All that came before is but a prologue!

Nuoding City was merely a small frontier city in the Heaven Dou Empire, far from prosperous, but Hu Liena looked thrilled the moment she stepped out of the carriage.

"Little Qin Chao, is this where you grew up? It looks pretty nice. I wonder if there's anything fun to do here!"

Realizing Hu Liena had misunderstood, Qin Chao shook his head slightly. "No, Holy Soul Village, where I lived, is just a tiny village nearby. I'm an orphan. Grandpa took me in and raised me from childhood. We were very poor, and sometimes even getting enough to eat was difficult..."

Realizing she had said the wrong thing, Hu Liena looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry, Qin Chao. I didn't mean to..."

Qin Chao shrugged indifferently. "What's there to apologize for? All that came before is but a prologue. Without those experiences, I wouldn't be the Qin Chao I am today. Besides, now that I've joined Spirit Hall, Grandpa won't have to suffer anymore. Maybe one day, Holy Soul Village will be proud of me!"

Life during those years with Jack had not been particularly good, but Old Jack had given Qin Chao everything he could. That was already enough for him...

Watching the small figure before her, Hu Liena fell into a daze.

Qin Chao's way of thinking was truly unconventional, yet it held a unique appeal.

He did not glorify suffering, but he acknowledged it. He seemed never to be shackled by the past, only ever looking toward the future. Such a mindset was far too mature, strikingly out of place in a child, yet that very incongruity held an irresistible attraction for Hu Liena.

She was an orphan too. After Bibi Dong adopted her, she had spent a long time trying to forget the suffering she had endured. It had been an arduous process with little to show for it, but Qin Chao's appearance suddenly made her realize that perhaps some things did not need to be deliberately forgotten, because they were simply a part of her...

Gently taking Qin Chao's little hand, Hu Liena spoke again, changing the subject. "Little Qin Chao, this is your big sister's first visit to Nuoding City. You have to take me somewhere fun and show me around!"

"Uh, Sister Nana, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. This is my first time in Nuoding City too, so naturally, I don't know where the fun places are..." Qin Chao scratched his head sheepishly.

"But we could visit the Soul Master Academy here. Today is registration day at Nuoding Academy. Maybe my grandpa will be there too..."

"Sure, let's go take a look! It'd be great if we ran into him, but it's fine if we don't. We can just treat it as a leisurely stroll to clear our heads!" Hu Liena readily agreed. She had come out to have fun anyway, and where she did so hardly seemed to matter.

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy stood in western Nuoding City. After asking around briefly, Qin Chao and Hu Liena found it without any trouble.

A towering archway, dark iron gates, tall trees on either side, and the large words "Nuoding Academy" at the center of the arch...

Everything was exactly as the novel had described it. At that moment, however, an old man and a boy stood locked in a standoff with the young gatekeeper at Nuoding Academy's entrance.

"A Blue Silver Grass martial soul? And innate full soul power?... You must have forged this Spirit Hall certificate!" The young gatekeeper's voice dripped with disdain.

"You're deliberately making things difficult! I'm going to find the deacon at the Spirit Hall Branch!" Old Jack's indignant voice rang out.

"Pfft, you? An old beggar wants to see the deacon? With those few pounds of worthless bones, I doubt you could even set foot through Spirit Hall's gates!"

Old Jack grew even angrier at those words. "I refuse to believe there's nowhere in this world that listens to reason!" With that, he took Tang San's hand and prepared to head back into the city.

Seeing the old man and boy about to leave, the gatekeeper worried they might actually cause a scene outside Spirit Hall. His eyes darted, and a cruel smile curled his lips.

"Since you're so eager to get to Spirit Hall, allow me to send you on your way!" With that, the gatekeeper raised his leg to kick Old Jack...

At the sight before him, Qin Chao's eyes nearly split with rage.

Old Jack was his only family in this world. How could Qin Chao stand by and watch him be humiliated?!

Soul power surged madly through his body as he hurtled toward the gatekeeper, beating him to the punch and kicking him hard to the ground...

Old dog, the hunter and the hunted have traded places!

"You're nothing but a watchdog, yet you dare bark and snarl at my grandpa!" Qin Chao extended his right arm, instinctively placing his small body in front of Old Jack.

"Qin Chao? What are you doing here?!" Recognizing the figure before him, Old Jack's surprise and delight were plain to see.

Qin Chao looked back at that familiar, weathered face, and his heart instantly softened. "Grandpa, I'll explain in a moment. Please wait for me..."

Turning around, Qin Chao spoke coldly. "You dared lay a hand on my grandpa. Have you grown tired of living...?" His gaze was icy as he glared at the young gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper flinched under Qin Chao's stare, then looked the child up and down.

Qin Chao was wearing the standard robe issued by the Spirit Hall Main Hall. Golden patterns adorned the white fabric, and the character for "soul" on his chest stood out brilliantly.

Seeing that outfit, the gatekeeper naturally understood that Qin Chao belonged to Spirit Hall. He hurriedly clutched his aching backside, bowed, and forced an ingratiating smile.

"Young master, this is all a misunderstanding. How could a Blue Silver Grass martial soul possibly have innate full soul power? I was only asking a few questions as part of the usual procedure. I certainly never intended to insult anyone..."

The gatekeeper bent at the waist with his head lowered, his voice utterly fawning. Not a trace remained of his earlier overbearing manner.

"Heh, a misunderstanding?" A cold smile curled Qin Chao's lips, and he lightly beckoned to the gatekeeper.

Assuming Qin Chao had something to say, the gatekeeper hurriedly leaned down and turned his ear toward him...

His right arm rose high, sweeping a graceful arc through the air. The next second, his tender little hand made intimate contact with the gatekeeper's broad face, leaving five distinct finger marks behind.

"Sorry, I just saw a fly on your face. Only after swatting it did I realize I'd seen wrong. It's all a misunderstanding..."

Qin Chao stared coldly at the gatekeeper, whom his slap had knocked sprawling, and spoke with biting sarcasm.

The gatekeeper froze for a moment, then spat out a mouthful of blood, with several broken teeth mixed into it.

Feeling the searing pain on his face, the gatekeeper felt utterly wronged. He had only been carrying out routine duties. How could this child strike so hard that he had even broken his teeth? Spirit Hall might be powerful, but surely it could not bully commoners like this!

Fools never thought themselves foolish, and the gatekeeper likewise saw nothing wrong with his actions.

"They were dressed in rags! What's wrong with calling them beggars? I was only faithfully doing my duty! You're the one bullying commoners as you please. Aren't you afraid I'll report you to Spirit Hall?!"

"Faithfully doing your duty? By that logic, should we award you a trophy to encourage you...?"

This time, before Qin Chao could speak, Hu Liena, who had long since had enough, retorted from beside him and beckoned to the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper was a fool indeed. He had completely forgotten how he had received that slap. Though only the person had changed, he actually leaned his head over again.

Smack!

The crisp sound of a slap echoed before the academy gates.

"I don't like having someone else's black pot dumped on my back, but if I'm going to carry the blame, I'll make sure I've earned it!"

Hu Liena dusted nonexistent dirt from her hands and stood with her head high and chest out. She looked so dashing that Qin Chao's heart fluttered like a startled fawn...

"Who are you people? How dare you cause trouble outside my Nuoding Academy!" A hoarse voice sounded behind them, its words brimming with anger and disgust...