All rights reserved to the respective authors.
"Dialogue": Represented in double quotes for conversations between characters.
'Thoughts': Represented in single quotation marks, indicating the characters' internal reflections.
[Diary]: Represented in square brackets, used for messages intended for the heroines or entries written by Tenshin.
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The soft light of dawn appeared on the horizon, spreading a warm, almost ethereal glow over the Sacred Spirit Village. On the main street, Tenshin, carrying a backpack, walked towards the village's main gate. His silvery-blue eyes scanned the almost deserted street, except for the few merchants who were starting to open and prepare their shops for the day ahead.
After a few minutes, when he reached his destination, he could not see either Old Jack or Tang San. Thus, he decided to lean against one of the pillars next to the main gate and close his eyes while waiting. 'Grandpa Jack must have gone to pick up Tang San. He might be worried that Tang Hao will change his mind at the last minute and not allow Tang San to go to the academy…' Tenshin thought calmly.
After a few moments, he began to hear footsteps. When he opened his eyes, he saw Old Jack and Tang San. Tenshin simply greeted with a "Good morning", receiving in return a cheerful greeting from the elder and, as usual, only a slight and disinterested nod from Tang San.
Without further ado, the three of them headed towards Nuoding City. Although the city was relatively close, it took about an hour to walk from the village to there. As for the question of why they didn't hire a carriage? The answer was simple: although the village's financial situation had improved, most of the resources were being directed to benefit the villagers and the village's infrastructure, which was undergoing significant development. Thus, even if they now had the option of taking a carriage, they chose not to do so in order to avoid attracting too much attention.
As he walked along the road, Tenshin's eyes scanned the ever-changing landscape. He had never ventured beyond the Holy Spirit Village before, and he couldn't deny that he felt a certain curiosity. However, his gaze wasn't just curious—it was also cautious. He silently scanned his surroundings, looking for potential threats: bandits hiding in the shadows who might see an elder and two children as easy targets, or soul beasts that might attack or follow them.
After fifteen minutes of walking, thankfully without any disturbances, Tenshin began to feel bored, as the scenery had become monotonous and he was in no mood to talk at the moment. So he summoned his diary and began writing:
[Currently, Grandpa Jack is taking me to Nuoding City so that I can enroll in Nuoding Academy. Normally, one would expect only me and Grandpa to be going, but to my "surprise", Tang San is also joining us. The reason is simple: while I received the quota for the job vacancy in the village, something unexpected occurred, which is none other than the effect of the protagonist's halo, which favors Tang San.]
[What happened was that for some reason, Su Yuntao, who was responsible for awakening our martial souls, felt sorry when he realized that one of us would have to waste his talent as a soul master and decided to offer a helping hand. He gave a letter of recommendation to assist those who didn't get the village quota, allowing them a chance to enter the academy.]
[So while Grandpa Jack granted me the quota, Tang San kept the letter of recommendation—which, by the way, I seem to have forgotten to mention in my diary, but that doesn't matter since no one can read it except me, so me not writing it down doesn't change anything. However, one worry has been plaguing me ever since this decision was made.]
[Although the letter almost guarantees entrance into the academy—let's be honest, no academy in their right mind would reject a recommendation like that from Su Yuntao, who is a level 26 Soul Grandmaster. Although this may seem weak in the larger context, in a small city like Nuoding, this is already quite significant, and they would at least have to give him some consideration.]
[But if we consider the Spirit Hall behind him… the acceptance of the letter is immediate. However, returning to my concern, the fact is that just as I realized this, Tang San also realizes it. Even though the letter of recommendation practically guarantees his admission, the village quota ensures his entry—no questions asked.]
The heroines who read the diary were not entirely surprised. Like Tenshin, they had believed that he would be selected for the village's work and study quota; after all, Old Jack had practically taken him in, and the bond he had with Tenshin was much stronger than the one he had with Tang San.
Still, the fact that Su Yuntao had provided a letter of recommendation for no apparent reason, other than not wanting a talent like theirs to go to waste, seemed generous to them. He didn't need to do this—it wasn't part of his official responsibilities. And honestly, the chances of the academy rejecting Tang San were very low; any reputable institution would certainly give Spirit Hall a chance. Tang San had every reason to be grateful.
However, they did not understand Tenshin's concern regarding the fact that Tang San also saw the difference between the letter and the quota. However, what Tenshin wrote in the following diary entries soon challenged their assumptions:
[Based on what I know about the plot and Tang San's personality, as well as his reaction to receiving the document, I fear that he may now harbor resentment towards both me and Grandpa Jack. Especially considering that he is a transmigrator, possessing the soul of a thirty-year-old man.]
The heroines were surprised and incredulous at what they were reading. They remembered from previous entries that Tenshin had little patience for Tang San's character—his previous diary entries had revealed the latter's hypocrisy and morally questionable actions—but this was still difficult to accept. The idea that someone who was supposed to be the protagonist of that era, someone who was supposed to symbolize virtue, could be so petty and spiteful was extremely disturbing.
What really caught their attention was the expression "transmigrator." Initially, they were unsure of what it meant, but upon reading "with a thirty-year-old soul," shock overcame them. Was Tang San's situation similar to Tenshin's? However, some remembered that Tenshin had always referred to himself as a "reincarnator"—a subtle but significant nuance that piqued their curiosity.
