"Join Spirit Hall?" After a moment's thought, Luo Chen decided against it.
As the saying went, fear not godlike teammates, but piglike ones. Spirit Hall was a textbook example of that saying.
Pope Bibi Dong had not only privately taken Yu Xiaogang, whose Innate Soul Power was level 0.5, to Spirit Hall's library to read the Martial Soul information it had collected, but had even resolutely abandoned her position as Holy Maiden for him.
It could be said that Yu Xiaogang owed his status as a theoretical Grandmaster in the Soul Master World entirely to the Martial Soul information Spirit Hall had collected through various channels.
Another one, her disciple Hu Liena, was also an exceptionally ungrateful white-eyed wolf.
She fell in love with an enemy and betrayed Spirit Hall's important military intelligence. Even during the final battle at Jialing Pass, she still could not forget Tang San. She was practically a traitor to her own people.
Finally, there was another heavyweight in Spirit Hall-the peerless fool, Qian Renxue.
As the successor to the Six-Winged Angel, she possessed the super Martial Soul Six-Winged Angel and Innate Soul Power as high as level 20. Rather than seizing the time to cultivate and striving to become a god, she insisted on going to the Heaven Dou Empire to steal its imperial power, only to fail.
Failure was one thing, but during the Heaven Dou Palace Coup, she even developed inexplicable feelings for the son of her father's killer.
She would even hand Yue Guan and Gui Mei over to Tang San for execution, so long as he was willing to submit to her.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei were veteran retainers of the former pope, Qian Xunji, and had watched Qian Renxue grow up. Yet she could kill the donkey once it had finished turning the millstone, committing such a monstrous betrayal. That alone showed just how foolish she was.
Most importantly, Spirit Hall was no longer what it had once been.
The upper ranks neglected their duties, the middle ranks were corrupt, and relying solely on the Martial Soul deacons at the bottom was useless. Sooner or later, something would go terribly wrong.
At this thought, Luo Chen feigned hesitation. "Sorry, Brother Deacon. For now, I only want to attend a junior academy and learn. I'm not considering joining a faction yet."
"But I'll never forget that you awakened my Martial Soul. I'll definitely repay today's kindness in the future."
As the middle-aged deacon listened, the smile on his face gradually froze.
He gripped Luo Chen's shoulders tightly, his voice exceedingly grave. "You really won't reconsider? You should know that being a working student is very hard."
"To accomplish great things, one must first temper the will with suffering, toil the sinews and bones, and starve the flesh!" Luo Chen declared firmly. "The strong come to understand their own hearts through harsh environments."
Then Luo Chen changed tack and patted his chest. "But if I ever want to join a faction, Spirit Hall will definitely be my first choice."
Looking at Luo Chen's stubborn little face, the middle-aged deacon sighed inwardly.
Forget it. Geniuses only understand the importance of resources and factions after suffering setbacks.
With that thought, the middle-aged deacon took a Martial Soul certificate from the bundle beneath the table, filled in the Martial Soul information, and handed it to Luo Chen.
"This is your Martial Soul certificate. Once you obtain a Soul Ring, remember to visit Spirit Hall in Nuoding City to register as a Soul Master. You'll receive one Gold Soul Coin every month."
Before leaving, the middle-aged deacon added, "Oh, Teacher Su at Nuoding City's academy is a friend of mine. I'll tell him about you when I get back. Most likely, you won't have to cram into one room with everyone else."
Luo Chen's eyes lit up at this, and he immediately gave a slight bow. "Thank you for your help, Brother Deacon!"
In the old village chief's courtyard in Bluestone Village.
"Luo Chen, go register at Nuoding City Junior Academy once you've finished eating," the old village chief said calmly. "I've already spoken to Da Niu. He'll take you to Nuoding City."
"Got it." Luo Chen lowered his eyes, his hands clenched tightly together. "My Innate Soul Power is full, so I should become a Soul Master very soon. Don't work in the fields anymore after that. As soon as I get my Gold Soul Coin, I'll come straight back and give it to you."
Silence soaked through the entire space like ink. The oppressive atmosphere was almost crushing the breath out of Luo Chen.
Just then, the clear ringing of an ox cart's bell came from outside.
"Da Niu's here!"
"..."
"Once you go to the academy, don't come back. Find yourself a good job and support yourself."
"No way! I'll definitely give you a good life!"
With that, Luo Chen gulped down the rice porridge, thin as water, in one go, picked up his flat, tattered bundle, and slung it over his back. Just before leaving, he made a face at the old village chief.
Whenever Luo Chen made a face, the old village chief would angrily grab a feather duster and chase him. This time was no different.
