Old Jack, who had been about to leave, turned around and glared at the young man, his eyes red.
Old Jack had been holding his temper since the young man started making snide remarks, but he hadn't expected him to insult Holy Soul Village. It was a sacred belief in Old Jack's heart, one he would never allow anyone to defile.
"Wh... what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
Old Jack's sudden outburst startled the young man, but he quickly recovered. Being frightened by a country bumpkin made him feel as though he had lost face. His gaze swept over Old Jack's ragged clothes, and he cursed outright:
"Looking like a stinking beggar yourself, what else could it be but a beggar village? And you want proof? Pah! Get lost, old man!"
As he spoke, the young man reached out to shove Old Jack.
But his hands never touched Old Jack.
The moment the young man made his move, Xiao Yan and Tang San both acted. Neither had expected the other to step in, but as they moved, they fell into perfect step, one on each side of Old Jack, and blocked the young man's hands.
Xiao Yan and Tang San each grabbed one of the young man's hands, exchanged a glance, and kicked at his feet at the same time.
Then they pulled on his hands. The young man was lifted off the ground and fell flat on his face.
"You actually dared to hit me!?"
Knocked down by two six-year-old children, the young man felt anger surge within him. He looked at Xiao Yan and Tang San, intending to get serious and teach the two children a lesson.
Faced with the young man's anger, Xiao Yan was startled-not because of the young man, but because, at that instant, he sensed killing intent from Tang San!
Xiao Yan's pupils contracted sharply. He stepped forward and stomped toward the young man's head before he could get up, placing himself between Tang San and the young man as well.
"Apologize to Grandpa Jack!"
Tang San's slightly raised left hand paused, then lowered again.
"Brat, you're courting death!"
Xiao Yan's stomp made the young man's anger erupt. As he was about to scramble up and charge at Xiao Yan, a shout suddenly rang out from the side:
"What are you doing! All of you, stop!"
Xiao Yan and the others turned to look. A middle-aged man of average build, who appeared to be in his thirties or forties, was walking toward them from nearby with a displeased expression. His short black hair was parted to one side, and his gaze fell on the group.
"Grandmaster, you're back!"
The young man's expression changed so quickly that Xiao Yan and Tang San hadn't even had time to react before he was already smiling ingratiatingly, nodding and bowing as he greeted the newcomer.
The "Grandmaster" glanced at the young man, then looked at Xiao Yan and the others and said to Old Jack, "Sir, may I see the certificates?"
Seeing that the "Grandmaster" commanded considerable respect and carried himself with a touch of scholarly grace and composure, Old Jack didn't dare presume. He handed over Xiao Yan and Tang San's Martial Soul certificates with both hands.
"Innate Full Soul Power, Twin Martial Souls!?"
The "Grandmaster" looked at their Martial Soul certificates and gave Xiao Yan and Tang San a slightly surprised look. Then he handed the certificates back to Old Jack and said:
"There's nothing wrong with these Martial Soul certificates."
The "Grandmaster" turned to the young man and said, "Apologize to this gentleman at once."
"Grandmaster, I... apologize to him?"
Hearing the Grandmaster's words, the young man's face flushed red. But when he saw the Grandmaster's gaze turn cold, he could only grit his teeth, walk up to Old Jack, and lower his head as he spoke:
"I... I spoke without thinking. I'm sorry."
Old Jack looked at the young man apologizing to him, his face flushed with excitement. He was just an ordinary commoner, yet now this young man, who might be a Soul Master, was actually apologizing to him.
When had Old Jack ever been treated like this?
All his anger vanished like smoke with the young man's apology. Instead, he waved his hands excitedly:
"Haha, it's all right, it's all right. It was just a small matter. In that case, sir, I'll leave the two of them in your care."
"Rest assured, I'll take care of their enrollment."
The Grandmaster nodded, then led Xiao Yan and Tang San into the academy under Old Jack's watchful gaze.
As he passed the young man, the Grandmaster said coldly:
"This is the first time, and the last. If it happens again, there'll be no need for you to come back."
With that, he walked farther inside without looking at the young man's ashen face.
After bidding Old Jack farewell, Xiao Yan and Tang San followed behind the Grandmaster. Tang San's gaze was also icy as he looked at the young man:
[The third rule of the Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record's general principles: once you have confirmed that an opponent is an enemy, so long as they have a way to death, show no mercy. Otherwise, you will only bring trouble upon yourself.]
In Tang San's view, the young man had laid hands on Old Jack, and with his mean-spirited nature, now that a conflict had arisen between them, he already had a way to death.
With his Silent Sleeve Dagger, he was absolutely certain that after he killed the young man, no one would be able to discover that he had done it. Without evidence, even if the young man died, what could anyone do to him?
The young man was still immersed in fear over the Grandmaster's reprimand, utterly unaware that, had Xiao Yan not stepped in to block him, that sleeve dagger would probably have already pierced his throat.
The two followed the Grandmaster and gradually made their way into Nuoding Academy.
"Teacher, thank you."
Tang San spoke to the Grandmaster. After all, if the man hadn't spoken up just now, the conflict with the young man would probably have grown worse and worse.
"Hehe, no need to thank me. Also, you shouldn't call someone teacher so casually. Grandmaster and teacher mean different things, unless..."
The Grandmaster's gaze swept over the two of them, looking at Xiao Yan and Tang San. His tone was light, then took on a hint of concealed fervor:
"You truly are willing to let me be your teacher."
"Are you going to teach us to cultivate our Martial Souls?"
Xiao Yan looked at the Grandmaster in some confusion. The young man was so afraid of the Grandmaster that the Grandmaster was probably a leader at the academy, wasn't he?
Hearing Xiao Yan's question, the Grandmaster stopped, turned to look at the two of them, and said:
"Then are you willing?"
Faced with the Grandmaster's question, both Xiao Yan and Tang San fell silent. Before finding out who the man was, Xiao Yan didn't want to take him as his teacher in haste.
"Haha, you really are two clever children. Exceptionally gifted and so intelligent, too. You two truly are worthy of being Twin Martial Soul holders, a sight exceedingly rare on the Douluo Continent."
!
The Grandmaster's words left Xiao Yan and Tang San rooted to the spot. Tang San's left hand rose quietly as he looked at the Grandmaster warily.
Xiao Yan, meanwhile, looked at Tang San in confusion. Back then, Tang San's only Martial Soul had been Blue Silver Grass. Did the Grandmaster mean that Tang San had concealed a second Martial Soul?
Seeing their reactions, the Grandmaster calmly folded his arms, looked at Tang San, and said:
"Are you wondering how I knew you have Twin Martial Souls?"