Clear Sky Hammer

After Shui Bing'er arrived, Yi Yun's courtyard grew even livelier. Before, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong had been three women putting on a whole show; with Shui Bing'er added, the four of them could make a serial drama. Xiao Wu handled the jealousy, Zhu Zhuqing handled the silence, Ning Rongrong stirred things up, and Shui Bing'er did the flirting.

"Brother Yun, have some water." Shui Bing'er brought a cup of warm water over to Yi Yun, her smile as gentle as a spring breeze.

"Brother Yun, have an apple." Not to be outdone, Xiao Wu stuffed an apple into Yi Yun's hand.

"Brother Yun, let me give you a massage." Zhu Zhuqing walked behind Yi Yun and rested both hands on his shoulders.

"Handsome Master, let me fan you." Ning Rongrong held up a fan and fanned away with a whoosh, whoosh.

Tang San squatted in the vegetable patch, watched the scene, and silently pulled out the radish seedlings that had just sprouted. This was already the third batch he had uprooted-every time another woman appeared beside Yi Yun, he pulled up another batch of radish seedlings. It wasn't that he no longer wanted to grow them. He needed an outlet.

But today, Tang San had no time to bother with any of that, because today was the day he would awaken his second martial soul.

Tang San had two martial souls: Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer. His Blue Silver Grass had awakened back at Nuoding Academy, but the Clear Sky Hammer had remained dormant. Yi Yun had said that the Clear Sky Hammer was a top-tier martial soul and required sufficient soul power to awaken. Tang San had waited a long time for this day.

When he woke that morning, Tang San felt something surging inside his body, like a sleeping dragon awakening. His right palm grew warm, then hot, so hot that he couldn't hold his Pole Vault.

"Brother Yun!" Tang San rushed into Yi Yun's room. "My hand!"

Yi Yun had been sleeping in. Woken by Tang San's commotion, he rubbed his eyes and glanced at Tang San's burning right hand. "Oh, your Clear Sky Hammer is about to awaken."

"Really?"

"Really. Go to the training ground. I'll stand guard for you."

On the training ground, Tang San sat cross-legged with his right palm facing up, soul power circulating wildly through his body. Yi Yun stood beside him, while Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Shui Bing'er, and Liu Erlong stood around the perimeter. Even Xue Beng was hiding far away in the teaching building, peeking out.

Tang San's right hand began to glow with golden light, growing brighter and more brilliant. Within the light, a black hammer slowly emerged. Its head was square and pitch-black all over, its surface traced with dark gold patterns like streaks of lightning. Its handle was dark brown, engraved with intricate runes.

The Clear Sky Hammer, the world's foremost power attack system tool martial soul, was the Clear Sky Sect's crowning treasure. As Tang San looked at the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand, his eyes grew hot. After waiting so long, the moment had finally come. From his very first day after transmigrating to the Douluo Continent, he had known he possessed twin martial souls. When his Blue Silver Grass awakened, people mocked it as a trash martial soul. When his Pole Vault awakened, people mocked it as acrobatics. He had been mocked countless times, but he had never given up, because he knew he had the Clear Sky Hammer. Once it awakened, he could prove he wasn't useless.

Tang San tightened his grip on the Clear Sky Hammer and stood. The hammer was heavy, heavier than he had imagined, but his grip was steady. He took a deep breath, raised the Clear Sky Hammer, and smashed it into the ground.

Boom-!!!

The blow blasted a large crater into the ground. Shattered stones flew, dust billowed, and the entire training ground shook. Xiao Wu was jolted two steps back, Zhu Zhuqing steadied herself, Ning Rongrong nearly fell, Shui Bing'er's robes fluttered, and Liu Erlong's eyes briefly lit up.

Silence fell over the grounds.

Tang San stood at the center of the crater, Clear Sky Hammer in hand, covered in dirt, but his eyes shone. He had succeeded. He had awakened the Clear Sky Hammer. He had proven that he, Tang San, was not useless.

Tang San turned to look at Yi Yun, a trace of expectation in his eyes. He needed Yi Yun's approval. He needed it badly.

Yi Yun walked to the edge of the crater, looked down at the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang San's hand, then at Tang San's expectant gaze, and said something Tang San would never forget for the rest of his life.

"Oh, a Little Hammer. We use one of those to pound rice cakes at home."

Tang San's smile froze on his face.

"A l-little hammer?" Even Tang San's voice was trembling. "This is the Clear Sky Hammer, the world's foremost power attack system tool martial soul!"

"I know," Yi Yun said. "The hammer we use to pound rice cakes at home is a Clear Sky Hammer too."

"Impossible! The Clear Sky Hammer is the Clear Sky Sect's crowning treasure! How could anyone use it to pound rice cakes?"

"The Clear Sky Hammer at my place was a gift from the Clear Sky Sect's previous sect master. He said it was too heavy and took up space at home, so he might as well give it to me for pounding rice cakes."

Tang San opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out. He thought Yi Yun was lying, but Yi Yun's expression was too serious to look like a lie. Besides, given Yi Yun's strength, it didn't seem impossible that the Clear Sky Sect would give him a Clear Sky Hammer for pounding rice cakes.

