A Different Life

"It's all right. It's just that the teacher is a little... strange."

After thinking it over, Tang Wulin still politely settled on the word strange.

"I don't know why, but she's extremely strict with our practical combat training. It's like she wants us to defeat someone... I guess she hopes we can become Class One through the Promotion Match?"

Xie Xie remembered the scene he had seen during class placement and fell silent.

It probably wasn't to defeat Class One, but to defeat Class Five, right? It was just unrequited love. What grudge, what resentment? How had it turned into this?

Without telling Tang Wulin any of that, Xie Xie asked, "Is the training rough?"

"Not rough. If anything, because we have practical combat training, I've gotten a chance. After all, I'm pretty strong, and now I've even become one of the preliminary candidates for the Promotion Match."

Tang Wulin quickly finished a bowl of plain rice and ordered another. "Don't just talk about me. How about you?"

"Class One gets pretty good treatment, all kinds of preferential treatment, and the teacher is very friendly too. He taught us a new Meditation Method. I'm already about to become a two-ring Soul Grandmaster."

"Really? You're amazing." Tang Wulin looked astonished.

"Amazing?"

Xie Xie's expression darkened. "Do you still remember the two people we ran into the day before class placement?"

"Of course I remember." Tang Wulin nodded.

He had even run into Huo Yuhao a few times at the academy afterward and exchanged names with him. Of course he remembered.

"They're the real monsters!" Xie Xie began pouring out his grievances. "One is Level Twenty-Seven, and the other is Level Thirty-Three. When they fight, their might is comparable to a four-ring Soul Ancestor! I originally thought I was the biggest genius around, but I never expected to run into them."

Tang Wulin's eyes widened, and he stared at Xie Xie in shock. Seeing that he did not look like he was lying, a thought rose in his mind.

Maybe, when he got back, he should tell their teacher that their class should forget about competing with Class One...

"Help! Robbery!"

A cry of alarm rang out over Snack Street.

Tang Wulin snapped back to his senses and looked toward the sound. He saw a middle-aged man with a pale face running out of a small alley, followed by two burly men with ugly expressions, knives in hand.

"You dare shout? Watch me teach you a lesson today!"

Perhaps because they had failed to stop him, the two burly men flew into a rage from embarrassment. Completely ignoring the fact that they were in public, they still chased after the middle-aged man.

Some passersby compared their physiques, then looked at the knives in the two big men's hands, and did not dare step forward to uphold justice.

Tang Wulin frowned and was about to get up to help, but Xie Xie pressed him down with one hand.

"It's fine."

Xie Xie glanced at the two thugs' clothes and sneered.

"They're not Eastsea locals. No wonder they dare make trouble here."

Tang Wulin froze. What did that mean?

The shop owners around them watched the scene and remained fairly calm. They merely pulled back carefully to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

"What are you doing?!"

Before long, a powerful voice rang out, making the two small-time thugs stop. They turned their heads and looked over, only to see a strong man in uniform walking over, a fierce smile on his face.

The Security Team?

The two men's expressions changed, and they still wanted to run, but the skin exposed on the Security Team man's body had already turned iron gray. Even raised iron-gray scales had grown along his neck, and several soul rings rose up. But before Tang Wulin could see them clearly, the man stamped his foot and charged in front of the two of them.

With two bangs, the two thugs were knocked to the ground before they could even react, and two pairs of handcuffs were smoothly locked around their wrists.

"You didn't even bother asking around about who protects this street before coming here to rob people?"

The man snorted coldly, casually tossed the two thugs to the companions behind him, clapped his hands, withdrew his Martial Soul, and walked toward Tang Wulin and the others.

"Boss, give me three bowls of Stewed Beef Pot and ten bowls of rice. I've eaten all over Eastsea City, and your Stewed Beef Pot is still the most satisfying."

"Coming right up, Captain Guang Long." Uncle Li was clearly very familiar with him. "Not too busy lately, are you?"

"Public order around here has been pretty good. Sitting in the office all day has almost made my body rust."

