Tang San Was Furious: You Must Not Question My Teacher

"Who is Lin Yu?"

Dong Jian stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Yu Xiaogang.

He had never heard Dong Shan mention that name.

Yet the materials Yu Xiaogang had read happened to concern both the black-and-white twin Martial Souls and Li Ze's record-keeping habits.

If Lin Yu was only an ordinary researcher, that would be too much of a coincidence.

"This isn't the place to talk."

Yu Xiaogang glanced at the students gathered at the academy entrance.

"Come find me tonight, after you've finished registering."

"I'll tell you the part I know."

Li Man frowned.

"Only part?"

"There are things I can't be sure of either."

Yu Xiaogang turned to Tang San.

"Come with me."

"Let's get you registered first."

Tang San nodded. After taking a few steps, he looked back at Dong Jian.

He didn't care who Lin Yu was.

What really bothered him was that Dong Jian had just refused Yu Xiaogang's invitation, yet still wanted information from his teacher.

To Tang San, that was somewhat contradictory.

If he acknowledged his teacher's knowledge, why wouldn't he become his disciple?

And if he didn't, why keep asking?

Tang San didn't say it aloud.

But his gaze held a trace more distance when he looked at Dong Jian than it had when he arrived.

After Yu Xiaogang and Tang San left, the teacher in charge of registration soon arrived.

With Yu Xiaogang's confirmation, the two work-study certificates encountered no further difficulties.

"Dong Jian, unknown bear-type Beast Martial Soul, level-seven Soul Power?"

The registration teacher looked at the new test results in surprise.

"Didn't the certificate say level six?"

"It improved after awakening."

Dong Jian had prepared an explanation long ago.

Level seven was the Soul Power he could currently draw on reliably, so there was no need to keep hiding it.

The registration teacher nodded and added a line beside the entry on the certificate.

"Grandmaster is handling Tang San's registration."

"You and Li Man will both be assigned to Dorm Seven for now."

"Work-study students are responsible for the academy's odd jobs every day."

"The dormitory teacher will assign the specific tasks."

Once the formalities were complete, it was time for Old Jack and the old village chief of Iron Bamboo Village to leave.

Old Jack held Dong Jian and Li Man back, giving them instructions for a long while.

"You and Little San come from neighboring villages."

"Now that you're at the academy, look after one another."

"Children in the city aren't as simple as those in the village. Don't go looking for trouble."

The old village chief of Iron Bamboo Village kept rolling his eyes as he listened.

"When has Dong Jian ever started trouble?"

"As long as no one bullies him, he certainly won't lift a hand."

Old Jack glanced at the gatekeeper, who was still rubbing his wrist by the academy entrance, but didn't expose the claim.

In the end, the two old men boarded their carriage and left.

Dong Jian stood at the academy entrance, watching the carriage gradually disappear.

From this moment on, he had truly left Iron Bamboo Village.

The Nuoding Academy storyline from the original work had officially begun as well.

"Let's go to the dorm first."

Li Man held the medicine chest tighter.

"The blood sample has to be dealt with as soon as possible."

The black blood Zhou Qian had left behind had been changing all along.

Its color in the medicine bottle was darker than when it had first been collected, and occasionally, faint gray bubbles appeared in it.

Li Man suspected that the fusion potion was continuing to erode the Soul Power structure in the blood.

If she didn't record them in time, many crucial changes would disappear.

The two followed the directions to the academy's dormitory area.

Dorm Seven was at the very end of the dormitory building.

Before the door was fully open, a fist came hurtling straight at them.

Dong Jian tilted his head aside.

The fist swept past his ear.

Immediately afterward, a tall, sturdily built boy charged out from behind the door, driving his shoulder at Dong Jian's chest.

"New here?"

"First, follow Dorm Seven's rules!"

Dong Jian didn't retreat.

The instant their shoulders touched, he slid half a step to the side.

The force the boy had gathered struck empty air.

