A Good Fit for Us

The corner of Chu Heng's mouth twitched at Guang Ling's shameless words.

Just asking? My heart nearly stopped back there. If that was "just asking," what would happen if he got serious?

Of course, he didn't dare say any of that aloud.

"Teacher!"

Su Xianling finally couldn't hold back. She rose from her chair and looked at Guang Ling with displeasure.

"How could Chu Heng have been sent by someone else?"

"Oh?"

Guang Ling turned his head.

"Then tell me."

Su Xianling seemed to have expected the question. She answered at once.

"Chu Heng comes from Holy Soul Village. His parents are ordinary people, and there's never been a powerful Soul Master in his family. When his Martial Soul awakened at six, Deacon Su Yuntao of the Nott City branch presided over it. He had Innate Soul Power at level seven and an unusual tool-type Martial Soul. No one recognized it, but Su Yuntao thought it was worth nurturing, so he brought Chu Heng back to the Nott City branch and registered him as a Directly Nurtured Disciple."

At that, Su Xianling glanced at Chu Heng.

"He'd only just entered Spirit Hall when I met him. Nott City has complete records of all this. If you don't believe me, Teacher, you can have someone check."

Guang Ling gave no answer. His gaze settled on Chu Heng.

"Holy Soul Village..."

Chu Heng's heart tightened. The place might mean nothing special to Spirit Hall's higher-ups. The problem was that Tang Hao lived there too.

Fortunately, Guang Ling didn't seem to make the connection. He simply continued:

"What are your parents' names?"

Chu Heng answered honestly.

Guang Ling asked several more questions after that: about his family, how he had entered Spirit Hall, and his life in Nott City over the past few years. Some questions he even repeated.

Chu Heng didn't know what Guang Ling was trying to confirm, but he hid nothing. Apart from his transmigration and the system, which he absolutely could not reveal, he answered more or less truthfully.

After a while, Guang Ling tapped a finger against his chair's armrest.

"A child from an ordinary village. Never left it before the age of six, then entered the Nott City branch right after his Martial Soul awakened..."

Judging by that history, it didn't look as though anyone had arranged it. Besides, who would lay plans years in advance just to put a six-year-old child near Su Xianling?

And even if someone had, so what? Guang Ling had strength on his side. No matter how many tricks they had up their sleeve, they would amount to nothing against absolute power.

"Fine."

Guang Ling suddenly smiled.

"You pass for now."

Chu Heng let out a quiet breath of relief.

What do you mean, I pass for now? I haven't done anything!

Su Xianling was unhappy with Guang Ling's interrogation too. She pouted.

"Teacher, I told you. I was the one who approached him."

"Yes, yes, I know."

Guang Ling waved a hand.

"I'm just worried you'll spend a few years out there and end up counting the money for someone who sold you."

"..."

Su Xianling's eyelid twitched.

"Teacher."

"Hm?"

"Maybe I should just leave."

"Ahem."

Guang Ling coughed lightly and stopped teasing her. Su Xianling couldn't be bothered to argue with him. She turned to Chu Heng.

"Little Chu Heng, summon your Martial Soul."

Here it comes. Su Xianling had brought him here because she hoped Guang Ling would take him as a disciple. Now it was time to prove himself.

Chu Heng rose from his chair.

"All right, Sister."

He circulated his Soul Power. Pale blue light surfaced in his right palm, and a dense, intricate structure swiftly took shape. In the blink of an eye, a pale blue pistol appeared in his hand.

At the same time, two yellow Spirit Rings slowly rose from beneath his feet.

Guang Ling's casual expression sharpened slightly when he saw the strange Martial Soul in Chu Heng's hand.

"That's your Martial Soul?"

He beckoned with one hand. Chu Heng felt his wrist grow light as his Gun Soul flew from his grasp and landed in Guang Ling's hand.

"Huh?"

Chu Heng froze.

Guang Ling turned the Gun Soul over in his hands. After examining it for a moment, he began to frown.

"How do you use this thing?"

"Feed Soul Power into it and attack."

At Chu Heng's answer, Guang Ling tossed the Gun Soul back.

"Show me."

"Here?"

Chu Heng glanced around. This was Worship Hall. If he damaged something with a shot, he might not be able to pay for it, and such disrespect would surely earn him a punishment too.

Guang Ling saw his concern. He raised a finger, gathering a speck of icy blue light that became a palm-sized sheet of ice crystal on the far side of the hall.

"Fire."

Chu Heng didn't hesitate. He raised the gun, took aim, and channeled ten points of Soul Power into it.

Bang!

A pale blue Soul Power bullet streaked across the hall. The ice crystal shuddered when it struck, but suffered no damage.

Guang Ling's eyes shifted.

"Not bad power. Decent speed too..."

"Teacher, that's only one kind of attack."

Su Xianling cut off her teacher's lofty assessment.

Guang Ling shot her an annoyed look.

"There's more?"

At a thought from Chu Heng, his first Spirit Ring lit up. Pale blue light spread across the short gun as its barrel lengthened and its internal structure rearranged. In an instant, it became a much longer rifle.

Guang Ling raised his eyebrows.

"All from the same soul skill?"

"Yes."

Su Xianling nodded.

"His first soul skill is Ever-Changing. Right now, it can take three different forms: single-shot, rapid-fire, and a heavy weapon that causes explosions and fires over an area."

Guang Ling's fingers stopped tapping the armrest.

Three forms?

Chu Heng kept going, and a heavy grenade launcher appeared in his hands.

After seeing all three forms of Chu Heng's Martial Soul for himself, Guang Ling took it more seriously. He was one of the continent's foremost long-range Soul Masters, so he understood better than most what a long-range Martial Soul capable of changing its attack method to suit the battlefield could do.

"What about your second soul skill?"

Guang Ling asked.

Chu Heng changed his Martial Soul back into a pistol, and his second Spirit Ring lit up.

Second soul skill: Precise Bullet Mark!

The world before his eyes changed. Faint marks swiftly appeared across the surface of the ice crystal.

Then he pulled the trigger.

Whoosh!

This shot was much quieter than the last. A dent appeared in the center of the ice crystal.

Guang Ling narrowed his eyes.

"Faster attack, greater damage. What else?"

"It can find a target's weak points and reduce the sound of the shot, but it doubles the Soul Power cost."

Chu Heng answered truthfully.

The hall fell quiet for a moment.

Seeing that her teacher was interested, Su Xianling walked over to Chu Heng.

"Teacher, his unusual Martial Soul is one reason I brought him back, but it isn't the only one."

Guang Ling looked at her.

Su Xianling went on:

"He cultivates quickly. His Innate Soul Power was only level seven, but in roughly two years since his Martial Soul awakened, he's already reached level twenty-one. He can endure hardship, too, and he has a good temperament. He's never failed to complete the training I gave him. Before he obtained his first Spirit Ring, I had him live alone in the Soul Hunting Forest for a while. He adapted to that life quickly."

Standing beside her, Chu Heng grew increasingly uncomfortable as he listened.

Sister, I appreciate the praise, but why does it feel like you're selling me?

Su Xianling paused.

"Besides, his Martial Soul and the path he'll take in the future are a good fit for us."