Asking the Price of Whale Rubber

Looking at Xiao Chenyu and the others sprawled in a heap, Lu Yang withdrew his martial soul.

"We working students came to the academy to study, not to play house with you rich young masters. If anyone causes trouble for us again, it won't end so nicely next time," Lu Yang said coolly.

Xiao Chenyu climbed out of the pile of people. Looking at Lu Yang's indifferent expression, he swallowed. "I understand. I'll keep the others in line. We won't cause you any more trouble."

After being thrown straight into the others by Lu Yang, Xiao Chenyu didn't even dare leave a threat behind. He slunk away with his followers.

Only after watching them leave did Xiao Wu, Wang Sheng, and the other working students gather around.

"Yang, your first soul ring is actually a thousand-year one?!"

"Brother Yang, how did you do it? Teach us!"

Seeing their hopeful gazes, Lu Yang shook his head helplessly. "I only managed to absorb it thanks to a lucky turn of events, and the process was pretty dangerous. You'd better not try it lightly. You only get one life. Don't gamble with your own safety."

After hearing Lu Yang's words, Wang Sheng and the others calmed down considerably.

"True. We should stick to what we can handle," Wang Sheng said. "Anyway, Yang, now that you've dealt with Boss Xiao and his gang, our lives will be a lot easier. Thanks!"

"It's nothing. We're all working students. We're just helping each other out." Lu Yang smiled and casually brushed the matter aside.

After chatting a little longer, everyone went back to clearing weeds. Xiao Wu stood off to the side, watching Lu Yang with interest, her thoughts a mystery.

That evening, the carriage carrying Tang San and Yu Xiaogang returned to Nuoding City. After they returned to the academy, Tang San took Yu Xiaogang straight to the headmaster of Nuoding Academy.

When Tang San told the headmaster what had happened in the Soul Hunting Forest, the headmaster shot Yu Xiaogang an angry glare. He truly hadn't expected that useless fool to dare take Tang San deep into the Soul Hunting Forest all by himself.

Although the Soul Hunting Forest was a place where soul beasts were raised in captivity, there were still some thousand-year soul beasts in its depths. With his meager abilities, Yu Xiaogang couldn't even handle some of the stronger hundred-year soul beasts. Where had he found the courage to venture so deep into the forest?

Still, anger aside, the headmaster couldn't leave Yu Xiaogang's injuries untreated. After all, Yu Xiaogang belonged to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. If something happened to him, who knew whether the clan would come looking for trouble?

After telling Tang San to return to his dormitory and rest, the headmaster left the academy to fetch a healing soul master for Yu Xiaogang. He wasn't insisting on going personally just to make Yu Xiaogang owe him a favor. Rather, Yu Xiaogang was so unpopular at the academy that he feared anyone else he sent would drag their feet, delaying treatment.

The moment Tang San entered the dormitory, he saw everyone gathered in little groups, chatting about something.

Seeing him return, quite a few people greeted him warmly.

"San, where have you been these past few days?" Xiao Wu asked directly.

"Oh, I went to the Soul Hunting Forest with my teacher to hunt a soul beast and obtain my first soul ring," Tang San said.

"You went soul hunting?"

The moment Tang San finished speaking, he caught the attention of Wang Sheng and the others. They immediately gathered around to ask how his hunt had gone.

Tang San didn't hide anything. He told them outright that he had obtained a soul ring from a Mandala Snake over four hundred years old.

"A Mandala Snake over four hundred years old? Tang San, you're really amazing."

"But isn't your martial soul Blue Silver Grass, Tang San? Wouldn't a soul ring from a plant-type soul beast be better for a plant-type martial soul?" someone asked in confusion.

"My teacher chose the Mandala Snake's soul ring for me. It suits my Blue Silver Grass very well," Tang San replied.

The Mandala Snake's soul ring had given Tang San a binding-type soul skill and also granted his Blue Silver Grass a degree of toxicity. Tang San, who came from the Tang Sect, a sect of assassins, was very satisfied with this.

Seeing how pleased Tang San was, the others said nothing more. They didn't know much about martial souls themselves and had only asked on instinct.

Hearing that Tang San had also obtained a soul ring, Xiao Wu immediately felt she couldn't keep playing around like this. She needed to hurry and condense her own first soul ring.

"Now Dorm Seven has two battle soul masters. Even if Boss Xiao and his gang break their word and come looking for trouble again, we won't have to be afraid!"

"What's there to be afraid of? Yang's first soul ring is a Thousand-Year Soul Ring! Boss Xiao and his gang were all startled when they saw that purple soul ring. After Yang gave them a beating, they definitely won't dare come looking for trouble again."

After everyone dispersed, a few working students gathered to chat. Their conversation, however, caught Tang San's attention.

On the way to the Soul Hunting Forest, Yu Xiaogang had taught Tang San a great deal about soul masters, including the age limits for absorbing soul rings. Yu Xiaogang had clearly told him that the maximum age for a first soul ring was four hundred and twenty-three years.

Yet he had just clearly heard his classmates say that Lu Yang's first soul ring was a purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring. That wasn't what his teacher had told him!

Tang San wanted to find Lu Yang and confirm whether this was true, but he searched the entire dormitory without finding any sign of him.

After finishing his duties as a working student, Lu Yang had left the academy and gone to a pharmacy in Nuoding City. He had originally intended to buy some whale rubber to consume, but its breathtaking price had stopped him cold.

Fifty gold soul coins a piece, and it's only hundred-year whale rubber. That's far too expensive, Lu Yang thought. "Boss, could you lower the price of this whale rubber?"

"It's already very cheap. Besides, this is a rare good thing for men. If you really want it, I'll sell you a piece for forty-five gold soul coins," the pharmacy owner said.

Hearing this, Lu Yang still shook his head. He only had eleven gold soul coins in total-not enough to buy even half a piece.

"What's a little fellow like you buying this stuff for?" Seeing that Lu Yang was about to leave, the pharmacy owner asked casually.

"I'm buying it for someone in my family," Lu Yang replied offhandedly. He knew very well that, in this era, whale rubber's remarkable benefits had yet to be discovered. Most people only consumed it as an aphrodisiac or a remedy to enhance male potency.

If he said it was for himself, he might invite unnecessary trouble. Saying he was buying it on behalf of his family, however, was a perfectly suitable excuse.

"Ah, the price of whale rubber has always stayed high inland. If you really want it cheap, you'll have to go to the seaside towns yourself. Nuoding City isn't all that far from Vast Sea City. You could try your luck there."