Dong Jian pressed his right hand against the boy's arm and gave it a gentle pull in the direction of his charge.

The boy lost his balance.

Thud!

He fell straight to the ground outside the door.

A chorus of cheers immediately rose from inside the dorm.

"Wang Sheng fell again!"

"The new guy's got some skill!"

The fallen boy scrambled to his feet.

Unlike Zhao Hu, he didn't fly into a rage from embarrassment. Instead, he studied Dong Jian carefully.

"What's your name?"

"Dong Jian."

"What's your Martial Soul?"

"Black and White Bear."

Wang Sheng rolled his shoulders.

"I'm the current boss of Dorm Seven."

"My Martial Soul is the War Tiger. Level-nine Soul Power."

"According to Dorm Seven's rules, newcomers have to fight the boss."

Dong Jian walked into the dorm.

"What do I get if I win?"

"If you win, you're the boss."

"And if I lose?"

"You follow the boss's orders."

Dong Jian glanced around the dorm.

A dozen or so beds were crammed into the narrow room.

Most of the bedding was badly worn.

The students there wore patched clothes as well.

More importantly, nearly everyone had injuries.

One had a swollen wrist.

Another had a rough strip of cloth stuck to his forehead.

When the boy by the window walked, he clearly didn't dare put his full weight on his left leg.

Those injuries couldn't all have come from sparring in the dorm.

"What does the boss have to do?"

Dong Jian asked.

Wang Sheng was taken aback.

In the past, when new students heard they could become the boss, their first reaction was always to ask whether they could order the others around.

No one had ever asked what they had to do first.

"Lead everyone in fights."

"If someone bullies Dorm Seven, the boss has to stand at the very front."

Wang Sheng pointed to the bruise on his cheek that had yet to fade.

"Those noble students at the academy look down on work-study students."

"They steal our seats at meals."

"When it's time for chores, they dump their work on us."

"Sometimes they even pick people out to spar on purpose."

"If Dorm Seven doesn't have someone strong enough to lead it, anyone can come and step on us."

Dong Jian finally understood.

Wang Sheng hadn't made the rule simply to bully newcomers.

The work-study students had no family backing, and no teachers paid them any attention.

They could only band together.

"I don't want to be the boss."

Dong Jian said.

Wang Sheng's face darkened.

"You look down on us?"

"No."

Dong Jian walked up to him.

"Only the person responsible for protecting the dorm has the right to demand that others listen."

"I've just arrived at the academy. I don't even know who your enemies are."

"It wouldn't be right for everyone to listen to me just because I beat you once."

Wang Sheng stared at him for a few seconds.

"We still have to fight."

"Why?"

"Because I need to know whether I can count on you when trouble really comes!"

Yellow Soul Power poured from Wang Sheng's body.

A striped War Tiger appeared behind him.

After Martial Soul Possession, his hands grew noticeably thicker, and he was stronger than before.

"I won't use any Soul Skills."

"So don't say I'm bullying a newcomer."

"All right."

Dong Jian put down his luggage.

But he didn't release his Panda Martial Soul.

Wang Sheng frowned.

"You're not using your Martial Soul?"

"Let's try it first."

To Wang Sheng's ears, those words carried a hint of contempt.

With a low shout, he charged, swinging his fist.

Dong Jian didn't meet it head-on.

Wang Sheng was much stronger than Zhao Hu, but his movements were still direct.

His fist came down.

Dong Jian turned sideways.

His palm met Wang Sheng's wrist.

Not to block, but to guide.

Wang Sheng's fist brushed past Dong Jian's shoulder, and he charged forward again.

This time he planted his feet in advance, spun around, and swept a leg across.

Dong Jian raised his leg and stepped back.

The moment his foot touched the floor, Wang Sheng's second fist was already coming at him.

"Good reactions."

A hint of seriousness appeared in Dong Jian's eyes.

Wang Sheng did more than rely on brute force.