[However, the main question is not just whether Tang San can hold a grudge, but whether he can have negative thoughts towards Grandpa Jack and me, just because I was the only one to receive the village's share, even though he possessed supposedly superior innate spiritual power.]
[Some may argue that my dislike of Tang San is biased—however, that is not entirely the case. It is true that some emotions affect my judgment, but I also try to be impartial. In the original story, Tang San never expressed gratitude to Grandpa Jack—neither for the share, nor for the affection and support the old man had given him as a child.]
[To understand this situation, it is important to examine Tang San's childhood. In the village, it was clear that Tang Hao did not provide the affection, attention, and security that a father should. He was often drunk, leaving Tang San alone—taking care of the meals, cleaning, and barely eating, as Tang Hao consumed most of the food Tang San prepared. Life was complicated. The only constant help Tang San received was from Grandpa Jack, who even confronted Tang Hao.]
[However, when Grandpa Jack did this, Tang San did not show the slightest gratitude. Instead, he coldly replied, "Who are you to talk about my father? Even so, he is still my father!"]
[In my past life, upon witnessing this scene, I could not help but laugh—not out of amusement, but out of bitter irony. Grandpa Jack supported him unconditionally, while Tang San reciprocated this kindness with complete indifference.]
The heroines were uneasy. They couldn't accept that Tang San could show such ingratitude. After all, Old Jack had gone out of his way to help him—an act he had no obligation to do. However, as they continued reading, they began to understand Tenshin's point of view.
The twisted relationship between Tang Hao and Tang San was disturbing, but what surprised them most was Tang San's misplaced loyalty. Protecting an absent father while disregarding the support of the only man who truly cared for him left the heroines in a deep dilemma. No one felt this more keenly than Tang Yuehua. The mention of Tang San's "thirty-year-old soul" had already bothered her, and now, as she read about his troubled childhood, she was forced to reflect on her own family, but she was reluctant to do so. And she couldn't accept the idea that her nephew—the one she had never met—could be so ungrateful.
[Furthermore, after his brief visit to the Holy Spirit Village during the New Year's vacation in the first year—just to check on his father—Tang San never returned. Once he heard of Tang Hao's departure from the village, he never looked back.]
As the entries continued, the tone of the diary became increasingly somber. Some heroines wondered if Tenshin was exaggerating for effect, but they remembered that these were his honest, uncensored reflections—written, theoretically, only for himself. The honesty in his observations made his words all the more powerful.
Tang Yuehua, in particular, was deeply impacted. These entries directly addressed matters within her family. Even if she tried to disregard them, she could not completely dispel the reality reflected in Tenshin's diary. Only yesterday, she had received another weekly soul power reward—and in the past three months, these rewards had never failed. This regularity and effectiveness convinced her that the diary was not only reliable but also possessed great power.
[In reality, even if Tang San fails to obtain the work-study role, it's of little consequence. He has the rare ability of possessing dual martial souls—something that has only been documented in two other instances throughout the continent's history.]
[Given Tang Hao's character, it's unlikely he would allow Tang San's abilities to go to waste.]
[This brings to mind a particularly memorable incident that still makes me chuckle.]
Curious, the female characters continued to read as Tenshin painted the scene with a blend of irony and dark humor:
[Following his martial soul awakening, Tang San hurried home to share the news with Tang Hao about his innate full soul power. Initially, Tang Hao was overjoyed. However, his expression soured significantly upon discovering that Tang San's martial soul was Blue Silver Grass.]
[It honestly got me thinking about whether Tang Hao genuinely had any feelings for Ah Yin, considering that Tang San's blue silver grass originates from her.]
[Then came the surprising turn—Tang San disclosed his second martial soul: the Clear Sky Hammer. Immediately, Tang Hao's demeanor shifted. He embraced Tang San warmly and exclaimed, "Xiao San, you must keep the essence of this hammer a secret from now on. From this point forward, wield the hammer with your left hand and safeguard the grass with your right!"]
[The hypocrisy was astounding. One moment he was despondent; the next, he was ecstatic. And how can Tang San "protect" the Blue Silver Grass with a hammer when he's instructed to keep it hidden?]
The female characters were left in silence. Tang Hao's actions were undeniably flawed—hypocritical, inconsistent, and troubling. Yet, despite the absurdity, there was a peculiar, almost humorous aspect to it, just as Tenshin had narrated. Tang Yuehua began to question whether the battles from six years prior or the grief of losing his wife had twisted Tang Hao's mind.
'I guess that's enough for now,' Tenshin mused as he put away the diary. Focusing on the road ahead, he scanned the forest around him. After noticing anything of note, he turned his attention back to the path ahead; even though the Holy Spirit Village wasn't too far from Nuoding City, the journey seemed long. They finally reached the city around mid-morning. Despite its small size, Nuoding City's sturdy walls—fortified by its proximity to the empire's border—exuded a sense of security. The trio lined up in the line of citizens waiting for the city's standard security check. As soon as Grandpa Jack paid the entrance fee and showed the soul master certificates, the soldiers' attitudes instantly changed. They treated him with newfound respect and allowed they to proceed without further ado.