Xiao Wu and Tang San Were Going to Teach Me Martial Arts?

Tang San stood beside them for a while before suddenly speaking up.

"We're classmates, and we're from the same village. If you run into trouble, I'll help you too."

Lin Xuan turned to look at Tang San. He hadn't expected him to offer.

Tang San had his flaws. From what Lin Xuan remembered of his previous life, Tang San was fiercely protective of his own, but he always kept outsiders at a distance.

Yet today, he had reached out first?

Was Yu Xiaogang trying to get him to win Lin Xuan over?

Or did Tang San genuinely think the three of them should stick together?

Lin Xuan thought it over but couldn't find an answer.

Forget it. Whatever the reason, Tang San had offered goodwill, and Lin Xuan had no reason to turn it down.

Besides, he and Xiao Wu were getting along well now. Tang Hao must have been watching it all.

Lin Xuan cupped his hands at once.

"Then thanks, Little San."

Tang San nodded, his expression earnest.

The three stood in the clearing, each with their own thoughts. From the outside, though, they looked like a close-knit little group.

After a moment, Tang San suddenly asked a question.

"Lin Xuan, can you use that Fire-Controlling Talisman on yourself?"

Lin Xuan raised his hand. The warmth from drawing the talisman still lingered in his palm.

"Of course. It works the same if I put it on myself."

Xiao Wu was crouching to brush dust off her skirt. At his answer, she sprang to her feet.

"Wait!" She pointed at Lin Xuan. "You mean you can put a Fire-Controlling Talisman on yourself?"

"Yeah."

"Then you can support yourself?"

Xiao Wu circled Lin Xuan, finding the idea more absurd the more she thought about it.

"Other Support Soul Masters can only boost their teammates. On their own, they're pushovers. But you can boost yourself too?"

Lin Xuan spread his hands. "In theory, yes."

Xiao Wu stopped and tilted her head, sizing him up.

"Then why didn't you put one on yourself and fight Xiao Chenyu? Why make me do it?"

"You were the one shouting that you wanted to fight him."

"Oh, right." Xiao Wu scratched her head and grinned.

Then another thought struck her, and her face lit up as though she'd discovered a treasure.

"If you put a Fire-Controlling Talisman on yourself and train your fighting skills, wouldn't you have both offense and defense? You could support other people and fight on your own. What kind of all-rounder is that?"

Lin Xuan sighed.

"Easy to say. My fighting skills are average. I only beat you by using a few tricks. Even with a Fire-Controlling Talisman, I'd have a hard time beating a Battle Soul Master in hand-to-hand combat."

That was the truth.

The Clear Mind Talisman sharpened his judgment and reflexes, while the Fire-Controlling Talisman increased the power of fire-attribute attacks. But when it came down to it, Lin Xuan couldn't match Tang San or Xiao Wu in physical ability or fighting skill.

He'd beaten Wang Sheng and Xiao Wu today through the precise judgment granted by the Clear Mind Talisman, plus a few tricks.

In a straight fight, he wouldn't last more than a few moves.

Unless he used a Fireball Talisman outright.

When Xiao Wu heard him out, she clapped her hands.

"That's easy! I'll teach you my kicking techniques!"

Lin Xuan froze for a moment.

Xiao Wu was already demonstrating with enthusiasm.

"You definitely can't learn my soft-body techniques. They come from my Martial Soul. But I can teach you basic Footwork, how to put power into your strikes, and how to block."

She turned to Tang San.

"Little San, you're pretty good at fighting too, right? Your movements looked really sharp earlier. Why don't you teach Lin Xuan as well?"

Tang San didn't answer immediately.

Xiao Wu pressed on.

"Think about it. When we graduate from Nuoding and go to a better academy, we might still be together.

"Where else are you going to find a Support Soul Master like Lin Xuan?

"With just one ring, he can boost someone else's attack power by twenty percent. He can boost himself too, and keep his head clear..."

She counted on her fingers, and the more she counted, the more valuable Lin Xuan seemed.

"If you don't make sure he stays on your team, someone else will snatch him up, and then you'll be sorry."

Tang San was silent for a while.

Every word Xiao Wu said struck home. He already wanted Lin Xuan on his side. Now that an opportunity had presented itself, why not take it?

Teaching Lin Xuan some basic grappling and hand-to-hand techniques wouldn't violate the sect rules, as long as he stayed away from the Tang Sect Secret Techniques.

Tang San nodded.

"Sure. I'll teach you some practical close-combat skills. Fist Technique, Footwork, whatever you need."