After having his force redirected repeatedly, he began shortening his movements to reduce his forward momentum.

But there was still an obvious gap between the two in their control over their bodies.

When Wang Sheng threw his third punch, Dong Jian stepped forward.

His shoulder came close to Wang Sheng's arm.

His waist turned.

Wang Sheng's force was guided to one side.

Dong Jian hooked a toe lightly behind his foot.

Thud!

Wang Sheng fell for the third time.

This time, he stayed down for a long while.

Not because he was hurt.

He simply had no idea why he had fallen.

"You're clearly not as strong as I am."

Wang Sheng sat on the floor.

"Why can't I stay on my feet whenever I touch you?"

"Because every time you punch, you throw all your weight forward."

Dong Jian reached out and pulled him up.

"As soon as your attack misses, you lose your balance first."

Wang Sheng was silent for a moment.

"You win."

"From today on, you're the boss of Dorm Seven."

"I told you, I don't want to be."

"Dorm Seven only recognizes the strongest."

"Then let's change that rule."

Dong Jian looked at the work-study students in the dorm.

"When something comes up, listen to whoever's best suited to handle it."

"In a fight, listen to the best fighter."

"If you're looking for someone, listen to whoever knows the academy best."

"If you're hurt, listen to someone who understands healing."

At this point, he looked at Li Man.

Li Man had already walked over to the boy with the injured leg.

Pale green Green Jade Bamboo emerged from her palm.

Its leaves rested gently against the boy's knee.

"It's not broken."

"But the joint has taken repeated blows."

"You'll need at least three days' rest."

She checked several other students' injuries as well.

"Who have you been in conflict with lately?"

Wang Sheng's expression turned a little awkward.

"A few noble students from the upper years."

"They often make us do their work for them."

"If we refuse, they challenge us to a spar on the field."

Li Man opened her logbook.

"Names."

"Times."

"Where you were injured."

Wang Sheng looked at her.

"Why are you writing all that down?"

"To look for a pattern."

Li Man said:

"If they're just bullying people on a whim, there shouldn't be a pattern to the times or the people involved."

"If it's always the same few people in the same place, you can avoid them in advance or prepare evidence to give to a teacher."

The people in Dorm Seven looked at one another.

For the first time, someone had told them that fighting back wasn't the only thing they could do after being bullied; they could also write it down.

Just then, the dorm door was pushed open again.

Tang San walked in.

Yu Xiaogang had already completed his registration for him.

Seeing another newcomer, Wang Sheng asked out of habit:

"Name, Martial Soul, Soul Power."

"Tang San."

"Blue Silver Grass, Innate Full Soul Power."

The dorm fell silent at once.

Wang Sheng instinctively looked at Dong Jian.

Each newcomer today was more outrageous than the last.

"Are we still fighting?"

Tang San asked.

Wang Sheng rubbed his back, which still hurt from his falls.

"Let's forget it today."

"The boss has already been chosen anyway."

"Who?"

"Dong Jian."

Tang San looked at Dong Jian, a flash of interest in his eyes.

He had originally planned to use Dorm Seven's rules to test the work-study students here.

He hadn't expected Dong Jian to have already done it first.

"He didn't use his Martial Soul."

A work-study student couldn't help saying:

"Wang Sheng couldn't even touch him."

Tang San's gaze fell on Dong Jian's feet.

His judgment from the carriage had been confirmed once again.

What Dong Jian had mastered wasn't just simple stance training.

It was a complete method of controlling the body.

"Some boss."

Someone muttered in a corner of the dorm.

"No matter how good he is, he can't compare to the Grandmaster's disciple."

Another person immediately laughed.

"That Grandmaster?"

"Everyone in the academy knows he doesn't even count as a teacher."

"He spends all day researching theories nobody believes."

Tang San's face darkened instantly.

"What did you say?"

The student was startled by his gaze.

"I only heard the upper-year students say..."

"You insult someone so casually without learning about him yourself."

