its natural toughness, it may be more beneficial in the long run than simply pursuing a 'control skill.'"

Yu Xiaogang did not speak at once.

He stared at Tang San for several seconds, an indescribable glimmer appearing in his eyes.

"You came up with that yourself?" he asked.

Tang San hesitated, but did not hide it. "Luo Yan reminded me of part of it."

Yu Xiaogang's expression did not change, but his fingers lightly tapped his knee.

"Luo Yan?"

"Yes. He said Blue Silver Grass still had value if used as a rope."

Tang San said this with the corner of his mouth unconsciously lifting. "It sounded like a joke, but I don't think he was joking."

The carriage fell quiet for a while.

Outside, birds that had risen early were startled from the grass by the roadside and fluttered into the distance.

"I understand."

Yu Xiaogang's voice was low, yet carried a solemn weight. "On this Spirit Hunting trip, I will do my best to find you a Spirit Beast suited to the direction of 'toughness.'"

Tang San nodded. "Thank you, Teacher."

Yu Xiaogang did not reply. He leaned back against the carriage wall and closed his eyes again.

But Tang San could sense that he was not truly resting.

He was thinking.

Tang San made no sound. He turned back toward the window and left Yu Xiaogang some peace and quiet.

After a long while, Yu Xiaogang suddenly spoke, his voice very soft.

"Little San, his Martial Soul is a mask?"

Tang San turned around. "Yes. That's what he said."

"A mask-type Martial Soul."

Yu Xiaogang slowly repeated the words, his eyes still closed. "They are exceedingly rare across the Martial Soul system of the entire continent. There are no more than three known mask Martial Souls."

Tang San did not respond, quietly waiting.

"Do you know the effects of his Spirit Skills?"

As Yu Xiaogang said this, he opened his eyes.

Tang San shook his head. "I've only known him for a few days. I didn't think we were close enough yet, so I never asked."

Yu Xiaogang nodded. His gaze fell to the carriage floor, and his tone remained even. "Martial Souls of this kind usually lack direct physical attack capabilities. They tend toward mental abilities, control, or some form of special support."

Tang San hesitated before saying, "Luo Yan mentioned that his First Spirit Ring came from an Illusion Fox."

Yu Xiaogang clearly paused.

"An Illusion Fox?"

His brow furrowed slightly. "He told you that himself?"

"Yes. Yesterday outside Dorm Seven, I asked him about hunting Spirit Beasts because I wanted to learn from his experience. He mentioned it in passing," Tang San said.

He simply did not mention Luo Yan's claim that his mask had flown out and bitten the Spirit Beast to death. Tang San did not believe that at all.

Yu Xiaogang fell silent for several seconds, his fingers lightly tapping his knee.

"Then that explains it," he said.

Tang San looked at him.

"Among the known records, Spirit Skills from Illusion Foxes mostly lean toward mental interference and the creation of illusions."

"Their method of attack is neither biting nor elemental damage. Instead, they influence the target's senses and consciousness, causing them to make false judgments."

Yu Xiaogang spoke unhurriedly as he organized his thoughts. "Therefore, his First Spirit Skill is highly likely to be some kind of mental ability. It may create illusions, or it may briefly influence a target's emotions or judgment."

Tang San thought about it, then said, "He mentioned that his Martial Soul is called the Elation Mask. Could the word 'elation' have something to do with his Spirit Skill?"

Yu Xiaogang nodded, and a faint gleam appeared in his eyes. "I have seen his Spirit Hall certificate. The names of most Martial Souls are related to the direction of their abilities."

"The word 'elation' most likely points to emotions, the mind, or some kind of state-based effect."

"If his First Spirit Ring came from an Illusion Fox, then the direction of his Spirit Skill can basically be confirmed as mental rather than direct attack."

Tang San considered this. "He usually seems carefree, but his reactions are very quick. Yesterday, when Xiao Wu and I sparred, he predicted her next move simply through observation."

"Could that kind of insight be related to his Spirit Skill?"

Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "Not necessarily. Observational ability has no inevitable connection to Spirit Skills. Some people are simply born with stronger combat intuition than others."

"But you said his reactions are quick. That does fit the traits of a mental-type Soul Master. One of the most important abilities of a mental-type Soul Master is reading and judging the other person's intentions."

Tang San gave a quiet hum and said nothing more.

"And he has Innately Full Spirit Power."

Yu Xiaogang continued, his tone turning solemn. "I have seen several people with Innately Full Spirit Power. But for every one of them, the choice of their First Spirit Ring was extremely important."

"Because Soul Masters with such talent have a far higher limit for bearing a Spirit Ring than ordinary people. The fact that he could absorb a four-hundred-year Spirit Ring soon after awakening already proves that his mental strength far surpasses that of others his age."

Hearing this, Tang San could not help recalling Luo Yan's ever-smiling face.

That person looked carefree and unserious, yet when he spoke of Blue Silver Grass, the certainty in his eyes made him seem like an entirely different person.

"Teacher."

Tang San suddenly spoke. "Could his Spirit Skill possibly not be a pure illusion, but... something else?"

Yu Xiaogang glanced at him. "Why do you ask?"

Tang San thought for a moment. "I can't really explain it. I just feel that the way he speaks and acts always gives me the sense that he is waiting for something. And when he had me wrap Blue Silver Grass around his wrist, it did not seem like a spur-of-the-moment idea either."

Yu Xiaogang did not answer immediately.

He leaned back against the carriage wall once more, his gaze settling on the shifting shadows of trees outside the window. He remained silent for a long time.

"Pay closer attention to him in the future."

Yu Xiaogang's voice was low, yet carried a rare gravity. "This Luo Yan's Spirit Skill is absolutely not simple. And I suspect that even the four words 'Elation Mask' are only the part he is willing to let us know."

Tang San turned his head and looked out the carriage window.