"Y-you really use a Clear Sky Hammer to pound rice cakes?" Tang San's voice had already gone off-key.

"If I'm lying, I'm a puppy."

Tang San took a deep breath and slowly let it out. It took a tremendous effort to stop himself from swinging the Clear Sky Hammer at Yi Yun. No. I can't beat him. Hold it in.

Standing nearby, Xiao Wu couldn't help laughing at Tang San's aggrieved expression. Zhu Zhuqing pressed her lips together, Ning Rongrong clutched her stomach and squatted down, Shui Bing'er covered her mouth and chuckled, and Liu Erlong laughed so hard she kept slapping her thigh.

Tang San stood at the center of the crater, Clear Sky Hammer in hand, trembling all over, whether from anger or hurt, he didn't know. He had waited and hoped for so long, thinking that awakening the Clear Sky Hammer would earn Yi Yun's approval, only for Yi Yun to say it was for pounding rice cakes. In Yi Yun's mouth, his dream was nothing but a rice cake.

"Brother Yun." Tang San's voice was hoarse.

"Hm?"

"Could you praise me just once? Just once."

Yi Yun looked at Tang San for a long time, then smiled. "You've awakened the Clear Sky Hammer. You're very strong."

Tang San's eyes reddened. It wasn't because he was moved, but because the words had finally come. He had waited a long time for those words, so long that even he no longer knew how long it had been. At last, he had heard "very strong" from Yi Yun's own mouth.

"Thank you, Brother Yun." Tang San lowered his head, the corners of his mouth lifting.

Yi Yun reached out and patted his shoulder. "You're welcome. But I meant it. The Clear Sky Hammer really is a top-tier martial soul. Practice hard, and you'll pound rice cakes even better in the future."

The corners of Tang San's mouth dropped again. He had known it. Yi Yun couldn't give anyone a proper compliment.

Liu Erlong walked over from the side, looked at the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang San's hand, and nodded. "It really is a Clear Sky Hammer, and a high-quality one. You're lucky, kid."

"Thank you, Teacher Liu."

"But your Brother Yun is right. There really are people in the Clear Sky Sect who use the Clear Sky Hammer to pound rice cakes. It's not a joke. It's true. The people of the Clear Sky Sect revere strength, and they believe pounding rice cakes builds arm strength."

Tang San fell silent. He discovered that in this world, the truth was often more absurd than a joke.

Ning Rongrong bounced over and tilted her head as she looked at the Clear Sky Hammer. "Little Hammer, how cute."

The corner of Tang San's mouth twitched. "It's not a Little Hammer. It's the Clear Sky Hammer."

"Little Hammer is cuter."

"It's not cute!"

"It's cute!"

Tang San took a deep breath and withdrew the Clear Sky Hammer into his martial soul space. Out of sight, out of mind.

Shui Bing'er walked over, looked at Tang San, and earnestly offered a single word: "Congratulations."

Tang San paused, then nodded. "Thank you."

He realized that Shui Bing'er was the only normal person in this group. She didn't call it his Little Hammer, didn't talk about him pounding rice cakes, and didn't mock his martial soul. Shui Bing'er simply stood there quietly and said, "Congratulations." Tang San suddenly felt that this silver-haired girl was quite a nice person.

But she was Yi Yun's woman. He couldn't let his thoughts stray.

Tang San turned toward the vegetable patch, squatted down, and began pulling up radish seedlings. He had already uprooted three batches. Today, he decided to uproot a fourth.

"Tang San, why do you keep pulling up radish seedlings?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.

"To vent."

"Vent what?"

"Take a guess."

Ning Rongrong tilted her head and thought about it. When she couldn't figure it out, she stopped thinking about it. She felt that Tang San was getting stranger and stranger. Before, he had merely been a man of few words. Now, not only was he a man of few words, but he had started pulling up radish seedlings too. If this went on, would he start pulling up the vegetables he had planted himself? Ning Rongrong thought it was possible.

At dusk, Tang San sat alone beside the vegetable patch, holding a carrot-not one Xiao Wu had given him, but one he had grown himself. He took a bite. It was crisp and sweet, just the taste he liked. Looking at the carrot in his hand, he suddenly felt that perhaps he should grow more carrots. Not for Xiao Wu, but for himself. Carrots tasted good, were good for his health, and could serve as snacks. Tang San decided to double the size of his vegetable patch tomorrow, planting half with radishes and half with carrots. No more cabbages, no more garlic chives, no more scallions. Only radishes and carrots, because neither of those would remind him of anything unhappy.

Tang San finished his carrot, stood, and brushed the dirt off himself. He walked to the edge of the training ground, picked up his Pole Vault, and began practicing pole vaulting. One vault, two vaults, three vaults. He jumped higher, farther, and more steadily than usual. Awakening the Clear Sky Hammer had given his physical abilities another substantial boost.

"Tang San!" Xiao Wu's voice came from afar.

Tang San stopped and looked back. Xiao Wu stood at the courtyard gate, waving at him. "Time to eat!"

Tang San paused, then smiled. He shouldered his Pole Vault and walked toward the courtyard. The setting sun shone on him, stretching his shadow long.

"Coming."