Tang San's enrollment (part two)

Tang San watched Old Jack's back disappear around the street corner. When he withdrew his gaze, he found Yu Xiaogang still watching him.

"Come with me," Yu Xiaogang said.

He led Tang San across the academy courtyard and past the main teaching building without speaking, but Tang San could feel those eyes studying him the whole way.

Once inside the office, Yu Xiaogang sat behind the desk and motioned for Tang San to stand opposite him. "Release your martial soul."

Tang San complied. Blue silver grass quietly emerged from his palm, its slender blades swaying gently in the afternoon light.

Yu Xiaogang watched for a few seconds. "Just this one martial soul? Where's the other?"

Tang San said nothing.

Yu Xiaogang did not rush him. He simply watched him calmly, then offered his analysis. "You must be curious how I knew..."

After a confident and thorough explanation, Tang San was utterly convinced.

Yu Xiaogang placed the certificate on the desk. "So, ordinary people wouldn't spot the inconsistency, but if I couldn't either, I wouldn't deserve to be called Grandmaster.

"Blue silver grass is a trash martial soul. It couldn't possibly provide innate full soul power. The only explanation is that you have another martial soul, and an extremely powerful one at that."

He paused. After talking in circles at length, he finally revealed his ultimate intention. "Your situation is very unusual. Ordinary teachers can't teach you. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Tang San did not hesitate for long. He stepped back, knelt on both knees, and kowtowed three times. "Your disciple, Tang San, pays his respects, Teacher."

Yu Xiaogang reached out and helped him up. "Get up. A teacher for a day is a father for life. Since you've become my disciple, I'll teach you properly."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yu Xiaogang picked up an enrollment file and took Tang San to the academic affairs office.

Three people sat inside. The oldest was addressed as Director Su, while the other two were young teachers.

Yu Xiaogang placed the certificate on the desk. "Director Su, this is the work-study student from Holy Soul Village. Please register him."

Director Su accepted it with a face full of smiles, but the young teacher beside him could not help giving Tang San another look. "Blue silver grass? Innate full soul power? Now that's unusual."

His colleague beside him added, "Too bad blue silver grass is still blue silver grass. However talented you are, it's still a trash martial soul. You've become Grandmaster's disciple?"

Tang San did not deny it.

With the paperwork completed, the two left.

Outside the door, Tang San sensed a wave of merriment in the office.

One young teacher chuckled. His voice was quiet, but with so few people in the office, everyone could hear him clearly. "Grandmaster really is number one in theory, but after spending his whole life researching martial soul theory, he's only level twenty-nine himself."

The other young teacher chimed in. "Being number one in theory is a thing of the past. I heard Spirit Hall's Saintess, Qian Renxue, recently created a cultivation technique herself. It spread to dozens of cities in two months, and over a hundred thousand people practice it. Now that's truly unrivaled theory. A teenage girl accomplished what Grandmaster hasn't managed in his whole life!"

"Shh, enough," Director Su said, glaring at them, though there was little reprimand in his tone. "Grandmaster is the dean's friend. Watch yourselves."

"Director, I'm just telling the truth," the young teacher continued muttering. "Qian Renxue is a real genius. I heard even those old fellows in the Worship Hall are convinced by her. People out there are calling her Snow Saint now. Snow Saint is invincible! I support Snow Saint without question. Grandmaster is just like his martial soul-a stray dog by the roadside."

Listening to this, Tang San could not help clenching his fists, but he neither turned back nor spoke.

He trusted his own judgment. Someone who could see through his twin martial souls from a single certificate could not be a stray dog by the roadside.

Back in Yu Xiaogang's office, Tang San noticed a cultivation manual on the desk. Its cover bore the title "Angel Sacred Guidance Skill," with a line of smaller print beneath it: "Created by Saintess Qian Renxue. Supervised by the Spirit Hall Worship Hall."

Remembering what he had just heard, Tang San's gaze paused involuntarily. "Teacher, this book is..."

"Oh, this." Yu Xiaogang handed him the booklet. "It's a cultivation technique created by Spirit Hall's Saintess, Qian Renxue. It's been very well received, and its content is very solid. I recommend you start learning it now, too."

