Two gold soul coins and one silver soul coin—
Enough to buy off Tang San's greatest opportunity.
This was a massive profit!
But that wasn't enough.
Tang Lan had to push further and completely cut off all possibilities!
His expression suddenly darkened.
"It's just… I didn't earn much. After paying your two gold soul coin tuition fee, this one silver soul coin might only last you a few days of cultivation…"
"It's fine, Big Brother!" Tang San said, deeply moved. "I can find a job at a blacksmith shop—I can support myself!"
Tang Lan turned his head away guiltily—
And then grinned secretly.
Now, Tang San would be completely occupied and have no chance to meet Xiao Wu!
And with the Soft Bone Rabbit spirit ring as an insurance policy—
Xiao Wu was now completely severed from Tang San's fate.
Tang San was utterly unaware that he had been set up.
He was still overflowing with gratitude, even thinking—
Once he found a blacksmith job, he would craft a sleeve dart for his big brother.
Outside the donkey cart, Old Jack overheard the conversation and nodded approvingly.
Tang Lan was a responsible older brother.
That drunkard Tang Hao was fortunate to have such a son.
And as for Tang San?
With Tang Lan taking such good care of him, there was no need for an old man like Jack to worry.
Arriving at Notting City
Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy was located in the western part of Notting City.
Ever since Old Jack became village chief, no one from Holy Soul Village had ever become a Soul Master.
So—he didn't know the way.
After asking for directions multiple times, they finally reached their destination.
Just before they arrived,
Tang Lan pulled out a new set of clothes and handed them to Tang San.
"You should dress properly for your first day. Don't let the other students look down on you."
Tang San was so touched, he teared up!
His big brother's own clothes were patched all over, yet he still thought of him first!
But in reality—
Tang Lan only did this to prevent Tang San from being ridiculed by the gatekeeper,
Which could have delayed things and led to an accidental encounter with "Grandmaster" Yu Xiaogang.
That guy was all talk, but he was still Tang San's guide.
He had given Tang San a lot of help, even solving the twin martial soul conflict.
If Xiao Wu weren't at this academy—
And if Notting City didn't only have this one school—
Tang Lan would've taken Tang San somewhere else entirely.
Still feeling uneasy,
Tang Lan casually added another suggestion:
"You should register at the Spirit Hall first—then you'll receive one gold soul coin per month."
"Also—"
"Never tell anyone that you have innate full soul power!"
"Blue Silver Grass is known to be weak. If you act too abnormal, your classmates might reject you."
"Train hard, keep a low profile, and when the time comes, amaze everyone and slap them in the face!"
"Got it?"
Tang Lan's thoughtful guidance even made Old Jack feel inadequate.
He thought of everything!
Tang San nodded firmly, watching the donkey cart leave with tears in his eyes.
Deep down, he made another silent vow—
He would make another sleeve dart for his big brother!
At the Notting Academy Gate—
As their donkey cart approached the entrance,
The gate suddenly slammed shut, and the young gatekeeper looked at them in disgust.
"This isn't a place for country bumpkins like you!"
Tang Lan got off the cart without wasting words.
He directly unleashed his first spirit ring.
The fake yellow ring flared into view—
The gatekeeper's face instantly changed!
Shit!
A Soul Master?!
A six-year-old genius?!
His expression flipped instantly.
Like a magician, he put on a flattering smile.
"Ahh! Young Master, I was blind! I deserve to be punished!"
He gritted his teeth and slapped himself across the face—
So hard that a red handprint appeared.
After all—
He was just a commoner.
If a Soul Master wanted to kill him, they could do so easily.
"Don't talk about this to anyone."
Tang Lan instructed—
"In a moment, a black-haired kid will come to enroll. Don't stop him—take him straight to register."
The gatekeeper didn't dare to refuse.
He nodded repeatedly, bowing as he agreed.
A Near Miss—
Shortly after Tang Lan and Old Jack left,
A middle-aged man returned to the school and noticed the red mark on the gatekeeper's face.
"Did you give someone trouble and get beaten up?"
The gatekeeper hesitated.
He was about to complain—
But then remembered Tang Lan's warning.
So, he changed his story:
"I had a fight with my wife. No need to worry, Grandmaster."
Yu Xiaogang glanced at him coldly,
Uninterested in pressing further.
"Do your job properly. Stop trying to extort people all the time."
After a brief scolding,
He walked into the academy—
But in his heart, he felt a strange emptiness.
