"Little Yan, there's only one work-study student spot in the village."
"I hope you'll give it to Tang San."
Old Jack stood outside the dilapidated thatched hut and spoke indifferently.
His expression was cold.
He glanced at the ramshackle hut, unwilling even to set foot inside.
Xiao Yan said nothing and brought a bowl of hot tea out of the hut.
It was the only thing he had to offer.
"Grandpa Village Chief, have some tea first."
Smack!
Old Jack knocked the hot tea over with one hand.
The old man towered over Xiao Yan, looking down at him as he scolded, "Who wants your tea? If I'm not mistaken, you dug that broken bowl and those tea leaves out of the garbage heap at the village entrance, didn't you?"
"They're clean," Xiao Yan explained.
"Shut up!"
Old Jack cut him off and sneered. "At this point, I'll tell you straight. I only came to give you a heads-up."
"I've already given the work-study spot to Tang San!"
Xiao Yan nodded. "It's all right."
Old Jack was suddenly taken aback.
Xiao Yan went on to ask an unrelated question. "Do you consider me a member of Holy Soul Village!?"
"Heh, finally trying to play on my feelings, are you!?"
Old Jack smiled triumphantly and narrowed his eyes. "You're just an orphan!"
"From now on, Tang San will be Holy Soul Village's second source of pride, while you're nothing but an orphan who couldn't even catch Deacon Su Yuntao's eye!"
"Today, I'm driving you out of Holy Soul Village!"
"That's why I came to your doghouse in person!" Old Jack said, looking at the dilapidated thatched hut before him with disgust.
An orphan had offended a deacon of Spirit Hall.
He might as well get lost sooner rather than later!
At that moment, Xiao Yan suddenly felt a little wistful.
He could finally say that line!
"Thirty years the river flows east, thirty years it flows west. Don't bully a youth for being poor!"
The boy spoke firmly, his words ringing with conviction.
With that, Xiao Yan stepped out of the hut and walked toward the edge of the village.
Old Jack spat.
"What's he pretending to be a big bad wolf for?"
Old Jack drove the carriage toward Tang San's home.
Today, he was taking Little San into the city.
At the thought that the village would finally have a Soul Master in the future,
Old Jack's heart blossomed with joy.
As for Xiao Yan and his measly rank-one Soul Power, the sooner he was out of sight, the sooner he'd be out of mind.
When he reached the Tang family's door,
"What? Little San already went to the village entrance to wait for me?"
Tang Hao's expression remained impassive. "He left an hour ago. Said he had something to do."
"What are you going to do?"
Tang San stood before Xiao Yan, blocking his path.
"Heh, have you forgotten what happened yesterday so quickly?" Tang San sneered.
Xiao Yan stared at Tang San.
Tang San held a strange black iron weapon.
He gave off a killing intent that did not belong to someone his age.
"You want to kill me?" Xiao Yan could never have imagined that, because of that little incident yesterday,
Tang San would actually want to kill him!
"Heh, who would have thought a child like you could see my killing intent?"
"Then your death won't be undeserved."
Tang San's voice was cold.
The next moment, Tang San struck fiercely, his hands moving like clouds and cranes.
"Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon!"
An invisible force moved like four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds.
A palm strike sent Xiao Yan flying.
"Is that a Dou Technique!?" Xiao Yan struggled to his feet.
On Douluo Continent, a child could actually use a Dou Technique.
Even Xiao Yan, as he was now, could not do that.
Even though he knew many Dou Techniques from his previous life,
His current rank-one Soul Power simply wasn't enough to use them.
"A Dou Technique!? This is one of my Tang Sect Secret Arts!"
"Prepare to die!"
Tang San pressed forward again.
His moves were fierce, every one a killing blow.
The advantage of Innate Full Soul Power became apparent.
Xiao Yan's rank-one Soul Power could not withstand Tang San's attacks.
He struggled to dodge, his eyes turning bloodshot.
This Tang San truly meant to kill him.
If he hadn't trained his body by chopping wood, carrying water, and doing all kinds of hard labor since childhood, Tang San would have killed him several times over by now.
Even so, Xiao Yan was now badly wounded.
"Little San, where are you!?"
At the critical moment, Tang San was about to strike a killing blow.
Old Jack's shout came from the distance, interrupting him.
Hmph, I can't let Old Jack find out, Tang San thought.
If his secret were discovered, Old Jack would have to die too.