Tang San said coldly:

"Is that Dorm Seven's rule?"

The atmosphere in the dorm immediately grew tense.

Wang Sheng frowned.

"The Grandmaster's reputation at the academy wasn't good to begin with."

"Everyone's just repeating what they heard."

"Does hearing something make it a fact?"

Tang San's voice grew even colder.

"Teacher has a vast knowledge of Martial Souls."

"You have no right to judge him so casually."

Dong Jian stepped between them.

"Mocking Yu Xiaogang himself and questioning his theories are two different things."

Tang San looked at him.

"You still want to keep questioning Teacher?"

"He answered three questions."

"Some of his answers were right, and some couldn't be proven."

Dong Jian said:

"That doesn't stop me from respecting his knowledge, and it doesn't stop me from continuing to test it."

Tang San clenched his fists.

"Teacher already saw that I have Twin Martial Souls, and he also saw that your Martial Soul was in danger of becoming imbalanced."

"Isn't that enough to prove his ability?"

"It proves he's capable."

Dong Jian answered calmly:

"It doesn't prove he'll never be wrong."

"You've already taken him as your teacher."

"But taking someone as your teacher doesn't mean handing over your own judgment too."

For the first time, clear anger appeared in Tang San's eyes.

"Are you saying I have no judgment?"

"I'm saying everyone should retain their own judgment."

Li Man closed her logbook.

"Correct conclusions will be recorded."

"Incorrect conclusions must be recorded as well."

"Only by recording everything can you know how high a theory's success rate really is."

Tang San turned to look at her.

"Teacher was willing to share his materials with you."

"And all you can think about is recording his mistakes?"

"If mistakes aren't recorded, the next person will repeat them."

Li Man didn't back down.

"It has nothing to do with whose teacher he is."

Tang San wanted to continue.

But Dong Jian glanced at the sky outside the window, which was gradually growing dark.

"We still have to go see Yu Xiaogang tonight."

"Lin Yu's situation is more important than arguing right now."

Hearing that name, Tang San suppressed his anger for the moment.

He didn't understand the relationship between Lin Yu and Dong Jian.

But since Teacher had agreed to meet them, he had no intention of stopping them.

Li Man walked to the bed and prepared to take out Zhou Qian's blood sample.

She opened the medicine case.

Her movements suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?"

Dong Jian asked.

Li Man took the medicine bottles out of the case one by one.

The Soul-Revealing Liquid was still there.

The ordinary medicinal herbs were still there too.

Only the small vial containing Zhou Qian's black blood was missing.

"Someone went through my chest."

Everyone in Dorm Seven's expression changed at once.

There had always been someone in the room since they entered the dormitory.

Yet no one had noticed the medicine chest being opened.

Dong Jian walked over to the window.

The window was not completely shut.

A piece of black paper was caught in the wooden frame.

The paper had been cut into the shape of a slender eye.

The Eye of Liangyi.

Someone from the Return to One Society had already entered Dorm Seven.

Just then, the dormitory door was pushed open for the third time.

A little girl in a pink dress walked in, dragging her luggage.

Her long black hair was tied into a neat scorpion-tail braid that hung past her waist.

She first looked at the boys filling the room, then at Dong Jian and Tang San standing in the middle.

"This is Dorm Seven, right?"

Wang Sheng nodded instinctively.

The little girl tossed her luggage onto an empty bed.

"My name is Xiao Wu."

"Wu as in dancing."

She flexed her wrists, a bright smile appearing on her face.

"I heard the work-study students' dormitory has a rule."

"Who's the boss here?"

Everyone in Dorm Seven turned to look at Dong Jian at the same time.

Xiao Wu followed their gazes.

She first saw Dong Jian.

Then she saw the black and white Soul Power lingering by his feet.

Her pink eyes, relaxed a moment before, suddenly narrowed slightly.

The Panda Martial Soul inside Dong Jian opened its eyes at the same instant.

It smelled-

The scent of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.