First Meeting with Tang San

Several more days passed, and it was time for the Soul Master Academy to begin its term.

Early in the morning, outside Lonely Grass Village, Yang Yunhai sat on a wooden ox cart loaded with vegetables, hugging his bedding as it headed toward Notting City.

Over the past few days, his injuries had recovered. Through the arrangements of Chang Gongdi, the Village Chief's son, he had officially registered under Spirit Hall. He had also collected the subsidies for January and February. Together with the village subsidy the Village Chief had given him before he left, he now had a full two Gold Soul Coins on him. As long as he did not spend extravagantly, it would be enough to keep him fed, clothed, and comfortable at the academy for several months.

Moreover, considering that he was enrolling in Notting City Junior Spirit Master Academy, where most students came from noble families, revealing that he was a reserve Spirit Master under Spirit Hall—especially the academy's only student to join Spirit Hall before graduation—would likely cause trouble. Alone, untalented, and weak, he would probably be looked down upon, isolated, or even secretly targeted by the noble instructors and students there.

For that reason, no one from the Village Chief's family came to see him off this time. Instead, they had asked two villagers heading into the city to sell vegetables to give him a ride.

"I'll definitely repay this kindness." Looking at the distant village entrance and recalling the Village Chief's parting instructions, Yang Yunhai felt deeply moved. He murmured to himself before withdrawing his gaze.

Several hours later, the creaking of the wheels stopped, and the gates of Notting City appeared before them.

The three jumped off the cart and, working together, quickly laid wooden boards by the roadside to form a small stall.

Then, led by one of the villagers, Yang Yunhai followed him into the city.

After asking for directions, they headed straight for the academy.

About half an hour later, the gates of Notting Academy came into view.

"Hm? What a coincidence." Yang Yunhai paused and looked over. Three people were standing in front of the academy gates.

One was an old man, and one was a young boy, both dressed plainly. The other wore a neat uniform, held a Spirit Hall certificate in his hand, and was craning his neck as he spewed insults.

"What? You don't like it?"

"Your clothes are covered in patches. Was I wrong to say you came from some beggar village? I think you'd better go find somewhere to beg! Notting Academy isn't a place just anyone can enter!"

"Get lost, get lost! Hurry up and get out of here!"

As he spoke, he raised a hand and shoved it toward the old man's chest.

His voice was so loud that Yang Yunhai could hear him clearly even from far away.

"The Village Chief said the gatekeeper at Notting Academy had a nasty temper. Looks like he wasn't wrong!" The villager beside him could not help clicking his tongue.

"Why don't we watch for now before going over?" he added. He was only an ordinary villager. He did not think he could afford to offend the gatekeeper of a Soul Master Academy, much less dare to stand up for someone, even though he thoroughly despised the gatekeeper for insulting an old man like that.

Yang Yunhai said nothing, his eyes sizing up the young boy from head to toe.

When the gatekeeper made his move, the boy reacted with astonishing speed. He planted his right foot firmly behind the gatekeeper's left, then seized the opening and shoved a palm into the gatekeeper's lower abdomen without the slightest hesitation. With his foot caught and his stomach struck, the gatekeeper immediately lost his balance and fell onto the ground.

It really is Tang San. This really is that classic scene. Yang Yunhai sighed inwardly as his gaze shifted to the boy's raised left arm.

Although there was some distance between them, Yang Yunhai could still clearly see the slight bulge in the sleeve as the boy's wrist lifted it, followed by the quick lowering motion and the straightening of his five fingers.

Most importantly, the fingertips protruding from his sleeve were aimed directly at the gatekeeper's throat.

Damn! Even Yang Yunhai, who had lived two lives and seen his fair share of the world, could not help clicking his tongue inwardly.

Tang San's courage—and his way of thinking.

Yang Yunhai truly admired him beyond measure!

Unless he was blind, that series of wrist movements Tang San had just made was definitely him disengaging the safety on his Sleeve Arrow.

Everything happening now was practically identical to the original novel's description. He could guess what came next without even trying.

And he was witnessing it with his own eyes.

At the gates of a Soul Master Academy, with people nearby watching, Tang San actually dared to kill someone with Hidden Weapons!?

Had he not considered how Old Jack and the two strangers watching nearby would be dealt with after the murder? Would he kill them too? Even if he killed them all, there were still several streets along the way here!

What about the townsfolk who had seen the two of them come to the academy?

Four bodies lying at the scene—how would that be handled? How much time would it take? Or would he just leave them there and flee back to the village?

