The Logic Comes Full Circle! Tang San Begins to Doubt the Grandmaster

Tang San's expression changed instantly.

"Is it because Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul is useless that his Soul Power can't break through level thirty? Or is Yu Xiaogang himself useless, holding back his Martial Soul?"

"Lin Xuan!" Tang San's voice rose sharply.

Lin Xuan waved a hand.

"Little San, I know you're upset, but hear me out."

Tang San clenched his fists. His chest rose and fell twice, but he held back.

Lin Xuan continued:

"I'm not insulting him. I'm stating a fact.

He proposed a theory built around one idea: 'There are no good or bad Martial Souls. What matters is how the Soul Master uses them.'

But after decades, he still hasn't broken through level thirty. That alone is the strongest rebuttal to his theory."

Tang San pressed his lips together and said nothing.

"Now, back to me."

Lin Xuan raised a finger.

"He met me once, looked at my Martial Soul, and decided I had Twin Martial Souls.

On what grounds?

His theoretical deductions.

But what are the facts?

I have only one Martial Soul, and my first soul skill boosts me by twenty percent—higher than the upper limit his theory predicts."

Lin Xuan paused.

"Little San, is my Martial Soul strong? Yes. Is my first soul skill useful? Yes.

That proves my Martial Soul is of exceptional quality. But he refuses to admit it. He insists on forcing me into his theoretical framework."

"What do you call that?"

Tang San didn't answer.

Lin Xuan answered his own question:

"Deciding on a conclusion first, then hunting for evidence. It's the one thing a scholar must never do, and he's done it completely."

The clearing fell quiet for several seconds.

Birds called in the distance. Wind swept through the treetops, rustling the leaves.

Tang San stood, took his outer robe from the branch, and put it on.

"That's enough instruction for today."

Without looking at Lin Xuan, he turned and headed out of the academy.

His steps were quick.

Lin Xuan stayed seated against the tree and watched Tang San disappear down the path. He didn't call after him.

He'd said everything he needed to say.

The seed had been planted. Whether it sprouted was up to Tang San.

Lin Xuan knew Tang San wasn't stupid.

Quite the opposite. Tang San was extremely clever.

And once clever people had a question, they went looking for the answer themselves.

Whether Yu Xiaogang could withstand Tang San's scrutiny was Yu Xiaogang's problem.

Whether a rift opened between Yu Xiaogang and Tang San had little to do with Lin Xuan.

Those words had only been a casual move on Lin Xuan's part.

These days, Lin Xuan turned his Soul Power into Fireball Talismans every day and stored them away.

Those were his real trump card.

About fifteen minutes later, Xiao Wu ran over from the dining hall, half a carrot still clutched in her hand.

"Where's Tang San? Did he leave?"

"Yeah. He went to work at the forge."

"Then it's my turn!"

Xiao Wu finished the carrot in a few bites, clapped her hands, and planted herself in front of Lin Xuan.

"Up, up. Stop sitting around. Today I'm teaching you how to combine a side kick with a sweep."

Lin Xuan got to his feet and brushed the dirt off his trousers.

Xiao Wu was already demonstrating.

"Watch closely. A side kick gets its power from your hips, not your knee. When people throw a weak kick, it's usually because they're only using their lower leg..."

She talked as she demonstrated, her movements crisp and her long braid swinging behind her.

After showing him twice, Xiao Wu told Lin Xuan to try.

Lin Xuan threw a kick. Xiao Wu shook her head at once.

"Wrong! You didn't turn your hips. Try again."

Lin Xuan adjusted his stance and kicked again.

"Better, but your power's still scattered. Are you even using your waist?" Xiao Wu came over and slapped him on the side. "Here! Tighten it!"

"Could you not just grab me?"

"No. You can't find the right feeling on your own. Come on, kick again."

Resigned, Lin Xuan threw another kick. This time, Xiao Wu finally nodded in satisfaction.

"That's more like it."

After practicing for a while, they sat down to catch their breath. Xiao Wu took a drink of water, then suddenly asked a question.

"Did Tang San ask you about your Martial Soul again?"

Lin Xuan glanced sideways at her. "How did you know?"

"Guessed."

Xiao Wu hugged her knees and rested her chin on them.

"He looked upset when he left. He had the same look last time he defended that Grandmaster."

"You're pretty observant."

Xiao Wu snorted.

"I don't like that Grandmaster either. He ran into me on the road last time and tried to make me his disciple."

"And?"

"No way was I becoming his disciple!" Xiao Wu stood with her hands on her hips. "He's that old and only level twenty-nine. What could he teach me? How to get stuck at a bottleneck and never break through level thirty?"

Lin Xuan couldn't hold back his laughter.

Seeing him laugh, Xiao Wu chuckled too, then leaned closer.

"But seriously, why does Tang San trust that Grandmaster so much? It's not like he's particularly strong..."

Lin Xuan thought for a moment.

"Probably because Tang San needs someone to guide him. Yu Xiaogang's theories help explain some things for him, so Yu Xiaogang became that guide."

Xiao Wu tilted her head, mulling it over.

"What about you? Don't you need someone to guide you?"

Lin Xuan looked up at the sky.

"I have someone."

"Who?"

"Myself."

Xiao Wu curled her lip. "Oh, please. Listen to you."

She stood, patted down her skirt, and held out a hand to Lin Xuan.

"All right, break's over. Back to practice. You're learning the side kick today, or I'm making you do extra tomorrow."

Lin Xuan took her hand and stood. "You're a ruthless teacher."

"Of course!" Xiao Wu clasped her hands behind her back, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. "But I don't charge tuition. It's free. Aren't you touched?"

"Deeply."

"Then practice hard!"

Xiao Wu kicked at Lin Xuan's shin.

Lin Xuan was ready. He sidestepped and used the footwork he'd just learned to open up some distance.

Xiao Wu chased him, her braid whipping through the air in an arc.

The two chased and sparred across the clearing until the sun went down.

That night.

Tang San sat in a corner of the Blacksmith Shop, clutching an iron piece that hadn't yet been quenched. He stared into space for a long time.

What Lin Xuan had said that day had been turning over in his mind all afternoon.

Is his Martial Soul useless, or is he?

Tang San plunged the iron into a bucket of water. It hissed, and white steam rose.

He didn't want to admit Lin Xuan had a point.

But he couldn't refute him.

His teacher was over forty and still at level twenty-nine.

That was a fact.

His teacher said there were no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters.

Put those two facts together, and the contradiction was plain.

Tang San pulled the iron from the water and stared at its still-steaming surface.

When he saw his teacher tomorrow, he needed to ask him something.

Something he had never asked before.

Teacher, why have you never been able to break through level thirty?

The thought startled Tang San. I... I'm questioning my teacher?