Throwing Your Weight Around? Are You Even Worth It?

At the sight of the newcomer, the gatekeeper looked as though he had found his savior. Scrambling and crawling, he struggled over to the man. "Grandmashter, you're back! This brat from Spirit Hall is throwing his weight around! You have to stand up for me!"

Qin Chao and the others turned toward the voice and saw a man of average height and somewhat thin build standing there.

The man looked to be in his forties or fifties, with short black hair parted to one side. His appearance was utterly ordinary.

Having read the novel thoroughly, Qin Chao naturally recognized him. This was none other than Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.

Perhaps because he had actually met Bibi Dong, Qin Chao found Yu Xiaogang deeply disappointing.

Are you kidding me?! The man who haunts the dreams of the mighty Pope of Spirit Hall is this ordinary?! What a fresh flower planted in cow dung...

While Qin Chao was still grumbling inwardly, Yu Xiaogang spoke in an unhurried tone.

"Trying to swagger around Nuoding Academy with Spirit Hall backing you? I'm afraid you're not qualified!"

Yu Xiaogang's hoarse voice carried a hint of languor, giving him something of the air of a down-and-out nobleman.

Seeing that Yu Xiaogang had not even asked what had happened before singling him out because of his affiliation with Spirit Hall, Qin Chao's opinion of Grandmaster instantly sank to rock bottom.

He ignored the unreasonable Yu Xiaogang and continued staring fixedly at the gatekeeper, his gaze icy.

"Throwing my weight around? Are you even worth it?" Qin Chao said coldly, a trace of killing intent already seeping into his voice. "You can't even guard a gate properly, but you've certainly honed your knack for twisting black into white to perfection..."

Old Jack knew Qin Chao well enough to recognize that he was truly furious. Seeing that Yu Xiaogang was someone of standing, he feared the man might make trouble for Qin Chao and hurried forward. His slightly stooped figure stood in front of Qin Chao, looking remarkably imposing.

"Sir, we didn't come here looking for trouble. The one throwing his weight around was someone else entirely..."

He gave Yu Xiaogang a detailed account of what had happened, handing over the certificate as he spoke.

Yu Xiaogang examined the certificate in his hand, and a gleam flashed through his eyes.

His gaze lingered on Tang San for a long time before he finally spoke again.

"My apologies, sir. Your certificate is undoubtedly genuine. The gatekeeper spoke disrespectfully to you, and I apologize on his behalf. Still, he was merely a little loose with his tongue. Wasn't your grandson somewhat too heavy-handed...?"

"Heh... too heavy-handed? I thought I went too easy on him!" Qin Chao snorted coldly, even more disgusted by Grandmaster's attempt to paper over the dispute.

"As a gatekeeper, there's nothing wrong with stopping outsiders from entering the academy. But he looked down his nose at us and threw his weight around, insulting a student and his guardian and making things as difficult as possible just because they were plainly dressed..."

"My grandfather clearly proved that Tang San was a student, yet his attitude remained vile. I'd like to ask-is this how Nuoding Academy treats its guests?!"

Qin Chao's words were sharp, his reasoning clear, and his gaze exceedingly cold. Though he was only a six-year-old child, the presence he exuded startled even the worldly Grandmaster, let alone Hu Liena, whose eyes were sparkling with admiration.

After a moment of stunned silence, Grandmaster turned and bowed respectfully to Old Jack. "My apologies, sir. Our academy failed to supervise its staff properly. I'll report this to the academy and have him dismissed. I hope you won't take it to heart..."

Hu Liena and Qin Chao exchanged a glance without responding, then looked up at Old Jack.

He was the wronged party. Whether to forgive the gatekeeper should be his decision.

If Old Jack was willing to forgive him, everything could be settled amicably. If Old Jack was unwilling...

Qin Chao's soul power might be a little weak, but Hu Liena was no pushover...