Tang San did not know whether Tang Hao was secretly following him, so he clearly had not considered it. If Tang Hao did not come forward to clean things up or take Tang San away, then on the day the academy opened, Old Jack, the Village Chief of Holy Soul Village who had brought someone to enroll, would be dead, while Tang San, who had accompanied him, would be missing.

Wouldn't that definitely arouse suspicion?

Wouldn't the people assigned to investigate afterward easily think along those lines?

Even a keyboard warrior like him, who had only watched a few dozen episodes of Conan and several gangster movies, had thought of it.

Wasn't Tang San from an underworld organization like the Tang Sect in his previous life? And he had already been twenty-nine before jumping off that cliff. Did he not have even the slightest emotional control or knowledge of counter-surveillance?

Shouldn't he first remember the grudge, then quietly raid the man's home in the dead of night without anyone knowing?

Murdering someone in public, right in front of everyone? How did he dare?

Incomprehensible! Absolutely absurd. Yang Yunhai could not help complaining inwardly as his gaze shifted to the other side. He nodded slightly.

"No need." As he spoke, he studied the middle-aged man with a close-cropped haircut who was approaching from nearby.

"Enough. Stop!" A slightly hoarse voice rang out from the man's mouth.

"The one walking over there—judging by his clothes, he should be an academy instructor." Yang Yunhai's words also reached the villager beside him.

This should be Yu Xiaogang. As expected of the original story's ultimate poser. That hands-behind-the-back stance, that decadent yet slightly melancholy aura... judging from his facial features, he must have looked decent when he was young. No wonder he managed to win over both Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong.

He could not help making his own assessment inwardly.

For a man, in a woman's eyes, temperament could only add points on top of good looks. If Yu Xiaogang had been ugly, Yang Yunhai absolutely did not believe he could have moved those two girls. After all, neither Bibi Dong nor Liu Erlong lacked money.

As for intelligence and knowledge, compared to looks and money, they were hardly worth mentioning.

After all, looks were inborn, while the results of intelligence and knowledge could be bought with money.

"Instructor!?" On the other side, the villager finally snapped out of his astonishment that Tang San, despite being so young, had managed to knock down an adult gatekeeper.

He quickly followed Yang Yunhai's gaze and looked the man over, joy appearing on his face.

"This instructor looks quite amiable. He probably won't make things difficult for that grandfather and grandson, and he shouldn't make things difficult for us either."

After saying that, he adjusted the bedding tucked beneath his arm and turned back. "Xiao Hai, let's go over."

Yang Yunhai nodded and stepped forward.

By then, Yu Xiaogang had already taken Tang San's Spirit Hall certificate from the gatekeeper and finished reading it.

He gave Tang San a deep look, then raised his head toward the gatekeeper and said flatly:

"This is the first time, and the last. If it happens again, you won't need to stay here any longer."

He's just some freeloader who hasn't taught a single class in all these years. He's not even an academy instructor, yet he acts like he's the principal. The gatekeeper cursed inwardly, but his body was honest. He hurriedly nodded and bowed, quickly retreating to one side.

Yu Xiaogang did not have the authority to fire him, but the principal did—and the two of them happened to be friends.

Only then did Yu Xiaogang lower his head to Tang San, naturally taking his hand and forcing a faint smile onto his face.

"Let's go in."

"Instructor, please wait a moment." At that exact moment, a somewhat anxious voice called out.

Tap, tap, tap. Yang Yunhai was pulled along as he hurried over to Yu Xiaogang.

"Something wrong?" Yu Xiaogang stopped, his brows slightly furrowed as he looked indifferently at the villager in front of Yang Yunhai.

Seeing Yu Xiaogang, whom he had already decided was a Soul Master, look at him so coldly, the villager immediately shrank his neck. He had originally thought that Yu Xiaogang, who had just enthusiastically helped commoners out of trouble and kindly taken the hand of a poor child, must be a warm-hearted, kind, and approachable instructor. But now, it seemed he was not so easy to get along with after all. He looked rather strict.

He hurriedly released Yang Yunhai's hand, pulled a certificate from his chest, and handed it over respectfully.

"Instructor, this is a child from our village who awakened Soul Power this year. He also has a work-study student quota. Could you please help bring him in to register as well?"

Yu Xiaogang did not answer or nod. He merely accepted the certificate with an indifferent expression.

Blue Silver Grass, Innate Soul Power rank 0.5. A trace of disdain immediately flashed through his eyes. As he handed Yang Yunhai's certificate back, he spoke in the same flat tone.

"Just follow along yourselves."