"All right, Little San, get up. I'll take you to register. There'll still be plenty of time afterward, so I'll take you to buy some daily necessities!"
"Yes, Teacher!"
Tang San slowly rose, a bright red mark appearing on his forehead, proof enough of how hard he had bowed just now.
The very moment Li Changsheng agreed to accept him as a disciple, Tang San's mind had become much clearer. He felt as though something about him had improved, but he could not put his finger on it.
Could it be because I took Teacher Changsheng as my master? It looks like I really made the right choice!
With Li Changsheng's help, Tang San's registration went very smoothly. His assignment was still the familiar Dorm Seven from the original story.
"Teacher, is this your Martial Soul?"
On their way out of the academy, Tang San could not help asking as he watched Luo Sanpao moving his little legs beside them.
"This is my first time seeing a Martial Soul that can stay outside for so long, and it even seems to have a mind of its own."
"That's right. My Martial Soul is called Luo Sanpao, named for its 'luo luo' cries. As for combat, I think helping you hunt for a Soul Ring should be no problem."
"That wasn't what I meant. I just thought your Martial Soul was rather unusual."
Tang San hurriedly waved his hands. He had thought his teacher meant that he was looking down on Luo Sanpao.
But Li Changsheng's Luo Sanpao was indeed far from weak. After all these years of persistently feeding him Soul Beast meat and lesser dragon meat, there had been no real change in his appearance, but his attack power had noticeably improved.
And his own template actually showed an evolution progress of only 0.1%!
It seemed his road to evolution bore a heavy burden and stretched far ahead. Still, the system should provide more rewards along the way, so he probably would not need to worry about cultivation resources.
Li Changsheng took Tang San straight to Nuoding City's busiest shopping district and bought him bedding of the finest quality, along with some toiletries.
"Teacher, you really don't need to buy such nice things for me. Ordinary ones will do."
Seeing Li Changsheng buy him the best without caring about the price at all, Tang San could not help feeling touched. His father, Tang Hao, had never treated him like this in all his life.
Yet the teacher he had only just taken as his master was not stingy in the slightest. The contrast moved Tang San deeply.
Hearing this, Li Changsheng stopped and turned to look at Tang San. Then he gently took both of Tang San's hands, shook his head, and sighed.
"Little San, look at your body now. You're as thin as a bundle of sticks. This is clearly malnutrition. I can tell at a glance what things were like for you at home. You couldn't even eat properly, so naturally, you couldn't sleep well either!"
If Tang San had not had the Mysterious Heaven Skill supporting him, the Tang San whose body had not been taken over would absolutely have starved to death.
This alone showed just how good Tang Hao was at "raising" a child. It hardly seemed like how someone would treat his own child; it was more like someone who had given up on everything buying lottery tickets.
As long as Tang San had Twin Martial Souls, he could put a little effort into nurturing him, revive the Clear Sky Sect, and take revenge on Spirit Hall. If he had awakened only one of them, he might not even have let him attend school.
"Teacher, you..."
Tang San's eyes reddened slightly, tears gathering at their corners. Li Changsheng's words had undoubtedly struck him to the bone. He had been his father's nanny since childhood. When had he ever eaten anything good?
He had barely even eaten meat. All he had to drink was porridge diluted countless times. Village chief Old Jack occasionally helped their family out, but all the meat went to Tang Hao.
Li Changsheng stroked Tang San's head, his expression gentle as he smiled and said, "Little San, don't worry. These are all things I should do as your teacher. When a disciple looks like this, it's the teacher who feels the hurt!"
"Teacher, thank you!"
Tang San solemnly cupped his hands toward Li Changsheng, his lowered face filled with emotion.
"Come on. I'll buy you a few more things."
As though something had occurred to him, Li Changsheng hurriedly looked inside his Storage Soul Tool. Sure enough, a broad belt lay quietly within. Rather than the black of the original story, it was white all over.
The belt had very soft lines, its edges outlined with faint silver patterns, and a smooth, warm texture. Twenty-four round rubies were set at even intervals around it.
Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges-even this belt looked like the comic version!
Li Changsheng took it out and handed it to Tang San. "Little San, this belt is a Storage Soul Tool. It has a full twenty-four gemstones, all of which can be used for storage. Consider it your initiation gift!"
"This is too precious!"
Tang San felt rather overwhelmed by the favor. He had heard of Storage Soul Tools; they were things only important people could possess. He had never expected his teacher to give him something so precious.
"This is your initiation gift. I have a Storage Soul Tool of my own, so keep it."
"Then, thank you!"
Tang San solemnly accepted the belt with both hands. As he examined the twenty-four lustrous red gemstones on it, a glimmer of excitement flashed through his eyes.
"I'll name it Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges! What do you think, Teacher?"
"A fine name. All right, there are still a few things left. Once we've bought them, I'll take you back to your dorm."
Li Changsheng bought Tang San a few more things before taking him to the entrance of Dorm Seven.
After giving him a few reminders, Li Changsheng finally turned and left, returning to his own lodgings.
Watching his retreating figure, Tang San stood there in a daze. The white belt around his waist, the daily necessities stored inside it, and the Gold Soul Coins all felt so unreal.
He really had chosen the right master. Teacher Changsheng was simply the best teacher he had ever met!
Just then, a child walked up beside Tang San and began questioning him. "My name is Wang Sheng. According to Dorm Seven's rules..."
"Oh no, I forgot to collect my Soul Master stipend!"
Meanwhile, Li Changsheng had only just returned to his room when he realized he had forgotten to collect his Soul Master stipend. His main sources of income right now were that stipend and the salary paid by the academy.
"Sanpao, you'll have to make do with ordinary beast meat today. I'll get you something good tomorrow!"
"Luo luo!"
Luo Sanpao shook his head, walking happily back and forth around Li Changsheng's feet, his short little tail wagging constantly.
"Hm?"
Just then, Li Changsheng suddenly noticed that Luo Sanpao's forehead seemed to have changed a little. There were actually two small bumps on each side.
It clearly looked as though he was about to grow horns, but they were not very noticeable yet. Only a careful inspection would reveal them.
[Detected a change in disciple Tang San's state of mind. Reward: ten thousand Gold Soul Coins, one Soul Hunting Forest permit.]
"What timely help. Even the permit is ready?"
Li Changsheng shook his head with a chuckle. At this stage, everything the system rewarded him with was useful to him, whether it was Gold Soul Coins or the permit.