But by the time the old village chief found the feather duster, Luo Chen had already left on the ox cart, leaving only a call drifting away on the wind:
"Old man, save your strength! You can beat me when I come back from the academy!"
The ox cart slowly left Bluestone Village, heading toward Nuoding City.
Leaning against sacks filled with rice grain, Luo Chen watched the village gradually recede and sank his consciousness into his mind.
Apart from the Twin Scorpion Emperor Martial Soul, he had yet to examine the rewards from his beginner's gift pack closely.
Now that he looked, two secret manuals floated quietly in the depths of his consciousness.
They were the "Scorpion Emperor Body Tempering Technique" and "Twin Emperor Soul Guidance."
Luo Chen quickly skimmed their descriptions.
The "Scorpion Emperor Body Tempering Technique" focused on training the body, increasing strength and speed. In its later stages, he could even withstand attacks from a Titled Douluo head-on without using Soul Power.
"Twin Emperor Soul Guidance" focused on cultivating the mind, increasing mental power and the strength of the soul. In its later stages, his mental power could even kill without a trace.
"Just these two?" Luo Chen's furrowed brows gradually relaxed. "Forget it. Having a matching set of cultivation manuals is pretty good."
I'll start practicing them for now.
Luo Chen withdrew his consciousness, closed his eyes, and began practicing according to the first level of "Twin Emperor Soul Guidance."
"Little Luo, Nuoding City's just ahead."
Da Niu's voice interrupted Luo Chen's cultivation. "I just remembered something urgent. Can you go to the academy on your own? If you run into any bad people, shout loudly. Soldiers will come stop them."
Luo Chen opened his eyes, looked at the gradually emerging outline of Nuoding City, then turned to Da Niu.
"Brother Da Niu, are you going to the House of Beauties again?" He blinked. "You're still young. Too much indulgence damages your body."
"Listen to you. I know my own body." Da Niu gave a bitter chuckle, his voice steeped in world-weariness. "I'm not like you, with level-ten Innate Soul Power and a future full of great achievements."
"Without Soul Power, you can only fall to the very bottom of society. Going to the House of Beauties and lying drunk in a woman's arms counts as a kind of release."
Luo Chen did not agree with Da Niu's thinking.
He had heard that a single cup of wine at the House of Beauties cost fifty Copper Soul Coins. He would have to do farmwork for three days without eating or drinking to earn fifty Copper Soul Coins.
What left Luo Chen most speechless was that Da Niu was already at the bottom of society, yet still had two parents to support.
Instead of saving his money for emergencies, he went to the House of Beauties every day and drank himself unconscious, neglecting his parents. What kind of son was that?
At this thought, Luo Chen urged him, "Brother Da Niu, I remember your father's left leg hurts every winter. Why not use the money from selling the grain to get him treated this time?"
"You have a point..." Da Niu's gaze gradually grew desolate as he said quietly, "The old man's health is getting worse and worse. It's time I saved some money and made plans for them."
At the crossroads outside Nuoding City Junior Academy.
"Little Luo, I'm off to sell the grain. The academy's just ahead. Go in yourself."
"Got it!"
After watching Da Niu's ox cart recede into the distance, Luo Chen turned and walked toward the academy.
All along the way, Luo Chen kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings.
Whenever he encountered an old man and a little boy together, he would take the initiative to steer clear.
As a transmigrator, Luo Chen wanted nothing to do with Tang San, who was always saying, "You have already courted death."
If I can't afford to provoke him, surely I can afford to avoid him?
Just as Luo Chen was about to reach the academy gates, a dust-laden breeze happened to blow into his eyes.
"Hiss!" Luo Chen stopped where he was and raised a hand to rub his eyes.
Having rubbed a little too hard, he was left with reddened eyes, as though he had just cried.
Meanwhile, at a street corner not far away, an ordinary-looking little boy with dark skin stopped in his tracks.
His name was Tang San. He was six years old and had just arrived in Nuoding City from Holy Soul Village to report to the academy.
Tang San had lived in Holy Soul Village, where most people were sallow and thin, with rough skin. Looking over from afar, he had never seen such a dazzling boy.
The boy's features were picturesque, his skin as fair as jade, almost glowing beneath the sunlight. At that moment, he was raising a hand to wipe his eyes, their rims red, as though he had suffered some grievance.
"He's... so pretty!" Tang San murmured to himself. "Is he a noble?"
An inexplicable tremor rose from the depths of his heart, as though a soft feather had gently brushed its tip, ticklish and utterly unfamiliar.
She seems to have cried? Did someone bully her?
When he saw Luo Chen heading toward Nuoding City Junior Academy, Tang San suddenly seemed to have been injected with chicken blood and immediately chased after him.