Finding a seat and sitting down, Guang Long smiled and said, "Didn't expect to run into two fools just coming out for a meal with my colleagues."

"They probably didn't know the Security Team station is nearby. They must be new here." Uncle Li smiled as he replied as well.

At this moment, seeing Guang Long sit down only a few meters away, Tang Wulin finally came back to himself from the battle just now and carefully sized Guang Long up.

For some reason, when the other man had released his Martial Soul just now, he had felt an inexplicable throbbing, which was why he had lost focus for a moment... What was that?

Come to think of it, he had not expected to see a four-ring Soul Ancestor take action just by going out for a meal. Although his teacher was a Soul King powerhouse, he had never seen her take action...

"If he hadn't been worried those two would accidentally hurt the residents here, he wouldn't have used his Martial Soul at all."

Seeing Tang Wulin's cautious movements, Xie Xie found it a little funny. "So don't be fooled by Captain Guang Long's fierce appearance. He's actually quite friendly."

"Xie Xie, you know him?" Tang Wulin withdrew his gaze and asked.

"Who who comes to this street often doesn't?"

Xie Xie said, "It's pretty much a well-known legend by now."

Guang Long, captain of the Security Team, came from an ordinary family. His parents had both died, leaving him with only an older brother, but the two brothers' Martial Souls were quite good, belonging to the Sub-Dragon Martial Soul type. At six, they awakened their Martial Souls at the Spirit Pagoda, and after obtaining Spirit Souls, they gradually began to make a name for themselves...

Listening to Xie Xie's account, Tang Wulin, for some reason, felt as if he were seeing another version of himself. An inexplicable happiness rose in him, and he downed seven bowls of rice in a row, to the point that even Guang Long, off to the side, noticed.

Good grief, he seemed like he could eat even more than me.

Guang Long smiled with interest and was just about to look away when he saw the bracelet Tang Wulin's parents had repeatedly told him to always wear whenever he went out.

"..."

Pressing his lips together, a flash of jealousy crossed Guang Long's eyes. If he had had that back then, he might have gone even farther...

But after thinking for a moment, he gave a relieved smile instead.

If not for the Spirit Pagoda's funding, only one of him and his brother would have been able to obtain a Spirit Soul, while the other, unable to cultivate, would have lived on forever with jealousy and unwillingness. What kind of life would that have been?

Guang Long could not imagine it, but he still felt it would not have been a satisfying life... He had already lived quite gloriously. Why bother being jealous anymore?

When Tang Wulin ordered another serving of Stewed Beef Pot, Guang Long brought his own Stewed Beef Pot over and sat beside him, handing the food to him.

"You were talking about me just now, weren't you? Then how about letting me hear your story?"

"Work hard from now on. Don't waste your talent for forging."

After listening to the edited version of some of Tang Wulin's experiences, Guang Long left some money behind, patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder, then stood and left.

Tang Wulin looked at Guang Long's retreating figure, his face full of confusion. "Xie Xie, why is Captain Guang Long interested in me?"

"You still don't know?" Xie Xie showed an expression that was hard to tell whether it was admiration or the look one gave a fool. "That Soul Tool on your wrist represents a kind of recognition from the Spirit Pagoda. Guang Long's older brother has one too. I've seen it on this street before, so the moment I saw your bracelet, I recognized it."

Tang Wulin was curious. "Older brother?"

Xie Xie rarely showed such a solemn expression.

"His older brother is the captain of the East Sea Mecha Brigade—Guang Biao, a Seven Rings Soul Saint! His status is comparable to the East Sea Governor..."

Seven Rings?!

Only those two words remained in Tang Wulin's eyes. He could not hear anything else, and his expression gradually went blank.

That was a realm he did not even dare imagine, but from what Xie Xie meant, could he possibly achieve something similar to that person?

Little Wulin, you're a forging genius. Do you want to join us?

The words of the Spirit Pagoda reception staff rang by his ears, and a powerful urge stirred in Tang Wulin's heart.

Could he, too?