Just as the novel had described, receiving an apology from a Soul Master greatly satisfied Old Jack's vanity, and all of this was thanks to Qin Chao...

He reached out and gently drew Qin Chao close, his eyes brimming with pride. "It was only a small matter. There's no need to dismiss him. Just please don't throw your weight around like this again..."

Watching Old Jack's unmistakable pride, Tang San silently clenched his fists.

Because Tang Hao was so good-for-nothing, Old Jack had always taken extra care of Tang San. In Tang San's heart, Old Jack had always been like a grandfather. Sometimes he even envied Qin Chao, wishing he were the child Old Jack had adopted.

When Old Jack had been insulted, Tang San had also been ready to act. But compared with the few punches and kicks he had planned, Qin Chao's way of handling things had clearly pleased Old Jack more...

Is the gap between him and me really that wide?! But I have twin martial souls too!

Tang San secretly gritted his teeth, but no one paid any attention to his resentment...

Grandmaster's gaze shifted to Qin Chao, pausing briefly on the character for "soul" on his chest. "May I ask whether you're satisfied with how we've handled this, young friend?"

In all honesty, he could muster no goodwill toward Spirit Hall, but this unusually mature boy had caught some of his attention.

Although the boy belonged to Spirit Hall, he had never invoked that affiliation in anything he had said.

Nor had he shown the slightest reluctance to acknowledge his common birth. He had openly admitted it, speaking with neither servility nor arrogance and displaying considerable backbone.

Since Old Jack had forgiven the gatekeeper, Qin Chao could hardly say anything more. He merely gave Grandmaster a slight nod, which could just barely be taken as approval of his handling of the matter.

Seeing Qin Chao relent, Yu Xiaogang quietly breathed a sigh of relief for some reason. Though this child was very young, his presence was truly startling. Had he not admitted it himself, Yu Xiaogang would never have believed that he came from an ordinary little village...

"Grandmaster, can I register now?" Seeing everyone's attention fixed on Qin Chao, Tang San finally could not hold back any longer.

Qin Chao is only enjoying all this glory because he's a Soul Master. With so many secret Tang Sect techniques at my disposal, my accomplishments will surely surpass his in time. All I lack now is a place to learn.

"I nearly forgot about you, little fellow..." A stiff smile tugged at Grandmaster's lips. "I'll take you to register right now..."

A useless Blue Silver Grass martial soul, yet innate full soul power-the only explanation was twin martial souls.

Remembering another woman who possessed twin martial souls, Grandmaster's smile grew even stiffer.

In the space of an instant, Yu Xiaogang's thoughts had twisted and turned a hundred times.

His martial soul was a mutated martial soul, leaving him unable to break through level thirty for his entire life. It was his eternal pain, but now he had discovered Tang San.

Here was a pearl Spirit Hall had overlooked, and he believed he had the ability to make Tang San shine with his rightful brilliance.

Spirit Hall was an enormous power. Neither its cultivation environment nor its resources could possibly be matched by a tiny institution like Nuoding Academy. But what if, under such conditions, he could raise a disciple who far surpassed Spirit Hall's younger generation?

At that thought, Yu Xiaogang formed an intention.

As though moved by some unseen impulse, he turned and extended an invitation to Qin Chao and his two companions. "I offended you over what happened just now. Why don't you come inside with us and have a look around? Once Tang San is settled, I'll brew some tea for you as an apology..."

That boy from Spirit Hall was about Tang San's age, and judging by his clothes, he should belong to the Spirit Hall Main Hall. There was only one possible reason a child of his age could enter the Main Hall: exceptional talent. In Grandmaster's mind, Qin Chao and Tang San were already vaguely becoming a pair to be measured against each other.

After so many years of desolation, Tang San's arrival had given him new hope. He desperately wanted to prove himself, just as he had when he left his family all those years ago.

Unfortunately, he had chosen the wrong target. Using Qin Chao as a benchmark would only leave his already fragile self-esteem teetering even more precariously...