Who would take him to Nuoding Academy then?
Tang San looked at the weakened Xiao Yan before him and suddenly sneered. "Then I'll make your death even more miserable."
He forced a black-and-purple pill into Xiao Yan's mouth.
Xiao Yan immediately passed out.
Tang San casually tossed Xiao Yan into the river at the village entrance,
The corpse vanished from sight in the rushing current.
Only after everything was taken care of did Old Jack finally arrive.
"Grandpa Village Chief!" Tang San called sweetly.
Old Jack hurriedly picked Tang San up and placed him in the carriage.
He repeatedly cautioned him, "You didn't run into Xiao Yan, did you?"
"That boy didn't get the work-study spot. He must be nursing a grudge now, and there's no telling what he might do."
"Don't worry, Grandpa. That fellow can't do anything anymore."
Old Jack laughed and replied, "That's right. From now on, Little San, you'll be a proud Lord Soul Master."
"As for Xiao Yan, he's just a piece of trash with only rank-one Soul Power who can hardly cultivate."
The old man and the boy chatted and laughed.
They slowly made their way toward Nuoding Academy.
Dark.
So dark.
Am I about to die?
On a stretch of shallows, Xiao Yan struggled to his feet.
His little hands and both cheeks
Were pitch-black.
Poison!
That Tang San had failed to kill him, so he had poisoned him with a deadly toxin instead!
"I swear, if I survive this day's humiliation, I'll never suffer it a second time!" Xiao Yan opened his left hand, covered in bloody wounds and full of poison, his voice hoarse but resolute.
A piercing pain tore through his heart, and his internal organs felt as though they were on fire.
"It hurts..."
Xiao Yan spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.
The poison was attacking his heart. Was he going to die?
"Hehe, little boy, looks like you need help?"
Just as Xiao Yan fell into despair, an old man's laughter suddenly drifted into his ears.
"Who's there?"
He struggled to move his eyes, looking left and right, but there was no one around.
"On your hand."
Xiao Yan's pupils contracted, and his gaze abruptly stopped on the dark ring on his right hand.
"The ring became a spirit!?" Xiao Yan could hardly believe it.
The ring rose into the air and hovered in front of Xiao Yan.
A faint gray figure drifted out. It was an old man.
"A ring grandpa!?" Xiao Yan asked uncertainly.
"My name is Yao Lao."
The old man stroked his long beard and chuckled softly.
"Where are you-"
Before Xiao Yan could ask, an agonizing pain spread throughout his body.
"Ah..."
Xiao Yan fell to the ground, his body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
Black blood began to spread throughout his body.
Tang San's poison had taken effect!
"This poison is rather interesting..." Yao Lao looked thoughtfully at Xiao Yan.
He helped Xiao Yan up, and a faint white flame appeared.
"Bone Spirit Cold Flame, go!"
Yao Lao pointed a finger.
The white flame floated into Xiao Yan's abdomen, instantly relieving his pain.
The poison's spread was cut off, and it gathered together.
A black dot appeared in Xiao Yan's palm.
After a long while, Xiao Yan finally woke up, no longer feeling the slightest pain.
"You saved me!?"
Yao Lao nodded, then shook his head.
"The poison attacked your heart and entered your internal organs."
"My Bone Spirit Cold Flame can only seal it off. It can't enter your organs..."
Yao Lao lowered his eyes and said softly, "In one month, the poison will attack your heart, and you'll still die."
Xiao Yan's pupils contracted. Looking at the remaining black dot in his hand, his hatred for Tang San instantly reached its peak.
"Ah!" Xiao Yan roared.
"If my Soul Power hadn't mysteriously vanished like my Dou Qi!"
"If I had Innate Full Soul Power too!"
"How could he, Tang San, possibly have driven me into such a desperate situation!"
Yao Lao scratched his head, as if there were something difficult to say.
"Actually..."
Xiao Yan smiled bitterly. "If you have something to say, say it. I'm practically a dead man already. What is there I can't accept?"
"Actually, your Dou Qi and Soul Power..."
"I drained them all..."
The air instantly froze, and Xiao Yan's eyebrows twitched repeatedly.
"Your..."
Before Yao Lao could finish, Xiao Yan slapped the ring away.
"Fuck your dad!"
(Please add this to your collection, comment, and vote to recommend it.)
(Updates every day at 1 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.)
(If it does well, there will be more updates.)
(End of chapter)