Now We Don't Have to Ask for Directions

"No!"

Lin Yang refused without a moment's hesitation.

The light in Grandmaster's eyes visibly dimmed, and he seemed to age several years in an instant.

Tang San gave Lin Yang a complicated look, sighed, and stepped forward.

"Teacher."

At the sound of Tang San's voice, a glimmer returned to Grandmaster's darkened eyes. He lowered his head slightly to look at the boy, who only reached his waist.

A few seconds later, Grandmaster's expression returned to normal. He stroked Tang San's hair and looked at Lin Yang.

"All right. A bet is a bet. I won't go back on my word."

He looked down at Tang San, his face filled with the pride of an old father.

"You're an exception, so I haven't failed. My theory will be proven through him."

Lin Yang shrugged, unconcerned whether Grandmaster had failed or not.

A trace of helplessness flashed through Tang San's eyes, but he still raised his head.

"Teacher, I won't disappoint you."

"Little San..."

Seeing that the atmosphere was taking an odd turn, Lin Yang cleared his throat and pointed at the sky.

"You two, I hate to interrupt, but if we don't leave soon, it'll be completely dark."

Grandmaster cleared his throat and looked up. Only then did he realize that the sky was steadily darkening, with just one patch of red cloud clinging to its last shred of stubbornness.

"Let's go."

Grandmaster turned and led the way.

Tang San walked up beside Lin Yang. After some thought, he spoke.

"That throwing technique of yours..."

"Objects change trajectory when they collide. You can do it if you predict and analyze things beforehand."

Lin Yang wasn't wrong. It just required powerful dynamic vision to make adjustments at any moment, along with exquisitely fine powers of observation.

Tang San lowered his head in thought. He could also change trajectories through collisions, with techniques such as "Meteor Chasing the Moon" among the Tang Sect Hidden Weapons.

But he had practiced for years and could still only alter trajectories within a certain range. Even that required him to analyze a great deal of information in an instant.

At that thought, he glanced again at Lin Yang, who was rubbing his chin beside him, lost in some unknown thought. His throat bobbed, but he said nothing.

Lin Yang didn't notice Tang San's little movements. He was thinking about the system notification he had received while absorbing his Soul Ring.

Because he hadn't met the minimum requirements to unlock an ocular technique, he had awakened a general-purpose Fire Release technique instead.

Still, in terms of versatility and usefulness to him at present, Fire Release was undoubtedly the best option.

Lin Yang silently made up his mind. It seemed he would have to pay more attention to raising his roleplay progress from now on.

Lin Yang turned and found Tang San looking down, lost in thought, then glanced at Grandmaster up ahead.

Tang San still couldn't escape his fate of becoming Yu Xiaogang's disciple after all. Was this the world's corrective force?

The three walked in silence, left the Soul Hunting Forest, and found lodging for the night in a nearby village.

At noon the next day, the three stood at the village entrance, staring silently at the deserted wilderness beyond.

"Teacher, where's the carriage?"

In the end, Tang San broke the silence.

"This isn't right. I arranged with the driver yesterday to pick us up here."

Grandmaster looked just as puzzled, rubbing his chin as he muttered to himself.

Lin Yang yawned beside them, his eyes half closed. The aftereffects of exhausting his mental power were lasting longer than he had expected.

The three waited a little longer. Aside from the occasional gust that stirred up dust, the view before them remained unchanged.

"Ahem, let's walk a little farther. We might run into the carriage."

Grandmaster cleared his throat and decided not to keep waiting there. He led the two boys down the road.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened. After walking for roughly the time it took an incense stick to burn, they encountered the same carriage from the day before.

There was no conspiracy. The driver had simply been delayed by an urgent matter.

After a jolting ride, the three arrived safely back in Nuoding City the following afternoon.

Lin Yang pushed open the door to Dorm Seven first. Wang Sheng and the others instinctively turned to look, only to duck their heads and turn away the next second.

Xiao Wu sat on her bed, bored out of her mind, absently winding her hair around her fingers. Her usually lively little face looked thoroughly miserable.

At the sound of the door opening, she seemed to spring back to life, turning toward the entrance with anticipation written all over her face.

"Tang San, Lin Yang, you're finally back!"

"Yep. As agreed, our Young Master Tang will be taking care of all our cleaning from now on."

As he spoke, Lin Yang reached behind him and pulled forward Tang San, whose face looked positively constipated.

"I clearly said we'd do it together."

"I never agreed."

Tang San opened his mouth, then stopped. For the moment, he couldn't find anything to say in rebuttal.

"Did you both get your first Soul Ring?"

Xiao Wu's question instantly drew everyone's attention.

"Yes. We're both one-ring Battle Soul Masters now."

Tang San's tone was calm, but everyone except Xiao Wu and Lin Yang sucked in a sharp breath.

"S-Soul Masters?!"

"They're only six! Is this what innate full soul power means?"

Seeing their expressions, Xiao Wu planted her hands on her hips and proudly lifted her little face.

"Hehe, I've broken through to Soul Master too!"

Her face all but had "Praise me!" written across it.

"Bo... Sister Xiao Wu broke through too? When?"

Wang Sheng immediately cried out in surprise.

"Hmph, do I have to report to you whenever I break through? I have innate full soul power too, you know."

The other students were already too shocked to speak. Three people with innate full soul power in one dormitory-if they told anyone, it would probably be treated as a tall tale.

"Xiao Wu... that's really impressive."

Although Tang San was surprised for a moment, with Lin Yang's example before him, he quickly accepted it.

Hearing Tang San's brief praise, Xiao Wu pursed her lips and turned to Lin Yang.

But Lin Yang merely yawned and walked over to his bed without a care.

"Carry on."

With that, he darted under his covers, completely ignoring Xiao Wu's souring expression beside him.

Tang San glanced at Xiao Wu and instinctively took two steps back.

The next second, a sharp cry rang through Dorm Seven, startling a bird that had just landed outside the window into flight.

"Lin Yang!"

The next day, Lin Yang slowly opened his eyes and looked to his left, where Xiao Wu was sleeping soundly with his arm as her pillow. He tried moving it. His left arm had gone completely numb.

Under the covers, one of Xiao Wu's feet rested against his stomach. The little bundle she had used as a dividing line had long since vanished without a trace.

He looked to his right at Tang San, who was sleeping with his body perfectly straight, and sighed.

With the sun already high in the sky, the three appeared at the entrance to Nuoding Academy.

"Xiao Wu, hurry up."

"What's the rush? It's not like the Spirit Hall can run away."

The three looked at the bustling stream of people and were about to find someone to ask for directions.

A man approached from nearby, unfolding a drawing in his hands. He looked at Lin Yang to confirm something, then spoke.

"Are you Lin Yang?"

"Yes. And you are?" Lin Yang tilted his head up slightly.

"Hello. I work for the Spirit Hall. Steward Zhang sent me to invite you over."

Steward Zhang? Lin Yang paused, then remembered that this was the steward who had awakened his Martial Soul.

Perfect. Now we don't have to ask for directions.

Lin Yang nodded and followed the man into the crowd with Tang San and Xiao Wu, disappearing from sight.