Tang San took it and opened it.

His eyes landed on the first paragraph of the main text, and his fingers trembled.

Fuck! Why was it exactly the same as the Mysterious Heaven Skill? Only the wording had changed. The circulation route hadn't changed in the slightest.

He flipped farther through it. There was no mistake. This was the Mysterious Heaven Skill with a different skin!

"Teacher, do you know when this cultivation technique first appeared?"

"Two or three months ago, I think," Yu Xiaogang replied, but those words were like a bomb exploding in Tang San's mind.

Tang San's mind raced. The timing matched!

That meant Spirit Hall had published this cultivation technique after Tang Laoya obtained it.

If he ruled out the possibility that Tang Laoya belonged to Spirit Hall, the truth emerged!

Tang San began thinking, his brain cells getting to work.

I get it again!

Elder Tang Laoya had been about to return to the sect with the Tang Sect's six great cultivation techniques and the tremendous news that he had found an unparalleled genius with twin martial souls, unmatched intelligence, and an excellent disposition, to report to the Far North Tang Sect's sect master. Who could have expected that Spirit Hall would ambush him at that very moment!

In the end, the Tang Sect's six great cultivation techniques had fallen into Spirit Hall's hands.

As for how Spirit Hall had managed to target and ambush Elder Tang Laoya so precisely, most likely he had been carrying Mother Ah Yin's true body, and its aura had leaked out. Spirit Hall had learned that the Blue Silver Emperor from back then was still alive.

As for Elder Tang Laoya himself, he was probably in grave danger.

That would also explain why Elder Tang hadn't returned all this time to bring an unparalleled genius like him back to the Tang Sect.

Now everything could be explained. The truth was clear.

Tang San closed the booklet, his thoughts swirling. He wanted to say something, but Yu Xiaogang spoke first. "The design behind this cultivation technique is very ingenious, but actually, I wrote about the same idea in a paper ten years ago."

He took the booklet back and turned to the page from earlier, his gaze profound. "Look at this passage. It's completely consistent with my Ten Great Theories. I'm certain Qian Renxue has read my Ten Core Theories and studied them very, very deeply."

Standing beside him, Tang San's mouth twitched. He did not know what to say.

But Yu Xiaogang noticed nothing, immersed in his own world. "I'm planning to find time to visit Spirit Hall's current Pope, Bibi Dong, and talk to her about Qian Renxue. Perhaps you'll even gain a fellow disciple then."

Tang San: "..."

"Teacher," Tang San said, lifting his head, "if I said I wrote this cultivation technique, would you believe me?"

Yu Xiaogang's hand stopped. He looked at Tang San for a while, then at the booklet. Only after several seconds of silence did he speak. "You're saying you wrote it?"

"I created this cultivation technique and started practicing it a long time ago. Spirit Hall got hold of my cultivation technique from somewhere, changed its name, and put Qian Renxue's name on it."

Yu Xiaogang was somewhat speechless as he looked at Tang San. "No, listen. This cultivation technique spread to dozens of cities in just over two months. More than a hundred thousand people have practiced it. And now you're telling me you wrote it? A six-year-old child wrote it? Does that sound reasonable to you? Or do you think I, Yu Xiaogang, am an idiot?"

Tang San opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He could not say that he had brought the Mysterious Heaven Skill from his previous life. He had no way to answer that question.

Grandmaster looked at him for several seconds and sighed. "Xiao San, although I was praising Qian Renxue, I wasn't putting you down. You don't need to envy your future fellow disciple.

"Once I've taken Qian Renxue as my disciple, when the second edition of the cultivation manual is published, having her add you as a second author isn't out of the question."

Tang San bit his lip and nodded. He knew there was no need to argue further with Yu Xiaogang. The man simply did not understand.

"All right, that's enough for today." Yu Xiaogang waved a hand. "You're staying in the Seventh Dormitory. Classes officially begin tomorrow. We'll discuss Qian Renxue after I've met with Spirit Hall's Pope Bibi Dong. For now, focus on building a solid foundation."

"Oh."

Tang San answered, turned, and left the office, heading toward the dormitory building.