Lin Xuan stared. He hadn't expected Tang San to actually agree to teach him martial arts.

Something was very wrong here!

Lin Xuan decided not to dwell on it and said at once,

"Thanks, Little San."

Tang San waved a hand. "We're from the same village. No need to thank me."

Xiao Wu immediately settled the matter.

"Then it's decided! Every afternoon, I'll teach Lin Xuan for two hours, and Little San, you'll teach him for another two. We'll finish just in time to go back for dinner!"

"What is this, a class schedule?" Lin Xuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"I am making a class schedule." Xiao Wu looked him squarely in the eye. "Got a problem with that?"

"No, no."

Lin Xuan raised his hands in surrender.

Having someone teach him to fight was a pretty good deal.

Xiao Wu gave a satisfied hum and bounced twice, her braid swaying behind her.

"We start tomorrow! That fight today took a lot out of me."

The three of them then headed toward the dormitory. As they passed the dining hall, Xiao Wu's stomach growled right on cue.

A faint blush rose to Xiao Wu's cheeks.

"Come on, I'll buy you a carrot." Lin Xuan fished a few Copper Soul Coins out of his pocket.

"I want two!"

"Fine."

Tang San followed behind them at an easy pace.

Something was on his mind.

Lin Xuan was steady and reserved, neither especially warm nor cold toward others, but he never hesitated when it mattered.

When Xiao Chenyu bullied the Work-Study Students today, Lin Xuan had stepped forward without a word.

Xiao Wu might have done the fighting, but Lin Xuan had supplied both the Fire-Controlling Talisman and the Clear Mind Talisman.

Without Lin Xuan's support, there was no way Xiao Wu could have dealt with Xiao Chenyu's two lackeys in three seconds.

He was worth befriending.

But Tang San had noticed something else.

Lin Xuan's attitude toward him had always stayed at "friendly, but distant."

He didn't push Tang San away, but he didn't draw close either. He never made the first move, but he never refused him.

He was nothing like Xiao Wu, who made friends as easily as she breathed.

Tang San felt that Lin Xuan was holding something back from him.

For now, he couldn't work out why.

Could it have something to do with him taking Yu Xiaogang as his teacher?

Forget it. There was plenty of time.

Tang San had never been impatient.

By the time they returned to Dorm Seven, night had fallen completely.

Lin Xuan put his shoes away, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes to rest.

But his mind was turning over something else.

Tang San had acted better today than Lin Xuan had expected.

Lin Xuan had originally thought Tang San was approaching him solely to speak on Yu Xiaogang's behalf.

But after today, he could see genuine sincerity in Tang San's actions.

That was interesting.

If Tang San wasn't bad at heart and had merely been taken in by Yu Xiaogang, then perhaps someday...

An idea flashed through Lin Xuan's mind.

If Tang San could break with Yu Xiaogang, wouldn't it be good to bring him over to Lin Xuan's side?

Tang San's talent was beyond question. He had Twin Martial Souls. Someone like that was a thousand times better as a teammate than an opponent.

After all, Lin Xuan was still wary of Tang Hao.

Then Lin Xuan shook his head and cut the thought short.

It was far too early.

Tang San was utterly devoted to Yu Xiaogang right now and wouldn't hear a word against him.

That kind of conviction couldn't be shaken overnight.

Lin Xuan would have to watch him longer and see what sort of person Tang San really was.

The original story was one thing. Now that Lin Xuan lived in this world, he needed to see for himself.

Yu Xiaogang, though, was much like his counterpart in the original story. If he'd been like Grandmaster in the comic, he would have had genuine knowledge and ability.

Then again, wasn't Tang San observing Lin Xuan too?

They were testing and judging each other. They were perfectly polite on the surface, but neither had laid all his cards on the table.

Xiao Wu, on the other hand, had none of those twists and turns.

At that thought, Lin Xuan glanced at Xiao Wu, who was folding her quilt beside him.

That girl was too innocent.

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form, walking among people, without the slightest guile.

"What are you looking at?"

Xiao Wu caught him watching and tugged the quilt toward herself.

"I won't crowd you tonight, so relax."

"Oh?"

"Hmph. Don't think I don't know you can't stand me!"

"I don't mind you."

"Liar! You were muttering yesterday about how badly I sleep!"

"You do sleep badly."

Xiao Wu wrapped herself in the quilt and rolled over in a huff, turning her back to him.

"Good night! I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Lin Xuan shook his head and lay down too.

The dormitory gradually fell quiet.