As if…
He had just missed something incredibly important.
Inside the academy, Tang Lan received a system notification.
[Host has delayed Tang San's apprenticeship under Yu Xiaogang, seizing a great amount of Tang San's fortune!]
[Reward: "Significant Increase in Soul Beast Favorability"!]
Oh?
Only delayed?
Makes sense—
Tang San hadn't outright offended Yu Xiaogang, he just hadn't run into him yet.
But the moment they did meet—
It would be like a dog returning to its old habits.
A theory-obsessed "Grandmaster" with no real proof would definitely take Tang San as his disciple.
'Tch!'
'Should I just get rid of Yu Xiaogang entirely?'
At rank 29 with a trash martial soul, he'd be easy to kill.
The only issue—
It might attract Bibi Dong's attention, and that love-struck fool might get involved…
As Tang Lan was mulling over his options,
Old Jack suddenly asked, "Xiao Lan, about your spirit ring…"
Tang Lan immediately answered, without missing a beat:
"I got it while training outside—Dad hunted a soul beast for me."
Old Jack's eyes widened in shock!
Tang Hao helped hunt a soul beast?!
He didn't know what kind of yellow spirit ring this was, but it definitely looked more valuable than Tang San's white one.
That drunkard Tang Hao… actually had this kind of skill?!
Compared to that clueless gatekeeper,
The teachers at Notting Academy were much more professional.
Even though they were surprised that Tang Lan's "trash martial soul" Blue Silver Grass had innate soul power of rank 3,
None of them acted in an arrogant or dismissive manner.
The work-study admission process went smoothly.
Tang Lan received free toiletries and was assigned to Dorm Seven—
Where all work-study students lived.
This dorm had the worst conditions,
And was mixed-age and co-ed.
As Old Jack was laying down a straw mat for Tang Lan,
He suddenly strained his back, his face turning pale.
Tang Lan noticed immediately—
He placed a hand on Old Jack's back and channeled his Nine Yang Divine Skill.
With ease, he completely healed the injury—
Even boosting Old Jack's energy levels slightly.
"Is this soul power? It's truly miraculous!"
Old Jack clicked his tongue in amazement. "You must study hard and aim to graduate properly."
After some more words of encouragement,
And seeing that other students had started returning,
Old Jack finally stood up and left.
Establishing Dominance in Dorm Seven
The moment the door shut,
A taller boy walked over, looking down at Tang Lan's patched-up clothes.
"New work-study student?" The boy said rudely. "I'm Wang Sheng. My martial soul is Battle Tiger. I'm a future Battle Soul Master—and I'm the boss here!"
"Kid, state your name!"
Oh?
A power move, huh?
Tang Lan raised his hand—
His life-bound Blue Silver Emperor instantly shot out, wrapping tightly around Wang Sheng!
"BAM—"
Wang Sheng slammed into the floor, completely immobilized.
With two 7,000-year spirit rings,
Tang Lan's Blue Silver Emperor was as tough as a 10,000-year plant-type soul beast.
No matter how hard Wang Sheng struggled,
It was useless.
The other students, who had been waiting to enjoy the show, were stunned!
Wang Sheng—the strongest senior student—just got instantly defeated?!
Tang Lan swept his gaze around the room, his expression calm and indifferent.
"I'm Tang Lan. From now on, I'm the boss of Dorm Seven."
"I'll protect you all, but you must follow my rules."
"Who agrees? Who disagrees?"
Silence.
Not a single kid dared to make eye contact with Tang Lan.
Tang Lan nodded in satisfaction.
He pulled out a gold soul coin and tossed it to one of them.
"Go buy me a new bedding set—the biggest one."
"And brand-new toiletries."
The kid stared at the gold coin in shock.
Having strong combat power could be written off as just being a genius.
But…
Giving away gold soul coins like pocket change?!
Why would someone this rich even be a work-study student?!
"Hmm? Is there a problem?" Tang Lan raised an eyebrow.
The kid frantically shook his head and dashed out the door.
"Wait! I'll help!"
"Yeah! Let's all go!"
Within seconds, the entire dorm was empty—
All the students had rushed off to run errands for Tang Lan.
An Unexpected Guest
Just as the dorm quieted down,
A young girl stepped through the open door.
Her fair face was tinged with pink,
Her bright eyes sparkled with life,
And the rabbit-ear decorations on her head made her look even more adorable.
It was—
Xiao Wu!
(End of Chapter)
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X