Tang Wulin's home was tiny: a living room of a little over ten square meters, two bedrooms that were hardly spacious, a cramped kitchen, and a bathroom. That was all there was to it.
Jiang Mingyuan stood at the door with his gifts. The soundproofing was poor, and he could still hear the soul-powered television inside. He knocked gently on the door.
Knock, knock.
A sound came from inside. It was Tang Wulin's voice.
"Coming!"
Hurried footsteps followed. The lock creaked as it turned.
Tang Wulin opened the door.
"Mingyuan! What brings you here? Come on in."
Tang Wulin looked a little excited. He hadn't expected Jiang Mingyuan to visit him at this hour.
"Hey, Wulin. I came to hang out, and I brought something tasty." He raised the bag of desserts he had prepared for Tang Wulin.
In the living room, Tang Ziran sat on the couch watching a newly released television series. He turned and greeted Jiang Mingyuan.
"Oh, Mingyuan. Here to play with Wulin? Come, sit down. I won't get in your way. I'll go for a stroll and pick up some groceries while I'm out. Stay for dinner."
Tang Ziran wanted to give the two children some space, but just as he stood up, Jiang Mingyuan said, "You're too kind, Uncle Tang. Please don't leave just yet. I came to discuss something with you."
Oh? Something to discuss?
Tang Wulin's mother, Lang Yue, leaned halfway out of the bedroom to greet Jiang Mingyuan. Then the three of them sat around the coffee table.
Jiang Mingyuan set the bag on the coffee table and opened it.
"I went to the Spirit Pagoda this morning. On my way back, I saw these and remembered that Wulin likes sweets, so I bought some."
Jiang Mingyuan pushed the desserts toward Tang Wulin. When Tang Wulin saw that they were all his favorites, little stars immediately sparkled in his eyes.
Tang Ziran, however, picked up on something in his words. He had a rough idea of what Jiang Mingyuan had come to discuss.
"Wulin, do you know what's essential if you want to become a true Soul Master?"
Tang Wulin thought for a moment.
"Innate soul power and soul rings."
"That's right."
Innate soul power and soul rings were the greatest hurdles limiting a Soul Master's growth.
Tang Ziran was certain now. Jiang Mingyuan must have come to talk about Tang Wulin's future soul ring.
"Wulin, you want to become a powerful Soul Master, don't you?" Jiang Mingyuan looked into Tang Wulin's eyes and spoke solemnly.
Tang Wulin nodded firmly.
"Of course."
"Good. Then, Wulin, do you know how to obtain a soul ring? Ninety-nine percent of people on the continent obtain their soul rings through just two methods."
Jiang Mingyuan held up two fingers.
"First, you can hunt soul beasts to obtain their soul rings. But with soul beast populations on the continent becoming increasingly endangered and their numbers plummeting, that's hardly an option unless you have luck as great as the heavens."
"Second, you can fuse with a Soul Spirit to obtain a soul ring. The most common way to obtain a Soul Spirit is to buy one from the Spirit Pagoda. Soul Spirits come in ten-year, hundred-year, thousand-year, and ten-thousand-year varieties. Do you know how much each of them costs?"
Tang Wulin knew nothing about this. He was still too young, and Jiang Mingyuan had never told him.
Jiang Mingyuan raised his hand, making a gesture for seven.
"The cheapest ten-year Soul Spirit can give you one white soul ring. It costs around seventy thousand Federation Coins."
Seventy thousand.
Tang Wulin already had a basic understanding of money's value. He was clever and observant. Sometimes, when his mother took him shopping, she would choose things painstakingly just to save one or two Federation Coins.
The moment he heard the figure of seventy thousand Federation Coins, Tang Wulin knew it was a burden his family would struggle terribly to bear.
Seeing his son's spirits sink, Tang Ziran immediately reached out and ruffled his hair, comforting him. "It's all right. Dad will work a little harder. Your soul power is at rank three now, and you won't need a soul ring until you reach rank ten. That'll still take a few years. I'll work harder and make sure I save enough to buy you a Soul Spirit."
"Wait." Jiang Mingyuan reached out, stopping Tang Ziran from continuing.
"Uncle Tang, Wulin is lucky to have parents like you. But since he's chosen to walk the path of a Soul Master, there are some things he has to face himself."
"Wulin, seventy thousand Federation Coins is nothing to me. As your friend, I could easily give it to you outright. But the path of a Soul Master is full of competition. You can accept help from others, but you also have to put in the corresponding effort yourself."
"I'll be blunt. I've seen ten-year Soul Spirits, and if I had to describe them in one word, it would be garbage."
"I can give you two choices. First, I can pay for a suitable ten-year Soul Spirit for you. You won't have to do anything except diligently cultivate. Once you reach rank ten, you can fuse with it."
As he spoke, Jiang Mingyuan activated Martial Soul Possession. Rather than intensifying into a scorching blaze, the golden flames gave off a gentle, sacred aura. The minor ailments Tang Ziran had accumulated over years of work-his aching waist and back, among others-seemed to be purified, all their discomfort soothed away.
An earth-yellow soul ring, radiating a rich aura of soul power, quietly circled Jiang Mingyuan.
In his arms, he cradled an elegant Emerald Swan covered in emerald feathers, each feather shimmering with a soft, jade-like luster.
To Tang Ziran and Tang Wulin, father and son, the sight was nothing but sacredness and elegance.
"Second, I can lend you the money to buy a hundred-year Soul Spirit. What you're seeing now is the Soul Spirit I fused with. Her name is Emerald Swan, and she ranks among the finest soul beasts on the entire continent. As a Soul Spirit, she also costs a little more than others of the same age. A Soul Spirit like this has a listed price of around three million Federation Coins at the Spirit Pagoda."
Tang Wulin sucked in a sharp breath at the price of three million Federation Coins. Even if they sold his home, it probably wouldn't be worth that much.
Jiang Mingyuan held up three fingers.
"Wulin, we'll spend a total of three years at Red Mountain Academy. After those three years, I can lend you three million Federation Coins. You can use it to buy the Soul Spirit you want, and any money left over can help with household expenses and improve your family's life. But..."
Jiang Mingyuan took Tang Wulin's hand, the warm flames soothing his unsettled emotions.
"During these three years, I need you to earn thirty thousand Federation Coins with your own two hands, relying entirely on your own hard work."
"Wulin, please answer me now. Which will you choose?"
Tang Wulin turned to his father. Tang Ziran remained silent, saying nothing. Becoming a Soul Master was Tang Wulin's own choice. There would be even more difficult problems ahead, and he couldn't make every decision for his son.
The bedroom door was gently pulled open a crack as well. Lang Yue leaned against the doorway. She had also heard what Jiang Mingyuan had said. But what could she do? She was only a homemaker now, with no means to do anything for her son.
Tang Wulin could barely breathe.
If Tang Wulin hadn't chosen to become a Soul Master, someone his age would never have had to face such immense pressure.
Tang Ziran remained silent.
Lang Yue wept alone.
Jiang Mingyuan's expression remained calm.
"I... choose..."